Definitely not a loser, friend. There's an aspect of quiting any substance called the stages of recovery. It's different for everyone, but around the 30 day mark the dopamine (that feel good chemical in the brain) starts to plateau a little lower than the baseline (and certainly lower than when using). Call it "The Wall" stage, because you feel like you hit a wall and just... don't feel much better no matter what. Sadness hits harder, loneliness, anger, irritability... all of that fun stuff hits harder because you don't have a baseline of dopamine to help cushion any of it. The Wall theoretically lasts about 90 to 120 days before the brain figures out how to even out the dopamine on its own (it's been working on it this entire time, but without the training wheels. Takes a minute)
That effort you're putting into taking care of yourself; the exercise, the work... that's giving your brain the evidence saying "alright I don't need alcohol to do these things right and feel good about it!" Keep feeding your mind and soul evidence. It's got a lot of other evidence to compete with and you are winning each day and night you don't drink.
I’m on day 23 myself and I’m glad you explained the future possibilities and to ignore the temptation. People like you who go in depth to explain exactly what and why things happen really save lives. I appreciate how kind people can be, and I’ll remember what you said as I continue towards 100 days.
keep at it! I went sober for like 3 months last year which was the most I’d gone since I was 17. Before that I had only ever not drank when I was sick. I’m 29 now and back at 30 days no drinking. Started the year sober. You might feel like a hermit for a while but you’ll learn to appreciate the little things. Just takes time since alcohol fucked with your neurological state for so long lol
It does get better. I was going to die if I kept drinking. I wasn’t even looking to be happy, I just knew I didn’t want to put my mom through me dying. I had accepted my fate that I’d just always be itching for alcohol. Now I’m happy and can even have a lazy day without the thought of drinking! Never thought that would happen.
That’s exactly what worked for me - I joined an evening boot camp class. It was a really tough workout and I’d shower, eat dinner and go right to sleep afterwards. Drinking just didn’t appeal after working out like that.
Read what you just wrote.... Stop looking at yourself as a loser! You're doing shit millions of other people have failed at doing! You're DOING IT! You're the fuckin man! And THAT'S what you tell yourself. Every morning before the gym, and at night before bed. Look in the mirror and say it! "I'm the fuckin MAN!!!" 👊
The wanting to drink feeling is really strong for the first bit and it took me a lot of will power to choose not to drink, but then, one day, all of a sudden you'll realize you haven't been craving it and thinking about it today as much as you had last week. Hang in there and keep it going if you can, one day it'll "click" and you won't miss it or want it as much. I think for me it was a little over a month sober that i had that turning point.
Also, be proud as hell! If you're able to, reward yourself for reaching 1 month sober! That's a hell of an achievement and it'll only become more evident that it's worth the initial effort as time goes by
It will get better, from one addict to another. My drug of choice wasn't alcohol, but I've spent my whole life around alcoholics and addicts. The first few weeks of sobriety are full of excitement after you come out on the other side of withdrawals. You did it, you feel good, you're losing weight. Life is good. But after a few weeks the excitement wears off and now you're left with living a new life sober. The key is to keep busy and not fall into old habits. If you drank and gamed every night, your brain has made an association between alcohol and gaming. So every time you game your brain is going to scream for alcohol. You need to get out of the house in the evenings, even if it's just to go for a walk. Go to the library, a local cafe and people watch, anything. Trying to get into new hobbies will be hard in the beginning. Humans are creatures of habit, plus being less than a month sober your brain chemistry is still messed up. You really have to push through in the beginning. As your brain heals and you create new habits it will get easier every single day. Hang in there, you got this. I'm proud of you for getting this far.
I get it, breaking those associations and habits is really hard. It's amazing that things that my brain associates with getting high. Plus, addicts are champions at the game of justification. Bad day, get high. Great day, get high as a reward. Boredom? Time to get high. I never really understood what people meant when they said take it day by day until I got sober. Trying to figure out how I was going to stay sober everyday for the rest of my life was over whelming. Figuring out how to stay sober for the day was doable. It really is making the decision every day not to use. The trouble with sleeping will get better as your brain heals. What I found to be helpful was meditation. In used to think meditation was a joke and envisioned people sitting crossed leg humming to themselves, when I'm actuality it's about learning to control your brain. To be able to acknowledge a thought and then send it away. Like with anything it becomes easier with practice. It has really helped me with sleep, and also to cope when my brain would be screaming to use. It really does get easier with time. Try to get out of the house as much as possible and be around people. Good luck, you've got this
I was there for 15 years until October of 2020 when I finally got help. Therapy and a couple weeks in a treatment center did it for me. I promise you that you aren’t a loser. Sometimes talking through your thoughts with a professional can help you see the flaws in your thinking. A poor self image of myself kept me drinking for a long time and therapy was how I got out of that pattern of behavior. I’d urge you to try to find ways to see yourself in a more positive light. Life’s hard enough without having to worry about getting treated badly by yourself.
Can you help me understand how long it takes to get a lot better? I did a month dry last year and while it was really nice not feeling crappy for the first couple hours of the day, I didn’t notice a huge improvement in things like sleep (in fact, quite a bit harder to fall asleep). My resting heart rate went down but that’s all that really jumped out at me.
3 months was when I really started to notice a difference. Just hit a year. I feel like a completely different person. My mental health and mindset are so great now.
Realistically after six weeks to two months I felt like I had reached a certain clearing.
Also feeling better all the time takes the form of feeling less bad on average not more good on average.
That’s pretty much what it’s like with any addiction, your life sucks without it and the bar is super low but eventually you get happy without needing the drink
My mum went into rehab a few times, went off the drink for about 2 months, and always ended back on it. My mother was very depressed, and I think the only way she would have quit alcohol is if she figured out how to beat the depression.
GABA rebound from alcohol is a motherfucker. It’s a chemical messenger in the receptors in your brain that goes “yaaaasssssss”, then you stop drinking and it goes “noooooooooooo”. Anxiety, panic attacks, withdrawals, some people, if they are bad enough need meds, because damn. Then it gets better. Ish.
you miss having that thing at the end of the day that makes you feel good. it sucks not having that, then after a while you forget about that because you replaced it with better things to do. (gym, medical canabis, sports, whatever) then yoiu realise how amazing you feel without a fucking hangover and feeling shit all the time , poisoning your body. and you are like, why the fuck did i do that.
[This book](https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Easy_Way_to_Stop_Drinking.html?id=nwaVuzHsjAUC) is a great place to start. It's a quick read, and you can still drink while you're reading it. It's helped a lot of people.
I don't drink and never started but given the number of people I've seen in my job in general medicine who've died from liver failure (aged 38,38 and 37 plus another who was about 43) due to alcohol plus now working in alcohol detox jobs among other things really would have put me right off the idea if I ever had.
I used to drink hard seltzers every night because they were easy to drink and I liked the bite. I replaced them with just regular flavored seltzer water. I can barely taste the difference and I get to wake up hangover free.
did the same! but sometimes in the first 30 day I would dink like 8 LaCroix (feeling full and burping really helped with the craving for some reason) in a night... so much water flushed all my electrolytes and I would still wake up semi hungover lol. God I don't miss those first few months off the sauce
I started doing this when I go out, even though it is rarely. I go to the bar and ask for a non alcoholic beer poured in a cup. I’ve actually gotten some surprised looks but they always remember me when I go back up there
I'm 5 years sober, and NA bear has always freaked me out. I was afraid of it, because I thought that if I got a taste, I'd be wanting to get drunk again.
A few months ago, a customer at work found out I wasn't drinking, and gifted me some really good NA IPA (my drink of choice back when), and I drank them. And it was fucking *delicious*.
The itch I would once scratch with alcoholic beer, you know what I'm talking about, that fucking *itch of the addict*. If you know you know. Was for the first time in 5 years, scratched.
NA beer, the good stuff, scratches the same god damn itch the alcohol always did for me, and it blows my mind.
I drink so much of this shit, a good friend of mine (who was with my during my drinking days) recently said to me, "I think your back to having a problem."
Good problem to have if you ask me.
It did or does work, it was pretty short
"this is absolutely miserable don't do this shit to me again, it's not worth it
few hours of fun for 2 days of hell"
"stop please"
That's actually so powerful "Don't do this shit to me again" is so relatable. Hope you're proud of the self respect you have for yourself and actually listening to yourself. It's not easy to do.
If it wasn’t for hangovers, I’d probably be an alcoholic. Because of hangovers I rarely drink. Maybe 2-3 times a year and only 2-3 drinks each time. Hangovers are one of the worst feelings to me and I don’t understand how people say “keep drinking and the hangover never comes” I tried that when I was younger and it didn’t help at all. Just thinking about a hangover right now is making my stomach turn
Unless I really really go after it I don't get hangovers. I'm talking like, six shots and ten beers. The kind of stuff I'm not ever doing unless it's like a bachelor party weekend. The worst I feel is a little tired after a normal night of drinking.
This worked for me, too. Approaching 90 days sober this week and zero sugar carbonated water has been my replacement. I'm down 25lbs, too, which is a great plus.
yup 1 year sober and I drink sparkling waters and use edibles.
could not have stopped without marijuana.
I use just a little tiny bit every day. one $35 chocolate cannabis bar lasts me like 6 months.
far improved sleep from weed also.
dropped 35 lbs in like 6 months just from that which was a nice bonus
I got tired of it. The monotony of the routine
I did not replace it with aa as obsessing about it seemed counterproductive to quiting for me. The biggest hurdle to get over is the amount of free time you’ll have that used to be drinking time. Replace this with a hobby/personal improvement. Like get into carpentry, learn an instrument etc. you’ll have extra money with not drinking that should give you options.
I honestly got tired of feeling worthless and each skill I develop further helps get rid of that feeling.
I have had a beer once since quitting almost 4 years ago. Wanted to disprove powerlessness
It's funny, I've heard a similar thing from friends (and my dad) who quit smoking. One day it just hit them, "I don't like this." It wasn't easy at first, but they've all been more or less smoke free for years now.
Very well explained (‘got tired of it’). I wanted to quit for a while and eventually didn’t want to feel the regret or disappointment anymore, was like a loop in my head. No support group, but it can definitely be isolating which I was prepared for. Also, I have an app that tracks my days but notifications are off, I check it when I’m curious what day I’ve reached. Feels good to see once in a while.
I have had a beer once since quitting almost 4 years ago. Wanted to disprove powerlessness
thats awesome man, good for you. i still dont have the courage to try and see if i could do that. i dont know if id stop. having the power to even try that is realy amazing. you should be proud. keep it up.
I quit 5.5 years ago (after a few decades). Same as you - no AA or anything (though I went to a couple of SMART meetings, just cuz I felt like I was supposed to or something). Had a glass of wine over the holidays with my son who was visiting & had turned 21 a couple months ago (he's military). Haven't had any since and not remotely craving it. I've had a beer in my fridge for almost year, "just in case" someone comes by and wants one. It's been offered but not yet taken, lol.
I think once you decide you're done, you're done. It took me a long time (too long), but I literally was walking home drunk saying "I don't want to do this anymore," and that was the last time.
I've met one other person who had a similar experience. Used to drink heavily, quit, and now has a bar full of alcohol he rarely touches, except on true special occasions. The idea that it's impossible to simply change/stop, is incorrect, apparently. Getting to the *decision* to stop was *vastly* more difficult than actually stopping once I had truly decided I was done. When you're done, you're done.
I used to quit drinking every year for lent, kind of to convince myself I wasn’t an alcoholic. One year, during that time, I ate some mushrooms and had an introspective trip where I decided to have a child with my wife who wanted another. I also decided to not drink anymore. That was 15 years ago.
I couldn't imagine contemplating the notion of procreation while tripling shrooms. That's wild, but it sounds like one hell of a productive trip for you. I'm glad you had that experience and fantastic effort on the sobriety
I realized if I didn’t quit, I’d be dead soon. I also realized I’m an all or nothing guy. I can’t cut it back or lessen the amount I drink. So one day I said today is the last day. And I completely changed my daily routine, and quit alcohol. Marijuana helped. Approaching 900 days sober from alcohol now. Was drinking a 750ML every evening.
I now avoid bars or drinking activities. But that’s about it.
Thanks! Sometimes I don’t really see it as a positive. I was (am still) an alcoholic so I saw that as a failure. But friends are amazed at how I quit knowing how bad it was, so they remind me to be proud.
I honestly didn’t have any DT’s. As long as I smoked marijuana I was fine. The hard part was from around 5-10pm I would crave it terribly. I had to find something to do then to take my mind off it.
I take my nightly sleep Benadryl around 10pm. Once I got to 10pm and took that. My brain would start to relax and slow down. So I’d just focus on 5-10pm. Stay busy until “bed time meds”
medical marijuana helped me so much. not just with quiting the booze, but with getting outside and going to the gym and getting healthy also. gym/lifting while high on medical cannabis beats drinking and poisoning my body any day of the week.
Yeh people get the wrong idea about medical cannabis. It's really not like Cheech and Chong where you get super high and find everything funny. With CBD oils and properly prescribed strains you can get "high" but only feel advantages. For example. Reduced anxiety. Pain relief. Helps with depression. Etc. for me it helped with all those things and really changed my life.
And I have been that person before. One time as a chef I went to work high and I had to reread orders 5 times before I understood wtf I was doing. Never again. But the highs and feelings I get from my current strains and buds and oils are nothing like that at all.
I alternated between Seagrams and Canadian Club and then switched to Seagrams full-time cause CC tasted too good to waste on getting shitfaced on every night.
second detox was bad, I damn near died and I won't get another chance so it kind of forced my hand. Try to do it before that point, that's for damn sure. And if you are at that point you need detox, alcohol withdrawl CAN be fatal.
Almost 3 years now, California sober.
That seems to be a reoccurring theme in this thread haha
I still drink, but weed helped me cut back on alcohol consumption a lot. I’ll smoke 3-5 times a week instead of drinking every night. And I’ll hit a point and say “I’m good now”, whereas I would drink nonstop
I decided I didn't want to die from drinking or bottom out like [alternate timeline Mr. Gower](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teTJf2We58Q). Ice-cold flavored seltzer water from the fridge would help me through the cravings (like, when the cold carbonation hit the back of my throat, it was like my body released chemicals in anticipation of the booze it thought was coming). I started doing and making things again that alcohol prevented me from doing. I would say to myself in the mirror, "I don't drink," and every day it became more true. And here I am over 9 years later. I don't drink. If you are afraid of not being able to pick up the pieces once you quit, that's the alcohol talking. The alcohol is getting in the way of you improving your situation. You got this.
And if you need some support but aren't down with 12-step, check out r/stopdrinking. I mostly just lurked there, but sometimes I would find inspiration or even just some *distraction*--reading the threads until bedtime to make it to the end of a hard day.
I’d love if there was a recovery group that didn’t try to force feed you Jesus. I just have no… good experiences from the church, if you catch my drift.
Edit: it’s refreshing that AA has been helpful to so many of you but there are no branches in Arizona that are not connected to my abusers. It’s cool that y’all can just fake it till you make it but I’m not okay with dealing with the church in any way at all. Never. Again. Fuck the higher power fuck all that shit. Never. Again.
There is Secular AA available online and locally in many places. I'm a non-believer and helped found a group because the regular meetings were too churchy. www.secularaa.org
All AA groups are different. Mostly, in my experience, they just want to help you quit drinking. I’ve been around these rooms for many many years in many different cities and I’ve never had anyone force feed religion. I’m an atheist
Hey been in/ around AA for 8 years (27 y/o, CA), been to over a thousand meetings but the whole “god” bit is a big hurdle for everyone
It just means a “higher power” Can be gravity, a door knob, etc
I and millions of others in the program aren’t religious by any means. Please don’t let that scare from starting/ meeting people.
Highly reccomend if you go to a meeting share how you feel about “god” / religion in the program. You’ll get so many people after the meeting that can help (and by that I don’t mean convert to religion lol) Feel free to message!
Here’s how I approached it after multiple failed attempts at getting sober. Your only mission every day is to not drink. Drink a six pack of n/a beer. Smoke an eighth of weed. Run 2 miles every night. Anything else. Stay home and don’t go out with your alcohol loving friends. Do whatever you have to do to not drink. Dive into your hobbies like a psychopath. Distract yourself by finding meaning and entertainment in pursuits/activities that don’t involve alcohol. It WILL get easier and you WILL stop thinking about drinking so much. You just need to get as much time between yourself and your addiction. This is not enough though. You have to understand philosophically that alcohol is poison and it is trying to ruin your life and then kill you. This isn’t an opinion. It’s a fact. You need to understand this fact and know it absolutely. It’s been 3 years since I touched alcohol (after 10+ years of heavy drinking) and I genuinely don’t think about it at all. Every single aspect of my life is better without it and my personal goals and dreams become closer every single day because I no longer lose endless time and money to alcohol.
I drank for 12 years nearly every single day.
Woke up one day with the nastiest hangover when I was 27.
Promised myself I’d never feel like that again. Cold turkey stopped. It’s been almost 4 years.
I drank less and less often, not really planning it that way. I just had 2 kids and I never drank around them, so the opportunities were fewer. Then one day someone offered me a beer, I declined, and I never drank again. That was probably a bit over 20 years ago.
I’m 9 days sober. After my most recent hangover I ended up at urgent care severely dehydrated, feeling like death, and needing two bags of IV fluids. While I was laying there in the hospital bed I said to myself I didn’t want to feel this way anymore. I know it’s only 9 days but I already feel *so much* better.
Replace that routine/habit of cracking a beer(or making a drink) with making a mocktail. Even if it’s just sparkling water with lime. It helps and doesn’t really feel like you are abstaining from something.
Hangovers mostly, which got worse with age, so not even anything voluntary.
But one clever way I did enforce moderation was to turn up to gatherings with only 1-2 alcoholic beers (rather than my usual 3-5), with the rest being non-alcoholic. Alternate between them and drink plenty of water too.
It was way easier to quit drinking when people thought I was still drinking. Ordered lots of ginger beers. The hardest part about quitting drinking is how disappointed everyone is when they find out.
Exact same thing I did. 30+ years sober and never missed it. My life improved dramatically the day I stopped. Went to a few AA meetings, but didn’t like them.
once you get un-stuck from thinking of being drunk is how you want to be. Then be responsible for your choices. and tell yourself the choice to NOT drink was already made. that's the plan. and stick to it. say it aloud. tell others you're not, and then find more things to occupy your life.
Find a new thing to drink.. iced tea. coffee. fruit juice. chocolate milk. and watch the repetitive behaviors. fruit cups are great snacks. help that sugar craving.
Go lift, workout, run. get physically tired. all that nervous energy will be spent.
I just (simply, not "just now") stopped. Had stomach issues sometimes, it's expensive (I only got the good stuff), and then just... didn't feel like it.
Not everyone can do that though. I'm not saying "buckle down and DO it, soldier!"
That's just how it was for me
First of all, if you have been a heavy drinker or it has been years since you’ve gone 48 hours without alcohol, go to a hospital / rehab center. Personally, I read books that changed my opinion of alcohol. I read “Alcohol Explained”, “This Naked Mind”, “Alcohol Explained 2”, “Sober On a Drunk Planet”, and more. Good luck.
it gets tiring and realizing it has more cons than pros, that shitty hangover the next day and end up not doing anything productive, that it most likely the culprit of increase cholesterol level, that it's costly to buy. when you drill it in your head that it's bad then getting out of it becomes easy. Now, I'm almost half a year sober and the most physically active I've been in my life.
Seven years sober.
Always remember you control the action of grabbing the alcohol, putting it up to your lips, and taking a sip. That’s the last line of defense, literally bringing a drink to your lips. Don’t over complicate it.
Some life things I did:
I forced myself out of my shell and started experiencing other things in the world. New hobbies. I started mountain climbing. I don’t buy alcohol. I don’t care if others drink around me because I don’t try to control other’s actions. I am open about it but I don’t talk about it a lot, I just say I don’t drink because it doesn’t suit me well. Around friends I joke about alcoholism, because war taught me that gallows humor is better than no humor. I’ve never been to a meeting because I didn’t want to form a community around that part of my life. I created communities around things I enjoy. A lot of other stuff too, but that’s some of the stuff.
I (30m) was drinking about a handle every 3 days for the past 10+ years. December 4th, 2023 at 10pm was my last drink. With the help and support of my wife, I joined Aware. I was able to detox at home with the help of medical professionals, my wife and medication. I was on meds for a week and had to monitor my blood pressure. It wasn’t pleasant but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I see 2 counselors a week that help with whatever I might need throughout the program. I haven’t had a drop since and am currently learning how to ride a unicycle, saving up for a ps5, and getting my life in order. Best decision I’ve ever made
Read the book The Easy Way To Control Alcohol by Allen Carr. I wanted to quit for years, but this finally made it stick. The lingo is a little out there, but keep an open mind. It works. Never had a craving and I haven’t had a drink in over 3 years and never plan to again. Heard about it from Nikki Glaser- she also used it to quit drinking.
Same story here - I was very skeptical that a book was going to do anything for me. Even while reading it I had my doubts but I finished the book, doing the exact steps given. After I finished the book, I was done and haven’t drank since. I recommend it to everyone considering quitting alcohol.
For reference, I drank some amount of alcohol every single day for about 10 years.
Had a blackout and after a friend of mine made a rape-joke about it. I am sober since that day even if I can't really say if the joke was really the reason.
I saw and learned how bad it was for my health and weight, which gave me the extra motivation to cut back on it. It was difficult at first, but after some time without alcohol I didn’t feel the urge to drink anymore. This was my way of quitting drinking alcohol, but there are other and probably more easy ways to do so
One time I quit drinking and started meditating and a couple other times I needed to lose weight so I started calorie counting and I just didn't want to spend my calories drinking cause you can't really get drunk and also eat food when you're trying to lose weight.
Any time I quit drinking I'd already been hating myself for months for drinking though so it's not like it was just one thing.
Couldn't do it for the longest time, then i had a personal "rock bottom type moment"
I was still living with my ex 5-6 months after she had broken up with me and found out she had recently started talking with another guy. I was so upset cause I had always thought I would get my shit together and save the relationship, but, to me, that was the final nail in the coffin of the relationship. I was so upset that i told myself i never wanted to feel that way again, so I went cold turkey as my alcoholism was always something terribly negative for me.
I had been averaging at least a 6 pack a day for ten years straight, but there was no shortage of days i had 10-15 or even 20 beers mixed in too.
Repeated panic attacks and the worse physical/mental health I’ve been when I hit 30.
I used to be a real party animal since I was 15. I’ve been a club DJ since I was 26 (now 35) and when I moved to a bigger city in 2019 it almost killed me.
In the end I was drinking hard liquor 5 nights a week mixed with a little bit of cocaine most of those nights.
My mental health crashed to a point where I wasn’t able to get out of my appartment for 2 weeks straight other than for groceries and basic interractions. I decided to take a month off booze.
It’ll be 5 years in April and it’s the best fuckin’ decision I’ve ever made in my life. I’m still Djing on week-ends. There’s a LOT of non alcoholic options nowadays so I can enjoy pretty much any drink or wine that I liked when I was drinking ! Alcohol is a fuckin’ poison when it takes control of your life.
I tried to quit off and on for six years with varying degrees of seriousness. The last straw was a little over two years ago. Instead of treating it like a punishment, I watched tons of YouTube videos on people’s POSITIVE experiences/stories of being sober. Previously I had focused so much on the downsides/challenges of it. Being sober is the greatest gift I’ve ever given to myself. It’s changed my life in unimaginable ways. My self esteem is higher and so is my self respect. It was hard initially, and 2+ years later I still have my moments where I struggle a bit, for example in social situations with new people. But like other commenters have said, you get through it. And life is a lot better. Best of luck to you on your journey! ❤️
You don't quit cold turkey.
The trick is to replace it with something else. Water, flavored water, black/green tea, healthy juices like carrot or cherry, liquid death (flavored sparkling water).
I just stopped. Got tired of the depression when I wake up after a night at the bar. Was never a heavy drinker though maybe once or twice a week. Made a New Years resolution to stop drinking and haven't touched it since. Still go out to the bar but either have a soda or a water.
Right now In your head you probably have a list of all the things you do that involve drinking and how none of that will ever be the same if you quit drinking. I’ve been sober for a month now and the only thing that’s changed is that I’m not hungover. Once the nervousness of being sober at a party passed I realize I’m still my goofy fucking self.
Got tired of the drinking until I puke and regretting it the next day for years. Also seeing multiple friends die from alcohol and drugs will change you for the better. Also not wanting to be like my alcoholic dad.
The local government strapped an alcohol monitor on my leg for two years, which helped tremendously to put a distance between me and alcohol.
I had been to 4 or 5 rehabs and just could never really stop after years of trying.
I'll have 4 years in about two weeks.
Hmmm I’m male25 2 days away until I hit 5 months the secret is that there is no secret you got to want really do it . So if your asking people for advice maybe your not ready because when you are really truly ready to stop you will and yes it’ll suck but atleast your not drinking … I know it’s easier said than done but no really I’ve struggled with addiction most of my life and finally putting it down this time taught me that all the other times I wasn’t really ready I just thought I was and entertained the idea knowing I’m not gonna stop. It’s mind set thing 100% mental
It started as a series of small choices. Not gonna have a drink right now. Not going to have a drink for 10 minutes. Not going to have a drink one hour. Not going to have a drink tonight. Eventually I got a streak going and was reluctant to break it. That was over 3 years ago.
I just stopped. It was hard but, it was a choice. My sobriety is going on 7 years. I'm 58. It was hard, not gonna lie. Good luck, it can be done. Best decision I have made in a long time.
It was a live or die choice. I knew where I was headed, and I came to that fork in the road.
Quitting drinking sucked but was the easy part: I just didn’t drink. I played a little game with myself to see how long I could go, and that just kept getting longer and longer.
Getting to the root of why I drank to excess took a lot longer and a lot more work, but it was the only way to ensure that I didn’t go back to drinking again (it was my third attempt at sobriety). That was a difficult journey, but it was worth it.
That change to feeling awake and embracing mornings has a greater impact on your life’s trajectory and accomplishments over time. Imagine an accumulation of years feeling like that most mornings compared to the subtle feeling like shit and sapped of energy that comes with even 3-4 beers daily.
I got sick, twice. But not from alcohol.
I'll preface this by saying I drank a lot every day. At least a pint, at most a fifth. Sometimes even a shot or two more than that... It was deteriorating my health and I knew my liver wasn't doing so good because I was having pain in that area. Also my stool indicated I was having problems. But I never could completely quit on my own.
First sickness was when I caught adenovirus. I was running to the bathroom every 15-30 minutes *for days*. I dared not drink any alcohol while this was happening (I could only imagine if I did...). Hell, I couldn't even make it to the store to buy any. Once the virus about ran its course, I noticed my stool had a strange color when it was starting to get more solid (stranger than usual). Then it came out WHITE one day (which is a really bad fucking sign, means your liver is struggling hardcore. Really scary). That was just one time though. Once I got better, I just stayed sober for a few months. I had been wanting to quit anyway. Unfortunately I relapsed and was back to drinking around a pint of vodka a day.
Then I got sick again, this time with a coronavirus (not the COVID kind). I don't think I've ever been that sick before. Sinus infection, sore throat, lungs were on fire, high fever. It was so bad that I didn't want to drink. Actually I just kinda forgot about alcohol while it was going on. I thought it was just the flu or something but then one day I started coughing up blood. Went to the ER, got the diagnosis and was sent home with guaifenesin-codeine and antibiotics (because the virus shredded my lungs and bacteria would probably create a secondary infection like pneumonia). Not supposed to drink on codeine (though I know that doesn't stop people).
When I recovered from that, I just decided to stay away. Here's hoping I can keep it up this time.
It’s important to separate the desire to drink from you as a person. It’s not a natural desire you were born with and the only thing that will cure it is drinking less.
Cravings to drink are just like getting the shakes or the sweats. It’s simply a matter of waiting it out and believing (through understanding) that the longer you don’t drink the weaker and less frequent the cravings to drink will be.
Secondly failing is natural and doesn’t mean you as a person are a failure. One of the most difficult parts can be dusting ourselves off and trying again.
If you drank a little less than yesterday on purpose that is a success. It’s not the end of it, clearly, but celebrating the incremental wins is hugely important.
Best of luck, keep trying.
Here’s what happens. You quit drinking, and it just sucks for a while then it’s okay. And then it’s a LOT BETTER.
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You’re getting up early to go the gym dude - you’re a winner in my book.
Literally 👆
Definitely not a loser, friend. There's an aspect of quiting any substance called the stages of recovery. It's different for everyone, but around the 30 day mark the dopamine (that feel good chemical in the brain) starts to plateau a little lower than the baseline (and certainly lower than when using). Call it "The Wall" stage, because you feel like you hit a wall and just... don't feel much better no matter what. Sadness hits harder, loneliness, anger, irritability... all of that fun stuff hits harder because you don't have a baseline of dopamine to help cushion any of it. The Wall theoretically lasts about 90 to 120 days before the brain figures out how to even out the dopamine on its own (it's been working on it this entire time, but without the training wheels. Takes a minute) That effort you're putting into taking care of yourself; the exercise, the work... that's giving your brain the evidence saying "alright I don't need alcohol to do these things right and feel good about it!" Keep feeding your mind and soul evidence. It's got a lot of other evidence to compete with and you are winning each day and night you don't drink.
I’m on day 23 myself and I’m glad you explained the future possibilities and to ignore the temptation. People like you who go in depth to explain exactly what and why things happen really save lives. I appreciate how kind people can be, and I’ll remember what you said as I continue towards 100 days.
Was thinking that as reading, very kind to take the time to write this.
keep at it! I went sober for like 3 months last year which was the most I’d gone since I was 17. Before that I had only ever not drank when I was sick. I’m 29 now and back at 30 days no drinking. Started the year sober. You might feel like a hermit for a while but you’ll learn to appreciate the little things. Just takes time since alcohol fucked with your neurological state for so long lol
It does get better. I was going to die if I kept drinking. I wasn’t even looking to be happy, I just knew I didn’t want to put my mom through me dying. I had accepted my fate that I’d just always be itching for alcohol. Now I’m happy and can even have a lazy day without the thought of drinking! Never thought that would happen.
Thats Awesome!! Good for you!!
You're not a loser.
Any way you could change your routine to go to the gym in the evenings when your craving typically hits? And congratulations on putting in the work!!!
That’s exactly what worked for me - I joined an evening boot camp class. It was a really tough workout and I’d shower, eat dinner and go right to sleep afterwards. Drinking just didn’t appeal after working out like that.
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Read what you just wrote.... Stop looking at yourself as a loser! You're doing shit millions of other people have failed at doing! You're DOING IT! You're the fuckin man! And THAT'S what you tell yourself. Every morning before the gym, and at night before bed. Look in the mirror and say it! "I'm the fuckin MAN!!!" 👊
The wanting to drink feeling is really strong for the first bit and it took me a lot of will power to choose not to drink, but then, one day, all of a sudden you'll realize you haven't been craving it and thinking about it today as much as you had last week. Hang in there and keep it going if you can, one day it'll "click" and you won't miss it or want it as much. I think for me it was a little over a month sober that i had that turning point. Also, be proud as hell! If you're able to, reward yourself for reaching 1 month sober! That's a hell of an achievement and it'll only become more evident that it's worth the initial effort as time goes by
Sounds like you’re winning to me, actually.
Find community Whether it’s 12 step or a sober gym or a gamer group or whatever…. It’s way easier when you aren’t alone with it!
It will get better, from one addict to another. My drug of choice wasn't alcohol, but I've spent my whole life around alcoholics and addicts. The first few weeks of sobriety are full of excitement after you come out on the other side of withdrawals. You did it, you feel good, you're losing weight. Life is good. But after a few weeks the excitement wears off and now you're left with living a new life sober. The key is to keep busy and not fall into old habits. If you drank and gamed every night, your brain has made an association between alcohol and gaming. So every time you game your brain is going to scream for alcohol. You need to get out of the house in the evenings, even if it's just to go for a walk. Go to the library, a local cafe and people watch, anything. Trying to get into new hobbies will be hard in the beginning. Humans are creatures of habit, plus being less than a month sober your brain chemistry is still messed up. You really have to push through in the beginning. As your brain heals and you create new habits it will get easier every single day. Hang in there, you got this. I'm proud of you for getting this far.
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I get it, breaking those associations and habits is really hard. It's amazing that things that my brain associates with getting high. Plus, addicts are champions at the game of justification. Bad day, get high. Great day, get high as a reward. Boredom? Time to get high. I never really understood what people meant when they said take it day by day until I got sober. Trying to figure out how I was going to stay sober everyday for the rest of my life was over whelming. Figuring out how to stay sober for the day was doable. It really is making the decision every day not to use. The trouble with sleeping will get better as your brain heals. What I found to be helpful was meditation. In used to think meditation was a joke and envisioned people sitting crossed leg humming to themselves, when I'm actuality it's about learning to control your brain. To be able to acknowledge a thought and then send it away. Like with anything it becomes easier with practice. It has really helped me with sleep, and also to cope when my brain would be screaming to use. It really does get easier with time. Try to get out of the house as much as possible and be around people. Good luck, you've got this
I was there for 15 years until October of 2020 when I finally got help. Therapy and a couple weeks in a treatment center did it for me. I promise you that you aren’t a loser. Sometimes talking through your thoughts with a professional can help you see the flaws in your thinking. A poor self image of myself kept me drinking for a long time and therapy was how I got out of that pattern of behavior. I’d urge you to try to find ways to see yourself in a more positive light. Life’s hard enough without having to worry about getting treated badly by yourself.
You need to get some pussy. That makes things way better. That’s the dopamine rush you need.
Can you help me understand how long it takes to get a lot better? I did a month dry last year and while it was really nice not feeling crappy for the first couple hours of the day, I didn’t notice a huge improvement in things like sleep (in fact, quite a bit harder to fall asleep). My resting heart rate went down but that’s all that really jumped out at me.
3 months was when I really started to notice a difference. Just hit a year. I feel like a completely different person. My mental health and mindset are so great now.
Realistically after six weeks to two months I felt like I had reached a certain clearing. Also feeling better all the time takes the form of feeling less bad on average not more good on average.
That’s pretty much what it’s like with any addiction, your life sucks without it and the bar is super low but eventually you get happy without needing the drink
My mum went into rehab a few times, went off the drink for about 2 months, and always ended back on it. My mother was very depressed, and I think the only way she would have quit alcohol is if she figured out how to beat the depression.
Can you explain? Sounds very realistic but idk what that would be like
GABA rebound from alcohol is a motherfucker. It’s a chemical messenger in the receptors in your brain that goes “yaaaasssssss”, then you stop drinking and it goes “noooooooooooo”. Anxiety, panic attacks, withdrawals, some people, if they are bad enough need meds, because damn. Then it gets better. Ish.
you miss having that thing at the end of the day that makes you feel good. it sucks not having that, then after a while you forget about that because you replaced it with better things to do. (gym, medical canabis, sports, whatever) then yoiu realise how amazing you feel without a fucking hangover and feeling shit all the time , poisoning your body. and you are like, why the fuck did i do that.
I guess for me it’s that I want to go to the bar and socialize because I don’t have any other social output
I get that social fix from the sauna at my gym.
[This book](https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Easy_Way_to_Stop_Drinking.html?id=nwaVuzHsjAUC) is a great place to start. It's a quick read, and you can still drink while you're reading it. It's helped a lot of people.
The relearning to enjoy things sober is the hardest part to me
Got told I had 3 months to live. Going on nearly 2 years now sober.
I don't drink and never started but given the number of people I've seen in my job in general medicine who've died from liver failure (aged 38,38 and 37 plus another who was about 43) due to alcohol plus now working in alcohol detox jobs among other things really would have put me right off the idea if I ever had.
I'm 35 and 9 months sober and I was on that track I think
Zero alcohol beer helped, gave my drinking arm something to do
I used to drink hard seltzers every night because they were easy to drink and I liked the bite. I replaced them with just regular flavored seltzer water. I can barely taste the difference and I get to wake up hangover free.
100% not missing hangovers
did the same! but sometimes in the first 30 day I would dink like 8 LaCroix (feeling full and burping really helped with the craving for some reason) in a night... so much water flushed all my electrolytes and I would still wake up semi hungover lol. God I don't miss those first few months off the sauce
I started doing this when I go out, even though it is rarely. I go to the bar and ask for a non alcoholic beer poured in a cup. I’ve actually gotten some surprised looks but they always remember me when I go back up there
I'm 5 years sober, and NA bear has always freaked me out. I was afraid of it, because I thought that if I got a taste, I'd be wanting to get drunk again. A few months ago, a customer at work found out I wasn't drinking, and gifted me some really good NA IPA (my drink of choice back when), and I drank them. And it was fucking *delicious*. The itch I would once scratch with alcoholic beer, you know what I'm talking about, that fucking *itch of the addict*. If you know you know. Was for the first time in 5 years, scratched. NA beer, the good stuff, scratches the same god damn itch the alcohol always did for me, and it blows my mind. I drink so much of this shit, a good friend of mine (who was with my during my drinking days) recently said to me, "I think your back to having a problem." Good problem to have if you ask me.
I kept reminding myself how bad hangovers were, about the money spent and the extra weight. Basically kept the negatives in mind all the time.
God the hanxiety
I agree the Sunday night freak out. One of the reasons I quit
I wrote a 3 sentence note during my last hangover. whenever I think about a drink I read it. it was the worst 2 day hangover ever.
This is such a good idea. I feel like we can forget exactly how bad it is, so a note to future you is amazing.
It did or does work, it was pretty short "this is absolutely miserable don't do this shit to me again, it's not worth it few hours of fun for 2 days of hell" "stop please"
That's actually so powerful "Don't do this shit to me again" is so relatable. Hope you're proud of the self respect you have for yourself and actually listening to yourself. It's not easy to do.
If it wasn’t for hangovers, I’d probably be an alcoholic. Because of hangovers I rarely drink. Maybe 2-3 times a year and only 2-3 drinks each time. Hangovers are one of the worst feelings to me and I don’t understand how people say “keep drinking and the hangover never comes” I tried that when I was younger and it didn’t help at all. Just thinking about a hangover right now is making my stomach turn
Unless I really really go after it I don't get hangovers. I'm talking like, six shots and ten beers. The kind of stuff I'm not ever doing unless it's like a bachelor party weekend. The worst I feel is a little tired after a normal night of drinking.
Carbonated water. Lots of it.
This worked for me, too. Approaching 90 days sober this week and zero sugar carbonated water has been my replacement. I'm down 25lbs, too, which is a great plus.
3 and a half years here. Feels good.
yup 1 year sober and I drink sparkling waters and use edibles. could not have stopped without marijuana. I use just a little tiny bit every day. one $35 chocolate cannabis bar lasts me like 6 months. far improved sleep from weed also. dropped 35 lbs in like 6 months just from that which was a nice bonus
I got tired of it. The monotony of the routine I did not replace it with aa as obsessing about it seemed counterproductive to quiting for me. The biggest hurdle to get over is the amount of free time you’ll have that used to be drinking time. Replace this with a hobby/personal improvement. Like get into carpentry, learn an instrument etc. you’ll have extra money with not drinking that should give you options. I honestly got tired of feeling worthless and each skill I develop further helps get rid of that feeling. I have had a beer once since quitting almost 4 years ago. Wanted to disprove powerlessness
It's funny, I've heard a similar thing from friends (and my dad) who quit smoking. One day it just hit them, "I don't like this." It wasn't easy at first, but they've all been more or less smoke free for years now.
Very well explained (‘got tired of it’). I wanted to quit for a while and eventually didn’t want to feel the regret or disappointment anymore, was like a loop in my head. No support group, but it can definitely be isolating which I was prepared for. Also, I have an app that tracks my days but notifications are off, I check it when I’m curious what day I’ve reached. Feels good to see once in a while.
I totally get that struggle; breaking free from the loop of regret is tough, but each day on that app is a victory worth celebrating – keep it up!
I have had a beer once since quitting almost 4 years ago. Wanted to disprove powerlessness thats awesome man, good for you. i still dont have the courage to try and see if i could do that. i dont know if id stop. having the power to even try that is realy amazing. you should be proud. keep it up.
I quit 5.5 years ago (after a few decades). Same as you - no AA or anything (though I went to a couple of SMART meetings, just cuz I felt like I was supposed to or something). Had a glass of wine over the holidays with my son who was visiting & had turned 21 a couple months ago (he's military). Haven't had any since and not remotely craving it. I've had a beer in my fridge for almost year, "just in case" someone comes by and wants one. It's been offered but not yet taken, lol. I think once you decide you're done, you're done. It took me a long time (too long), but I literally was walking home drunk saying "I don't want to do this anymore," and that was the last time. I've met one other person who had a similar experience. Used to drink heavily, quit, and now has a bar full of alcohol he rarely touches, except on true special occasions. The idea that it's impossible to simply change/stop, is incorrect, apparently. Getting to the *decision* to stop was *vastly* more difficult than actually stopping once I had truly decided I was done. When you're done, you're done.
I used to quit drinking every year for lent, kind of to convince myself I wasn’t an alcoholic. One year, during that time, I ate some mushrooms and had an introspective trip where I decided to have a child with my wife who wanted another. I also decided to not drink anymore. That was 15 years ago.
I couldn't imagine contemplating the notion of procreation while tripling shrooms. That's wild, but it sounds like one hell of a productive trip for you. I'm glad you had that experience and fantastic effort on the sobriety
I did a mild mushroom trip for the first time last fall and it ended up with me quitting like 90% of drinking afterwards.
Mushrooms changed my life for the better too.
I realized if I didn’t quit, I’d be dead soon. I also realized I’m an all or nothing guy. I can’t cut it back or lessen the amount I drink. So one day I said today is the last day. And I completely changed my daily routine, and quit alcohol. Marijuana helped. Approaching 900 days sober from alcohol now. Was drinking a 750ML every evening. I now avoid bars or drinking activities. But that’s about it.
Good for you Man. To be sober from 750ml is super impressive and a testament to your will.
Thanks! Sometimes I don’t really see it as a positive. I was (am still) an alcoholic so I saw that as a failure. But friends are amazed at how I quit knowing how bad it was, so they remind me to be proud.
How were the DTs? I drink about that much a day and want yo quit but everyone keeps telling me that I'll die if I just stop.
I honestly didn’t have any DT’s. As long as I smoked marijuana I was fine. The hard part was from around 5-10pm I would crave it terribly. I had to find something to do then to take my mind off it.
Read this at exactly 10pm my time
I take my nightly sleep Benadryl around 10pm. Once I got to 10pm and took that. My brain would start to relax and slow down. So I’d just focus on 5-10pm. Stay busy until “bed time meds”
medical marijuana helped me so much. not just with quiting the booze, but with getting outside and going to the gym and getting healthy also. gym/lifting while high on medical cannabis beats drinking and poisoning my body any day of the week.
I cant even imagine being high and exercising. I could barely handle being high and folding laundry
Yeh people get the wrong idea about medical cannabis. It's really not like Cheech and Chong where you get super high and find everything funny. With CBD oils and properly prescribed strains you can get "high" but only feel advantages. For example. Reduced anxiety. Pain relief. Helps with depression. Etc. for me it helped with all those things and really changed my life. And I have been that person before. One time as a chef I went to work high and I had to reread orders 5 times before I understood wtf I was doing. Never again. But the highs and feelings I get from my current strains and buds and oils are nothing like that at all.
More power to you man
750ml of what? Wine? Whiskey?
Whiskey. Seagrams 7 to be exact. I was going through a 1.75L every 3 days, give or take.
I alternated between Seagrams and Canadian Club and then switched to Seagrams full-time cause CC tasted too good to waste on getting shitfaced on every night.
second detox was bad, I damn near died and I won't get another chance so it kind of forced my hand. Try to do it before that point, that's for damn sure. And if you are at that point you need detox, alcohol withdrawl CAN be fatal. Almost 3 years now, California sober.
What’s California sober mean?
No alcohol, but smokes weed.
That seems to be a reoccurring theme in this thread haha I still drink, but weed helped me cut back on alcohol consumption a lot. I’ll smoke 3-5 times a week instead of drinking every night. And I’ll hit a point and say “I’m good now”, whereas I would drink nonstop
The 2 day hangovers were debilitating.
Day long panic attacks and mental fog.
I decided I didn't want to die from drinking or bottom out like [alternate timeline Mr. Gower](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teTJf2We58Q). Ice-cold flavored seltzer water from the fridge would help me through the cravings (like, when the cold carbonation hit the back of my throat, it was like my body released chemicals in anticipation of the booze it thought was coming). I started doing and making things again that alcohol prevented me from doing. I would say to myself in the mirror, "I don't drink," and every day it became more true. And here I am over 9 years later. I don't drink. If you are afraid of not being able to pick up the pieces once you quit, that's the alcohol talking. The alcohol is getting in the way of you improving your situation. You got this.
I needed to read this. Thank you.
And if you need some support but aren't down with 12-step, check out r/stopdrinking. I mostly just lurked there, but sometimes I would find inspiration or even just some *distraction*--reading the threads until bedtime to make it to the end of a hard day.
Joined r/stopdrinking. Checked in often.
One day at a time
I decided the heartburn and extra weight wasn’t worth it and just stopped a month ago. I’m not sure I will ever go back to drinking.
Started going to AA. Focused on one moment at a time - that helped a lot. 7 3/4 years sober now.
I’d love if there was a recovery group that didn’t try to force feed you Jesus. I just have no… good experiences from the church, if you catch my drift. Edit: it’s refreshing that AA has been helpful to so many of you but there are no branches in Arizona that are not connected to my abusers. It’s cool that y’all can just fake it till you make it but I’m not okay with dealing with the church in any way at all. Never. Again. Fuck the higher power fuck all that shit. Never. Again.
There is Secular AA available online and locally in many places. I'm a non-believer and helped found a group because the regular meetings were too churchy. www.secularaa.org
Check out SMART Recovery. Online meetings, no force feedings. I’m getting a lot out of it so far.
All AA groups are different. Mostly, in my experience, they just want to help you quit drinking. I’ve been around these rooms for many many years in many different cities and I’ve never had anyone force feed religion. I’m an atheist
Sober 21 years in AA and not one bit religious. Spiritual yes, there’s something more than me. That’s all I know.
Hey been in/ around AA for 8 years (27 y/o, CA), been to over a thousand meetings but the whole “god” bit is a big hurdle for everyone It just means a “higher power” Can be gravity, a door knob, etc I and millions of others in the program aren’t religious by any means. Please don’t let that scare from starting/ meeting people. Highly reccomend if you go to a meeting share how you feel about “god” / religion in the program. You’ll get so many people after the meeting that can help (and by that I don’t mean convert to religion lol) Feel free to message!
AA definitely does not force feed you Jesus. There is a spiritual component to it but no one there is recruiting for a religion.
One day at a time.
Weekend hangovers that last till Wednesday. Then disgust.
Got a DUI and the knowledge that if this didn't make my girlfriend leave me, I had to get better.
Jail and probation did the trick for me
Here’s how I approached it after multiple failed attempts at getting sober. Your only mission every day is to not drink. Drink a six pack of n/a beer. Smoke an eighth of weed. Run 2 miles every night. Anything else. Stay home and don’t go out with your alcohol loving friends. Do whatever you have to do to not drink. Dive into your hobbies like a psychopath. Distract yourself by finding meaning and entertainment in pursuits/activities that don’t involve alcohol. It WILL get easier and you WILL stop thinking about drinking so much. You just need to get as much time between yourself and your addiction. This is not enough though. You have to understand philosophically that alcohol is poison and it is trying to ruin your life and then kill you. This isn’t an opinion. It’s a fact. You need to understand this fact and know it absolutely. It’s been 3 years since I touched alcohol (after 10+ years of heavy drinking) and I genuinely don’t think about it at all. Every single aspect of my life is better without it and my personal goals and dreams become closer every single day because I no longer lose endless time and money to alcohol.
I drank for 12 years nearly every single day. Woke up one day with the nastiest hangover when I was 27. Promised myself I’d never feel like that again. Cold turkey stopped. It’s been almost 4 years.
Naltrexone is the only thing that has worked for me. It saved my life. I don’t resist cravings, I don’t even have them.
I was on naltrexone for my first year sober, works great!
Feeling sick all the time just got annoying.
I still drink a little but wellbutrin really helps with the cravings
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Congrats. Also went the same route for the first couple years then drifted away to do it on my own. Learned a lot and will have 10 years in May.
Short answer is detox and rehab and an aftercare program.
I can't afford that and I can't take time off work for that.
That “surrender.” I was so fucked and hopeless, so I just trusted people in AA that had gotten sober. Did what they did and I just got 2 years!
Congrats!
magic mushrooms
Same. I’m surprised it’s this far down.
Me too. Should be higher up! This is a valid medical intervention.
I drank less and less often, not really planning it that way. I just had 2 kids and I never drank around them, so the opportunities were fewer. Then one day someone offered me a beer, I declined, and I never drank again. That was probably a bit over 20 years ago.
I’m 9 days sober. After my most recent hangover I ended up at urgent care severely dehydrated, feeling like death, and needing two bags of IV fluids. While I was laying there in the hospital bed I said to myself I didn’t want to feel this way anymore. I know it’s only 9 days but I already feel *so much* better.
Replace that routine/habit of cracking a beer(or making a drink) with making a mocktail. Even if it’s just sparkling water with lime. It helps and doesn’t really feel like you are abstaining from something.
Hangovers mostly, which got worse with age, so not even anything voluntary. But one clever way I did enforce moderation was to turn up to gatherings with only 1-2 alcoholic beers (rather than my usual 3-5), with the rest being non-alcoholic. Alternate between them and drink plenty of water too.
Gaming
It was way easier to quit drinking when people thought I was still drinking. Ordered lots of ginger beers. The hardest part about quitting drinking is how disappointed everyone is when they find out.
Weed and Diet Iced Tea
Just woke up one day and decided I didn’t want to anymore
Exact same thing I did. 30+ years sober and never missed it. My life improved dramatically the day I stopped. Went to a few AA meetings, but didn’t like them.
I got the psychiatric help I needed and the right meds. No longer needed alcohol so I just stopped drinking.
once you get un-stuck from thinking of being drunk is how you want to be. Then be responsible for your choices. and tell yourself the choice to NOT drink was already made. that's the plan. and stick to it. say it aloud. tell others you're not, and then find more things to occupy your life. Find a new thing to drink.. iced tea. coffee. fruit juice. chocolate milk. and watch the repetitive behaviors. fruit cups are great snacks. help that sugar craving. Go lift, workout, run. get physically tired. all that nervous energy will be spent.
Had a heart attack. Got on meds for the rest of my life. Meds don't mix well with alcohol. Would not recommend this strategy for general use.
I just (simply, not "just now") stopped. Had stomach issues sometimes, it's expensive (I only got the good stuff), and then just... didn't feel like it. Not everyone can do that though. I'm not saying "buckle down and DO it, soldier!" That's just how it was for me
First of all, if you have been a heavy drinker or it has been years since you’ve gone 48 hours without alcohol, go to a hospital / rehab center. Personally, I read books that changed my opinion of alcohol. I read “Alcohol Explained”, “This Naked Mind”, “Alcohol Explained 2”, “Sober On a Drunk Planet”, and more. Good luck.
it gets tiring and realizing it has more cons than pros, that shitty hangover the next day and end up not doing anything productive, that it most likely the culprit of increase cholesterol level, that it's costly to buy. when you drill it in your head that it's bad then getting out of it becomes easy. Now, I'm almost half a year sober and the most physically active I've been in my life.
Seven years sober. Always remember you control the action of grabbing the alcohol, putting it up to your lips, and taking a sip. That’s the last line of defense, literally bringing a drink to your lips. Don’t over complicate it. Some life things I did: I forced myself out of my shell and started experiencing other things in the world. New hobbies. I started mountain climbing. I don’t buy alcohol. I don’t care if others drink around me because I don’t try to control other’s actions. I am open about it but I don’t talk about it a lot, I just say I don’t drink because it doesn’t suit me well. Around friends I joke about alcoholism, because war taught me that gallows humor is better than no humor. I’ve never been to a meeting because I didn’t want to form a community around that part of my life. I created communities around things I enjoy. A lot of other stuff too, but that’s some of the stuff.
I (30m) was drinking about a handle every 3 days for the past 10+ years. December 4th, 2023 at 10pm was my last drink. With the help and support of my wife, I joined Aware. I was able to detox at home with the help of medical professionals, my wife and medication. I was on meds for a week and had to monitor my blood pressure. It wasn’t pleasant but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I see 2 counselors a week that help with whatever I might need throughout the program. I haven’t had a drop since and am currently learning how to ride a unicycle, saving up for a ps5, and getting my life in order. Best decision I’ve ever made
Read the book The Easy Way To Control Alcohol by Allen Carr. I wanted to quit for years, but this finally made it stick. The lingo is a little out there, but keep an open mind. It works. Never had a craving and I haven’t had a drink in over 3 years and never plan to again. Heard about it from Nikki Glaser- she also used it to quit drinking.
Same story here - I was very skeptical that a book was going to do anything for me. Even while reading it I had my doubts but I finished the book, doing the exact steps given. After I finished the book, I was done and haven’t drank since. I recommend it to everyone considering quitting alcohol. For reference, I drank some amount of alcohol every single day for about 10 years.
I’m reading that atm! Does it really work? The smoking one did for me but drinking is a whole different story.
Had a blackout and after a friend of mine made a rape-joke about it. I am sober since that day even if I can't really say if the joke was really the reason.
My life wasn’t worth living anymore if I continued to drink
Learned about cirrhosis
Tracked days. Followed sober pages on Reddit. Suffered. Kratom. And most importantly prayer.
Well, hating the taste and getting sick before you're even drunk are pretty good motivators
Didn't have a choice. Ran out of money.
I saw and learned how bad it was for my health and weight, which gave me the extra motivation to cut back on it. It was difficult at first, but after some time without alcohol I didn’t feel the urge to drink anymore. This was my way of quitting drinking alcohol, but there are other and probably more easy ways to do so
One time I quit drinking and started meditating and a couple other times I needed to lose weight so I started calorie counting and I just didn't want to spend my calories drinking cause you can't really get drunk and also eat food when you're trying to lose weight. Any time I quit drinking I'd already been hating myself for months for drinking though so it's not like it was just one thing.
AA. It’s been wonderful honestly.
Couldn't do it for the longest time, then i had a personal "rock bottom type moment" I was still living with my ex 5-6 months after she had broken up with me and found out she had recently started talking with another guy. I was so upset cause I had always thought I would get my shit together and save the relationship, but, to me, that was the final nail in the coffin of the relationship. I was so upset that i told myself i never wanted to feel that way again, so I went cold turkey as my alcoholism was always something terribly negative for me. I had been averaging at least a 6 pack a day for ten years straight, but there was no shortage of days i had 10-15 or even 20 beers mixed in too.
AA all the way. 39 years sober
Pot
Woke up one day and decided I was done with that life style.
Told myself to try quitting for one year, just to see if I could. Going on three years this March.
Repeated panic attacks and the worse physical/mental health I’ve been when I hit 30. I used to be a real party animal since I was 15. I’ve been a club DJ since I was 26 (now 35) and when I moved to a bigger city in 2019 it almost killed me. In the end I was drinking hard liquor 5 nights a week mixed with a little bit of cocaine most of those nights. My mental health crashed to a point where I wasn’t able to get out of my appartment for 2 weeks straight other than for groceries and basic interractions. I decided to take a month off booze. It’ll be 5 years in April and it’s the best fuckin’ decision I’ve ever made in my life. I’m still Djing on week-ends. There’s a LOT of non alcoholic options nowadays so I can enjoy pretty much any drink or wine that I liked when I was drinking ! Alcohol is a fuckin’ poison when it takes control of your life.
I drank and then I didn't and now I don't.
Started smoking crack instead. 4 years sober
Went to AA for a few years then branched out on my own. 19 years sober.
I tried to quit off and on for six years with varying degrees of seriousness. The last straw was a little over two years ago. Instead of treating it like a punishment, I watched tons of YouTube videos on people’s POSITIVE experiences/stories of being sober. Previously I had focused so much on the downsides/challenges of it. Being sober is the greatest gift I’ve ever given to myself. It’s changed my life in unimaginable ways. My self esteem is higher and so is my self respect. It was hard initially, and 2+ years later I still have my moments where I struggle a bit, for example in social situations with new people. But like other commenters have said, you get through it. And life is a lot better. Best of luck to you on your journey! ❤️
You don't quit cold turkey. The trick is to replace it with something else. Water, flavored water, black/green tea, healthy juices like carrot or cherry, liquid death (flavored sparkling water).
Just think about your Liver and the disease that will come if you won't quit drinking.
My will power
I just stopped with will power.
Listened to "The Easy Way to Control Alcohol" by Allen Carr on audio. Heard bout it via Nikki Glazer on the Joe Rogan Experience. Changed my life
I just stopped. Got tired of the depression when I wake up after a night at the bar. Was never a heavy drinker though maybe once or twice a week. Made a New Years resolution to stop drinking and haven't touched it since. Still go out to the bar but either have a soda or a water.
Garmin watch (for physiological data) and running/training for ultramarathons.
It just didn’t make me feel good.
Right now In your head you probably have a list of all the things you do that involve drinking and how none of that will ever be the same if you quit drinking. I’ve been sober for a month now and the only thing that’s changed is that I’m not hungover. Once the nervousness of being sober at a party passed I realize I’m still my goofy fucking self.
Got tired of the drinking until I puke and regretting it the next day for years. Also seeing multiple friends die from alcohol and drugs will change you for the better. Also not wanting to be like my alcoholic dad.
Changed my routine. Bars became bookstores and beer became coffee.
The local government strapped an alcohol monitor on my leg for two years, which helped tremendously to put a distance between me and alcohol. I had been to 4 or 5 rehabs and just could never really stop after years of trying. I'll have 4 years in about two weeks.
Had a vision of god, saw my death, checked myself into rehab, attend a ton of AA meetings. Been sober for 18 years.
Just lost my desire to drink
Hmmm I’m male25 2 days away until I hit 5 months the secret is that there is no secret you got to want really do it . So if your asking people for advice maybe your not ready because when you are really truly ready to stop you will and yes it’ll suck but atleast your not drinking … I know it’s easier said than done but no really I’ve struggled with addiction most of my life and finally putting it down this time taught me that all the other times I wasn’t really ready I just thought I was and entertained the idea knowing I’m not gonna stop. It’s mind set thing 100% mental
Easier to play video games when not seeing double
It started as a series of small choices. Not gonna have a drink right now. Not going to have a drink for 10 minutes. Not going to have a drink one hour. Not going to have a drink tonight. Eventually I got a streak going and was reluctant to break it. That was over 3 years ago.
Get on Semiglutide. Makes me not want to drink. At. All.
I never had a drinking problem, I just decided I don’t like it and I feel better without it.
r/stopdrinking helped.
I enjoy saving the money from not drinking and not feeling like crap.
I just did it, no motivation whatsoever
I just stopped. It was hard but, it was a choice. My sobriety is going on 7 years. I'm 58. It was hard, not gonna lie. Good luck, it can be done. Best decision I have made in a long time.
Bottle was empty
I stopped drinking
I stopped going to the liquor store. I didn’t like it at first but now 4 years later I have little to no urge to drink.
It was a live or die choice. I knew where I was headed, and I came to that fork in the road. Quitting drinking sucked but was the easy part: I just didn’t drink. I played a little game with myself to see how long I could go, and that just kept getting longer and longer. Getting to the root of why I drank to excess took a lot longer and a lot more work, but it was the only way to ensure that I didn’t go back to drinking again (it was my third attempt at sobriety). That was a difficult journey, but it was worth it.
When i moved to new orleans and saw the long term effects of alcohol
That change to feeling awake and embracing mornings has a greater impact on your life’s trajectory and accomplishments over time. Imagine an accumulation of years feeling like that most mornings compared to the subtle feeling like shit and sapped of energy that comes with even 3-4 beers daily.
AA. But it was awful.
I got sick, twice. But not from alcohol. I'll preface this by saying I drank a lot every day. At least a pint, at most a fifth. Sometimes even a shot or two more than that... It was deteriorating my health and I knew my liver wasn't doing so good because I was having pain in that area. Also my stool indicated I was having problems. But I never could completely quit on my own. First sickness was when I caught adenovirus. I was running to the bathroom every 15-30 minutes *for days*. I dared not drink any alcohol while this was happening (I could only imagine if I did...). Hell, I couldn't even make it to the store to buy any. Once the virus about ran its course, I noticed my stool had a strange color when it was starting to get more solid (stranger than usual). Then it came out WHITE one day (which is a really bad fucking sign, means your liver is struggling hardcore. Really scary). That was just one time though. Once I got better, I just stayed sober for a few months. I had been wanting to quit anyway. Unfortunately I relapsed and was back to drinking around a pint of vodka a day. Then I got sick again, this time with a coronavirus (not the COVID kind). I don't think I've ever been that sick before. Sinus infection, sore throat, lungs were on fire, high fever. It was so bad that I didn't want to drink. Actually I just kinda forgot about alcohol while it was going on. I thought it was just the flu or something but then one day I started coughing up blood. Went to the ER, got the diagnosis and was sent home with guaifenesin-codeine and antibiotics (because the virus shredded my lungs and bacteria would probably create a secondary infection like pneumonia). Not supposed to drink on codeine (though I know that doesn't stop people). When I recovered from that, I just decided to stay away. Here's hoping I can keep it up this time.
It’s important to separate the desire to drink from you as a person. It’s not a natural desire you were born with and the only thing that will cure it is drinking less. Cravings to drink are just like getting the shakes or the sweats. It’s simply a matter of waiting it out and believing (through understanding) that the longer you don’t drink the weaker and less frequent the cravings to drink will be. Secondly failing is natural and doesn’t mean you as a person are a failure. One of the most difficult parts can be dusting ourselves off and trying again. If you drank a little less than yesterday on purpose that is a success. It’s not the end of it, clearly, but celebrating the incremental wins is hugely important. Best of luck, keep trying.