Day 749

Good afternoon!  My name is Lauren, and I'm a grateful, recovering alcoholic/addict.  Quitting drinking or using is just the beginning.  After that is when the real work begins.  That's when you change your life.  I had to replace the time I spent drinking or using with positve things, family, AA, and church.  Instead of sitting in a bar or in my room by myself drinking, I needed to be with people that cared about me, people that were going to help hold me accountable, people that understood me, people that loved me.  I did what I needed to do to keep me sober.  I had to change people, places and things.  I had to change who I hung out with, where I hung out at, how I drove to work, where I got gas at, whose phone numbers were in my phone, lots of little things.  But now looking back, it wasn't that bad, it was the best thing I could have done, it needed done.  I needed to take care of me, and my family.  It was hard at first, change, thinking, I'm losing all these things, but I didn't realize all the things I would gain. I just have to keep myself in check, because my addiction is still there, doing push-ups in the back of my head, waiting for me to have a lapse in judgment for 1 second, and I will be right back where I was.  So I just need to keep doing the next right thing.  That's all I have for today.  Have a great one!