Life As A Sober Individual

[Reenie]

To all of you who have been sober days, months and years, would you mind posting all the positive benefits you have been enjoying in your new life? The longest I have been sober was 8 months. I relapsed several months ago. I have to admit, there is no joy in drinking for me. I want to be reminded of all the joys you are now experiencing now that you have had time AF. Thank you, Reenie

[gyco]

Life As A Sober Individual

hi reenie,thts sad but not failure,i think better,im not sick,i get along with my family,ive made freinds here,abstainers and modders,i hardly ever worry any more,hole different out look,butmost of all ive found out i can stop, i can also mod, it is my choice whatever i do gyco

[A Work in Progress]

Life As A Sober Individual

Reenie, I've been AF for 6, nearly 7 months. Once before, I was AF for 3 years. This may not be at all what you are looking for... but here's how I see it: my freedom from alcohol is the best thing I could have done in my life, but not really because it brings me a lot of positive things... it is more a matter, for me, of having gotten rid of the monstrously bad negative things. I no longer feel despair, or think about suicide as an option. I am no longer making myself physically ill on a regular basis. I no longer see myself as a failure and a loser.

Being free from alcohol is a pre-requisite for the good things I want in life, the things that are possible for me, when I am AF... but they don't come automatically. I have a long road ahead of me in re-making the kind of life that I am shooting for. Alcohol abuse (and some other seriously difficult factors in my life) dragged me to a stand-still. I am just now beginning to see my way into a genuinely satisfying life.

Once before (after 3 years AF) I talked myself into drinking again by saying that life without alcohol wasn't really better than life with it. I had gotten seduced by the idea that I should be really happy and joyful just because I had beaten the alcohol problem. And I wasn't wildly happy... so I started drinking again. Bad, bad mistake! If we are going to re-make our lives, we have to do more than stop drinking. The stopping of the drinking (or stopping the alcohol abuse, for those who are learning to successfully control their intake) is only the first step. It's a damned difficult one... but it's just the beginning.

[Reenie]

Life As A Sober Individual

Thank you Gyco & A Work in Progress! Great points were made by both of you. I certainly look forward to not feeling ill all the time and getting more things accomplished in a day. I also, look forward to getting far away from all the guilt I feel or have felt after getting drunk. I agree with the idea that sobriety is a pre-requisite for obtaining the good things in life. Being alcohol free will enable me to think more clearly, have more energy, re-build my self esteem and will enable me to aspire to the things I've dreamed of doing.

[Ripple]

Life As A Sober Individual

Ren.. are you still AF?

[FloridaBoy]

Life As A Sober Individual

No hangovers.....priceless.

[aprilmoon]

Life As A Sober Individual

Florida boy....you come up with some good sayings!!!!!

Rennie,
I have been sober off and on during my 30 years of drinking. Some of my AF period were years. I have been AF this time for 3 weeks. I'm hoping to be AF for the rest of my life.

Here are some of the benefits I have from not drinking.
1. I can be able to drive to my Mother's house if she needs me. My Daddy passed away last year.
2. I was there when my Daddy died. It's was just Mama and me with him at home. I was there holding him when he took his last breath.
3. I was able to be there a week or so ago when my sister had to go to the ER. She has issues with A-fib of her heart.
4. I was able to babysit my nephew on a short notice because I wasn't drinking.
5. I was able to have my first AF Christmas in a long time. (Yeah I went back to drinking after Christmas, but still this was awesome)
6. My husband and I have a better relationship.
7. I feel great when I go to church.....no hangover....no feeling guilty.
8. I make plans with friends and stick to the plans instead of canceling because I drank too much the night before and was hungover.
9. I am saving so much money. I was up to two huge bottles of rum a week.
10. I am able to have my mother come and stay with me more often.

That's just my top 10.

[sunshine_gg]

Life As A Sober Individual

:l April.... I adore your top 10 list!

Renee... I'm very new to living without alcohol. And, I sometimes wonder as well where the reward for my struggle is. I sometimes forget what it's like... the day AFTER. Now, I

1. wake up and roll into Mr. Wonderful's arms - not pretend I'm asleep because I'm too ashamed to face him

2. am not afraid to check my email (dreading responses to emails I apparently sent off the night before)

3. don't have to lie to my daughter "oh sure.. ummmm, right... I remember... "

4. am not in pain and counting bruises... and wrecking my brain "Did I fall down the stairs again?"

That's just off the top of my head. There's a million more.

.

[MyOwnWoman]

Life As A Sober Individual

A Work in Progress;551910 wrote: my freedom from alcohol is the best thing I could have done in my life, but not really because it brings me a lot of positive things... it is more a matter, for me, of having gotten rid of the monstrously bad negative things. I no longer feel despair, or think about suicide as an option. I am no longer making myself physically ill on a regular basis. I no longer see myself as a failure and a loser.

Being free from alcohol is a pre-requisite for the good things I want in life, the things that are possible for me, when I am AF... but they don't come automatically. I have a long road ahead of me in re-making the kind of life that I am shooting for.

WIP - these words are perfect in describing what I've been trying to get a handle on understanding in my sobriety. Thank you.

[Pan]

Life As A Sober Individual

Everything Sunshine said, plus knowing I can drive anywhere I want, when I want.

[cymru]

Life As A Sober Individual

I am able to look at myself in the mirror and like the person I see. I feel a sense of achievement. I am able to start liking myself again. I can be the father that I should be. I can be happy and lead a better life.

[maddiva]

Life As A Sober Individual

My longest sober was for nine months and I stopped smoking as well. My skin glowed. I was slimmer, I accepted all my moods and lived with them. Went to the gym. Then lo and behold, I just slipped right back. Not sure why, just wasnot as vigilant as I should have been and thought I fancied wine. Day 2 now and what I like is not having that horrid feeling I had yesterday, the guilt, shame and dirty feeling that intoxication creates in our body.

[patricia]

Life As A Sober Individual

This is a brilliant thread - thanks - just what I need for today . . . . . .It is soooo true!

[aprilmoon]

Life As A Sober Individual

sunshine_gg;552008 wrote: :l April.... I adore your top 10 list!

Renee... I'm very new to living without alcohol. And, I sometimes wonder as well where the reward for my struggle is. I sometimes forget what it's like... the day AFTER. Now, I

1. wake up and roll into Mr. Wonderful's arms - not pretend I'm asleep because I'm too ashamed to face him

2. am not afraid to check my email (dreading responses to emails I apparently sent off the night before)

3. don't have to lie to my daughter "oh sure.. ummmm, right... I remember... "

4. am not in pain and counting bruises... and wrecking my brain "Did I fall down the stairs again?"

That's just off the top of my head. There's a million more.

.

LOL Sunshine....I fell up the stairs once.......try explaining that!!!!

[Reenie]

Life As A Sober Individual

Thank you all! I'm going to print this thread and put it in my journal. Sunshine_gg, speaking of falling. I did just that Monday night during my last drunk. I fell outside my front door into a bush. I have a long deep scrape down my right arm and bruises on my right leg. Ughhh.... I'm finishing up day 4 and am looking forward to more AF days.