After a stressful three weeks of sleepless nights and non stop worry and stress over a drug test, there's no way I could smoke pot again it's just not worth it. Also what I've found throughout my sobriety is a new hobby, every night when I wanted to smoke I started oil painting instead to keep my mind off of it. Now I find oil painting at night helps me sleep better than weed ever did!

I thought I would never make it here. I was an awful person before all of this. I wrestled with shame and guilt. I was powerless to my addiction. God knows how many times I’ve been lured into my old patterns again, but I resisted & I did my best to take it one day at a time. I constantly told myself that progress is progress no matter how small.

Now here I am, celebrating my damn 6th.

Whoever needs to hear this, I know it’s hard sometimes, but you have to trust that it WILL get easier. It starts within. It starts with you. Please, stay sober.

First year almost seemed too easy but the last one really put me to the test. A lot of mixed emotions being here today and holding my chip. Really grateful to this community and for everyone in it sharing/supporting eachother to keep pushing forward and holding strong together.

Here’s to another day and the start of another 365 to the next milestone.

I was sober for a couple of years and slipped back it August. So it's back to one day at time.

I feel like shit. I keep relapsing. Alcohol, drugs, smoking, porn, junk food. I keep falling into this trap of escaping and going to these things repeatedly. I feel drained. I hate this. I want to break free. But at this point I'm not sure if I've got it in me.

How can I do this?

Getting high is keeping me low as hell. I'm so done with it! I want more for myself. This sucks.

I often find myself wondering why I’m still sober, whether I’m simply being stubborn at this point. I’m afraid sobriety for me has been extremely difficult, I have a tonne of underlying mental issues I’ve not got a handle on. I’ve found it hard to deal with all these problems day to day without being able to use a bottle of wine to mask them. I am constantly restless, I have hobbies and work out regularly; but still doesn’t appear to make any difference. Truly I haven’t found anything that relaxes me like a glass of wine did.

I constantly read and hear of stories from fellow sober people that have found a new lease of life, or had great results being a year sober. I’m sad that’s not me. I am going to therapy and I am suspected ADD (ADHD) so I’m unsure if that makes a difference, perhaps alcohol was my highest dopamine hit. Not sure what the point of this post was, I just feel quite alone in my journey. I don’t want to drink again as I’m not mentally sound, but when it felt like I dealt with life better when I did, it’s really sucks

Hi guys. I’m currently 4 months sober and starting to crave a bit of chaos. Is this normal? I do meetings. Have started my step work. Do service and keep in contact with a few people. I’m just finding it’s all abit too nice for me. I work in disability. Tend to my veggie patch. Have a few goals I’m working on. See a few friends. It’s just all abit lame.

I’m not gonna pickup a drink or drug but just thought I’m starting to bore myself. Haven’t been 4 months clean and sober since 2019.

Wondering if this is normal and how others felt.

Time I was at AA I was 18. What is it done for me since then 23 now two broken relationships. Relationships were nothing works out. Kid or teenagers reading this just stop messing with alcohol. It’s not gonna do you any good I want to get into it. It’s hard to stop especially as a blue-collar guy so promoted in my field so if I can even help one person get away from this drug that people think is a drug, get away from him and be better. Love you family be better.

i quit recently this is pretty much my first week completely off it, up till then i was just finishing off what little was left. anyways today i have not ate anything but a protein shake. its really bothering me i know i need to eat but i cannot seem to get hungry no matter how hard i try to convince myself by looking at food i like, but still i feel nothing. idk what to do? i’m not good at forcing myself to eat i just end up gagging and spitting it out. i have no idea what to do any advice would be appreciated. also idk if this would make a difference but i feel i should mention in case it does, i been smoking everyday non stop for a decade. i also used to have an eating disorder when i was a tween but i’ve never had an issue with that ever since but idk if that could also be a factor?

Ive been sober now for 57 days, got sent to a medical clinic today for a drug test that they sent to a lab. The first 30 days i was working labor so i did get some exercise in. But im still worried i might fail this test. Its for Thc. Anybody have some thoughts?

A few months ago, I was stuck in a cycle of cocaine use. It started as a way to escape stress, but it quickly spiraled, leaving me anxious and disconnected from myself and others.

One day, I realized I was losing control and decided I couldn’t keep living that way. It’s been 38 dayssince I quit, and while it’s been tough, I’m finally feeling like myself again.

If you’re struggling, know you’re not alone. Change is possible—it starts with one step.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to reach out if you want to talk.

So basically I have no coverage for things related to substance abuse/detox etc. but I do have a specific lifetime allotment of days for "acute psychiatric care" like the mental hospital.

What j have typically done in the past is go to one place I know I have coverage we'll call Csprings, and while the drug detox may have been my primary driver for inpatient, I would of course inform them I am having 'difficulty with my mental health' as well so my insurance would cover the trip (minus the 2k deductible of course but far better than 1.5k/day)

That would result in me being covered

I am now seeking a different facility for detox currently (I relapse in SL and have to detox in order to be allowed back), however I am hard pressed to find a detox facility that I can admit to.

I was curious if my same method I used for Csprings would work at a different facility as long as the new place is a co-occuring disorders facility? Or is there like different classifications for say, a mental hospital that ALSO does detoxification, VS a DETOX that ALSO does mental health??

I'm also finding a lot of places online that mention they take Medicare but I was always told Medicare doesn't cover things like SUD treatment? Is it even with it calling these places and potentially wasting my time?

SECOND QUESTION:

I am basically in poverty, I make 28,800/year and that's from disability alone, I have read many "sliding scale" places do around 200% of the FPL, so wondering if I appear to qualify under that standard? Or if Sliding Scale is even something for me or if It is a worthy approach? Thank you to anyone with any insight!!

I haven't smoked weed in 16 days and I'm still super anxious and hyperventilating at work now which I never did before. I've quit before and I was never this bad. I can't wait for this feeling to dissipate.

Im struggling. I have a very unique break up situation. I'm hoping someone out there has some sound advice for me!!

So I struggle with alcoholism and it has impacted my relationship negatively throughout the entire thing. He knew and he stayed, hoping i would get better because he saw how bad I wanted to. Fast forward 3 years and 1 baby later, I still couldn't get off the sauce. After our baby was born, I slowly went back to my lying, hiding ways. It has gotten better, but when I drink hard - it's bad. I will black out and send nasty messages to him. Which is exactly what happened when he told me he was done for good. Mind you, we live together and our lease is up in April.

I am in AA and therapy and had 41 days sober. I was hoping he would see the changes I was making and would ease up. Instead, I was beginning to realize he is for real this time. He told me he is done. So I ended up briefly relapsing (2 days). Nothing terrible happened other than me just being absent minded. However, He involved my family. They uninvited me and my daughter to Thanksgiving and Christmas and will not talk to me.

I now have over 2 weeks sober again. I'm committed to my sobriety. But I am just so heartbroken over this loss by my selfish choices. Alcohol really is a disease and I have no control over it.

I will continue to stay sober regardless of what happens. But I want so badly to know that in my sobriety, he will see those changes - living amends and we will reconcile. I was hoping it would start looking that way before we move out, but he has made it clear he wants to be "free". I know it's still 5 months from now. But it's a struggle wanting what I want. Wanting to actually give it an honest try being sober (literally no relationship issues outside of drinking). Having to act like I'm fine when I'm not. Living with him, with no choice but to stay here for now. How do I make it better?? I'm just so lost right now. I truly lost the love of my life.

I’m 23 (F) about to turn 24 and have been heavily drinking since i was 15 years old. I live in a small rural town with not much else to do although i feel like even in school i still drank more than most of my peers. I moved to a big city when i was 19 and i stayed sober for a year until i moved back home. It was the best year of my life! I lost 30 pounds, had an awesome routine and was the happiest I’ve probably ever been. Now I’m engaged, have two amazing step kids, living back in my hometown and i feel like i am not only drinking more than i ever have, but acting really out of character when i do drink. The shame and anxiety that I feel for days after going out is almost debilitating. Im fully aware that the way that i treat people and the way that i act while under the influence is not ok, I also hate being sick for days after drinking but the second that anybody asks me to go grab a drink Its so hard for me to say no no matter how badly I know it will effect me. My family has a long line of addiction, but i never thought that it would happen to me.

Long story short, i don’t even know where to start with getting sober. Every single one of my friends and family are heavy drinkers and every event or hangout that we all have together revolves around alcohol. Making new friends isn’t the easiest thing to do in my town with 3,000 people where half of them are drinkers and the other half are elderly. I guess i need to learn how to be alone?

I’m 17 been smoking weed for over a year now, pens and flower. I quit like last week and now I’m puking stomach acid. Anyone have tips or how long it lasts? Also in the future, if I eat edibles and quit would I be puking stomach acid again or is it only because I used to smoke it? I guess what I’m asking is, is it smoking weed that made me puke or weed in general?

I just made the decision to stop smoking after about a year and a half. Mostly to prove to myself I’m not addicted. But I’ve quit before and absolutely hated the withdrawals. Nothing much else to say, just wanted to document my journey somewhere. So here’s to day 1.

ive been doing xanax alot these few weeks and i havent taken any today cuz im trying to quit this is my first day sober and im super nevous for no reason and im really hot is it withdraw?

ive been doing pills alot these few weeks (xanax,muscle relaxers) and i barely remember anything from the last 2 weeks also i keep forgetting what day of the week it is, i blacked out like 3 times. anyway i flushed all my pills am i going to go through withdraw? cuz i havent done drugs since yesterday and i feel normal.

I struggled with binge drinking. I also struggled with using drugs while drinking. Today I am 2 months clean and sober. I have lost weight, my puffiness has disappeared, my mental health has improved,y confidence has returned, and I feel so much better overall. This is my first time being sober for this long, since I started drinking.

Think about this - 69.3%!!! Then add on the people who are smoking weed only or do other drugs that probably gets you to the low/mid 90s - There's not a lot of data on combined use (alcohol/weed) or simply just any one substance.

There are a bunch of articles you can find on Google news etc there was a recent survey done and alot of the majors picked it up. Links are not allowed on this sub or I'd post it.

This just shows that what we are doing unfortunately is the exception to the norm but it's important to understand how special that is and how much agency it brings to our lives. It's definitely a superpower and one that most people cannot do.

Thought this was interesting.

Applying Stoicism to sobriety emphasizes personal responsibility, inner strength, and resilience by focusing on controlling one's actions, thoughts, and responses. It encourages embracing challenges as growth opportunities, viewing cravings as chances to build resilience. Stoic virtues like wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance guide decision-making and commitment to sobriety. Challenges are seen as opportunities for strength and perseverance. Practicing gratitude aligns with appreciating progress and the present moment. Community support is also valued, offering shared wisdom and encouragement. Integrating Stoic practices can strengthen resolve and provide a philosophical foundation for sobriety.

Firstly, I am actually not mad at myself. I feel like I did what I “needed” (wanted) to do and got a solid reminder of a few of the reasons I started this journey.

The following may be triggering as it is an account of how I stumbled:

Saturday night I went out with friends. At that point I was over 70 days sober and had gone out to bars several times without drinking and still had fun. For some reason on this night I decided to test myself - we were hanging at a friend’s apartment before we left for the bar and of course folks were casually drinking, and I was offered wine. I had probably 3 glasses of wine there, then got a drink when we got to the bar because why not? That drink turned into 3, which included a Diet Coke I’d gotten to pace myself that I ended up accepting a nip from someone in, and those 3 drinks didn’t include the 3 free shots I was given (cause how am I gonna turn down a free shot?).

I had fun and nothing bad happened, but I stayed out way later than I would’ve if I’d been sober and woke up with a gnarly hangover that disrupted my day and made it so I couldn’t get things done that I wanted to. So I was reminded that, no, I don’t know how to limit myself when I’m drinking, I get fucking awful hangovers and I fucking hate feeling like that.

I know the answer is to stay 100% alcohol free but there is still part of me that wants to be able to enjoy a glass of wine with a steak, ya know? But then there’s that part of me that wants an excuse to party and be messy, too. Idk man. Wish I was normal lol. Anyway, day 2. Let’s make it past 70-whatever this time.

I was quite private about my sober journey, maybe too much so. I hit three years today and nobody in my family remembers. I feel a little down, but not enough to want to drink. It’s been great honestly, I used to wake up in my crusty makeup and grab my phone, dreading to see what embarrassing thing I had done while drinking. Now I wash my face and do a skin care routine before bed. I don’t text stupid shit to people. It’s nice. I don’t worry about driving drunk. It’s honestly been a real relief. The thing that helped me most was pretty easy, just bought some non alcoholic replacement drinks to crack open when I got home. I’ve been trying to practice more self love, and I guess that’s something I need to work on more. Moving past needing validation and getting in the mindset of having done this for myself. I spent 20 years of my life feeling like I wasn’t worth good things because I was a lousy wino, and I need to work past that. I think that’s the best part, and the part I need to move past as I embark on this 4th year, self love, the feeling of deserving good things. I’m rambling now so I will wrap this up, but it feels good and I hope that anyone struggling knows I read posts from people who had several years and never thought it would be possible, but I did it, I kept wanting it and it just clicked one day. I’m rooting for anyone out there struggling, it’s a crappy thing to pull yourself out of, but you can do it.

I have literally lost 99% of my friends and family connections due to my past drinking behaviour and dumb actions I have done in the past. I’m only 10 days sober now and I really don’t have any actual proper friends. I have people I see every now and then but when it really comes down to it, they aren’t there for me. I also haven’t confided in many people re my sobriety journey but I don’t feel close enough to anyone to actually tell them. I’m trying to see the positive side and look at it as if I can start my life again and make new friends. But it is also incredibly lonely and I pretty much have to rely on myself. I have a son who I see every second weekend and that holds me together but other than that, I’m alone.

Has anyone here had to cut off people in their friend group & direct family to help maintain their sobriety? I’ve recently had to do this because the people in my life weren’t supportive of my choice to try & kick alcoholism, some to even go as far as mocking me for choosing to go this route.

26m been an alcoholic for years. Tried quitting cold turkey which led to concerns from my boss and coworkers which led to psychiatric assisted sobriety to today. I still have awful sleep, still have issues with getting up in the morning, still can't really keep a clean living space, and generally still kinda depressed.
The only main driver in my life right now is simple will to live and sobriety. Anyone able to relate to this sort of melancholy during early sobriety?

Realizing that most of my problems(that I associated with alcohol) were only amplified by alcohol rather than being a function of it is very draining and demoralizing.

Last Sunday i quit alcohol cold turkey because i had enough. Ive started a new job last week and alcohol almost cost me it because i got so drunk i forgot where i put my wallet and birth certificate.

I luckily found them in time but thats when i said I had enough poured out all my remaining alcohol and havent had a drink since nor do i want to and im starting to feel good without it.

I’ve been sober for a week now I’ve been struggling with homelessness due to my addictions, and only have been able to stay sober because my very good friends are letting me stay on their couch to figure out rehab or a job under the condition I stay sober. My ex partner is a huge trigger for using, and he is in sober living. I have an assessment with the same program he went through tomorrow and from there I don’t know what will happen. I’m on the waiting list for a couple other programs but with the holidays coming up I don’t have much hope I’ll even be able to get in anywhere any time soon. I really want to destroy the emotional problems I have driving me to substances, but I also am torn between that and having my life back while being a functional addict. I’m terrified I’ll see my ex in rehab because a lot of the classes are shared with various rehabs and the same program, and my ex is one of my biggest triggers right now due to the abuse I went through. I don’t know if I should try to get a job and get on my feet and dismiss rehab as an option, or if I should pursue rehab…. I don’t know what would be a good option right now😞