Living Sober In 2015 And Thereafter

Listening to my music  and writing each night to help others realize there is HOPE for
anyone that wants to live sober.

Living sober in 2015 and thereafter is what many alcoholic should focus on.  If you truly want to change your life for the better, please think about stopping the drinking and get yourself out of denial and start living sober in 2015 and thereafter.

Granted, for any alcoholic, thinking of living sober is something they never thought they would ever be able to do in their life ever again, but that is not true at all.

I am an alcoholic, but back over 5 years ago I surrendered to the demons that ran and almost ruined my life.  I too never thought I could ever live a sober life again, but I proved myself and everyone else wrong.

Once I got out of the denial I was living in and made up my mind I wanted my sobriety back in my life and then promised myself, if I go through with stopping drinking it has to be forever and not for a month or two.  It has to be ALL or NOTHING!

Do not say "I think I will just drink on weekends and special occasions."  No, that will never work for any alcoholic.  It has to all or nothing.  I made my mind up, as you should do also, and make that change from being an alcoholic to a clean and sober person.

Believe me it won't be easy to give up something such as alcohol.  The one thing that you lived for each day.  The one thing that gave you that buzz and made you feel you were on top of the world when you were drunk.

You crave that alcohol as soon as you opened your eyes in the morning and couldn't wait to get that first drink of the day in you.  I too so remember this cravings and urges to have alcohol in me each and everyday of the year.

It will be hard, but anything in life that is positive and good for you doesn't come easy.  It depends on how bad you want to live sober.  If you have the willingness and the desire to change your life for the better then you will be able to conquer this addiction to alcohol you have and live and sober and healthy life once more.

You will never be sorry for this change in your life.  I know for me, it was the best thing I'd ever done for myself and my family as well.  You won't be sorry trust me!  Remember alcohol has one purpose and that is to get you drunk, ruin your life, and others lives, and eventually kill you in the end. That is the job alcohol has.  It doesn't discriminate whatsoever.  You can be rich, poor, male or female, it doesn't matter to alcohol.  Alcohol is out to kill you!  Don't let something like alcohol ruin that one and only life you have.

SAY NO TO DRINKING AND ABUSING ALCOHOL.  

Thank you for reading this blog and if you or someone you know has an addiction to alcohol send them to this blog and my other sites as well
http://www.thecleanlife-mark.blogspot.com

http://thecleanlife.hubpages.com

Get Yourself Sober Than Help Others Do The Same

Back in 2009 I said to myself, " Mark lets get yourself sober and help others do the same" and that is exactly what I have done since October of 2009.

I write just about every night either here on this blog, or my Clean Life blog, and then HubPages in which I have over 440 hubs written on alcohol abuse, sobriety, ways to get sober, positive attitudes and much more.

I love writing on alcohol addiction and ways that I found that helped me get and stay sober for almost 5 years now.  Writing is really a great help keeping me sober.  Everything I write, I have in my mind as I write them, and that is, "this one article I am writing just might help a person somewhere in the world to get and stay sober."

I can't stress enough in my writing just how sobriety has changed my life, and the lives around me, such as my wife, children and Grandchildren.  I literally put them through pure hell with my alcohol abuse and never wanting to do anything with them unless I had a drink in my hand.

When I look back in time I feel so ashamed and weak. I was too weak to fight my inner demons that ran my life and other lives for so many years.  It truly makes me sick in my stomach now knowing that I put my family and friends behind my addiction to alcohol.

Well, as I write today I am sober and the past is the past and I only now look for much better things to come in my life and the lives that surround me.

If you have recently got sober then I commend you to the highest level in life.  Now your job, as is my job, is to remain sober forever, and start to help those that are suffering from an addiction as we were in the past.  It is so rewarding to know you have helped someone to make up their minds to stop drinking.

It truly wasn't that hard to quit drinking once I made up my mind and got out of the denial I lived in for so many years.  Once I admitted I truly had an alcohol problem, and was willing to surrender once and for all, the rest fell right in place.

Mine you, when you stop drinking, you have to give sobriety 110%.  There can not be any thing such as what I used to say, and that is this:

• I will only drink on weekends.
• I will only drink on Holidays and special occasions.
• I will only drink on the days I have off from work.

If you are ready to get sober, and you have abused alcohol, then the above will NOT work!  It didn't work for me at all and I had tried those methods many times and failed each and every time I tried.

You are only fooling yourself when you try to do as the above states.  Sobriety (LONG TERM SOBRIETY) is all or nothing my friends. 

Will Sobriety Make Me A Happier Person ?

When someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, sobriety is the last thing on their mind because the addiction they have and live with over runs their body and minds.  They even often ask themselves, "will sobriety make me a happier person?" Since I got clean and sober over three years ago I couldn't be happier.

Believe it or not, finding sobriety will be the first day of the rest of your sober life, and anyone that wants a better life for them selves and their family should really consider getting clean and sober and try sobriety out.  You will never regret this huge life change, I am proof of it.

You will be surprised of how many good things come out of being sober.  Life is a beautiful thing and so many people abuse alcohol and drugs and miss out on some of the best years of their lives all because of an avoidable addiction.

Finding sobriety in ones life is really right in front of them.  The only problem is that many people with an addiction don't really care to be sober.  They are so used to being drunk or high and forget about what life is really about.

If you want to know ways to stop drinking alcohol there are so many websites that you can go to that will help you get on that road to recovery.  That is exactly what I did over three years ago.  You can read comments on those sites from people just like you that are struggling to get sober just as you are.

As far as being a happier person if you were sober that answer is yes, at least it is for myself.  You will feel so great about yourself and proud that you have beat the demons that have been running your life for so long.

Your family will also be so proud of the decision that you made to get clean and sober.  You will wake up each morning feeling great with no hangovers and ready to take on the day with a clear head, instead of feeling like crap the entire day until you get that first drink of the day. and that cycle will go on and on day after day if you continue to drink alcohol.

Don't let alcohol control your life and those that love and care for you anymore.  Take that first step towards sobriety and stop drinking alcohol and live the life you should be living, being happy and healthy.

Do You Think You Are An Alcoholic ?

So what do you think?  Do you think you are an alcoholic, or do you think you don't have any problem whatsoever regarding your alcohol intake?

What questions should you ask yourself regarding being an alcoholic or just a social drinker?

• Do you need to have alcohol in your system each and everyday of the week?
• Are you a miserable person if you don't have alcohol for just one day?
• Do you stay away from places you are invited to if they are not providing alcohol and make any excuse not to go?
• Do you feel like crap each and everyday you wake up?
• Do you live with a negative attitude?
• Have you lost your self esteem?
• Do you drink alone?
• Do you get nasty and say things you wouldn't normally say when you are drunk?
• Do you make excuses of why you are feeling bad, when you know for a fact you are hungover?
• Is alcohol the first on your mind when you wake up in the morning?
• Have you ever said to yourself that you wanted to stop drinking alcohol, but thought you wouldn't be able to?
• Are you afraid to stop drinking for the fear of getting sick?
• Are you afraid to stop drinking because of what your drinking buddies would think of you?
• Is alcohol getting in the way of your marriage and family?
• Can you see the difference in your family's reactions when you walk into a room?
• Do you notice people may stay distant from you when you are drinking?

Well, how do you think you did? Did you answer YES to any questions, and if so, you just may have a problem alcohol.  So own up to it as I did, and I might add, those questions when from my own experience with alcohol addiction.  I have been sober for over three (3) years and darn proud of it.

Yes, I lost lots of friends when I stopped drinking alcohol, but my family and my life were far more important than any drinking buddy.  I did it and so can you if you have the right frame of mind, a positive attitude and the strong will and desire to stop drinking alcohol forever.

Don't get me wrong.  I have nothing against drinking alcohol if it is done in a responsible way and not abuse it each and everyday of the year.

If you believe in yourself, and tell yourself you can and will get and stay sober, it will happen!

BELIEVE AND YOU WILL ACHIEVE !!

Are You A Social Drinker Or An Abuser Of Alcohol

Where is that fine line between are you a social drinker or an abuser of alcohol?  

Where is that line drawn in your life?  Can you honestly say you don't abuse alcohol?  Do you overdue your drinking when you go out?  How can you tell which person you are?

Here is my answers to these most important questions, and may mean if you are a social drinker or an alcoholic and a abuser to alcohol.
For one, I was the type of person that loved to drink alcohol and not a shamed to say so. I didn't make any excuses of why I drank alcohol, I just drank with really no reason.  Many people that drink alcohol drink just to be social and never overdue the alcohol.  Those people know when to stop drinking alcohol and then there are those like myself, that never know when to quit.

I always wished that I could have a beer or two in an evening and call it quits for the night, but I could not do that.  I needed to continue to drink until I got the buzz I was looking for.  How about yourself, are you this way too or do you know when enough is enough?

How about this:  Are you the type of person that can only drink alcohol and not eat until you are through drinking, or can you drink alcohol and eat together?  For myself, it was either drinking alcohol or eating.  I never wanted to drink and eat at the same time, because if I drank and ate food it would fill me and my buzz would just go away, and then it was time to sleep.  Is that you?  Can you drink and eat or do you do one or another?

While I am writing this it really makes me sick to hear myself and how pitiful I was.  How in the world can any of us let alcohol control our lives?  It truly is sad isn't it?

more » HubPages

How To Stay Positive When You Are Trying To Stop Drinking Alcohol

So many people that have an addiction to alcohol deep down want to get and stay sober, but most have a negative attitude thinking they will never be able to stop drinking alcohol.

This is how to stay positive when you are trying to stop drinking alcohol and it worked for me and hopefully it will work for all those that want sobriety back into their lives.

I stopped drinking alcohol completely and doing it cold turkey on October 27, 2009.  I felt that I would have a hard time getting sober, but that was the negativity in my mind talking to me.

WHAT I DID AND WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO STOP DRINKING

First and foremost, I and (you) need to want sobriety bad enough that you are willing to do anything to get and stay sober!  That is first, because if you don't have sobriety in your heart and soul you will have a tough time even getting to the point of quitting drinking.

You can not stop drinking just because you are threatened or forced to stop your addiction to alcohol.  By being forced into stopping anything in life you will not make it, because it is not really what you want, it is what others want out of you.  You may know that you are doing wrong by drinking alcohol, but you need to want your sobriety and not be forced into it.  if you are not ready to change you own life than no matter what anyone says to you it will not work.

Granted, you may stop drinking to make peace in the family, but that will not last and will not be long term sobriety all because you are not ready to be sober for the rest of your life.  I know because I did stop drinking a couple times, but for a short period of time and then I went right back to drinking when something went wrong and my life and I felt alcohol would ease all pain and fix all problems.  That is not the case at all for me and for any of you that has an addiction to alcohol.  ALCOHOL FIXES NOTHING IN ANYONE'S LIFE, it only make matters worse in the end.

When I finally made my mind up on my own that something had to be done about my addiction to alcohol , I sat down alone and thought of all the things I missed out on in life because I put alcohol before anything else and sometimes my own family.  When I thought hard about what I have done, not only to my health and my body, but all those that loved and cared for me and what I was doing to them and to myself.

I changed my outlook on life and made it a positive attitude in which being positive helped me so much in starting my journey to long term sobriety.  I know any of you that have an addiction to not only alcohol, but drugs can beat that addiction just as I did three years ago and still going strong in staying sober.

Think of all the foolish things you have done in you drunken state of mind and how you feel each and every morning being hungover and waiting for the time to have you r first drink of that new day.

It is a miserable life thinking, waiting and wanting that drink of alcohol to help you get through the day.  We are all killing ourselves slowly, but surly and the demons don't give a crap, believe me.

Think of what you may lose if you don't stop drinking alcohol.  One thing may being your loving family and close and dear friends that DON"T abuse alcohol.  Think that sooner or later your addiction will catch up with you and you body will start to shut down one body part at a time, or in some case all at once.

Think of what you will miss out on if you continue to drink and abuse alcohol such as you child or children getting married and having their own family.  Your grandchildren that you will never see grow up and just life in general.  Life is so precious and why we abuse it is beyond me.  

Remember, we are only here a short time on Earth and we have but only one life to live, so take care of your body and enjoy life the way GOD intended us to do.

So, first you need to want sobriety in your life.  You need to stay positive in anything you do in life and that includes getting and staying sober.  Ask for HELP to get and stay sober.  If you feel you can not get sober on your own, there are thousands of excellent Rehab. Centers all over the world just waiting for you and wanting to help you change your life forever, but like I said YOU need to want sobriety first!

Don't be embarrassed of you addiction.  Be open to others and tell them you are stopping drinking.  Many will admire you for what you are about to do and then, those that you have drank alcohol with will try and stop you for changing your life and getting sober.  Why you may ask? They will then lose a great drinking partner and lose a friend or they really true friends or just people that you have something in common with and that is drinking you lives away?

HERE IS MY eBOOK AND MY LIFE OF ALCOHOL ADDICTION.

CHECK OUT THIS SITE I WRITE ON, CALLED HUBPAGES.  I HAVE OVER 300 ARTICLES ABOUT ALCOHOL ADDICTION AND HAVING A HAPPY LIFE.

MY OTHER BLOG, CALLED THE CLEAN LIFE.

WORD PRESS, LIVING LIFE SOBER.

EZINE ARTICLES

ABOVE LINKS ARE PLENTY OF READING FOR YOU TO READ REGARDING STOPPING DRINKING AND LIVING A HAPPY AND FULFILLING LIFE.  LEARN BY YOUR MISTAKES AS I DID! I WRITE TO HELP OTHERS REALIZE THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE FOR SOBRIETY IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF YOUR LIFE.

STAY STRONG TO YOURSELF. STAY POSITIVE. BELIEVE AND LOVE YOURSELF AND STAY SOBER. YOU WILL NEVER GO WRONG WITH A LIFE OF SOBRIETY!

CRUSHING ALCOHOLISM

Crushing alcohol addiction is a new blog I have started and to be added to the blog I have already have called "The Clean Life." I started The Clean Life blog about three years ago after I surrendered to my own addiction to alcohol. I had been drinking alcohol for many of years and starting at the age of 19 years old. Something that started out as a experiment and having a good ole time with the guys turned out to be an addiction to alcohol in the end.

 Anyone that has an addiction to alcohol knows that it is a tough addiction to break, especially if your heart and soul is not into getting clean and sober. You need to have to want sobriety so bad that you will do anything in the world to get sober and stay sober for the rest of your life. I am sure that many alcoholics may think, as I did, what is the sense of stopping drinking when the damage is already done. We are only making excuses to not surrendering to our addiction. I thought the same way, and lived in denial for all those years thinking, " I don't have an addiction to alcohol and anyone that thinks I have are totally crazy.

 We are only lying to ourselves. You need to have a positive attitude when you have decided to stop drinking alcohol and with having the right frame of mind and wanting sobriety so bad it will not work. Sure it may work for a week or possibly a month until something has gone wrong in your life and you go back to alcohol to fix the problem. You need to be strong and have the determination to stay sober in order for you to have long term sobriety.

Once you have taken that first step towards sobriety there will be a few things you may have to give up besides your addiction to alcohol, and they are as follows:

First of all, you have to make a promise to yourself that once you have got out of the lived in for so long and what to change your life you need to promise yourself that you will never be able to pick up another alcoholic drink again.  Once you have made that promise to yourself you then will see other things that you may have to give up.

For myself, I had to give up and stay clear of all my past drinking buddies and I would imagine you will have to do the same.  I realize that the so called good friends only were my friend because we all had something in common and that was drinking alcohol.  They will look at you like you have two heads when you tell them you have stopped drinking alcohol.  Believe me, they will try everything in their power to stop you from quitting drinking.

You will have to stay clear of passing your favorite bars and night clubs.

You will need to keep yourself very busy, mentally and physically in order for you not to have time to think of the addiction you have just stopped.

For me, and I am only talking about me here.  I can now go to bars and I have been to weddings and none of the people that are drinking alcohol and the so called fun they are having drinking there life away bothers me whatsoever.  I order my root beer and black coffee and I am happy.  Many people ask me "why are you not bothered by people drinking alcohol in front of you?"  My answer is that I made my mind up, and made a promise to myself that I will never drink alcohol again, and I am a man of my word and do not break promises especially to myself.

Here is a link to my eBook called, My Life Of Alcohol Addiction.  It is about when and why I started to drink alcohol and how I stopped my addiction going cold turkey.

Any person that has an addiction can do this.  It is all in your mind and having the strength to say the word NO!  It really is as simple as that!