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Wow 
thats amazing…congratulations to you 
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Congrats! What helped you most in early days?
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Amazing achievement!
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I’m happy for you! 
Congratulations!
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That is really fantastic to see Duncan!! Congratulations on your 4 years of being clean! So much to be proud of!!!
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Huge Congrats!! Four years of taking your life back. You inspire!
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Thank you. That could be quite an exhaustive answer so I’ll try and bullet point for you what I can recall that has helped me. I was pretty deep in addiction and alcoholism so for me it’s been a very radical change.
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I had to have sufficient reason to want to stop, in my case continual rock bottoms, having tried to stop in the past, feeling as if I was on a metaphorical carousel that was sinking deeper and deeper, but also knowing I wanted to be a better son, brother, person, partner, and knowing I could do better and was worthy of more was a good foundation. That plus the increasing awareness that my addiction and alcoholism could possibly take my life were good motivators.
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I had to be willing to seek help. In my case I reached out to my mother and she talked to a friend who suggested AA. I had been through the justice system before and court appointed drug treatment. I had tried to quit several twice over a decade, none of it seemed to work. I was WILLING to give AA a try, this eventually lead to NA as well.
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Being honest. This plays into the principles of 12 step programmes but I had to come honest and realise that to improve my life it was going to take rigorous honesty and hard work. This manifesting in me taking AA seriously and practically going to I would say five meetings a week in the first two years plus conferences.
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I’m going to put higher power here. Again this links to AA but this could encompass other principles of the program. The key here was handing it over, accepting what I could but change. I remember sometimes driving down the road and being in such a way I would pull over and kneel on the curb side in the gravel and pray before getting in the car and leaving again. I really had to accept the situation and realise I could only control the moment I was in, fear of the future, regret of the past, all that clouded my judgement. That’s where just for today came in, doing it one day at a time. Again this was a strong foundation in AA.
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This one’s a little dangerous potentially, but I utilised my drive. I had the guts to walk away from people and situations that jeopardised my well-being. This meant quitting a toxic job rather than conforming to the situation, cutting off old associates completely ice cold. I was told in AA not to make big changes in the first two years. This is perhaps one of the principles I somewhat strayed from. I stared training at the gym religiously, I focused on self improvement practices. I also enrolled myself in university. This has been the biggest challenge of my life. As a kid I was expelled from colleges, did drugs and alcohol at school, was arrested many times… hopefully this year I will graduate my third year of university with a degree in bicultural teaching (bachelor of teaching)… this has been incredibly challenging HOWEVER contingent on my success this year I will have A LOT to show for my four years of recovery…
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My family has been a big support in this endeavour and I understand not everyone has that kind of support in my life. Although I’ve had to want to do this and do the hard yards, they’ve had my back and are proud of me.
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This app, I’ve vented on here many a time, also found it a place to transform some of that negativity into gratitude which I think is albeit not my strongest point, it’s incredibly valuable.
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Another think I think that has seperate me from some people that I’ve seen come and go in AA is that I bet on myself. So to say I always set goals in recovery, be it a day, a week, theee months, 6, 18, or a year. Every year I get to I set a goal for another. I’ve heard people in AA say things like “you never know what will happen tomorrow, we only have today, I might pick up tomorrow or in a year”. Excuse my language but I say fuck that. I know how import this is and I back myself. I know I can do it if I believe in myself and try hard enough….
I’m sure I would think of other things, but that’s all I can for now 
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Amazing job. 
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Thank you kindly SassyRocks
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Thank you nastya_is_fighting
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Thank you for your kind words Mbwoman
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You’re too kind SoberWalker thank you for the standing ovation 
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Thank you Starlight14 this platforms definitely been a help along the way. Ive tried to tell people about it before but I guess like some of the magical things in life you must find them yourself.
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You’re welcome! It is success measured in years that makes those struggling with days hopeful. At least that is what worked for me. Just coming here every day witnessing success. And sadly, setbacks too. And here I am on day 846. And your success fueled my own!
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Thank you so much for sharing this!!! I remember how important it was to me at 19 getting sober for the 1st time to see that other peopoe did it and can do it and are happy 
I also love you pushing back a bit on stuff you hear in AA, love the program Im just not there right now and Im learninf that this isnt all because of me. I want to use what it has to offer, and not feel afraid to be called living in my ego, disease and making excuses when I find something isnt working for me. I want to pull all the good in, and find what works for me and be an exampke like you!
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Congratulations that’s amazing! I remember being in a meeting and saying dejectedly that I was “only three days clean”. A woman who shared later that night said “Only three days? Jesus rose in three days”… she really validated for me right in that moment that what I had achieved was significant and miraculous. I still remember it nearly four years later.
I really relate to what you said. I remember in the early days feeling like I was lost in the darkness, and going to meetings I found people in sobriety to be like beacons in the darkness for me to move towards.
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Thank you for the comment. What I feel you embodied there about becoming more aware and understanding of how you feel and what you want to move towards is inspiring in of itself as well as your continued efforts in recovery! That’s really exciting and encouraging to hear!
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