38,102,400 seconds
635,040 minutes
10,584 hours
441 days
63 weeks
Today I had a drink, breaking my year-long sobriety streak. It’s hard to put into words how disappointed and ashamed I feel right now. I had been doing so well, and now it feels like all of that progress has been erased in an instant.
But I know that recovery is not a straight line, and that setbacks are a normal part of the journey. While I’m disappointed in myself for slipping up, I’m also trying to be compassionate and understanding towards myself. Recovery is a lifelong process, and it’s okay to stumble along the way.
Looking back, I can see how my thoughts and behaviors slowly led me back to this point. I was feeling stressed and overwhelmed, and I didn’t have the tools or support I needed to manage those feelings in a healthy way. Instead, I turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism, even though I knew deep down that it wasn’t the answer.
But I also know that this doesn’t have to be the end of my recovery journey. I can pick myself up and start again, recommitting to my sobriety and seeking out the help and support that I need. I’m reminding myself that I’m not defined by this one slip-up, and that I have the strength and resilience to continue moving forward.
I’m sharing this experience because I know that I’m not the only one who has struggled with addiction and recovery. It’s a difficult journey, and setbacks are a reality. But I want others who may be struggling to know that it’s never too late to start again, and that there is always hope for a brighter, healthier future.
3 responses to “Meh”
Don’t beat yourself up. Start again. Don’t give up. Do try and identify the trigger that led to your slip-up. Good luck.
Reading this a couple weeks later it’s apparent that you were able to get right back on the horse! I’ve always worried that if I drank again I’d be unable to quit just like I was the first time and that I guess scares me enough lol. Good to see someone dust themselves off and try again
I was the same, I had to battle really hard against the “Just one drink a day can’t harm anyone” then you realize you can’t trust yourself so you just have to stop, realize what happened, and pick up and move on again once your inspiration comes back. Lucky for me it was the family. If I didn’t have that I would still be drinking.