1000 days and more
 

I'm 1000 days sober tomorrow and writing this from the executive car I have been newly trusted with in my job only 33 months after quitting drinking. I had reached pretty much rock bottom - in the gutter both metaphorically and literally. I am feeling so much better aligned with the world physically, mentally and emotionally. At last I am feeling like I can begin to fit in to society, my environment and this world with all it has to offer. Maybe I can now make some small contribution to it.

Some lessons learned:

You cannot intellectualise, reason or think your way out of alcoholism. The only way is definitive action and this action is founded on abstinence from alcohol.

You will need every tool in the box to achieve and maintain the above. This may include inpatient or rehab for some. Most people require structure and routine and you can't do it alone. Think healthy eating, productive work and exercise. Your primary, and some will saw sole aim though is to stay sober. Big changes life changes will be needed. You will need to surrender, let go of much of your old thinking and learn not to 'think like an addict'.

Assuming you achieve the above, early recovery is still a painful and tortuous process. The only way to the end point is through it. As you do progress you will need to keep moving forward with life. Add small, achievable new goals week by week. Small victories along the way will reinforce your commitment to recovery as you start to see the benefits.

Some days will be worse than others, in all cases if you can stay sober you have won. Keep moving. Gratitude will get you through on many occasions. Make a daily mental note of what you are grateful for and write it down.

Last but not least, SR can help enormously with all of the above so stay close, particularly in the early days.

As I have shared previously, I still have ongoing mental health issues to manage and address but even this seems possible now. If drinking, it would be hopeless.

Thank you sincerely to all who have helped me get this far as I continue to count my blessings. Warm wishes to all. Forwards.

Congratulations Forwards - you richly deserve your success :)

D

Congratulations Forward. Thanks for sharing your success story, and your lessons learned, as it helps many of us who are in early recovery. Best of luck to you!

Congratulations Forwards on 1,000 days of sobriety and thank you for your inspiring post :)

Congrats on your 1000 days.

A big congratulations. You did it right. Some of your lessons learned need to be underscored. They were critical for me:
It would be nice if we could think our way out of alcoholism. It might avoid the initial cravings and obsessions. But it doesn't help much, and at some point, we have to stop. That's the only way you can break the cycle.

In the beginning, recovery requires all your attention. Any needs or desires must take a back seat to not taking a drink. Your whole life will revolve around sobriety and avoiding risk.

Yes. Early on is Hell, but it doesn't last long and it can be shortened by taking your above points seriously.

This period after the Hell phase is a vulnerable time. Your life is getting better, and many redirect their attention away from sobriety and end up in relapse. It's a shame, because this part of recovery is the most enjoyable part of the whole process. I've been in this phase for 25 years. Take it seriously, because this is the fun part, and you don't want to miss it.

Gratitude is especially important when you don't feel like being grateful. Stop and reconsider your blessings.

It's clear you have sobriety figured out. I'm not going to worry about you.

Congratulations!

Congratulations, Forwards! You're doing great.

Love it, Forwards. We’re sober twins! You’ve certainly pulled things around and are bang on about what an undertaking getting sober is. It’s a whole lifestyle change.

You quit around 31 December 2018. I think we can count ourselves fortunate to have had that sober time before the s*** hit in the fan around March 2020.

Great post.

Lovely post. Well done Forwards. :)

Big congrats and hugs on reaching 1,000 days sober! :) And thank you for sharing your succinct wisdom about sobriety. :)

Congrats :c011:

Congratulations Forwards on 1000+ Days. Great post!

Congratulations on 1000+ days sober. Thanks for a great post too 🙏

Congrats on your 1000+ days and for your post.

Quadruple digits! Wonderful, Forwards!

Thank you all for your kind and insightful replies. I have to admit, four digits feels good.

Today sees me travelling on business - another benefit of sobriety. It really is the gift that keeps on giving...

Best wishes to all. Forwards.

Last time I travelled on business with colleagues, I was 6 months sober. It wasn’t a glamour destination although it was where I’d gone to Uni, and I hadn’t been back since the 90s. I knew my colleagues drank, but I didn’t know it was that much! We started in a pub (well they started, I just watched) before adjourning to what was a very good and authentic Chinese restaurant. An unknown trick from living in Asia is to order Chinese tea and when you want more, leave the top off the teapot - the staff know you want a refill, and it’s free! Despite being seven beers down, my colleagues noticed and all ordered a tea! After the meal, they went, not surprisingly, to another pub! I made excuses and walked across town to my old Uni and ordered a non-alcoholic drink in the student bar - the students must’ve thought I was some lost mad professor, but I’m sure I enjoyed that drink way more than my colleagues’ beer(s) back at the pub.

These colleagues weren’t doing roadworks or such, they were supposedly professionals doing defence-related work. You’d think such trips would be a trigger, but if anything, I wanted to drink even less after witnessing that evening.

Have a good trip, Forwards 👍

Fantastic post and great advice. Thank you