pjkong

One week without alcohol. I guess you could say that was my short term goal. Its funny to think that a week ago I couldnt even imagine going without for one day. A sober life is possible and Im going to do my best to keep up the pace. Thank you all for the encouragement.

Delilah1

One week is great! What’s been the biggest support for you this past week?

nez

When I started my sobriety journey, I couldn't fathom making it 24 hours, much less a week. I set my sights on 15 minute increments. I figured anybody, even me, could do that. It worked because I guess I had finally decided to treat myself the way I wanted to be treated and I haven't looked back for 18 years now.

Yes it is indeed possible and you deserve it! YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Forwards

Very well done. You should be over the worst of the acute withdrawals by now. It's now time to think about your maintenance strategy and recovery programme. If you're anything like me you'll need to keep progressing in your recovery day by day to succeed.

Keep up the good work. Forwards.

Evoo

Awesome, How are you feeling?

By day six I recall finally being able to secure some restful sleep.

Make sure you have a plan — or some baseline to jeep you focused, whether that’s AA or AVRT or therapy. Getting over that first hump is huge, but it’s good to be ready and to have a plan of action for if/when temptations and cravings start up.

pjkong

2 weeks, no alcohol. I dont feel as bad as I thought I would . Back in the winter of 2009/2010 I started having panic attacks every single day, all day, and I had a form of sleep paralysis that I always referred to as the Heebie Jeebies. So usually at the beginning of winter my brain likes to briefly play association, kinda like Pavlov's dogs, and I'll have those feelings for about a week. This year I've had them pretty much every day over the last 2 weeks, but to be honest its mild, nothing thats interfering in my daily routine. I notice overall that when I think about facing the future without alcohol I feel good about it but also kinda nervous and just a little scared. Kinda like when you start a new job, or you've moved or you start a new phase in life. Its a good kinda nervous. My biggest regret is the amount of $ I wasted on alcohol over the last 7 years. I'm low income as it is. However, the other day I checked my bank account and it wasn't at 0 dollars. That was a really good feeling. I'm also realizing just how much of an alcoholic fog my brain has been in. Especially here recently. Ive had some memory lapses that cost me $ but I try not to stress myself over it too much. I cant build a time machine and change the past .So, onward and upward.

Surrendered19

That is fantastic progress pj!!! 2 weeks is amazing!!! The $ we spent on booze was only the half of it. When I was drinking I would get drunk ($$$) then order food ($$$) then get on Amazon ($$$) and so forth. That is all behind you now.

VikingGF

pjkong- 2 weeks is a real accomplishment!! Good work. In the very beginning, I put the cash I would have spent each day in a jar and at the end of a week I got to hold it in my hand and be grateful!

You're doing great, keep going!

pjkong

3 weeks, no alcohol. I havent really wanted to discuss is to much because I didnt want to jinx it. I dont know when I became so superstitious.

Surrendered19

No jinxes PJKong. You are on the healthy, calm and peaceful road now and you can just keep walking that road. Don't overthink it and if tracking days and sober time feels wrong in any way - like a jinx - don't do it. You are doing so great!!!

Dee74

I think the idea of not wanting to discuss it too much in case it leads to relapse is probably your Addictive Voice Pjkong

D

pjkong

Its been close to 2 months since I decided to stop. I relapsed a couple times. On Christmas eve /Christmas and 3 other times.. But I'm not beating myself up too much over that. There was a time where I didnt think I could even go one day without but what I've learned is that yes, I can live without it. The key for me is finding other ways of dealing with my problems. All of the excuses I used to drink were just that. Excuses. I cant sit here and say I will absolutely never drink again but I know that it is possible to absolutely never drink again.

Hodd

Hi pj, we were all at that stage, and well done for cutting down. Other ways of dealing with problems as you say - and also occupying yourself - are key.

Stopping 100% takes a change of mindset. It sounds like you’re not there just yet. A lot of us didn’t really entertain the possibility that we wouldn’t drink again. Is it so far fetched, do you think? Once I’d resigned myself (for want of a better term) to the fact I wouldn’t drink again, it was surprisingly easy to quit and stay quit. Leaving the door open for future drinking does make it a lot harder. Give it some thought. What would you be missing out on if you didn’t drink? You’d be gaining more I can tell you that much.

Dee74

Hey PJK

I tried many a time just to 'cut back', to drink socially, or at certain times of the year like Xmas... but the bottom line was I just didn't have the control switch in me to stick to that. Never had it.

Sooner I later I would find myself in the middle of uncontrolled madman drinking again.

Like Hodd says, although quitting completely and forever is a huge thing to contemplate, it's actually easier once you commit to that.

If you really are drinking to solve problems, you'll be amazed how much better it is to actually solve those problems, rather than push them aside with another bottle

D

DriGuy

^this