6 years sober: A new life
Giving up is NOT an option.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
BeABetterMan said:
"So many times I hear people come into SR after a DUI or a broken relationship or a lost job, and people rightfully rally around them and tell them it's going to be ok, or that it's "too bad." I almost never feel that way. I often want to say, "good." In my experience drinkers (most of us alcoholics) of our kind do not stop drinking when life is good. Like has to go bad. Real bad."
Yep. I agree. I guess there's the rare alcoholic who just one day says, "things are getting a bit uncomfortable, I think I'll quit." I might still be drinking (or dead) if I had not gotten in my car that night and drove to the bar and then drove home. I DO believe the hand of God (or a higher power, anyway) was with me that night. I often say I had a God moment or spiritual awakening that night, and I'll never forget the feeling of immense relief and the glimmer of hope I felt when that voice in my head told me I had had enough and it was time to figure out how to stop. Stop drinking, stop taking stupid chances, stop hurting my friends and family - all of it. I was so tired of the way my life was going and I needed that huge event to shake me up enough to DO SOMETHING about it.
So yes, I am grateful for that DUI. It took me a while to get to a point where I could see that as a blessing, because going through all of it was really really awful (court, jail, house arrest, driving restrictions, interlock device in car for 2 and a half years, the expense, etc. etc.) but looking back, I got through all of the awful stuff and came out the other side sober and learning to like myself and my life. It was all worth it.
"So many times I hear people come into SR after a DUI or a broken relationship or a lost job, and people rightfully rally around them and tell them it's going to be ok, or that it's "too bad." I almost never feel that way. I often want to say, "good." In my experience drinkers (most of us alcoholics) of our kind do not stop drinking when life is good. Like has to go bad. Real bad."
Yep. I agree. I guess there's the rare alcoholic who just one day says, "things are getting a bit uncomfortable, I think I'll quit." I might still be drinking (or dead) if I had not gotten in my car that night and drove to the bar and then drove home. I DO believe the hand of God (or a higher power, anyway) was with me that night. I often say I had a God moment or spiritual awakening that night, and I'll never forget the feeling of immense relief and the glimmer of hope I felt when that voice in my head told me I had had enough and it was time to figure out how to stop. Stop drinking, stop taking stupid chances, stop hurting my friends and family - all of it. I was so tired of the way my life was going and I needed that huge event to shake me up enough to DO SOMETHING about it.
So yes, I am grateful for that DUI. It took me a while to get to a point where I could see that as a blessing, because going through all of it was really really awful (court, jail, house arrest, driving restrictions, interlock device in car for 2 and a half years, the expense, etc. etc.) but looking back, I got through all of the awful stuff and came out the other side sober and learning to like myself and my life. It was all worth it.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: NSW - Australia
Posts: 14,578
Congratulations on 6 years of sobriety MLD51. How wonderful.
I read of the loss of your old friend result this terrible malady. The lies he told to cover the shame, the guilt, the ego ever resistant.
I've done same, think many of us have. Not much has changed in terms of social shaming as far as alcohol is concerned if you ask me. Another good person lost, when it did not have to be that way. I'm very sorry.
But, I'm very happy to read of your 6 well earned years. Congratulations.
I read of the loss of your old friend result this terrible malady. The lies he told to cover the shame, the guilt, the ego ever resistant.
I've done same, think many of us have. Not much has changed in terms of social shaming as far as alcohol is concerned if you ask me. Another good person lost, when it did not have to be that way. I'm very sorry.
But, I'm very happy to read of your 6 well earned years. Congratulations.
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