Ageco1991 said:

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Been sober almost 11 months and it is the best decision I have ever made. I attend AA meetings and work the program. Can quit drinking and still be a dry, miserable drunk. AA is a great program if you really want to quit and live a different life. I still tailgate and go out. I thought at first everyone noticed but now I realize nobody really cares if I drink or not except those close to me that caught the brunt of me when I was drinking. If anyone wishes to quit and know more about AA please reach out to me.

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Congrats.

Its amazing how self-conscious we are about drinking. We feel that it is so glaring that we aren't drinking when in reality the only people who ever cared were frat bros trying to get fish drunk in college.

The reason why we feel its such a big deal is because drinking had such an outsized place in our very worldview and value system that we lost all sense of perspective. This is exacerbated by the disease nature underpinning the thoughts and feelings we are aware of. That's why even being aware of our myopia regarding substance is far from sufficient, we have to overcome a biopsychosocial outlook of existence that is prior to and undergirds our conscious awareness. Thats why we have the steps, we have to replace that distorted view of the universe we spent so much time lovingly burning into our mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways.

In addition to a brain disease and mental illness, I consider addiction to also be a learning/memory disorder. It affects ones consciousness top to bottom and leaves nothing unperturbed. The maladjustment of the pleasure/hedonic mechanism of the human brain (and really, all mammals) is so fundamental that it corrupts all processes. It takes a long, long time to shake the feeling that its normal not to drink (if we ever get rid of it) that is not typical of any other learned truth.

Thank god theres a solution. The more I learn about addiction, the more incredible it is to think I'm surviving it, and how completely ****ed people are who are caught in its grip until the denial can be overcome and they wake up.

Ageco1991 said:

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Been sober almost 11 months and it is the best decision I have ever made. I attend AA meetings and work the program. Can quit drinking and still be a dry, miserable drunk. AA is a great program if you really want to quit and live a different life. I still tailgate and go out. I thought at first everyone noticed but now I realize nobody really cares if I drink or not except those close to me that caught the brunt of me when I was drinking. If anyone wishes to quit and know more about AA please reach out to me.

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Awesome stuff man! Way to go, keep it up! Day 2,037 for me and I agree - best decision I've ever made!!!

Very cool

You know there's a great line from "We've Never Been Licked". "If you don't walk on the railroad, you won't get hit by the train."

A sober tailgate has my full support. I'd never encourage anyone new in sobriety to be around an event whose primary funtion is drinking.

Big Book tells me any plan of recovery that tried to shield a sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. It also tells me I can go anywhere free men can go, if I have a legitamit reason to be there.

However, the founders put that little jewel at the end of the chapter on the 12th step, not on pages in the 30's.

dubi said:

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Sober Tailgate for the UAB game this weekend:

https://www.facebook.com/TAMUHealthPromotion/photos/a.1572848966344579/1932035147092624/?type=3&theater

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i didnt get to make it this time but will look for it next time i go. A sober tailgate seems like a safe place for my kid and even safer for me.

I will definitely post back to this thread if I see it again.

Since I work on campus, there are lots of emails that cross my inbox.

aggiejim70 said:

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You know there's a great line from "We've Never Been Licked". "If you don't walk on the railroad, you won't get hit by the train."

A sober tailgate has my full support. I'd never encourage anyone new in sobriety to be around an event whose primary funtion is drinking.

Big Book tells me any plan of recovery that tried to shield a sick man from temptation is doomed to failure. It also tells me I can go anywhere free men can go, if I have a legitamit reason to be there.

However, the founders put that little jewel at the end of the chapter on the 12th step, not on pages in the 30's.

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We can go anywhere as long as there is a reason and we are spiritually fit.

So I take it we're in complete ageement

That's awesome Jim! Keep up the good work!

K Bo said:

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I had a bump in the road over the weekend. I met up with a friend Saturday night for sushi (then the Cowboys game). In the past I have always paired sushi with Asahi beer. Well, I couldn't resist the craving for the pairing and gave in. A couple hours and 3 beers later I just wasn't feeling it and switched to water. Was it worth it? No. Am I beating myself up about it? No. The road to recovery is bumpy and I've accepted that. I'm approaching this more with pride than anything. I've not had alcohol 25 out of the last 26 days and that one day I kept it under control. I'm not sure,yet, what it was exactly that made me order those beers but as I type this today I have no desire to drink and feel better in every way not drinking.

Anyway, Day 2.

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Two days sober is better than 0 days sober. Congrats!

Agree! Day 3.

reb, said:

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9 months as of yesterday

keys to success:
1) keep trying
2) stay alive
3) KEEP TRYING
4) STAY ALIVE
5) gratefulness

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Wonderful accomplishment!!! Keep it up!

1997aggies said:

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Hello, I'm Matt. For me, it seems like there is ALWAYS a reason to drink. There is ALWAYS an excuse to drink! Initially, I find myself saying, "I will only drinking on Saturdays." Next thing I know I will say, "maybe I will only drink on the weekends." Shortly thereafter, it's "I will just drink on the weekends plus special occasions." Before you know it, I am drinking daily. I think I am done. I feel like I cannot drink in moderation. I need this. I need to know what it's like to live sober. I'd say that I drink around 25-30 beers a week or so. And these are not light beers by any stretch. I drink only porters and stouts. At the very least, I need a break and I know it. I will keep you guys updated...

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it can be looked at this way:

"ive lived the drinking life so long that i want to give the sober life a real chance for a month/year/etc and see what thats all about".

One can easily overwhelm themselves by saying "no more, ever". One day at a time, and you can decide if you still want to keep going each time you wake up.

Hey Matt, glad you are "here"! Your post reminded me of something in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous:

Quote:

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Here are some of the methods we have tried: Drinking beer only, limiting the number of drinks, never drinking alone, never drinking in the morning, drinking only at home, never having it in the house, never drinking during business hours, drinking only at parties, switching from scotch to brandy, drinking only natural wines, agreeing to resign if ever drunk on the job, taking a trip, not taking a trip, swearing off forever (with and without a solemn oath), taking more physical exercise, reading inspirational books, going to health farms and sanitariums, accepting voluntary commitment to asylums.

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I tried all of those things and more. I didn't do an activity and have alcohol with it, I had alcohol and there might have been some other activity going on around me. I was terrified that I would never have any fun or enjoy anything if I couldn't drink.

Finally one day I had enough. That day was January 24, 2013, and today I am celebrating 6 years sober. My life is so much better than I could have ever imagined or wished. I do ten times the things I used to do and enjoy (and remember) them all.

So, if you want to stop, there is help and there is hope. Take it one day at a time.

Well done on six years, congrats!

Matt...doing the math, you're about 42, if you're class of '97 and the same age as I was when I hit bottom from that last terrible drunk. I'm not here to put labels on you, but to suggest that if you get off the sauce, for whatever reason, the vast majority of your family, friends, business associates, will not loose any sleep over it. They won't care if you don't drink at the ball game, party, business meeting etc.

2/26/19 if I don't drink and don't die will be the 28th anniversary of my last drink and drunk and in all that time I've had a few, but not many, people hassle me about not drinking. I'm pretty well convinced that ALL of them were worried about their own drinking.

Dr, Bob Smith, one of the pioneers of AA, stated, "If you want to quit drinking for good and all and feel like you need some help, we know we have an answer for you". This hasn't changed in some 80 years.

All the best to you.

My curiosity has the better of me, Have any of you other AAs been reading the "Dryuary" thread? I'm amazed with the number of people that can have a few drinks or beers, stop for several weeks or longer, have a couple more and repeat the process. That's just not me. Wondering what others think.

Note to all especially my fellow Texas Aggies........Please do not equate amazement with disbelief

That's my behavior at the moment. I abstain, have a drink here or there, and then dry out with intention of it being permanent. It's not perfect but I am progressing towards sobriety. I wish I was able to quit cold turkey but it's not that simple (for me, at least).

One step at a time K Bo. That's me too. I'm not completely alcohol free either but moving in the right direction. I've completely given up hard liquor forever. Haven't had a drop of it since April 16th of last year. I just drink beer now and am cutting back on it. Baby steps for me.

aggiejim70 said:

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My curiosity has the better of me, Have any of you other AAs been reading the "Dryuary" thread? I'm amazed with the number of people that can have a few drinks or beers, stop for several weeks or longer, have a couple more and repeat the process. That's just not me. Wondering what others think.

Note to all especially my fellow Texas Aggies........Please do not equate amazement with disbelief

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I'm with ya Jim. I even see find myself starting to pass judgement towards folks in the thread mentioning how they can't wait to have a drink at a certain event or date (I am thinking - "can't you see how you're allowing this to control your behavior!!!) but I have to remember that my reality is my own and I can't project that reality on others. I can only share my testimony when approached by others who are curious about my life now.

-Rick

I am doing the Dryuary. There are some on there that probably need to step away for a long time, like forever. But there are some who just don't have a drinking problem and are doing it as a personal challenge.