SHARP

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So building on the ideas of my last post, taking the concept of a 'recovering alcoholic'. This phrase still sits uncomfortably with me, still sounds negative and needy.

I've been thinking about what it is to be recovering that is attractive to me, what I want to hold on to...

It is being sober and as a result being happy. I would describe myself as a sober happy alcohol abuser I think, rather than a recovering alcoholic.

Taking inspiration from another speaker last night who had an acronym for SHIT I have made up my own acronym. I really don't like the idea of waking up feeling shit, I have had enough of that. So I would rather wake up feeling sharp...

Sober - the state I have chosen to be in
Happy - the result of my choice
Alcohol abuser - the consequence of abusing alcohol for a lot of my adult life (I cannot change the past)
Recovering - my longer term statement of choosing not to drink
Progressively - I will make progress in my recovery and one day this will be completed

I think I am sharper as a result: at work, at home, my health, my senses, my sense of well-being, being able to have more fun and be less angry, all these are sharpened feelings.

(I wanted an acronym which was SHARK but cannot think of something good beginning with K :-)

edit 18/11/15: I adjusted this to remove any reference to myself as an alcoholic. I have left most of the rest of this intact but now have some serious misgivings about the whole concept of 'recovery' by AA definition. I will one day recover completely from my abusive use of alcohol, hopefully not too far into the future. I am also coming to the conclusion that this 'one day at a time' thing is not for me. I have made a long term commitment to not drink and don't need to do it one day at a time, so I have made this adjustment also.

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