One year clean from alcohol today, slightly less for drugs at over 9 months. AA and NA have been a great help, as has this app. Time to tackle the next year, one day at a time.
Peace out from this hopeless alcoholic.
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Congrats man!
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Yay! Good for you Duncan 
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Amazing, congratulations! 
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Well done mate!
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Thanks everyone. Celebrating it right with cake in bed for breakfast 
I started using Drugs and alcohol from age 14. By the time I was 15 I was expelled from school, kicked out of home, nearly drove my parents apart, I had a criminal record that was five pages long and I owed $5000 to the government in traffic infringements. At this time I wanted to die. I was drinking my life away, nearly always blacking out. When I was too sick or poor to use alcohol or buy drugs I would huff LPG gas and sniff petrol. I was manic suicidal and had anxiety up to my eyeballs. I tried recovery at age 17 after hitting multiple rock bottoms that seemed to get worse, I gave up drugs for two years but in denial I had a drinking problem and seeing as it was legal I carried on drinking.
I had gone back to school and passed this time with flying colours gaining university entrance, but the alcohol had taken hold and the drugs crept back in. It wasn’t long and I was a full blown drug addict again to go with the alcoholism. I graduated now to spinning out in cars, I was very use to losing my licence to the police. This continued for a few years. At age 18 I started finding blood in my stool which has continued to this day, I also had a stomach ulcer and my liver was failing. I was so sick from drinking I would have hangovers every day usually lasting for three days at a time.
Fast forward to a few years ago I tried to manage my drinking, one glass of water between drinks, buy less alcohol, start drinking later at night, nothing worked. I was 24 and had really gone nowhere except down in 10 years. I felt like I was on a merry go round that was sinking. Was this all my life could ever be?
In desperation I asked my mother for help. She had heard about AA from a friend. She suggested I go. I was so desperate I went. My heart nearly fell out my chest my first few meetings. I was embraced by the fellowship and started working the programme. For a year I have attended almost five meetings every week, and have driven across country three times for area assembly’s. I’m on step four, which is a big one for me.
Three months in I decided I needed to go to NA, which I heard about in the rooms. I had been smoking cannabis 9x plus a day for years, the anxiety and depression were eating away at me and I couldn’t stop. One day at a time I have passed 9 months sober from cannabis, clean and serene. It was hard at first, night sweats night terrors, wanting to give up, but I wanted sobriety so bad. My life has changed so much for the better. I have a relationship back with my family, the police aren’t after me, my health is better, I’m even considering going to university next year to study as a teacher.
One day at a time is how I got this far, following to AA programme to the best of my ability, easy does it. Don’t give up before the miracle happens, and the miracle for me is always that by working this programme, tomorrow may be another day that I want to be sober.
Much love everybody and thank you for your support, I’d love to share my white chocolate and blue berry cheese cake with you, but the lock down right? More for me 
. Just kidding, I’ll share with my family.
Thank you.
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Amazing story. Thank you for sharing your special day with us. Congratulations.
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Woo hoo! Congratulations Duncan!!
You are truly a success story. I hope others get inspired by reading this. I look forward to the next chapter.
Btw… that cake looks really yummy. Enjoy
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What up rock star. That’s badass. Congrats. Stay safe, stay positive, stay sober and stay fighting. You’re an inspiration to someone or maybe even some.
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Not hopeless because you certainly raised my hopes!
Congrats, Duncan!
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A whole year free from alcohol! That’s amazing to me. Something I havent achieved in 19 years. So calling yourself a ‘hopeless alcoholic’ doesnt fly with me. Yes, maybe you are an alcoholic (your words) but coming this far proves you’re far from hopeless. Keep going just as strong man.
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Congratulations Sir!!! So happy for you. That is a huge achievement! That’s one whole trip around the sun sober. I look forward to hearing more of your accomplishments. So awesome! 
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What a fabulous day!!! So very thrilled for you!! Congratulations!!! 
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Happy birthday to you! It’s been cool watching you help folks on here man.
Thank you for sharing your miracle with us
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For me personally, admitting I’m a hopeless alcoholic is surrender and acceptance to my disease, it is apart of my step one admitting I am powerless over alcohol and my life had become unmanageable. For me this is the firm foundation for my recovery. Every single day I wake up that alcoholic part of me is still there just waiting for a chance to get out, even today I had a fleeting thought ‘How to celebrate, what about a drink?’ For me acceptance to admit defeat leads me on to greater things. I was in denial for too long. I’m not ashamed to be a hopeless alcoholic, I would be ashamed however if I was to choose to go back out using again, I know where it has taken me in the past and it for me has always gotten progressively worse. I appreciate your sentiments, what has given me hope has been the people in AA and the strength I have received by being an active member of the fellowship. Thank you kindly for your comment of support.
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Thank you kindly for your support and being apart of the journey together. I hope to celebrate more milestones with you all and figure a way through the ups and downs, god bless.
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Too much cake too early 
Out in the sunshine now, thank you kindly for your support. Sometimes we have tough things going on under the surface, and a kind word, or even a stern one can make a huge difference in someone’s life.
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Yeah I totally understand that (just trying to give you mad props!). I completed step 1 almost 15 years before I ever step foot in a meeting. I’ve known for a long time that alcohol was controlling my life but it was the fact I didnt want to change back then. I’m also not ashamed of that fact. I am what I am.
AA changed my life as well but it’s been 3 weeks since my last meeting (and I went every single day). Being here is helpful but I terribly miss my fellowship friends. I just love face to face conversation. This is a truly trying time for me. Anyways, congratulations on a year! I’ll get there one day.
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Way to go! Keep rockin it!
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