Today, I've been clean and sober for 25 years.

[Raenelle]

I owe it all to AA--my health, my sanity, my life.

[mrboba1]

1. Congratulations!

That is quite an accomplishment! Well done!

:bounce:

[Raenelle]

4. Thank you, but all I did was grab on to a solution with the desperation

of a dying, bankrupt person.

[madmax]

5. Still took a lot of courage

25 years ago there probably was a lot more stigma attached to having a drinking problem. I think Betty Ford cleared the way for people to change their attitude about alcholism. It's a disease, nobody wakes up one day and says, hey - I think I'll become an alcholic.

You deserve an extra :bounce: I still say it took guts. :hug:

[Raenelle]

16. You're right about Betty Ford

In fact, just before I got sober, I was listening to Phil Donahue. He had a navy doctor on his show (Dr. Pursch?), and he was the guy who had helped Wilbur Mills and Betty Ford get sober. Phil asked him if he wasn't in awe, dealing with such famous people. The doctor said No. Phil looked shocked and asked how so. The doctor explained--"Because they're all liars. They deny the most important fact of their life, that they can't drink, and to defend that lie, they begin to lie about everything else." Blew me away, because I knew how much I lied. I got sober within a week, and that program was a key moment in that decision.

For a Republican, Betty Ford is very, very cool. She not only blazed the way for alcoholics, but also for breast cancer and even plastic surgery. She ranks right up there in that small category of Republicans I wish were Democrats with Teddy Roosevelt, in my book.

[madmax]

31. Hear Hear!!

Betty rocks!

[mrboba1]

7. still, you are the one who did it.

Some people just let go, and become a dead, bankrupt person.

Hats off to choosing the hard way...

:hug:

[tjwash]

17. Yeah, but none of us walk through those doors on a winning streak.

It takes a lot of guts and determination to make through even the first year, while watching nine out of ten go back out constantly.

Here's to 25 more!!

[TX-RAT]

38. Thats usually what it takes

You are a hero.
Not many can.

[madmax]

2. Congratulations Raenelle!!!

That's wonderful. :bounce: One Day at a Time, right.

[FatSlob]

3. Rock On! Good work.

[Dancer]

6. Your sobriety...

Congratulations from a friend of Bill.

Namaste..

[Raenelle]

20. Namaste. And welcome to DU Dancer.

[Paradise]

8. I think you've made it! ;) n/t

[eyesroll]

9. Congratulations, Raenelle!

:bounce:

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. Congrats!!! That is a major accomplishment.

I salute you! :hi: :hug:

[Richardo]

11. Kudos to you, Raenelle. Happy 25th 'birthday'!

:bounce: My dad's an AA success story too. ;-)

[DemWitch]

12. Congratulations, Raenelle!

:hug:

[flvegan]

13. Woo-hoo! Best wishes for 25 or 50 or 75 more!

[tjwash]

14. Yes!!

Woo-hoo!!!! Good on 'ya.

Just turned 15 myself a month ago...

[redqueen]

15. Congratulations

You should be very proud... and thankful, too.

:toast:

[LDS Jock]

18. That is AWESOME news!!!

An incredible achievement. Well done.

[underpants]

19. Congrats

My brother is coming up in his first anniversary

[pagerbear]

21. Excellent!

Congratulations! Keep coming back! You're an inspiration for all of us!

[Ellen Forradalom]

22. Congrats on sticking with a winner

One day at a time, baby, one day at a time. Isn't it amazing how quickly it adds up?

[arwalden]

23. Congratulations!!

:hi:

[qwertyMike]

24. I manged to get 7 years

Then - you know what. ... .?

But I still 'Keep Coming Back'


Congratulations
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[betweenwars]

25. 19 years, 8 months, 22 days

And I'll look to you as an example. So Congrats, but that's just for today, of course.

Best,
Mitch

[Raenelle]

26. Thank you everyone .

[ProdigalJunkMail]

27. Congrats!

THAT is something to be proud of! Hoping for you 25 more years of the same...

theProdigal

[scarlet_owl]

28. Congratulations!

That's really super! Good for you!

[Mrs_Beastman]

29. Quite an accomplishment!

[bobthedrummer]

30. With God all things are possible, my recovery began 6-18-81

:hi:

[Jack_Dawson]

32. Wow Congratulations...

Do you still get urges or have they gone away?

:toast:

[Raenelle]

42. They're gone, but

a couple of things about that

Just because you want to drink doesn't mean you will, and, here's the scary part, just because you don't want to drink doesn't mean you won't.

So, the key is to keep in a frame of mind, or being, where drinking doesn't become an option--and that's what continuous treatment from AA is all about. The way I understand it is--alcoholics are profoundly selfish, and selfishness makes you stupid. I.e., we can know 100% that being sober makes us happy, that being drunk is hell, and yet we are capable of a frame of mind (the "Oh fuck it" frame, I call it) where we just "decide" to drink. So, the selfishness has to be kept in check, and I know that's true for all humans, but for alcoholics, we're so self-obsessed that it takes a whole international organization to treat us on a life-time basis to keep from destroying ourselves.

In other words, I haven't wanted to drink in decades, now, but that doesn't mean that I won't drink.

[argyl]

33. There's no problem bad enough that a drink can't make worse.

I heard an old guy say that and I guess it was what I needed to hear at the time.Twenty three years sober in October.

Congratulations on 25;it is quite an accomplishment.

[arwalden]

34. Congratulations Again...

I still think this is marvelous!

[brook]

35. "Good job!"

That's what my beautiful 2 yo great-grandaughter would say to you!

Wishing you much happiness.

[NC_Nurse]

36. You rock!

Congratulations!

:D

[nini]

37. Good for you!!

not an easy thing to do...

:thumbsup:

[captainjack]

40. congrats!

time to celebrate!

drinks on me!

[UrbScotty]

39. Now all we need is a President who's been sober that long. (nt)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

41. Congrats!

:donut::hug:

[smirkymonkey]

43. Congratulations!

Would love to hear your story!

[MrSlayer]

44. Quitter!

Well that leaves more for me I guess. Congratulations.