ReCATery (aka Sober Cats,800BETSOFF Cats,Like Chocoholics but for BoozeCats,etc)

[cfbandyman]

good for you on the therapy cfb

thanks man, it's been too long coming, and while I'm trying to temper my expectations, and I know it's going to be work, but just actually having something set up has made me the most hopeful for anything in years.

Crazy that it's been over a year since I started therapy. It hasn't been a perfect ride, but I have been very grateful to have started and continue. I think the best part for me has been learning to stop beating myself up over mistakes and transgressions, and then through it all have support from friends and family about it. Like, I definitely have been fighting far too many battles by myself, and to know I have support has been the most positive part of it all, and lucky to have relatively little judgement over it all.

Still a journey, but I feel for the first time in a while not just hopeful, but more, more able to be more comfortable with myself, not beat myself up, not despair as easily, and that I am more capable than I thought of myself. Also being able to more clearly see my life from the outside instead of being stuck inside it, that probably took the most "not therapy by my own journey part" but I don't think I would've been as easily able to get there if being more mindful and caring of myself was made to be a priority. Also being more ok with the journey, the process, helps.

[IPA4Me]

I've been sober for almost three years now. When I was in Louisville last weekend, I took my ex wife on a dinner date and told her that I know our divorce was my fault. Talk about lifting a burden. One day at a time.

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[Cire]

I've been sober for almost three years now. When I was in Louisville last weekend, I took my ex wife on a dinner date and told her that I know our divorce was my fault. Talk about lifting a burden. One day at a time.

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Congratulations on 3 years


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[Stupid Fitz]

I just completed dry January aside from one day. I had a good reason you judgmental sons of bitches  Anywho, it honestly felt pretty great. I wouldn't say i'm a huge drinker on the norm, but I will have 1-3 beers a few times a week. Maybe a couple more on a weekend if something is going on. I really didn't miss it a ton. There were a couple of weekend things where everyone else was drinking that were kind of weird. I discovered a few non alcoholic beers that were actually pretty good. I could have like one of those and was fine with it. I def slept a ton better this month which I knew would happen. I also discovered that I prob like food more. I always loved to eat, but try to keep pretty fit so I've always ate healthy. Not having all those booze calories gave me some leeway to snack a bit more, which was great. Not sure how much this will affect my overall booze habits, but I'll prob at least try and cut back and maybe try and do another booze free month during the year.

[Dugout DickStone]

I've been sober for almost three years now. When I was in Louisville last weekend, I took my ex wife on a dinner date and told her that I know our divorce was my fault. Talk about lifting a burden. One day at a time.

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Dang bud.  Those are some big boy pants you got on.  Nice work

[Dugout DickStone]

I just completed dry January aside from one day. I had a good reason you judgmental sons of bitches  Anywho, it honestly felt pretty great. I wouldn't say i'm a huge drinker on the norm, but I will have 1-3 beers a few times a week. Maybe a couple more on a weekend if something is going on. I really didn't miss it a ton. There were a couple of weekend things where everyone else was drinking that were kind of weird. I discovered a few non alcoholic beers that were actually pretty good. I could have like one of those and was fine with it. I def slept a ton better this month which I knew would happen. I also discovered that I prob like food more. I always loved to eat, but try to keep pretty fit so I've always ate healthy. Not having all those booze calories gave me some leeway to snack a bit more, which was great. Not sure how much this will affect my overall booze habits, but I'll prob at least try and cut back and maybe try and do another booze free month during the year.

Did same with a few days (chiefs/cats) of minor dampness.  Sleep is really one of the benefits. 

[star seed 7]

I've been sober for almost three years now. When I was in Louisville last weekend, I took my ex wife on a dinner date and told her that I know our divorce was my fault. Talk about lifting a burden. One day at a time.

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Nice work man

[nicname]

IPA just killing the 12 steps like an absolute boss and a half.

[cfbandyman]

I just completed dry January aside from one day. I had a good reason you judgmental sons of bitches  Anywho, it honestly felt pretty great. I wouldn't say i'm a huge drinker on the norm, but I will have 1-3 beers a few times a week. Maybe a couple more on a weekend if something is going on. I really didn't miss it a ton. There were a couple of weekend things where everyone else was drinking that were kind of weird. I discovered a few non alcoholic beers that were actually pretty good. I could have like one of those and was fine with it. I def slept a ton better this month which I knew would happen. I also discovered that I prob like food more. I always loved to eat, but try to keep pretty fit so I've always ate healthy. Not having all those booze calories gave me some leeway to snack a bit more, which was great. Not sure how much this will affect my overall booze habits, but I'll prob at least try and cut back and maybe try and do another booze free month during the year.

Did same with a few days (chiefs/cats) of minor dampness.  Sleep is really one of the benefits.

I did fairly week except for the last week(end) slid back. Not so great, but yeah that 2.5 weeks was really nice and sleep was really good.

The work to go is just to keep it on off times.

IPA just killing the 12 steps like an absolute boss and a half.

He's crushing it and proud of him

[mocat]

Dry jan flew by, going to continue with dry feb

[Pete]

I've been sober for almost three years now. When I was in Louisville last weekend, I took my ex wife on a dinner date and told her that I know our divorce was my fault. Talk about lifting a burden. One day at a time.

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Very good work.

[passranch]

Completed my second dry January in a row (2022 and now 2023) and for me they are honestly a piece of cake.  Probably the best side effect for me is I am pretty sure I dropped a few lbs without even trying, which is nice, and also the better sleep.  Surprised to see how many others did the same.  Cheers all around on this wet Wednesday! (well except for you mocat, keep dancing to that dry beat )


Finally...Congrats IPA on your 3 year chip!  That's really fantastic!

[steve dave]

I didn’t do dry January but committed to not drinking on weekdays which I get is pud but I’ve been doing it whenever I felt like for like 20+ years. Only Friday and/or Saturday. Worked out well enough and probably going to stick to that for calorie savings. Will be tougher during baseball season with the other baseball coaches and families so may make exceptions for that. We’ll see.


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[steve dave]

Also I have an employee who was in a really bad place and she is 100 days sober now and doing daily meetings and I’m incredibly happy for her. It’s saved her life imo.


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[schreds21]

Didn't participate in dry January but Lent is right around the corner so I'm sure I will be doing another 40 day abstinence at the behest of my daughter.

[Pete]

Also I have an employee who was in a really bad place and she is 100 days sober now and doing daily meetings and I’m incredibly happy for her. It’s saved her life imo.


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This is great news.

[Stupid Fitz]

I didn’t do dry January but committed to not drinking on weekdays which I get is pud but I’ve been doing it whenever I felt like for like 20+ years. Only Friday and/or Saturday. Worked out well enough and probably going to stick to that for calorie savings. Will be tougher during baseball season with the other baseball coaches and families so may make exceptions for that. We’ll see.


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after going a month, i'm hoping to limit my weekly boozing too. I love sunday beers while cooking though. It was a good experiment overall and I will def think about it more. May just have a beer and if I want another, grab a 70 cal non alcohol IPA or something instead. Just doing that will save tons of calories over a year.

[mocat]

you would not believe the number of na seltzers i pounded during the afc championship game

[Gooch]

I've had maybe 5 booze drinks in the last 6 months. Not a conscious decision either. I just kind of stopped organically.

[star seed 7]

I've had maybe 5 booze drinks in the last 6 months. Not a conscious decision either. I just kind of stopped organically.

October is the last I remember for me. Booze was never really my main vice though 

[Pete]

Just hit my 8 year anniversary of no alcohol.  I did zero mood altering things (apart from prescribed anxiety/depression meds…Effexor and Prozac, NOT stuff like Xanax) for 7 years and this past year introduced weed when it was made legal in MO.  So far so good, but it was definitely important that I did not use anything for a long time.  I have a “more is better” personality.  I don’t have issues with limited viewing of porn or limited gambling, which others struggle with, so that gave me reason for optimism with weed. 

I will always have to closely watch myself and be honest about whether I am simply “relaxing” or “escaping.”

THE MOST IMPORTANT thing for me is that this is the 8th anniversary of me no longer wanting blow my own head off.

I still average 2 - 3 recovery meetings a week. I need at least that to maintain serenity and emotional sobriety…it helps me appreciate life.

I would very, very, very, very strongly recommend AGAINST using any mood altering drugs when you enter recovery of any sort. Time will tell if my recent choice is a bad move or not, but I will say that it took me years to approach some level of being able to live life on life’s terms.  I don’t ever discuss weed with others in recovery.  I only mention it here, because many of you know me outside of recovery and know that I partake in weed now and I want to be honest about my process.

go cats, fear the beard

[Pete]

The short version is “don’t kill yourself, it gets better if you want it to.”

[star seed 7]

I'm certainly glad you did not do that.

[Pete]

Rick Daris had no idea he was impacting my life, but a decade or so ago he told me a personal story about a loved one who struggled with mental health and thoughts of suicide, and Daris told a bunch of us about it and encouraged us to get help if we ever needed it.

It really hit home, and was a big part of me taking steps to get healthier.

[Pete]

I'm certainly glad you did not do that.

I greatly value you saying that.