Recovery, one boring day at a time
Tom 54yo, Union electrician
Professional background · Six years
“Nothing exotic saved me. A meeting on Tuesdays and a phone number saved me.”
Read this first
Recovery, one boring day at a time
159 wordsLife before I started
I drank for twenty-eight years and functioned for most of them, which is the part that kept me drinking.
What I was experiencing
Morning shakes I explained away, a marriage running on fumes, and a growing certainty that I had missed my exit.
What I'd tried before
Moderation rules, dry months, switching to beer, and one detox I left early.
What I explored
Medically supervised detox, then a recovery programme, then therapy, then exercise. I looked into psychedelics and my clinician and I decided against it given my history.
What happened
The programme gave me structure and other people. Therapy gave me the reasons. Exercise gave me somewhere to put the restlessness.
What surprised me most
How much of the craving was actually loneliness.
What didn't help
Moderation. Every version of it.
What I'm still working through
Weddings. Airports. Sundays.
What I learned about myself
That I could not think my way out of it alone and that this was not a character flaw.
Where I am now
Six years sober. Still go on Tuesdays.
What I'd tell someone starting out
If you are physically dependent, please talk to a doctor before you stop. That part is not optional.
Explore what Tom tried
These are the tools and practices Tom named in their story. Tap any one to read what it is, why people use it, and what the evidence says.
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