What I want

[MissHazel]

I have been sober for a long time ( only months) but that is a long time to me...I expected being sober to make everything right but it hasn't. I cannot shut off my mind and I am afraid that this is it...nothing more to look forward to..nothing.

MissHazel

[Supercrew]

What I want

Sorry to hear that MissHazel. But what I have come to realize over the last year and 1/2 since I started on this journey of sobriety is drinking caused alot of problems in my life and never fixed any. But once I quit drinking problems that were already there or that were not caused by me drinking do not go away until I dealt with them. Quitting drinking is not a cure all for all of lifes woes, it just makes your drinking problems disappear, and leaves you sober so you can better handle the other problems that we all have.

I do agree that when I first quit I felt like I didn't have a defense mechanism to numb me from the problems, but the reality all the booze was doing was making me more depressed and it allowed me to procrastnate more and not face my problems.

No ones life is perfect, but adding alcohol will only make it worse. I don't know exactly what your problems are, but maybe if you gave a little more detail you might be able to get some advice from the people in this forum. Or maybe do some research online to see how other people have dealt with similar issues.

Congrats on your sober time, and please remember alcohol will only make your situation, (no matter what it is), worse. Good luck!

[MissHazel]

What I want

I would like to hear a success story

I would like to hear that someone out there quit drinking and has done that for a really long tine (longer than me..which is only months) and has been happy..and how has that worked from a day to day standpoint.

[Supercrew]

What I want

You are talking to him. Just had a year, and really started sobriety about 20 months ago. And I am happy, and I was a daily drinker who snuck away from my wife and son everynight and went to my office to get my buzz on.

[MissHazel]

What I want

OK..what was epiphany? I have been doing this with no epiphany. I would love for someone to give me the reason that has worked for them

[Supercrew]

What I want

Pretty easy one there. Because I realized drinking wasn't working for me. I relied on it for everything. I thought it was my strength and my life. It made me smaerter, it made me dance better, it made me more smooth it made me cooler. But this was just my perception. What it did really make was depressed and unable to give my wife and my son the relationship and life that they needed. It made me selfish. It was my only love for 27 years.

[Supercrew]

What I want

My epiphany came when I thought I was going to embarass my son at a little league game, not because I was drunk, but because I was detoxing. It was his big moment and I almost had to call an ambulance...this was a day before my wife left because I got drunk...again.

[startingover]

What I want

I have been sober for 3 .5 years Miss Hazel. Not always easy by any means. I have lost my mother, been made redundant, had health scares and relationship problems BUT I have had so many good things too. If I was drinking I think I would have tried to kill myself by now.
My epiphany was the fact that i KNEW drinking was making me miserable and that I had to give life a go without it.

[MissHazel]

What I want

I wish I had your strenghth

I dont

[startingover]

What I want

Its not strength Miss Hazel. Its just plodding on from one day to the next loving the good bits and getting through the bad.
I know sometimes it feels like there are no good bits and never will be.
How long have you felt so depressed?

[startingover]

What I want

Supercrew;1231253 wrote: Sorry to hear that MissHazel. But what I have come to realize over the last year and 1/2 since I started on this journey of sobriety is drinking caused alot of problems in my life and never fixed any. But once I quit drinking problems that were already there or that were not caused by me drinking do not go away until I dealt with them. Quitting drinking is not a cure all for all of lifes woes, it just makes your drinking problems disappear, and leaves you sober so you can better handle the other problems that we all have.

I do agree that when I first quit I felt like I didn't have a defense mechanism to numb me from the problems, but the reality all the booze was doing was making me more depressed and it allowed me to procrastnate more and not face my problems.

No ones life is perfect, but adding alcohol will only make it worse. I don't know exactly what your problems are, but maybe if you gave a little more detail you might be able to get some advice from the people in this forum. Or maybe do some research online to see how other people have dealt with similar issues.

Congrats on your sober time, and please remember alcohol will only make your situation, (no matter what it is), worse. Good luck!

Great post Supercrew.

[MissHazel]

What I want

Thank you

Supercrew;1231275 wrote: My epiphany came when I thought I was going to embarass my son at a little league game, not because I was drunk, but because I was detoxing. It was his big moment and I almost had to call an ambulance...this was a day before my wife left because I got drunk...again.

I really appreciate this and appreciate your effort. Your comments struck a chord with me and just hearing that you knew it was your son's big moment speaks volumes. I am certain your son has a wonderful Dad.

Take care,

MissHazel

[DriftyAlison0]

What I want

MissHazel;1231235 wrote: I have been sober for a long time ( only months) but that is a long time to me...I expected being sober to make everything right but it hasn't. I cannot shut off my mind and I am afraid that this is it...nothing more to look forward to..nothing.

MissHazel

Making everything right takes more then just being sober. But being sober will help hugely to make things right.

[Unwasted]

What I want

Hazel, I can say that I've had an epiphany of sorts. I haven't been stopped for long, but once I started nurturting my spiritual side, things changed. It wasn't a mind-blowing experience - quite the opposite. It was a realization that all the things in life I had valued (outward) were nothing and learning to access my "being" or inner self is the secret to finding peace and happiness.

I posted more on your other thread about things I'm learning/studying if you have any interest.

[Supercrew]

What I want

MissHazel;1231293 wrote: I really appreciate this and appreciate your effort. Your comments struck a chord with me and just hearing that you knew it was your son's big moment speaks volumes. I am certain your son has a wonderful Dad.

Take care,

MissHazel

For the record, my wife came back, I did go back and test moderation after that epiphany about 3 months later, and realized drinking wasn't for me anymore. I think Unwasted's answer is similar to what really happened. It was that things just started making alot more sense to me and I realized I didn't want to drink anymore. And thank you and Startingover for the kind posts!

Have a great sober day!!