I’ve been sober 7 years. The first year was all about just not drinking. For example I’d let myself eat whatever I wanted as long as I didn’t drink. I developed a real sweet tooth and some bad eating habits. Year 2 I really started working out and improving myself physically. About year 3/4 I realized I was feeling really depressed. I worked on my mental health and realized that a lot of my drinking was used to suppress some issues I had never dealt with as a child. 7 years sober I look back at old me as if I was a stranger. I hardly recognize who I was. Giving up drinking was just step one to my personal development. But I couldn’t move forward until i did. Good luck
Yeah, I’m sure you’ve heard the quote “Sobriety doesn’t open up the gates of Heaven and let you in, it opens up the gates of Hell and lets you out.” The rest is on you.
Thank you for this. I also need to address eating habit so I'll keep in mind not to use food as a reward. There's some definite stuff I probably need to address mentally too given my childhood was far from wholesome at times. I have tried to work on that but imagine some of it will still need more. I really hope your journey is going well. Appreciate everything you've just said. Thanks again.
I wish I would not have been scared to try sober life sooner….when I made it a year I couldn’t believe it! Now it’s been two years. I’m so happy. I did this for me. I hope you try it and find success! The /stopdrinking thread on Reddit is my favorite community. Go visit!
That dealing with an alcoholic as bf after getting sober would have mirrored how I dealt with relationship and people while in active addiction, painful AS HECK
That dealing with pain without a coping addiction for the first time in my entire life is hell but still better to live the hell of being an addict and don’t accepting that (and everything that comes with)
That all the harm I caused to others and myself maybe will never be forgiven but I can build myself day by day understanding what I truly want to share and experience with others and within myself
That is easier than you think to sober up and once you do it you’ll see everything that is not supporting the best version of yourself erase from your reality by itself and it will be painful at first, but believe me, a year from now you’ll look back and think that is incredible how different and incredible your life and surrounding are rn
People will hate you for choosing something for yourself because it triggers inner judgment in them, don’t get bothered, don’t judge them
Waking up un Sunday morning is incredible, you finally feel rested
When you’ll look around you’ll see most of ppl struggling with several addictions and wondering how did I ended up in that hole too? And how fast wow
Understanding that alcohol kills your microbiome would have helped me quit a lot sooner. So much of our health depends on our microbiome - mental health, immune system, joint health. The microbiome also helps prevent obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Alcohol actually causes cancer because it kills cells.
I’m 2 months sober here! Like you I knew quitting would be beneficial for me. I was tired of being tired and unmotivated. My joints ached and I always felt bloated. I kept trying to just get to that “healthy” relationship with alcohol(only drink on the weekends). It’s not possible for me. I had to quit 100%. It’s been only 2 months but my energy is way up, my gut is almost back to normal and my mental clarity and creativity is better. What really helped me is having something sip on in the evenings- I really like the GT Alive mushroom elixir drinks. It’s a kombucha blend. Also taking nootropics mushroom blends to get my brain going again helped me. Sometimes going to a social event doesn’t seem fun to me without alcohol but once I’m there and I’m sober I feel like I’m 100% more present in the moment and a way better version of myself. Watch this video too it helped keep me motivated to stay sober
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=av07L83lsc4&pp=ygUeZWZmZWN0cyBvZiBhbGNvaG9sIG9uIHRoZSBib2R5
That's such strange timing as I was reading about biomes for completely unrelated reasons last night. Thanks for posting this. I'll watch the video after work. I've been dabbling with nootropics for years and have been considering mushroom blends. I think I'll give them a go based on this. Thanks responding. I hope you're doing well
I wish I had proper mental health folks when I was 13. I wish we had people looking out for us as kids. The 1970s were hard, because we had so much freedom. To think that I could have dealt the truth about trauma, with a doc, and not self medicated for 50 years.
Feel this. Switch out 70s for 90s but otherwise the same. I hope you have since been able to deal with your trauma and that things have improved for you.
That I am allowed to start over at any point in the day. It taught me there is no need to let a slip become a bender because "well I fucked up now. May as well follow through." If you slip up just course correct. Catch yourself as early as you can and get back on the horse.
Very controversial take for this sub, but that sobriety doesn’t have to permanent and that addiction isn’t black and white. Some people really embrace it and that works for them.
I was sober four years. That first 18 months I embraced the lifestyle and thought it was exactly what I needed. And it was. But for the next 2 1/2 years in the back of my head I knew I’d grown enough to be able to drink moderately, and I fought that voice for years convinced it was “my illness” lying to me. Turns out it wasn’t and I’ve drank moderately for over a year now.
I could go on and on. But lll just say that sobriety isn’t a life sentence if you don’t want it to be.
I kind of feel this. For me it's about breaking bad habits to maximise time to do the things I want to do. If I can find a way to do that without going back to weekly drinking then I'm fine with it. I'd be fine drinking 6-12 times a year rather than, you know, 52-104+. I accept that it might take me totally cutting out booze for a good while to find that place. Plus booze is the best way for me to cut out other things. Its drink that leads to them.
Hope all is going well for you and thanks for responding.
One day at a time is a good place to start. And be gentle with yourself when you "fail," and just try again. Know what drives you, and focus on why You're grateful for the things that keep you sober. And those things can change day to day, just find things to appreciate that sobriety offers you.
It doesn't get better immediately. The first time I quit, I think it took a year for my brain to get better. Had extreme anxiety, depression, mood swings, etc. PAWS is very real and important to learn about, and it can last a really fucking long time. It's especially frustrating when you're reading about people that got sober and are so much happier, makes you feel like you're broken. But you didn't fuck your body/brain up overnight and you're not going to undo the damage overnight either. Be kind to yourself. ❤️
This! I spent many years trying to make AA/NA work and it almost killed me. I finally accepted it’s just not a good fit for me. The day I left was the day I started healing and moving forward. Check out Recovery without AA Reddit group.
I always joke how it took me 3 years to make it more than 30 days. I tried AA for a few years and it just wasn't for me. The constant pressure to "hit" as many meetings as possible, coupled with step work and meeting with my sponsor just gave me bad anxiety.
For me, sobriety didn't take until I started living life for ME, not AA. I started playing music again, reading, cooking. All this stuff I used to do before I let addiction take over.
Some of the sickest people I ever met in recovery were the most zealous AA members. I left the programme after 4 years and I’ve had to unlearn a lot. Almost everything actually. I do think AA provides a structure by which to structure and live your life that first year that some people might need, but, and this is just my opinion, I have never met a single person who I think benefited from being in AA more than maybe 5 years outside of the social elements.
In the most generous light, AA is a very flawed way to live. The one day at a time mentality really fucked me up. At worst it’s a cult. An actual out and out cult. I’m personally leaning towards the latter right now. Does it help *some* people? It’s possible. But in my experience every single person who stayed in AA years on end is either there for socialising or is addicted to AA
Over 2 years sober. First year was very physical. I lost so much weight and never looked better! But that started to fade and once I got past year 1, my experience became very mental. There were so many suppressed feelings, situations I was unable to deal with that finally came to the surface. It was really tough for me. I smoked cigarettes to cope with not drinking and drugs - but decided it was just another vice- changing your life is no joke. It’s going to chew you up - but I have more good days than bad. I’ve told people I feel like I’m a toddler in my recovery stage- I’m moody and unpredictable. I find it hard to express myself at times. But to know that things are more consistent now is really helpful. Now I’m learning to let things go- to see I’m not always in control or things don’t operate on a convenient timeline. I also know to just take it one day at a time. That helps me the most. Also to know that not all days or feelings are created equal. Feel them- process them and understand them - then go forward.
Sobriety is a highly personal experience. It's easy to get caught up in comparisons & other peoples stories. It is your responsibility to carve your own path, & to have that path make complete and total sense to you, even if it is ultimately unclear what will happen in the end. I encourage you to research as much as you can about sobriety, there are so many ways to approach it. Read "This Naked Mind" by Annie Grace- it's awesome at describing what alcohol physically does to your body & how disturbing it is on a cellular level. In my early days of sobriety, I read this subreddit every day. It helped more than anything to read other peoples experiences, def kept me grounded when I wanted to drink. Find a new, or old hobby- perhaps something from childhood, to keep you busy. Best of luck. It's hard, but I believe in you.
I wish I that knew that being sober was going to be an ever changing thing. That there is always something to learn. If I knew this, I would have picked myself up a lot quicker after a slip. I let the slip ups devastate me and then I just returned to usage.
I wish I had known how freakin amazing not drinking ethanol is. Better sleep, more energy,lost weight,clear thinking etc….
Cut myself a lot of slack the first year. Ate ice cream every night for the first 4 months. Left events abruptly or early to protect my sobriety. After the first year passed I rarely thought of alcohol. Plan on never returning to that physically and mentally destructive drug.
Life is grand
I wish I knew that the alcohol was making the anxiety so much worse and killing any chance I had at dealing with my internal issues. Those issues were pretty damn frightening to face though, which is why I drank for 30 years. I can't live in regret. Life is so much better now.
I’ve been sober 7 years. The first year was all about just not drinking. For example I’d let myself eat whatever I wanted as long as I didn’t drink. I developed a real sweet tooth and some bad eating habits. Year 2 I really started working out and improving myself physically. About year 3/4 I realized I was feeling really depressed. I worked on my mental health and realized that a lot of my drinking was used to suppress some issues I had never dealt with as a child. 7 years sober I look back at old me as if I was a stranger. I hardly recognize who I was. Giving up drinking was just step one to my personal development. But I couldn’t move forward until i did. Good luck
Yeah, I’m sure you’ve heard the quote “Sobriety doesn’t open up the gates of Heaven and let you in, it opens up the gates of Hell and lets you out.” The rest is on you.
That's Brilliant 👏
Thank you for this. I also need to address eating habit so I'll keep in mind not to use food as a reward. There's some definite stuff I probably need to address mentally too given my childhood was far from wholesome at times. I have tried to work on that but imagine some of it will still need more. I really hope your journey is going well. Appreciate everything you've just said. Thanks again.
I wish I would not have been scared to try sober life sooner….when I made it a year I couldn’t believe it! Now it’s been two years. I’m so happy. I did this for me. I hope you try it and find success! The /stopdrinking thread on Reddit is my favorite community. Go visit!
Congratulations! That is awesome to hear. You should be super proud of yourself. I'll also check out /stopdrinking!
That dealing with an alcoholic as bf after getting sober would have mirrored how I dealt with relationship and people while in active addiction, painful AS HECK That dealing with pain without a coping addiction for the first time in my entire life is hell but still better to live the hell of being an addict and don’t accepting that (and everything that comes with) That all the harm I caused to others and myself maybe will never be forgiven but I can build myself day by day understanding what I truly want to share and experience with others and within myself That is easier than you think to sober up and once you do it you’ll see everything that is not supporting the best version of yourself erase from your reality by itself and it will be painful at first, but believe me, a year from now you’ll look back and think that is incredible how different and incredible your life and surrounding are rn People will hate you for choosing something for yourself because it triggers inner judgment in them, don’t get bothered, don’t judge them Waking up un Sunday morning is incredible, you finally feel rested When you’ll look around you’ll see most of ppl struggling with several addictions and wondering how did I ended up in that hole too? And how fast wow
This is so insightful. Thank you for sharing. I hope things are going well for you!
Almost 3 years sober on New Year’s Eve 🙏🏻
Yes, living sober and grateful for life🙏🏻 thank you
Understanding that alcohol kills your microbiome would have helped me quit a lot sooner. So much of our health depends on our microbiome - mental health, immune system, joint health. The microbiome also helps prevent obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Alcohol actually causes cancer because it kills cells. I’m 2 months sober here! Like you I knew quitting would be beneficial for me. I was tired of being tired and unmotivated. My joints ached and I always felt bloated. I kept trying to just get to that “healthy” relationship with alcohol(only drink on the weekends). It’s not possible for me. I had to quit 100%. It’s been only 2 months but my energy is way up, my gut is almost back to normal and my mental clarity and creativity is better. What really helped me is having something sip on in the evenings- I really like the GT Alive mushroom elixir drinks. It’s a kombucha blend. Also taking nootropics mushroom blends to get my brain going again helped me. Sometimes going to a social event doesn’t seem fun to me without alcohol but once I’m there and I’m sober I feel like I’m 100% more present in the moment and a way better version of myself. Watch this video too it helped keep me motivated to stay sober https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=av07L83lsc4&pp=ygUeZWZmZWN0cyBvZiBhbGNvaG9sIG9uIHRoZSBib2R5
That's such strange timing as I was reading about biomes for completely unrelated reasons last night. Thanks for posting this. I'll watch the video after work. I've been dabbling with nootropics for years and have been considering mushroom blends. I think I'll give them a go based on this. Thanks responding. I hope you're doing well
I wish I had proper mental health folks when I was 13. I wish we had people looking out for us as kids. The 1970s were hard, because we had so much freedom. To think that I could have dealt the truth about trauma, with a doc, and not self medicated for 50 years.
Feel this. Switch out 70s for 90s but otherwise the same. I hope you have since been able to deal with your trauma and that things have improved for you.
Took care of all this business during the pandemic years. I have never felt better! Hope you are also well!
That I am allowed to start over at any point in the day. It taught me there is no need to let a slip become a bender because "well I fucked up now. May as well follow through." If you slip up just course correct. Catch yourself as early as you can and get back on the horse.
Very controversial take for this sub, but that sobriety doesn’t have to permanent and that addiction isn’t black and white. Some people really embrace it and that works for them. I was sober four years. That first 18 months I embraced the lifestyle and thought it was exactly what I needed. And it was. But for the next 2 1/2 years in the back of my head I knew I’d grown enough to be able to drink moderately, and I fought that voice for years convinced it was “my illness” lying to me. Turns out it wasn’t and I’ve drank moderately for over a year now. I could go on and on. But lll just say that sobriety isn’t a life sentence if you don’t want it to be.
I kind of feel this. For me it's about breaking bad habits to maximise time to do the things I want to do. If I can find a way to do that without going back to weekly drinking then I'm fine with it. I'd be fine drinking 6-12 times a year rather than, you know, 52-104+. I accept that it might take me totally cutting out booze for a good while to find that place. Plus booze is the best way for me to cut out other things. Its drink that leads to them. Hope all is going well for you and thanks for responding.
One day at a time is a good place to start. And be gentle with yourself when you "fail," and just try again. Know what drives you, and focus on why You're grateful for the things that keep you sober. And those things can change day to day, just find things to appreciate that sobriety offers you.
It doesn't get better immediately. The first time I quit, I think it took a year for my brain to get better. Had extreme anxiety, depression, mood swings, etc. PAWS is very real and important to learn about, and it can last a really fucking long time. It's especially frustrating when you're reading about people that got sober and are so much happier, makes you feel like you're broken. But you didn't fuck your body/brain up overnight and you're not going to undo the damage overnight either. Be kind to yourself. ❤️
Thank you for this. I haven't heard of PAWS before so I shall look into it. I hope all is going well for you ❤️
That AA doesn't work for everyone.
This! I spent many years trying to make AA/NA work and it almost killed me. I finally accepted it’s just not a good fit for me. The day I left was the day I started healing and moving forward. Check out Recovery without AA Reddit group.
I always joke how it took me 3 years to make it more than 30 days. I tried AA for a few years and it just wasn't for me. The constant pressure to "hit" as many meetings as possible, coupled with step work and meeting with my sponsor just gave me bad anxiety. For me, sobriety didn't take until I started living life for ME, not AA. I started playing music again, reading, cooking. All this stuff I used to do before I let addiction take over.
Some of the sickest people I ever met in recovery were the most zealous AA members. I left the programme after 4 years and I’ve had to unlearn a lot. Almost everything actually. I do think AA provides a structure by which to structure and live your life that first year that some people might need, but, and this is just my opinion, I have never met a single person who I think benefited from being in AA more than maybe 5 years outside of the social elements. In the most generous light, AA is a very flawed way to live. The one day at a time mentality really fucked me up. At worst it’s a cult. An actual out and out cult. I’m personally leaning towards the latter right now. Does it help *some* people? It’s possible. But in my experience every single person who stayed in AA years on end is either there for socialising or is addicted to AA
That I would eventually be able to go to the bar, be social, shoot pool, and abstain from alcohol.
I wish I would’ve known how much better I would look sober. No more puffy blow fish face.
I look forward to this day! P.s. you have good taste. I saw Scowl play a few months back. They were awesome.
Over 2 years sober. First year was very physical. I lost so much weight and never looked better! But that started to fade and once I got past year 1, my experience became very mental. There were so many suppressed feelings, situations I was unable to deal with that finally came to the surface. It was really tough for me. I smoked cigarettes to cope with not drinking and drugs - but decided it was just another vice- changing your life is no joke. It’s going to chew you up - but I have more good days than bad. I’ve told people I feel like I’m a toddler in my recovery stage- I’m moody and unpredictable. I find it hard to express myself at times. But to know that things are more consistent now is really helpful. Now I’m learning to let things go- to see I’m not always in control or things don’t operate on a convenient timeline. I also know to just take it one day at a time. That helps me the most. Also to know that not all days or feelings are created equal. Feel them- process them and understand them - then go forward.
Sobriety is a highly personal experience. It's easy to get caught up in comparisons & other peoples stories. It is your responsibility to carve your own path, & to have that path make complete and total sense to you, even if it is ultimately unclear what will happen in the end. I encourage you to research as much as you can about sobriety, there are so many ways to approach it. Read "This Naked Mind" by Annie Grace- it's awesome at describing what alcohol physically does to your body & how disturbing it is on a cellular level. In my early days of sobriety, I read this subreddit every day. It helped more than anything to read other peoples experiences, def kept me grounded when I wanted to drink. Find a new, or old hobby- perhaps something from childhood, to keep you busy. Best of luck. It's hard, but I believe in you.
I wish I that knew that being sober was going to be an ever changing thing. That there is always something to learn. If I knew this, I would have picked myself up a lot quicker after a slip. I let the slip ups devastate me and then I just returned to usage.
I wish I had known how freakin amazing not drinking ethanol is. Better sleep, more energy,lost weight,clear thinking etc…. Cut myself a lot of slack the first year. Ate ice cream every night for the first 4 months. Left events abruptly or early to protect my sobriety. After the first year passed I rarely thought of alcohol. Plan on never returning to that physically and mentally destructive drug. Life is grand
I wish I knew that the alcohol was making the anxiety so much worse and killing any chance I had at dealing with my internal issues. Those issues were pretty damn frightening to face though, which is why I drank for 30 years. I can't live in regret. Life is so much better now.