I quit drinking for the first time just before I turned 21, and now I’m 25.
In other words it hasn’t been all smooth sailing.
I relapsed several times.
However with the help of the gym and a recovery program that combines the principles of recovery that enable spiritual development with PHYSICAL development, I’ve had 4 years of the strongest fitness and sobriety I could possibly ask for, if i can do it definitely you can.
Hitting the gym was one of the biggest things that helped me. I started when I was in rehab because there really wasn’t anything else to do in your limited free time except for read, write, or draw. After I got out I just kept doing it, it really helped me keep my appetite up and kept my energy levels up too. Keep it up. I’m glad youre getting healthy while youre still young. You got this!
My motivation is/was probably very different than others. For me, seeing my friends and other people I care about and look up to being successful doing what they love was a huge motivator- I missed out on so many opportunities to better myself and advance my career because I chose alcohol instead. Going to the gym lead me to making better choices overall- eating healthier, a more regular sleep cycle, more energy and less anxiety- all I needed was the kick in the pants to get there and for me that was the determination to catch up to where I wanted to be or could have been had I not prioritized alcohol. Discouragement sucks and its a shitty feeling, but for me just remembering all of the times I’ve gone through withdrawals at the hospital getting pumped with phenobarbital an ativan, with multiple IV lines because I was so dehydrated, those were truly my lowest moments and for me the memories of being in that position outweighed the feeling of discouragement. Its not as though I always had the “f*ck yeah, I can do anything!” feeling at the gym, but I always knew being at the gym was going to get me a lot farther than being passed out on the floor with my pants half off.
Facts… I feel the same way when I get to the gym or do physical activity I just have such a metal block. However this is super motivating thank you for sharing.