Hi folks, it is really surreal to think about it, but a decade has gone by since I last had a drink. It is hard to believe how fast time has gone,
and how our lives change over time.
Mywayout, is is the only place, ever, that I was able to express myself about my problem with alcohol, and the only place I felt comfortable getting help from others. I am confident
that without this community, the chats, the posts, the support, I would not have got through the toughest days at the start - and I would not have built the tool kit
I needed to navigate forward on my own - sober -, working through challenges and tough times. Thank you to all of those
kind people who helped me in those stages of my journey.
My journey is not over, and I have not forgotten how cunning and sly alcohol cravings can be; I will never underestimate that. I know that I am not able to have a good relationship with alcohol, and that is OK; this does not mean I am weak or
a bad person, it is just the way it is. I like myself better sober.
I know I have been a better person, father, and husband in the last decade, because I was sober. I am pretty sure my marriage would not have lasted if I had kept drinking; man, would my life ever be different
today.
I figure I have saved almost $ 30 000, by not drinking for the past decade. Although, I have spent a few thousand on soda water. I know that my body and my brain are more healthy
as a result of my being sober. The health benefits are a great by-product of being sober. It is amazing that the sweet tooth I developed once sober, has not really gone away. Maybe I had
it all along, but the booze satisfied it - not sure. I still can handle sweets no problem - more that I should really.
A new life can be constructed that does not involve booze for a person. My family members drink when we get together, we have wine and beer in our home, and if we serve booze in our house. Booze is not part of
my liquid intake, but it is part of the culture and society of our home, and in our gatherings with friends and community; and that is fine. After all these years, people in my life know who wants a Coor's Light, who wants a red wine,
and they automatically hand me a perrier or club soda. It is no longer uncomfortable and burdensome, it is just normal. It takes time, and work, and it can be a humbling journey, but it is worth it.
I have not posted in a while, and I hesitated to do so. In our social media driven world, posting is so often done to garner accolades, that I figured that if I post, I was doing exactly that. After thinking about it
for a few weeks, I am going to post. At some point, I would like to pay it forward, and maybe help another person in their journey towards being sober. Perhaps my reflections can add some things for a person
to think about, and maybe offer a little support in some way, as they work through their own challenges.
With thanks,
Hill
and how our lives change over time.
Mywayout, is is the only place, ever, that I was able to express myself about my problem with alcohol, and the only place I felt comfortable getting help from others. I am confident
that without this community, the chats, the posts, the support, I would not have got through the toughest days at the start - and I would not have built the tool kit
I needed to navigate forward on my own - sober -, working through challenges and tough times. Thank you to all of those
kind people who helped me in those stages of my journey.
My journey is not over, and I have not forgotten how cunning and sly alcohol cravings can be; I will never underestimate that. I know that I am not able to have a good relationship with alcohol, and that is OK; this does not mean I am weak or
a bad person, it is just the way it is. I like myself better sober.
I know I have been a better person, father, and husband in the last decade, because I was sober. I am pretty sure my marriage would not have lasted if I had kept drinking; man, would my life ever be different
today.
I figure I have saved almost $ 30 000, by not drinking for the past decade. Although, I have spent a few thousand on soda water. I know that my body and my brain are more healthy
as a result of my being sober. The health benefits are a great by-product of being sober. It is amazing that the sweet tooth I developed once sober, has not really gone away. Maybe I had
it all along, but the booze satisfied it - not sure. I still can handle sweets no problem - more that I should really.
A new life can be constructed that does not involve booze for a person. My family members drink when we get together, we have wine and beer in our home, and if we serve booze in our house. Booze is not part of
my liquid intake, but it is part of the culture and society of our home, and in our gatherings with friends and community; and that is fine. After all these years, people in my life know who wants a Coor's Light, who wants a red wine,
and they automatically hand me a perrier or club soda. It is no longer uncomfortable and burdensome, it is just normal. It takes time, and work, and it can be a humbling journey, but it is worth it.
I have not posted in a while, and I hesitated to do so. In our social media driven world, posting is so often done to garner accolades, that I figured that if I post, I was doing exactly that. After thinking about it
for a few weeks, I am going to post. At some point, I would like to pay it forward, and maybe help another person in their journey towards being sober. Perhaps my reflections can add some things for a person
to think about, and maybe offer a little support in some way, as they work through their own challenges.
With thanks,
Hill
Comment