Alcoholic to 3 years sober and actually being the dad my kids deserve

10h ago1 min read

Three years sober today. Not sharing this for pity but because I know there's guys here struggling. I was the dad who was checked out, or worse, checked in but drunk. My oldest refused to talk to me for a while after I got sober because he didn't trust I'd stick with it. We're rebuilding that relationship slowly and it's the hardest and most rewarding thing I've ever done. Meetings, sponsor, therapy, all of it feels like real work but my kids don't flinch when I reach for them anymore. They're not always looking for the other shoe to drop. If you're fighting addiction man, get help. Your kids need you present more than they need you perfect.

4 comments64 views

Comments(4)

VVincentNew Dadjust now

Man, props to you. Takes guts to post this. My kids have noticed the difference when I'm actually present instead of just being in the same room. You're doing the real work.

TThomasNew Dadjust now

Three years. That's incredible. If there's anything you've learned that helps with the day to day, I'm sure a lot of us would want to hear it.

DDannyNew Dadjust now

This is huge. Seriously. I don't know your whole story but three years is not a small thing. The fact that you're thinking about the other guys struggling right now shows exactly the kind of dad you're talking about becoming. Keep going.

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MMike R.New Dadjust now

I hope someone reading this who needed to see it finds this post. You're right about not looking for pity because what you're describing is just good parenting. Thanks for being real about it.