Thank you so much for sharing your story, Caitin. I can really identify with being too much in my head, not enough in my feeling - and how getting sober disrupted this in profoundly healing ways. I’ve also been amazed to find that facing loss sober is more ease-ful than facing it while drinking.
Feeling my emotions was definitely the hardest part of early sobriety. Now, the idea of burying them seems ridiculous. It’s incredible how your entire worldview can change if you let it.
Thank you for this post! It’s so important to realize that the real work is in the emotional sobriety part of sobriety. It’s a process but so worthwhile! Quitting is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Congrats on 6 years!
Thank you for your wisdom and honesty Caitlin. Learning to be with my feelings was a huge part of my sobriety journey too. I’m so sorry for the huge loss you experienced. Like you, I faced some hugely painful life experiences after getting sober and I’m so so glad I didn’t use alcohol - it would have made everthing a million times worse. Also I’m a sober coach too - great to connect! ❤️
Thanks for sharing, Caitlin. Have I faced losses in sobriety? Almost immediately after leaving rehab. A family member died, then I was called to court for an incident I was involved in 8 months prior (in active addiction). Both ordeals knocked me, and I was alone, in a recovery house (because I was homeless but I’d completed rehab) with nothing but a couple of pubs and bet shops in the area. That was pretty rough in terms of triggering, but I’d agreed with myself that I’d never give myself permission to drink again under any circumstances. I’m grateful for that pact because otherwise who knows where I’d be now. I wouldn’t be a free man anyway, in one way or another.
This was about 2.5 years ago, and since then everything has been getting better because I made my choices better. That’s not to say everything will be rosey forever. Something is going to come tumbling down at some point, but I’ll be prepared and resilient.
Pain and stress are part of life. Feeling feelings is a necessity.
I’m glad I can feel everything now. I believe to know light we must first know dark, and I can see and appreciate the light more than ever before, thanks to being sober.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Caitin. I can really identify with being too much in my head, not enough in my feeling - and how getting sober disrupted this in profoundly healing ways. I’ve also been amazed to find that facing loss sober is more ease-ful than facing it while drinking.
Thank you for providing the opportunity to share, Dana!
Feeling my emotions was definitely the hardest part of early sobriety. Now, the idea of burying them seems ridiculous. It’s incredible how your entire worldview can change if you let it.
For sure, Chandni. And the allowance for the oscillation between it being hard and easy. :)
Thank you for this post! It’s so important to realize that the real work is in the emotional sobriety part of sobriety. It’s a process but so worthwhile! Quitting is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Congrats on 6 years!
Thank you, Jennifer!
Thank you for your wisdom and honesty Caitlin. Learning to be with my feelings was a huge part of my sobriety journey too. I’m so sorry for the huge loss you experienced. Like you, I faced some hugely painful life experiences after getting sober and I’m so so glad I didn’t use alcohol - it would have made everthing a million times worse. Also I’m a sober coach too - great to connect! ❤️
So glad to connect, Ellie! Thank you for sharing. :)
Thanks for sharing, Caitlin. Have I faced losses in sobriety? Almost immediately after leaving rehab. A family member died, then I was called to court for an incident I was involved in 8 months prior (in active addiction). Both ordeals knocked me, and I was alone, in a recovery house (because I was homeless but I’d completed rehab) with nothing but a couple of pubs and bet shops in the area. That was pretty rough in terms of triggering, but I’d agreed with myself that I’d never give myself permission to drink again under any circumstances. I’m grateful for that pact because otherwise who knows where I’d be now. I wouldn’t be a free man anyway, in one way or another.
This was about 2.5 years ago, and since then everything has been getting better because I made my choices better. That’s not to say everything will be rosey forever. Something is going to come tumbling down at some point, but I’ll be prepared and resilient.
Pain and stress are part of life. Feeling feelings is a necessity.
I’m glad I can feel everything now. I believe to know light we must first know dark, and I can see and appreciate the light more than ever before, thanks to being sober.
Well said, Adam. Thank you for sharing.