I hit two weeks today. Probably the longest I’ve gone without a drink since I went to Iraq in 2010. But to be honest, I don’t even know for sure. It hasn’t been terribly hard, since my motivation has been solid. But one thing I’ve noticed is that things in my head are constantly changing since I quit. I go from scared and lost, to hopeful and full of feeling, simple and content, to numb and blank. My heaviest drinking started in 2021. I had changed careers, moved from Indiana back home to North Carolina where my wife and I wanted to raise our kids. And there I lost all purpose and sense of who I was. I felt like a shell of myself. It took a few years, but I ultimately knew the drink was to blame. Even just two weeks free from it I’m feeling flashes of who I once was. I’ve missed me. If you’re reading this and struggling with the same thing, I’d say to just remember you’re still there. The you that you used to be before getting lost in the alcoholic fog still exists. I’ve got a long way to go, and I’m extremely far from perfect, but I see you. You still exist.
Great job on hitting 2 weeks @The_Wampa!
Your emotions will be up and down as your brain heals and the fact that you are aware is good. You are right you have a long way to go, but I would also add that you have already come a long way. The first 2 weeks are hard but you did it 
Love the bracelet..ODAAT
I encourage you to try all “the things” in sobriety until you find what works for you. Exercise, meditation, journaling, hobbies, meetings (online or in person), volunteering, healthy diet. This is how we do the work.
Congratulations on your 2 weeks Wampa. Thank you for your service.
I do remember that emotional rollercoaster when I started my sober journey. I won’t lie. I went on for a while. And it was worth it. Feel the feels.
Glad you’re here.
Congratulations on your 2 weeks!! The feelings are a roller coaster for sure in those early days, weeks, months and even years. It (we) can even out over time tho. I found it super helpful to have a physical outlet for all that emotion and uncertainty in my head. Hiking, biking, running, working out, yoga…it kept me sane until I could really process and get used to feeling emotions. I hadn’t ever really truly felt my feelings, since I started drinking as a teen. It has definitely been a journey of coming home to my self. Stick with it!! Proud of you!! 
Oh I love this. Blessings of sobriety as we can find ourselves again and start living our best lives.
A huge congratulations on your 2 weeks 
. Keep pushing forward and leaning on your support. The body and mind detox can take some time and have you process a lot of emotions. Remember to be gentle with yourself 
Congrats on the two weeks. The emotional ups and downs are normal. I was the same way. I would feel on top of the world followed by crying in my bed just wanting to feel normal. Took a while to level out. I just kept up my program and started seeing things differently though. Stick to what works for you to stay sober. Anyone can fight the battle of just one day. That’s all this is. One day at a time. Every new day is like a reset, but things do get easier and being sober starts to feel normal when your head clears up
First of all, congratulations on your two weeks. I hope they are the first two of many more to come. Keep going — you can do this.
The things that used to be part of your life are still there, waiting for you. And perhaps sobriety is not only about recovering the person you used to be, but also about discovering that there is much more out there — in yourself and in other people — than you could see before.
I think real change is important. Not simply saying that you are going to change, but actually changing concrete things in your life. And part of that change can mean reclaiming what you once had.
Speaking only for myself, alcohol gradually took almost everything away from me: hobbies, studying, travelling, places I loved, friendships I had. I am slowly getting some of those things back. There are others I probably won’t ever recover, and I have to accept that. But at least today I can say that I am happy with myself again.
In my case, the beginning of sobriety felt very positive. Later there were ups and downs, and there were difficult moments. There will always be difficult moments because that is simply part of life. Sobriety doesn’t make life perfect.
But as you begin to recover yourself, you also recover your ability to deal with those difficulties. You regain resilience, a clearer mind, strength and the ability to face problems instead of escaping from them.
For me, perhaps the most important thing I have recovered is my dignity. And I am beginning to discover who I really am — the person underneath all those years of drinking. I think that is very close to what you describe in your post: discovering your true self.
Thank you for sharing this. I found your post genuinely inspiring.
And congratulations again on those two weeks. I hope they become many, many more.
Welcome… and congratulations on two weeks!
Also, that bracelet is fire! 
I’m new here (33 days into recovery) - I have definitely been on a roller coaster of emotions!
It’s all normal, I’ve learned; and it will get better…
So, continue to hang in there; and soldier on -
You got this! 
All of this resonates deeply with me…
I actually hate the person I used to be. But, I’m excited to get to know the person in me that I could not see before. And, I equally anticipate getting to know other people genuinely (not simply as tools or means for some personal objective).
I’ve tried to quit my DOC a thousand times. But, I’ve never been willing to change the necessary things in my life to quit successfully…
Thanks for sharing your post - it hits home.
By the way, this pic is saved to my lock screen. I see it every time I pick up my phone…
Thank you for reading and quote me. I am sure your are going to discover yourself even more. I love the quote of your screenshot: it is fundamental change something, and have faith in thus change, to achieve a deep change in your life.
Happy 24 hours!!!
To be fair, the me that existed then is gone. That was twenty years ago, I was pretty much a kid disguised as an adult. My goal isn’t necessarily to be who I used to be, but to remember the good parts of myself before I turned to alcohol. The hope, the creativity, the joy for life. I lost all of that. And although this journey will lead me to a new version of myself, I don’t want to forget the things I actually liked about myself at that time.
Absolutely agree, thank you for read my comment. I also have new feelings and thought better than the ones I had previous of alcoholism.