It took a while, but I FINALLY got it!

[HelenR65]

I get to a certain point and I say to myself, "I got this, I don't need any support". Maybe 3 times a charm. All I know is that I will need continual suppport and that support is OK. To be honest, I don't really enjoying drinking, it just numbs my pain. At the core of why I drink is all around my lack of self-love.

I could have written this myself, almost word for word.

[cyndiestigger]

Congrats to you and how you got here. It took me an in house program after getting a DUI, and even though I checked in on my own, I had real problems with all of the God references and AA meetings every night. One of the counselors listened to me and my likes for the scientific based side of what they taught. She got me this web site and I have been on and off it. This is my first real participate, but what you wrote hit me and I thought I would say thanks. For me, it was quit and so far don't start again for the last 218 days. I don't have the urge to drink, in fact I bartend once or twice a week and believe it or not, it HELPS to stop me from wanting to drink. Trust me when you see the same old faces and hear the same old stories and see the same old staggering or blubbering about how miserable they are, you start to remember that that was you 218 days before. Then you go home and count money in your wallet that wasn't there in the past, you wake up next to your beautiful wife who was stupid enough to tolerate for x number of years and you wake up with no hangover. It all helps. For me, the urges come but on my use of Copenhagen, it is truly a codependent relationship with my alcohol use, and the urges still come occasionally. That scares me the most. That very temporary urge is what caused me to respond to your post. While I regret that you have started and stopped a few times, it is good for me to read that and remember that I have too much time sober to relapse now. I don't want that way of life any more. Thank You!!!

[cbailey3]

I am now a "new" five days clean! I think we are all here to help each other. I set up a meeting with my therapist and I actually had quite a scare with my health, so I know this is what I must do. The universe has hit me on the head one last time - I will listen.

[joanl]

Hi RT. This gives me so much hope. I will look up the book. I am not familiar with the tool on unhelpfull thinking but I am sure I will find it on this or the UK site.

[newleafnyc]

Rising Tide,

Great to hear about your success! I remember posting on some of the same 30 day and 7 day threads! I have had a very similar experience. Good for a bit and then fall back into old ways. I had 6 month stretch of no drinking a relapse and another 2 months in 2013. I have had 3 months abs in 2014 but it has been rocky. I have recommitted and plan to join you on never going back! Thanks for the inspiration!

New Leaf

[kjames]

Hey Scuba, hope you are still here. I can understand. I was sober for 8 years and due to a divorce and other issues I started drinking again. It's been two years and I'm back on sites like this trying to get sober again. Thanks for your post! I totally get what you are saying. My biggest barrier is the fear of not drinking and not feeling as if I can deal with all the life stressors that I convince myself are better when I drink. Hopefully we can talk sometime..... thanks again and hang in there!!

[imafriend]

do not hear praise for what you are already good at, hear praise for what you strive to be good at.
-my own quote

[SacredVibrations]

Thank you for these encouraging shares....I, too, am returning after drinking for awhile. I lived a sober life for years and am now returning from a long bout of drinking. Really appreciate having this opportunity to connect with others on the same road.

Sacred

[BluGrn60]

It was this post that finally got me to sign up with SMART a few weeks ago, and now say thank you for the encouragement to keep trying, no matter how many times I've gone back to my addictive habits. I'm still trying to get the courage to check in everyday, along with using the smart workbook. Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

[komoto]

Sacred, I to lived a sober life for many years. Relapsed, and it took me many years to get sober again. I am grateful that I found Smart Recovery. It is worth the journey , but you already know that. Forward ahead ! Catch ya around.

[edwardcejka]

This forum is very helpful to me for living a sober life.