30, 60, 90 days

[Ronker]

OK, so apart from the personal milestones, is there some kind of other significance of these markers, is there some medical recognition or transformation at these points?

Its really good for someone to get there, but just wondered of the relevance?

[hillsidetime]

30, 60, 90 days

Hi Ronker, although I am no expert, I can certainly share with you my thoughts and experiences. For some, each single day of going sober is a tremendous battle. Adding those days up one at a time, was really motivational for me. The thirty days is a benchmark. In order to complete 30 days, you have to struggle through four weekends. It is basically a month. Once I could start adding up the months, ie 30,60 days, it really was rewarding.

For me, it took about 60 days for the initial effects of my body no longer having alcohol in it, to wear off. I would also say a milestone for me was 6 months. After 6 months, I think my body had got used to not having alcohol in it, and had shifted to a normal state. I was also used to my new habits and lifestyle by then.

Just my ideas,
Hill

[Choochie]

30, 60, 90 days

Ronker,

Oney recently posted this so I thought I would send it your way since it goes to the heart of what you're asking:

It seems to be a common theme this week on the boards about feeling let down or unfulfilled by your new AF life...I posted this on another thread but am putting in here too, just to let you all know that you are not alone and this feeling is very normal and happens to us all.


When I ditched the booze....

My life would change....

I would become happier, more confident, everything would slot into place, my troubles would be over, I would be on easy street, Nothing would worry me or upset me, life would be a piece of cake, my brain would work differently, I would be happy all the time, I would no longer have depression or sad thoughts, I would have a wonderful life, people would applaud me, fanfares would sound and angels would sing..

NOTHING prepared me for the brutal reality that this wasn't the case.
I felt cheated and disappointed and somewhat angry that I had put in all the work to kick booze and I didn't feel any different, my life was NOT any better, and yes I wondered why I even bothered...what was the bloody point..you were meant to feel better..right?? It was meant to get better? Life was meant to change.....

It didn't except for...

My clear head in the mornings and the feel of clarity on waking...

No hangovers, headaches and sick tummy.

No flashbacks of things said and done and no cringe factor upon remembering.

The bedtime stories now told lovingly to my children instead of the excuses as to why I couldn’t read them as I had to go and relax with first drink of the evening.

The money I have saved by not buying alcohol and smokes.

The compliments I have received telling me how well I look.

The feeling of freedom knowing that alcohol has no hold over me, I have broken free of its power and I am living independent of it.

The problems that are there are now being dealt with and not swept under the carpet in a drunken haze.

The little pieces of me that emerge day to day...new pieces of my personality that have been stifled by alcohol.

The feeling of LIVING and not just drifting along from day to day doing the same old thing and expecting different results.

The feeling of accomplishment, and getting to like myself again ( I am not at the loving myself bit yet but still working on it, we are all a work in progress)

The knowledge that, although I felt like a fish out of water the first few times I went out socially, it is slowly but surely getting much better and easier to handle and when I look around and see some of the antics going on , I feel blessed that I have made the decision not to be the ringleader any more.

The chance to FEEL........I mean really feel...all my emotions...without the crippling distorted illusion of alcohol..I can identify my feelings and deal with them accordingly.

And finally the realization that my problems are still there, money worries still present, sadness, fear and confusion are with me on a regular basis...BUT I can deal with them now...feel them, understand them and know why I am feeling this way..instead of burying them or intensifying them with the help of alcohol.

In conclusion....life is not all sweetness and light, not the perfect world I did expect it to be..but it is a Utopia in comparison to the one I was existing in and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Oney x

[Rusty]

30, 60, 90 days

Choochie,

You rock! Have A fabulous Thanksgiving! I miss you on our thread. :-(

[Choochie]

30, 60, 90 days

Hey Rusty,

I miss you guys too and check in every now and then. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Hugs,
Choochie:l

[Guest]

30, 60, 90 days

The 90 day mark is supposed to be the point at which the mind and body is pretty much recovered from the effects of alcohol, and a new pattern of life has started to be established. Isn't it also said it takes 3 months to make, or break a habit?

It's considered a milestone in AA as the start of a definite new life, I also had it said to me by other agencies that they consider you free of the actual addiction at that point. 30 and 60 are only part of that and whilst every day sober is a milestone, it takes a significant amount of time before you get 'used' to being sober.

I know it took me quite some time to actually get into the 'groove' of sober life again. Well the last 10-15 years had been dominated on a weekly basis by my drinking habits, even when it was as infrequent at every weekend only. It was only after about 3-4 months that I realised I was now 'used' to waking up sober, and that to awake drunk would have been almost unimaginable. This is very useful in helping me through my recent relapse since althought being drunk has snook back in, it's still 'unusual' for me since I've had so much time, especially continuously, sober already this year.

[Choochie]

30, 60, 90 days

UKB - thanks for this post. I've not heard it explained, and this makes sense - the concept that after 90 days, being sober becomes more the norm and therefore makes waking up hungover a foreign feeling rather than one we're used to!! I am really looking forward to experiencing 90 days, and ultimately a year..........and on and on. I do believe it gets better and better. I think if we cave in to drinking, it is just the illusion that drinking will feel good - from the posts I see people who "relapse" don't enjoy it - to the contrary, they are regretful and physically feel awful.

[madmans]

30, 60, 90 days

good one uk blond , did'nt know that either

[Guest]

30, 60, 90 days

I'm not sure it it's based upon anything, but that's the way I understand it anyway.

Here's something I found via a google search. Sort of makes sense.

The 90-Day Rule

[Ronker]

30, 60, 90 days

Thanks for all replies, very interesting

[gyco]

30, 60, 90 days

hi ronker your really new at this,when you hit those pivical points yull understand,i wish you well,just read some of the pesonal stories,some of the people that didnt get it,and have passed due to this ailment,alchoholism or drug addiction,really it kills as much if not more as cancer,bu it is not looked at the same, gyco

[Dewdrop]

30, 60, 90 days

Hi Ronker and welcome,

You?ve had some great advice so far. The first 30 days were huge for me and I struggled through each and every one of them, the next 30 were easier in many respects but still no walk in the park however I stopped counting days after 60 and started counting weeks. I felt more ?normal? a lot of the time and didn?t think of drinking every day. Funnily enough I hit 90 days AF on Monday and it came and went and I didn?t realise it until today because tomorrow is 3 months AF and that means more to me.

It has taken until recently for me to really feel that I am in control, I?ve made huge changes in my eating replacing crap with healthy food and lost 14lbs without even trying, I?ve developed a meditation practice that really supports my well being, I?ve just started yoga recently which I love and it fits in neatly with my meditation and lastly I?ve stuck with the supplements because after years of daily abuse I need all the support I can give my body.

I love my life now, the difference three months of sober living has made is immeasurable. When I joined this site my life was going down the tubes fast and I couldn?t see any way out. I was a physical and mental wreck. However my goal is 6 months because of all I have read about that being the time it takes to really embed the positive changes. So for me 3 months is great but it is only half way to where I want to be.

Good luck and great post.

Dewdrop :h

[Chillgirl]

30, 60, 90 days

Ronker - As others have said, when you are trying to conquer this addiction every successful day is significant. For me personally because I drank on a daily basis, the 1st 30 days was a huge victory for me. It also marked the end of my most of my withdrawal symptoms in particular sleeplessness and I was beginning to enjoy the best sleeps in my adult life. My body Also felt very different as the bloating disappeared.

At 60 days I was feeling more confidence, every day further away from my last drink helped me get used to my new life. By now I was seeing life very differently without the fog of booze clouding my vision and the clarity of mind was refreshing and inspiring. I felt emotions which had been numbed by AL and more alive than I had done in years.

90 (3 months) meant even more distance between me and AL. I still woke up every morning and smiled in gratitude at how good I felt. I love this quote from UKblonde's article on the 90 day rule:- "If you?re not thinking about where you want to be 90 days from now, you?ll never end up there".

There are huge changes in the 1st 3 months both physically and mentally but I am still discovering new experiences from sobriety as I approach 11 months. I believe AL damages every organ in our bodies and so the internal recovery is ongoing even without our knowledge. My blood pressure plummeted when I stopped drinking and for months I suffered severe dizziness. This is improving every week that goes by and I'm hoping soon for it to be back to normal, it takes time for our bodies to adjust.

I wish you well on your journey, every single day offers us a better and happier life....

[Choochie]

30, 60, 90 days

Dew and Chill - thanks for taking the time to post here - so helpful to see down the road we're going on with the help of those who have been there.

Chill, I'm so glad you mentioned this dizziness effect. I have that and wondered.

Ronker, sounds like we should just expect a lot of changes for a while - all good stuff!

Choochie

[Ronker]

30, 60, 90 days

Yeah all sounds great.

look I wasnt meaning in any way to take away or detract from anyones achievemnts, more i was interested in the info which came out about the detox still working at those levels.

I have no plans on going back, thankfuly i'm not struggling too much, as my problem is not so much a craving for alcohol, but the inability to drink one or two, i can stay off it for.. well i dont know that answer yet, but staying off is not the issue for me, thats the easier bit, but if i start i like a good soak!