1st sober holiday weekend in a very long time and I couldn't be more proud of myself. This is my second attempt at sobriety in a year and for some reason, this time around feels just a little different (in a positive way). I'm not a religious person but very spiritual. I have been asking my spirit guide, ancestors and guardian angel for extra support on the restart of this journey and I feel they are with me; they assure me by showing me synchronicities. Don't get me wrong, I had a lot of urges this weekend and was around alcohol but chose the path of resistance. I took myself (mentally) to places I knew I didn't want to return and continued to remind myself of why I'm here. I feel so good waking up this morning without a hangover, withdrawals, guilt, hanxiety, and looking forward to kayaking under the beautiful sunshine with the feeling of gratitude. I'm so grateful for this day, my guides, this app and the gift of resisting the urge. I know I'm far from out of the woods but it's small wins like this that help me build courage and strength to keep moving forward. Today's journal entry will certainly be filled with positive feelings and emotions. I appreciate the advice I received from some of you so far, it has been very helpful. It feels really good to have found a place where I don't have to feel alone anymore.
Great to hear this! Proud of you for pushing through the urges and sticking to freedom from alcohol. This is hard to do, but we have to find whatever it is for each of us to maintain progress and keep pushing forward.
When I first got sober they told me to always have an exit plan when it comes to going to a place where there was alcohol involved you have nothing to prove by being around it you know.
Liam is absolutely correct. Being in the presence of your drug of choice and not using does not prove anything. Addiction is not something that is cured or goes away.
Don’t go to the barber if you don’t need a haircut.
And kayaking sounds great. Nature, physical activity, away from temptation. Perfect for early sobriety. Have a great day
Thank you, guys. I absolutely will work on this exit plan. I think that is a great idea. Thank you for your advice!!
You can do it! All the support to you!
There’s much more to life than a hangover!
Great job! Alcohol is everywhere, it’s in front of us all the time, at the supermarket, the gas station, holiday events, business dinners, there’s no way to stay away from it. We have to do you what demonstrated. Thank you for sharing
Great job, Addy! Exit plans are always good to have in the back pocket for when it starts feeling a little overwhelming. I was at a great cookout last night, with great friends, but once everyone started getting tipsy, I thanked them for having me and rolled out. It’s not that I don’t trust myself, but even with almost a year under my belt, I still limit my exposure in those situations.
I also like to have built in accountability. Be it a friend or a family member that knows my situation and will hold me accountable to remaining sober. Twice last evening my buddy’s wife checked in on me at the party to make sure I was good (she’s a nurse and the one who drove me to the ER when I was going through severe withdrawals and pancreatitis). It’s nice to have support like that.
And kayaking is a great idea! I went out last week for a couple hours. What a way to recharge and enjoy your sobriety! Have fun, and stay strong!
That is awesome! I really need to gain that support system in my immediate environment. I'm making it a point to work on that; I know it's really important. Thank you for sharing your weekend experience! That's definitely a good place to draw the line bc I feel so uncomfortable once everyone around me starts to get tuned up. That will definitely be my hard stop this evening as I'm heading to a bonfire. This group of ppl are aware of my struggles and have been really good to me over the last year so I feel ok joining for an hour or 2.
I'm right there with you and finding the support on this app super helpful! Congrats on sticking it out through the biggest drinking holiday of the year!
I started right before Christmas/New Years which was hard. I see why people start after Jan 1st. We can do this! I feel it’s getting better the longer I’m going-I’m just focusing on the voice on the right shoulder-not the left-ha!