Hello all,
For years I have been lying to myself thinking to myself I had control over my drinking, a few beers a night turned into a 6 pack, then to a pint a night, to fifth after fifth, sneaking drinks at work and lying to my wife about my drinking. It all finally came to a head when my wife was in Florida (we live in Michigan) I felt alone, depressed and abandoned, this was the second year in a row i took vacation for my birthday and my wife had to go to Florida to take care of her parents so I started drinking, After about 4 days of the only thing that went into my stomach was high ABV bourbon I ended up in the hospital at which time I decided I needed help. I spent a week at a rehab center, scared the hell out of my wife because she had no clue where I was and couldnât get a hold of me. I went to the hospital on March 15th and am going to IOP meeting three nights a week. To date I am 23 days sober.
Welcome JT! Youre in the right place! This forum is a great place to meet supportive people who understand. Its been extremely helpful for me. Hope it is for u too 
Welcome @Geargarious it sounds like youâve seen hell and you want out. Congrats on your sober time! One day at a time is how the mission succeeds - and there is a way, there is a path.
Youâre not the only warrior here in recovery. Scott @Thirdmonkey is in recovery as well and I admire him for how heâs taken the opportunity he has in his sobriety, and used it to make good things in life for the people he loves.
You are not alone. Take care and stay connected. You belong 
Thank you for the warm welcome!
Iâm sure there are many, drinking and the military go hand in hand. Thank you for the welcome.
Your thread title caught me. I relate! Iâm not a marine (Thank-you for your service) Iâm a crab fisherman. I believed that if Iâm tough enough to crab, then Iâm tough enough to drink.
Iâm not. Alcohol kicked my ass. I kept trying! Im no quitter!
I finally surrendered and realized that drinking kicked my ass.
Did you know that the most decorated mixed martial artist of all time isnt tough enough to drink either. He kicks everyoneâs ass but King alcohol!
Congrats on your 23 days. This place helped me tremendously! 24/7!
welcome!
Happy to have you in the community and thank you for your service! Sober looks great on you 
Welcome, JT. This is a good place to be if you want to not drink. Rehab and IOP is a great start to your sober life. Blessings on your house 
as you begin your journey.
23 days is a fantastic start. Learn as many tools and coping skills to stay sober. It takes work!
Best advice i got was dedicate as much time as you did to your addiction to your recovery!
Welcome @Geargarious
The lying and hiding is such a familiar pattern to me and so many of us here. Youâre in lovely company to be sober with though. You deserve to live in the light and feel your feelings okay? Congrats on seeing it and achieving 23 days sober. Thatâs amazing.
Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement, it is very much appreciated while i learn to love life again with out alcohol.
Welcome. You can take my word for it. Sobriety is the greatest way to live life. I am glad you are here.
Welcome ! Soon, youâll come to know that life sober can bring so much joy and content. Youâll love it for sure! Youâll be so proud of yourself and your achievements. Being sober isnât âeasyâ, especially in the beginning, but itâs SO worth it. It takes courage and determination ⌠and vulnerability, too; but youâve got these. You can change your life for the better. This is just the beginning. Share your journey here and celebrate your wins, lean on us when times get tough, and whatever you do, just donât pick up another drink. One day at a time. Wish you well
When you realize âyour storyâ is generally the same as âour storyâ this all makes more sense, and it helped me to know that I wasnât the only one who couldnât do it alone. And that I wasnât the only one who would tell myself every morning that I wasnât going to drink today, only to have a drink before lunch. I wasnât a Marine (thanks for your service), but I was a tough, old cop. Your mileage may vary, but after a couple of weeks of sobriety I went to my first AA meeting, and discovered that I knew several people in the room. Sitting across the tables from folks who truly understood my story has been a great help. Iâm 7 months sober and still looking forward to the next meeting. You got this.
I encourage you on your journey man youâre doing excellent keep it up
I consider an old cop the same as an old Marine, thank YOU for your service and kind words.