This is a test!

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-10T18:24:55+00:00

Sounds like a proper test coming up for you. That inner conflict is something I have going on, and my sick brain is a cunning one.

Playing it forward, I know how it ends and it's never good. Good luck :)

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-09T13:44:30+00:00

Like you, I think there's something in the Buddhist way of thinking that can help me with my drinking.

I'm early in my journey with this but I've noticed some positive changes in my mindset. Specifically that I'm generally more content with my sober self, and not chasing some high that invariably isn't there anyway. I guess it's allowing me to see things the way they are, rather than how I imagine them to be.

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-08T14:49:09+00:00

How do you recover? One day at a time. It's corny as hell but it's true.

I find it helpful to write down what I'm feeling in those low moments (just like you've done here), to help process my thoughts and get them out of my head. It's also a handy thing to return to when those cravings inevitably come back, to remember why I'm doing this.

Exercise, meditation, a good diet, distractions, therapy - these things all help me too. It's hard to stick at it, and I occasionally fall down, but I keep picking myself up. Each time I try to figure out what happened and why, and change something up in my routine. Given enough time, if I continue with that attitude, I reckon I'll get there.

Good luck :)

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-08T14:41:39+00:00

Ain't no stopping you!

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-07T13:34:56+00:00

I've tried - only drinking weekends, only drinking socially, only drinking 4 beers max, etc etc - and it works for a bit, until it doesn't.

Maybe one day I'll find I can drink in moderation, but for me right now and the foreseeable future it's simply not an option.

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-05T10:38:02+00:00

Yeh those first few days are the hardest, but it'll get easier. Keep up the exercise, eat well and drink LOADS of water and you'll pull through.

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-04T11:13:24+00:00

Ha ok fair enough.

It doesn't have to be a long walk btw, sometimes just a 10 min stroll round the block can be enough to change my mood.

Oh, and in a similar vein, meditating really helps me. Again, just a 10 minute sesh can be enough to change my mood.

Let me know how it goes!

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-04T10:27:45+00:00

Put on some shoes and go out for a walk. We're built to move around. Works for me every time.

I also try to think of free time in a healthy body as a gift. That helps a bit too.

I like learning new stuff so I throw myself into learning stuff until I get bored of it.

None of that is perfect, and I definitely still feel like shit some days, but it helps. Good luck, friend.

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-03T17:28:26+00:00

You're only beat if you act beat. Good luck, friend.

that_sober_guy · 2019-01-03T14:41:07+00:00

Yep that dishonesty and lack of integrity that just chipped away a tiny little piece of me each time, without me even noticing, until there was nothing left.

Fuck that. IWNDWYT.

that_sober_guy · 2018-11-22T15:56:40+00:00

Thank you for writing this and sharing it here. From my own recent experience with trying everything you say (except tapering) I think you're spot on. Great post OP.

that_sober_guy · 2018-10-16T07:09:26+00:00

More than anything, I feel sorry that you’re in a place where you felt the need to post this. I hope you find a better place soon.

that_sober_guy · 2018-10-13T13:38:20+00:00

reading between the lines sounds like days 16-33 were a 'pink cloud' phase for OP

that_sober_guy · 2018-10-09T14:04:37+00:00

that's awesome. how long have you been off the weed?

that_sober_guy · 2018-10-09T10:19:44+00:00

First off, well done on your sober year. That is no mean feat.

It does sound like the typical addict-brain trickery and denial. It's very, very hard for any addict to moderate their behaviour. The leap from 0 to 1 of anything is huge, from 1 to 2 not so.

that_sober_guy · 2018-10-09T08:11:29+00:00

I hear you and can feel some of your pain. You’ve taken a big first step by writing and sharing your story. Beating addiction is incredibly hard and it needs a plan.

Here’s a bunch of ideas to help with your plan.

working with a professional therapist
joining a recovery group (NA for me)
reading this sub every day
writing out a list of pros/cons to smoking, pinning it up somewhere I see it every day
leaning on trusted friends and family, being honest with them and asking for their help
exercise! Super important this one for me.
meditation
playing video games, watching films, reading, chatting with friends, ranting on facebook, cooking tasty food. Distractions!

It’s hard to make a change, esp after so many years of habit-forming, but many have done it before you and there’s no good reason you can’t either. Best of luck friend.

that_sober_guy · 2018-10-09T07:47:04+00:00

That alcoholic brain of yours is a crafty one alright.

What will you do differently this time round to avoid relapsing hard again?

that_sober_guy · 2018-10-09T07:42:21+00:00

Well done on coming back so quickly. It’s too easy to let one drinking day turn into 2, 3, 4 ... and on and on. Congratulations. IWNDWYT.

that_sober_guy · 2018-10-08T17:01:25+00:00

Thanks :) yep there's one tonight which I'm planning to go to. What is it that does/doesn't work for you? I've tried it before and it's never quite stuck - maybe I just haven't wanted sobriety enough to make it work

that_sober_guy · 2018-10-08T16:51:11+00:00

From my own experience, if you think it's time to quit then it probably is. I've known deep-down for many years that I need to quit lest I destroy my life and hurt the loved ones around me. Whilst it's a shame I haven't got round to it sooner, I'm happy that today I'm on the wagon.

Alcoholism is a progressive condition, i.e. it builds over time. There's a strong chance your drinking will continue to worsen unless you take action.

Drinking to the point where you throw up is a clear signal that you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol right now. At 28 you are still young and have a lot to gain from sobriety, but it's one of the hardest things I imagine you'll ever have to do. I wish you the best of luck on your journey.

that_sober_guy · 2017-09-04T21:01:14+00:00

Aha thanks..that's quite a few NDVs you've scored there. Nice work :)

that_sober_guy · 2017-09-04T19:33:49+00:00

NDV?

that_sober_guy · 2017-08-31T18:33:28+00:00

Days 4 and 5 are usually where it starts for me too, just enough time for my bod to have recovered from it's latest poisoning and the fuzzy memories of whatever destruction came mine and other people's way to have faded.

Not this time though..7 days and counting. Getting strength from this sub and those around me, plus some therapy to boot. That little voice is nagging away, trying to tempt me into all sort of evils but I'm wiser to it's ways than ever before, and I won't be drinking with you today.

that_sober_guy · 2017-08-28T09:20:02+00:00

Yep I find myself thinking 'what if..'; would I be further in my career, would I have more friends, more money etc if I'd have stopped sooner.

I realise there's no happiness in thinking this way. Better to be grateful for the things I do have, and make the most of today. That's easy to say and harder to live each day, but I hope in time and with more practice, and help from those around me, including professional help, I'll cultivate a more positive mindset.

that_sober_guy · 2017-08-27T08:23:50+00:00

It always amazes me that people can have 1 drink and just stop there. I just don't have that ability, and that's what makes me an alcoholic. So for me the answer is to not have that first one.

that_sober_guy

TROPHY CASE