When I first saw this thread, I thought to myself, no way, no one can beat this addiction on their own! But maybe I’m wrong, maybe there is a very small percentage of people that through sheer determination and white-knuckling they did. Then I asked myself, why did they do it on their own when there’s so much help and support out there for anyone who wants it. So I spent a few days in reflection about this, jotted my thoughts down, remembered some of the things my counsellor said to me, and tried to put it all into words that made sense. Everyone has to find their own path and it's easy to become lost along the way. Trying to navigate your path alone through a forest of self-loathing and shame is not the way to recovery. Nothing about alcohol recovery is easy, but you can make it easier by treating yourself with the kindnesses you would typically afford a stranger. You must learn how to love yourself before you can stop your destructive behaviors -- to love yourself and respect yourself and to not engage in destructive, abusive thoughts aimed toward you. Often, drinking begins with an urge to smother bad feelings. You want to feel better. You want to be numb to the problems that plague you. And for a while, you’re drinking works. But then, what started out as an innocent attempt to make it through your day becomes an all-consuming need. It takes over the most important spot in your life, squeezing out family, friends, your job, your interests, and your ability to function without drinking. And if you're like most people who find themselves in the throes of full-blown alcoholism, this is where the self-hate comes in and the vicious cycle begins -- you hate the person you've become so you drink more to ease the pain. Soon, your days are spent in a cycle of ups and downs. You'll do anything to feel better, but feeling better is expensive. By this time, you've maybe lost your job. You've alienated your family members. You've driven away friends who care about you. Possibly, you're homeless as well as unemployed. Yet still you drink. And you hate yourself for it. This is the time to seek help.
Before healing can begin, hatred must go. Learning to be nice to yourself can be the hardest thing you've ever done, but it's necessary to recovery. Believe it or not, you can change and heal a lifetime of sad, negative thinking if you practice hard enough. Once you learn to fill your mind with loving and helpful thoughts instead of self-destructive ones, it's easier to pick yourself up after each fall. And anyone recovering from alcohol can tell you that there will be plenty of falls along the way. It's okay to fail. Everyone fails at something. You must stop holding yourself accountable to unrealistic expectations. You're worthy of love regardless of what you have done, where you are in your life, how bad your addiction is, and what your past was like. You are exactly where you're supposed to be at this moment in time. It might seem silly to believe that something as simple as thinking happy thoughts can help you along your road to recovery, but any recovering alcoholic can tell you -- it's vital to moving forward in the process.
Recovering from addiction is a lifelong journey that takes much support and acceptance, both by you and by those with whom you surround yourself. It means treating yourself kindly and not expecting more from yourself than you would from anyone else. Alcohol addiction is a very difficult habit to break, but there's no need for it to plague you all your life. Realize that you have an addiction and actively seek help - that's all you need to do. As Byrdie says, support is the name of the game! If you don't have supportive friends and family in your life, it's vital that you find some. Talk your troubles through instead of turning to alcohol to heal the hurt.
A big part of recovery means learning how to take care of yourself in a world full of temptations. It means finding other, less-destructive paths through the debris that life sometimes leaves in its wake. Recovery is all about loving yourself and treating yourself with enough respect to find other answers. You must find your own path and discover which techniques work best for you during your journey, but if you're dedicated to your outcome and kind and respectful of your own thoughts and feelings, recovery will come in time. You can make it easier by surrounding yourself with those are especially supportive, by working your plan to its best advantage, and by staying straight and true to the path that's before you. This means not beating yourself when you stumble and fall, and not filling your mind with negative and self-deprecating thoughts. And as Matt M says “I’m 100% certain I can’t do this on my own”. Who am I to doubt the guy who just celebrated his 1 year sober birthday!
Before healing can begin, hatred must go. Learning to be nice to yourself can be the hardest thing you've ever done, but it's necessary to recovery. Believe it or not, you can change and heal a lifetime of sad, negative thinking if you practice hard enough. Once you learn to fill your mind with loving and helpful thoughts instead of self-destructive ones, it's easier to pick yourself up after each fall. And anyone recovering from alcohol can tell you that there will be plenty of falls along the way. It's okay to fail. Everyone fails at something. You must stop holding yourself accountable to unrealistic expectations. You're worthy of love regardless of what you have done, where you are in your life, how bad your addiction is, and what your past was like. You are exactly where you're supposed to be at this moment in time. It might seem silly to believe that something as simple as thinking happy thoughts can help you along your road to recovery, but any recovering alcoholic can tell you -- it's vital to moving forward in the process.
Recovering from addiction is a lifelong journey that takes much support and acceptance, both by you and by those with whom you surround yourself. It means treating yourself kindly and not expecting more from yourself than you would from anyone else. Alcohol addiction is a very difficult habit to break, but there's no need for it to plague you all your life. Realize that you have an addiction and actively seek help - that's all you need to do. As Byrdie says, support is the name of the game! If you don't have supportive friends and family in your life, it's vital that you find some. Talk your troubles through instead of turning to alcohol to heal the hurt.
A big part of recovery means learning how to take care of yourself in a world full of temptations. It means finding other, less-destructive paths through the debris that life sometimes leaves in its wake. Recovery is all about loving yourself and treating yourself with enough respect to find other answers. You must find your own path and discover which techniques work best for you during your journey, but if you're dedicated to your outcome and kind and respectful of your own thoughts and feelings, recovery will come in time. You can make it easier by surrounding yourself with those are especially supportive, by working your plan to its best advantage, and by staying straight and true to the path that's before you. This means not beating yourself when you stumble and fall, and not filling your mind with negative and self-deprecating thoughts. And as Matt M says “I’m 100% certain I can’t do this on my own”. Who am I to doubt the guy who just celebrated his 1 year sober birthday!
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