5 Years
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Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Northwest U.S.
Posts: 778
5 Years
Today I celebrate five fantastic years of sobriety! I haven’t posted much on here over the past year, but decided that I should post today, if for no other reason than to pause for a moment and think about my journey.
My story is not too different from thousands of others. I drank a lot for a very long time until, one day, I crossed over that unknown line to being actively addicted to alcohol. I held things together quite remarkably for a while, hiding the booze, drinking nearly all day, continuing to work with some degree of efficiency, lying about everything all the time, waking up and promising myself that today is the day I would stop, and doing it all over again day after day after day. But the cracks in my grand drunk house grew to fissures and I realized that it wasn’t just me in that house, but my kids and my spouse, so on December 7, 2015 I consumed a vast amount of alcohol and that would be the last of my drinking days.
Sobriety is just a series of moments, minutes and days where your mind is not clouded with intoxicants. The difficulties and challenges of sobriety wax and wane, but generally maintain a slow and steady downward slope. After five years, days pass where I don’t think about alcohol at all. Vigilance is still important and I am acutely aware how easy it is to pick up a drink, but there is no real temptation and I most certainly don’t miss the pain and drama that followed me in those years.
Looking back, my biggest challenge did not involve any sort of action. The biggest challenge was coming to grips with the idea that I could live my life without booze. It was the hardest thing to accept. If this is keeping you from sobriety, trust that it will come with time. Start the process. For me, I accepted one simple truth: if I continue to drink, it will kill me and will forever damage those closest to me. That got me started. Over time, I came to accept and then embrace the idea that I will never drink again. Today, I love my sober life. I will never go back. I am very much at peace with the idea of never consuming alcohol again.
When I regularly posted here, I constantly emphasized two keys to my recovery: a written recovery plan and exercise. At year five, I still strongly believe in those two elements.
Finally, I want to emphasize that fighting this terrible disease builds better people. Anyone who has been down this road has learned a lot about humility and empathy. Recovery also brings strength and perspective; when the next big stressful event or circumstance comes along, whatever it is cannot be as big as tackling addiction.
I know that there are a lot of people who are at the very beginning of the same path that I traveled. I promise you that you can do this. And I promise you that it is worth it. Good luck, thanks for reading my little post, and thanks to this awesome community for all of the support that you all give to so many.
My story is not too different from thousands of others. I drank a lot for a very long time until, one day, I crossed over that unknown line to being actively addicted to alcohol. I held things together quite remarkably for a while, hiding the booze, drinking nearly all day, continuing to work with some degree of efficiency, lying about everything all the time, waking up and promising myself that today is the day I would stop, and doing it all over again day after day after day. But the cracks in my grand drunk house grew to fissures and I realized that it wasn’t just me in that house, but my kids and my spouse, so on December 7, 2015 I consumed a vast amount of alcohol and that would be the last of my drinking days.
Sobriety is just a series of moments, minutes and days where your mind is not clouded with intoxicants. The difficulties and challenges of sobriety wax and wane, but generally maintain a slow and steady downward slope. After five years, days pass where I don’t think about alcohol at all. Vigilance is still important and I am acutely aware how easy it is to pick up a drink, but there is no real temptation and I most certainly don’t miss the pain and drama that followed me in those years.
Looking back, my biggest challenge did not involve any sort of action. The biggest challenge was coming to grips with the idea that I could live my life without booze. It was the hardest thing to accept. If this is keeping you from sobriety, trust that it will come with time. Start the process. For me, I accepted one simple truth: if I continue to drink, it will kill me and will forever damage those closest to me. That got me started. Over time, I came to accept and then embrace the idea that I will never drink again. Today, I love my sober life. I will never go back. I am very much at peace with the idea of never consuming alcohol again.
When I regularly posted here, I constantly emphasized two keys to my recovery: a written recovery plan and exercise. At year five, I still strongly believe in those two elements.
Finally, I want to emphasize that fighting this terrible disease builds better people. Anyone who has been down this road has learned a lot about humility and empathy. Recovery also brings strength and perspective; when the next big stressful event or circumstance comes along, whatever it is cannot be as big as tackling addiction.
I know that there are a lot of people who are at the very beginning of the same path that I traveled. I promise you that you can do this. And I promise you that it is worth it. Good luck, thanks for reading my little post, and thanks to this awesome community for all of the support that you all give to so many.
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sonoran Desert & Southeast Asia
Posts: 6,561
Thank you Soberandhonest, for posting, and a big congrats on 5 years. That, and your excellent state of mind, is testament to the benefits of sobriety. And exercise, haha. Congratulations!
Are there any other tips that you might share with those who are new? Did you go to meetings? Use a program? Or just put down the drink?
Thanks again for sharing your successful milestone!
Are there any other tips that you might share with those who are new? Did you go to meetings? Use a program? Or just put down the drink?
Thanks again for sharing your successful milestone!
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Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Northwest U.S.
Posts: 778
Hi Advbike: Thanks for your reply! In answer to your questions, I went in-patient for a very short 10-day program that involved counter-conditioning treatment. I did so after some pretty careful research into what I thought would be best for me. I don't think this type of program is for everyone, but it was right for me. I've never attended meetings, but I think there are huge benefits for many folks through AA or other meeting-type therapy. My biggest tip to anyone is to own your own recovery. Reach out for help, but design your own plan that fits you and that you believe in.
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: California
Posts: 13,036
Congratulations on five years!! That is quite an accomplishment. I will have five years on January 1st, and I remember reading that five years constitutes long term sobriety, thought you’d like that idea too. 
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Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2,279
Originally Posted by soberandhonest 
Looking back, my biggest challenge did not involve any sort of action. The biggest challenge was coming to grips with the idea that I could live my life without booze. It was the hardest thing to accept. If this is keeping you from sobriety, trust that it will come with time. Start the process. For me, I accepted one simple truth: if I continue to drink, it will kill me and will forever damage those closest to me. That got me started. Over time, I came to accept and then embrace the idea that I will never drink again.
I won't drink today because I actively don't want to. The future can look after itself
Congratulations on five years, it's inspirational
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Latin Europe
Posts: 152
Originally Posted by soberandhonest
Over time, I came to accept and then embrace the idea that I will never drink again.
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