Introduce Yourself

@Maika You seem to be very self-aware, which Can be of great benefit to your recovery. There’s no doubt that you’ve been through the ringer, but you seem like a very mature, capable person. You got this :smirk:

Hi! I am Ivonne and I live in Chile, in Patagonia… really south.
I am 32 years old. My father and my big brother are alcoholics… but both are clean now. I have problems with the use and abuse… I only drink on weekends.
There have been a couple of episodes that I made me think that I need to change, so I downloaded the app last weekend. I started to read the forum because is Friday now and is a big goal to reach this first weekend sober. But I think if I can do this weekend, others days will be a piece of cake…

I live with a friend here and my family is in Santiago. Two days ago I told to my brother about this (sober thing) and was so kind with me, I am not in a good mood to tell to my mum because I know she is going to over react.

Well today I have a job interview… wish me luck!

Happy weekend to everybody

Hugs!

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@ymvbtown @VonDutch

After 4 years i guess you could say i felt learned my lesson. That i put my time in and i was all grown up. That i could handle it and that i wouldn’t go back to where i was before because i wasn’t that person anymore.
A lot of it had to do with being sober for four years and seeing alcohol EVERYWHERE and not being able to partake in all the “fun” i was seeing everyone else having. Always feeling like i was missing out on something. Alcohol was everywhere i looked, almost everyone i knew or know drank at least a little, some drank a lot and most could handle it…so it made me feel i could too. I convinced myself and everyone around me that i too could handle it, i mean after all…i was sober for years, i was a changed man!
What i didn’t realize is that my power of manipulation was back at work and even after four years i was still (and always will be) an alcoholic and that even sober i still had the will and the want to change things and change people to get what i wanted. I lost my fear of alcohol, i lost my fear of who i become when i drink because after four years sober i forgot who that person was/is.
It took another year and a half of drinking again to prove it to myself who that person is and believe me i did it strong!
I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to four years again or if I’ll make it to two months but I’ve learned that i can’t worry about then…i have to worry about right now and how to get by each minute focused on what i need to be for myself and the ones i love. If there’s one thing being sober for four years taught me that it is possible…but that one thing also taught me that four years doesn’t make us invincible!

Stay strong…stay sober!

R!

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Hello everyone! My name is Sandy and I’m 26 years old. Currently in San Diego, CA. My journey began the moment I was born. My first drink was at 13 years old, never thought I had a problem until 24 years old. My recovery journey began when I lived in Guam for 3 years. Decided to get help and the longest sobriety was 9 months. I relapsed again for the past year so decided to get sober again. I’m 12 days sober today and looking forward to really connecting with like minded people who want to achieve sobriety! One thing I learned in this journey is that I can’t do it alone and with God’s help all things are possible! I’ll be praying for all of you and our journey together! Hope you all have a blessed & beautiful day! Much love & hugs! :point_up::point_up::point_up::point_up::point_up::revolving_hearts::revolving_hearts::revolving_hearts::heart_decoration::heart_decoration::heart_decoration::heart_decoration::kissing_heart::kissing_heart::kissing_heart::rainbow::rainbow::rainbow::tulip::tulip::tulip::rose::rose::rose::cupid::cupid:

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Sounds like you and I have quite a bit in common. Life has definitely put you through the ringer. I often feel empty, like life is meaningless just as you do… But that is very common with the newly sober. Now you’ll have the chance to give your life meaning, rather than waiting for meaning to find you. :slight_smile:

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Hi guys,
My name is Ashley. I’m from vermont and I currently have 18 days clean and sober. I have a very addictive personality and use this app to track my days sober from all drugs, alcohol, marijuana, ciggerettes, and caffeine.
For the past 7 years my drug and alcohol use has gone from a young sheltered 17 yr old girl who wanted to rebel and have fun, to full blown alcoholism and IV use of heavy painkillers, cocaine, method…you name it. All I wanted to do was get fucked up.
In the past 7 years I’ve lost 8 jobs, totaled 3 cars, been arrested 3 times, buried myself in over $20000 worth of debt, tried to kill myself twice, lost 3 boyfriends and lost two apartments. In December of 2014 I began to experience homelessness for the first time at 22 years old.
I gained lots of weight, lost all my friends and family, and earned the reputation of a junkie whore.
I finally hit a low enough bottom in September of 2015 to commit myself. I needed help.
I spent 30 days in rehab and made it two months sober. I went immediately back to rehab and stayed two weeks, and moving into a sober house after.
At four months clean and sober I got my wisdom teeth pulled and my relapse lost me my sober house.
I’ve struggled for the past 5 months putting more then a few days together, however I have managed to keep an excellent job, get a legal car, pay the majority of my debts, and find a healthy living environment.
So today is day 18. Longest I’ve been clean in 5 months. I read the big book, I try to text my Sponser, and I force myself to go to meetings because I know it works. This disease has caught me off guard too many times.
This time I’ll do anything it takes.

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You and I have almost the same amount of clean time… And we share a very similar personal history. If you ever need someone to talk to, someone to understand you, I’m always available. We’ve been through a lot of pain… But it’s true, what they say - all that pain makes you that much stronger. :smirk:

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@Ash Thank you for sharing your story! The important thing is that you haven’t given up and are still trying to get sober! 18 days is awesome!!! :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap: Addiction is something crazy & real. Hang in there, you can do it! I’ll keep you in my prayers! :tulip::tulip::tulip:Blessings to you! :point_up::point_up::point_up: :rose::rose::rose: :sun_with_face::sun_with_face::sun_with_face:

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Welcome @Charby !

I can totally relate to the blackouts!
Scary stuff and even more embarrassing at times!
Glad your sober, stay strong!

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How was your job interview @Snow?

@ymvbtown I had exactly the same experience as @rikk - was sober for a full year and honestly thought that I had beaten it, and that I could control it now. This despite many wise old souls at the AA assuring us that not a single alcoholic has ever been able to socially drink again without relapsing. So the stark reality is, to be sure: the only way to truly beat alcoholism is to abstain for the rest of your life, one day at a time…

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Hi Sarah!

Many thanks to ask… was very good I think I am going in the good way… next week I will have the answer.

Also I would like to share that I am in home I just come in and I didn’t drink at all… I went to a “asado” and was very good to share in the clean mood.

Hugs to everyone!

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Hi Charby !

For me is the same I started to have blackouts every time I drink some Piscola. Here, in.my country is very common drink a lot in every social event or even after works… and strong drinks… sometimes I just started with 2 piscolas and everything after them I didn’t remember… I don’t know if that is because our body is over alcoholized or something like that… is the first time that I heard something related with alérgics.

Hugs and stay strong!

Seems like I might be the only heroin addict we have so far. Bummer

Addictions the same, it doesn’t matter what it is @Volatile, yeah sure the highs are different and the withdrawals might be different by the definition of addict is still the same.

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Hi all, I’m new here and I’m a binge drinker!
22 days days sober today.

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Welcome and congrats on the 22 days @Sionnan
Stay strong, stay sober!

You’re right to a certain extent, but there are some distinct differences between the heroin addict culture and addiction that an alcoholic just couldn’t understand because they haven’t been through it… Just like there are things about alcoholism that i could never understand.

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@Volatile yeah I agree with you too sweety. I know some family members in PA that were addicted to heroin & it took a toll in their life. Luckily they got help and are currently staying sober! :smile::smile::smile: Hang in there, you got this! :kissing_smiling_eyes::sparkling_heart::sparkling_heart::sparkling_heart::point_up::point_up::point_up::v::v::v::ok_hand:

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It’s probably better i wait till i get some more time behind me…a month and a few days really isn’t enough time for me to be giving advice…time to go back to "sitting on my hands"
Good luck all!
Stay strong, stay sober!

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