Hello, todays my first day on this app and my second day sober. Drinking has done a lot of damage to my mind, body and relationships in my life and I’m finally ready to let it go. I do want to ask everyone, what is the best advice you have been given about being/staying sober?
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For me… it was figuring out my “why”
Why do i want to stay sober, for who, for what?
For me it is my boys!
Eventually it’s supposed to change and be yourself, but that’s a tough one for me… i dont like me, or respect me… i hope that changes
47 days sober and substance free for me… forst time in 20 years…
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Welcome Hope.
This is a great sober community and I keep very active on here. It’s kept me sober for 3 years today.
Dan started a great thread.
Have a good read around and join in when your comfortable.
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First step, for me…being active here. Be open to advice and lessons learned. Then find a recovery program.
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Welcome!!! Best advise I can give is…First, be wiling to try anything and everything. Next is honesty and open mindedness. Lastly, put the same amount of effort into your recovery as you did into drinking.
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Welcome to the community 
It’s great you have reached out this first step is good there are lots of supportive people here and lots too read too.
Keep coming back here with us, this way your not alone 
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Welcome to the community, I am so glad you found us. I just celebrated 3 years drug/alcohol free and this forum has been one of my biggest tools. You have gotten a lot of sound advice, in the above comments. Personally what Lisa said has really rung true for me. Staying humble and being teachable has been my saving grace. I knew nothing about living a life without drugs or booze. I knew nothing about dealing with my feelings. And I knew nothing about loving myself and taking care of myself, I had to be taught. Staying openminded to ideas no matter how weird or uncomfortable they get is key. Being honest about everything, especially the small things you think arent a big deal, and being willing to do anything to heal.
I made a grave mistake many years ago and I cleaned up thinking I could stay clean solely for my child. I was rudely set straight by the strength of addiction when it showed me that it is much stronger than the love for my child. I couldnt stop using no matter how much i loved her, no matter how safe i wanted her to be. It didnt matter, i couldnt stop the strength of my desire to get loaded in active addiction and when we are in a bad way in recovery our love for our kids will not stop us from picking up. Im just going to put that out there for everyone to see. We need to do this for us. 100%. Nobody else. We need to learn to love ourselves this is our life lesson. We need to learn to put ourselves first in a loving way…
I really hope you stick around, you deserve to live free from the chains of active addiction.
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For me i went to a AA meeting and it was a good decision 36 years ago now, no internet then but im still sober . but today there are plenty of programs out there and hopefully youl find one you are comfortable with, wish you well
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The best advice told to me was that once I make the decision to not drink again, I can never question it. I have incorporated that advice into my daily work staying present, mindful, and sober with a mantra I tell myself in quiet times and challenging ones- Never Question The Decision. It keeps things simple for me. No matter what I end up telling myself about how great and controlled and healed I am, how I can handle just one, how I deserve it after all my work, how I am normal, I go back to that advice, to my mantra, and it snaps me back into focus. Why am I questioning the decision? I am never to question it. Never question the decision! All other thoughts, move along!
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One day at a time. And getting help or talking to someone was what I needed. The first week is really hard with your body wanting it back even more than your mind. Find a good water drink or seltzer water, coffee whatever!!
I find any of that can trick my body during those witching hours. It’s ok to not be ok. Meetings at first I was afraid of but once you find your place going to one was a great kick start for me.
I consider myself new to this but done with drinking. As it has always be my enemy.
This place is also great knowing your not alone on this journey.
We are all with you!
All the best:)
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Download This Naked Mind as an audiobook and start listening as soon as you can. Alternatively, listen to a few of the (hundreds of) free This Naked Mind podcasts. You could be doing that less than a minute from now.
On a practical level, whenever you get a craving, drink two pints of water. It stops you from wanting to drink anything at all for a period of time, and a hydrated brain makes better decisions.
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Congratulations on three years, Eric. That is huge. I remember that our sober dates are almost the same, just a year apart.
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Oh, and you can’t quit forever today. You can only deal with today, today. Forever is a bunch of individual todays.
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Go to meetings, find a sponsor, do the steps
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1: That is okay to be selfish: for within recovery, being seller is what it is about; asking for help/wanting to be in a safe place and around ways that will help you within your peace of mind. Simply, it is a selfish program, as we have to want it for ourselves first and always first; as in recovery being selfish is okay, as those normally/without the progressive disease of addiction, would say that selfish is a bad thing and yet, within recovery self-centeredness is what is seen as bad. For self-centeredness, is what am addict is all about.
2: You got this keep going, and yes, one day/hour/minute/moment at a time: too.
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- ODAAT
- Build a strong foundation and get “tools” in your toolkit. You’re gonna need both.
- Don’t isolate. Don’t isolate. Don’t isolate.
- Extreme self care in the beginning
- HALT
- Meditation and deep breathing
- Alcohol is the death installment plan
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Hi!
First day of Talking Sober and Day 36 of sobriety.
I agree 100% with the honesty part. Previously i got up to 4 months, then the justifications came in like “I can have a drink now. I just needed a reboot.” or “As long as I’m not having one because of a trigger.” Lost 3 months because I listened to the excuses I made to myself. One led to two which brought me right back to the old habits.
So, here I am, Day 36, my name is Nancy and I’m an alcoholic.
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Don’t be self destructive. Advice from my landlord.
Welcome Nancy! 
Glad to hear you’re back on the sobriety train.
I had that same reboot mindset when I started my sober journey. I thought going to AA meetings for a few months would turn me back to a normal drinker. Thankfully, those people in the rooms set me straight.
Welcome to TS, Nancy!!