Relapsed again 😞

[Becsta]

Hi Dan,
Going by your previous post early September, I understand you relapsed with drinking for 2 weeks and said you would be starting over again? That was just under 2 weeks ago. Which means, going by this post, that starting over didn’t work out for you. I’m really sorry to hear that you are struggling lately…
It’s great that some leasons have come from it though - the first time relapsed you learnt you cannot moderate. This time learnt that alcohol isn’t a healthy or effective tool to turn to when things in life go wrong.
I read that you’ve been doing online meetings? I wonder if you have tried face to face meetings? as I found that going to meetings was a safe and helpful place to turn to when things in my life were going pear shaped and relapse was tempting…

100% agree you’ll feel better sober and 100% agree that you can do this - I believe we all have the capability, but we also need the true desire to want to stop and be willing 100% to commit and tell ourselves every day that “no matter what, just for today I will not pick up that first drink”. And if we struggle or feel tempted we dig deep into our recovery toolbox and utilise whatever supports we can. There’s soke helpful threads on here about building a ‘toolbox’, I’ll try to link one here for you.

It’s good to see you back, willing to start again. Hope to see you around more, this forum has been an amazing support for me.

Edited to add one of the toolbox threads. You may find some helpful ideas there

What's in your sobriety toolbox?

I’ve seen many of you mention having a sobriety toolbox, someone care to explain EXACTLY what that is or how it works? Do I just throw things in there that would remind me of why I shouldn’t feed into a craving…? Like would I throw in it something like the letters that each of my family members had to write me about how my addiction affected them when I was in rehab or a list of how to deal with cravings? How does it work? What do you have in your toolbox?