Silver11

I had my birthday this week, but all I’m focussed on is my sober birthday later this month.

Life is very hectic, stressful and emotionally draining at the moment and this last stretch to my 1 year milestone seems to be getting harder and harder. Not in terms of cravings. There are none. But I guess I have many things on my plate right now and each one needs more attention than the next.

I guess I just needed to get that out there. I’m in the home stretch. I still can’t believe I’ve made it this far. Very very grateful!

DriGuy

This is the home stretch to year one, and a big congratulations, but year one is not the home stretch. Recovery is about getting better, more than it is about clocking years, and it doesn't stop getting better if things are going as they should (so there never is a home stretch). And getting better involves handling that so called level of stress that is having "too much on your plate." More than one "day" at a time, stress reduction can involve one "thing" at a time. When I would get feeling like that, I found making a list of the things on my plate and crossing them off made a huge difference. It's called organizing, and organization gets tasks completed. And each time something is crossed off the list stress levels go down.

Maybe it's more complicated, but from the limited information in your post, this was where my head immediately went.

Anna

Congratulations, Silver. I'm sure you will sail through the anniversary of your recovery.

VikingGF

Congrats on your upcoming sober year, Silver! That's fantastic, so keep that in the front of your mind as you tackle all the rest. It will be a success!

stickyone

Stay grateful you got this. I too just made a year 510 days today. I feel what you saying about things getting harder , I too haven't dealt with too much cravings. Alot of emotional stress and anxiety. For myself in early recovery I was under the impression that drugs and alcohol caused all these problems in my life. And they would go away. Things that did go away like the hangovers the next morning the withdrawals etc. Life has problems and obstacles it's how we confront them and learn to grow from those days. Show me person that has a perfect life without problems. Most likely it will be a post from social media lol a fairy tale image probably also filtered. I like to enjoy life in the present moment but I will look back at old post . It reminds me how far I have come. Take care of yourself one day at a time your recovery bday will be here.

Silver11

I get that there is no home stretch! I know that I’ll have to constantly make an effort to keep myself sober 😊

I think it’s all mental. Milestones are hard for me for some reason. I was shaky at 30 days then 3 months, 6 months etc.

And life is a complicated mess right now but I guess that’s just the way it is right?

Part of me worries about what’s next after 365 days. These milestones been powerful and meaningful targets.

In terms of sobriety work, I really haven’t done much. I attended AA for a while in the past, but this last year sober has been on my own. Just the prospect of another withdrawal is deterrence enough! But life does feel a bit plain and grey.. just work, pay bills etc.

I need to do something else to nourish myself to stay sober for the long term. Still figuring things out in that regard I guess!

Silver11

you also hit the nail on the head about organising. I am terrible at it and it does cause a great deal of stress!

lists lists lists 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Dee74

Happy birthday silver and congrats on your upcoming anniversary
best of luck in finding purpose and joy - both are vital to me

Forwards

I fully anticipate you'll get to your well deserved 365 days and beyond. Yes, be mindful of anniversaries being potential triggers - remember though that if you navigate through them, things keep getting better. And as you know, gratitude will get you a long way!

Keep up the good work. Best wishes, Forwards.

DriGuy

Plain and grey, yes. I call that quiet and simple. Gone is the excitement of chaos and drama. How can we live without chaos and drama? And I'm not trying to turn this into a satire. Learning to live in a quiet place may not be easy for everyone, but I have found great joy and harmony there.

Zebra1275

Congratulations on 354. And once you hit the 1 year mark, don't lose your focus.

Delilah1

Silver, that one year mark is a very emotional and powerful day. I remember feeling such an enormous sense of pride, and that I could do anything. I am looking forward to your post celebrating this momentous milestone.

Silver11

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽