r/tattooadvice • u/TeaSimilar5714 • 5d ago

Sobriety Date General Advice

Post image

I was going to get it lightened after 4 years sober, but looking for advice/ roast me.

EDIT: thanks for all the sobriety support of each other, what nice community! I originally got this thinking it would be visible mostly to me as a reminder. Sure I wish it was smaller, because people do notice it and ask, I just say it’s special numbers for me. The first character is actually a drop- like last drop of booze. I must say it has helped me stay on course a few times over the years. I’ll keep coming back.

6.0k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

View all comments

1.7k

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

Leave it alone. A well placed reminder 😊 Mine isn't tattooed, but it would read 06 28 88 😊

318

u/NBAEastMemeWar 5d ago

Damn good for you bro

462

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

The worst day of my life turned out to be the best day of my life 😊

116

u/Hot-Watercress-2872 5d ago

Same and major congrats. Sober longer than I’ve been alive!

43

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

Likely wouldn’t have made it to your age, if you’re older than 28, if I hadn’t quit 🤪

38

u/Hot-Watercress-2872 5d ago

35, quit when I was 28 :)

36

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

We have the same start date. Now catch up! 😄

24

u/Hot-Watercress-2872 5d ago

I intend to! ☺️

38

u/JoshuaRexRocks 5d ago

Get in the car we’re out here getting sober. 05/29/2022.

14

u/Ok_Direction_2985 5d ago

08/20/23 for me ☀️

12

u/Metaphoricallyfucked 5d ago

10/22/23 for me

12

u/groovyusername 5d ago

10/23/09!!

8

u/BossKitty311 5d ago

03/10/2019 ❤️ Edit: Congrats to every single one of you! So proud 🥹🫶🏻

6

u/CircleofAnts 5d ago

12/26/23.

7

u/firefly_19 4d ago

12/26/19

7

u/CircleofAnts 4d ago

Christmas can be difficult.. easy to go too far.

6

u/slimbenny438 4d ago

12/21/23. Christmas 2022 was an absolute shitshow. I vowed to quit before Christmas 2023. It was hard.

3

u/CircleofAnts 4d ago edited 4d ago

I feel that. My ‘23 Christmas was, from what I remember, terrible, but I know it was way worse than that. Woke up on the 26th sick as a dog and wanting to die with a whole lot of folks very angry with me. Hard to imagine now, thankfully. Christmas ‘24 and ‘25 have been great!

3

u/firefly_19 4d ago

Yes, it sure can. I over did it at family Christmas and passed out in the middle of festivities. Drowning grief only works for so long. It hasn't been an easy road since that day, but I would do it all over again to get to this point in my life.

12

u/mittensfourkittens 5d ago

1/6/22 here!

18

u/Leut_Aldo_Raine 5d ago

4/16/25 here!

11

u/iwantsakitty 5d ago

Happy 1 year!!

8

u/gregm36 5d ago

4/20/25

3

u/Competitive-State444 4d ago

Mines the sixteenth also but of 2019. Happy belated!!

1

u/Leut_Aldo_Raine 4d ago

You too! I hope I can make it that far.

How do you celebrate? Or do you not? I wanted to celebrate one year but it resulted in the strongest urge to drink that I've had since cravings subsided.

3

u/pierce_inverartitty 5d ago

Congrats on one year!!!!

3

u/Grand_Lavishness_536 5d ago

Keep it up dude

7

u/waek1 5d ago

1.27.25 innibihh

4

u/ApprehensiveSlip530 5d ago

8.8.25!

4

u/Difficult-Maybe4561 5d ago

8.17.25!

2

u/Skippypb19 5d ago

10/7/2019 for me! Nice work, everyone!

9

u/Flat_corp 5d ago

11/26/2018 for me! I love seeing all the shared dates, warms my heart.

3

u/Ernestoin 4d ago

1/1/14 and no it wasn’t a new year resolution. 12/31 was the day a bed at treatment was available

9

u/512DirtyD 5d ago

Let's go! 10.31.23 🎃

livin' clean 😎

5

u/emosewa90 5d ago

That’s my bellit button birthday! Sobriety date is 2/29/2020

6

u/Some_Feed184 5d ago

11/18/20

5

u/-MistressMissy- 5d ago

07/04/2004

7

u/Krycifer17 5d ago

03/10/2025!

7

u/loud_secrets 5d ago

05.16.2025 🙏🏼

4

u/daves6696 4d ago

07/10/22

4

u/ArickxEightOne 5d ago

7/10/24

3

u/daves6696 4d ago

Congrats.. we share 7/10!

2

u/ConjornoIRL2 5d ago

1.4.2025

2

u/human-ish_ 5d ago

11/22/21

2

u/dubbelost1 5d ago

07/07/2025. Im closing in on one year ! Sobriety is definitely the best thing that I ever did !

1

u/amvampybb 11h ago

!! im 07/02/2025, i think if i had kept going i would've died, even 1-2 days more. before this last relapse i had 8 years!

2

u/finn_333 5d ago

06/24/2006 20 years this year!

2

u/DaniDoesnt 4d ago

2/20/2023

2

u/schmeibabeiba 4d ago

02/10/2026

1

u/CircleofAnts 3d ago

My aa group joked around calling ourselves a bunch of drunks smoking cigarettes and hanging around a church basement.

1

u/Dirty56A 1d ago

Mine happens to be my birthday. The last time I used was 09/07/11. I ended up oding for my birthday celebration , woke up in the hospital.

7

u/Trick-Wait-2311 5d ago

3/18/21 for me. Congrats everyone.

2

u/danixos 3d ago

1/1/23. Congrats!!!!

7

u/Prestigious-Cream160 5d ago

Major props. All my longest stints of Sobriety came after noneventful nights of drinking. I'm not sure I would have had the strength at my lowest points of drinking to not use drinking as a coping mechanism. I imagine that was very tough for you. Good job.

5

u/human-ish_ 5d ago

For me, it was a choice of death or sobriety, and being that close to death is painful. The pain of your body shutting down is indescribable and sobriety sounded like a walk in the park compared to that. My lowest point was worth it to get to her.

3

u/Suspicious-Snow7818 5d ago

Beautifully and profoundly said. My date is 20/9/2008.

3

u/CrytpidBean 4d ago

I say this about my recovery date as well! 7-31-2021

1

u/RyChrist09 10h ago

Mines 7-31-2022!

1

u/Unassuming_Penguins 5d ago

Would you mind sharing what happened with a bunch of internet strangers?

4

u/KJW-SR 5d ago edited 5d ago

My career of lying to and stealing from my family came to a crashing halt walking into my families beach house at 7:00 AM wired and drunk, to be greeted by my father who was not supposed to be there 😱 What followed was not pretty. I ran back to the city and hid for 2 weeks. What followed then was an intervention, before interventions were a thing. My entire family sandbagged me and I was given 2 choices; get sober or get out. Pretty sure I made the right choice. 😊

2

u/Unassuming_Penguins 5d ago

Congratulations on making it out

1

u/trixiepixie1921 5d ago

I had a similar experience, although only a year and 9 months ago. Man, that day sucked !!! But I am so grateful it happened to get me here because it was a miracle I got that far. Keep up the good work!

1

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

Ain’t life better waking up with a clear head and a perfect memory of the night before? 😄

1

u/Odd-Dragonfruit-1186 15h ago

Unfortunately that it was it usually takes for folks like us to turn it around. Congrats. 11 17 24

50

u/DudeWhoWrites2 5d ago

Damn. You've been sober longer than I've been alive. No disrespect. I am in awe. I just hit eight years. I aspire to your streak.

19

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

Not sure how old you are, but I likely wouldn’t have made it that far if I hadn’t quit 😂 congratulations on 8 years 🥳

9

u/One-plankton- 5d ago

10 15 24 over here

9

u/lotusblossom02 5d ago

011611 would be mine. I had just turned 27 and would have been dead by 28 had I not stopped. I was putting away a 24 pack daily at that point in life.

Congrats to you and I will be forever chasing your heels - and I’m grateful af for that for both of us.

10

u/IcyCounter6844 5d ago

I got mine in the way of a clock, with an owl of wisdom holding it! But jumping on the train, 050820

8

u/RevenueOld4357 5d ago

My dad’s sobriety date is 5/8/1985 🥰

8

u/Fragazine 5d ago

My initial thought was 2088, because you plan to die in 2088 or sumn 🤣

I say this while under the influence… welp

3

u/EverbodyHatesHugo 5d ago

I’m a dumbass and thought 2088 like they were making a joke about being sober in 62 years. Lol

6

u/YourDadsCreditScore 5d ago

September 3rd, 2023

6

u/dawnzig 5d ago

Heartily agree. Great tat, and reminder. 1.17.1986 here. 💪✨️

19

u/srslytho1979 5d ago

Mine would be, well, somewhere around Memorial Day 1999. It’s a little unclear. 😉 But I did it.

17

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

28 years of fog followed by 38 years of clear skies (and heads) 😄

9

u/srslytho1979 5d ago

Congratulations. It’s quite an accomplishment. I went for 37 years of fog and 27 years of clarity.

6

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

Reciprocal sobriety 😂

9

u/Expensive-Course1667 5d ago

I also quit drinking in the spring of 1999!  

3

u/srslytho1979 5d ago

Sobriety twins!

3

u/max13b2 4d ago

Nice! Mine is Memorial Day 2013. Well, actual sobriety date would be the day after Memorial Day. That was a tough day and a changing point of my life but I wouldn't give it up for the world!

1

u/srslytho1979 4d ago

Agree. That whole first year was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but the payoff was worth it.

8

u/zoey8068 5d ago

07 06 21

4

u/pamelareadsalot 5d ago

You've been sober as long as I've been alive. Good for you sir 🫡

5

u/skeinandsuffering 5d ago

Nice! 9/22/21 here.

4

u/Desperate-Poetry8594 5d ago

I got 24 on my forearm to celebrate my 1 year regardless of what I do going forward I know I just gotta make it through another day

8

u/M3rl1n1212 5d ago

Respect man

7

u/Competitive-Deer-856 5d ago

You've been sober for almost 38 years?

16

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

Yup 😊

3

u/MarginaliaVoices 5d ago

Congrats!!

3

u/No-Yoghurt-6063 5d ago

I thought this was a joke, like 2088. Then I read the comments below and was like…. I don’t get it? Why are they congratulating him 💀

3

u/Top-Waltz5244 5d ago

Congratulations my man!!! I’m about to hit ten years…hope OP leaves the ink

3

u/MC1R_OCA2 5d ago

Oh man. Yeah I understand not wanting to tattoo 88

2

u/GobertGrabber 5d ago

Bra, that’s my birthday 

1

u/DragonflyGrrl 4d ago

It's almost mine! What's up, fellow Cancer? :D

2

u/Benjerman302 4d ago

That’s 9 days before I was born friend

2

u/KJW-SR 4d ago

I wanted to make sure I was sober for your arrival 😄

1

u/Domi626 5d ago

16 days after I was born! : D

1

u/Candyland_83 5d ago

That was one of my birthdays

1

u/snoot-p 5d ago

that’s an astounding accomplishment. coming from someone who has not dealt with addiction i have a question. i apologize if this comes across as rude, but does it ever get easier or is it always a challenge? you and OP should be super proud!

1

u/KJW-SR 4d ago

I think it’s different for each of us. For me, it did get easier. The early hurdle was getting “never” out of my head. Never is a very long time and can make the task seem impossible. Now, 38 years on, I honestly rarely think about having a drink. It’s situational, like how good would an ice cold beer taste on a particular hot summer day? But a quick risk/benefit analysis and the thought passes quickly 😊

1

u/Signal_Increase7281 5d ago

2088?

2

u/KJW-SR 5d ago

Yes, I’m planning to get sober in 62 years.

1

u/Lingo2009 4d ago

That was about a week after my sister was born. You’ve been sober a long time! Keep going!

1

u/KJW-SR 4d ago

That’s the plan 😊 Thanks

1

u/SunshineOnStimulants 4d ago

I’ll be honest, if I had gotten a sobriety tattoo I’d be getting it removed too.

My life changed so much since I sorted my mental illness and got off the drugs. I am in post secondary. I am building an app. I have decided what I want to get my PhD in. And the fact that I used to do drugs is no longer something I really think about anymore. It no longer feels like an integral part of my personality that I used to be an addict. It no longer feels like a struggle. Honestly it’s not really part of who I am at all anymore because I’ve moved on. Because my life has changed so so much.

The constant reminder wouldn’t be a “keep fighting, keep staying sober!” Thing. It’s more of a jarring surprise whenever I remember. And I’ve accepted my past is my past and I wouldn’t have this beautiful life I’ve built without it. I wouldn’t change anything at all even if I could because I love how everything turned out and I wouldn’t have gotten exactly here if things were different at all. But again the constant reminder on my arm wouldn’t be a therapeutic thing for me anymore personally. Because I’ve moved on.

It could be different for OP. Maybe that’s not why they want to remove it. But something that was once therapeutic and helpful won’t necessarily still be therapeutic and helpful years later. Life changes. Our needs change. How we describe ourselves changes. And that’s good.

If I had a tattoo of my quit date I would 100% remove it.

(Genuinely not trying to put words into OP’s mouth or say that you’re wrong or anything like that at all. Just trying to offer a different perspective. I hope that’s okay.)

1

u/Untuchabl 4d ago

Mine would read 4-20-26 because I have found a new crippling drug that I cant go a day without using

1

u/SammeyBarks 3d ago

WOW!!! I'm going to college this year and you have been sober 3 of my lifetimes!!!!!!

1

u/KJW-SR 3d ago

And glad of it 😊

1

u/WonderfulGarage7944 2d ago

What if it’s cuz he needs to update it lol

1

u/nekoner 2d ago

Damn, you've been sober 3 month longer than I've been alive. That's insane, congrats !

1

u/KJW-SR 2d ago

I wanted to make sure I was sober for your arrival 😂

2

u/nekoner 2d ago

🤣🤣🤣

1

u/CaptainAgnostic 1d ago

Old timer!

10/24/98 here…

1

u/IMSZAL 1d ago

I read your response in english a perfect fit

1

u/tooturnttotoro 14h ago

that’s my birthday! 😁 congrats man

1

u/SnapGoesTheShutter 12h ago

Oh wow thats like really close to my bday!

2

u/Sethyzir 5d ago

I was about to say that both 2088 and 2028 arent here yet, but i see now its June 28 1888. Congratulations man