IABU - I’ve just had a glass of wine

[Hiphopopotamus]

And I’m a recovering alcoholic. 5 months sober. All gone now like I’d never bothered. So here I am, back to square one

pinkbells just to be clear, I had that first drink back in June when I started this thread (completely my fault for the confusion as I resurrected my old thread) And because I’m an alcoholic that one drink turned into three months of binging and drinking alcoholicly. I am an alcoholic and I can never be in control of my drinking. My only option is to never drink again - that first drink is never just one!

I am now six months sober having got back on the wagon. Just to answer a previous poster upthread - I have put a lot of things in my life this time and I have a lot of coping mechanisms, and a lot of good things in my life to keep me going. But even with that, when I have a few days in my own, the temptation is there. I’m not going to act on it, but I do need to be aware of it and recognise it.

Thanks for all the lovely comments and loads of thoughts to anyone struggling with this themselves, or anyone who has a family member with an addiction. It truly sucks!

I have so much admiration for you OP. Just posting about your experience and your six months is more inspirational for others than I think you realise .

It's especially important on this site where it's very pro-drinking and people almost have to make up excuses as to why they're not drinking in social situations etc.

You have my total respect.

Excellent, OP!

You are a

Well done OP! 🤩

Ah OP you are an inspiration! Well done you!

As a fellow problem drinker, I take my hat off to you OP. I don’t drink anymore either, me and drink are beautiful together but destructive. Sometimes you’ve got to know when to quit.

It’s the ‘agony of choice’ when you feel like you can choose to drink or not. Get rid of the ‘agony of choice’ by having drinking as a non option the same as stealing or smoking, or eating all the food in your freezer. You could do any of those things but they’re not on the agenda so you don’t agonise about not doing them.

Great news OP. congratulations.

OP, you're a bloody star! Huge congrats and wohoooooo!!!!!! To a life of being a non drinker!!!!!!

So I’m resurrecting my old zombie thread for a second time just to confuse everyone! (Apologies to all who will only read the first post and offer me advice based on that - that’s on me) But I find this thread a really helpful one to come back to and reread and reflect on where I was and where I am now.

Last time I posted I was six months sober and still a bit shaky about the whole thing. I’m now over three years sober. I haven’t touched a drop in all that time, and if I’m ever tempted I look at my new one year old daughter and it reminds me how much she deserves me to be at my best, and not my old drinking self. She has never seen me drink, and my hope is she never will. As a family we’ve been through some tough times in the last couple of years (haven’t we all!) and to stay sober through it all has been one of my biggest achievements.

So if you are currently reading this and struggling, or thinking about quitting, or beating yourself up for falling off the wagon, it really can be done. It might not always go smooth and you might have bumps along the way, but I have found that I can cope with anything as long as I don’t drink.

Well done, congratulations!

That's amazing. Congratulations!

That's fantastic, you should be very proud of how far you've come! Congratulations on your daughter too

Well done OP that's fantastic

You are amazing!! And thanks for the update too

Hi OP, just came on to say well done. That is amazing. My DF was an alcoholic (he started drinking aged 28 and didn’t quit until he was 61). But he was then sober for 35 years, until his death and he did amazing work helping others to quit.

He just did it ‘one day at a time’ and I think that you have shown that taking it one day at a time works.

Well done again, and you will inspire people through this post.

Oh wow

Congratulations, enjoy your little cherub 💕

That’s amazing, well done you!!!

This is such a nice update. Congratulations OP

On your sobriety and on your lovely daughter who has a strong mum by her side.

I hope this will inspire others to take that decision just like you did.

Well done Op, congratulations on your baby! Encouraging OST to others who have similar challenging problems.

OST = post

Fantastic! Congratulations OP. One day at a time :)

Congratulations, OP, that's a fantastic achievement.

Oh I am so happy for you. I remember your earlier posts well and wondered occasionally how you were doing.
Congratulations on your daughter. ♥️

What a wonderful update and it's so lovely to see someone openly accepting that recovery and relapse are part of the picture. Relapsing doesn't mean it's all over and you learn from every single one.

My late husband was an alcoholic and he didn't make it to sobriety, but my sister's DP is now 10 years sober after a very long and difficult struggle. There's hope, it can be done. Brilliant job, OP!