Hey friends, new and old. Today is my 365th day of sobriety. I mean, I still need to get through today, which is a challenge as I am chasing after young children and am over tired (due to the kiddos). HALTing all day long, but if I play my cards right, I will have completed one rotation around the sun sober by the end of today.
For those that don’t know me, there is a bit about my story here: 11 months and what it was like
So how do I do it?
-Take it one day at a time
-Attend AA meetings, work the steps with a sponsor, and help others
-Individual trauma and substance abuse therapy (EMDR and IFS)
-Spend a lot of time on this forum, writing and engaging with others
-Read a lot of recovery related books, listen to speaker tapes
-Meditation and prayer
-Attend a Buddhist Sangha for meditation with others and focus on gratitude and being present
-Reach out to others when I am feeling off or struggling or when I am feeling just fine and want to check in on others - daily contact with other sober people (both AA and non-AA people)
-Write a gratitude list daily
There are so many other things that I am sure I am missing. Many of these things have just become part of my daily routines without having to think about them anymore.
Life sober isn’t always rosy - I’ve had to learn how to cope with big emotions and how to function in daily life as a sober person, which has been confusing and hard, but life is definitely a million times better sober. It is beyond my wildest imagination. Even when I am struggling, I feel free.
Thanks to everyone on this forum - this place is where I started my journey and encouraged me to find my way into the rooms. I still can’t do it without you - getting real time encouragement when I am struggling, or reminders of where I don’t want to be, helps me enormously. You guys have saved my butt many times throughout the last year. You’ve laughed and cried with me and encouraged me when I was struggling.
If you are just starting out or are struggling - stay, read, ask for help. There is real magic in continuous sobriety, and I know that the best is yet to come. When I started out, I couldn’t believe people who were 3, 6, 9, 12 months sober. A year seemed unimaginable to me. Yet taking things one day at a time, here I am.
Lots of love in sobriety,
Ariel
🤸
congratulations!!
