Patience in Sobriety

As much as we want to, we can’t force somebody to get sober. We can’t keep their promises for them. We can’t quit for them. Sometimes all we can do is stand back and say “I’ll be here waiting for you, when you’re ready.”

Recovery isn’t just not drinking anymore.

We must recover our career, mental health, relationships, sleep, eating habits, etc. Alcoholism affects every aspect of life.

Don’t be so quick to get frustrated and ask “why am I not better yet?” It takes time.

My alcoholism was not measured by car crashes, failed marriages, or lost jobs, but rather by how I acted when I was not drinking.

“At least it wasn’t the whole bottle.”
“At least I’m still holding down a job.”
“At least I don’t drink during the day.”
“At least I haven’t gotten a DUI.”
“At least I didn’t kill anybody.”
“At least I woke up this morning.”

For an alcoholic, standards become fluid.

Drinking never really made me happy. It only made me think I was going to be happy in fifteen minutes.

Alcoholism is the only disease where we can be shown the cure, and then say “let me think about it.”

I didn’t quit drinking because it was a problem.

I quit drinking because it was a solution.