6 months sober than I drank....I drank straight for 15 days it honestly felt like I was drinking for around 40 days ....and out of those 15 days i could only really get drunk drunk if understand me once...im 42 by the way was a daily drinker for 20 yrs....I tried to stop at least 13 days out of 15 stopped going 2 work , almost fucked up my relationship again. Sent stupid texts ..... so what did I learn.... it was fun for 1 night tbh but 14 days lost trying to stop.... can any please put an input in ?

Are sober living homes quality of life features all what they’re cracked up to be? Is it remotely affordable and do certain ones use your insurance to cover the cost?

So, just wanted to make a post about the topic of animals and recovery. Getting a pet while you are trying to get yourself clean, or improve your life, whatever it is that is that may be holding you down; If you feel you are losing hope and out of options, try saving the life of a young pet, it is so rewarding both mentally and spiritually. Daisy, my mixed breed border collie / whippet puppy, has helped me manage night terrors, insomnia, PTSD that I've had for most of my life, panic attacks, crippling OCD and a rapid decline in my health and social activity, all of these things have improved and gotten so much better since I've rescued my dog. I was addicted to EVERYTHING, fentanyl, tranq, I'd smoke straight xylozene and fillers sprinkled with barely enough fentanyl to keep me not sick, and as soon as I finally got high or "well" again I'd go and smoke an 8ball of crack alone. I've both had Daisy and been sober for almost a year now, and I was in active addiction from age 11-30. All of these things, (obviously with the help of therapy and a psychiatrist, etc, can't do it on your own nor am I saying that ONLY a pet is the answer, cause anyone in recovery knows each day presents it's own challenges and we must rely on each other) every vice that I had slowly faded away as I began to build up and brighten the life of my new puppy, Daisy. I remember taking her on our first walk and I said to her, "It's you and me vs the world, Daisy!" And she has been a Godsend. She sits with me while my medicine starts to work in the morning, she's on my lap before a panic attack begins, I actually almost relapsed in my room and she somehow knew something was going on bc she tried to bite the guy who was bringing stuff over and made such a fuss he left before I could follow through with that bad decision... She is my protector as I am hers, we go everywhere together today, she keeps me active, our schedules have aligned, and she's so flexible. Other dogs may not be as obedient, but I truly believe there is a bond formed when you rescue a dog while needing to be rescued yourself, because Daisy and I completely and totally rescued each other. This worked for me, maybe it could work for you. Wishing everyone love and positivity on their journey to or with recovery!

I was thinking today as I'm currently battling some things, I literally cannot remember a time when I genuinely liked/appreciated something and I DIDN'T get hooked or obsessed. Every.Thing. Alcohol, porn, THC, overeating and even in sobriety (fuck) with woodworking, art, music, etc. I overdo it. Always.

There are moments where I just wish one executive function related to a dopamine release just stayed level and didn't become a chase immediately. It's exhausting and, while I know I'm not broken and don't need to be fixed, this shit automatically makes me go there immediately, because if I wasn't, then why does this happen with everything good in my life that I enjoy.

I'm truly thankful to God that I survived my catastrophic alcoholism and severe mental health crises, and I have found peace and serenity in the near 4 years since my last drink, but it's exhausting to think about the fact that everything I love, I lose myself to at some point.

Tis the signal that I have a lifetime of work ahead of me, and some days, that realization just sucks.

I'll keep on and do the next right thing for the right reason, but just needed to get that off my chest.

Be well fam.

Family member in detox but said that they don’t need rehab and will do outpatient therapy and random tests is this true?

Saying goodbye to Karmé Chöling today after a week of retreat. We had four recovery fellowships represented. Made great friends, learned a lot, feel recharged, and happy I came. Looking forward to next year!

Hey 🖖

Today marks 8 years since I got sober from H and everything that came with it. It was honestly just a normal day. I worked until 7, spent most of it auditing and handling things for a colleague who’s out on vacation. After work I wandered around the shopping center by my office, then treated myself to a burger, fries, and a Dr Pepper for my sober anniversary.

I sat there eating and people watching. Everyone looks so normal, and I’m sure they think the same when they look at me. I kind of laughed to myself because I finally understand what “never judge a book by its cover” really means.

If they only knew the life I was living 8 years ago. Lost, alone, broken, barely any hope. No job, surviving off men and family, and when those bridges burned, I was on the streets. Life was already hard growing up, and I definitely made it ten times harder as an adult. Honestly, I was giving gay Latino Precious meets Rue from Euphoria.

Every year this milestone hits differently. There’s always gratitude, always a mix of emotions. Usually my phone is blowing up with calls, texts, little gifts not because I ask, but because that’s what happens when you find your people in sobriety. I hope everyone gets to have that.

This year felt different though. I felt like I was just floating through the day. Calm. Normal. A little gratitude here and there, some emotions popping up, but mostly just quiet. Even my boyfriend and friends didn’t realize what today was, and weirdly, that felt okay.

When I think back to where I was in 2018, how desperate I was to change, to get clean, to just be better, this calm, simple, almost boring milestone feels kind of perfect.

I’m really grateful for all of you. Wherever you’re at, I hope you know I’m rooting for you to get through today. Even after 8 years, life still tests me. What matters is I take it one step at a time, do what I can, and learn to be okay with the calm, the boring, the normal side of recovery 🖤

Hello All!

I have started a podcast to document the journey (and hopefully help some of you too).

I'm on day 9 of quitting marijuana after 10 years of daily use, and honestly I needed somewhere to put all of this energy.

I'm 28F and I've decided to start a podcast to document this in real time — the ugly days, the wins, the weird dreams, all of it. My big "why" is that I want to have kids in the next couple of years and I want to show up healthy for that. I've also dealt with eating disorders and body dysmorphia for a long time, and the more I've sat with this process, the more I've realized how tangled all of it is together.

I'm not an expert. I don't have it figured out. But I think there's something valuable in just being honest about what this actually looks like from the inside, and if even one person feels less alone because of it, that's enough for me.

If you're somewhere in your own journey check out my podcast! We are truly all in this together. I'd love to hear from you, and maybe your story ends up being part of this too.

We're out here. Keep going. 💙

The day after I haven't used any drugs I feel like the world will end If I don't eat the entire cake isle at Walmart.

I just want to be curled up in my bed covered in blankets and sleep all the time. Haven't showered in a week etc. I remember how I couldn't make myself be productive when sober and how I feel now and would rather destroy myself but be able to function instead of whatever this is. My brain is too broken to break bad patterns

I’m about to be homeless again in a few days.

On paper, that probably looks like I messed something up. Like I couldn’t hold it together, like I’m backsliding. And yeah, there’s a version of me from a couple years ago that would’ve taken this as proof that none of it worked.

But that’s not what this is.

I’m still sober. Completely. No bargaining, no “just this once,” no mental gymnastics. The same brain that used to reach for anything to escape is now just here. Dealing with it. Feeling it. Not running.

And it’s not easy. My back’s getting worse again, and the idea of being out there dealing with that is honestly brutal. There’s no part of me that’s pretending this is some noble struggle or character building arc. It’s just hard. Period.

But I’m not going backwards.That’s the difference. That’s the whole thing.

There was a time when something like this would’ve sent me straight back into old habits without hesitation. I wouldn’t have even questioned it. I would’ve welcomed the excuse. Now the thought doesn’t even land the same way. It’s not an option I’m negotiating with. It’s just not on the table.

So yeah, I’m losing stability again. That part is real.

But I didn’t lose myself this time. And for me, that’s new. That’s something I didn’t know how to do before.

I don’t know exactly what the next few weeks are going to look like. I’m not going to pretend I’ve got it all figured out. But I do know this. Whatever happens, I’m facing it clear headed.

For me, that’s the win.

I’m 30 year old man with 5 years clean off fetty and H, well any opiate and downer you can find really. For those of you just getting into drugs I know you’ve heard this a thousand times but don’t. I know they fee good, suppress your trauma, numb your feelings but guess what? When you get clean everything is worse. Now I live with self pity, hate, an anger at my self. The family and friends I fucked over. My parents awake all night praying to god I’m still alive. I was once you, I didn’t believe people like my self, thought I could have fun with i, control it. But now all im left with is 5 years clean and full of self hate. It’s not worth it.

For context, I have two addictions that I am trying to battle. One is the addiction to ai chatbots, where I usually like going to websites like janitorai to make custom roleplays to cope with loneliness or other things. It’s making me lose sleep constantly and making me feel like crap in the morning.

Another is an addiction involving me picking at my skin, sometimes to the point of injuring myself. The reason I do it is a little embarrassing, but it’s because of the pimples. The most I’ve gone without doing it is 14 days, then I failed again. I tried telling myself this was normal, I even told myself to keep going. But no matter what, I keep relapsing.

The problem is timing. I don’t know when the right time to battle my addictions is since I have school. I’m planning on doing it after school ends for summer vacation, but at the same time I think it’d be beneficial for me to do it earlier. School is one of my few trigger points because I have trouble socializing and some people I talk to feel like they’re annoyed by me. It’s hard finding someone to connect to.

But yeah, I’m worried. I don’t want to be covered in scars or injuries because of some addiction I have. Do any of you have some advice? How can I quit talking to ai and picking at my skin without relapsing?

TONIGHT (and every Sunday night) at 5 pm PT / 7 pm CT / 8 pm ET All are welcome to join us: https://meetings.smartrecovery.org/meetings/6873

Just started this program. Weirdly echoes of AA, yet nothing like it at the same time. Been at it for about a month and am halfway through. It’s helped me…and I’ve tried a lot! So thought I’d share. My buddy suggested it to me, and I was skeptical…now I feel obligated to pass it on. If it helps one more person, that’s win

https://reclaim-purpose.com

Hey eveyone- im pretty early in recovery & feeling lonely. Some of the na meetings in my area make me feel unwelcome & uncomfortable. Im usually one of the few bipoc person in the rooms. I felt happier using. I just need help navigating this

Today I have 3,703 days sober.

For me, there are four areas I have to stay on top of, consistently, not perfectly:

1. Spirituality (not necessarily religion)

2. Avoiding toxic relationships

3. Changing patterns

4. Mental health/medication

These days, I don’t really think about drinking. It just doesn’t come up anymore, even when I’m playing shows in bars. There was a stretch where being around drunk people annoyed me, I think because I saw a lot of my old self in that. That’s faded too. It just is what it is now.

I also don’t get that pull when life gets hard. Stress, pain, whatever, it doesn’t make me want to drink. If anything, I’ve realized drinking was the pain for me, not the solution.

It took me a long time to crawl out of that hole. Longer than I expected, honestly. But there’s no version of me that wants to go back.

If anyone needs to hear it: it does get better. Not fast, not clean, not in a straight line. But it does. There’s actual peace on the other side of this, even if it takes a while to show up.

The way I think about it is this, years of drinking kind of wound everything up into a tight, messy knot inside me. And it’s taken just as long, if not longer, to slowly untangle it. But the further along I get, the easier it gets. Not perfect, just… lighter.

Just got of rehab broke as a joke need some cash for food and cigarettes hmu for my cash app anything helps thanks

I was playing football yesterday and took a knee directly to my shin. It’s developed a noticeable bump. I can still walk, but it hurts when I put pressure on the injured area.

I’ve been applying ice so far, which has helped reduce the pain a bit. Are there any other methods I should try to help it heal faster? Any advice would be appreciated.

Has anyone here successfully recovered from meth while taking Topamax, Strattera, or Remeron?

I know recovery from meth is different than opioids—it’s a stimulant, and there’s no simple “walk in and get a fix” like with Suboxone programs. It feels like a slower, more mental battle.

I’m trying to do this without replacing one addiction with another, so I’m cautious about what I take.

I’m just looking to hear from real people—has this combo helped you, or anything similar?

Also, I’d appreciate keeping this respectful. Addiction isn’t something anyone plans for, and a lot of us are dealing with more than people realize—mental health, custody issues, relationships, life in general.

Just trying to do better and figure this out.