15 Months and tempted
 

Hey y'all. I was a daily drinker for 15 years but finally took my last drink 15 months and 3 days ago.

It was rough, but I made it. Almost completely due to the love of a good woman. We got married, then decided to have a baby...her first.

The pregnancy was difficult and more than once I thought we lost the baby. But we didn't. Throughout the pregnancy I was so grateful for my sobriety, to be able to safely drive her back and forth to the Dr. To be present.

2 days ago my daughter was born via emergency C Section at 33 weeks. That's 7 weeks premature. And, thank God, both baby and mother are doing great.

As you can imagine the last couple of days have been hectic. My two ladies are still in the hospital under observation and I came home for some rest and to take care of the dog.

And don't you know it...there's that little voice telling me that I deserve to drink. Why not? Just relax, TRULY relax after all these months of stress. That if I drank, just a little, just today, it'd be a weight off my shoulders.

I won't, though. What if something happens and I have to rush back to the hospital? And I know myself...one drink now and I'd be a daily drinker again within a week.

No, I'll stay sober. And remain grateful.

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Congratulations on becoming a dad and on 15 months.

Very wise thinking and decision to stay sober. What a lovely future stands before you.

Congrats on your sobriety, marriage and new baby.

Congratulations on your recovery, your marriage and brand new baby. You know that your baby will never know you as an active alcoholic and won't that be wonderful. :)

Welcome to the family! :) Congrats on your sobriety, your marriage, and your new daughter. :hug:

Welcome aboard jtaudio :)

yeah that voice is a ruthless opportunist. It will take an amazing event like the birth of your daughter (congrats btw!)
and twist it, reducing it down to getting what it wants.

I’m sure it’s stressful right now but checking out with a drink will only bring more stress, right?

Well done on 15 months. Coming from being a daily drinker that’s a massive achievement.

Like Anna said your daughter never needs to know you as a drinker. I’m not a parent but that sounds like an amazingly powerful legacy to leave :)

lean on us here - we’ll help you get through :)

Hi Jtaudio - it's so good to have you with us.

I can sympathize with what you're going through. My son's a man now, but was born 7 wks. early too. He had respiratory distress syndrome - very scary. I'm glad your little girl is doing well - congratulations.

Congrats also on your 15+ months of sobriety. I'm glad you wanted to talk about your temptation. I think it helps to acknowledge it & share your thoughts.
Be proud of yourself for rejecting the idea of drinking. It leads to nothing but misery & disappointment in ourselves. You're doing great.

Fabulous that you have a new daughter - and how fantastic that you were there for your wife in your sobriety. Your little daughter will need you. You have done so well. I am glad you slammed the door on temptation. What a great Dad already! Congrats!

Welcome, JTaudio. Congratulations on your new baby!

Yes, that voice always tries to jump in and take advantage -- stressful times, happy times, sad times -- it always wants us to drink. But it's just a thought, a noise, that we don't have to listen to.

If you've been through a stressful time, why not reduce your stress by telling us about it? We're here to listen.

Congratulations!

Its like putting a gorilla in a cage.

The gorilla smiles at you, see i am a nice gorilla. Just let me out of this cage for a minute. I can behave, see im really a nice gorilla. I'm calm and happy and well behaved.

If we take that first drink getting the obsession under control is going to be like trying to put a gorilla back in a cage. The obsession defies logic. Even if one night of drinking is uneventful, especially if one night of drinking is uneventful. One drink will completely restore the obsession. It does not stick a toe in the pool it uses the high dive. Cunning, baffling, and powerful!

My daughter was born at 33 weeks too. She is 9 now. Congratulations and I wish them both well .

DO. NOT. DRINK.

It is a lie that it will relax you. All alcohol does is lie. It only wants to take everyrhing from you. It will take your partner. It will take your daughter. That is its aim.

Have a nice cup of tea instead and put something on to watch and curl up with your dog safe on the knowledge that whilst your partner and daughter are safe where they are, you are safe too.

Congratulations and good job not waking the beast! I still get an urge after 2 years of no booze and just replay one of the 1000's of bad endings drinking brought me. After the replay I think, "yep, bad idea." Enjoy the new addition!

Congratulations!

Congrats! Imagine the shame and guilt if you had drank.

Great decision, you have a happy and fulfilling life ahead.

Congratulations! It's nowhere as comparable but i have that voice too, you've done good. fixed some exams and courses. you deserve a drink. that's just someone we should ignore. glad that they're doing good. Like the others said, your daughter won't know you as an alcoholic but as a loving father that is there for her (and your wife). keep it up