Mountainmanbob

Thinking back to when I went through a 28 day treatment hospital back in 1989.

I think we had around 20 people in our group.

How many stayed sober for a year? I think less than 5.

But, many will return to sobriety and sober up later.

M-Bob

esoxlucius

I voted 5, am coming up on 2. I wonder if the number will always be the next milestone ahead of us.

ardy

The rest of my life.. whatever that might be...

Mountainmanbob

That's what I want them to say about me when I'm gone from here.
He got sober and stayed sober for the rest of his life.

I don't want them to say, he died a drunk.

M-Bob

ardy

prayers to all as we have just heard of the passing of Princessess Liea of Star Wars.. may the Force be with you forever.. Dear Lady.. just 60.... love you all so much.. ardy

Mountainmanbob

Been sober 9 years.
Today long term seems to be 10 years.
If I get to 10 years long term may look like 15 years sober.
Maybe best to keep it out of reach?
M-Bob

Ken33xx

I didn't pick up a drink today and I like to leave it at that.

But what sobriety has given me is a reservoir of sober experiences.

Experiences both good and bad in which I didn't feel a need to get drunk.

ardy

Hi all.. as 2016 comes to a close.. how long is total sobriety .... until you can look back at 90 and know you have done a good life..
sad .. so many people that have passed away because of drugs drinking over eating.. and bad life chooses....sad... yep I am in a room that has a radio doing Sports radio. ekekkekek.. and have done a re run on how Michael Jackson passed away... why well my hubby is having some issues... sad just sad... miss my hubby before morphine.... pain killers kill everything.. the ability to have a loving relationship.. to have sex.. lets be honest people.. I now have to know he loves me and all he does is scream at me about what I am upsetting him for with and won't let him do... most of these people of fame money and power have died because they had to have it their way and that is the only way... 2017 has to be better a bit for so many of us.. for we are the hearts that take so much of the crap and the screaming and pain...and just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop or for the smile that was..... prayers to you all.... Please God hear our prayers ... Help the world to have a better 2017... please.... just ardy

Mountainmanbob

When I was a newcomer 1 yr sober was my long term goal.
A year seemed like a very long time.
Happens before we know it.
If -- we keep making the right discissions.
One bad one and I'm back in la la land.
M-Bob

ardy

Hi all jan 10 2017... hey I may have been a drinker and still am a Dummy .. but ... sorry all I am very upset..
we lived in the HOOD for 7 years had a body laying outside of the house every year about 9 times in a year.. and shootings every night.. never had anything in the yard or on the porch ... including our weber grill that after using it had to be cooled down and cleaned and brought into the house so we could keep it.. we had 14 camera's on the outside of the house and could view them from 3 TV's set up with 4 divided screens on every one of them .. and a safe room for when the bullets outside flew to much...
Now .. I got up this morning 4am Cpt Jack our cat is flying all over the place.. thought he needed more. water... got ready for work 6:50am .. walked out to the garage. .and found foot prints in the new snow from alley up the side of the outside wall and to a door that I unlock... securied the door and drove out and securied the garage door.. called my hubby to let him know..

seems that someone had to come up on the front porch and take the Christmas blue and purple lights that we had left out for a little color ... just gripes me big time... now we have to arm the house.. secure the windows and go back to living hot .. 90% of the time.. and this was a great little clean neighborhood... makes me so mad.. makes me crazy mad... makes the old marine in me ... want to hunt and find.. and that kids is part of the reason I was drinking so much.. after a hunt and find you are wired to the sky.. and not in a good way... at Juneau ave .. I was drinking a bunch. had to to shut off the world and not have dreams... anything out side and I bring it in full color and sound and remember it all in the morning...

tomls

I read on here a while back someone posted a ratio on the success of people recovering from alcoholism. does anyone know what that is? I hope it doesn't discourage anyone. I think it could motivate some including me.

Mountainmanbob

Today I say 10 years sober -- gives me something to shoot for.
Then when I get there, I'll shoot for 11.
M-Bob

Although always grateful for today.

MicroMacro

Hear hear. It doesn't matter, and neither does state of mind. This poll sets people up to minimize their success.

Mountainmanbob

I don't agree with that for I know many, many in sobriety who count their time and set milestones.

I failed twice just before getting 3 years sober and this time around that was a worthy goal (for me that is).

My sponsor has around 25 years sober and on most days can tell me his exact count in days. I have always thought that to be overkill but, it sure works well for him.

I track my years -- works well for me.

If I didn't count -- I wouldn't discourage others from counting.

M-Bob

August252015

I said five because I think it is my next "big mark" (I just passed 1 year) and I am certain a lot of changes will happen between now and then: I will be getting married, live with a 15 year old as a new step-parent, we will see her graduate and go to college, we will become (young!) empty-nesters....among the concretes I know of and those I don't (my parents' health, uncertainty with my older step-child to be, etc)....as I go through these immediately coming years and do not drink, I will be experiencing a lot of change.

Big picture, I look at the people with 20 or so, or more years and project what I want for my next few decades in sobriety.

And right now, grateful for this sunny day 370.

Gottalife

You could be recovered and in solid sobriety in a few week or months. By the same token you could have many years dry believing tomorrow could be the day you drink. I'll take solid sobriety over walking on egg shells any day.

Isaiah

Five feels about right to me.

Usually when I talk about someone as having "long-term sobriety" time is a factor, but it's not the only thing. I went to one meeting regularly in my old town. I met two guys there, one with 3 years clean and one with 5. I asked one to be my sponsor, the one with the most long-term sobriety: the guy with 3 years. The other guy had five years, but those were years spent in prison. God bless his heart, he started taking recovery seriously upon his release, but he was still in the bewilderment stage.

Kris47

What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.
— ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 85

I vote for 5 years. JMO. We need always work at it. ODAAT.

MarkTwain

I remember the saying, "It takes five years to get your marbles back, and five years to learn how to play with them again."

That sounds about right......but......

But I'm way past ten years and I still make a lot of stupid mistakes. I'm fairly certain (at least for the rest of the day) I won't drink over any of them though.

Long-term? Actually, I fantasize about what to do when the doctors tell me I have weeks to live. Oddly enough, I don't want a drink at all. I want to start smoking CIGARS again!!! Oh, yeah.

Carpathia

To me, long-term sobriety goes to the person with the most amount of years. So I went with 20+.

I liked what Ken33 wrote: what sobriety has given me is a reservoir of sober experiences.

True, all any of us have is today.