sober2023

Threw away my cheap red wine and whiskey, nearly 5 days without a drop, still feeling awful from my last binge, worried about how painful my abdomen feels. Trying to plan things to keep me busy, a lot could change over the next 2 weeks, thinking of other things to spend my money on, an activity, or a reason to live, which is what alcohol has been for a long time

Purplrks3647

Good for you Sober2023! I know it sucks….it took me a while to get the hang of it….stay close to SR (lots of threads to join) and maybe have some comfort food with some good movies!

Here’s a link to the One Year and Under thread:

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...part-71-a.html (One Year And Under Part 71)


There’s also the 24 hour thread, and you may like the January 2023 class thread as well. We’re glad you’re here!

sober2023

Thanks Purplrks3647, that's exactly what I'm doing now lol

Anna

You did a good thing. I think a lot of us have to rethink our lives when we enter recovery. Hopefully you can find things to do that bring you happiness.

Dee74

Hi Sober2023

I moved your thread to this forum for more responses.
I think throwing away your remaining booze is a great investment in your future.

If you are feeling really poorly, do consider seeing a Dr.

D

sober2023

You are absolutely right Anna. I have been thinking hard about how to "do life" the recovery part is just the first part of the process

sober2023

It felt relieving to be free of it to be honest. Like throwing away something diseased down the drain

Doctors here are crap and don't help much. I may start taking milk thistle. Just going to keep clean for as long as possible

Zencat

Sober2023, I may be useful to find a recovery plan, of your choice, that includes a path to continued sobriety and a blueprint for a purposeful life. plenty of healthy plans to choose from. keep posting and keep the support here at SR that can help you heal.

Hevyn

Hi Sober. It's a wonderful thing you are doing for yourself. 5 days without it is fabulous
I drank for decades & when I quit I felt strange for a while. I was a little disoriented & emotional. Everything got better as I grew to love my new life. No more self-induced misery, drama, danger. It feels great to be free.

KTB5000

Congrats sober2023! ❤️

Free2bme888

Its possible to be free of the poison and be “clean” now. ALWAYS NOW. And that leads to forever. If you choose.

Great choice to get rid of it. It takes a lot of effort to buy more and pour it down your throat.

Please don’t choose to do that.

big hugs ♥️🤓

Dawgsforlife

Nice job… Just keep putting one foot in front of the otherCongratulations on your sober time.

aasharon90

We never have to pick up that poison again with
help of recovery support guiding us each day,
making new healthier changes moving forward.

zenithboy88

When you sit down and think of the money aspect alone, it's remarkable.
Before I retired I figured alcohol was costing me a minimum of $4k US per year.
Enough to go on a nice trip.
Of course more importantly is the damage I was doing to my health by pouring a toxin into it.
I'm going on 2 months alcohol free now and feel much better physically and mentally.
As you mentioned above, alcohol just becomes our main activity when we continue to drink.
A much better life awaits you sober!

sober2023

I know exactly how much money was spent on drinking because I ruthlessly record all of my transactions. It was my second highest item of expenditure and worked out to be 3.5 months rent of the whole year. (Not counting bills when combined)
However like you say when it's your only activity it doesn't seem much at all. And my salary has never been strong, so it's not enough for anything "big". If at any point I've earned more, it ends up on booze anyway, because it's a relatively cheap way to get through the week, the weekends, the months and the years. I've even told myself that it saves me money. That makes sense, if you're committed to being a drinker, at least.
If not, it seems strange to me where that money will go. Things that are nice to have are expensive. Hobbies, eating out, travelling, it can cost a fortune. Hence the logic of "saving money" when it isn't really saving money. And booze provides an INSTANT fix. You don't have to sit around and wait for something to be delivered or for your taxi to arrive.
Besides where do you go if you're alone? Everywhere is the same. Watch a movie or go out? Sure! Pay to watch successful people drinking like crazy. So what if it damages your health? You cross that bridge when you get to it, because the body is a magical healing machine.
That probably isn't making much sense but then again drinking makes extremely little sense anyway.

advbike

Glad you’re here. Not all hobbies are expensive, and some of the best are a pair of good walking / running shoes, or a bike. Get outside and get some exercise and you gain the benefit of better health, less stress, and better sleep. Anything good for the heart is also good for the brain.

jryan19982

The saying "It will only get better" unfortunately doesn't always happen when getting sober as it is a rollercoaster with many ups and downs but eventually those ups outnumber the downs and then significantly take over. Your progress won't be linear like we all wish it would but I think I we need those times to remind us why we are doing this. If you look at the last post I made you can see what I am talking about! But remember that it WILL get better, but it won't always BE better. Expect the downs and learn from them.

I can tell you from personal experience that the first few weeks are rough with only a little but of good sprinkled in but that good sprinkled in will help keep you motivated in the beginning.

Keep working at it. I found AA to be a profound aid early in my sobriety eventhough I was incredibly reluctant to go as I felt it showed weakness and vulnerability. I know a lot of people say it doesn't work with their personalities but I say give it a real shot before dismissing it so readily. Take what you need and leave the rest.

Hope you continue working on your sobriety.