There is a difference in choosing sobriety over quitting drinking. And there is a difference in choosing recovery over sobriety.
For me there was a big shift when I went from saying, I’ve eliminated alcohol from my diet to saying I’m Tammy and I’m an alcoholic. Eliminating it from my diet always left an opening to bring it back in.
For example, I’ve eliminated dairy from my diet but there is always the possibility that I will take a bite of your cheesecake just for the shear blissful moment of taste and texture. I can get away with a bite. I can also eat an entire piece and suffer the consequences of having sinus congestion and a probably a headache. This will all be gone in about 24 hours and life goes on.
With alcohol, I can’t have a sip or just one drink. It doesn’t work that way. And I have to remember that to avoid going down a path that could literally end my life. That is sobriety.
Recovery however, is being sober and recovering the lost aspects of myself. It’s about learning to live in a new way and being in a perpetual state of growth and development.
It’s learning to think in a new way. It’s about having fun on a soul level and getting in touch with the magical and mysterious aspects of myself. Recovery is a never ending rave for the soul. It’s like taking a hit of Ecstasy without the consequences. It’s lightning bolts on the cellular level. Recovery is nothing like what I imagined.
High Bottom 