Hi all,
been on and off the forum. Sober 7 days now. Not many i know, but i got through the weekend and enjoyed it with my family rather than with the drink. Was fun…can i keep this up…currently i’m feeling very happy and determined.
Started Stoptober a week early, lets see if i get the end.
Welcome !
We all started with a first day, a first week, etc. 
Maybe try a meeting they will help helped me stay sober wish you well
A thing that helped me was someone said you don’t have to resist all the drinks. You just have to not drink the first one. That one lowers your inhibitions and then you end up drinking all the drinks. It’s so simple. But for some reason that perspective switch really made it seem less impossible. Another thing is that frequently I’ll want a drink cause I’m bad at diffusing emotions. So I’ll tel myself “I’m not gonna have the first drink today. But if I still feel like it tomorrow I can reassess” every single time if I just wait out that first drink to tomorrow it turns out I don’t actually feeL like drinking the next day cause I’ve simmered down.
You made it through the weekend… that is a big deal!! You CAN do this. Just take it one day at a time.
Adam
Thank you all. You are all very kind and encouraging! Here comes the weekend again! Wish me luck!
You got this!! One day at a time. …
“Will I succeed?”
Only you have the answer for that. What are you willing to do that you haven’t already. What you did in the past didn’t work so it likely won’t work again….you’ve GOT to try something new. Just some things to think about.
YOU CAN DO THIS!!
Thanks all. Had a great weekend so far. Went out with wife yesterday with wife had a coffee and cake. Baking bread in my maker and might make my boys cookies soon. Let’s see if I can get this weekend drink free and hit day 14 Monday morning.
Day 14 hit!!! Had a great weekend with the wife and kids, next milestone day 20!
Hi Everyone,
been reading some of your progress. Makes interesting reading!!
Nearly the weekend (4 day working week) so 3 days off these days. Now i’m not drinking i’m feeling much happier in myself. I have the urges every now and then. Usually on a saturday afternoon with the football on, but sticking with soft drinks and tea.
As of today, 24 days sober…
Fallen off the wagon again. Why does it feel like its too late for me. I’m 49. Three lovely kids and a lovely wife but just can’t stay at it?
I know the answers really but just need to write this down…
Sobriety is a journey that comes with missteps and mistakes, they don’t mean the journey is over! It just means they’re an opportunity to learn from yourself and the root cause of why they happen so you can grow from them and stronger against addiction. The reason why 5 years is a milestone is because it’s proven you’re highly less likely to relapse after being sober that long, in some cases and studies it was less than 10%! The highest risk period is the first year in which 30% or more people relapse. The longer you stay sober the better odds you have to never drink again. This is encouraging because every day sober increases your chances of being free for the rest of your life! I can actually verify this because I was addicted to social media 5 years ago and it was causing problems with my relationship with my wife being exposed to so many people I was once involved with romantically. I made the choice to quit all social media except LinkedIn which I use for work connections and professional stuff. At 5 plus years I have no urge to return to social media. I’m at 61 days free of alcohol and I am encouraged to get to that 5 year mark and break free of alcohol! Stay positive, try a meeting, or spend as much time connecting on here as possible!
Thank you for your fast responses. You are both correct in what you say. I need to not be selfish and weak. I’ve discussed this with my wife and she is supporting me… I think i need to stop hiding behind the drink and stand up tall and stop feeling sorry for myself.
Absolutely! You deserve a life free from alcohol. Make a plan to get and stay sober. Find some other sober guys you can get support from. Only you can do it, but it’s darned near impossible to do it alone. Glad you are here.
One week down…feeling really good actually. Been very happy today and i usually hate Mondays!
It took me til I was 56 to get sober and for it to stick. Keep working at it, learning and trying new things. Many people find meetings helpful.
Thankyou everyone. Could have gone for a few beers yesterday but had tea and ate biscuits!
Feeling happy with myself and will be getting a peaceful night’s sleep not full of booze tonight ready for work tomorrow.
Thanks for all of your support. Not a huge achievement but a few more hours short of 14 days.
Well done 