This is really difficult for me, but I figured this is a good place to start. I’m a 37 year old mother of 4 who has always used alcohol to deal with the stresses of life. Alcoholism runs in my family and I always told myself that wouldn’t be me and I could control it. The last 3 years I have totally lost control. It’s ruining my mental health, important relationships in my life, quality time with my children and husband…the list goes on. I don’t want this to be my life anymore. I’m sick of myself and the embarrassment I’ve caused to the people around me. When I go to bed tonight I will have made 7 days sober which I know doesn’t sound like a lot but it is for me. I guess the whole point of this post is to maybe get some words of advice. Thanks for reading
First, huge congrats on 7 whole days sober! Those first few days are so hard, but the good news is that we never have to do them over again, if we just don’t pick up that first drink.
And congrats on finding this amazing community! I have been hanging out here for a good while now and have over 3 years of continuous sobriety, which I am sure I would not have if I was trying to go it alone.
Stick around, read around. Use the little magnifying glass at the top to find topics of interest. Many people find the daily check in thread very helpful for accountability, and just to get to know others. This is also a really helpful post:
Onward, friend! One day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time.
Welcome!! Thank u for sharing a bit of ur story! That takes courage to be so vulenrable
This is a HUGE deal! In all honesty, even one day sober is HUGE for people like us who are battling an addiction. I couldnt get past 3 days for the longest time but here I am, with the support of this forum, at over 3.5+ years clean and sober.
My words of advice, would be to get a big support group around you. 12 step meetings have been amazing in my journey. Have u ever tried one? There are in person and online meetings
Its also really important to stay recovery focused on a daily basis, at least it is for me. Addiction never takes a day off, so why should we in recovery I always found a morning recovery routine helpful. That would consist of prayer (if ur into that), guided meditations, journalling, checking in on this forum, a meeting, daily readings and gratitude list (also found on threads in this forum), and exercise (it helps with my mental health). But u can choose what works for u if ur interested in doing something similar. It really helps start my day off on the right foot.
I wont overwhelme u with too much, but this forum is really helpful! Take a look around and see what threads interest u! Hope to see u checking in again soon
I started going to AA meetings about two days before my sober date. I am also on Day 7. My husband still drinks, and there is a lot of alcohol in our house (although, I did ask him to hide away my beloved wine, thankfully he isn’t really a wine drinker), so AF community at AA has been helpful so far.
This forum helps me a lot too. In 2013, I quit smoking cigarettes and joined a quit smoking forum. It was incredibly helpful, and I have remained free from that addiction - hoping this forum will be like that too.
Keep the Quit. We’ll support each other.
7 days is a massive deal! I remember checking my counter obsessively, watching the fraction of a day increase.
Lots of good advice on that thread that was linked above.
Also this Resources for our recovery
Thank you for sharing,you are not alone. It sounds like you are starting a new way of life. Sobriety is a journey with lots of up and downs. Being sober is amazing and so worth it. Congratulations on 7 days clean, keep it going. Give yourself some grace and take it one day at a time. Keep us updated on how you are doing,sending you positive thoughts.
Congrats on 7 days! That’s huge and a great beginning. I was fortunate enough to find this group and it has been a lifeline. No substantial advice. Just stay connected! Len B
Congratulations - seven days is amazing! There is some great feedback here, I have also found that counselling / psychologist support has been really helpful for me so far (I’m 20 days sober from alcohol). This community has been so helpful for me, too. Please be kind to yourself through this journey
Similar story over here. Mom of 6 with a drinking problem that spiraled down so far, I was ashamed of who I had become.
As cliché as it sounds, taking it one day at a time (or one hour at a time) and refusing to take a sip no matter what happened was how I tackled my sobriety. I “white knuckled” it, but in hindsight I wish I went to my local AA. I was embarrassed to be an alcoholic, but I should have looked at it different: proud to be sober. Sober alcoholics are a real special group of people.
18 months sober. I am proud of myself. I’m healthy and a nicer person.
Massive congrats on 7 days, amazing hun!! As said previously, some great advice on here for you. Resources that work for you will be super helpful, this is a great community with so much positivity. Sometimes we have to go one minute at a time and that’s ok. You’re doing great, reaching out and moving forward. Appreciate you sharing your story
