[Justbyou]

What a year it’s been! February of 2013 I decided it was time to take this recovery thing seriously. I checked myself into the hospital for a week and right when I got out enrolled myself into a yearlong outpatient treatment program. I knew if I wanted things to be different I had to do things differently this time around and I had to be willing to make some pretty big changes.

This last year has been a whirlwind of emotions. I guess that is to be expected when you’re changing everything you once knew. During the last year I’ve had my share of tears and pain. However, I’ve also had a great deal of happiness come my way. It’s amazing when you let go of the negative how much room you leave for the positive to find you.

As I mentioned I put myself in a yearlong treatment program. On April 3, 2014 I graduated!!. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so proud of myself and such a sense of accomplishment!!!

This year has been far from easy. I feel like I’m learning who I am all over again. Who I am, what I like to do..Etc. I invested so much time in drugs I had lost myself and knew nothing else. I still have a long ways to go. However, I know today that I am a really good person and capable of so much more than I ever gave myself credit for.

On May 19th I celebrated 8 months clean. Back in September I went through a rough patch. Almost lost my dad and went through a bad breakup. I slipped for 4 days. I learned a lot from that slip. I learned that I don’t need the drugs anymore to deal with life’s stress. That I will be OK without it. I like to say I have 15 months clean minus the 4 days that I went back out because that time I had isn’t lost.

So overall I just like to say that things do get better. My life is far from perfect, but I’ve learned how to look at life in a different light. I hope that someone out there will read this and realize there really is light at the end of the tunnel.

[Altered Moment]

I agree. You don't lose what you gained on a four day slip. And way to go. That is great. Now that you graduated is it scary without that support? I am sure they have aftercare but what did they advise to maintain sobriety?

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[Justbyou]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

I agree. You don't lose what you gained on a four day slip. And way to go. That is great. Now that you graduated is it scary without that support? I am sure they have aftercare but what did they advise to maintain sobriety?

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Thank you!

No it hasn't been scary at all for me. I think that is because I have a great support system outside of treatment. They have advised me to keep doing what I've been doing to stay clean. Continue my therapy, stay on my meds, go to the gym, eat good, surround myself with positive people and overall just keep myself busy and if I ever need it I am welcome back to group at any time.

[DePressMe]

justbyou, yeah, for me that fist year was a real killer! My life was turned upside down, inside out and pretty much any other way imaginable. My partner got sober about 9 months after I did (now ex partner.) After we were both sober over a year, we agreed that we would never, ever want to do that again. I am not tempted to drink anymore but in the begining I was sorta encouraged to stay sober just because I did not want to go through that first year again. I'm not implying that I would lose any of my sobriety time if I drank again. And, maybe I'd never have such a tough time getting sober but I don't want to find out. Now that I've been sober for awhile, I believe that living sober is so much better than drinking. I don't even want to social drink--it's just not what I want out of life. I no longer stay sober because being a drunk hurts or out of fear or dread--I'm sober simply because I prefer it. There was a point in my life when I never could have imagined that I'd actually "want" to be sober...I thought I "had" to be sober because it was killing me. Now, I want it.......D.