For me I constantly keep reminding myself how bad those days were. Hardly being able to get out of bed, sweats, insane anxiety ect. When those urges come I focus hard on those days!
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For me I have a group and some daily phone calls that is a big part of what’s keeping me sober. That interpersonal accountability with people in recovery - including people with years of sobriety - helps me keep focused.
Cutting out social media and stopping reading the news helps too.
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Doing something recovery related everyday is huge.
I’m over 5 years sober and I still remember how impossible those first 10 days were… the hundreds of attempts to make it that long. I don’t ever want to go through that shit again.
It’s also super helpful that I no longer have any desire to escape myself. I have zero desire for booze.
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For me, it’s an ongoing thing but definitely thinking about all the stupid shit I’ve done in addiction, for addiction. Also, keeping myself busy helps…lately I have found that watching TV is hard especially when there’s drinking on TV…staying active has been good.
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For me it’s being aware of the litany of shitty things that happen when I drink. I started listing them, and it was turning into a textwall, so I removed it.
I also learned a thing or two about “the kindling effect”. Oh, that was a fun one. One day of binge drinking and I got to experience all the shitty things, but wait, there’s more! My brain was thrown for a loop it wasn’t expecting. It was trying to heal, but exposing it to alcohol made it freak out, causing extreme irritability, lethargy, insomnia, and anhedonia that lasted for days and days.
So yeah, for me it’s nothing complicated. It’s simply knowing it’s not worth it. Wait, you know what, no, that downplays it. I take it back: There’s nothing “simple” about it. It took me a long time to really understand that it’s not worth it. Only when it finally set in did I even want to stay sober.
It’s not that “yesterday’s drinking wasn’t worth it”, it’s that “drinking isn’t worth it”.
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One of the things that keeps me sober is counting the days, not the weeks or months or years, just the days it’s a ODAAT program after all.
Another thing is the fear of throwing 7,634 days of sobriety away and having to start again, with the pain, heartache, guilt, sickness, stress and bollocks that goes with it.
&
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This made me think a little on what has helping me… so, for me, its a couple of things:
- Memories - I still remember a lot from my drinking days and how bad they were;
- Pride - I will not quit. One day at a time, I will make it!
- AA meetings - I go weekly to my group meetings and this is a weekly reminder on “why am i on this sober path”;
- AA program/literature/this forum;
So, there are a lot of things that keep me sober, at least for today!
Thank you for remind me that I am going fine!
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My health - mentally and physically alcohol takes me to the worst version of me.
My family - Being present and trusted.
My past - years of times that should have been “rock bottom” pop in my head from time to time. I still cringe and feel shame.
The beauty of life - the mundane things I’m relearning to love like a kid seeing things for the first time.
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This place, definitely the rooms of AA & NA and by far seeing that newcomer who looks beat the fuck down and remembering that’s what I looked like, too. Don’t need to see it again.
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Recently I realized that in a long line of alcoholics, im the first one in recovery (as far as I know.) Kinda like being the first one to go to college haha BUT the thought occured to me that there will be future alcoholics in my family, God forbid my own nieces and nephews, but the odds are stacked against us. And SOMEONE will need a sober famiky member to look up to so they dont have to be the first.
At my lowest points this last week this thought has helped a lot.
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Wow. That’s an amazing thought. That’s now near the top of my list for reasons to stay sober. So that one day I can be there to counsel those close to me. To help them get away from it. You have some real wisdom there SarahBear. Keep at it and hang in there. Tomorrow is another day.
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I agree with your post. I definitely think about the withdrawals and how I felt every single morning. But what also helps for me is going to meetings and being around people that are in recovery. Also exercise really helps. I like riding my bike a lot it helps me get rid of Unwanted energy. Journaling. Trying to eat right. Getting enough sleep. Interacting and reading on here. Being careful who I surround myself with in real life. Being careful of the Content I watch online or what I listen to. Basically staying busy with positive things keeps me sober. The worst thing I can do for my recovery is sit around and think…
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Coming here and reading everyone’s awesome reasons for staying sober. I am 4 years sober. 65 next month. I’m in great health and exercise frequently. I’m retiring April 30th. Not going to ruin my well earned time off with pay by drinking. Fortunately, I really don’t want to drink. Doing so gives me nothing and takes everything.
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One thing keeping me sober is the memory of my last drink and the chaos that i brought into the world that night. The other thing that comes to mind is staying active in my recovery through therapeutic work.
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Hi jay, welcome to soberville ! 
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What keeps me sober is moments out in the world that i experience with sober eyes and a sober mind , that blow my mind at how lucky we are to have to been born here on earth… todays moment that has helped me stay clean and sober today was walking out of work to be greated with deep blue clear gorgeous skys and breathing palm trees 
… it reminded me that this is one of the reasons im clean and sober, to experience the happiness and gratitude for our gorgeous planet earth…
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