I am someone who never had a problem with alcohol earlier in life. Being somewhat of a hippie, I did minor drugs occasionally throughout my life with no issues. The older I got, the less access I had to illegal substances, and the more I started to drink.
But things never got out of control – until I retired.
The combination of having more time on my hands, less responsibility, and spending more time at the lake with friends just led to drinking more frequently and more heavily. Things changed gradually over time and I started drinking more by myself – particularly late at night. In retrospect, I realize that I was self-medicating for anxiety and depression I didn’t know I had at the time.
After a couple of years of this, I decided to make a change. I went to inpatient treatment followed by intense outpatient and aftercare for about six months. I stayed sober for about six weeks before starting up again. I was depressed that treatment didn’t work and wasn’t taking care of myself. Eventually I got kicked out of aftercare after being told it “wasn’t working for me.”
It seems to have been true, I realized. A lot people I was in group with had very different issues than me and I didn’t relate to them. After relapsing, I decided I did not want to do inpatient treatment again, and my family helped me research other options. We found Silver Sobriety and I decided to try it out for a few days. It was close to my house and even had a virtual option for when we were up at the cabin.
I liked the people and it felt right so I signed up. Since starting at Silver Sobriety, I have gotten to know the people in group well. We talk about what we’ve done in the past few days to stay sober, and life in general. Having a group of people I have more in common with has made all the difference in my sobriety. That is Silver Sobriety’s secret to success!
Robin
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