Saturday, February 25, 2012

1 Year, 8 Months. Today.

That's my story today.  I've been sober for a year and 8 months.  I am looking forward to 2 years. I feel better than I've ever felt (though certainly not invincible), and although I still have a host of issues, I don't exaggerate them so overtly as to make them unstoppably huge.

I am sane.  Join me.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I haven't read any new posts here since 2012. Where's Fatboy, Chardonnay Lady and others?Day 12. After pretty much pounding down 4 -5 beer (I slowed down a lot) I had five days in. Went back for a couple of weeks and here I am. No craving, not even sugar. Sleep levels are deeply disturbed by alcohol, weird dreams when you can manage sleep are common because the alcohol suppresses the sleep cycle, unconscious isn't normal sleep. I had the excruciating anxiety when I was drinking, especially in the morning. Almost two weeks and I was free from anxiety almost from day one.

My best advice is to change your eating immediately, even if you are just thinking of quitting. Cut out the junk, sugar,salt, the empty carbs, start healing your body before you face the dreaded first day with real food. 4 fruit a day, oatmeal, pure juice for breakers. Stabilized blood sugar levels (oatmeal)reduces bp and bad cholesterol. Slowly releases energy for hours. A hard boiled egg for a snack, protein, will get you to noon.

Make salad the main part of your other meals, fill in with beans, lentils, hummus. Read up on Dr. Fuhrman's nutritarian eating. I have no affiliation with him but the minute i started to eat better, drunk or sober, I felt better. No sweats, little fatigue. Got off lightly after reading all these amazing, honest stories. Early days but I'm doing way better faster due to much improved diet. I found bread (wheat) a trigger, sugar. Eating nothing from a box heals my body and mind so faster.

Quit for 5 days, relapsed, the test drive. I want to get into my bed each night, sober. Every morning I ask God to take my hand and let me walk with him through my day, ignoring what I can, doing what I can to get me through my day with no emotional excess (another trigger) or moods swings. Craving? Just ask God to take it away. Instant result. Let it go.

You're stronger than you think. You are one drink away from the abyss. Takes time building Rome, or a famous self drinking career, can't tear it down overnight. Focusing on the positives, forget the negatives, let them go, get through this 24 hours with good food, better thoughts, focus on recovery, someone said life is a gift, that's why it's called the present. That one week sober ruined whatever drinking I had left in me. I surrender, alcohol always wins. But not today, not so far this day. Not today for this. I don't even think about tomorrow.

Lighten up, go forward into the new life. Quit punishing yourself, don't forget the bad, I can forgive myself by not doing it again today. That's enough. Decent food'll do more for your recovery than you can imagine.4 fresh fruit a day, as many vegetables as you can eat, limit the meat, bread, sweets, caffeine. I swear that has spared me the horror (at least most of it) as I dry out getting well.

I drink 6 -8 bottles of sparkling soda water each night. No fog, no extreme fatigue, I'm calm. I talk to God a lot, great listener.

Drink and you're back in the dark lonely cave wondering how you got there. Again. In these twelve days I've found peace, I changed my mind. Stinking thinking is one of my worst enemies. Booze is the real enemy, surrender. Find your what works best for you. And no one can go it alone. Get help if you need it. Today I choose sober. You're not alone. Its not war, a peaceful life with meaning, get still, quiet accept the new order. Boost your body as fast as you can with unprocessed food to rebuild the nutrient depletion. You're working on the mind, physical addiction, now do something really good for that poor old vessel that holds the mind

Bless all of you for the hard truths you are facing.

My drinking career spanned a long time.

B