9 Years Sober on Friday!
 

February 21, 1999 I was arrested for drunk driving in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. At the time, I was the Elected County Attorney of Worth County, the county just to the north. I was my usual blitzed self that night. My tolerance was so high after 15 years of heavy drinking I passed the walk and turn but failed the breathalyzer -- if you call over .30 failing. College students die at .24. For me to still be able to walk at that level was amazing. I was 185 pounds and had a 37 inch waist. (now I am 160 and 30 inch waist-- back to normal)
The next day I called an in-patient treatment center and reserved a bed. Since I had been prosecuting drunk drivers, I had a good relationship with the manager of the center and was fortunate that they could take me on short notice.

After I checked into the treatment center, the DT's started and lasted for 4 very long days. Withdrawal from severe alcoholism is the most painful thing I have EVER felt in my life.

A day after I got through the DT's, one of the other patients who was also going through them died in the middle of the night. Going to breakfast in the morning, and seeing them wheel his body away on the gurney I realized how serious this really was for me.

I spent a month in that in-patient treatment center. I don't know how else i would have made it- I was craving a drink so bad my mouth watered.
Somehow I made it through the roughest period and stayed sober. I got into Alcoholics Anonymous and have been going ever since.

Every year I post on my Sobriety Anniversary. It helps me to remember how really really fucked up I was and how lucky I was to have been arrested. It took a kick in the ass that hard to get me to sober up.

Friday, February 22 marks 9 years without a drink. It feels damn good to be here, sober, today.

Congrats! You sure are one strong-willed individual...

congrats

- god grant me the serenity, to accept the things i cannot change, the courage to change the things i can, and the widow to know the difference today

edit: wisdom*

Let me be the first to congratulate you on your anniversary Chad. More power to you.

Dan:321GFY

Ok... second...:mad:

Congrats!!!

Shit... third. anyway, i got you on Skype.

Well done Chad. Big congrats mate!

A big congrats to you Chad on this amazing accomplishment. Funny how sometimes the things we thought were tragedies turn out to be life-saving events!!

I am coming up on one year myself and have to say that life has never been better.

congrats man, very brave what you did

congrats thats a great thing

A toast to you... :drinkup































Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider... :winkwink:

ADG

Congrats, thats a fantastic sobriety run, stick with it

Coming up on 15 years myself soon

Here is another toast.... Rum and Dr Pepper.

There are a lot of us in the industry I think.

My next goal is 10 years. 15 is just too far away to think about at the moment.

One day at a time! I think I am up to 3286 days now~

When university got tough, did you quit? No.
When law school got a little rough, did you quit? Of course not.
When passing the Bar was stressing your last nerve, did you quit? Absolutely no!

Nobody likes a quitter, Chad.

Heartfelt congratlations, Chad.

Serious Congratulations to you.

been 13 years myself, I don't have the same kind of story myself as it never got to that point, but I'm glad to be sober.

Besides everything else - think of all the money you've saved in your 9 years! :pimp

Congrats good buddy !

Let me buy you a drink !!






































Ha ha ha ha

He he he he

You had fucking well better where the t-shirt I gave you to the meeting you go to on the day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;-)

congratulations!

You got it my friend!!

How much were drinking per day and for how long of a period?

congrats

While I was in the treatment center one of the projects I had to do was figure that out. It was quite easy for me, actually. I only went to one bar. Beers there were $1.75 and I would always tip the quarter, so it was $2 each. I wrote out checks every night to cover my bar bill, so that made it so easy to figure out. Each check was $40 or $50. Every night. That was 20-25 beers each night at the bar, not including what I would drink at home after the bar closed or the cocktail I would have in the shower in the morning, or the "nooners" i would have during the day. I passed out more nights than I went to sleep.
I was at 2 cases of beer at day at least 6 days a week for two years; before that I was drinking at least 15 a day for the 5 years prior. It took two years after I quit for my liver to fully recover.

Congrats! stay strong

What's a DT?

Nice job Chad :thumbsup

RECOVER?? :P hahaha.. Cmon now.. Livers don't recover from that, even the doctor on the Simpson's knows that!! :P

DT = Delirium Tremens

It is the physical withdrawals from alcohol. The whole body shakes and for me it felt like my entire body was being squeezed in a vice. Truly the most painful thing I have ever experienced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delirium_tremens

Delirium tremens (colloquially, the DTs, "the horrors", "the shakes" or "rum fits"; afflicted individuals referred to as "jitterbugs" in 1930s Harlem slang; literally, "shaking delirium" or "trembling madness" in Latin) is an acute episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal or abstinence, from alcohol following habitual excessive drinking, or benzodiazepines or barbiturates (and other minor tranquilizers). When caused by alcohol, it occurs only in individuals with a history of constant, long-term alcohol consumption. Occurrence due to benzodiazepine or barbiturate withdrawal does not require as long a period of consistent intake of such drugs. Prior use of both tranquilizers and alcohol can compound the symptoms, and while extremely rare, is the most dangerous especially if untreated. Barbiturates are generally accepted as being extremely dangerous, both due to overdose potential and addiction potential including the extreme withdrawal syndrome that usually is marked by delirium tremens upon discontinuation. Due to this, barbiturates are rarely used ambulatory anymore, being replaced by the generally accepted less dangerous benzodiazepines, which however still cause a similar withdrawal syndrome.

Five percent of acute ethanol withdrawal cases progress to delirium tremens[1]. Unlike the withdrawal syndrome associated with opiate addiction (generally), delirium tremens (and alcohol withdrawal in general) can be fatal. Mortality can be up to 35% if untreated; if treated early, death rates range from 5-15%.[2]

Thanks for sharing the details. Did you have a reoccurring hangover every morning or was it just the urge to drink right when you got out of bed?

I have had friends go through DTs before and one described it as basically a 3-4 day panic attack.

So glad to hear you are well now! Gl

holy jesus! :helpme

Congratulations on your 9 years. :pimp

Both. A good slug of gin or vodka would mask the hangover for me.

Congrats Chad.

I remember your post last year.

I am not 100% sober, but anyone who knows me knows how much i have chilled to almost a standstill minus a here and there party. I have drank 3 times since July 07. I can't express how much my life is changed. I am making more money, I feel tons better, and I think more clearly.

I am no saint, but I am not the devil anymore.

Good for you man. I'm not giving up totally, but now I am the one in control.

I also found if i dont get out get wasted on the weekends I make more money.

Typically, friday I wouldn't do shit because I would be anxious about friday night to go out and have some drunken fun. Then saturday I would be too hungover to work, sunday again too hungover to work and monday in no mood to work.

Now I MAYBE go out and get drunk one of those nights every second weekend and I find I make much more

Congrats

http://fubarwebmasters.com/galleries...6/100_0373.jpg

Congratulations.

Congrats Chad :thumbsup

Congrats and keep it up !

grats man. an awesome accomplishment. I know a lot of other people that haven't made the good decisions you must have

Congrats Chad. I'm pretty sure I read the same post last year. Life passes by pretty fast.

How long did it take you after you quit to realized how much your life quality improved?

Congratulations Chad!
Quitting bad habits it one of the hardest things there are. And you succeeded!
All the best to you.

That is awesome, congrats

RESPECT FOR YOU !

I probably drink too much.
Funny that this thread caught my eye !
I drank only this tuesday so far and not much...
I just want to drink when IT'S TIME TO DRINK not on a daily basis even if it's only 2 or 3 beers (or glasses of wine)

You know what's sad ? That you had to stop everything ! But i guess, it takes what it takes !

BRAVO ! FUCKING PROUD OF YOU and i don't even know ya

Cheers ! (lol)

i was gonna say PUSSY!! but im getting old and soft, so gratz dood

Congratulations Chad, keep up the good work :thumbsup

Congrats. :)

Congrats Chad :) Good job

Congratulations! Alcohol is a bitch to tame when you enjoy your vices!

Congrats..time to celebrate :glugglug

congrats man

9 years is a miricle!

ill have 18 months on march 11

:thumbsup

congrats
1/1/97 myself :)