Fighting For Your Life In Recovery

When someone has been addicted to alcohol or drugs for most of their lives there comes a time that many will say, "enough is enough".  This was my life while drinking and abusing alcohol for many years.

I started drinking alcohol at the age of nineteen because of something that came into my life that I felt I couldn't handle being sober, so I took up drinking thinking this would be the fix all of my problems, and was I ever wrong.

Nothing got fix, in fact with drinking and abusing this drug over the years I depended on alcohol each and everyday as a result.  As the years went by I realized, "I am an alcoholic!" I thought that just drinking to feel good would wind up me being an alcoholic in the future.

There was one thing though.  I knew deep down inside that I was addicted to alcohol, but I just never wanted to admit to others, and I in turn I really lived in denial.  I told myself, and other I could stop drinking alcohol anytime I wanted, but I knew for a fact that this addiction to alcohol got the best of me and it showed according to others that knew me, including my wife and children.

Fighting for your life in Recovery would be the next thing I would have to do, once I finally got out of the denial I lived in for so long, and decided to get and stay sober.

As you all might know, especially those alcoholics out there that are reading this, it is not a easy thing to say goodbye to the one thing you love and depend on each and everyday.

If I wanted to save my family, and in the long run, save my own life, I would have to surrender to the demons that had control of my life and the lives of my family.

On the night of October 26, 2009 I finally made up my mind to surrender once and for all to the demons of alcohol.  I sat in the garage as I usually did all alone ready to open my first of many beers for that night and all of a sudden a voice came in to my head.  That voice was the voice of God,

Many of you may not believe it, and then some of you just might.  I wrote a hub on this experience of the night of October 26th and it is titled "A Life Changing Whisper."

That was the night that changed my life.  To be able to hear the words of God in my head.  I sat with a beer in my hand not even opened yet.  I sat and listened to the words spoken to me and to tell you truth those words frightened me to death, because I knew right then that I MUST do something to change my life right that moment.

I put the beer down, that I never opened, and said to myself, "tomorrow October 27, 2009 will be the change in my life, and I will never ever pick up a alcoholic drink for the rest of my life."

October 27th is only day away as I write this and it will be 5 years clean and sober for me.  This is something I never thought I could ever do.  I thought all those years that I drank, why stop drinking now, the damage is already done with all the years I drank and abused alcohol, so why bother now was my words for many years."  I was wrong in that statement I said to myself.

So ever since that day in October of 2009 my life has changed in so many ways, but believe me it was not easy to say goodbye to my addiction, BUT I did it and so can you!

Remember, each and everyone of us only have one life to live, so why would we destroy it with an avoidable addiction to either alcohol or drugs?

I truly can't believe in a few days I will be clean and sober for 5 years! My sobriety not only changed my life, but I have changed the lives of my wife, children, families members and dear friends, and I am not talking about the so called friends I drank with because they are all out of my life ever since I stopped drinking alcohol, for we now have nothing in common.  Sad to say, But very true.

So just remember, you need to fight for your life while in recovery, because everyday there may be some type of temptation or urge to drink again.  I (we) will always be alcoholics no matter how you look at it, but we all must be stronger than the demons that once ran our lives, and other lives that we were so close to.

Be strong each and everyday of you new life. Stay clean and sober and try to help others as I do to make them understand that there is HOPE for every alcoholic and drug addict. 

If you get sober and just happen to relapse, get back up and try again until you get it right. Anything is possible in life if you truly want it bad enough and that includes a life of  long term sobriety!

How To Stop The Urge To Drink Alcohol While In Recovery

Here is how to stop the urge to drink alcohol while in recovery from what works best for me now being sober for over four years.

As we all know, or for anyone that has an alcohol addiction problem, we know that urges and temptations to drink alcohol come over us more than once while we are trying to stay sober.  For myself when those urges come over me I look back at the dark days of hell when I drank and abused alcohol.

It is a reminder of just how my life was, always depending on the alcohol to make me have a good day, so I thought.

You need to really think of what you put your body through, and not only that, what you put your family and friends through while you were drinking and abusing alcohol.  You know that when we drink too much, and are addicted to the substance that just may ruin your life, and the lives of others, you have to realize once you are sober and that urge comes about you can not give in ever!

The demons that are still inside us are just waiting for us to mess up and pick up that one glass of alcohol.  That one glass of alcohol that will be the ruination of out sobriety.

I know for myself, if I were to touch one sip of alcohol it would be the end of my long term sobriety, and I am sure it would be the same for anyone that has been sober for some time.  All of us have to be stronger than any urge or temptation to drink alcohol and it has to be forever.

Here is what I think about when that urge to drink comes over me:

• How I felt while drinking and abusing alcohol.
• What I put my family through all those years of drinking.
• The money I spent on alcohol instead of spending it on my families needs.
• The massive hangovers every morning.
• What I began to look like over time appearance wise.
• How I felt physically and mentally.
• How negative I became.
• How I felt sorry for myself and wondered why nothing ever went my way.

These are just a few things I think of when that urge to drink comes over me.  Believe me it is enough to say NO to alcohol.

Back in October of 2009, the 26th to be exact, I made a promise to myself that no matter what ever happened in my life, whether it be good or bad I would never pick up an alcoholic drink ever again and believe me, many things have happened over the last four years, some good and some bad, BUT it was never enough to make me drink alcohol again.

I always thought drinking alcohol would solve all my troubles in life and once I became sober I found out that that theory, or saying was dead wrong!  Alcohol solved NOTHING, it only made matters worse!  

Now being sober for the last four years I feel so much better.

My appearance has improved 100%.

All the weight I gained while drinking has disappeared, and I am back to the weight I should be.

My family and married life has changed 100%, all for the better.

No more massive hangovers.

My appetite is going strong.

I am now 100% a positive guy and very happy with the life I now live.

My health is great and I am finally a very happy man!

My dream of living by the Ocean has become a reality, something that never happened as hard as I tried when I was drinking.  Nothing ever worked out for me as hard as I tried.

I guess the old saying is right.... You can't be helped unless you are willing to help yourself first!

Living In Recovery

Living in recovery is something we the alcoholics need to get used to.  After so many years of drinking and abusing alcohol, getting and staying sober is so different to all of us.

Our bodies are so used to drinking alcohol everyday and when we stop drinking and want to change our lives we tend to be a bit bored with our new life.

Why are we bored?  The simple reason is that when we live our life for alcohol and need to have alcohol everyday we just cannot get used to the fact that our alcohol demons are no longer with us, so we need to find something in our life to occupy ourselves and get our minds off of the poison that was going to kill us sooner or later.

When I stopped drinking alcohol I was a nervous wreck trying to figure out what I would do for the entire day without having a drink in my hand.  It was the most unpleasant feeling in the world.  It felt like one of my arms or legs were missing.  That is how much I depended on alcohol each and everyday.

I am very sure many of you that have stopped drinking feel the same way as I did and do.  I am used to being without alcohol now because it has been almost four years without a drop to drink.

We need to learn how to stay busy and occupied each and everyday.  Living in recovery is a wonderful thing I must say.  When we drink alcohol and abuse it to the point that we depend on it everyday we tend to forget what it feels like to be sober and live a life of sobriety.

We also need to stay positive and have a positive attitude at all times.

HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT KEEP ME SOBER DURING MY RECOVERY:

• I think to myself how hard I worked to get to the point of where I am now in my recovery.
• I think how many times I hurt my family and friends while I abused alcohol.
• I think how much money I wasted on alcohol, when I should of been using that money for my family needs.
• I think of all those horrible mornings feeling like crap from over drinking the night before.
• I write articles each day here on my blog and also on HubPages in hopes to help others that are suffering with an addiction to get and stay sober.
• I think of all the wasted days I had because of drinking my life away.
• I think of all the things I missed out on because I put alcohol before all else.
• Loss of quality time with my family and friends.

Those are a few things to think about when you are in recovery.  You don't want to pick up that first drink when you ever get the urge for alcohol.  This will happen to you as it has happened to me a few times.  Having that temptation to drink when something may not go the way you have wanted it to go.

Living in recovery is a wonderful thing, but you will have those days you just wished you could have a drink and make things get better, but as we all know, drinking alcohol will not fix one thing in your life.  I learned that the hard way and it took many years to finally figure that out.

Enjoy your recovery and be proud of what you have accomplished in your life by beating your demons.

Stay strong and keep that positive attitude at all times.  Never let anyone or anything stand in your way of your recovery.  You need to be proud of yourself and love and respect yourself more than ever.

You will indeed have bad days in the future, as we all do, but never let those bad days make you reach for that first drink of alcohol.

How To Get Ready To Walk The Road To Recovery

Here is my version of "how to get ready to walk the road to recovery."

First and foremost, you must want to change your life and start to live a life of sobriety.  Until you have admitted you have an addiction to alcohol, and need help, your road to recovery is not in the cards just yet.

You have to really want to live life clean and sober, and I don't mean for a week or month, I mean Long Term Sobriety. Forever without another drink of alcohol.  Do you think you can handle that, or do you think you will cheat while sober and just have a drink or two every now and then?

If you are sober now that is wonderful, but as the Holiday's are approaching us the alcoholic that has sobered up has that temptation and the urge to drink.  I know for myself it is a touch road when these Holiday's come around each year.

You see some many people drinking alcohol and just having a grand ole time while you sit there sober and drinking your soda or coffee.  The parties are everywhere around Christmas time, and then New Years Eve comes and the booze really is flowing at many New Years parties.

How can you stop the urge to drink alcohol during these times of big parties?

1. Remember just how hard you worked to get on the road to recovery.
2. Remember how you felt each morning after a heavy night of drinking.
3. Remember how you acted when you drank too much alcohol and made a fool of yourself.
4. Remember what you almost loss when you were addicted to alcohol.
5. Remember how much money you have saved from stopping drinking.
6. Remember the arguments and fights you had with your spouse or friend because of your drinking.
7. Remember those days you got behind the wheel being so drunk because you just didn't care.
8. Remember being pulled over and given a DUI.
9. Remember the horrible things you said to someone that meant so much to you.
10. Remember the buzz you had was only temporary, until the next time you drank.  It is nothing but a vicious cycle, day after day.
11. THESE THINGS SHOULD MAKE YOU THINK TWICE WHILE AT A PARTY AND YOU HAVE THE URGE TO DRINK.

It will take lots of work to get on that road to recovery, but once there, and you stay on that road, life will be so much better for you and those that love and care for you, such as your families and friends.  

HERE IS HOW I PREPARED MYSELF FOR THE ROAD OF RECOVERY.

1. I took a good hard look at my life as it was at that moment.
2. I looked around at those that loved and cared for me and wondered if drinking alcohol was worth losing all of this love and respect they have for me.
3. I had to get out of the mood of being negative and change that to Positive Attitude.
4. I looked at what I was depriving my family from my addiction to alcohol.
5. Preparing yourself for the road to recovery takes thought and the willpower to stop drinking alcohol.
6. You must have the willpower, determination and the strength to say NO MORE to the demons that have run and ruined your life, and when you see what they have done to you and what they are going to do to you in the future, you may what to think long and hard to stop drinking and get on that new road to recovery.

**Here is a great website by a friend of mine that will help you sober up and have long term sobriety back into your life.  He has great Pod Casts, and so much information on stopping drinking alcohol and turning your life around, as I have, and he has as well.  It is called Living Sober Sucks, (but living drunk sucks more).  Check it out for it will help you get on that road to recovery.

**As for myself, I wrote this eBook a couple years ago regarding how I started drinking and and my life of alcohol addiction.

So if you want a new life and get out of the addicted life of alcohol then here is what you should think about doing:
* Think positive, and continue to tell yourself that you can and will find long term sobriety.
* Have the strong desire and the willingness to change your life once and for all.
* Don't let anything or anyone steer you off the road of recovery no matter what.

God Bless all those that have an addiction to alcohol and want to change their life around.  Keep telling yourself that you can do it, and before you know it you will be on that road to recovery.  Stay strong, believe in yourself, and keep that positive attitude in everything you do in life.

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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!!!

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.