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Sober 2022

Old 01-10-2022, 05:38 AM
  # 61 (permalink)  
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In 2021, my final tally was 356 days sober + 9 days non sober. The ultimate goal of living alcohol free, though tantalizing close, still eluded me.

Having a year when I was sober 97% of the days, I can see how my brain has begun to fight back. It's been bumpy, and in the beginning there were more bad days than good. Slowly but surely though, my mood swings have leveled off, my unrelenting anxiety has reduced to something I can deal with and outright panic attacks have largely evaporated.

If 97% sober can have this effect, what effect will 100% sober have?

I owe it to myself to find out.
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Old 01-10-2022, 09:24 PM
  # 62 (permalink)  
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Ongoing Sober Streak Length - 58 days

2022

10 days sober + 0 days non sober
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Old 01-10-2022, 11:52 PM
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You're dong great @calmself !

Day 35 for me and I'll take another one
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Old 01-11-2022, 08:35 AM
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Excellent, Colin. Let's keep going! 35 days is awesome - our AV has now shrunk from a dino to the size of a lion, still potent have to be very careful.
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Old 01-11-2022, 10:02 PM
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2022

11 days sober + 0 days non sober
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Old 01-12-2022, 06:27 AM
  # 66 (permalink)  
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Stay strong everyone!!! We got this!!!

2022 - 12 days sober including today!!!
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Old 01-12-2022, 09:51 AM
  # 67 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by Dee74 View Post
Polaroid are you out there?

D
I'm here, but actually, I messed my own plan up. Caved already on the 4th, and went so hard with booze along with extremely strong benzos that they hospitalised me the next day. Christ... Evidently I didn't react to anything... I'm really just a heavy sleeper when on a thousand downers.

Had a seizure at the hospital, all my limbs & more hurt. So, not a great start. Maybe the lesson I needed to learn for the rest of the year... I'm done.

So, 2022 for me so far: 2 days wasted/10 days sober
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Old 01-12-2022, 12:26 PM
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Sorry you put yourself through that Polaroid but I’m glad you made it back, man

D
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Old 01-12-2022, 02:06 PM
  # 69 (permalink)  
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As the saying goes, Polaroid, fall down 99 times, get up 100. One of these drinks (maybe the last one you had?) will be your last. Until that day comes, we never quit trying.

Good to see you back.
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Old 01-12-2022, 06:05 PM
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2022

12 days sober + 0 days non sober
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Old 01-13-2022, 01:34 AM
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2022 - 12 sober / 0 not
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Old 01-13-2022, 06:04 AM
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2022 - 12 sober / 0 non sober

I remain cautiously optimistic for 2022, but months 4 - 8 are when the wheels generally fall off the sobriety wagon for me, so I need to remain on guard.

My AV, after having been mostly quiet, is whispering again. It's a soft whisper and coming from a distance, but it's disconcerting to realize that beast is not yet gone.

This is part of the game the AV plays. I think I'm done with it and any part of it I do sense seems weak and innocuous, but it's actually waiting to catch me in a vulnerable moment. Then, out of the blue and with utmost ferocity, it launches into an all out frontal assault that catches me by complete surprise. Before I realize what's happened, I have a bottle in my hand.

I am increasing my readiness level to defcon 3.
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Old 01-13-2022, 07:23 PM
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13 days sober + 0 days non sober
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Old 01-13-2022, 09:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Polaroid View Post
Had a seizure at the hospital, all my limbs & more hurt. So, not a great start. Maybe the lesson I needed to learn for the rest of the year... I'm done.

So, 2022 for me so far: 2 days wasted/10 days sober
Sorry you went through that Polaroid, it sounds rough!

Kudos on getting sober again quickly. Sometimes it takes something nasty to get us back on track, and back to 2022
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Old 01-13-2022, 09:45 PM
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Originally Posted by adair View Post
I am increasing my readiness level to defcon 3.
Oh, good one adair. Going to have to remember that line for when I need it!
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Old 01-13-2022, 09:57 PM
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AF free day 37 and feeling pretty good.

I started meditating a few days ago, adding a couple of minutes each day. I've never done that before and I'm finding it surprisingly relaxing. Sort of 'centering'. Hard to describe, but I'm sticking with it.

OK, on to day 38
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Old 01-14-2022, 05:46 AM
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Meditation is one of the tools that I'm finding to be increasingly useful, colin. They say just two minutes of meditation a day is very beneficial to recovery efforts.

Meditation helps create space, so when the AV starts getting loud or my anxiety ramps up I can sit back and look at these things from a distance as a dispassionate observer rather than let them take me over.

I know what you mean by 'centering'. Until I started meditating, I had forgotten I even had a center. Now that I know it's there, I definitely want to get to know it better. The center is calm, the center is peaceful - it is where my real sober self can be found.
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Old 01-14-2022, 09:48 AM
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Originally Posted by adair View Post
I know what you mean by 'centering'. Until I started meditating, I had forgotten I even had a center. Now that I know it's there, I definitely want to get to know it better. The center is calm, the center is peaceful - it is where my real sober self can be found.
That's it. Well said adair
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Old 01-14-2022, 10:22 PM
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2022

14 days sober + 0 days non sober
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Old 01-15-2022, 02:48 PM
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Just saw this thread
I'll join in.,if that's ok...been sober for a solid while...but the more stuff I do, the safer my recovery is...my story was pretty dramatic, so everything for me, everything, starts, continues, finishes with recovery being top priority..
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