I made it 7 months.
I can’t even explain how proud I was of myself. Until I wasn’t. I drank for many years. Being in my mid 20s I realized now is my only saving grace to stop. I gained a lot of weight and drank morning till passout. Even at work. If I keep going I wont be healthy as an adult, I’ve seen it all around me. I’ve stopped again but man am I ashamed and embarrassed. I was confident i’d never slip up and to be honest i’m not sure why I did…it felt like I was… bored? I planned to just have a few shots. Thats not how it works for me, though. I drank the whole bottle and more. Made a fool of myself once again. and the next day, drank again…to get rid of the hanxiety. and that went on a week before I finally quit again today. Of course I hid it from everyone, just me and the lady at the gas station know. My question to everyone…is this normal? am I just going to keep up with this loop? I made it so far this time…Have any of you fell off for a bit and then stayed sober forever after that? or are we all doomed to this…just wanted to get it all out. I can’t tell anyone else. I’d love to hear some stories
I can’t answer your question because I just started today. I’ve wanted to quit for awhile but used the anxiety as an excuse to have just a few.
isn’t it weird how we use it for anxiety even though it completely creates the anxiety? it brings me back to a quote from the movie donnie darko “destruction is a form of creation” I wish the best for you…hopefully we can just stay sober this time. When i first started trying to get sober i came back to it after 3 days every time. Until I read a book by alan carr called “the easy way to stop drinking” you can find it on amazon. I highly suggest it to anyone who sees this
I read it. It is very helpful. There are a number of YouTube videos where people mimic his approach. I find them helpful also.
Would you mind telling me the videos I could find? That would probably help me a ton. If not it’s ok I understand that could be time consuming for you
Look up sober Leon or the quit drinking expert
They are both knock offs of Alan’s book but I find their videos useful for supporting mindset.
That’s the evil of alcohol. Some of us drink/drank because of anxiety and or depression. But it only works if you never stop, which is destroying us in every possible way. Then there’s that awful period right after stopping where the anxiety peaks and it feels like the world is crashing down.
The cycle seems to be common. I went for almost 4 years sober. Started that off by going to AA meetings. My life was a total mess at the time due to drinking and I knew there had to be a change. Relapsed after the 4 years because I thought I could handle a drink or two. I went back to the same routine. Now my life is a mess again.
You can chalk this up as a learning experience. That crap will only wreck us over and over until we die. It’s good that you’re catching it early before it does much more damage.
I’m seeing a lot of people saying “i’ll just have one I can handle it after all these years” right before relapse. The truth is we can’t. I definitely drank because it made my anxiety go away. But you’re right…it doesn’t really unless you keep on it all the time. and thats what kills us. It’s terrible we have to go through this. But i know there’s hope. Just solely from knowing someone whos 24 years sober and he was a very bad alcoholic for his whole life beforehand…I guess you just have to start over and try a new method…i’m not sure i’ll ever figure it out
Yeah, I’d be extra anxious every morning when I woke up and beer was like my coffee to get me going for the day. I couldn’t get motivated enough to get ready for work without chugging something.
After going through a relapse, I believe the only method is to never give in again for any reason. Be it boredom, a social event, or whatever. You now know for sure that no amount is ok.
I admit I’m still tempted to have a couple before grocery shopping or going anywhere really away from home. That was the routine. Not to get blackout drunk, but just a buzz to take the edge off. I also know that would lead to a liquor store stop on the way home and the cycle would repeat.
What’s the use of getting drunk, if I’m just going to get back into sobriety again.
I always find the first 3-5 days to be the hardest. I plan to post daily this time, maybe it will help. Today i’m feeling uneasy and tired. Any motivational words or advice are appreciated…
Coming here saved my life. Not only did I post a lot…i read a lot. I became part of the community. So much advice and support here
Thank you, I was immediately worried after posting this that people would ask me not to post a lot
I know thatmost of us, i mean me, become easily uneasy and tired. That’s the journey. I know that those days pass. I get motivation from these people here, and share with others what i have learned. Relapse is no fun, however, one i know what bottom of the relapse feels like ,post relapse, or rather starting over always feels good. Do your best to celebrate the accomplishments rather than the setbacks. If you relapse 2 times you recover three. Before you know it, you’ll have more recovery days than ever
Don’t be afraid to share your life with us. When I started to be here, life now seems a bit better - I feel less lonely. 
I found coming here and reading everyone’s posts that they all share and understand what I am going through and what I will still go through. Seems after 5 days I got a little too confident and disappointed that I still am struggling at day 19. Sobriety is hard work, a full time job but the rewards are so amazing. Feel better, interact with others more positively and look forward to the future. Stay strong and yes come here often to share and read what these wonderful people have to say!
Put a sober head on your pillow tonight and you can count today as a win. In my first few days the goal was really just to maintain sobriety. Read on here, take naps or walks as needed, feed your body tasty food. Post on here as much as you need/want. This site has shown me lots of support. Welcome.
Yes it is a fantastic site, I’ve fell a few times but I’m determined to get back up strength and love sent
Day 3, here we are again.
Always the worst day to get past. But I will. I’m feeling ok besides the guilt of falling off after so long. I can’t stop nit picking myself. I was so proud of how far I came. I wish I had a friend I could talk to but where I’m from if you don’t drink or do drugs, nobody wants to be around you. And that includes family. Ahh small towns. Back to the gym on monday. I got this. SO do all of you…
Thanks to everyone who listens. This community has been the world to me. Thanks strangers. <3
Hey 
well it’s good to see you here!
The best thing you can do now is to dissect why it was that you slipped. What triggered you? What can you do the next time something like this happens again?
Use your slips to grow, they are part of the learning curve.
We are here for you 