Quitting drinking

Nov 7th, 2018 was my last day drinking, so 213 days per google. I almost bought a 6 pack this afternoon.

I had some house projects to do & I really hate house projects. I actually get this weird anxiety about them & build them up in my head to something way bigger than they really are. I used to just drink up heavily & easily power right through projects. I'm always more productive when I'm drinking because I stop overthinking stuff & I'm feeling good.

Anyways, I decided to put my bluetooth headphones in instead & distract myself. This was the closest I've come to drinking again since I last quit. (I even decided in my head what beer I'd get & where.) The biggest problem I always had/have with drinking is I'm always able to find an excuse to drink. So I knew if I'd allow myself to drink when doing this project then it'd be the same story for the next one. Pretty soon it'd be something else & in a short time I'd be drinking nightly . . . heavily. I have no self-control with alcohol once I start.

Anyone still doing this?

Here we go again. Another attempt at quitting drinking. Currently 7 days sober and hope to add on much more.

ghost of jamin wrote:

trying again wrote:

Another poster said he quit on December 8th. I quit yesterday.

Anyone else?

I am already starting to feel anxious but I am drinking a lot of tea (different herbal infusions) and at least I don't feel the thirst.

Last time I stopped I saw great results in my running after about 8 days.

I've tried many a time. For 2 or 3 months I decided I was going to kick it as a New Year's resolution. So starting today I'm done.

Every time I've stopped, I've started feeling crazy fresh on runs after 4 days of not drinking.

So now in the evening I do club soda with a dash of lime in place of a beer. Plus lots of decaff teas.

7 days and already feeling a difference in my running. Just feeling all around more fresh.

Another Attempt wrote:

ghost of jamin wrote:

I've tried many a time. For 2 or 3 months I decided I was going to kick it as a New Year's resolution. So starting today I'm done.

Every time I've stopped, I've started feeling crazy fresh on runs after 4 days of not drinking.

So now in the evening I do club soda with a dash of lime in place of a beer. Plus lots of decaff teas.

7 days and already feeling a difference in my running. Just feeling all around more fresh.

Believe it or not, OP here.

Managed 30 days sober this year. As in, days in a row. I had 1, 3, 7 here and there.

Now been drinking since July 16th with only two days' break. Actually drinking now.

Going for it again tomorrow.

Thank you for resuscitating this thread and well done on your 7 days! I want to feel that difference in my running next week too!

I get that severe anxiety about house projects too

I build up a small task like painting a room until it overwhelms me.

I'm currently back drinking after my second stint in rehab

My 18 yr old son has alcohol issues too, no surprise

We live alone and drink together, it's torment

Yes, torment about summed up my drinking in the end, was about to lose it all. Quitting drinking was the best thing I ever did, it's like having a Gorilla off my back. Took me many, many years to get and stay sober. Keep trying, don't give up, you can do it if you really desire it above all other things, which is what I was told I had to do to get and stay sober.

Believe it or not... wrote:

Another Attempt wrote:

7 days and already feeling a difference in my running. Just feeling all around more fresh.

Believe it or not, OP here.

Managed 30 days sober this year. As in, days in a row. I had 1, 3, 7 here and there.

Now been drinking since July 16th with only two days' break. Actually drinking now.

Going for it again tomorrow.

Thank you for resuscitating this thread and well done on your 7 days! I want to feel that difference in my running next week too!

You're welcome. I had 44 days a few years ago when this thread was active. before I started to pick up again. This is my longest period of sobriety since then. Just trying to put in another 24 hours. One day at a time.

Former wrote:

Former drinker:

I used to drink, binge drink. It cost me my career. Then my drinking almost cost me my life. You want to stop, go to AA. Abstinence..

AA is good. Celebrate Recovery and Life recovery are good for those who are looking for faith based recovery.

Sober since November 25, 2018 so about 9 months. Seems based on the recent responses we could use some positivity in this thread.

I remember feeling the way a lot of you do now when I spent most of 2018 trying and failing to quit. At that point I had fully realized what a problem drinking had become for me and how it was getting steadily/progressively worse. I think I need all those failures as they were all learning experiences for me. I started to better understand the addiction and I also began understanding what changes would be necessary to keep the risk of drinking to a minimum. On Thanksgiving, I had a meltdown during an argument with my family which served as the catalyst for me quitting. As silly as it might sound, a couple days prior to that, I had consumed some 12-16 beers (don't recall anymore how many exactly) and my mind had started to drift towards thoughts of ending my life, and in tears I prayed to God to help me. I know this will sound silly to some, but as a lapsed Christian at that time, it was truly my most raw, authentic moment I'd had in years. When I woke up the day after the Thanksgiving meltdown, I felt this weird sense of peace, this complete internalization of the fact that I was an alcoholic and that I would eventually lose everything and die if I didn't stop drinking. I know that the religious component of my recovery will not be applicable to a lot of people and I fully respect that, but it's an important and true part of my story so I need to include it.

I spent the next few days watching Youtube videos from Craig Beck (Stop Drinking Expert) and Kevin O'Hara (Alcohol Mastery) which helped me better understand the physiological and psychological aspects of addiction and how it manifested in my life. It really helped me contextualize the steady progression of the destruction that alcohol was having on my life and more importantly, I didn't feel alone anymore. Hearing the stories of others and having the chance to self reflect led me to the realization that part of the hell for drinking for me was that it ran contrary to all the things I valued, or once did before being led astray by an addictive poison. On November 25, 2018, I met with my family and my friends to let them know that I was an alcoholic and that I would be seeking help for my addiction. It was (next to having prayed for help several days before) the most nervous I'd been in a long time as I was opening myself up to everyone that mattered in my life, finally admitting the truth, and then opening myself up to any labels or stigmas associated with this admission. It ended up being a truly profound experience for me as I received so much love and support from people that I didn't think I deserved it from. I am truly blessed to have amazing people in my life as I know not everyone is so fortunate.

The last 9 months truly has been a story of healing, discovering who I am now, reconnecting with the person I was before I started drinking, and actually looking forward to the many things to come in life. I still get choked up thinking about the first time I really smiled in about 8 years, a month or so after I stopped drinking. It was just this silly little slice of life moment at work and I felt genuine sense of happiness and amusement which led to this genuine experience with a real smile I hadn't had since I was maybe 20 years old.

Every story of recovery is going to be different for everyone, just as every approach to recovery is going to be different for everyone. I know for me, a huge part of breaking free of the addiction was understanding the psychological addiction which included tackling all my false beliefs about what alcohol was and how there was absolutely zero benefit to alcohol. For example, people who say that they drink for their anxiety don't realize that the only anxiety it takes away is the anxiety it placed there in the first place. That's a big part of the reason people remain mired in the loop of addiction is that they need to escape the chemical influence of the drug those first 2-3 weeks of sobriety which will be marked by heightened anxiety along with potentially other symptoms of withdrawal. I know I was fortunate to not be chemically addicted and physically dependent on the drug, so I didn't suffer from anything more than anxiety during those first few weeks of sobriety.

I've very grateful to be where I am at today and there are times I almost pinch myself because I can't believe how much better my life has gotten. Within one month, my anxiety had greatly reduced and I remember suddenly regaining tons of energy in my daily life. I was sleeping better, eating better, my finances were improving, my relationships were healing and I was meeting new people I never would have before, my mental/emotional health improved, my work performance was improving, my workouts were improving... you name it, it was improving. The key was replacing alcohol with all the wonderful, amazing things that life has to offer. Pursuing new hobbies, doing quality work in my career, fostering and maintaining strong relationships with friends and family, eating well, sleeping well, etc. Things begin to get so good (as they have for me) that I can't envision how I ever found drinking desirable, especially in contrast to how much better my life has become free from all the suffering alcohol caused for me. That's not to say that I don't have bad days anymore because I still do, just like anyone, but it's not longer this debilitating thing because I am no longer inviting all this chaos into my life anymore by consuming an addictive drug poison.

If I had to give anyone any advice in this thread, it would be to ask for help. Putting aside my pride, being honest with myself and others, and asking for help amazed me with how wonderful and understanding most people have been. I know that the future is unwritten, but I know now that the key is just to live in the moment and take each moment as it comes. All the matters is the present moment because that's all we have and for me, I am successful, for in this moment I am sober.

Also, don't be afraid to set boundaries to protect yourself. I made a conscious choice to end certain relationships and avoid certain places and situations, not so much because I was afraid I might be tempted (although initially I was afraid of this), but more so because I would find my conscious choice not to use an addictive drug I had been addicted to under assault. Some people are not going to be okay with your choice not to drink and it's important to be prepared for this eventuality by being informed, courageous, and by having truly integrated your decision to be sober into your belief system, a true internalization of being sober. It will probably involve losing "friends", distancing yourself from some family members, changing your routine, home, career, among many other things, but it will be well worth it in the end.

Good luck to everyone who has posted here. I really feel for you guys and I hope you can make some headway in pursuing the better life that awaits you once you decide to quick drinking. That better life will not come overnight, but if you make the choice and put in the work, you will find it one day and it will transform you. Every passing day, I'm more and more amazed at my process of healing and how special it has been to be able to make the progress that I have. I hope you all will find that sort of happiness yourselves someday.

Today is my 14 day. The motivation is a physical on 9/18 and Huntsman Senior games in October. Important races are usually my best motivation to stop drinking.

Great post. Thank you.

Keep trying and hopefully it will stick. I'm approaching 10 years now and I can say with certainty that my life is incredibly better - financially, professional and hobby accomplishments, and total dismissal of ALL anxiety.

Your friends may find it odd once they discover that you've quit, but they'll get over it quickly. There seem to be an increasing amount of individuals who have decided to stop poisoning their bodies.

Monday mornings used to be hell on earth - no longer.

Best of luck!

I am still in the game at 12-going-on-13 months! No relapses, which I'm proud of.

I resumed exercising after many years this summer and the weight loss has really lifted my mood. This, in turn, has reduced my cravings. That's the good news.

Some days though, I still wonder why I'm doing this. My social life has just dissolved away, because I still can't imagince socializing without alcohol. So, I just don't socialize.

One day at a time.

here I go wrote:

Nov 7th, 2018 was my last day drinking. I almost bought a 6 pack this afternoon.

Pretty soon it'd be something else & in a short time I'd be drinking nightly . . . heavily. I have no self-control with alcohol once I start.

My streak's still going. But this last weekend I was really thinking about drinking & what if I only allowed myself to drink Wed & Sun nights because for some reason those are the worst days of the week. Also, there are so many new beers out I want to try.

But then I remembered if I start drinking 2 nights a week that pretty soon it'll be a 7 night a week thing.

I'm serious this time wrote:

Today is my 14 day. The motivation is a physical on 9/18 and Huntsman Senior games in October. Important races are usually my best motivation to stop drinking.

27 days.

Mechanized Hum wrote:

Keep trying and hopefully it will stick. I'm approaching 10 years now and I can say with certainty that my life is incredibly better - financially, professional and hobby accomplishments, and total dismissal of ALL anxiety.

Your friends may find it odd once they discover that you've quit, but they'll get over it quickly. There seem to be an increasing amount of individuals who have decided to stop poisoning their bodies.

Monday mornings used to be hell on earth - no longer.

Best of luck!

Oh man, I can relate, Monday's truly were hell on earth for me too! I can remember getting hammered during football games saying I stop after the 1 pm game, the 4pm game, the 8 pm game. Thank GOD its not like that today.

To all starting, just try and get today. Don't worry about tomorrow. Days turn into weeks/months/years. You can do this, good luck. I incorporated AA into my life, just like daily runs, it works.

And, yet, the brojos in their infinite wisdom schedule an LRC meet up at a bar despite the plethora of recovering alcoholics on this site. jamin gets and DUI, admits he has a drinking problem and invites wejo et al. out for a drink and they oblige.

I'm serious this time wrote:

I'm serious this time wrote:

Today is my 14 day. The motivation is a physical on 9/18 and Huntsman Senior games in October. Important races are usually my best motivation to stop drinking.

27 days.

Congrats man. That’s great.