AudioCircle
Community => Non-audio hobbies and interests => Health and Fitness => Topic started by: JCarney on 8 May 2018, 06:13 pm
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I celebrate 30 years sober today. 15 days before my 24th birthday, on 8 May, 1988 is the day that I stopped. I am 53.
JCarney
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Congratulations! :D
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Congratulations to you. Good work. And it is work - initially. After a time (might have been a long time) I became normal enough that I no longer missed drinking but the change was difficult because my social life was indistinguishable from my alcohol life. I reached 38 years sober in January of this year. Thanks for posting this declaration. Once you have successfully left the bar cult, every minute of every day is happy hour.
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Congrats.even a day at a time. It's still something to be proud as hell about.
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Thanks guys, I am very proud of this. macrojack, 38 years, wow, congrats to you as well. :D
JCarney
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I celebrate 30 years sober today. 15 days before my 24th birthday, on 8 May, 1988 is the day that I stopped. I am 53.
JCarney
Congrats! That's a serious accomplishment. For me, it'll be 5 years in October.
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Tyson,
Even a bad day out of the fog is better than a good day in it.
JCarney
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If i make it to july , i will have 40.what a wonderful life God brings us !
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Tyson,
Even a bad day out of the fog is better than a good day in it.
JCarney
+1
8 years for me.
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Congratulations guys, you are greats.
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I had no idea there were so many long timers on here. Thanks everyone who shared.
JCarney
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Congrats to all walking the road of happiness and sobriety! I celebrated 24 years last December. It change my life in ways I never imagined. Pleasure knowing the there are friends of Bill W. here also.
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I celebrate 30 years sober today. 15 days before my 24th birthday, on 8 May, 1988 is the day that I stopped. I am 53.
Congratulations, that's a very significant and noteworthy accomplishment. :thumb:
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Shit is where we break our anonymity? 17 years for me. I always wonder if there was anyone else on here. Congrats to JCarney and you all.
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Congratulations to all of you. :thumb:
I got an odd email from one of my sisters just 13 hours ago that prompted me to call her asap (from Taiwan to the US). She began crying immediately. As soon as she spoke, I knew she'd been drinking again. I never judge her or blame her because I know how insidious the addiction can be.
She told me her best friend was going to drive her to a facility to get help. She's struggled with addiction for about 20 years. :(
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Passed my 27th SBD last November 16.
Early in sobriety I wondered what a sober life would look like. I'm grateful to find out first hand and continue on the path. Sobriety hasn't solved all my problems, but gives me better tools to manage.
Now I wonder what a drunk/high life would be like.
Wonders never cease.
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Congratulations! I celebrated 28 years last August 4th. Nice to see so many other friends of Bill W. here.
Martin
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Passed 22 years alcohol free in February this year. I quit just before my 26th birthday in 1996.
Nice to see some other big numbers.
Take care all.
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Macro, I like the idea of happy hour has new meaning, might have to borrow that one. Think of all the new (thousands) of relationships we make along the way. It’s unimaginable in the beginning but becomes an everyday miracle if we stick with it and practice the principles.
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mresseguie, I hope that your sister can find what she needs to stay sober. It is a tough road, but one worth taking. I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers.
Holy crap, there is 231 years of accumulative sobriety just in this thread alone.
guf, you win funniest post in my opinion. "Shit, is this were we break out anonymity?" :lol:
Very heart warming for me to see so many who have faced the beast, and triumphed.
JCarney
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Congratulations, JCarney. I celebrated 29 in December. It would be interesting to see what other neurotic hobbies we share in common. As for me, most of my mental energy at the moment is focused on a new espresso machine/grinder that's on the way.
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This is a really, really big deal. Many if not most 24yo's lack the perspective to recogize they have a problem. Even more impressive to have that kind of insight at that age. Your only addiction now is audio?
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Your only addiction now is audio?
I'm going to eat my big book if he says, "yes."
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Hi. My last drink was October 6 1982. There sure are a lot of us here.
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Congratulations, JCarney. I celebrated 29 in December. It would be interesting to see what other neurotic hobbies we share in common. As for me, most of my mental energy at the moment is focused on a new espresso machine/grinder that's on the way.
Curious on the details of the new equipment? New post? In the cooking and dinning circle? :) My espresso/coffee habit is daily and second in expense only to my music.
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Curious on the details of the new equipment? New post? In the cooking and dinning circle? :) My espresso/coffee habit is daily and second in expense only to my music.
I'll post a picture over there when it arrives. Went for a red La Marzocco Linea Mini and (I think) a red Mahlkönig K30.
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This is a really, really big deal. Many if not most 24yo's lack the perspective to recogize they have a problem. Even more impressive to have that kind of insight at that age. Your only addiction now is audio?
I was nearing 33 yrs. old when, upon being cited for my 4th DUI, I entered an alcohol program at Ft. Logan in Denver. I wish I had seen the light 10 years earlier.
Maybe we need a Sobriety Circle here. Seems like there are more of us than there are sports fans if the number of responders is any indication. Of course there is the little matter of just what we might discuss. Non drinking songs? Ex marriages? Bankruptcies? Court room drama? Cell mates? Alternatives to drinking - like my little pot hobby? Counseling Woodsyi on his wine obsession? Or maybe something about how you got there and how you got back.
Whatever the case, I'm happy to see so many have realized redemption. I remember getting interested when I saw what a wild time Jesus and the apostles were having in DaVinci's Last Supper. Dude knew how to party down.
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I'll post a picture over there when it arrives. Went for a red La Marzocco Linea Mini and (I think) a red Mahlkönig K30.
Well done! It'll be nice to never think about upgrading. I have a GS3.
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Holy crap, there is 231 years of accumulative sobriety just in this thread alone.
JCarney
I love that I'm basically the new guy with 17 years.
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I'll say this - not spending $$ on large amounts of single malt scotch every month really bumped up my audio budget :)
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db Cooper, my other addiction other than audio, is a beautiful, almost four year old Granddaughter. I spend a ton of time with her. She has been in a head start program in a small town in rural OK. I am there a lot to help out, read to the kids, whatever duty needs to be done. The people at the head start program voted me Grandfather of the year for all the time I spend with my Granddaughter and her classmates.
cfisher835, you do not have to eat your big book. :o :lol:
This her and I on a road trip last year.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=179902)
JCarney
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As a side note in my country women are drinking and smoking more than men, taken by the media who idolize the nightlife as glamorous, it is depressing to see those beautiful women sitting in bars getting drunk.
There is nothing better than the family.
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I love that I'm basically the new guy with 17 years.
Nah, if I stay sober tonight I will just get to 16 years tomorrow!
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rbbert, congrats! I think I am seeing a pattern here....hmmmmmmm
JCarney
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On April 2 of this year I celebrated 30 years of sobriety. As a doctor, let's just say it wasn't only alcohol...God that was a bad space I will hopefully not revisit! Hopefully I'll get another 30 years (I'll be 92 if I do!).
Paul
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I feel like a baby, with only 4.5 years :P
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I remember seeing John Larroquette on a TV talk show a couple decades back. He is one of us, and the host was congratulating him on 20 years of sobriety. Being a comedian, he relied, " congratulating a drunk for not drinking is like congratulating a cowboy who has hemorrhoids for not riding his horse. Congrats guys on turning your lives around.
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I remember seeing John Larroquette on a TV talk show a couple decades back. He is one of us, and the host was congratulating him on 20 years of sobriety. Being a comedian, he relied, " congratulating a drunk for not drinking is like congratulating a cowboy who has hemorrhoids for not riding his horse. Congrats guys on turning your lives around.
Cool about John Larroquette. Listing to his story now.
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How can I stop?
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How can I stop?
Start with your physician. They can recommend a course for you depending upon your situation and insurance. Easy stuff. :D
20 years and counting here...
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How can I stop?
There's AA of course which is a huge program that has helped a lot of people. It never clicked for me, I have problems with the whole God thing. I ended up using Lifering which is more science focused. Another good program I've heard people having success with is SMART recovery (more tools focused).
Oh, and the rec to see your doctor is good. There's things like Naltrexone (lowers cravings), and Antabuse (makes you vomit if you drink). Naltrexone is nice because it lowers that white-knuckle period during the first 6 months. If you find you drink in spite of that (and in spite of a good support group), Antabuse can be used as a much stronger deterrent (ie, you vomit almost immediately).
Modern science is cool in that it gives you more tools to deal with the challenges of getting sober.
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Yep, see the doc. If you are the least bit physically dependent, cold turkey is dangerous. Best of luck to you and all that have struggled.
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Good luck to anyone who wants or needs to stop drinking or using drugs. Stopping is usually not that difficult, it's the staying stopped that is the challenge. I put down the drink many times only to pick it up again every time after things got better.
A 12 step program has worked for me for almost 8 years and believing in god is not required although some groups are more god focused than others. Good news is there are usually a variety of meetings across the US where people who have the problem understand and are there to help. There is 1 meeting in Dalian China - a city of 6 million people and 1 English speaking meeting in Bucharest, Romania a city of 1.5 million. In Romania, drunks are locked up in jail and there is no insurance - rehabs are only for the rich and people fly out of country paying out of pocket. Really sad; we are lucky there are so many rehabs, online support groups, 12 step meetings, insurance and other resources here in the US.
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I went cold turkey. But I don’t care how people do it.
Agree with a dr visit as a good start. And try different meetings to see if something clicks for you.
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How can I stop?
With help! I tried for years on my own but it was only when I broke down and asked for help that I was able to stop. I did a 28 day inpatient program and have attended AA and NA meetings ever since. I too had problems with the whole God thing until I learned God can be as simple as a Group Of Drunks. Today I do have a higher power I choose to call God. Just remember: Religion is for people who are afraid of going to hell; spirituality is for those that have been there and don’t want to go back. You’ve made the first step. Good luck to you.
Martin
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With help! I tried for years on my own but it was only when I broke down and asked for help that I was able to stop.
Ditto for me. As a result of my mother embarking on recovery path and her concern about familial predisposition, I had been to all sorts of meetings and learned much about adiction. ACA, Al Anon, AA.
Being the independant cuss that I am, I self-diagnosed and tried cold turkey, subliminal tapes and I don't remember what else. This led to justification, denial and self loathing to boot.
For me, it took a breakdown the likes of which I'd never had. A sobbing mess of a man, 35 years old and calling my parents for support and advice, which fortuately I knew I could count on. It was a piviotal moment in my life. For the first time, I was honest with myself about myself. An honest to goodness epiphany. I, no shit, shopped recovery programs the next day and went into an outpatient program.
There's tears in my eyes as I write that. I see sobriety as my greatest accomplishment now, but that took some time. And I had to admit I couldn't do it alone. Sharing my burden was key, and I now open my bag of shit for almost anyone who wants a look.
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I begin my journey tomorrow after many starts / stops. I have a prescription for Antabuse, meetings daily, and a great counselor to back me.
I am 41, hold a mid level job, but never could surrender to alcohol.
As a person in sales, I always had to lead the charge but now I am done.
I will say that for the person who wants to get sober, the book Willpower is Not Enough is very powerful.
I am looking forward to my journey and I praise all of you w/ so many years.
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I feel sorry for people who don't drink,when they wake up in the morning that's the best they're going to feel all day.
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I can relate to being in sales and being around booze a lot. I found once I made my own mind up, and was willing to hang out with folks who wanted to drink I was more comfortable with it.
Good luck with your journey.
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Best Wishes Escott. I was going to say good luck but in my experience luck has nothing to do with getting or staying sober or clean.
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Escott, a lot of good advice here. I adopted a philosophy or whatever you would like to call it early in my sobriety. I have a take no prisoners approach to my sobriety. If my sobriety is threatened, I eliminate the threat immediately. Fortunately, there have only been a couple of times that I felt it was threatened. I just eliminated those things or people from my life. In AA, they say you need to get rid of old play places, play things, and play friends. When I got sober, there was maybe one or two alternatives to AA. Today, it appears there are several to choose from to fit an individuals needs, which is great. I too, was not into the whole god thing either. I even said in a meeting early in my sobriety that the god thing did not work for me. The guy that was running the meeting suggested that you could look at it as a group of drunks willing to help. I liked that. I hope you find what you need to rid yourself of the beast.
Sincerely,
JCarney
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I begin my journey tomorrow after many starts / stops. I have a prescription for Antabuse, meetings daily, and a great counselor to back me.
I am 41, hold a mid level job, but never could surrender to alcohol.
As a person in sales, I always had to lead the charge but now I am done.
I will say that for the person who wants to get sober, the book Willpower is Not Enough is very powerful.
I am looking forward to my journey and I praise all of you w/ so many years.
That's a really solid plan! As a little side hack, I found that chocolate (especially dark chocolate) was an excellent tool to help quiet down some of the more intense cravings that hit during the first 6 months of sobriety. You laugh, but it's true.
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I feel sorry for people who don't drink,when they wake up in the morning that's the best they're going to feel all day.
But at least we wake up. I have had drinker friends that eventually did not.
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:D gonna give that chocolate thing a go. 6 weeks in on a three month trial run for total dry-out. Easy so far. Just keep busy. Coffee and green tea. A cigar helps too. There is something to this sobriety. The government wants us drunk or stoned or medicated so we all stay silent in our little boxes. Haha ,,oppps :D
30 years is super good work. Nicely done. :thumb:
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No comments favorable to alcoholism are allowed, also no disputes here.Thanks
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=169972)
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I feel sorry for people who don't drink,when they wake up in the morning that's the best they're going to feel all day.
That's a crass thing to say, but I'll field it anyway. While it's true I don't experience the big swings emotionally, mentally and physically that I did when practicing my addictions, I wouldn't trade what I have now for any of it. That's not meant to sound high and mighty, just that I embrace where I am and have found a sober life can indeed be joyful.
My mental acuity and ability to critically think is certainly better. I suspect that is a derivative of lack of mental fuzziness and also that I like myself more so I'm more confident in decisions made. Emotionally I can process what's going on without being jaded by yesterday's baggage. I feel more deeply and can accurately define and communicate that.
In addition, I've found that I've transitioned from a non-morning person to one who gets up early and relishes the day in front of me. This in place of slogging through the day so I could get to the evening, self-medicate and have more "fun".
So yeah, I get up knowing I have the real potential to be the best me and I find it comforting that it will continue through the day.
On another note, for those anywhere on the continuum of addiction recovery, I've taken up meditation again after many years of not wanting to take the time. 30 minutes in the morning, 20 in the afternoon. It has enhanced my sober life in several ways, the most obvious to many is I'm calmer and less volitile. Not flatlined, mind you, but getting closer to the serenity I seek. I'm learning to be a better me and I want that to continue till I move on to whatever is after this life.
FullRangeman, I think I get that this is painful for you in some way, but perhaps a light moderator's touch would be prudent so as to offer a balanced view of a problem faced by scores of people.
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Hi Peter, I concerned with members that had this prob in the past to that they keep in the right track reading this topic, so just postings of testimonials, statements of encouragement and positive comments in this thread.
Also no beverages pictures are allowed and as I said before no disputes in this topic.
Thanks all.
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Polite fielding of that comment and great description what its like to be sober and how "fun"changes. Yeah I' big on the neutral concept not always grasping for the good and pushing away the bad.
I have been a meditator like the book suggests to sit quietly. I've done that for years with good results. Mostly because it would get me away from looking for something to buy on here or waisting time on the internet. Last year I started hitting the meditation hard core. Lots of mindfulness practicing from the likes of Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, more recently Noah Levine. The guided stuff has been wonderful for me.
I just finished Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics and loved it. Happy i was turned on to Jeff Warren, another great teacher a little less woo woo.
Meditation for me has been a game changer on so many aspects of my life. Thanks for mentioning it.
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This thread is evolving into a support group. The subject matter is sensitive and the conversation has been polite, sincere and valuable. I have seen no need for policing. So, let's please not have any, unless and until it proves to be necessary. The moderation needs to be much more moderate. This is a family matter, so to speak. To me, that means family only.
Consistent with that comment, I want to mention something that I realized during the middle stages of my recovery. I was prone to blackouts. This means that the following morning I would have little or no recollection of what transpired during my inebriation. As a result I was confronted on many an occasion about what I had done while drunk. News to me but very disturbing news. It suggested that there was a Jekyll and Hyde aspect to my depravity and it made me very self-conscious whenever anyone approached me. Ultimately it made me cripplingly self-conscious and imposed scarring which, 38 years later, has never healed. Very damaging and potentially fatal to one's self-esteem. The then lowered self-esteem serves to perpetuate the self-avoidance, making it ever more difficult to confront the demons driving my decline. I believe that meditation brings us to see ourselves in all our fiery denial, defense and agony. It helps to expose our self delusion and lends clarity to the way forward. A sense of balance becomes possible, maybe for the first time since childhood. Once you are able to look at yourself, it becomes easier to accept yourself.
All this brings us to a wonderful convergence of our hobby and our nemesis. Tom Waits got drunk in Copenhagen, Denmark back in 1976 with a woman named Mathilde. This song was the result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBc6l8ykMBE
We get too soon old and too late smart.
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This thread is evolving into a support group. The subject matter is sensitive and the conversation has been polite, sincere and valuable. I have seen no need for policing. So, let's please not have any, unless and until it proves to be necessary. The moderation needs to be much more moderate. This is a family matter, so to speak. To me, that means family only.
This topic was in the Quarentine for cleaning and returned to this circle just in expectance to help people.