Catmamma23…you said that very well!!
The sobriety muscle…i love the implications there. 40 days is great!
Mark
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Welcome! I think most people on this app have had some experience with the cycle of trying to quit and repeating. I definitely have been there also. I’ve had stretches of my life where I went a whole year without drinking and thought “okay I got it under control I can safely drink again.” But then it just spiraled downward.
One thing I’ve learned is finding the root cause of why you drink is key. For me it was multiple things and counseling one on one helped me discover those things. For instance, when I would get highly stressed at work or in school, I automatically went for drinking without even thinking about it. I had to learn ways to decompress and manage my stress without drinking. I also subconsciously felt pressured to drink because I was always the fun guy at the party, I drank and made people laugh and have a good time and was the guy at the end of the night everyone had deep thought provoking conversations with. No one ever pressured me to drink verbally but the pressure was always there. I also had a lot of things in my childhood I had to address. Finding the “why” to your addiction is so empowering because it helps create a playbook of how to combat triggers! Hoping you find success in your journey and thankful to have you with us!
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I guess you get to a point one day where you say enough is enough. I didnt really like myself when i drank and neither did my husband. So one day he came with me to a meeting for support. I was very thankful for that understanding and emotional support. The meetings help me feel accountable and lift my spirits being in a room of people whe really understand what you are going through. Im 40 days now and feel so much better. There are still days where i think i could really use a drink but i stop myself and play back all the awful mornings i had doing damage control. I so hated that. So i then reach for something else to distract that thought and the urge quickly leaves. It sure is work in progress and it truly is just taking it one day at a time. I told my close friends im taking a break from alcohol and they seem all ok with it. I know my husband is very happy too. You just have to figure out what works for you. When you have the urge to reach for a drink, stop and ask yourself why. You may figure out your triggers. I wish you well and and try to quit just for today. Work on tomorrow when it comes.
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40days! That’s amazing, Liz!
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Fantastic post! You get so much in return for breaking the chain that is alcohol!
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