time for a bit of celebrating, i’m 150 days today (which really could be considered 5 months, except my official quit date is July 1st, so 5 months would be on saturday). BUT ANYWAY. yes. I know, yeah for me. congrats and all that stuff. thanks.
But today i want to use this space, and the comments that follow, and create a place where we can write a message to all of the still-drinking lurkers who read these blogs.
[as you know by now, i really seem to have an affinity — and often think about — people who are still lurking, who know it’s time to quit but can’t seem to pick their ‘quit date’ …]
I thought that in the comments to this blog today, we could offer something encouraging to lurkers.
Can you answer this question, and post your answer in the comment space below…
“What is the ONE biggest positive difference in your life that has resulted from your sobriety?”
cuz i think if i was still drinking, i’d have a hard time understanding that anything would be BETTER in sobriety.
and i thought it would be cool to like take a personal inventory of the sober bloggers, and we can share (all in one place) the BEST part of being sober…
Day 103 here. Best part……getting my motivation back to rejoin life and really live it.
being a part of the world, being present.
Where do I start – everything is better. Some of the unexpected bonuses are I love coming down in the morning to a clean and tidy kitchen, I never knew coffee tasted soooo good and I seem to have slain my ‘can’t be bothered’ gene. Live is not just good – it is brill
Hi everyone, there a a lot of good things that came out of not drinking for me .
No more headaches
No more guilt from night before
Wake up feeling great
No more nightmare
Working 8 hours is easy
Food tastes better
Body feels better
Not broke all time
Saving about 400.00 dollars every month since I stopped drinking /smoking to.
Relationships are better
I’m not angry anymore
I never understood what a monkey on your back meant till I quit alcohol and cigarettes now I feel totally free from that horrible habit.
It’s now 27 week’s for me and I feel great
And those are just a few things that are good about it.
Thanks Rayb
The usual like good sleep no hangover, clear mind, getting so many things done, there’s a deeper sense somewhere in my body, my bones?, of relaxation? Of feeling more myself again? I don’t know bit it’s goood. And even though it is hard, it is also so much easier than I thought. I have a long road ahead of me, but if you read this, and you want to quit, please just do it. The world needs you!
I am 10 months sober after being a heavy drinker for 20 years. I did it by reading Jason Vale’s book “Kick the Drink…Easily!” Good luck to everyone out there who is trying to stop drinking. Keep trying as it is definitely worth it. For me the best part of sobriety is having a clear head, sleeping well, and feeling more confident.
Awesome!!! good for you.
Feels so great to go to bed sober and wake up feeling good doesnt it.
Hit my week mark, No Hangovers!!! And I am spending time with my kids instead of sitting in my. chair throwing more than several back.
My Day 6. I am stupidly proud of myself 🙂 I loved that when my husband came home from work at 11pm I didn’t have to feel embarrassed that I was slurring my words. I don’t rush the kids to bed so I can drink – I’ve enjoyed my time with them. I have woken up with a lovely clear-head, and NO GUILT, NO SHAME, no need to berate myself. I don’t start the day lecturing myself about never again and then by 12pm convince myself, well just a few glasses, by 4pm buy the bottle and by 10pm stack the empty in the laundry room. I have caught up on about 6 months of paperwork (medical refunds on time for Xmas 🙂 But the most enjoyable bits for me were: 1) when I met a psychologist who was to carry out an assessment on my son and it was morning-time, I didn’t have to worry whether she smelled booze off me and would think we were a dysfunctional family (remarkably we’re not!). 2) I did not pass out asleep and forget to leave the tooth-fairy’s €2 under my eldest daughter’s pillow. The amount of apology notes the tooth-fairy has written my kids, and the amount of times the money suddenly turned up the next morning when I changed the beds, is just not funny! This time, two nights in a row actually, no need to feel guilt in the morning when I see a disappointed little face, this time she got the money. (now ok she’s 10 and I’m pretty sure she’s playing me and doesn’t believe in the TF. But she believes in money!).
You should be proud of yourself. Ive not made it past three days yet. Sounds stupid but it’s hard. Well done you. Keep going. All those little rewards sound brilliant. You’ve inspired me.
Hope. I am suddenly looking forward to experiences and planning new adventures for the first time in a very long while.
My life is honest and very straight forward. I’m building up some actual pride in myself each time I work through difficulty and actually deal with it rather than drinking myself into hiding. I’m finally, at 34, growing up – and it’s incredible!
Absolutely best part of sobriety is….not feeling like crap everyday or feeling really good!
The best part for me is the dissipation of guilt. Whatever happens, shitty day v great day. Early v late. productive day, loads of jobs done v TV and take out. knowing none of it has anything to do with booze just takes all the guilt and self loathing out of the equation. That’s a great feeling. I really cant explain how great that feels.
The way my kids actually want to come and sit and talk with me in the evenings, the way they believe me when I say were going to do something.
The way I have completely stopped needing validation from their father (my ex) That’s huge.
The freedom in being honest with myself. The freedom in not having to make a choice about it (drinking) EVERY FUCKING DAY. The freedom, the freedom.
The smile I give myself when I go to the loo, and I’m washing my hands, and I catch my own reflection and think “well hello there sober you!” How proud I am of me.
The quiet that exists in my head now.
The extra money to buy nice things. The time, so much time. The whites of my eyes. My breath. Not worrying if people know I’m still drunk/can smell yesterdays booze seeping out of my pores.
Being able to talk to peoples faces, confident in my own smell. Being clean every day. Cooking. Eating and enjoying my food. Doing homework with my kids, not wanting them to go away so I can drink. Not lying. Not sleeping with ridiculous men.
Having something shitty happen and saying to myself “But hey, at least your not drunk”.
Waking up sober. Changing my bed. Throwing stuff out. Realizing I actually like myself. Paying for food bills kids etc, and having like £25 left for the week and not desperately trying to divide it up in to drinking days. Thinking instead, that’s plenty, I have everything I need and enough to go to the movies twice and still have change.
Really cheap drinks when you go out. Meals out costing half what they used to.
My skin. Sleeping properly. My podcast very last thing before sleep. Knowing I have this amazing support network literally at my fingertips. Realizing a lot of the things/people I thought were super important really aren’t. Letting go of stuff/people.
(have I convinced you yet??!!)
No one ever said, “Hey, I’m up to a bottle and a half a day and its so fucking great! My life is just SO much BETTER when I’m drinking”. Right? xxxxx
I like you are just sooo tired of feeling shitty, guilty, mad at myself. I read so many parts of myself in your words, God it’s horrible, I never considered myself a alcoholic, I don’t drink everyday or even want to but when a situation arises and I have opportunity to drink, something in my head goes drink, smoke go buy some and I do give in. and I feel like another wasted day, well two wasted days because I feel like shit the next day so you never accomplish anything. So great to hear your success, and I can do it too. And all the positive rewards, I know even if I don’t have a drink for a short period I look better and feel better.
Thanks for sharing and being real. You helped and inspired me.
Love this. Thank you so much for sharing, very true and inspiring for me.
Love your comments. So honest and real, and a reminder of all that is good in sobriety. Thanks
Knowing that I am not lying to my family. Seeing the joy in my children’s eyes when I put them to bed at night instead of waking up in the morning knowing I passed out before their bedtime. Waking in the morning with full recall of the night before. Knowing the first thing I can do each day is be grateful for having accomplished another day of sobriety, not having to apologise yet again to my long suffering husband and children and to promise yet again that it won’t happen again. Need I go on ? I can’t say I don’t miss the idea of a drink – but I am reminded of one of the comments I read in this blog – stop hanging around Day 1!