I think the biggest question comes from this statement. You saw the benefits to being sober so why choose to drink? It doesn’t matter if it is in our face, drinking is and always will be a choice.
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Im doing this not for the money, i do this for better, healthier life. To become a better athlete. And for hangoverfree Days. The bet helps in difficult situations. And it could bring a nice amount at christmas. So, why not? But youre right, it shouldnt be the only or the main reason to do this.
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I thought about your question and to be honest. The reason was that i just missed the rush of alcohol plus i am in holiday and there were no more Runs left in my calendar…So stupid i know
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Recovery requires work. It requires digging I to the issues causing the addiction. Addiction is a symptom of something else.
I gamed 18 hours a day and hated myself for it. But I gamed because it made me forget about that hate. It helped me forget about always being an outsider. It helped me forget that my dad was abusing me.
It helped me forget about all the bullying.
It helped me forget about always being different.
And the list goes on.
I went to a doc specialised in addiction. He was absolutely worthless.
I also go to a doc who is clueless about addiction. She has made a huge positive difference. She attacked that underlying issue.
Thanks to her I’ve let go of my past.
What I’m trying say is that there are good docs and there are bad docs.
Sobriety podcasts have a lot of useful information. But are you open to that information? Do you apply that information? Or do you listen to what is being said and forget about it when it’s done?
You have to forget everything you know when it comes to recovery. Otherwise you can have all the knowledge you want, but the addict head would know how to twist it all into excuses to drink.
When I started recovery, I thought I knew exactly how to quit. I went to rehab and learned as much as I could. But my previous knowledge, shaped by my addiction, knew exactly how to twist it all around as soon as I left rehab. Sure, I stopped gaming. But I started watching TV 18 hours a day. I didn’t apply anything that I’d learned.
And sports is good to time filler, but it’s not going to get you through the hard times.
To me it doesn’t sound like you’re trying to work on your working on your recovery. To me it sounds like you’re trying to work on avoiding having to truly work on your recovery.
And before you reply, take in what I say. Empty your head and reflect on what I say from a neutral perspective. It isn’t critique. It’s not my intent to piss you off. But if you are annoyed by my post, is that truly you? Or is it the addict afraid of letting go of the “comfort” that alcohol gives?
Take your time to take all this in. Admitting things to yourself is a hard proces.
And as you noticed, it can be frustrating to look at from an outside perspective. Some of us may have been rude, but all of us simply want to push you over that last climb where you can finally fully admit to yourself that you can’t ever drink normally again.
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Can you make it 1 day (today) without drinking? Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Can you say no to 1 drink? (The first drink. That’s the only drink that matters. If there’s no first drink, there can be no second drink or 12th drink or 25th drink.)
It’s not really about the number of days. It’s about the 1’s: one day (today), one drink (the first drink). You have to not drink today, and not drink the first drink.
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You were betting for real money, that you wouldn’t drink? Am I understanding that right?
If that’s what this is, it doesn’t sound like the person who made this bet with you is really interested in your well-being. If they’re making money from you when your addiction takes over, not only are you losing, but they’re making money off your addiction. That’s pretty twisted.
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Another thought: do you have a gambling addiction? It’s worth considering. It would explain your chronic betting, on all kinds of things - repeatedly betting on your drinking (like you did in what I link above, and also last fall: The Power goes sober - #29 by ThePower), and, if “competitive” to you means betting, then gambling on darts too: The Power goes sober - #13 by ThePower
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Stopped reading around post 20. Fact is there isn’t a single word of advice someone can give this guy he hasn’t heard 1,000 times already. He’s been told, he knows, he just doesn’t care. He thinks he’s got all the answers already. His answers got him 46 days.
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No, its more a hobby from me. Playing with small amounts that i can afford. This bet my stake is CHF 5 and a Win brings me 100.-. Im doing sportsbetting for years, never had a problem with it.
Im even thinking about to donate the win for a good purpose. Maybe this could help too
Hello!
I failed multiple times in sobriety before my present Day…I found my current state after realizing I convinced myself that substance use was directly attached to my happiness and fun; which is a ruse. Now that my habits are broken daily I’m beginning to appreciate life without the subsequent consequences that come with addiction.
Stay encouraged and consider your future ties to People, Places & Things @ThePower
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Sorry, just reading through this and my head buzzes a bit.
First of all: this forum is not for silly challenges on staying sober for x number of days. Transferring it into a bet while your life is at stake is ridiculous. I don’t necessarily mean death.
Your tone and what your writing makes me believe you’re wearing the clowns mask. Know myself a bit or 2 about that mask myself. Under that mask there’s a lot of suffering and pain.
So I suggest you dust yourself up and start taking yourself serious. You are worth it. Your friend for sure doesn’t take you serious, otherwise he wouldn’t make such a bet with you.
Whatever statistics are out there is irrelevant it’s all about what you want. I don’t fucking care whether I would be the only man sober on earth right now.
I’ll stop: this goes under my skin to much.
Which you all the best and wisdom! 
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Nope. Betting on an addiction - any addiction - is:
- contemptuous (because it trivializes what to most addicts is a life or death struggle), and
- self-destructive (for the same reason; it falsely makes you feel your struggle is less serious than it is, because anything that should be bet on, is not a life or death matter)
This is exactly it. This isn’t a game. Cette course n’est pas une course qu’on joue. C’est une course qu’on suit pour survivre.
A good purpose - a helpful charitable action - would be to set up chairs or serve coffee at a recovery meeting. There are many meetings for recovery from alcohol; search them up and you’ll find one.
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My answers not just bringing me the 45 days, im getting better in this. Going step by step
Those are my amounts this year. Last year it was clearly more
Explanation to the chart: The Units system is from GB and allows an easy count of how many you drank (a litre beer with 5% Abv counts 5 Units, a litre vodka with 40% counts 40 Units…). English docs recommend to drink a max of 14 Units per week.
I find it interesting you say you are doing this bet to become a better athlete and to live a better life.
I can asure you that no succesful athletes out there have drinking problems. No succesful athletes out there have an issue with turning down a drink. The ones that are succesful and do have this problem simply don’t drink at all.
I used to be like you. I ran and wanted to be great at endurance sport but drinking always got in the way. It was only once i quit alcohol for good that i started to become a truly competitive athlete.
I now train 20-30 hours a week and did a 4.20 half ironman triathlon on the weekend. None of that would have ever been possible if i fell off the wagon and drank again. It takes consistency and a daily grind, not a boom bust on again off again approach.
Untill you accept that alcohol is always going to fuck up your goals and plans and you will never be a better athlete. Plain and simple.
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Ok, i guess its enough said. Thx for them who supported me. I have to rock day 2 now. Give you some update in a few weeks when i feel better again.
For now, i need a little break, this is exhausting. I hope you understand this
Best regards & have a nice day
ThePower
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One of the things I’ve learned in my recovery work is that when we feel exhausted there are two main causes: either true physical exhaustion, which you cure with sleep (or if it’s a medical cause, you visit your doctor); or it’s because what you’re doing is out of alignment with your values.
Our values are the things that matter to us deeply. We are not always consciously aware of them.
I might suggest that the reason you’re exhausted here is that your effort, above, to rationalize (even justify) half-measures in treating your addiction, is out of alignment with your values.
In your heart, below the level you talk about in public, below the mask you put on, you know that your rationalizations and half-measures aren’t working for you. You haven’t accepted that consciously yet, and the misalignment between your behaviour and what your heart knows to be true, is exhausting.
I hope you find what you need friend. Don’t give up the search for complete, healthy recovery and sobriety.
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You will literally do/say anything to convince yourself that you are somehow in control of this. You just gave me a lot of math to show me that you aren’t sober and your way isn’t working.
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Just to be clear, UK doctors don’t “recommend” drinking up to 14 units. It doesn’t mean up to14 units is safe. UK doctors say there is no risk-free amount of alcohol to drink. No alcohol safe to drink, global study confirms - BBC News
Under 14 units there are still risks. Over 14 and the risks become extremely undesirable. You are still having several months when you drink over 14 units a week. And I am assuming those units are not spread evenly, drank slowly over time, etc. It was an uncontrolled binge, right,?
I am glad you are seeing improvement. I hope you will see more improvement, and faster. Because unicorn poop examples of people who drank a lot and are healthy aside, you are playing Russian roulette with your health.
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