I met Dennis in the Reddit sober community - I am very happy that he had the opportunity to come on and share his tenacious story of recovery.
There is some GREAT discussion about relapse, white-knuckling & willpower only, the use of humour in recovery and the importance of community and connection.
In his own words:
"Battled AUD for the better part of a decade. In that time racked up ~20 trips to detox, 4 rehabs and a few IOPs - only one completed (my last).
I'm now 2.5 years clean. I used Antabuse as an aid, but also therapy, and literature, I did my AA steps, and re-established and maintain a spiritual connection."
Topics include:
- drinking at home & in isolation and how that shifted things
- being let go from a job, only to find a better job days later (which added to the "justifications pile")
- ego getting in the way of recovery
- working through impulses
- a rock bottom moment on Halloween 2019 that sparked his 2.5+ years sober
- reestablishing a spiritual side
- the power of awareness and "rewinding" of "fast-forwarding" the tape
- the a-ha moment of 'being honest with myself'
Great, relatable stuff here. Thank you to Dennis!
