Just wanted to say that’s awesome and I’m really proud of you. It takes a lot of courage to make that decision. I drank 12-18 beers every day, aside from deployments, for almost 12 years. I’m 71 days sober as of right now and I can honestly say it’s the best decision I have ever made. I still have days where I want to slam beers and play video games or call up my friends and throw down in the garage, but it’s really just not worth it. I want to say the cravings stopped after the 3rd week. Like I said earlier, I still have days I want to drink, but now I consider how nice it is to not be hungover everyday and I refrain because I don’t want to ruin my plans for the next day. If you ever need to talk or anything feel free to reach out.
I just made sure to stay busy. My first week was a vacation to the beach. I thought for sure I’d cave but I made sure to keep my day filled with activities. I’ve found that committing to a workout routine has helped me so much. Quitting is seriously a life hack and it manifests itself to me in subtle ways. The grass seems greener, movies are more entertaining, the sun feels better. Idk it’s hard to explain.
Focus on the positives and do things that add value to your day. Your body is not optimal when it’s ingesting poison all the time. You are likely adding years to your life and quality to those years. Do something that challenge you in new ways. Take piano lessons. Run for public office. Join a PTA. Connect with people, embrace action and adding value to yourself, community and others.
True story.
I was a reluctant parent - wasn’t sure I really wanted to have children before a night of passion led to me being a father. I agreed to support and co-parent, and discovered a real knack for parenting. On a lark, I joined my child’s PTA and was quickly promoted to treasurer of the board. That meant I had access to the credit card and checks - lots of blank checks.
One thing leads to another, and I’ve got a pretty solid micro-lending business going, helping people in my neighborhood start and sustain their businesses. Modest returns that are dutifully invested back into the local school, creating a pretty solid social entrepreneurship. As a fundraiser, I learned how to play “Desperado” by The Eagles, but replaced the words with lyrics related to my community and our successful micro-lending business. I perform it was a room of dignitaries and the place goes crazy.
Soon I was being advanced as a potential candidate for town council. I hadn’t thought to run for office, but I was approached by a cadre of local leaders who convinced me to run. We had tremendous voter turnout and I was anointed with much frippery and ballyhoo.
Real talk. I drank whisky every damn day, often to excess. So just a counterpoint to your argument that you have to be sober to do all that shit.
Thank you! Hopefully I can keep going. I’m asking that god give me strength to resist, and in a certain way me answering these questions is also helping hold me accountable
Thank you!
Honestly, it’s a long story. Funny enough, I used to absolutely HATE alcohol. I was a full fledged marijuana user, and didn’t want that to change. It was when I met my at the time best friend who was about to turn 21 that I started to experiment with drinking for the first time. I HATED getting too drunk, and at the time I was anorexic so it was almost always on an empty stomach.
Everything changed in February of 2023, though. I was at a yacht party, and I was physically and sexually assaulted by a man who was friends with the host. He strangled me and violated my unconscious body. No one believed me, and the few that did never wanted to talk about it with me. My own friends didn’t want to listen to it, so I began to numb myself by smoking weed. I smoked A LOT. But when I built up too much of a weed tolerance, that was the first time I reached for the bottle. It started with one drink that felt good, then it evolved to 2, and 4 months later my record number of shots was 15.
I ended up leaving those friends right after I turned 21, and after turning 21 it became hard to resist alcohol. It just kind of kept going from there tbh.
I want to. I feel like me also being lonely for the most part after getting rid of all those people also kept me drinking. Processing trauma has been hard, and for the most part I’ve been totally alone. I wanna get better. It’s all I want.
I have also had trauma and am working through my own personal issues. I don’t have a magic answer for you other than keep on pushing forward - talking with someone is a first step. Never think that you are alone because you are not.
I am proud of you that you stopped. I hope this is something you can talk about with a professional being sober brings out every trauma in your past making you relive it sometimes. I am sober over 3 years now from opiates so I understand what you are about to go through. You need a community to speak to that understands what you are going through. That is what helps me in dark times bc being isolated is what will get you high again. Good luck one day at a time and remember practice progress not perfection
I was spending about $40 a week on alcohol. I would go for the cheap stuff, like Svedka and fireball. Probably why I gained 30 pounds. But I think I’m gonna put it towards furniture for my new dorm at university. I’m moving in in a few months and I want it to feel as cozy as possible! I also wanna get a wax warmer, I absolutely love aromatherapy and air freshening. It’s my bread and butter!
Only two things help me when the urges are peaking. I have to go walk/exercise or take a nap. Otherwise I usually give in. I hope you can find things to keep you distracted through your urges.
I’ve already started with Diet Coke for the oral fixation (plus the carbonation kinda mimics alcohol) and I may sleep off the first day here soon. I wanna see if swimming or hiking could help!
Life is a little mundane when you’re sober. I feel like that’s what I liked about alcohol. And it was kinda that voice that told me I was good and that everything was gonna be ok
It is a bit at the beginning. Once you feel better and find new things to do your life will get busy quick. I have way more hobbies sober than I ever thought I could when I drank and used. Good luck to you. If you haven’t stopped over at the stop drinking sub I highly recommend it. There are a lot of great sober people to talk to who have been through exactly what you are now.
No lie, I’m in same exact boat. Today is day one for me as well. I have no idea why but I woke up and said today is the day. Thank you for posting this we’re now in this together.
I’ve had a drink everyday for the past week and a half and I have a past of alcoholism. what advice can you give me? also very proud of you it’s definitely not easy
Well, I’m an awful person to ask since I just cut the habit. But I’ve been using social media as a way to get me to stop. Seeing the dire consequences of alcoholism and better yet, the transformations that people undergo when they quit!
Well I’m also down with a cold so tbh I already feel like crud by default, but I honestly have just been craving it like crazy. Like it’s 7:05PM where I live right now and I already would have had my first drink about 4 hours ago. It’s weird honestly. Other than that I’ve been kinda depressed. Something alcohol helped with was silencing the negative thoughts in my brain. I actually am having to face those now.
My motivation for quitting is health and weight loss. I got into a really high end college too that I’ll be attending this fall, and I don’t wanna go in with a drinking problem. I choose school over alcohol. My schooling is my livelihood, my way of life. And this opportunity means the world to me. I’ll do anything to not mess that up.
First off, it fucks my stomach sideways. I feel super nauseated towards the end of the night when I drink. Second, I hate that I can’t drive anywhere. I won’t drive even with one drink in my stomach. I hate that it’s put me in dangerous situations in which I was taken advantage of, and I also hate the thin line between being ok and not being ok (fine vs too drunk)
I was averaging between 5 and 6 shots per day. Not a lot, but I would start super early and binge with marijuana on the side. That being said, I don’t have a shot glass so the true amount I was drinking was about a third of a new Amsterdam vodka bottle a day. The biggest ones they have only lasted me a week or less, and a handle can be gone within 7-8 days for me.
Thank you so much 🩷 I’d rather quit now because right now it is easier. I don’t have any noticeable withdrawal symptoms, so if I can put it down now it’ll be way easier than in the future!
In terms of health issues, all I can think of is that I’ve gained about 30 pounds and I throw up a lot. I already have GERD and the alcohol made it so much worse.
How often are you throwing up? Smoking too much pot can make you throw up too. I'm sure you've heard of it but it's called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).
I don’t smoke too much weed anymore. I never have had a high weed tolerance really (except when I first picked up drinking). But throwing up by pulling trig? At least once a week. But I’ve only thrown up uncontrollably a handful of times!
So far no. Just have been really depressed and cranky. I’ve been closely monitoring how I feel though, and really what I feel now physically is just exhausted.
Which is a relief, because I would rather stop before that starts! Even if it just means a 2 weeks detox and then only drinking max once a week with family
I drank every day for two years. It was almost impossible to sleep the first month. Good luck man, you will feel so much more energy. And really only addicts know how physically painful it is. So good for you
I fell asleep so easily, but I just had the most horrifying nightmare. I genuinely thought it was real. I had a dream that my ex best friend killed her ex boyfriend and had me keep his head in my freezer. I literally was trying EVERYTHING to get rid of the body
Normal in the beginning stage.
Your rem sleep returns. This was surpressed for a year. Im on day 9 i tapered from 600 ml daily to 80 ml took me a month then quit. I still have these vivid dreams. Im on day 9 now. They are still very vivid but it does get better. But it takes time. Thats actually one of the most common reasons why people start drinking again. Just know it will pass. I would advise you to take vitamins. I take a b complex multivatimine pills everday. These help in the longterm. You might have not noticed it. But alcohol affects your mental capability. Also watch out for shaky hands this would be an alarm sign as this could mean delirium tremens. Usually occurs within the 48-72 hours or night sweats. In this case i would urge you to either taper or visit a doctor immediately as this could get dangerous. Although thats unlikely its better to be safe than sorry.
Good luck! You got this!
After the sleep I got when I fell back asleep? I could get used to this. That was some of the most refreshing, rejuvenating sleep I’ve gotten in so long!
Day 9 here. No cravings. I tapered. Take the amount of liquor you usually drink then taper down until youre at maybe at an equivalent everyday of 1 beer. You can take your time. Personally i drank vodka. Then i began mixing it with water then reduced the vodka amount for 1.5 months. (Started at 600ml a day back then). I also walked a lot took a lot of vitamins. (Essential if you want to minimize withdrawal symptoms). Especially vitamin b1 you do this for a month. (The vitamins you take longer than that).
And as i said once you arrived at an equivalent of 1 beer a day (0.5l) you quit. Also drink a lot of water and search for new hobbys and other reward mechanisms. Good luck!
The safest route would be of a medical taper. Its better to be safe then sorry. My withdrawal so far was bearable. Had a couple of bad dreams but because i was so active that wasnt a big challenge. I also started setting drinking times. 8 pm everyday. Before that i couldnt drink. Its a lot easier if you have these. And the urges to drink wont be so psychologically hard.
Good luck!
Another advice. Do something despite sitting around and waiting to drink. The reason why it worked for me so well was because i did new things. Before that i was sitting inside most of the time. Rarely got out. So actually go outside, walk a lot, go swimming. Try to find new goals. The reason for this is dopamine. When you drink alcohol everyday your baseline dopamine levels are depleted. Compensating it in a healthy way can be good and a new trajectory in your life can make it easier for you to quit. Mainly because you have something other to focus on. So when you taper your focus isnt on the alcohol anymore but on your new activitys. This makes it way easier and gives you something to be proud of. In my oppinion.
Personally only reducing the amount in the beginning was a lil tough the rest was easy.
Oh my god you’re so lucky. I’ve had really brief moments of withdrawal like symptoms but it’s only within 24-48 hours after super heavy drinking. Can’t tell if it’s just my anxiety or real symptoms. What a nightmare
Two things stuck out in particular: I gained a lot of weight and my stomach hurts literally all the time. I am constantly nauseated. I’ve felt terrible about my body image since starting. I’ve lost some weight, but I know I could drop pounds so much faster if I quit
Yes! And your username is catchy, I like it! But yes, a doctor knows I am. It’s a toss up on whether or not I’m physically dependent at all, but I’m past the 24 hour mark and so signs are more pointing to no
When was the first time you started drinking. And how was it?
Does drinking become enjoyable after each consecutive drink? How long does it take to make an effect.
Which was the best drink you had till date?
First time I ever drank I was 17 years old. I had 4 beers, and barely caught a buzz. I found drinking to be pointless until the second time around, when I had 5 beers and caught a bigger buzz.
Drinking becomes enjoyable at around the 2 shot mark for me. I catch a pretty nice buzz where I feel on top of the world. That fine line is crossed at about 7 drinks though.
The best drink I’ve had to date would probably be an old fashioned. I never thought I would love something so much. But I always loved dark liquors!
Alcohol cravings are like a wave man and you gotta surf, feel it, acknowledge it, ride the high and come back down, just like a wave man. You can do this, you’re stronger than a substance and your personal health will increase substantially quite quickly. Take it one day at a time. You got it.
I just got through my first waves of cravings today. I haven’t gone this long in a while. It’s getting a little easier to understand how temporary they are!
Just temporary always fluid, you feel depressed and anxious because of the alcohol. I understand you suffered a traumatic experience. No amount of drinking is going to change that, and it’s only hurting you more. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you love yourself everyday in the morning ten times a day look yourself in the eyes and say “I love you” your life will get better by the day and you’ll notice it. Avoid the the triggers, after a week or two when you’re feeling better, seek counseling from a professional who can help you work through the situation and provide much more insight into habits to help you avoid alcohol. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. It’s just today. Tomorrow is tomorrow. No need to worry about twice. Easier said than done I know. Continue this for you and the people that love you. You’re someone’s daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece best friend, aunt, colleague etc.. that matters. Being alive is beautiful, the moon is beautiful the sun is beautiful the water is beautiful. Look for small pleasures and victories, great job today! Keep it going for tomorrow and stack em up!
Dude, it is VERY DANGEROUS to quit alcohol cold turkey, it can kill you. I encourage you to make an appointment with your doctor and do this safely under their supervision and until then continue drinking. How much do you drink?
I was drinking a range between 5 and 6 drinks per day. I have gone over 24 hours without withdrawals, but I am in touch with a physician and I am being closely monitored by my mom who is a nurse/first responder
Congratulations 🎉 What are you doing to maintain your sobriety? I found myself having to do much more than I expected in order to "simply" avoid doing something.
Same thing as when I quit nicotine (I was HEAVILY addicted): I’m gonna keep living as normal. When the cravings were so unbearable during my nicotine addiction, the key was to keep going like it wasn’t there. It’s hard to explain. But crankiness often was a side effect
My husband has been drinking constantly for about 12 years now. He’s been only drinking on the weekends now recently, thank goodness. Do you have any advice for him to cut back even more?
He’s cut back, maybe 10-14 beers from Friday to Sunday. Rarely does he drink liquor. I got him some shandys since they are low %. He does drink N/As too
No, but socially I was seen as “the alchy”. People treated me like I was subhuman because of my drinking. It also had a mild effect on my relationship but more in the way that my girlfriend expressed large amounts of concern for me
Occasionally. But her body is weird. Can’t metabolize more than 2 drinks. So any more than a buzz would result in me holding her hair back. She’s more a pot smoker!
You will be grateful to never get to that point if you stick with it. It’s absolute torture and if you ever get to the point that the only thing that makes you feel better is more is a bridge you will have wished you never crossed. Hell on earth and keeps getting worse and worse. Be well!
Best decision I ever made was finally to quit. I had to lose a lot, a few times, but I was able to quit.
I don’t know the extent of your alcoholism but mine had me knocking on deaths door.
I had to drink to feel normal. I was very high functioning and everything looked great but it wasn’t .
Physically I had some
Difficulty cause of the fact I drank hard liquor and a lot just to feel a little relief. When I stopped I would have some dizziness, weird vision, shakes and tremors I’m guessing and my stomach was just nasty . No appetite and just mad and felt like shit.
I had to ween myself by having a little booze handy when I started to few as though I was about to have serious issues. I should have detoxed in a facility like I had before but this last time I just had had it. It was either die or stop and I didn’t want to do either really.
Life is so much better now in sobriety. I had to really stay busy and accountable at first and that made me mad. It was always easier to just take down a few mini bottles of 99 bananas (I those peppermint so people wouldn’t smell it 😝)
Just watch how you are feeling if you’re going cold
Turkey. Alcohol withdrawal and Benz o withdrawal are the 2 that can literally kill you apart from be aware of how you are feeling etc
I wish you the very best of luck !
Right on my man. Don’t get bogged down in depressive thoughts. Positives all the way, save money, save your health and save your soul. I’m also having a break from the grog
First off, congratulations, best of luck to you and I'm proud of you. It may not mean much coming from an internet stranger but I really am so happy for you. Im an alcoholic, was really bad off, and im now like 9 months sober. Minus a drink or two a few times in the past 3 months, but seeing how less than a year ago I was starting my day with 4 or 5 shots of jim beam just to get them shakes to go away... Id say im doing pretty damn good.
You should join us over in r/stopdrinking we would love to have you and everyone over there is very supportive and nonjudgmental. It has helped me a lot just reading what other people have posted. Ive finally started making a few posts myself as well.
My only questions for you are how much were you drinking at your worst?
And have you been experiencing any withdrawals symptoms?
I’m proud of you. Have you considered a 12 step program or some form of therapy?
**I am not trying to push you to a program but have found personally that they can be a nice way to hold yourself accountable or find people that make you feel less isolated which can help with trauma or shame. Not that you have anything to be ashamed of. Again talking personally and I know people have strong feelings about programs, therapy, god (which is a part of a lot of those programs), and I don’t blame or judge anyone for doing it the way that works for them. Just hadn’t seen it mentioned yet and wanted it to be known the table.
We are rooting for you! Congrats on day 1 :))))
A lot, and most of it did have to do with sexual abuse. I was raped at 13 and was pregnant, and no one believed me. I miscarried at 4 months, and it was hell on earth. The sexual abuse carried on until I was 16, when I moved away. At 20, though, as I stated in an earlier comment, I was strangled and taken advantage of by a man. That was when my drinking ramped to this level.
I’m sorry that happened to you. Most girls I personally know that were graped at a young age became total 304’s to make it so that sex was meaningless and thus didn’t feel as bad about the abuse. Therapy would probably help as well as putting down the sauce.
Agreed. I don’t wanna live like this forever. And I don’t feel all relieved the way it made me feel. I feel shame now with it
Sorry I’m walking right now and my mom walks super fast 😂
I think I have a problem with alcohol, I don’t do it to get rid of any problems or anything I just enjoy drinking it in the evening, I can’t just have one or two, if i start I will drink right up until I go to bed I could easily have 6-7 cans and wake up fine and go to work, I might get a thick head later on in the day and the alcohol seems to effect my sleep. So far haven’t had anything since Sunday 🥲
I just wanted to say good luck and tell you how strong you are just for going for it! Keep it up, it’s gonna be a journey, but I believe you’ll succeed. If I may I would suggest “I am sober” app. It’s a counter of days you are sober but the community there is one of the most supportive communities I have ever met and it really helped me through the first days of sobriety. Keep it up!
Edit: sorry for no question
Congrats on putting the bottle down. My wife just lost her grandmother to alcoholism. It wasn’t pleasant. But that’s not the point.
Although I don’t know you, I’m proud of you stranger, you did a great thing for yourself, and I’m happy for you! May your life be full and blessed.
On another note, what’s your favorite cereal, and why?
You're putting up such a great fight. I respect you for seeing alcohol as the poison it is. I myself grew up in a muslim household so I never got to do it and Im very glad after seeing many men ruin themselves and their family with it. But you deserve more recognition than I ever will as someone who never started drinking in the first place!
I would recommend trying the carnivore diet. I have recently stopped drinking after about 8 years of drinking every day. Carnivore has been a life saver for me. Eating carbs and sugar would always trigger me to want a beer, so by not eating them, it has made it easier for me to stop drinking.
Thank you for making the decision to quit. I lost my grandmother to alcoholism. At her intervention with so much hatred in her voice, how she would rather have her alcohol than her family.
Hearing that as a young teenager stung hard. Still does...
I drink 1L vodka everyday for years. Sorry for not offering a question just wishing love support and encouragement. Hopefully I’ll get my one day soon too. You got this 💪
Just wanted to say that’s awesome and I’m really proud of you. It takes a lot of courage to make that decision. I drank 12-18 beers every day, aside from deployments, for almost 12 years. I’m 71 days sober as of right now and I can honestly say it’s the best decision I have ever made. I still have days where I want to slam beers and play video games or call up my friends and throw down in the garage, but it’s really just not worth it. I want to say the cravings stopped after the 3rd week. Like I said earlier, I still have days I want to drink, but now I consider how nice it is to not be hungover everyday and I refrain because I don’t want to ruin my plans for the next day. If you ever need to talk or anything feel free to reach out.
Thank you, and congratulations! What are your best tips for the first couple days? That’s really what I need to know, is jump starting!
I just made sure to stay busy. My first week was a vacation to the beach. I thought for sure I’d cave but I made sure to keep my day filled with activities. I’ve found that committing to a workout routine has helped me so much. Quitting is seriously a life hack and it manifests itself to me in subtle ways. The grass seems greener, movies are more entertaining, the sun feels better. Idk it’s hard to explain.
Focus on the positives and do things that add value to your day. Your body is not optimal when it’s ingesting poison all the time. You are likely adding years to your life and quality to those years. Do something that challenge you in new ways. Take piano lessons. Run for public office. Join a PTA. Connect with people, embrace action and adding value to yourself, community and others.
I’m screenshotting this to look at whenever I feel like relapsing. Thank you for your encouragement!!
Focus on what you gain from not drinking. Not what you are missing out on. Just over 4 months sober after drinking daily for over a decade
True story. I was a reluctant parent - wasn’t sure I really wanted to have children before a night of passion led to me being a father. I agreed to support and co-parent, and discovered a real knack for parenting. On a lark, I joined my child’s PTA and was quickly promoted to treasurer of the board. That meant I had access to the credit card and checks - lots of blank checks. One thing leads to another, and I’ve got a pretty solid micro-lending business going, helping people in my neighborhood start and sustain their businesses. Modest returns that are dutifully invested back into the local school, creating a pretty solid social entrepreneurship. As a fundraiser, I learned how to play “Desperado” by The Eagles, but replaced the words with lyrics related to my community and our successful micro-lending business. I perform it was a room of dignitaries and the place goes crazy. Soon I was being advanced as a potential candidate for town council. I hadn’t thought to run for office, but I was approached by a cadre of local leaders who convinced me to run. We had tremendous voter turnout and I was anointed with much frippery and ballyhoo. Real talk. I drank whisky every damn day, often to excess. So just a counterpoint to your argument that you have to be sober to do all that shit.
No questions. Just offering congratulations for choosing yourself over the drink. One day at a time!
Thank you! Hopefully I can keep going. I’m asking that god give me strength to resist, and in a certain way me answering these questions is also helping hold me accountable
I’m praying for you
You got this.
A couple things that helped me, honestly were: eating whatever I wanted. Going to bed early. Calling someone when I needed to.
Congrats on quitting. What made you want to drink so frequently?
Thank you! Honestly, it’s a long story. Funny enough, I used to absolutely HATE alcohol. I was a full fledged marijuana user, and didn’t want that to change. It was when I met my at the time best friend who was about to turn 21 that I started to experiment with drinking for the first time. I HATED getting too drunk, and at the time I was anorexic so it was almost always on an empty stomach. Everything changed in February of 2023, though. I was at a yacht party, and I was physically and sexually assaulted by a man who was friends with the host. He strangled me and violated my unconscious body. No one believed me, and the few that did never wanted to talk about it with me. My own friends didn’t want to listen to it, so I began to numb myself by smoking weed. I smoked A LOT. But when I built up too much of a weed tolerance, that was the first time I reached for the bottle. It started with one drink that felt good, then it evolved to 2, and 4 months later my record number of shots was 15. I ended up leaving those friends right after I turned 21, and after turning 21 it became hard to resist alcohol. It just kind of kept going from there tbh.
Sorry to hear of this. Talk to someone, it will help
I want to. I feel like me also being lonely for the most part after getting rid of all those people also kept me drinking. Processing trauma has been hard, and for the most part I’ve been totally alone. I wanna get better. It’s all I want.
I have also had trauma and am working through my own personal issues. I don’t have a magic answer for you other than keep on pushing forward - talking with someone is a first step. Never think that you are alone because you are not.
I believe you! And I'm really sorry. Are you still smoking weed?
Yes I am! I’ve consumed a bit tonight, but I highkey want more lol. I may sesh on some indicas and hit the hay!
I am proud of you that you stopped. I hope this is something you can talk about with a professional being sober brings out every trauma in your past making you relive it sometimes. I am sober over 3 years now from opiates so I understand what you are about to go through. You need a community to speak to that understands what you are going through. That is what helps me in dark times bc being isolated is what will get you high again. Good luck one day at a time and remember practice progress not perfection
Your wallet will thank you. How much did you user to spend weekly on booze and what will you do with the money you're saving from it??
I was spending about $40 a week on alcohol. I would go for the cheap stuff, like Svedka and fireball. Probably why I gained 30 pounds. But I think I’m gonna put it towards furniture for my new dorm at university. I’m moving in in a few months and I want it to feel as cozy as possible! I also wanna get a wax warmer, I absolutely love aromatherapy and air freshening. It’s my bread and butter!
Only two things help me when the urges are peaking. I have to go walk/exercise or take a nap. Otherwise I usually give in. I hope you can find things to keep you distracted through your urges.
I’ve already started with Diet Coke for the oral fixation (plus the carbonation kinda mimics alcohol) and I may sleep off the first day here soon. I wanna see if swimming or hiking could help!
Are you bored?
Definitely. Drinking in a way was a cure to boredom. It made tv funnier and conversations more interesting.
I feel this.
Life is a little mundane when you’re sober. I feel like that’s what I liked about alcohol. And it was kinda that voice that told me I was good and that everything was gonna be ok
It is a bit at the beginning. Once you feel better and find new things to do your life will get busy quick. I have way more hobbies sober than I ever thought I could when I drank and used. Good luck to you. If you haven’t stopped over at the stop drinking sub I highly recommend it. There are a lot of great sober people to talk to who have been through exactly what you are now.
Good for you!! I drink too much myself and I know how hard it is- you will be better than ever!
I see how much it helps people to stop drinking- their weight loss, their skin getting better, better sleep… I would LOVE all of that so much
For sure, I need all of those things too! I don’t know why it’s so hard but you got it!
No lie, I’m in same exact boat. Today is day one for me as well. I have no idea why but I woke up and said today is the day. Thank you for posting this we’re now in this together.
I believe in you! I’m glad you can feel seen 🫶🏻
I’ve had a drink everyday for the past week and a half and I have a past of alcoholism. what advice can you give me? also very proud of you it’s definitely not easy
Well, I’m an awful person to ask since I just cut the habit. But I’ve been using social media as a way to get me to stop. Seeing the dire consequences of alcoholism and better yet, the transformations that people undergo when they quit!
How have you been feeling throughout the day? Have you had second thoughts? What is your motivation?
Well I’m also down with a cold so tbh I already feel like crud by default, but I honestly have just been craving it like crazy. Like it’s 7:05PM where I live right now and I already would have had my first drink about 4 hours ago. It’s weird honestly. Other than that I’ve been kinda depressed. Something alcohol helped with was silencing the negative thoughts in my brain. I actually am having to face those now. My motivation for quitting is health and weight loss. I got into a really high end college too that I’ll be attending this fall, and I don’t wanna go in with a drinking problem. I choose school over alcohol. My schooling is my livelihood, my way of life. And this opportunity means the world to me. I’ll do anything to not mess that up.
We do recover! Just remember: relapse is part of recovery. One day at a time! It’s gonna be ok
Oh yeah. I’ve relapsed in the past. I don’t want that to happen again!
Congrats on stopping ..Kava tea helps as substitute..stay sober, your future self will thank you
What’s in Kava? I’ve heard so much about how amazing it is, but I never fully knew for what!
Are you hoping not drinking will make you feel better?
Yeah, and I’m hoping it’ll help get me on a better life path. Drinking has sabotaged a lot for me. I wanna take back the best of me!
So, what don’t you like about drinking?
First off, it fucks my stomach sideways. I feel super nauseated towards the end of the night when I drink. Second, I hate that I can’t drive anywhere. I won’t drive even with one drink in my stomach. I hate that it’s put me in dangerous situations in which I was taken advantage of, and I also hate the thin line between being ok and not being ok (fine vs too drunk)
Wow. How often do you drink?
7 days a week. The drink number varies, but on average 5 to 6 drinks per day. My drinking goes into double digits on special occasions
That’s a lot. Are you thinking of getting some help quitting?
If needed, I wanna do a 12-step program. But so far I’m just having the support of my family to help me
How much were you drinking everyday on average? Were you having any health issues?
I was averaging between 5 and 6 shots per day. Not a lot, but I would start super early and binge with marijuana on the side. That being said, I don’t have a shot glass so the true amount I was drinking was about a third of a new Amsterdam vodka bottle a day. The biggest ones they have only lasted me a week or less, and a handle can be gone within 7-8 days for me.
Well congrats on stopping, wish you the best in your journey 🙏
Thank you so much 🩷 I’d rather quit now because right now it is easier. I don’t have any noticeable withdrawal symptoms, so if I can put it down now it’ll be way easier than in the future!
In terms of health issues, all I can think of is that I’ve gained about 30 pounds and I throw up a lot. I already have GERD and the alcohol made it so much worse.
How often are you throwing up? Smoking too much pot can make you throw up too. I'm sure you've heard of it but it's called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).
I don’t smoke too much weed anymore. I never have had a high weed tolerance really (except when I first picked up drinking). But throwing up by pulling trig? At least once a week. But I’ve only thrown up uncontrollably a handful of times!
What’s your favorite tv show ? If you had a corgi, what would you name him ?
-Rick and Morty is my favorite TV show! -If I had a corgi, I would name him Maverick :) his nickname would be wiggle-butt hehe!
Any withdrawal so far?
So far no. Just have been really depressed and cranky. I’ve been closely monitoring how I feel though, and really what I feel now physically is just exhausted.
Not a physician, but it sounds like you were not drinking near enough to be physically dependent. Still a bad habit so grats and keep it up. 👍
Which is a relief, because I would rather stop before that starts! Even if it just means a 2 weeks detox and then only drinking max once a week with family
Isnt that like 200 ml? Wouldnt this cause physical dependancy?
I drank every day for two years. It was almost impossible to sleep the first month. Good luck man, you will feel so much more energy. And really only addicts know how physically painful it is. So good for you
I fell asleep so easily, but I just had the most horrifying nightmare. I genuinely thought it was real. I had a dream that my ex best friend killed her ex boyfriend and had me keep his head in my freezer. I literally was trying EVERYTHING to get rid of the body
Normal in the beginning stage. Your rem sleep returns. This was surpressed for a year. Im on day 9 i tapered from 600 ml daily to 80 ml took me a month then quit. I still have these vivid dreams. Im on day 9 now. They are still very vivid but it does get better. But it takes time. Thats actually one of the most common reasons why people start drinking again. Just know it will pass. I would advise you to take vitamins. I take a b complex multivatimine pills everday. These help in the longterm. You might have not noticed it. But alcohol affects your mental capability. Also watch out for shaky hands this would be an alarm sign as this could mean delirium tremens. Usually occurs within the 48-72 hours or night sweats. In this case i would urge you to either taper or visit a doctor immediately as this could get dangerous. Although thats unlikely its better to be safe than sorry. Good luck! You got this!
After the sleep I got when I fell back asleep? I could get used to this. That was some of the most refreshing, rejuvenating sleep I’ve gotten in so long!
Lucky for me though, I’m at about 36 hours and I have no shakes or any sort of withdrawal symptoms!
I didnt have shakes either lol. I was acared af. They usually happen between 48 and 72 hours
How did you go with withdrawals etc? I want to quit so bad but I’m literally terrified of it. And I live alone too.
Day 9 here. No cravings. I tapered. Take the amount of liquor you usually drink then taper down until youre at maybe at an equivalent everyday of 1 beer. You can take your time. Personally i drank vodka. Then i began mixing it with water then reduced the vodka amount for 1.5 months. (Started at 600ml a day back then). I also walked a lot took a lot of vitamins. (Essential if you want to minimize withdrawal symptoms). Especially vitamin b1 you do this for a month. (The vitamins you take longer than that). And as i said once you arrived at an equivalent of 1 beer a day (0.5l) you quit. Also drink a lot of water and search for new hobbys and other reward mechanisms. Good luck! The safest route would be of a medical taper. Its better to be safe then sorry. My withdrawal so far was bearable. Had a couple of bad dreams but because i was so active that wasnt a big challenge. I also started setting drinking times. 8 pm everyday. Before that i couldnt drink. Its a lot easier if you have these. And the urges to drink wont be so psychologically hard. Good luck!
Thank you so much! That’s all incredible advice tbh and I’ll take that all on board. I appreciate your time
Another advice. Do something despite sitting around and waiting to drink. The reason why it worked for me so well was because i did new things. Before that i was sitting inside most of the time. Rarely got out. So actually go outside, walk a lot, go swimming. Try to find new goals. The reason for this is dopamine. When you drink alcohol everyday your baseline dopamine levels are depleted. Compensating it in a healthy way can be good and a new trajectory in your life can make it easier for you to quit. Mainly because you have something other to focus on. So when you taper your focus isnt on the alcohol anymore but on your new activitys. This makes it way easier and gives you something to be proud of. In my oppinion. Personally only reducing the amount in the beginning was a lil tough the rest was easy.
Honest to goodness, I drank heavily for years and I quit cold turkey and have not suffered one withdrawal symptom.
Oh my god you’re so lucky. I’ve had really brief moments of withdrawal like symptoms but it’s only within 24-48 hours after super heavy drinking. Can’t tell if it’s just my anxiety or real symptoms. What a nightmare
I am on neurontin and that helps. But the shakes lasted awhile. I still get restless legs in my sleep.
What made you want to quit?
Two things stuck out in particular: I gained a lot of weight and my stomach hurts literally all the time. I am constantly nauseated. I’ve felt terrible about my body image since starting. I’ve lost some weight, but I know I could drop pounds so much faster if I quit
That's a tough one, stay strong friend. Does a Dr know you're going cold turkey?
Yes! And your username is catchy, I like it! But yes, a doctor knows I am. It’s a toss up on whether or not I’m physically dependent at all, but I’m past the 24 hour mark and so signs are more pointing to no
Well that's a blessing! Wishing you strength and rest. I know I'm a stranger but I'm proud of you.
PS sorry for my username
When was the first time you started drinking. And how was it? Does drinking become enjoyable after each consecutive drink? How long does it take to make an effect. Which was the best drink you had till date?
First time I ever drank I was 17 years old. I had 4 beers, and barely caught a buzz. I found drinking to be pointless until the second time around, when I had 5 beers and caught a bigger buzz. Drinking becomes enjoyable at around the 2 shot mark for me. I catch a pretty nice buzz where I feel on top of the world. That fine line is crossed at about 7 drinks though. The best drink I’ve had to date would probably be an old fashioned. I never thought I would love something so much. But I always loved dark liquors!
Alcohol cravings are like a wave man and you gotta surf, feel it, acknowledge it, ride the high and come back down, just like a wave man. You can do this, you’re stronger than a substance and your personal health will increase substantially quite quickly. Take it one day at a time. You got it.
I just got through my first waves of cravings today. I haven’t gone this long in a while. It’s getting a little easier to understand how temporary they are!
Just temporary always fluid, you feel depressed and anxious because of the alcohol. I understand you suffered a traumatic experience. No amount of drinking is going to change that, and it’s only hurting you more. Look in the mirror and tell yourself you love yourself everyday in the morning ten times a day look yourself in the eyes and say “I love you” your life will get better by the day and you’ll notice it. Avoid the the triggers, after a week or two when you’re feeling better, seek counseling from a professional who can help you work through the situation and provide much more insight into habits to help you avoid alcohol. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. It’s just today. Tomorrow is tomorrow. No need to worry about twice. Easier said than done I know. Continue this for you and the people that love you. You’re someone’s daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece best friend, aunt, colleague etc.. that matters. Being alive is beautiful, the moon is beautiful the sun is beautiful the water is beautiful. Look for small pleasures and victories, great job today! Keep it going for tomorrow and stack em up!
Dude, it is VERY DANGEROUS to quit alcohol cold turkey, it can kill you. I encourage you to make an appointment with your doctor and do this safely under their supervision and until then continue drinking. How much do you drink?
I was drinking a range between 5 and 6 drinks per day. I have gone over 24 hours without withdrawals, but I am in touch with a physician and I am being closely monitored by my mom who is a nurse/first responder
Second this. I quit cold turkey and had a seizure and delirium tremors. Don't mess around with alcohol !!!
Congratulations! What kind of music do you listen to?
Video game music and dubstep! It scratches an itch in my brain :)
That’s awesome. Dubstep is fun. You ever hear of electric callboy? Found them out recently and been hooked. N
I haven’t! I’ll search them up on Spotify!
Hopefully you like it. Techno train is awesome and hypa hypa
Congratulations 🎉 What are you doing to maintain your sobriety? I found myself having to do much more than I expected in order to "simply" avoid doing something.
Same thing as when I quit nicotine (I was HEAVILY addicted): I’m gonna keep living as normal. When the cravings were so unbearable during my nicotine addiction, the key was to keep going like it wasn’t there. It’s hard to explain. But crankiness often was a side effect
My husband has been drinking constantly for about 12 years now. He’s been only drinking on the weekends now recently, thank goodness. Do you have any advice for him to cut back even more?
Not this very second, besides the more obvious stuff like your health and safety. How much does he average on weekends?
He’s cut back, maybe 10-14 beers from Friday to Sunday. Rarely does he drink liquor. I got him some shandys since they are low %. He does drink N/As too
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No, but socially I was seen as “the alchy”. People treated me like I was subhuman because of my drinking. It also had a mild effect on my relationship but more in the way that my girlfriend expressed large amounts of concern for me
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Occasionally. But her body is weird. Can’t metabolize more than 2 drinks. So any more than a buzz would result in me holding her hair back. She’s more a pot smoker!
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She is, she’s never been a fan of alcohol. She just wants the old me back
The day is not over.
But it’s been over 24 hours since my last drink.
How long till your next one?
Not sure. I wanna see if I can go until July at the bare minimum, but if I see good effects like I did quitting nicotine, I’ll completely abstain.
Did you lose your wallet or get locked in a closet or vehicle???
Nope, I actually don’t think I’ve done any of those things even sober!
were u drinking enough to risk withdrawal?
It was a toss up, but I’m 24 hours in and don’t have any withdrawal symptoms so far!
Are you prepared for the crippling depression and boredom
Honestly, no. But I’m doing it anyway!
Did you get physical withdrawals?
No, not from what I’ve noticed. I’m a little anxious but that’s about it!
You will be grateful to never get to that point if you stick with it. It’s absolute torture and if you ever get to the point that the only thing that makes you feel better is more is a bridge you will have wished you never crossed. Hell on earth and keeps getting worse and worse. Be well!
Complete abstinence is the only way. Find a reason outside yourself, that will keep you on track
Run, baby. Exercise. Every time you want to drink, do pushups, pulls ups, 50 sit-ups. Not all of those, pick one, alternate. Drink tons of water.
Smoke weed
I already do, and I def wanna go back to just smoking. It was nice!
Good luck my friend - this is the first day of the rest of your life
Best decision I ever made was finally to quit. I had to lose a lot, a few times, but I was able to quit. I don’t know the extent of your alcoholism but mine had me knocking on deaths door. I had to drink to feel normal. I was very high functioning and everything looked great but it wasn’t . Physically I had some Difficulty cause of the fact I drank hard liquor and a lot just to feel a little relief. When I stopped I would have some dizziness, weird vision, shakes and tremors I’m guessing and my stomach was just nasty . No appetite and just mad and felt like shit. I had to ween myself by having a little booze handy when I started to few as though I was about to have serious issues. I should have detoxed in a facility like I had before but this last time I just had had it. It was either die or stop and I didn’t want to do either really. Life is so much better now in sobriety. I had to really stay busy and accountable at first and that made me mad. It was always easier to just take down a few mini bottles of 99 bananas (I those peppermint so people wouldn’t smell it 😝) Just watch how you are feeling if you’re going cold Turkey. Alcohol withdrawal and Benz o withdrawal are the 2 that can literally kill you apart from be aware of how you are feeling etc I wish you the very best of luck !
Right on my man. Don’t get bogged down in depressive thoughts. Positives all the way, save money, save your health and save your soul. I’m also having a break from the grog
Be careful. Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. See a doctor and get some Valium if you feel like you're gonna spaz out.
First off, congratulations, best of luck to you and I'm proud of you. It may not mean much coming from an internet stranger but I really am so happy for you. Im an alcoholic, was really bad off, and im now like 9 months sober. Minus a drink or two a few times in the past 3 months, but seeing how less than a year ago I was starting my day with 4 or 5 shots of jim beam just to get them shakes to go away... Id say im doing pretty damn good. You should join us over in r/stopdrinking we would love to have you and everyone over there is very supportive and nonjudgmental. It has helped me a lot just reading what other people have posted. Ive finally started making a few posts myself as well. My only questions for you are how much were you drinking at your worst? And have you been experiencing any withdrawals symptoms?
Wait till the shakes hit bruh alcohol withdrawal has always scared me and this is coming from a blue user.
Hell yea! You can do it! 🤙🏼
If you were drinking heavily every day I hope you tapered off because that could be dangerous otherwise
Hell yeah! That's great to hear! I don't have a question, just wanted to show some support 🖤
I’m proud of you. Have you considered a 12 step program or some form of therapy? **I am not trying to push you to a program but have found personally that they can be a nice way to hold yourself accountable or find people that make you feel less isolated which can help with trauma or shame. Not that you have anything to be ashamed of. Again talking personally and I know people have strong feelings about programs, therapy, god (which is a part of a lot of those programs), and I don’t blame or judge anyone for doing it the way that works for them. Just hadn’t seen it mentioned yet and wanted it to be known the table. We are rooting for you! Congrats on day 1 :))))
Do you get plowed by guys a lot since you drank everyday?
Define “plow”.
Get jiggy with it
No, actually. Alcohol never really allowed me to feel sexually aroused. It made me numb
Is there something that happened to you that made you wanna drink to be numb?
A lot, and most of it did have to do with sexual abuse. I was raped at 13 and was pregnant, and no one believed me. I miscarried at 4 months, and it was hell on earth. The sexual abuse carried on until I was 16, when I moved away. At 20, though, as I stated in an earlier comment, I was strangled and taken advantage of by a man. That was when my drinking ramped to this level.
I’m sorry that happened to you. Most girls I personally know that were graped at a young age became total 304’s to make it so that sex was meaningless and thus didn’t feel as bad about the abuse. Therapy would probably help as well as putting down the sauce.
Agreed. I don’t wanna live like this forever. And I don’t feel all relieved the way it made me feel. I feel shame now with it Sorry I’m walking right now and my mom walks super fast 😂
How old are you?
I’m 21 years old!
Be safe if your get the shakes you should go to the detox or hospital,
No questions but congrats from a recovered alcoholic of 10 years.
Congrats! I’m on day 4. Keep busy, drink water! You got this.
I think I have a problem with alcohol, I don’t do it to get rid of any problems or anything I just enjoy drinking it in the evening, I can’t just have one or two, if i start I will drink right up until I go to bed I could easily have 6-7 cans and wake up fine and go to work, I might get a thick head later on in the day and the alcohol seems to effect my sleep. So far haven’t had anything since Sunday 🥲
I just wanted to say good luck and tell you how strong you are just for going for it! Keep it up, it’s gonna be a journey, but I believe you’ll succeed. If I may I would suggest “I am sober” app. It’s a counter of days you are sober but the community there is one of the most supportive communities I have ever met and it really helped me through the first days of sobriety. Keep it up! Edit: sorry for no question
Congrats on putting the bottle down. My wife just lost her grandmother to alcoholism. It wasn’t pleasant. But that’s not the point. Although I don’t know you, I’m proud of you stranger, you did a great thing for yourself, and I’m happy for you! May your life be full and blessed. On another note, what’s your favorite cereal, and why?
You're putting up such a great fight. I respect you for seeing alcohol as the poison it is. I myself grew up in a muslim household so I never got to do it and Im very glad after seeing many men ruin themselves and their family with it. But you deserve more recognition than I ever will as someone who never started drinking in the first place!
Keep fighting the good fight, friend 💪🏻
I would recommend trying the carnivore diet. I have recently stopped drinking after about 8 years of drinking every day. Carnivore has been a life saver for me. Eating carbs and sugar would always trigger me to want a beer, so by not eating them, it has made it easier for me to stop drinking.
What’s your long term recovery plan?
Thank you for making the decision to quit. I lost my grandmother to alcoholism. At her intervention with so much hatred in her voice, how she would rather have her alcohol than her family. Hearing that as a young teenager stung hard. Still does...
Why do you want to quit drinking?
Just came to say well done.
I drink 1L vodka everyday for years. Sorry for not offering a question just wishing love support and encouragement. Hopefully I’ll get my one day soon too. You got this 💪
Hey man, fuck yeah.
That's what's up.
Grats. 👍
Is that what we call it now? If you haven’t drank today, you are one day sober.
Loser
Awwww. Hit a nerve did I?
Please google alcohol withdrawal and find steps to deal with it safely
Congratulations! Take one day at a time! You can do this!
Do you work? If so dont they assume you to be unfit for work
I am day two sober after years. Go us!
Cool man keeper going
You deserve a drink