Maybe some will find this question silly, but I have to ask anyway. I see many posts on this board from different people that have been sober for months or even years and they still call/consider themselves alcoholics. I have been sober for only two plus months and if I call myself an alcoholic it reminds me of those dreadful days I am trying to forget. Or maybe I'll be an alcoholic all my life? I dont know what to consider myself. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I can only speak for myself Steve,but i will be an Alcoholic till the day i die mate,not matter how much recovery i acheive, 'm only one drink away from being a drunk.
Nobody will/can tell you if your an 'Alky' but if you are fella it will never go away
Nobody will/can tell you if your an 'Alky' but if you are fella it will never go away
Hi Steven...I will always be an alcoholic...no matter what I do!!!
My illness is only in remission!!! But I can bring it out of that state
of remission by drinking 1 simple drink...Then all bets are off!!!
If you are an alcoholic...you got 2 choices
1. To be an active drinking alcoholic with nothing and a rotting body
and/or mind
2. To be a happy sober alcoholic
I choose number 2....How bout you???
nba5150
1 drink away from living hell
My illness is only in remission!!! But I can bring it out of that state
of remission by drinking 1 simple drink...Then all bets are off!!!
If you are an alcoholic...you got 2 choices
1. To be an active drinking alcoholic with nothing and a rotting body
and/or mind
2. To be a happy sober alcoholic
I choose number 2....How bout you???
nba5150
1 drink away from living hell
I disagree respectfully, but you are all entitled to your own opinion. When I think of myself as an alcoholic i picture myself in that old lifestyle and it brings out deep emotions and reminders of the slave I was to the bottle. I am not that person anymore. I am just like all those that are not addicts. I am not an alcoholic....I WAS an alcoholic.
I identify as a "recovering" alcoholic at times...my recovery is constant and progressive, just like my alcoholism...I'm only an arms length away from a drink and I never want to forget that...it took me over 20 years to achieve sobriety and I was out there for 28 years. I am told (and have witnessed recently by a friend going back out to do some more research and development) that the disease of alcoholism is waiting at bay...and if I were to pick up today, I would start right back where I left off or worse! Believe me, during this holiday season I have seen a number of people with years of sobriety go out, get drunk, and landed in worse shape and trouble than ever before....thank God I am sober today and am active in my recovery and am teachable and willing to grow in all aspects of my life. I am proud to say I am an alcoholic who is in recovery! I have a little over two years of sobriety and have just celebrated my 3rd Christmas clean and sober...miracle!
Well they do say it's a desease of denial Steven ;)
I never denied I was an alcoholic. I was an alcoholic, and I am proud to say that. The key word in that statement is "WAS", I was an alcoholic and now I am not.
I believe once an alcoholic always an alcoholic....I am in "remission" now...but that's how I believe....and I respect your opinion....cause, if I forget for a minute that I am an alcoholic I might just pick up ~ no, I know me, I will pick up because if I am not an alcoholic I can drink normally ~ however, I cannot, so therefore I am...and I've been told only we can decide if we are alcoholic or not...no one can make that decision for you. Good luck to you my friend.
I gave up drinking completely after, with some help, I came to a realization that I have/had a problem with alcohol. I stopped drinking completly beacause, like vwgirl said, if i picked it up again I might go back to that servitude I felt for a very long time. So I wont drink again not because I'm an alcoholic but because theres always a chance I will become an alcoholic again. Thanks to vwgirl, paul w and the others who have helped and advised me so far. I look foward towards talking with others on this board as I continue on my road to recovery.
My Sponsor (on the AA program) has always told me that 12 step recovery programs are not the only way everyone stays sober. Some people just stop drinking on their own volition. However, for me, participating in a recovery program allows me to get to the core issues of why I continually "checked out" with alcohol and drugs and is teaching me to live life on life's terms and do so with peace and serenity as I have never felt before. So, what works for some may not work for others....
Glad i was able to help Steven...similary to VW i still need go to regular AA meetings even though i have been sober for quite a few days now,because if i dont attend regulary i will probably end up drinking again as my head is constantly telling me that "i'm not an alcolholic" quite bizzare really as towards the end of my drinking i couldnt go more than 20 mins 24/7 without a drink,and driving around at 5am trying to find an off licence open.
Paul W - Isn't the Program an awesome way to live? Do you guys have sober New Year's eve activities where you are?
Hi VW...yes the 12 step programe is an awsome serene way to live,as for New years eve shindigs well yes theres one going on tonight but they aint really my thing.Tonight i just chilled out watched a little tv and i'm gonna have a read later.
Howbaout you vw,no new year celebrations for you ?
Howbaout you vw,no new year celebrations for you ?
Hi Paul, btw, my name is "Geri"...but anyway, nope no plans...it is raining here in SoCal and I mentioned in another post that we native Californians just don't know how to drive in the rain so I'm staying in. I rented 4 movies, got chinese food and am hunkering down. There's a sober dance at a local Alano club that I bought a ticket for, but I'm deciding not to go...with the rain and all; especially amateurs driving drunk in the rain...hmmm, not a good equation.
