Is There A Secret To Long Term Sobriety

Many alcoholics that want to get sober ask the question, "is there a secret to long term sobriety?"  My answer to them from my own experience with drinking alcohol is if you want sobriety to be back into your life and have admitted you are an alcoholic and need help, then you have a great chance of long term sobriety because you are taking a huge step in the right direction.

So many people that quit drinking alcohol do well in the very beginning until something upsets them and they can't handle it and revert back to the bottle thinking drinking may fix what ever problem that has arises. They have done so well in the beginning, but not well enough to stay sober.

There will always be things in our lives that will upset us and things that you think will never be fixed or resolved,, but you can't let those things make you go back to drinking.  You need to stay strong and be firm to your promise to yourself to stay sober no matter what life throws at you.  You need to have a positive attitude and continue to tell yourself nothing in the world will ever make me go back to my old ways of being an alcoholic.

Drinking alcohol will never fix anything in life.  It will only make matters worse in the end.  I always thought by me drinking alcohol any problem I might of had I could figure it out because I always felt that I had great ideas while being drunk and all of those ideas made perfect sense, but that was the booze thinking for me and not my sober mind. 

Alcohol does exactly what it is supposed to do, and that is to mess you up and get you drunk.  It makes you think you are indestructible and most people think they think much clearer and make more sense to them self while being intoxicated.  I'll tell you what, I thought of all those those things while I was drinking and when the next day came and I sobered up, what I thought was a great idea turned out to be the worst idea when thinking about it sober.

So what is the secret of getting sober and staying sober?

Through my experience from drinking to getting and staying sober is all in your mind.  Your mind is a powerful tool and you can train it be be negative or you can train it to be nothing but positive and that's were positivity is needed to stay sober.

By thinking positive thoughts will help you to stay sober.  It helps by continuing to tell yourself that you can and will beat this addiction you have.  Positivity helps you think of all the wonderful things life has to offer being sober and up beat.  It helps you to be happy.

Can you imagine walking around thinking negative saying to yourself, "I will never be able to beat this alcohol addiction I have.  Thinking this way and being negative, you can rest assure that you will remain addicted to something that in the long run will kill you one way or another.

Find out the secret within yourself to help you with long term sobriety.  The secret lies within you and only you can find out what will help you remain clean and sober for the rest of your life.  Always stay and think positive.  I truly believe that by me staying positive and telling myself I will have long term sobriety no matter what it takes help me to achieve my sobriety.

Remember, one step at a time and one day at a time and before you know it, weeks, months and then years will have passed and you will look back being so proud that you have achieved long term sobriety and did it on your own.

Stuggling Everyday To Stay Sober

For all those that has had an addiction to alcohol and now in recovery find themselves struggling everyday to stay sober and deep in back of their minds wonder if they will relapse during the upcoming Holiday Season.

How strong are you?  Do you think you are stronger than the demons inside you that are just
waiting for you to give in and start drinking alcohol again?  The demons lay back waiting for you to break, but you have to smarter and stronger than them.  As for myself, they have a long long wait to see another drop of alcohol pass my lips.

Sure every alcoholic that has chose to get clean and sober struggles to stay clean and sober and I think that it pretty much the norm, at least it is for me.  What the heck, when you lived with alcohol in your life everyday for years the urge and temptation does come about now and then, but you just have to let that urge pass and not break and drink, not even one drop or else we all know what happens next.  Yep, right back where we began at day one again trying to get sober again.

Don't let anything or anyone get in your way of your sobriety and continue telling yourself you will remain sober no matter what life throws at you.

Life seems like a struggle not only with addictions, but just to live each and everyday and to live it healthy, sober and manage your everyday lives to the fullest, but no one said life is easy right?

You need to make the best of each day and whatever you do, you need to do it the best you can and to your fullest expectations.  Don't cut yourself short, and don't get down on yourself because you might have not accomplished something you thought would of work out well.  If by any chance you do relapse, don't be too hard on yourself, but be stern enough to start all over again and get back up and try again.

Many of us do relapse for one reason or another,but you need to try again and if need be, again until you get it right and stay sober.  Some of us get sobriety on the first try, but those that are having a tough time, never give up on yourself.  Work as hard as you can to achieve your sobriety and at the end of the day and you are clean and sober you will look back at your journey and the hard work you put forth to get sober, you will be one proud person.

Happy Sober Holidays Everyone!!! 

Ways To Help You Stay Sober During The Holidays

The Holiday season is upon us and with the giving of gifts, having Christmas and New Years parties become somewhat difficult for those that are in recovery from their past addictions.

There are many ways to help you stay sober during the Holidays such as your thinking and your mental attitude.

In the beginning of your recovery you are really fighting to stay sober.  Your body that has been so used to alcohol in your system and then to have nothing alcoholic is a bit of a shock to your your system.  You go to that Holiday party and watch as those that are drinking and thinking they are having a wonderful time, and I am sure they are, at that moment.

You mouth starts to water and wishing you can have just one beer, a glass of wine or a nice mixed drink.  The problem with that is you have made a pack with yourself, (I hope) to never pick up a alcoholic drink again.  This pack or promise to yourself to never drink again should have been made when you finally surrendered to your addiction.

You took the right steps in getting clean and sober, and now the huge job is to stay clean and sober. The Holiday seasons are full of temptations to the alcoholic. I know for myself when I quit drinking alcohol, the first few months were torture to me. I surrendered to my addiction in October of 2009 just two months before the Holiday party were to begin.  I thought to myself, " how in the world will I ever be able to go to these holidays and parties and watch people drink while I remain sober?"

The way I handled those temptations to drink are as follows and I hope they will help you through this Holiday and many days and years to come, not just Holidays.

• I began to prepare my mind and my feelings of what would happen to me if I were to break and relapse.
• I thought  to myself if I were to drink at these Holiday parties what I would be ruining and all the hard work I did to get where I was at that moment and sober.
• I said to myself that every minute I remain sober at these parties I will be closer to leaving the the temptation to drink.
• I stay strong and determined not to drink and keeping that promise to myself that I made some two years ago.
• I mad sure I had enough coffee to hold in my hand as I sipped it slowly as I was having conversations with all that were drinking alcohol.
• Before I knew it the end of the night was near and I remained clean and sober.
• Ever since those couple of parties I went to it has become so much easier to be around those that drink alcohol and my urge to drink has passed and it doesn't bother me one bit now to go to parties and watch other drink their brains out.  In fact, I watch them now and just how they change with each drink that was drank.  I often wonder to myself, "was that me two years ago?"  If so, I was a mess as those that are pounding them down and thinking they are having a blast.
• I go home sober and awake with a clear head with no hangovers.  I wonder how they felt after their night out drinking?  I bet not like me!
• I continue to tell myself just how proud of I am of my own self and I should be, just as every person that had an addiction and surrendered to it and now living a life of sobriety.

So make your Holidays safe, sober and fun.  Remember, you don't need to drink alcohol in order to enjoy this time of the season with Christmas and New Years right around the corner. In fact, I can truly say for myself, it is much more fun being clean and sober and the best part of it is that you will remember the night to be remember.  Don't blow it and take that one drink for if you are like me, you will be back right your started at day number one and I know I don't want to start all over again after working so hard to get where I am today and you should feel the same way if your were smart.

Don't drink and don't give in EVER!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE AND ENJOY THIS SPECIAL TIME OF THE YEAR BEING CLEAN AND SOBER!!!

Why Is It So Hard To Stop Drinking Alcohol

Oh yes, drinking alcohol is what most people do at parties, picnics, family functions and so many other things that always seem to have alcohol.  The question is, "why is it so hard to stop drinking alcohol?" 

It seems like everything we do in life always involves alcohol is some way.  Why do you think this is I might ask?   Can't we have a fun time without involving alcohol?

Well, back in my drinking days and I'm sure many alcoholics will agree, is that we never wanted to attend any kind of function if alcohol wasn't being served.  Thinking back, I now know this was a sickness and an addiction to alcohol.  How many people do you know that live each day for their addiction and when it comes to doing something without alcohol they are not interested in going or doing anything.  The absence of alcohol is heartbreaking to the alcoholic. They think to them self, "who am I going to cope with this day without my crutch?"  Will I have any fun being sober?

I used to make fun of people that didn't drink and I thought they are missing out on some fun times.  Man was I ever wrong with that theory.  I have found out over the last two years that I have had more fun being clean and sober than the best drunk I ever had.

To stop drinking alcohol is harder than most people think, especially those who have no addiction and can have a few drinks and call it quits for the night, or those that don't drink alcohol at all.

REASONS WHY IT IS SO HARD TO STOP DRINKING ALCOHOL

• Trying to stay sober,but still hanging around with your old drinking buddies.
• You may think you can't get along in this world without your crutch.
• You probably forgot what it feels like to be sober and so used to being drunk and that's your world you know best.
• You have a fear of being sober.
• You may think you will miss out on so great times with family and friends.
• Your worried of how you will feel with the absence of alcohol in your body.
• You may wonder what your friends will think of you being clean and sober and if they will still be your friends because you stopped drinking alcohol.

There are many reasons why it is so hard to stop drinking alcohol and each alcoholic has different reasons for this hard to stop addiction.

Try not to make this recovery process harder than it is.  Believe in yourself and continue to tell yourself that you can a will beat your addiction to alcohol and will never let anything or anyone stand in your way of your sobriety.

What Steps Are Needed To Getting Clean And Sober

There are so many people that have an addiction to alcohol in our world today.  Sad to say, but so very true.  You have no idea just how many people suffer from alcoholism and want a better life , but have no idea how to go about getting that life of sobriety.

They are caught up in the world of addiction with nowhere to turn, or should I say, they choose not to change for the fear of how their life would be without their crutch.

What steps are needed to getting clean and sober?


Step #1 -  First and most important, the alcoholic needs to want to be clean and sober and not get sober because someone is forcing it on them.  They have to want sobriety so bad that they are willing to do anything to get their life back on track and get sober.

Step #2 - They have to get out of the denial they have been living in and finally admit to them self that they are indeed an alcoholic and need help to get clean and sober.  I think once the alcoholic admits there is a huge problem with them and their family life, in which is totally effected by the actions of the addicted person, things will begin to make more sense of why they should try their hardest to surrender to their addiction to alcohol.

Step #3- They have to look at their life and how they are living it in comparison to the way they lived before getting addicted to this horrible addiction we call alcoholism.  They must see for themselves that they are destroying their bodies and their family as well. 

Step#4 - They need to visualize how their life can be living it sober.  Once they can see that their future can be brighter they may then just surrender to their addiction to alcohol.  All they have to do is to look around them and see for them self who is avoiding them.  People that may have been close friends and falling distant because of the poor life style the alcoholic has could be the reason they steer away and avoid being around the alcoholic. The alcoholic can surely see that something is missing in their life and without changing their life they might just lose everything they have over time including their own life.  Addictions are nothing to mess with.  It is like holding a loaded gun and playing Russian Roulette.  Sooner or later you will pull the trigger and the one single bullet in the chamber will be fired.

Step#5-  The alcoholic needs to take a good hard look at their spouse and children a see just how his/her addiction is also effecting them and ruining their lives as well.  You really have to be blind not to see that your bad habits effect many people, not only yourself.

Step #6- The alcoholic needs to change his/her outlook in life and stop feeling sorry for them self and start doing something about it and then take massive action to get sober if they truly want to be free of their addiction once and for all.  Sobriety is out there for all.  It will not come to you.  You need to go after it and shut down the demons inside of you that run and ruin all those addicted in time.  The only way to beat you addiction is to SURRENDER to it.

Step#7- Tell yourself and promise yourself that you will never pick up another alcoholic drink the rest of your life.  If you can hold true to this promise to yourself then you are serious about getting clean and sober.  So now, all you have to do is to JUST DO IT and don't look back.  Run as fast as you can from your addiction.  Never be weak and let your demons back into your life no matter what happens, whether it be bad or good.  Don't back down or give in because something may have happened to upset you and feel as if you need to drink to fix the problem because believe me it won't work.

Step#8- Keep a Positive Attitude towards get sober.  Believe in yourself.  Tell yourself no matter what happens in your life you WILL NOT relapse. Stay strong.  Keep determined to stay clean and sober forever.  Stay busy physically and mentally.  Take up a hobby that you are interested in.  Spend quality time with your family. If you feel uneasy at a party that is serving alcohol, don't go!  Stay clear of all those that are still drinking alcohol and partying. ( These people just may try and shame you into drinking again, but don't give in.)  Just walk away and say NO THANKS.  You know those words, "MISERY LOVES COMPANY"  Don't be the company.  Be stronger than your addiction and with all this and the determination and desire to get and stay sober you should have no problem getting clean and sober.  It's all in the mind and that mind you have can do miraculous things if you let it, so lets get sober and stay sober!!

A Positive Attitude Can Change Your Life

Many people in our society today are not very positive at all, and I truly believe that our economy and the people out of work is a huge part of it.

Do you know how a positive attitude can change your life?  Lets think here.  Say if you walked around everyday with a negative attitude.  Do you really think things will go your way thinking in this manner?  How can you expect things to go well in your life if you are not living with a Positive Attitude?

Positivity in any ones life can do wonders and really change so much in your everyday life.  I can understand just how so many people are negative and for good reason, but you can't let things bring you down as hard as it may be.  You need to continue to at least give it your best shot and start thinking in a Positive way and just maybe by doing so things will start to look up for you.

Your mind is a powerful tool, and you and I can change how we think and feel just be changing our outlook on life and getting out of the Negative world we live in.

You may say, "how in the world can I be happy and think positive when there are so many things against me?"  The trick here is to try your hardest to make those things that are bringing you down and making you a negative person a reality, meaning, work hard to resolve the problem and change it into something positive.  Figure out what you can do to make things better in your life.

If you are unemployed, then go everywhere and look for that job.  Go on the Internet and search for employment.  It may not be what you want at the present time, but something is better than nothing for the time being.  At least you will have some income coming in until you land that job you really want.  Sure it is hard out there and you may just have to take a job that you are really not fond of, but it is only temporary.  Finding a job and having income will help you realize  that there is hope and you will feel good about yourself that you are working.

You may have a sickness in your family, and I certainly can relate to that and it sure will make you a negative person because you feel helpless for the person that is ill, BUT never ever give up hope.  Stay positive and keep thinking that your loved one will soon get better.  Believe in our Lord because he does preform miracles, but you must stay positive and believe in him.  The power of prayer is a strong thing, so if you don't pray then I would advise you start to do so and you will see just how the power of prayer works. Things will not always work out the way you would want them to, but being positive and believing will help tremendously.


So if you feel negative and down, just try your hardest to change your attitude and start thinking positive.  By doing so you may be surprized just how thinking with a positive attiude can change your life. It did for me and I couldn't be happier.

Understanding What An Alcoholic Goes Through Each Day

Do you think being an alcoholic is fun?  None of us set out on a giving day and just decide to start destroying ourselves with alcohol.

Understanding what an alcoholic goes through each day is what I have to try and explain in my own words, and possibly speaking for all those that are addicted to alcohol as I was over two years ago.

Life isn't easy being an alcoholic.  You can ask anyone that has or had any kind of addiction, whether it be drugs or alcohol.  We fear not having alcohol in our system for any length of time.  We constantly worry what people think about our addiction to the alcohol.  We fear if we stop drinking, will something happen that will harm us such as the DTs, shakes, tremors and anything that would effect the body by the absence of alcohol, or should we continue on our path to self destruction to avoid any health problems as such.  But, we know deep down we are doing wrong and sooner or later our addiction will catch up with us and it won't be a pretty thing for sure.  We are planing our own death in a sense and really on our own terms.  We know we are killing our self slow but sure, BUT it still isn't enough to make us stop drinking alcohol.  Sad, but true.

We wait for the right moment until we can have that first of many drinks of the day.  The minute we awake from our restless nights sleep, if we sleep at all, and if we do sleep, I would call it passed out instead, when we can open that can of beer or take that cap off our bottle and start the process all over again.

Many of us are great in hiding our addiction, so we think.  We want in the worse way to live a normal life and not be drunk each and everyday, but the addiction and the demons inside us grabbed us for good.   We are trapped in our own bodies and don't know how to get out.  We suffer each day with our addiction and many times wonder where we will get the money to support our everyday addiction to alcohol.

When we go out on a drunken evening of fun and morning comes, we often wonder to our self if we said anything bad to anyone that would offend them or did we do anything that might of hurt someone the night before.  We wonder these things because of being so drunk and not caring what we said or did until we sober up the next morning and try in the worse way to remember the evening before, but many of us just can't remember anything.  So, we may ask some of the people we were with that evening and hope and pray they don't tell us anything bad that we may have done.  Some of us are even afraid to ask that question for fear inside our self that we may have said or did something that wasn't right, but really didn't want to know the true answer, so we ask nothing.  we figure if we did do or say anything someone would most likely say something to us right?

We wake up in the morning feeling like crap and swear we will never drink alcohol again, until a little bit later in the day when we get our senses together and start feeling somewhat back to normal, if that's what you call it.  We wonder to our self, "should I have a drink or not after the night I had?"  Of course, it doesn't take long for the alcoholic to make up his/her mind to drink or not.  We take that first drink of the day in hopes it will help straighten us up and it does somewhat and guess what, we are right back in the same boat we were in hours before and drinking the day and night away.  A constant cycle, day after day, week after week, month after month.

If you never had the experience of being addicted to alcohol, then you are one lucky person, and saying that, clean and sober people should not down those that have this addiction and in fact they should try to comfort them and help them realize that there is a better life out there being sober.

For anyone that hasn't experienced an addiction in their lives I would suggest watching the TV show on A&E called "Intervention" and you will see first hand what a person that has an addiction goes through each and everyday of their life and how the families suffer right along with the addicted person and how they, the families try there hardest to get their son, daughter, spouse, friend, etc. the help they need to get their lives back on track and surrender to their addiction.



I have heard so many people stating that, " this guy or gal is an alcoholic and is worth nothing in life."  They are a total mess and a menace to society. If you could only walk in an alcoholics shoes for one day you will then realize that being an alcoholic is a horrible thing and anyone that is one can tell you that their life is for crap.  They don't know how to get out of the addiction that has grown to love them.  Their demons are very well settled in their bodies and it will take a lot to get rid of them once and for all.

Clean and sober people have to understand what the alcoholic is going through in order to feel their pain.  As far as anyone that is addicted to alcohol, we the alcoholics certainly understand, and always remember your not alone.

If we all decide to quit drinking alcohol we will see that there is a real life out there to enjoy.  So, let all of us that have this horrible addiction start to prepare for a life of sobriety.  I did it, although it was tough, but not as bad as I thought it might be. I did it and so can you. 

Get focused, get determined and get positive for the new life that you are about to start.  Never let anyone or anything stand in your way of getting clean and sober.  Be stronger than your addiction and get sober once and for all.

How To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone Of Drinking Alcohol

Do you feel comfortable while drinking alcohol?  Do you live each day waiting for that first drink of the day?  Do you think you could survive outside your comfort zone without alcohol in your life?


How to get out of your comfort zone of drinking alcohol depends only on you.  Are you able and willing to make a change in your life and go outside the box and the life of addiction?  Do you feel as if you can surrender to drinking alcohol and live a normal life again?

Yes, this article is full of questions that you must ask yourself if you want to leave that comfort zone that you feel so good living in, and that is living with an addiction to alcohol.

We all get so used to doing the same thing over and over again and forget what it feels like to just live a normal and happy life.  Addictions, no matter it be drugs or alcohol captures you and takes from you.  You may not see it coming because you are very happy in the comfort zone you live and really never want to leave that zone for the fear of what you think may happen.

You are afraid of change and rather just stay where you feel comfortable and never mind anything else in life.  Well my friends, by staying in that comfort zone you are missing out on a whole new life.  You are living with everything the same, day after day and missing out on what life really has to offer.

Drinking alcohol CAN be lots of fun if doing it responsibly and not abusing it, like I did.  Don't get me wrong, I loved to drink and if I could, I would, but that is not possible by no means. 

Many people in the world can have one or two drinks and called it quits for the night and are completely satisfied, and then there are those, like myself, that can't just have one or two drinks.  No, we need more and more until we hit that high that our body needs to be content.  Get drunk, get sick and go to bed, day after day until one day you may see the light and surrender to your addiction as I did and start the recovery process to find your sobriety again.

Don't wait until it's too late and something horrible happens to you or someone else, such as a innocent person or people to decide to quit drinking and abusing alcohol.

Get out of that comfort zone and start living life like it should be lived.  Never be afraid of living a clean and sober life.  Be afraid of what an addiction to alcohol CAN and WILL do to you and your family that is suffering right along with you and crying inside and out for you to see the light and get clean and sober and get out of that comfort zone you have been living in for so long.

Do You Drink Alcohol To Cope With Life

Can you handle what life throws at you, or do you drink alcohol to cope with life? 

Everyone has his or hers ups and downs in life, but you need to be a strong person to overcome these hurdles and problems that come to everyone sometime in their lives.  Many people think that drinking alcohol is the fix all problem solution and in fact drinking just makes things worse than they really are.

The problem that you may have will be lightened while drinking, but at the end of the day, and you sober up, that problem that was so minor while drinking has come back to haunt you and sometimes even worse than ever.

Drinking alcohol will never wipe away any problems in life, so why even try.  Everyone has to get out of the negativity they maybe living in and drinking alcohol thinking it might help.  We all need to start living with a positive attitude and cope with our lives being clean and sober and not masking our problems with alcohol.
I have seen so many people that never drank start to drink alcohol when something went wrong in their lives and by doing so, these people that never drank alcohol now have acquired a love for the booze and before they knew it they were hooked and addicted. 

You can't live life hiding your problems by drinking alcohol and furthermore booze fixes nothing at all.  We all have problems in our lives and we need to cope with it and figure ways to solve our problems and make everyday count in our life.

Think before you drink, and if you think things are better being drunk then you are totally mistaken.  Stand your grounds and never give in to the bottle to make your life better.  As I said, it won't work, it just makes things worse all the way round.

Learning How To Live Clean And Sober

When someone has an addiction to alcohol, learning how to live clean and sober is the last thing on their mind until something horrible happens in their life that just may change it forever.

Learning to live clean and sober takes some real determination and willingness to stay clean.  It won't be easy, but anything good in life needs some work put forth in order to achieve what you are out to accomplish and in this case sobriety is what we are looking to achieve.

Once you have taken that most important first step, which is admitting you are an alcoholic and need help is when you will start on your journey to recovery.  The biggest thing is wanting to be clean and sober and not getting sober because you are forced into it by a family member or possibly the law enforcement.

You need to want it for yourself and no one else.  You are the one that has this decision to make and no one else. You decide how you want to live your life, whether it be living drunk each day and abusing alcohol or living your life clean and sober.  It is your choice only.  You decide your own destiny in life, and always remember that.

No one forced you to start drinking alcohol, so you must try your hardest to change your life and live it clean and sober.  You are missing out on so many things in life being addicted to alcohol.

Learning to live sober is as easy as you want to make it.  If you are going to beat yourself up and feel sorry for yourself that you can't drink, and all your so called drinking friends are pounding them down, then you have to do a little growing up my friends.

Whats more important in life, living everyday of your life in a drunken state and missing out on what life is really about or just getting clean and sober once and for all and forgetting about the addiction that sooner or later will take your or someones life.  You can bank on something happening that all could be avoided if you have the strength and the willpower to find your own sobriety.

WAYS I LEARNED TO STAY SOBER

• I continue to stay busy physically and mentally each and everyday.
• I write articles on living clean and sober almost everyday to help others suffering from an addiction to alcohol.
• I keep a positive attitude towards my sobriety and living a clean and sober life.
• I look towards my future and the dreams and goals I can now achieve being sober.
• You need to start eating right and try to fit exercise into your daily life.
• Drink plenty of the best liquid in the world and that is Water.
• Take up a hobby that you always wanted to do and pursue it.

There are so many things that can keep you busy and help you remain sober.  It is your place to figure out what works best for you.  Each person that has an addiction to alcohol and wants to get clean and sober needs to really sit down alone and sober and start your recovery process in your own mind and what steps to take in order to live sober and stay sober.

You learned to love alcohol and be addicted to it, and now it's time to learn to live a sober and much happier life.  Don't cut yourself short, you can get sober and it's all up to you and you only.

Think positive and you will achieve sobriety back into your life and believe me you won't be sorry you did.

Alcoholism In A Family

It is a wonderful thing to have a great family life with each person loving and caring for each other, but when you have alcoholism in a family it can be a horrible life for all involved.   No one wants to live where there is constant pressure and worry of what the alcoholic may do next.

Is the alcoholic a Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in your family?  Do you still love them the same when drunk verses sober?  Can the alcoholic in your family see that they are causing harm not only to them self, but the entire family that loves and cares for he/she?

When you have an alcoholic in a family many people tend to walk on egg shells while being around the person that is addicted to alcohol. Some people are scared to death that they might say something wrong when around the alcoholic.  We have to watch every word said for the fear of upsetting the alcoholic and he/she may just may go from sociable to unbearable within minutes, just by saying one thing wrong or saying something that the alcoholic doesn't want to hear.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EFFECTS ALCOHOLISM HAS ON YOUR CHILDREN

What do you think our children are thinking when seeing their parent or parents drinking alcohol each and everyday?  What kind of role model are we to these innocent children?  Why do the alcoholics only seem to think of them self and not what the are showing and teaching these children?

By are children seeing the alcoholic drinking alcohol each day, they will in their later years think drinking alcohol is okay to do because after all, my parents did it everyday when I was young and still do to this day.  I have heard those words so many times in my life, and to think I was one of those alcoholics that did drink everyday in front of my own innocent children.

Thinking back over two years ago when I finally stopped drinking alcohol and got out of the denial in lived in for so long, I feel a shamed and embarrassed of the addiction I had all through the young years of my children growing up and watching daddy drink alcohol each and everyday.

I always wondered, and still do to this day what was going through their minds as young children.  Did they think it was okay to drink, just because they did look up to me and I was their father?  I guess being they didn't know any better they just went along and excepted the way I was being an alcoholic in their family.

Man, I wish so bad I could turn back the hands of time and live those young years of my children clean and sober.  Every alcoholic probably thinks the same way, but the addiction had got us and we were helpless to our demons.  The demons ran our lives the way they wanted us to live being addicted to their fuel, which is the alcohol.

I write these articles as many other people that were addicted to alcohol have in hopes to help those now addicted and need and want to get clean and sober.  Many ex-drinkers have websites or blogs to help those in need of help to surrender to their addiction to alcohol.

When someone wants help to get sober and doesn't know where to turn they head to the computer and Google, alcohol addiction, sobriety, alcohol, quit drinking alcohol and so many other keywords in hopes that one website will help them get sober once and for all. 

As for myself, I did the exact thing when I wanted to get clean and sober and find my sobriety, so I search the web and found my savior and the big reason I am sober today.  The website was called Spiritual River and I have to tell you between what I had learned by the articles in that site and my pure determination and my positive attitude I was able to get sober and remain sober and I have to say, staying sober is the biggest challenge of all, but I you have in you and the willingness and desire to stay sober then you will stay sober no matter what life throws at you each day.

So the big thing here is, if you are a person that has alcoholism in your family then be supportive to the alcoholic and offer the help they need, but never enable them, only assist them in their quest to hopefully get clean and sober.

How One DUI Can Change Your Life

Everyone knows that drinking and driving changes lives in more ways than one.  How many times have you been at a party or a bar and got into your vehicle and driven home? 

These people have no respect for the human life and for their lives as well.  The alcohol they have consumed over the evening makes them think that they are indestructible and they think they can make it home safe and sound.  It's not them thinking, it is the alcohol thinking for them.  The demons have now taken over your body and mind.  They are the one that will change and ruin your life in a heart beat.

You better watch out for the men and ladies in blue.  Have you even gave it a thought what the consequences would be if caught drinking and driving?  Of course not.  When drinking alcohol and getting to the point of being drunk, you really don't care about anything or anyone, including yourself.

I can give you a few things to think about and how one DUI can change your life.  You may be just to proud to ask someone to pick you up or call for a ride to get home safe by a sober driver right?

That one mistake could change your live forever.  A few hours of drinking and having fun could, and will, if caught ruin many things in your life, like losing your driving privileges, possible car crash, hurting or killing someone or yourself.

Lets just say you were out drinking all night and got into your car and started to head home.  You are beating the odds so far driving and haven't been seen by any law enforcement and all of a sudden, you look in the rear view mirror and see those nice flashing light from your new found friend, our Police Officers.

You thought you were driving just fine, so you thought.  Not knowing you were swerving back and forth pass the lines in the road.  Your demons said you were driving great, but the Officers saw different.

Everyone thinks we can out smart the law, but with a few different sobriety test conducted on the street and that nice little machine we call today "the breathalyzer" can find more than you think right?

So you fail all test and get placed in the Police car and taken downtown, as they call it.  You are booked and guess what, now you have a nice little record to your name.  You are a drunken driver now and many will find out, including your boss in which some may lose their jobs over.  Many need their drivers licence in order to perform their jobs.  That's number one and secondly, your family will sooner or later find out and then the embarrassment will start to set in.

Lets suppose you didn't get caught by the law, but you lost control of your vehicle because of speeding and crashed.  Suppose that crash involved an innocent person or person and caused them to be hospitalized or possibly killed.  You know what happens if you kill someone from drinking and driving right? 

You will be looking through those nice black bars in your own personal jail cell.  What a way to spend many years of your life looking out through those bars and wondering, "Why did I drink and drive?"

So you were lucky this time getting home without getting caught, but watch out because everyone sooner or later, will lose and their luck will run out and you are finished or dead.  It's that simple.

Click the link above DUI and read and take a good look at the vehicles involved in a DUI crash.  Don't be them.  Be smart and think before you drink!

Quit Drinking Alcohol And Start Living

We are here on earth one time, and for some, it maybe a long time and there are those that choose to shorten their lives and not have a lenghty time here all because of an avoidable addiction to alcohol.

Quit drinking alcohol and start living the life you deserve and live it clean and sober.  I am sure your families and friends would agree that you are a much better person sober.  Do you think so?

Do you really think your life is a good one being addicted to alcohol?  Do you think you can do better with the way you choose to live your life, and if so, what are you going to do about?


Are you strong enough to beat your addiction, or do you think it is too late to surrender to your addiction and just let your inner demons destroy the rest of the life you have left here on earth?
REMEMBER: It is NEVER too late to change your life around and get clean and sober.

These are some of the questions you should really be asking yourself if you truly want to change your life and live it clean and sober. 

They are not hard questions at all to answer.  You have to be honest with yourself and just take a look at your life and see if you are living life or just surviving and being here on earth as a number.  Stand up to your addiction to alcohol and take the action necessary to get sober. Once you get clean and sober the work carries on with staying sober.  One day at a time and you will see just how sobriety can change your life and you will then begin to start living life like you should.

Life is all that you make it and you are the only one that has the power to change it, so what are you waiting for?  Start living life and enjoy every minute of it being sober because you never know when your life will be snuffed out in a second.

If you feel that you have a problem with drinking alcohol and wonder where to turn, then just look at the people around you that want in the worse way to help you quit drinking alcohol.  Once you have amde up your mind to stop drinking, then turn to those that love and care about you and ask for the help you need to get sober.

I thought over two years ago that sobriety would never be a part of my life again, but boy was I wrong.  I made my mind up to quit drinking and start living the life I was put here on earth for.  To be happy, healthy and positive in life is a wonderful thing, and anyone can do this if and only if you have the willingness, desire and the determination to get sober and stay sober.

Sobriety will never hurt anyone, although your addiction to alcohol sooner or later will get the best of you, one way or another.  Try sobriety and you will see a whole new life that you thought was never possible.

Fulfillment In A Sober Life

Fulfillment in a sober life is a story I can share with everyone that has or had an addiction to alcohol as I did over two years ago. 

From my own experiences being addicted to alcohol and now clean and sober.  From one alcoholic to another I want to say that there is always hope and to never give up on your dreams or give up to a sober life.  Sobriety is a wonderful thing and anyone that has a drinking problem should really consider changing their life and find sobriety once more.

As we know, the world we live in is full of ups and downs.  There are problems, wars, and so many things that would bring you down and get you depressed, but many of us turn to alcohol to ease the pain or try to make us forget our problems in our everyday lives.  Drinking and abusing alcohol is NOT the answer to any thing, believe me.  You are only masking the problems for a short time and when you sober up, guess what, those problems and pains are still and maybe worse.

If you truly want fulfillment in your life than take a good look at your addiction and figure out what you can do to surrender to it and start living a fulfilling, happy, healthy and rewarding life.

When someone is addicted to alcohol is their live really fulfilled or is there something missing?  The missing link is their happiness, their health and possibly a doomed marriage, but there is a answer to making all these things disappear and getting the life back you deserve and that is surrendering to you addiction to alcohol.

Life is all what you make it and if you choose to live it drinking alcohol everyday and abusing it, then you have a rude awakening coming.  Your life will only go downhill until the day you hit rock bottom, so why not try to fix whats broken and start living again.

Once you surrender to your addiction you will see how your life will start to change and start heading back up hill.  You will then be able to start to fulfill those dreams and goals you may of had before your addiction took over your life.

Being Addicted To An Addiction

There are so many things people can be addicted to, but are you addicted to an addiction?  I know it may sound stupid worded this way, but when you think about the families and friends you have, they are suffering right along side of the alcoholic or drug addict.  The difference is, they are not putting harmful substances in their bodies.

These addictions seem to travel right through the families and friends that love and care about the real person that has the addiction.  In my mind, I think this is horrible, as you should too.  I can relate to the message I am giving here because I was one of those addicted people that passed my addiction right through my family and never even knew I was making them addicted to my addiction.

I think the big problem with someone that has an addiction is they live in such a world of denial they don't think or see how much they are hurting the people that care and love them so.

Open your eyes and look around and you may just notice a huge difference in the people that love and care about you.  They can only take so much until they break and give you an option, either quit drinking alcohol or I leave for good.  Does that sound familiar to anyone reading this? 

Is it enough to make you quit drinking alcohol?  I bet not, or if you do, it may only be for a short time, and then when things settle down on the home front you go right back to your old ways and start drinking again.

It's time for the addiction to halt and start living the life you and your families deserve.  No one just wakes up one morning and decides to start destroying their life with an addiction.  We all have tried our share of experiments with drugs or alcohol and many people hated it and no longer wanted it in their lives and then there are those that became to like and enjoy the feeling of being high or drunk and sooner or later the addiction that you started with as an experiment became a full blown out addiction.  You didn't plan your life to be this way or did you do it just to help cut your life span short.  You became addicted because the things that you tried and liked did exactly what they were suppose to do, and that is to get you addicted to whatever drug of choice you choose.
.

LETS TRY TO HELP YOU OUT OF YOUR ADDICTION

Sit back and think how your life was before you got addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Think of all the great times you had with your spouse and family before you got addicted.
Think of all the money you will save by not supporting your habit.
Think of how much happier you will be living a life of sobriety.
Think of healing yourself inside your body and detoxing yourself once and for all.
Think of how much healthier you will be.
Think of all the times you might have gotten behind the wheel drunk or high.  No need to worry about that anymore being clean and sober, (although you still have to look out for the other person that is still addicted and getting behind the wheel drunk or high.)
Think of all the mornings you woke up and felt like crap.  No longer will that happen!

**** So these are just a few things to think about when you are tilting that bottle, cracking that can of beer open or using or smoking drugs.

Think of how you are passing your addiction to others without even noticing it, and how you are hurting the ones you love.

What Can Trigger A Relapse

Every person that has any kind of addiction, whether it be drugs or alcohol and want to get sober work very hard to get sober and stay sober, but there are many times these people that had good intentions to staying sober relapse.

From my own experience drinking alcohol I'll try to explain what can trigger a relapse, because it happened to me before, but not this time.  I learned the tricks to getting and staying sober with no urges for the drink.

My sobriety is for good this time and I want to help alcoholics realize that you can get sober and stay sober without the fear of relapse.

I have found out that many things can trigger a relapse, but there are some measures to take to avoid this horrible thing we call relapse.

Say for instance you have been clean and sober for a month or two and you are invited to a party were there will be alcohol served.  You are not sure if you can handle being around people that are drinking alcohol, but don't want to disappoint the person that invited you.  What should you do right?

Think to yourself, "what is more important, your sobriety and what you have been working so hard to keep, or hurting someone feelings?"

As hard as it might seem, you have to tell the person you can not attend, because you would feel tempted to drink being around those that are drinking alcohol.  If this person is any kind of friend he/she will realize and understand the position you are in and that you need to stay away from the temptation to drink until you feel that you are ready to be in the presence of people drinking if or ever.

You have to stay away from those bars you used to hang out in and for that matter, don't even drive around those bars or clubs at all.  Take the long route home if need be to stay clear of all temptation and the chance of relapse.

You don't want in any way to tease yourself or the inner demons inside you that are just waiting for you to relapse so that they, your demons, can begin to take over your life again. 

Continue every single day of your life to continually tell yourself that you will never drink again no matter what happens in your life, whether it be good or bad.

Stay clear of all the people and places that may trigger the urge to drink alcohol.  Continue to think just hard you have worked to get where you are today being clean and sober and if you relapse because of a foolish mistake, you will need to start all over at day number one.  How do you think you would feel by starting all over again at day one?

Would be disappointed in yourself?  I can tell you that you would very pissed at yourself that you were not stronger than your demons, I can  promise you that. 

You know, I am not a Doctor or a Therapist by any means, but I can tell one some stories and experiences of drinking alcohol, something that is not in a text book.  Sometimes you need to learn by your mistakes and others mistakes as well.  This is why I try to write and explain that your addiction to alcohol will sooner or later catch up with you and you might just lose everything you have including your family, friends and in some cases you own LIFE, and why, because you didn't have the power or the strength to stay sober.

Yes we all know how much fun we used to have while partying and drinking alcohol all the years ago, but when you really think about it was it really as much fun as you thought back then.  Remember all the times you got deathly sick from over drinking?  Was that fun?  I bet you said to yourself that you would never drink again after being so sick right?  Did you stay true that thought or did you start to feel better in a day or so and hit the bottle once again?

THINGS THAT MAY TRIGGER A RELAPSE

Problems in the household.
Break up with a boy/girl friend.
Divorce
A family member getting ill.
Loss of employment.
Over your head in debt.
Having problems with your children.

I could write hundreds of things that would make one relapse, but you get the idea right?  The thing is, that no matter what life throws at you one must never be too weak and relapse to their addiction.

There will be many road blocks and thing that make try to make you relapse, but you can't give in or give up.  Face any problem that may come about head on and never think that by going back to drinking alcohol is the fix all because it is NOT!

Remember no one needs to drink alcohol to be happy.  Life is beautiful living it clean and sober.

Stay focused on staying sober, stay strong, stay positive and if you believe you will continue to achieve.  Never Give Up !!

Assist Not Enable An Alcoholic

When there is alcoholism in the family or just someone you may know and love, we think by giving the alcoholic things they may ask for such as money to support their addiction and saying it's Okay by us to drink is helping them, and in fact we are helping them destroy themselves.

Assist not enable an alcoholic is what we should be doing.  Assist them in their need to get help.  Give them the love and support to get better and surrender to their addiction.

Support them in every way possible, but never enable them with their addiction.  Don't let them know it is okay by what they are doing.  Try to explain to the alcoholic that they are slowing killing them self and possibly on the verge of losing their family and friends if you see it with your own eyes, because the alcoholic can not see these things, for they are blinded by their addiction, just as I was two years ago.

So many people that are addicted to alcohol live in their own little world of denial and really can't understand why people harass them with their alcoholism problem.  We all try to make the alcoholic understand what they are doing is not good at all, but they just don't want to listen, nor did I. 

I thought everyone was crazy to even think I had a addiction to alcohol.  Now that I am clean and sober, I now realize that I was the crazy one and not them.  They did not enable me at all, in fact they tried so hard to assist me in getting help and I just wasn't ready to surrender to my addiction, just as so many alcoholics feel.

No matter what people say or do regarding you quitting drinking alcohol, if you are not ready in your heart to give up and surrender once and for all, then no matter what they say is useless.

So the bottom line is if you truly want to help the alcoholic surrender to their addiction, them help them in the right way by leading them in the right direction towards a clean and sober life.  Don't give up on them.  Sooner or later, hopefully they will see the light at the end of the tunnel and admit they do have an addiction to alcohol and then they will ask for the help they need, but until they are ready, assist them and not enable them.

So You Want To Get Sober - What's Next

So you want to get sober what's next is something every alcoholic thinks of when he/she wants to change their lives.

What is the first step in getting sober and how can I start the recovery process is one of the many questions alcoholics may ask themselves, but many may not know the answer or how to go about it.

I know that one of the most important questions is, "do you really want to get sober or are you being forced into something you don't have in your heart to do?"  Are you willing to surrender to your addiction and start a new life of sobriety?


Are you willing to possibly let go of your drinking friends and start to live a normal life without your crutch and friends that may possibly put a damper on you succeeding in getting clean and sober?


So you ask. "Whats Next?"  You have taken your first step by admitting you have a problem with alcohol and want help and now it is time to pick your starting sobriety date in which will be the most important date in your life, and for the rest of your lives, as it is for myself.  I so look forward to my sobriety date to come each year and look back and say to myself, " I have made it through one more year clean and sober."

What a thrill and a huge achievement in an alcoholics life to have made it through one more year of sobriety.

Many alcoholics think they would never be able to get sober, but once they have made their minds up to at least try getting sober, they may surprise themselves by just how easy it can be to get sober if you really have it in your heart to do so.

Stay focused, stay positive and believe in yourself.  By doing these things and keeping a positive attitude in life you will be able to get and stay sober.  No matter what happens in your life while in recovery, don't back down to your demons.  Never let them back into your life again.  They, our demons, will always try to get back into our lives in different ways, but you have to be strong enough to put them away and say the most important word in your life, and that is the word, "NO!"

If you have the willingness, desire and the determination to get clean and sober, then it will indeed happen in your life.  Believe and you will achieve is my motto from now on in my life, as it should be yours as well.

What To Do If You Are Struggling With An Addiction

Many people in our society and in our world are struggling with either a drug or alcohol addiction and can't find a way out. Here are my ideas on what to do if you are struggling with an addiction.

These ideas worked for me two years ago when I quit drinking alcohol and still work to this day.  Here we go with the first and most important thing in surrendering to your addiction to drugs or alcohol.

You need and must want to get clean and sober and will do anything it takes to achieve sobriety.


You can not just make believe to others that you are going to stop drinking or using and hide behind your addiction.


You have to be very serious about what you are about to do.  This is not a game you are playing.


You are dealing with your life and whether you will live or die because of an avoidable addiction.


Ask for the help you need to get clean and sober, whether it be your family or friends and if
need be, seek Medical help so that these trained Professionals can evaluate your addiction and find what proper steps to take for you to get sober, the healthy and safe way.

Don't be a shamed of your addiction.  Tell people that you are an alcoholic or a drug addict and    want help to get sober.  Don't hide behind the bottle!

Start to prepare yourself for your new life once you have admitted you have a addiction problem and need help.  Life is a beautiful thing once you are sober, and your outlook towards life will change so much you will even surprise yourself, as I surprised myself when I took that first step towards sobriety.

If you are struggling with any kind of addiction and want out for good, seek help and never be afraid to ask for the help you need to get clean and sober.
This one question, "to ask for help or can you help me" could be a matter of life or death, so don't delay another second and don't be a shamed to ASK FOR HELP!

Living Life Sober And To The Fullest

If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, you don't know what you're missing out on living life sober and to the fullest.

Living your life sober is such a wonderful thing, speaking for someone such as myself, that was addicted to alcohol for many years, and to live life to the fullest is something many of us do not even try to do or maybe we just don't know how.

I have to say from my own experiences drinking alcohol just how I was letting life slip away and really never even realized what was happening.  Being a drug addict or an alcoholic we tend to only have one thing that is more important than anything else, and that is our addiction. 

All of us are smart enough to know that we are all here on earth just one time so, you had better make the best of every minute of your life while you are here.  Live sober and live your life to the fullest every chance you get, because you never know what tomorrow will bring to you.

I have learned so much about life over the last two years being clean and sober that it is hard to even explain all the wonderful feelings inside I have and all the great things that have happened to me, my wife and my family, and all because I changed my outlook on life. The biggest thing was I finally surrendered to my addiction to alcohol.  Those demons will never run and try to ruin my life ever again and this should go for every drug addict or alcoholic.  Take a stand in your life and surrender to your inner demons.

I know it sounds easy when I word it that way right, but believe it or not it is very easy only if you truly want to live life sober and live it to the fullest. 

If you think you are ready to surrender to your addiction or having any worries of the addiction that captured your life, then do something about it.  So many people worry about their health, and I was one of those people.  If you are so worried about your health and your life then why is it so hard to quit drinking alcohol or using drugs?  I bet you don't have an answer for that question, except that you will say, "well I am addicted to drugs or alcohol and there is now way out of my addiction."  Does this sound familiar to you, because it sure does to me.

There is always a way out of an addiction only if you are ready to change your life for the better and surrender to that addiction.  Until you are fully ready and finally get out of denial and admit you have a serious problem you are going to be stuck right where you are drinking and using, unfortunately.

We all have the the strength, the power and the brain to figure out anything.  The problem is, that so many of us are just happy with our life and the way we are living it now.  I think these people are just afraid to change the lives or too lazy to work on the addiction and start a new life clean and sober.

If you have the willingness, the desire and the determination to get clean and sober than you are taking that first step towards finding sobriety.

I can tell you one thing, you maybe afraid of your health declining or your life being shortened by your addiction, BUT never be afraid of sobriety.  Being clean and sober is something that will help you live your life fuller in the end, so surrender and go for the life you deserve to have and enjoy the one and only life you have.

Enabling The Alcoholic

When there is am alcoholic in your family or any part of your life, many of us tend to feel sorry for them and their addiction to alcohol.  When we start to feel sorry for them we begin enabling the alcoholic and sometimes we don't know that we are in fact hurting them and not helping them.

Many of us think we are doing the alcoholic a favor by lending or giving them money to support their addiction, but in fact we are enabling them, and by doing so, they think what they are doing by drinking and abusing alcohol is okay.

I can realize that someone would feel sorry for the alcoholic because there was an alcoholic in my family and one time and it was myself.  I would ask he same questions to people,such as,do you have any money so I can get a six pack or can you lend me some money because I spent mine on alcohol.

Better yet, when the alcoholic begins drinking in the afternoon or anytime of the day really and then runs out of alcohol and needs more to continue drinking and getting more drunk they then ask if these people can buy more alcohol for them because they are too drunk to drive and get it them self.

All these things our families and our friends may do in enabling the alcohol, but instead these families and friends have to learn the word "NO" and not enable the alcoholic anymore.  Sooner or later the alcoholic may get the hint, although I have known many alcoholics that can get very nasty because what they have asked for as a favor the person or people refuse to do for them.

The main purpose of this article is just to say if there is an alcoholic in your family or in your life, do not enable them and give them what they want.  You are only making things worse by doing so.  You need to be strong and no how to tell the alcoholic, "No I can not help you kill yourself and I refuse to say it is okay to drink alcohol."  If you say no enough times and not enable the alcoholic in their time of need, they will have no choice but to figure it out on their own or simply start to think to them selves, maybe I do have an addiction and I should ask for the help I need to get clean and sober.

This is not to say that the alcoholic will do the above, but it certainly will make it harder for them to get the alcohol they need and when the start to realize they are losing the families and friends slow but sure all because of their addiction they may then see the light and get help.

You are not holding back the alcohol from them just to be a nasty and mean person, you are doing it to save their life and make them realize there is a beautiful life out there for them living it sober.  Be supportive and help them get sober, but not enable them to use you or try to take advantage of you as far as helping them in their addiction.

Are You Afraid Of Relapsing: Tips To Help You Stay Sober

One of the biggest fears for a person in recovery is the fear of relapsing, whether is be alcoholism or being addicted to drugs.

When I became clean and sober people would ask me, "are you afraid of relapsing?" My answer was no and I have tips to help you stay sober.  I have written many articles on tips that have helped me stay sober.  These tips worked wonderful for me and I must say, if you are serious about getting sober and staying sober read what worked for me and took the fear out of me relapsing.  They just may help you not to relapse after working so hard to get clean and sober.

THIS IS WHAT WORKED FOR ME TO STAY SOBER:

First off, when I decided to surrender to my addiction and you have decided to do the same, you must tell yourself you will never be able to pick up an alcoholic drink for the rest of your life.  If you can accept that strong promise to yourself, then you are on your way to sobriety.

Please don't get me wrong.  When I surrendered to my alcohol addiction the first few month and sometime even to this day, I get the urge to drink alcohol, but I continue to remind myself of the promise to myself back when I quit drinking alcohol.

The thoughts that went through my mind were powerful in the respect of just how hard I worked to get to the point of sobriety I was in at that moment the urge came about me to drink, and I must say, by thinking how hard I worked stopped that urge right away.

This goes for anyone that is trying their hardest to stay sober without relapsing.  Think of all the hard work and determination you have to stay clean and sober.  Just think if you were to have that urge to drink and you figured, what the heck, one drink shouldn't hurt.  Once you put that drink to your lips and swallow it, the demons will then be waken and your life may just change by one single sip of a drink.  I say these things by my own experiences with drinking alcohol, but some of you may be able to have that one drink and call it quits, BUT I hardly doubt it would work out for those who wish to try their luck at drinking alcohol again.

There will be many things in the rest of your life while in recovery that may upset you or huddles you may to jump, but never let any of these things in life make you back down from your demons and wind up relapsing.  You can solve anything being sober.  You don't need drugs or alcohol to get through life anymore and always remember that!

Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic sad to say.  I know for a fact if I were to take a sip of alcohol I would be doomed and back to drinking alcohol everyday and I am sure many other alcoholic would fit right into the same category as myself, so the best and only thing to do is to NOT PICK UP that drink.

Aways remember, whether you believe it or not, that you can have more fun being sober than being drunk, at least that is what I have learned now being clean and sober. .

If you keep a positive attitude and stay strong to yourself, and most of all, learn the most important word in the world for any person addicted to alcohol or drugs, and that is the "WORD NO."

Quitting Drinking Cold Turkey

So many people in our world suffer from either an alcohol or drug addiction and they have no idea where to start to get sober in a safe and healthy way.  I, fortunately never had an addiction to drugs, but made up for it by being addicted to alcohol for many years.

Many people that are addicted to alcohol want to quit drinking and often wonder to them selves if quitting drinking cold turkey would be the answer.  In many cases, such as my case, going cold turkey worked for me, but it is not the answer for many other people addicted to drugs or alcohol.

These people may be in danger if they tried to go cold turkey without the proper Medical help and guidance through the process of their detoxification.  You really have to see the proper Doctor and let him/her diagnose and examine the extent of you addiction and guide and place you in the proper Rehabilatation Center to get the correct care in a safe way.

If any alcoholic thinks and wants sobriety back into their lives again, I would recomend starting off first by preparing yourself for a lenthy journey and get ready for journey of a life time.  This journey will not only save your life, but when all said and done, you can be proud of yourself as I am of myself that you and I have beat our demons on our own.  

Don't get me wrong and don't be afraid of sobriety, but I must say when I decided to go cold turkey and quit drinking alcohol once and for all, I was scared to death and the reason was I have lived with my addiction to alcohol for many years, as all alcoholics do, and I didn't know how I would feel or react with the absence of alcohol in my body.

Would I be a happier person?  Would I get sick or get the Dts from having no alcohol in my system by just cutting off the supply of alcohol instantly?

These were a few things that went through my mind when I decided to finally surrender to my addiction to alcohol.  Believe it or not, those things never happened to me after all the worrying.  I was fine as far as the above, but I have to say, I was a bit nervous as the days went by.  I did feel fidgety and didn't know what to do with my hands or myself. I keep telling myself hang in there and you will get through this and become sober again. 

As the day went by, and weeks to follow, things began to feel better inside my old self and I then realized I have been sober for three weeks and then it became months, and now I have passed my two year mark being clean and sober. I can't believe how fast time went and how great I feel. 

I have no desire or the urge to ever drink alcohol again and it will stay like that till the end of my time here on earth.  I gave myself a second chance at a clean and healthy life and I have no regrets of tossing my addiction aside to live the clean life.  You can do the same thing if you are willing to admit to your addiction to alcohol, and want a better life, as I have experienced.

Stand up to your demons and shut them down in their tracks and you will see just how sobriety will change your life as it did mine.

Why Do Alcoholics Lie To Others

Being an alcoholic myself, but now clean and sober for over two years I learned all the tricks of how to hide and lie to others about my drinking.  The question is, "why do alcoholics lie to others?"

When a person has become addicted to alcohol, some of them may hide their addiction from others for the reason of embarrassment.  I know that after many years of my drinking alcohol I began to get embarrassed to even go outside with a beer in my hand.  I knew deep down that what I was doing was wrong, and I say wrong because I would have a beer in my hand pretty much all day.

Don't get me wrong, I love to drink and have nothing against anyone that drinks alcohol, but in my case I carried it too far and didn't know when to stop.  I didn't have that luxury of having one or two drinks and call it quits for the day.  I had to get enough alcohol to cop that buzz I longed for each day.  Now sober and looking back on those days I was really foolish and a very weak person to say the least and never learned to say the words, "enough is enough."

As far as the lies alcoholics tell, they are endless.  I knew a few myself, but in the end I (we) are only lying to ourselves.  I lived, as many alcoholics live in a world of denial.  No matter what anyone tells us we don't believe them or care to listen to their ridiculous remarks on how much we drink.

People would come up to me and ask:
Why do you drink so much?
Haven't you had enough beer?
Do you think you have an addiction problem?
Do you think you are an alcoholic?
Can't you ever go a day without a drink in your hand?
Can't you go anywhere without asking if there will be alcohol?

All these things people would ask me and I am very sure they have asked these same questions to just about every alcoholic that people and family worry about and care for their well being.

After all said and done I still never thought I had a addiction problem at all and just thought these people were rude and didn't know me as they thought they knew me.  Man was I dead wrong with thinking that way that's for sure.

Here are some examples of my lies and maybe a few will ring a bell to other alcoholics.
I promise I will slow down on my drinking.
I promise to only drink on weekends and Holidays.
Please don't leave me I will stop drinking alcohol now.
I didn't mean what I said last night, I was drunk.
I only had a couple of beers.
No I didn't stop at the bar on the way home from work.
I promise I will quit drinking alcohol after this weekend.
I will not buy anymore alcohol I promise.

Maybe some of these lies will hit home to a few alcoholics and maybe you will have your own lies that you think you will get away with.  Believe me, we are only lying and fooling our self and no one else.

'Get out of denial and stop lying and making excuses for your addiction and your actions and lifestyle.  Man up and surrender to your addiction and start to live life like it should be lived and that is clean and sober.

When you surrender and stop the lying it will feel like the world is lifted off your shoulders.  I know it felt that way for me once I became clean and sober.  No more lies and excuses why I drink and now more hiding behind the bottle. No more feeling embarrassed of your addiction and instead feeling proud as hell of your achievement of finding sobriety and living a new and sober life.

Having The Urge To Drink While In Recovery

All of us have had the urge to do something in our life that we know will hurt us in the end, but having the urge to drink while in recovery can be devastating to the reformed alcoholic or the alcoholic that just surrendered to their addiction to alcohol.

When the alcoholic finally admits they have a drinking problem and decides to quit drinking alcohol there will be many urges to drink while starting this long road to recovery.  For myself, when I surrendered to my addiction to alcohol there were many times in the beginning and even in today that the urge has come over me to drink alcohol, but I promised myself over two years ago that no matter what happens in my life and what road blocks I come up against I will never pick up a alcohol drink ever again.

HERE ARE A FEW STEPS I LEARNED TO GETTING SOBER AND STAYING SOBER:

1.  First you must admit you have a drinking problem and need help to get sober.
2.  You need to want to get clean and sober and your heart has to be into it and not just doing
     it to make someone in your life happy or to get them off your back with the nagging
     to you regarding your addiction and your life style.
3.  As hard as it might seem, you need to promise yourself never to drink again and never
     break that promise to yourself no matter what happens in your life. 
4.  You must be and stay strong to yourself and respect yourself enough not to ever drink
'    again.
5.  You have to be stronger than your addiction.
6.  You need to eat and sleep right, eating all the right foods and drink that water to 
     cleanse your body that you abused for so many years.
7.  You need to exercise, run, walk,  lift weights or what ever it takes to get your body 
     back into shape.
8.  You need to stay busy, mentally and physically to keep your mind off the booze.
9.  You may need to stay away from you past drinking buddies and the bars you used to
     visit and drink your nights away.
10. Stay away from all things that would bring temptation to drink alcohol again.   

These are just a few things that helped my get and stay sober for over two years now.  The longer you stay clean and sober the easier it will be to handle different things that may happen bad in your life. 

I can tell you, as I said before, that many things happened to me and my family in those two years, and even though I thought about alcohol and drinking again to fix the problem, (in which it never fixes the problem, it only makes things a thousand times worse) I was strong enough to say NO!

Anyone can do the same thing as I have done, if and only if you want sobriety bad enough in your life, and if you are not positively ready to surrender to your addiction, and what a new life, then it will not work.  (YOU HAVE TO WANT SOBRIETY AND HAVE IT IN YOUR HEART TO GET AND STAY CLEAN AND SOBER)

Stay focused and keep that positive attitude, and with the willing and the determination you will indeed achieve sobriety in your life.

Why Can't I Quit Drinking Alcohol

Have you ever wanted to quit something so bad, but you don't where to start in quiting.  One thing alcoholics may ask them selves is, "why can't I quit drinking alcohol?"  The reason I have found that I or you can't quit drinking alcohol is because we don't want sobriety bad enough to take action of our addictions.

If someone wants something bad enough we will do and try anything to achieve what we want to do, and in my case and every alcoholics case, is that we need to put our addiction to the back and look at our life and the horrible life we are living plus, we are setting a poor example for our children if you have any.

Quitting drinking can and will change your life as it did mine.  I always put my experiences of drinking alcohol and my life and the results of my addiction out to the world in hopes that many will learn by my mistakes.  Sobriety is waiting for all of us.  The only thing we the alcoholics have to do is first to want sobriety, and if you want it then just go for it. 

Sobriety won't come to you unless you go after it.  If you want to live a long healthy life then I would recommend thinking about quitting drinking alcohol.  Sure, it will take some hard work, but what doesn't take work for a positive outcome?

When you or someone else ask, "why you can't quit drinking your answer should be because you just don't want to.  There is no such word as "I can't."  You can do anything in life that you want, but the big problem is to get to that point of wanting something, and in this case, you have to want sobriety back into your life.

When I surrendered to my addiction to alcohol over two years ago I never thought it would be possible because I depended on alcohol thinking it helped me get through each day and in fact it helped me destroy my body and my life each day instead of helping. 

You know, sometimes it takes a huge wake up call or something bad to happen to someone in order to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Don't ever say you can not do something, because as I said, if you have the will and determination, anything is possible in life, including getting sober and staying sober.

Are You Ready To Get Sober

I asked a question to myself over two years ago and that was, "are you ready to get sober Mark?"  When people drink alcohol they tend to change into someone else in the eyes of others, but the person drinking doesn't see just how their mood, personality and actions change when drinking alcohol.

For myself, when I drank, I thought I was perfect and I never did anything that would hinder my actions or hurt someone physically or mentally with what I did or what I said.  I found out when I became clean and sober I was dead wrong by what people would tell me as I stood in front of them sober.  I was shocked to hear many things and never knew.  I was the talk of the town years ago and never knew it.

The question I have for anyone that is addicted to alcohol is, "when will you be ready to get sober and stay sober?"

Will it take something drastic to happen to you or your life?  Will it take being on the verge of losing your family and friends all because you are drinking too much and can't stop no matter what happens or what people say to you? 

This is something to really think about.  You need to put your priorities in order and think to yourself which is more important, your life, your family and friends or the booze?

Make up your mind one way or another whether you want sobriety in your life or just stay on the path of self destruction by drinking alcohol and take the chance of losing your family or possibly losing your own life.

You can get sober, believe me.   The only thing you must do to start the process of recovery is to admit you have a problem and surrender to you inner demons once and for all.  Once you have surrender and ask for the help you need to get sober, then the process of recovery will begin.

Understand, this will not happen overnight getting back to your old sober life.  It took years for you to get addicted to alcohol and it will take time to get used to being sober and having no alcohol in your body, but don't fear, each and everyday sober will get easier and easier, at least it did for me.

Stay focused on getting clean and sober.  Stay positive and keep that positive attitude going and continue to tell yourself that you can and will get sober again, and with the strength,
determination and the willingness to get sober, it will indeed happen.

This May Help You In Your Quest To Get Sober.

Are You Afraid To Get Clean And Sober

What are you afraid of ?
Are you afraid to get clean and sober ?
Are you worried what your drinking partners will say ?

Rest assure, you will be better off then your drinking buddies when you decide to get clean and sober.  When the alcoholic has had alcohol in their system for so many years, like myself, it tends to be a huge part of the alcoholics life and they are afraid to do without it, as I was.

What will I feel like being clean and sober?  Will I get sick from the absence of alcohol in my body?

These are the questions I asked myself before I decided to quit drinking alcohol.

I was scared to death thinking of all the different things that may happen to me when I became sober, but it wasn't enough for me to back down and stay addicted to alcohol.  I was determined to change my life around and live it like it should be lived and not let alcohol run my life for me.

Since I became clean and sober I now realize that sobriety will never hurt you, it's your addiction to alcohol that will kill you in the end and you can take that to the bank.

If you are like I was and need to drink every night, seven days a week for years without a break, than I would seriously think about getting help or just tossing in the towel, because you will never beat your demons and the games they play on you and your body.  So, you might as well surrender to them and get sober once and for all.  They will win in the end if you keep on the path of self destruction.

I believe I caught it just in time before my whole world fell apart and thank God I did.  It has been just over 2 years sober now and I don't miss the drink at all.  I have no desire to drink or the urge to drink at all.  I am not afraid to be around people that still drink alcohol because I know that I am stronger than my addiction now and I have learned the best word of all and that is to be able to say NO!!

So if you are afraid to get clean and sober, don't be, because it will be the best thing you could ever do in your life.  You will feel free once again and not having your addiction run your life wherever you go.  You will now be in charge of your own life again.

Are You Living In Denial With Your Addiction

There are so many people that are addicted to alcohol, but they think there is nothing wrong with them.  They think what they are doing by abusing alcohol is not a problem, but they have no idea what they are putting themselves and others that love them through.

The big question to the alcoholic is, "are you living in denial with your addiction?"  I know now being that I am sober, that I certainly lived in denial for many years.  I said the same thing.  I am not doing anything wrong and I am not hurting a soul so why is everyone saying I have an addiction to alcohol?  They were my famous sayings while so blinded by my addiction.

I believe the word denial is, "the absence of acceptance."  The alcoholic is not willing to accept they have a drinking problem, no matter what anyone tells them or even what they see when looking into a mirror.  They truly can see through their own eyes that they are slowly, but surely killing them self. The old saying is that, "pictures or mirrors don't lie" and I can testify to that by what I saw in myself as I slowing was declining in health and looks. 

Living in denial with your addiction is something that you the alcoholic can only change.  Hopefully the alcoholic will realize that they have a problem with drinking before it is too late.  For some people that are addicted may never see the light and get out of their denial and for others they may catch it in enough time to change their life and live it clean and sober for the rest of their time here on earth.  As for myself,  it took many years to see the light and to get out of the denial I lived in for so long.  I now know that sobriety is a wonderful thing and I only wished I would have realized it much earlier in life, but as they say, "better late than never."

Once you have realized you are an alcoholic and need help, and admit it to yourself and everyone else, than getting clean and sober is going to enter your life, because you have surrendered and want to get help and want sobriety back into your life.

As hard as it might seem, getting clean and sober is possible for anyone addicted to alcohol or even using drugs.  You may say, "yes, easier said than done," but I have to tell you, I did it and never really thought I could until I put my mind to it and got out of the denial I lived in for so long.  Once you realize you have a real problem then it should be no problem admitting you live in denial and you want to do something about it by surrendering to your demons.

If you want a quality life and to be healthy again stand up to your demons and surrender to your addiction.  Get out of denial and take action to change your life for the good.  Ask for the help you need to get better and never hide behind your addiction because those you are hiding from know the real story, but you may think they don't.  You would be surprised just how many people are talking about you without you even knowing.  I call say this because once I got clean and sober is when I found out the true feelings people thought about me.

Give sobriety a second chance and you will be surprised of just how great your life will be living life sober.