27 Years
 

Another year of sobriety glides by silently, but I'll break the silence. Way back when in my small town, my Friday night AA group would celebrate "Birthday Friday" on the last Friday of each month. Even in what was our largest group of the week, everyone knew who had a birthday that month, but this was the night it was formalized. A friend would stand up an make a short introductory speech about one birthday person and present that person with a chip. Then someone would ask the birthday person how he/she did it, and that called for another short speech, and that routine kept on usually for maybe 5 or 6 times with applause, celebration, and congratulations, until all the birthdays that month were accounted for. We had a birthday cake and coffee, and the meeting was adjourned. I always enjoyed that meeting, and on Birthday Friday, we would have a huge turnout, maybe as many as 40 people. It was always the biggest meeting of the month.

And no, I didn't wait until after the holidays to get sober, at least not consciously. It just happened that my last drink was on Jan 3rd, which was followed by 5 days of climbing the walls and not the best week in my life, but 5 days later things came together when I made a commitment to stay sober for good, and that's the day I celebrate as the actual beginning of my recovery. I had found a group that understood, and I finally accepted that I would always fail in attempts to drink like a gentleman. Yet the last drink is customarily considered one's birthday. And in retrospect that is probably right even if it's followed by a few white knuckle days.

Best wishes to all newcomers, and thanks to everyone else for being here.

Congratulations! The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous repeatedly describes alcoholism as a hopeless disease. Thus, every sober birthday celebration is a celebration of miracles in an age that denies their existence. Truly, we realize that "God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves." In addition, our birthdays serve as a beacon of hope. As the Big Book says: "Doctors are rightly loath to tell alcoholic patients the whole story unless it will serve some good purpose. But you may talk to him about the hopelessness of alcoholism because you offer a solution." Thanks for sharing, and God bless! As the "joke" goes: Now the work starts :)

Congrats on 27 years Driguy!
Thank you for mentoring/posting here
And always sharing solid sober advice.

Wow, that’s amazing, Dri. Also, the fact you can even now remember the unpleasantness of withdrawal shows how hard this time is and is a reminder to never go back there.

Four years on, I still get occasional minor cravings and tiny triggers, but these are barely noticeable. I’m curious if there are any cravings after 27 years? Amazing 👍

Congratulations on 27 years Dri Guy.

Thanks too for the support, encouragement and wisdom you have brought to these pages as part of those 27 years.

"Birthday Friday" sounds like it was really good meeting. :)

Hodd, I don't remember a craving at all in the last few years, but maybe 5 years ago, after doing a big job in the yard or the garage, I would have this fleeting feeling that it would be nice to settle back with a whisky and ginger. It wasn't so much as a craving as just a nostalgic recall of that same "kick back with a well deserved cool one," that always led to the rest of the day being lost to alcohol abuse. But such thoughts are nothing like earlier sobriety, especially those first 5 days. The later experiences were just manageable thoughts and laughable. I would actually chuckle to myself about the absurdity of such a lingering reflex. But those are pretty much gone, maybe completely gone as far as I can tell.

You're right about remembering those first days of withdrawal. I've never stopped remembering what that struggle was like. It played a large role in sticking with early recovery. I'll never forget it, but now I don't think it plays a role in my sobriety. I just don't drink, and I am happy that way. I don't worry about drinking anymore. It's one part of my life where I'm just a different person.

Great post, DriGuy. Huge congratulations on 27 years; what a truly beautiful accomplishment. Well done, you.

Congrats on 27 yrs sober! :)

Driguy. Congratulations. Thank you for still coming here to offer your thoughts, support and experience to all on their own journey. It means more than words can say. I hope that the younger people here can overcome their addictions now before it does too much damage and becomes too difficult.

Thanks again Driguy for all you do.

Congratulations on 27 years!

Great post DriGuy - and a colossal achievement! Thank you for all the support you give to others too!

👍👍

Fantastic, DriGuy!

Congratulations..!!!!:c011:

27 years! How fabulous, Dri. :yup:

Great story DriGuy and huge congratulations. I love the sober birthdays. We sure need those. As for the white knuckling, for me it is so memorable. Someone once asked me about those first days and what did I do to substitute for when I would drink and and I said nothing, for weeks I would just sit in my chair, all my energy going to not drinking. It was all I could do. The rest of the plan came later. And thanks for all your thoughtful posts and helping so many.

Congratulations on 27 years sober! Thank you too for sharing your milestone on SR
; a true inspiration 🙏

Congratulations DriGuy :)

D

Congrats, DriGuy and thanks so much for your support on these boards.

Outstanding!

Thank you, Everyone. This forum is a valuable asset with a practical purpose that can do a lot of good for so many, and the people here make that possible. Thanks Anna and Dee for keeping this place the safe zone that it should be. May we all gain even more growth in sobriety this coming year. Newcomers, hang in there and keep trying. Few of us got it right the first time. There is hope. For us alcoholics the joy in life without alcohol is real, an experience that normies will never know. Granted that hardly puts us one up on normies, but it is a silver lining in a dark cloud that we didn't ask for.

Congratulations on 27 years of sobriety DriGuy :)

That's how I saw it in early recovery. Five years seemed colossal, but more than 25 was a wonder that was hard to imagine. It's not hard to imagine anymore, and oddly it doesn't seem colossal, either. You just reach a point where you change your approach to life and time just passes. But it was those old timers, all of whom were genuinely happy, that really drove home the fact that sobriety was a blessing, rather than a sacrifice. I remember taking my ques from them, and deciding that was where I would eventually be. Of course, there's pride in 27 years, but more than that, there is simple joy and contentment. I worked hard in early recovery, but less and less as time went by. Sometimes I still have to work hard, but there is no resentment in having to do it. I enjoy those times when I confront and solve my problems. It makes me feel confident and grown up (which is about time at my age).

So many of us were reliant on your strong, steady words in our early days, DriGuy. I'm still new at this, but I took the leap you and the other milestoners offered- HAVE FAITH- and I hope many, many more will do the same.

Some words
 

Congratulations on 27 years.

I recognise wisdom in your posts as to me, they are clearly borne from experience. Further, when you do write or reply, I spend ample time to contemplate your words.

Early on, I was told "model yourself on someone..." (in the rooms) "who seems to have it figured out, who is confident and untroubled". These were and are wise words. When you write, you fit the bill and description. I hasten to add that, just like the rest of us (alcoholic or addict or other), you have problems which need addressing as and when they happen, I mention this only to support my belief you are a wealth of knowledge for all. The newcomer, the not-so-new(comer) and everything else. You do not aim to present a life of perfection, but one of contentedness - arguably this is perfection (?)

You help a great many people on this site, I am one of them. I appreciate you and your posts.

Thank you and again, well done on a truly magnificent milestone.

Wonderful posts and responses, Driguy

Thank you, so glad you found SR and donate your thoughtful wisdom and stories.

Wow, that's amazing. And thankyou so much for your support and input. I'm thankful that you're still coming onto the forum to help those of us who are still struggling. It's heartening to know that it really can be done :)

Congrats on 27 years Driguy

❤️

That's amazing! A veritable lifetime now. Congrats!