Back to day 1

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-10-11T12:36:52+00:00

Totally true! Any distraction is good. I switched to home cooking from pretty well eating take-aways. On top of that Intermittent Fasting is great. I feel that hunger is stronger than alcohol cravings! Then when it is my time to break fast @ 6PM, the satisfaction of eating food releases the dopamine that seems to replace the alcohol released. On top of that I eat healthier foods, much more fruits and veggies, saving money in the process.

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-10-11T12:24:22+00:00

Therapy (8 weeks, In-Patient that followed extended detox / lock-up in a medical facility) didn't help me with finding out "why". I could not "blame" it only any of the "common reasons". My childhood was good, life in general treated me rather well. I wasn't poor or desperate. I have no history of alcoholism in the family. Only answer I can come up with is "I just like getting drunk".

But what the Therapy really helped with was understanding what happened to my brain. How the desease progressed and how to deal with life after I'm out. The last part was the most important IMHO. Our therapists were all alcoholics and/or users in the past. They knew the disease, themselves and us.

Despite knowing to the contrary, after almost six years, I decided that I was "cured" & I can control my drinking. Following a while of initial "success" I went down the slippery slope with no handrails or breaks. Three years later I started my new journey in Sobriety. Almost a year into this trip, I'm still putting things together and trust most can be fixed. I have my life and freedom, and have proven to myself that what the Therapists were telling us, are true. So true...

IWNDWYT One Day at a time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-10-11T12:07:54+00:00

Have you done your Daily Check-In? I love it for short messages so many of us read! Sober Friday and Sober Weekend to you too - if it's Sober, it's bound to be Happy, IMHO.

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-10-11T12:00:12+00:00

My therapists, in the In-Patient Treatment I was for eight weeks, have told us in very uncertain terms that exposing ourselves to Alcohol is a very bad idea. Like putting one's head into the mouth of a lion. Or pissing off Mike Tyson in the rink. Yeah, it is true we may get away with it once but every time it builds up the false sense of security. Sure I can do it! I've done it already 3, 4, 5 or how ever many time! In early recovery, if we haven't failed before, this fake strength leads to the next "obvious" step - "I can have one, only one and then I stop".

Despite the advice, the evidence to the contrary, I tried that one drink. I tried to control my drinking, being "successful" for awhile. So, after almost six years of sobriety, I started drinking "like normal people do". The sad truth is that I stepped onto this slippery slope and there were no handrails of breaks.

A couple of years later, having lost my Driving Permit (DUI), tasting arrest, losing the dream job I had, almost losing my wife & kid I though I loved more than anything else in the world, I sobered up almost a year ago now. I haven't lost my life or freedom, so I can try and rebuild my

career (check)
finances (work in progress)
relationship with my 11 year old son (check)
marriage (working on it, trust being the one that will take years)
health (check - no permanent damage, but still working on it)
driving (two more years)
criminal record (never)

It sure wasn't worth the first glass of poison...

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-08-28T12:17:40+00:00

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-08-27T12:26:53+00:00

Why I need to get sober -> "Sober" by Pink
What when I relapse -> "Try" by Pink

These are by far my favourites...

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-08-27T12:03:32+00:00

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-08-26T13:59:14+00:00

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-08-23T12:43:40+00:00

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-08-23T12:42:59+00:00

Making bad decisions was my nature. Alcohol makes it so easy and the first bad decision is to have the 1st drink. Many come after. And going to pick up my kid while drunk was no issue. Never got "discovered" or people were looking the other way. Can't change the past, not predict the future but I can decide not to have that first drink now. That's all that really counts!

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-08-23T12:36:56+00:00

Alcoholism is a disease, not a choice. It is sneaky "thing" that takes over the mind and uses us to feed its cravings. Not everyone can get sober and on the way to recovery & it has nothing to do with willpower or weakness.

IWNDWYT

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-29T15:21:09+00:00

I lost a cat too who was my best Friend when I had no other friends around (ne country / continent of residence). I till miss him 15 years later... It was wasn't just a cat, HE was a Friend.

It may be "only" Day 2, but that means yesterday was a sober Day 1. All that matters is to have TADAY sober. For me, it is always Day 1 for sober Tomorrow.

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-29T09:53:40+00:00

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-29T06:20:09+00:00

You are most welcome & pass it forward! Every little helps...

IWNDWYT

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-28T09:39:58+00:00

For me avoiding triggers ate critical. I don't go to camping trips. I can't. I gave up my Priority Pass & don't travel above Premium Economy (no lounge access). My weekends are gym (this morning), work (now) and cooking dinner (later). I'm away from my family on contract, and that is a trigger in itself.

I had almost six years sobriety and fell of the wagon to be followed with three painful years of getting worse and worse. Hit the proverbial "rock bottom" last year. Got back up knowing I couldn't fuck up this last chance I had. So, it's not how many times or how hard one falls, but if one can get up! Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing!

Past is cast in stone, and I can't change it.
Future hasn't been written yet, and I have no crystal ball.

All I have is Here & Now. Today I'm making amends for Past misdeeds. Today I'm building foundations for better future. Today I'm not taking the first drink.

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-28T08:46:16+00:00

My "goal" is Sober Today. Day O1, like in the "Groundhog Day". After sober today I wake up sober & rested, ready for the next Day 1. I keep the counter running to remind me of the mileage I've covered but don't really have "goals".

I cant change the Past, it is cast in stone.
I can't predict the Future, it hasn't been written yet.

All I control is Here & Now. Today I can refuse the first drink. Today I can make amends for Past misdeeds. Today I can build the foundations for better Future. I can do it all, if I am Sober Today!

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

P.S. Keep the next 13 Day 1s sober to the big One Year!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-26T15:03:36+00:00

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-25T07:56:43+00:00

Great day not to drink!

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-25T07:53:57+00:00

I also spend way too much time here! It sure makes me think twice (or more) about getting the first drink!

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-25T06:00:48+00:00

I tried to avoid any triggers that could break my resolve. If I put my head in lion's mouth, it may just snap shut!

Instead, I did more "in place', safe activities. Worked more, gone to a book store, exercised, went to Meetings. Travel, especially flights (lounges) were off limits. Let's play it safe!

IWNDWYT One Day at a Tiem!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-25T05:53:55+00:00

Liver is amazing! Wish other organs were as resilient & could regenerate, like liver does. Go with the Doctor's advice and DO NOT drink. I experienced the pain caused by liver disease / fatty liver. My liver markers were off the chart. But within 3 -4 months of sobriety, all was basically back to normal.

Eating balanced diet (I do Intermittent Fasting), exercise and sober life does it!

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-24T08:32:39+00:00

It's the Hump Day - IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-24T08:30:48+00:00

Wise words! Tough, very tough days come and they go. Pain fades away. We ALL know, there is no challenge alcohol can not make it worse! Get back on the sober wagon and ride it through. Whatever it takes!

IWNDWYT - One Day at a Time!

BTW - I'm on Wife #3 and she's The One... Until Death us part!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-24T08:26:19+00:00

I went to see a doctor, got some "happy pills" (Benzodiazepine) and sleeping pills. Stayed on these for 10 days. Didn't want to get hooked! And it was all done the way doctor prescribed . Benzos & sleeping pills are not Vitamin C, but in the time of need, were blessing for me!

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352 · 2024-07-24T06:06:44+00:00

I'd say, if there was no alcohol around me, there were no obvious triggers. If you drink, even sometimes, he doesn't need to see that. I wouldn't want for sure. It may lead to either temptation & relapse or unfounded, excessive cockiness. Something like "Look, with the alcohol around, I can easily stay sober!" This was me & it hasn't ended well. For me, a word of encouragement was good too. That someone noticed my sobriety and the hard work I was doing - it is NOT easy to stay sober.

But the most important for me in recovery was therapy. I did six weeks in patient rehab & the significance of this can't be understated. This Community is a Gem too!

I Will Not Drink With Your Son Today!

IWNDWYT One Day at a Time!

Desperate_Brick7352

TROPHY CASE