Introvrtd1

Ever feel like things aren’t improving....Even if they slowly seem to improve?....

48 days today....Too early to expect miracles I know....

....does that even make any sense?

Anna

I guess it depends what your expectations are? If you think things are improving slowly, that's a good thing. Sometimes, I felt like I was standing still, but then suddenly there would be a mini-breakthrough. Yes, it makes a lot of sense, but the answer is to just keep on moving forward as much as you can. Maybe you can change your routines or game plan?

Introvrtd1

least

Yes, it gets better. It takes time so you must be patient. I remember in early sobriety thinking that nothing was going to get better, and then waking up one day feeling so much better, physically and mentally.

Hold on to your faith. It will get better, I promise you!

Mizz

It does get better. I also think our thoughts play a huge role in our lives.
Nothing has changed yet everything has changed. If that even makes sense?
Time. One day at at time.
You got this.

Introvrtd1

Thanks!! I needed to hear that so much...

Hevyn

Hi Intro - I definitely took longer than 48 days to begin to feel joy. In the early days I was disoriented & a little resentful. Then the thrill of being free began to take over. We lived in a different way for a long time - be patient with yourself. You're doing a wonderful thing & it will pay off.

MythOfSisyphus

It takes time, Introvrtd1! But some things hopefully got better right a way. I found that I kind of found my "sober legs" after a few months, was stronger at six months and felt my brain changing even after the first full year of sobriety. The great thing is nothing got worse! In the first year sober I didn't drive anyone away, crash any cars or ruin any friendships.

advbike

Way to go on 48 days mate. Least is right, one of these days out of the blue it will dawn on you how much *has* changed.. it's just with slow, incremental progress and healing, we don't notice it at first.

Keep up the good work, it will get better!

Surrendered19

Hi Introvrtd. It takes time. Be patient with and kind to yourself. For me in days 0-60 the physical rewards were so dramatic. Not being convinced I was going to die that day got me through the first 60 days. But then I did experience some of what you are feeling. At 6 months, I really started to feel myself changing and gaining mental and physical strength. At a year it was an amazing difference. Forward my friend.

fini

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ml#post5686103 (It Gets Better)

hang in!

D122y

I was stressing this afternoon over some serious nonsense. At the time, i thought about drinking.

Now I am thinking how strong the crave was for a guy clean this long.

I wonder if using hand sanitizer makes me crave.

I also had about an oz. of apple cider vinegar mixed in with my black beans. I wonder if this causes craves.

Anyway, I made it through, but the crave was definitely there.

Suffering and time.

Thanks.

Steely

It will get better Introvrtd.

These are still early days and your body and mind are still recalibrating. Big thing to stop drinking alcohol, give yourself time to level out.

I know you find it hard to believe that things will change for the better, but they will. Believe me,

Just keep hanging in until you become the guy who hands on this valuable piece of information to the next guy in line.

Steely

Testing

Delilah1

It definitely takes time, but try to focus on those small changes you have seen, or will see. Early on I noticed my eyes looked clearer, and my face lost the blotches that tended to appear. Gradually my brain lost that foggy feeling. I loved waking up each morning without a headache, or that less than feeling I had after drinking. I had more energy, and I think that was because I paired Recovery with a focus on getting healthy and I got outdoors for a walk each day.

Start making a list of all those little things, then you’ll start to notice the bigger things. My bigger ones involve interviewing for and getting the perfect job for me almost four years ago, and also getting my finances straightened out. These took more time, but they’re big accomplishments, and I couldn’t have done either if I was still drinking.

C0ntr0ls

The only thing I expected when I quit was not to drink. I accepted all responsibility for my past actions if any surfaced [Chances are I created the possible mess] and all that life had to throw at me.

Fast forward to now and life is so much better then I had originally thought it would be. I occasionally look in the rear-view mirror and briefly* kick myself for not stopping sooner.

*I say briefly because I can't live in the past because there is nothing I can do about it but I do need that reminder periodically.

Good luck, congrats on 48 and give it time.

EndGameNYC

We don't know that we can get through difficult situations sober until we do it. By the time I became aware that I was making progress it had already been going on for awhile. I didn't have much experience in feeling good about myself.

People have died since I got sober. Some people are no longer a part of my life for other reasons. I lost interest in some things that I used to think were important; ideas beliefs, and other things that I valued. I had time to evaluate some long-held beliefs that had remained unexamined until I stopped drinking. There were several things I didn't like.

Getting sober is a wonderful opportunity to start living a better life. It's much more than a slogan, or an empty promise. People will tell you the same thing in the same or different words. Knowing this can be a powerful thing. Working through the struggle makes a sober life that much more valuable because we have to work at it. Drinking always made things worse for me.

I never planned on stopping, I never said or promised that I would. Not to me or anyone else. After I could no longer care for myself, and after seven days of being knocked out by Librium, I decided that there was no good reason to live in near-constant pain. When is enough enough?

It's hard work, but how many chances do we get?

FreeOwl

It gets better.

Keep going.

48 days is fantastic!!! yet it IS still early.

Be gentle on yourself and put as much energy as you can into just being grateful for anything and everything you can find.

Say "Please help me" in the morning.

When you go to bed at night say "Thank you".

Watch more sunrises.

It WILL get better, I promise.

Keep going.

Introvrtd1

Thank you all for these words of encouragement....I feel somewhat renewed in my commitment to keep it going...

Hawkeye13

I expected a grim purgatory of sad sobriety when I quit. No more fun, etc. and it took some time to clear the fog and process some of the sadness, fear, and anger I had been suppressing with booze.

But gradually I felt increasing peace, a kind of soft enjoyment of just being alive and witness to life. I felt kinder towards myself and others. My shame began to soften and fade.

Yes, it gets better. A whole lot better.

Lean in, do the recovery work you need with support if that’s what it takes, and you won’t believe the positive changes. . .