2 Years Sober…Mind works..

2 Responses to 2 Years Sober…Mind works..

1. 

   Billy on December 10, 2011 at 5:02 am

   Cringe moments remembered.

   I am a newbie to sobriety (6 weeks) and to this site. both of which I love. Problem I am having these days are remembering my past. When I do, I think of things I have said and the things that I have done that make me cringe. Can I or should I try to somehow erase these cringe memories, or should I hang on to them to remind me of a life that I had – a life I now longer have, nor want?

   I feel free now, but I know my journey has just begun. I read here that getting sober is the easy part, and staying that way is the hard part. I feel this is true, because I have found that this time I have quit, I have found it easy…really easy. The only thing that has been really hard, has been day dreaming sometimes of my drunken past and all that it has given me. (more like taken away from me). It haunts me. It hurts me. It scares me.

   I am hoping that this too will pass. I am trying to fill my mind with happy thoughts so maybe one day, that will be all I can think about. I guess my past is who I am/was, and that will never change.

   We will see.

   Sobriety IS the answer… Enjoy

   Billy
2. 

   Madison on December 11, 2011 at 8:38 am

   Hi Billy,

   Good for you and congratulations on your sobriety. You have hit the nail on the head when you say “getting sober is the easy part, staying that way is the hard part”. Although there is nothing really easy about overcoming the urge to drink alcohol in the early days, when you compare it later on in your sobriety, you see that learning to live in a new way is most certainly the difficult part and learning not to revert back to drinking because you are not yet equipped to deal with everything, is the hardest part.

   I am in my fourth year of sobriety now and I am still learning to live differently. There are times when I think this is so hard but the good news is that my good days and times absolutely far outweigh those down days. I can honestly say that the balance now between good days bad days is 75/25. (75 being good!).

   I remember 6 weeks sober, that is a huge accomplishment.

   I also remember the haunting times of really remembering what it was like when I was drinking all the time. I think that in the beginning, these memories are strong and very vivid, then after the initial horror and reality shock, they come back in different times in your life because you begin to process through some of them. That has been my experience.

   In the early days, I found that making a commitment to staying strong, trying new things, maintaining order, reading, exercising, planning the future, cooking, cleaning, having a daily plan, weekly plan, reading about others who were successfuly sober, all of these things kept me strong. Also, writing was huge for me, getting it all out on paper helped clear my mind immensely when I felt overcome with feelings, thoughts and emotions that I didn’t know how to cope with.

   There are many times when my thoughts are happy, so many days when there is not enough time in the day to do all the things that I want too. So many new memories and now traditions that I remember proudly, there are the times when I am able to help others and not be so caught up in my own drama, so many good things come out of sobriety. It’s not easy but I don’t think life is supposed to be easy is it?

   Thanks for your comment Billy. You have taken me back to my own time of early sobriety and it is refreshing to see that I have come along way. It is easy to get stuck in the moment and caught up with everything. Celebrate your progress by buying yourself a new book, or buying a new T-Shirt to remember of what you are capable of.

   Don’t forget about the serious side such seeking out the help of your doctor for the physical aspect and a good therapist to help you through these difficult times.

   Good luck to you Billy and check back in with us soon.