In my drinking years and as an alcoholic in early recovery , I was sometimes consumed with regret; being absent while my children were growing up, isolation from my family, not being able to hold down a job and just being an honest person.  Now, those are just a few of the many regrets I had. At times that emotion had me riddled with shame and guilt sometimes to the point of being suicidal  in my active drinking years. As an alcoholic in early recovery I would sometimes be bogged down with regret. Not to the point of being suicidal or wanting to drink but rather feeling a sense of failure .

For myself, the way I began to move forward was by working the Alcoholics anonymous  12 steps. I slowly began to feel that God had a plan for me including having the strong feelings of regret not being in the for front of my mind. In addition by making amends and having a lot of family and friends be receptive to that I was able to feel some relief. Not total relief but at least to the point that I could begin to move forward with my life. Many of my regrets will always be with me, at times more so that others, but I do know that God will help me deal with those feelings in a sober manner without the temptation to fall prey to drinking again. I know this because, over my last 14 years I feel I have developed a conscious contact with God and can speak with him about regret at any time. Family members and especially my wife, often help me work through the sometimes haunting feelings of regret.

The point I am making is that some feelings will carry on with me, even as a recovered alcoholic, as the years move on,  As long as I keep God in my heart and soul I will be able to fight off the depressive feeling that regret can bring on for me. Lastly no matter what I am going through I feel God will avail me of any temptation to take a drink over it if I ask for it. May God bless you as he has me.

Please feel free to post your comments regarding regret and how you cope with that feeling. Thanks for reading this post.

I feel  that one’s personal health is very important as alcoholics and as alcoholics in early recovery as well as those who have years of sobriety.  I know that in my 23 years of drinking I never went to see a doctor or dentist unless it was an emergency. Perhaps I was in denial that my health was poor, scared or just wanted to die an alcoholic death. Whatever the case, in my sobriety, I have been able and willing to see doctors and dentist for various reasons.  I am  addressing health issues as they arise. I turned 51 years old this year and I feel overwhelmed with health issues that keep popping up. Perhaps its just the fact that I am growing older or is a direct or indirect effect from drinking. I have heard it said that an alcoholic;s body, over an extended period of drinking , causes ones body to age beyond your actual years. I don’t know if that is true but, for myself, it sure feels like it. I am not complaining though. I know many alcoholics are suffering from very serious health conditions. I pray for them and feel grateful that my health issues can addressed.

I feel like you owe it to yourself to know what is going on with your body so you can make informed decisions on how to care for yourself. I am doing so that I can live as long a life as God’s Will allows. I want to see my family grow and share many more great times with them. I even want to get in a few more days of fishing.

Before I got sober it is safe to say that I was dying and these days  I choose to live. My hopes are that you choose to live as well. I have found that while health issues arise, God will be there to lead you on a course of action. ,health

Thanks for reading this post and feel free to comments on any of your experiences as an alcoholic. God Bless You.