I’m often asked by friends (who drink) how I stopped and stayed sober. Depending on the person who’s asking, I tell them the various ways I went about it.
But the truth is, how I stopped is here … on these boards in this app.
The wealth of knowledge, experience, trial and error of thousands of people like me across the world in all addictions …. is what got - and keeps - me sober.
Here I learned that moderation (no matter how heartfelt the effort) simply does not work. I learned how once you’ve crossed the threshold into addiction, you can’t moderate. It’s simply not possible. There are video threads that document this and thousand upon thousand of stories and real-life sharings that show it. Moderation simply doesn’t work.
Given that … fact. Then what.
How does one cope with life, the cravings, the desire to escape?
Well. It’s truly day by day - moment by moment - hour by hour. Until it isn’t, and … until it is again. Sobriety like life (I have found) ebbs and flows. Some days are harder than hard and some days are unexpectedly easy. In my experience, there isn’t a time where one is truly “free” of a craving or desire to escape. And yet there are, over time, more tools and abilities to cope and handle these feelings which makes it easier than in the early days. (Building muscles I call it).
Knowing that, how does one do it?
Well for me I live by the mantra …
There is Nothing that a drink won’t make worse.
Notice the word nothing. Not a good or bad thing.
There is nothing that a … (insert DOC) … won’t make worse.
I lived and breathed that mantra for the first 6 months as I clawed my way out of the cravings and out of the fog.
I came here every day. I read and read and learned and learned. I still do.
I take the advice of those who have gone before me and who so generously share their learnings and experiences.
I attribute my success to Sobertime. To you.
I started with a willingness and desire to stop drinking and I learned how to do that here.
A long time community member has a wonderful line about never regretting not picking up that first drink. (Perhaps he’ll read this and share the exact quote). That was key for me. After years of regret, the concept of never having to regret not picking up that first drink was powerful. As hard as life gets and as out of control things may seem … at least I can control that.
It’s not easy. But …. it’s far easier than living on the hamster-wheel of hell as I call it, trying to moderate.
So, today is two years. I can say with confidence that I will be here tomorrow reading. Each day there is a new pearl of wisdom like the one above, or a story that reminds me of why I stopped drinking or why I don’t want to start, or some new tool I can add which is helpful, or a newcomer to route for. There is always someone or something on the boards that helps keep me sober.
And that is How I got here … today. 
Thank you to everyone! and in particular to @Robin for making this all possible.
CONGRATULATIONS 
Well done friend!!! 
. What a great Valentine’s gift to yourself.
You’re the best. 
