Hi Rebecca,
Welcome here!
You will find my story in the info @SinceIAwoke already left here.
“2 years sober and what helped me to get here” is my story 
Still sober, almost 5 years now.
Read here all you can would be my advice. Read and try all the tips you find. Keep the ones that work and trow away the rest.
It will leave you with a toolbox filled with many things you can do to remain sober.
See you around 
Having a good safe place here is a great way to start
You’ve got us and you’ve got a fresh start ahead of you. Welcome aboard.
My first few days I read everything on here that I could to distract myself from drinking thoughts. Stack up some sober days with us and reach out when you need support. You have made an excellent choice.
Did a lot of reading last night and it was extremely helpful. Yesterday was a little hard. I have been diagnosed pre-diabetic and so along with drinking I have to make a huge lifestyle change with food as well. So I had to go to grocery store yesterday, twice. The grocery store is my hot spot. Entire aisles and fridges for wine. I go a different direction to avoid that only to be heading straight for the deli, which smells of deliciousness. I would have caved but the line was too long. I left successful. Same thing happened when I had to go later. I actually ordered someone at deli but they were out. That gave me the chance to rethink and I left again successful.
Both times I sat in parking lot afterwards trying to “think through the drink” and realize the connection between booze and food. God was with me yesterday, giving me strength.
I read here for a long time last night and it truly helped.
Well done! You flexed your sober muscles which means they will be that much stronger next time they are called into action.
Think through the drink is probably similar to my favorite technique which is to play the tape all the way to the end. If I am trying to talk myself into one (just one, right?) drink I visualize myself at every step of that process until the end. That first through 3rd, 5th, 8th drink is less appealing when I visualize myself slurring or driving drunk or struggling to pay bills in a year or seeking out joy in my life again.
Keep reminding yourself why you started. Then work for the health and happiness that you are craving. Well done!!
Just one… 
I always think I can get the buzz I need from a little amount. Of course, once that drink is done the buzzed me needs to feel a little more. Like you said, 1…3…7…9, etc. Then the slurring, drunk driving, falling down, spending money I don’t have, struggling with bills, constantly. I spent all of my IRA on wine and pot. It’s a deep, dark, stinky pit. I’m feeling strong today. Spilling all of my skeletons and reading other shares is tremendously helpful.
I try to remember all those things and the reasons that I have quit. Then when that tricky little voice tells me that I can have one drink, which I can, my mind can remember that even if it is one on a singular night it always ends up with all the drinks I can hold. Alcohol and I are no longer friends. I try to think of it like people who can’t drink caffeine because it messes with their sleep. I don’t drink alcohol because it messes with my life. 
That 
is the beauty of this place. You can think that you are alone or a monster but it turns out someone has been exactly where you are before and has made it through. Keep reading and keep spilling.
Day 7 and feeling good!!!
Nicely done- kerp up the great work.
Hi @CaptainBly ! Glad you’re here! I am 55, and also started drinking at 14. But I got sober (this time) at 53. You can do it, too! I am right here with you! 
Hope this helps…Quitting on a Friday… 😮💨 - #9 by BirdyP
How are you today?
Thank you. I’m doing really good today. I’m feeling strong and positive. It’s so nice to be meeting so many people here who have the same or very similar using backgrounds. I’m with my people 
Hi Captain welcome and well done so far! I got sober just with this app so it can be done. (No groups). Are there any hobbies you enjoy or perhaps try a new one?
Sounds like you are indeed with your people @CaptainBly ! 
Strong & Positive is right where we all wanna be! Yay You! 
Rock on!
Welcome Rebecca
This is a great place to be if you interact in posts create your own posts to interact with people. If you read threw posts and see other people’s stories it will motivate you that bit more.
I have been drinking and taken different drugs since I was 15 but last weekend something just didn’t sit right with me started getting these really bad tauts and just knew that now I have to stop not for anyone else but for myself.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve went 5 days without a drink and a bag if cocaine but right now iam 5 days clean starting into my 6th day and it’s all because if the support i receive on here.
I hope everything goes well for you and if you ever need a chat don’t be afraid to contact me
YOU GOT THIS 
I love to hear that!!! I think this is the place for me. The end of my workday I would always go straight to the store down the street for my wine. Now I’m
thinking about buying some everyday after work. I read here and it gets me home safe. I have never been one for groups either so this is my best chance. I know I can beat this
The other big motivation is my weight. I just found out I’m pre-diabetic. I love to cook so I have become absorbed in finding and testing new recipes and having a lot of fun with it.
Wonderful Rebecca. Im also overweight and trying to lose some. I did lose a good 14lb when i stopped the drink though so you are actually off to a flying start. There are also some short ten minute dancey type workouts on YouTube if you are needing to start somewhere with movement too. Bit of fun and take the edge off cravings. Im excited you are on this journey with us
One more thing. I see the grocery store is your hotspot. Can you make a change and order online groceries instead for a while or even go to a different store. I had to avoid those familiar hotspots for a while in the first 6 months x
Welcome to Talking Sober. 
Very sorry what happened to you. I’m glad you’re here with us now. This place a lot helps me and I feel less alone. Relapse is early recovery is okay, important is to not give up and I see you’re not giving up! For which I’m as well happy. You’re finding help and people who has similar situation. 
I’m here for you and as well others are here for you. Together we are stronger!!!
I feel there’s three pillars to every successful sobriety/Recovery story:
Connection. The opposite of addiction is connection. Addiction isolates, builds walls around ourselves, makes us turn inward and away from the world and others. Recovery means finding others, making connections, not going it alone. We need each other, addicts and non addicts alike. And as addicts we need our peers. We need other addicts to connect too and ‘normal’ people don’t understand, that’s impossible.
I found that connection here. I suffer from social anxiety and this place was perfect for me, real contact, real people, just safe at the same time.
Knowledge. We need to know our foe. What is addiction, how do drugs and alcohol effect our body and mind? What does it mean to be addicted? What is Recovery? How do we recover? How do we fight addiction? Etcetera. Plenty of knowledge right here on the forum, there’s also loads of good knowledge out there on how to quit and stay quit. It’s called quit lit. Plenty of podcasts. Websites. Invest! Knowledge is power.
Honesty. We need to be ruthlessly honest, with ourselves first and with the rest of the world too. I guess it’s kind of self-explanatory but it’s not easy to do I tell you. Anyway, always aspire to be honest. Always.
In the four years since I’ve become sober, I’ve invested a lot into going into psychotherapy. To work on the stuff that happened to me as a kid. I started drugging and drinking at 13 years old and hid in substance abuse ever since. Now I’m facing my life. And getting a better life in the process. Here’s my four year sober speech from a couple of days ago (I’m not afraid to blow my own horn a bit these days). Wishing you all success!