May 16, 2015...A Major anniversary For Me!

[ROGER4314]

34 years ago today, May 16, 1981, I consumed my my last drop of alcohol and turned away from Illegal substances! I never slipped, returned to it or was even tempted to re-enter that life. The whole burden of substance abuse was lifted off of my shoulders by a Higher Power!

Alanon, AA and NA played major roles in my life!

I can't say that the journey was easy, or even fun, but a whole new person was rebuilt from that wreckage! It wasn't a matter of just changing what I consumed/used.

I changed what side of the law I was on.
Became educated and earned a Masters Degree with 4.0 gpa
Changed careers about 7 times in my life and started teaching- 23 years worth.
Learned that problems could be solved without violence.

Please enjoy this special day with me!

Flash

 

[itchin]

Great job!!!!!!

 

[Vaquero]

Yep.
Congratulations

 

[robertc1024]

Congrats! I'm still hoping and praying my brother in law has the strength to do what you did.

 

[orbitup]

Well done Flash!

 

[ROGER4314]

Congrats! I'm still hoping and praying my brother in law has the strength to do what you did.

The journey was long and twisted and I'll spare you the sordid details. I didn't have the sense that God gave a flea and was not capable of doing any such thing on my own. A Higher Power plucked me out of the life that I led and steered me to a better one. Enlightenment for me, came LONG afterwards!

I am NOT a religious man in church things, but I give full credit in wonder and awe over what the "Big Guy" did with my miserable life. Life started out badly and went downhill from there. I was not capable of making transitions like this myself.

Flash

 

[karlac]

Congratulations.
The proof you fought a good battle is when you gained something by winning.

 

[jrbfishn]

Happy Re-Birth Flash. Keep it going.
It ain't easy dropping that life.

 

[Charlie]

Well done!

 

[Vec]

good job !

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Happy anniversary

 

[Mreed911]

Congrats. That's a well-earned congrats, too!

 

[Flewda]

Congrats! Great job! And amen!

 

[zx9rt1]

Fantastic! Keep up the fight. August 26 will make 8 years for me. I'm proud of you and don't even now you!

 

[winchster]

Congratulations.

 

[ROGER4314]

Here's a fact that really trips me out!

I am 68 years old with 34 years of being clean & sober. That means exactly 1/2 of my life was ruled by alcohol and/or substance abuse. Of course, I didn't get loaded as a child but I was heavily influenced by my Father's alcoholism. His screwed up life directed me into my own screwed up life. It's sad to think of so much wasted time.

The worst part is that a part of me misses the violent, irresponsible, no rules life that substances led me into. I guess why they call alcoholism and substance abuse "cunning and baffling diseases."

zx9rt1
Good going....One day at a time!

Flash

 

[texas skeeter]

The worst part is that a part of me misses the violent, irresponsible, no rules life that substances led me into.

Well I'll be down there this week. How about some Hookers, Blow, Booze and a good bar fight? Congrats ya old Buzzard.

 

[Brains]

I can honestly say I don't understand substance abuse, don't understand the grip it can hold on you, don't understand the allure it can create for those under its power. And you can bet I consider myself blessed with that ignorance. Congratulations on reaching this milestone, and standing proud for your accomplishments.

 

[Mreed911]

I can honestly say I don't understand substance abuse, don't understand the grip it can hold on you, don't understand the allure it can create for those under its power. And you can bet I consider myself blessed with that ignorance. Congratulations on reaching this milestone, and standing proud for your accomplishments.

I don't have an addictive personality, IOW addiction actually seriously repulses me. I don't personally understand enjoying habitual drunkenness (I don't even like being occasionally drunk).

A stint with narcotic pain relievers after a major leg fracture (spiral fracture, 2 plates, 15 screws) really brought this point home. Long and short they had me on 12 10mg Vicodin a day - 120mg total, 20mg every four hours. I did a lot of sleeping, not much pooping, and was otherwise out of it. Over the course of six weeks, that effect became less and less - I definitely built up a tolerance. But, I also was acutely aware of the physical and psychological need the drug created. Every four hours, IT WAS TIME for drugs, regardless of my pain level.

My doctors would have continued that for another six weeks had I not said "enough!" I started decreasing the doses and increasing the time between them (every 6 hours, every 8 hours, etc.) and weaned myself off. I was simply sick of taking drugs and absolutely done with even this mild, medically 'necessary' addiction.

I respect Roger for being able to break his - he most certainly had a harder road with substances that had a harder grip and were a larger part of his day-to-day life. My small experience with 'needing' a drug and having to make the choice to live through the need in a short-term period gave me a LOT of perspective on how much more potential there was for that to happen with 'stronger' drugs, or in a place where my personality and disposition contributed to 'wanting' that high just to be normal.

I pray that if you've never had that experience that you never do. I am also acutely aware of how medically and societally accepted one side of this is (alcohol, prescriptions) and how that compares to the 'other' side with more illicit substances. I'm also thankful that I never found myself in a place where that stronger, darker side had a chance to wreak havoc on me.

Roger, good on ya! I'd be happy to buy you an iced tea any time you'd like!

 

[Saltyag2010]

Well done buddy.