are you gonna seriously post in all caps as your thing
are you gonna seriously post in all caps as your thing
Expand Quoteare you gonna seriously post in all caps as your thing[close]
Yeah, I think 5inchdick does that.
OP gunning for the worst poster on Slap title. He's got a lot of competition, though. I give him one week tops before his next drink.I like the it, makes me laugh. The dad guy who keeps starting new topics is in the running though.
OP gunning for the worst poster on Slap title. He's got a lot of competition, though. I give him one week tops before his next drink.
I think I've posted about it before, but I'm almost two years totally sober. Last drink was in October 2017.That's where you gotta be careful.
I mean, I never really had a full-blown problem, but I drank regularly since I was 17. I mainly stopped because I got married and my wife is religious and has never done drugs or drank. She jokes about drinking wine but I don't want to even hear about it.
Also - for me, putting aside the religious/cultural points, drinking stressed me out. I got overly concerned about its long-term effects to my equilibrium and memory, and it's also a stressor due to how it sucks up money. And I'm getting older and have never been really financially stable, so I just started to feel like a loser. The value of giving it up is more mentally, psychologically beneficial.
To be totally honest, when I'm really low and depressed I want to drink still. And it's still a struggle not to get some beer. I miss beer. I even miss the beer thread on Slap. But its arbitrary nature is easier to remember than before.
I spent 4 + years in canada where i was drinking quite alot every weekend, ever since i got back to Australia ive chilled on it a bit, its nice to recharge a bit, wake up fresh without hangovers on weekend
I stopped drinking ~5 years back. It had turned into a huge, routine waste of money, made me fucking fat, feel like shit after and I could be a real asshole some nights.
There was no exact date or anything, don’t consider it an xStraightEdgex battle for sobriety, but I don’t miss it. Sometimes you’re happier being 50lbs lighter, skating more and not blowing cash on a headache.
100% ruling out all substances is nearly a cheap way out IMO, the real test is smoking/drinking/using/etc. responsibly
Expand Quote100% ruling out all substances is nearly a cheap way out IMO, the real test is smoking/drinking/using/etc. responsibly[close]
Yepp, because we all know tons of ex heroin addicts that now are only shooting up on Fridays...
One of those "Sounds good. Does not work" kind of things.
Expand QuoteExpand Quote100% ruling out all substances is nearly a cheap way out IMO, the real test is smoking/drinking/using/etc. responsibly[close]
Yepp, because we all know tons of ex heroin addicts that now are only shooting up on Fridays...
One of those "Sounds good. Does not work" kind of things.[close]
I only drink and do drugs on days that end in the letter "y".
DECIDED TODAY TO STOP DRINKING FOR A FEW MONTHS. DONT DRINK HEAVILY OR TOO OFTEN BUT DO SOCIALLY AND DONT WANT A CRUTCH ANYMORE.
ANYONE ELSE SOBER UP AND CAN SHARE THE GOOD AND BAD FROM WHAT THEYVE EXPERIENCED?
I agree with a lot of what's being said here. I got into a rabbit hole of craft beer a few years ago, like beer you can only buy directly from the brewery, typically sells out the same day, super expensive (a bit supreme like now that I think about it). I put on a ton of weight cause I was drinking them like normal beers 3-5 pints a night (doesn't sound like much but most of them are like 8-11% ABV) plus they have a much higher calorie level than normal beers. I was waking up hungover as fuck, bloated and fat. Wasn't skating much cause I felt like shit all day, then rinse and repeat.
Woke up one day and my pants didn't fit, it was then I decided to change. I started running and going to the gym, drinking way less. Went from 30-40 of these pints a week to maybe 5-6. I lost 50 lbs, I get out skating at least twice a week for a few hours, which is about all I can spare with 3 kids and a wife at home, pretty much traded the time I was going to breweries and picking up cans of beer for skating. Now I'll drink one with dinner or after the kids are in bed while I'm watching something on TV. I don't buy nearly as much beer as I used to, I used to go to almost every weekly release at 2-3 breweries near me. Now I'll hit like one brewery a month if it's something that sounds good or something I've had before and enjoy.
So not entirely sober but definitely turned around from where I was headed. Feel much better now and happy I actually get out and skate
Expand QuoteI agree with a lot of what's being said here. I got into a rabbit hole of craft beer a few years ago, like beer you can only buy directly from the brewery, typically sells out the same day, super expensive (a bit supreme like now that I think about it). I put on a ton of weight cause I was drinking them like normal beers 3-5 pints a night (doesn't sound like much but most of them are like 8-11% ABV) plus they have a much higher calorie level than normal beers. I was waking up hungover as fuck, bloated and fat. Wasn't skating much cause I felt like shit all day, then rinse and repeat.
Woke up one day and my pants didn't fit, it was then I decided to change. I started running and going to the gym, drinking way less. Went from 30-40 of these pints a week to maybe 5-6. I lost 50 lbs, I get out skating at least twice a week for a few hours, which is about all I can spare with 3 kids and a wife at home, pretty much traded the time I was going to breweries and picking up cans of beer for skating. Now I'll drink one with dinner or after the kids are in bed while I'm watching something on TV. I don't buy nearly as much beer as I used to, I used to go to almost every weekly release at 2-3 breweries near me. Now I'll hit like one brewery a month if it's something that sounds good or something I've had before and enjoy.
So not entirely sober but definitely turned around from where I was headed. Feel much better now and happy I actually get out and skate[close]
I think you've nailed it, without going to the extreme of all out sober you've still made positive changes which basically provides the same results without feeling limited by rules
My thoughts are with all of you. I hope you find peace and good fortune. I lost my brother this summer to an overdose. He left behind a 2 yr daughter, his girlfriend and the rest of his family. It’s so fucking brutal. Our lives are forever affected. I back all of your efforts to find a way out. Be good. Get some.
Expand QuoteI spent 4 + years in canada where i was drinking quite alot every weekend, ever since i got back to Australia ive chilled on it a bit, its nice to recharge a bit, wake up fresh without hangovers on weekend[close]
That's crazy! 4 years in Canada and you only drank on weekends, good for you!
Its completely normal in Canada to drink every day, and not small amounts either.
If you drink 24 cans of beer a day that's considered pretty normal.
Anyhow, I quit drinking about 2-3 years ago. I'm happy I did for many reasons. As you get older it's just not worth it.
I've had a beer now and again but I cant even finish one without thinking it's not that good anymore and I just dont finish it.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI spent 4 + years in canada where i was drinking quite alot every weekend, ever since i got back to Australia ive chilled on it a bit, its nice to recharge a bit, wake up fresh without hangovers on weekend[close]
That's crazy! 4 years in Canada and you only drank on weekends, good for you!
Its completely normal in Canada to drink every day, and not small amounts either.
If you drink 24 cans of beer a day that's considered pretty normal.
Anyhow, I quit drinking about 2-3 years ago. I'm happy I did for many reasons. As you get older it's just not worth it.
I've had a beer now and again but I cant even finish one without thinking it's not that good anymore and I just dont finish it.[close]
Hahah id drink the occasional weekday as a good little tourist does but yeah pretty common in Australia for people to drink every day....My buddys uncle in vancouver use to crush cases of kokanee on a daily basis
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI agree with a lot of what's being said here. I got into a rabbit hole of craft beer a few years ago, like beer you can only buy directly from the brewery, typically sells out the same day, super expensive (a bit supreme like now that I think about it). I put on a ton of weight cause I was drinking them like normal beers 3-5 pints a night (doesn't sound like much but most of them are like 8-11% ABV) plus they have a much higher calorie level than normal beers. I was waking up hungover as fuck, bloated and fat. Wasn't skating much cause I felt like shit all day, then rinse and repeat.
Woke up one day and my pants didn't fit, it was then I decided to change. I started running and going to the gym, drinking way less. Went from 30-40 of these pints a week to maybe 5-6. I lost 50 lbs, I get out skating at least twice a week for a few hours, which is about all I can spare with 3 kids and a wife at home, pretty much traded the time I was going to breweries and picking up cans of beer for skating. Now I'll drink one with dinner or after the kids are in bed while I'm watching something on TV. I don't buy nearly as much beer as I used to, I used to go to almost every weekly release at 2-3 breweries near me. Now I'll hit like one brewery a month if it's something that sounds good or something I've had before and enjoy.
So not entirely sober but definitely turned around from where I was headed. Feel much better now and happy I actually get out and skate[close]
I think you've nailed it, without going to the extreme of all out sober you've still made positive changes which basically provides the same results without feeling limited by rules[close]
Thanks, it feels pretty good so far. It’s been a little over a year now since I’ve tapered back. Keeping this going for a while.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI agree with a lot of what's being said here. I got into a rabbit hole of craft beer a few years ago, like beer you can only buy directly from the brewery, typically sells out the same day, super expensive (a bit supreme like now that I think about it). I put on a ton of weight cause I was drinking them like normal beers 3-5 pints a night (doesn't sound like much but most of them are like 8-11% ABV) plus they have a much higher calorie level than normal beers. I was waking up hungover as fuck, bloated and fat. Wasn't skating much cause I felt like shit all day, then rinse and repeat.
Woke up one day and my pants didn't fit, it was then I decided to change. I started running and going to the gym, drinking way less. Went from 30-40 of these pints a week to maybe 5-6. I lost 50 lbs, I get out skating at least twice a week for a few hours, which is about all I can spare with 3 kids and a wife at home, pretty much traded the time I was going to breweries and picking up cans of beer for skating. Now I'll drink one with dinner or after the kids are in bed while I'm watching something on TV. I don't buy nearly as much beer as I used to, I used to go to almost every weekly release at 2-3 breweries near me. Now I'll hit like one brewery a month if it's something that sounds good or something I've had before and enjoy.
So not entirely sober but definitely turned around from where I was headed. Feel much better now and happy I actually get out and skate[close]
I think you've nailed it, without going to the extreme of all out sober you've still made positive changes which basically provides the same results without feeling limited by rules[close]
Thanks, it feels pretty good so far. It’s been a little over a year now since I’ve tapered back. Keeping this going for a while.[close]
arrbee This is the same kind of approach I’m looking at taking. I’ve got 3 kids too. I didn’t drink the last two days and I’ve been having more energy and then not finishing the day drinking I instead skating or hitting the pool. Planning to have a few drinks Friday and Saturday and then get back on it.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI agree with a lot of what's being said here. I got into a rabbit hole of craft beer a few years ago, like beer you can only buy directly from the brewery, typically sells out the same day, super expensive (a bit supreme like now that I think about it). I put on a ton of weight cause I was drinking them like normal beers 3-5 pints a night (doesn't sound like much but most of them are like 8-11% ABV) plus they have a much higher calorie level than normal beers. I was waking up hungover as fuck, bloated and fat. Wasn't skating much cause I felt like shit all day, then rinse and repeat.
Woke up one day and my pants didn't fit, it was then I decided to change. I started running and going to the gym, drinking way less. Went from 30-40 of these pints a week to maybe 5-6. I lost 50 lbs, I get out skating at least twice a week for a few hours, which is about all I can spare with 3 kids and a wife at home, pretty much traded the time I was going to breweries and picking up cans of beer for skating. Now I'll drink one with dinner or after the kids are in bed while I'm watching something on TV. I don't buy nearly as much beer as I used to, I used to go to almost every weekly release at 2-3 breweries near me. Now I'll hit like one brewery a month if it's something that sounds good or something I've had before and enjoy.
So not entirely sober but definitely turned around from where I was headed. Feel much better now and happy I actually get out and skate[close]
I think you've nailed it, without going to the extreme of all out sober you've still made positive changes which basically provides the same results without feeling limited by rules[close]
Thanks, it feels pretty good so far. It’s been a little over a year now since I’ve tapered back. Keeping this going for a while.[close]
arrbee This is the same kind of approach I’m looking at taking. I’ve got 3 kids too. I didn’t drink the last two days and I’ve been having more energy and then not finishing the day drinking I instead skating or hitting the pool. Planning to have a few drinks Friday and Saturday and then get back on it.[close]
That's great! In the last 7 days I think I have consumed 5 beers. 2 Were at dinner last Friday, 1 Saturday, 2 Sunday afternoon. Then Monday I poured one with dinner and only took a few drinks of it then forgot about while cleaning up dinner getting the kids up in their rooms and settled.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI agree with a lot of what's being said here. I got into a rabbit hole of craft beer a few years ago, like beer you can only buy directly from the brewery, typically sells out the same day, super expensive (a bit supreme like now that I think about it). I put on a ton of weight cause I was drinking them like normal beers 3-5 pints a night (doesn't sound like much but most of them are like 8-11% ABV) plus they have a much higher calorie level than normal beers. I was waking up hungover as fuck, bloated and fat. Wasn't skating much cause I felt like shit all day, then rinse and repeat.
Woke up one day and my pants didn't fit, it was then I decided to change. I started running and going to the gym, drinking way less. Went from 30-40 of these pints a week to maybe 5-6. I lost 50 lbs, I get out skating at least twice a week for a few hours, which is about all I can spare with 3 kids and a wife at home, pretty much traded the time I was going to breweries and picking up cans of beer for skating. Now I'll drink one with dinner or after the kids are in bed while I'm watching something on TV. I don't buy nearly as much beer as I used to, I used to go to almost every weekly release at 2-3 breweries near me. Now I'll hit like one brewery a month if it's something that sounds good or something I've had before and enjoy.
So not entirely sober but definitely turned around from where I was headed. Feel much better now and happy I actually get out and skate[close]
I think you've nailed it, without going to the extreme of all out sober you've still made positive changes which basically provides the same results without feeling limited by rules[close]
Thanks, it feels pretty good so far. It’s been a little over a year now since I’ve tapered back. Keeping this going for a while.[close]
arrbee This is the same kind of approach I’m looking at taking. I’ve got 3 kids too. I didn’t drink the last two days and I’ve been having more energy and then not finishing the day drinking I instead skating or hitting the pool. Planning to have a few drinks Friday and Saturday and then get back on it.[close]
That's great! In the last 7 days I think I have consumed 5 beers. 2 Were at dinner last Friday, 1 Saturday, 2 Sunday afternoon. Then Monday I poured one with dinner and only took a few drinks of it then forgot about while cleaning up dinner getting the kids up in their rooms and settled.[close]
that's cool man. different people work differently with this stuff. like when it comes to dieting, some people have to go all in and do these crazy extreme diets and exercise routines. but i'm looking at that and thinking is that sustainable and more desirable then something more balanced. just get some exercise each day and if you go to a happy hour then take it easy the next day and workout harder.
my wife has starting listening to these really anti-drinking e-books/podcast that say things like
"when these people choose to ingest poison..."
for her she needs that absolute wrong to make it work. her will power is really gnarly though, way gnarlier than what i'm capable of. her dieting over the years has been really impressive.
for me it's easier to set some reasonable goals and try and balance it out.
slightly related, spent an hour on my quarter yesterday morning between calls which was great. i'm not sure how much the drinking is helping here versus the heat easing up a bit, lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-uqDKf8ZO0&feature=youtu.be
- Sidelining your sobriety for that special occassion means you’re not sober and your day count goes back to zero. Before you know it you’ll be finding special occassions everywhere.
bump when sober
Expand QuoteOP gunning for the worst poster on Slap title. He's got a lot of competition, though. I give him one week tops before his next drink.[close]
RICK I TRIED TO DM YOU FOR TIPS BUT YOU WONT TAKE MY MESSAGES
I THINK ILL BE ABLE TO HOLD STRONG ON NOT DRINKING UNTIL XMAS. IN SOME SICK TWIST IF FATE, THE ONLY TIME I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO DRINK IS WHEN IM WITH MY FAMILY. WORK PARTIES AND SOCIALIZING WITH FRIENDS I COULD CARE LESS
SOBER BUMP I DRANK GINGERALE INSTEAD OF BOURBON TONIGHT
Been on the wagon except for the weekends so far. Whatever idk if that counts.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3xJd_wJPR1/?igshid=1pupfyv98hvxr
It’s fun what you remember you can do when you’re not focusing on getting drunk every night. Painted this last night.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI spent 4 + years in canada where i was drinking quite alot every weekend, ever since i got back to Australia ive chilled on it a bit, its nice to recharge a bit, wake up fresh without hangovers on weekend[close]
That's crazy! 4 years in Canada and you only drank on weekends, good for you!
Its completely normal in Canada to drink every day, and not small amounts either.
If you drink 24 cans of beer a day that's considered pretty normal.
Anyhow, I quit drinking about 2-3 years ago. I'm happy I did for many reasons. As you get older it's just not worth it.
I've had a beer now and again but I cant even finish one without thinking it's not that good anymore and I just dont finish it.[close]
Hahah id drink the occasional weekday as a good little tourist does but yeah pretty common in Australia for people to drink every day....My buddys uncle in vancouver use to crush cases of kokanee on a daily basis[close]
Same here in Germany. Pretty common to see someone with a beer at all hours of the day - even on the morning commute at 9am.
I'm curious though, for anyone who was only ever drinking a 1-2 beers each day then quit or cut back did you notice a big difference in how you felt health/energy/focus wise? I have a friend who's taken month long breaks but he's someone who, when he drinks, doesn't stop. He says he feels a bigger difference when he takes a month long hiatus from caffeine.
I think I've posted about it before, but I'm almost two years totally sober. Last drink was in October 2017.
I mean, I never really had a full-blown problem, but I drank regularly since I was 17. I mainly stopped because I got married and my wife is religious and has never done drugs or drank. She jokes about drinking wine but I don't want to even hear about it.
Also - for me, putting aside the religious/cultural points, drinking stressed me out. I got overly concerned about its long-term effects to my equilibrium and memory, and it's also a stressor due to how it sucks up money. And I'm getting older and have never been really financially stable, so I just started to feel like a loser. The value of giving it up is more mentally, psychologically beneficial.
To be totally honest, when I'm really low and depressed I want to drink still. And it's still a struggle not to get some beer. I miss beer. I even miss the beer thread on Slap. But its arbitrary nature is easier to remember than before.
10 days in. We’ll see how this goes...
Expand Quote10 days in. We’ll see how this goes...[close]
You're almost past the hardest part. All downhill from here!
10 days in. We’ll see how this goes...
Expand Quote10 days in. We’ll see how this goes...[close]
yeah, congrats! keep it up!
i am at six months, at the moment, very happy about that
Expand QuoteExpand Quote10 days in. We’ll see how this goes...[close]
yeah, congrats! keep it up!
i am at six months, at the moment, very happy about that[close]
Damnnn! 6 months? no looking back now! Congrats.
Expand Quote10 days in. We’ll see how this goes...[close]
yeah, congrats! keep it up!
i am at six months, at the moment, very happy about that
Really cool to see all the slappers that are trying to get and stay sober. Right now I have 9.5 months. Last day I used was Jan 10. I was using heroin and coke daily. Overdosed for the first time, wrecked my car and went into treatment. Was forced with that or my girl not letting me come home. Has been worth it and I feel great. I don't do any AA/NA but more CBT therapy and meds to manage my depression. Been skating a alot, rebuilding relationships with family and friends, and just started working again. Definitely was hard the first few months but now I'm proud I made the change.
@Sleazy: way to go! any step towards moderation and awareness is a good step. good strength and props from my side.
i'm about 4 weeks in on this new moderation thing where i mostly drink on weekends and it's going really well. it's probably not for every one but here's some notes for anyone thinking about just moderating instead of completely quiting
- i don't really struggle with not having a drink mon-thurs anymore, took like 2 weeks but i actually really enjoy just relaxing at night now and find it a bit more relaxing to chill without a drink
- i've started looking forward to not drinking during the next week on the weekends. i enjoy having some drinks on weekend for sure but i find that the next day when i'm tired and have harder time getting up i start looking forward to the next week. i'm also starting to enjoy drinking a little less on the weekends. it's more like desert at this point. i like eating a desert when i'm in the mood but if i randomly just slay a huge piece of cake for no reason i'll probably not be into it, same thing with just pounding drinks for not good reason.
- officially i can drink sunday by my program but lately i've been skipping it mainly because i don't want to feel like shit monday and i'm usually feeling worn out from fri and sat festivities
- initial weight loss is gone. i went HAM one weekend where we went on a road trip to see tool and ended up bingeing on food and alcohol the whole weekend.
all in all super happy with the lifestyle change. treating drinking more like food and keeping it lean and clean during the week and splurging on the weekends makes sense for me. enjoying the easy mornings and better nights sleep.
i'm about 4 weeks in on this new moderation thing where i mostly drink on weekends and it's going really well. it's probably not for every one but here's some notes for anyone thinking about just moderating instead of completely quiting
- i don't really struggle with not having a drink mon-thurs anymore, took like 2 weeks but i actually really enjoy just relaxing at night now and find it a bit more relaxing to chill without a drink
- i've started looking forward to not drinking during the next week on the weekends. i enjoy having some drinks on weekend for sure but i find that the next day when i'm tired and have harder time getting up i start looking forward to the next week. i'm also starting to enjoy drinking a little less on the weekends. it's more like desert at this point. i like eating a desert when i'm in the mood but if i randomly just slay a huge piece of cake for no reason i'll probably not be into it, same thing with just pounding drinks for not good reason.
- officially i can drink sunday by my program but lately i've been skipping it mainly because i don't want to feel like shit monday and i'm usually feeling worn out from fri and sat festivities
- initial weight loss is gone. i went HAM one weekend where we went on a road trip to see tool and ended up bingeing on food and alcohol the whole weekend.
all in all super happy with the lifestyle change. treating drinking more like food and keeping it lean and clean during the week and splurging on the weekends makes sense for me. enjoying the easy mornings and better nights sleep.
Expand Quotei'm about 4 weeks in on this new moderation thing where i mostly drink on weekends and it's going really well. it's probably not for every one but here's some notes for anyone thinking about just moderating instead of completely quiting
- i don't really struggle with not having a drink mon-thurs anymore, took like 2 weeks but i actually really enjoy just relaxing at night now and find it a bit more relaxing to chill without a drink
- i've started looking forward to not drinking during the next week on the weekends. i enjoy having some drinks on weekend for sure but i find that the next day when i'm tired and have harder time getting up i start looking forward to the next week. i'm also starting to enjoy drinking a little less on the weekends. it's more like desert at this point. i like eating a desert when i'm in the mood but if i randomly just slay a huge piece of cake for no reason i'll probably not be into it, same thing with just pounding drinks for not good reason.
- officially i can drink sunday by my program but lately i've been skipping it mainly because i don't want to feel like shit monday and i'm usually feeling worn out from fri and sat festivities
- initial weight loss is gone. i went HAM one weekend where we went on a road trip to see tool and ended up bingeing on food and alcohol the whole weekend.
all in all super happy with the lifestyle change. treating drinking more like food and keeping it lean and clean during the week and splurging on the weekends makes sense for me. enjoying the easy mornings and better nights sleep.[close]
Wanting to be my best self the next day was a big factor in me successfully doing what you’re doing (I went from raging nightly alcoholic to strictly only weekend drinking and have been good for years).
I skate better, workout better, work and socialize better after having been sober the night before. Once I got past initial cravings this really sealed the deal.
It’s dope how re-falling in love with skateboarding helped me. I got obsessed with filming a new part and I wanted to be on point the next day to skate way more than I wanted to drink.
Disclaimer I just want to say that “cutting back” like this is probably isn’t for most people. Not that I’m special it just seems like most people with an addiction need to fully quit.
^ instead of looking forward to drinking friday night .. look even further and get excited for the saturday morning skate sesh
Expand QuoteExpand Quotei'm about 4 weeks in on this new moderation thing where i mostly drink on weekends and it's going really well. it's probably not for every one but here's some notes for anyone thinking about just moderating instead of completely quiting
- i don't really struggle with not having a drink mon-thurs anymore, took like 2 weeks but i actually really enjoy just relaxing at night now and find it a bit more relaxing to chill without a drink
- i've started looking forward to not drinking during the next week on the weekends. i enjoy having some drinks on weekend for sure but i find that the next day when i'm tired and have harder time getting up i start looking forward to the next week. i'm also starting to enjoy drinking a little less on the weekends. it's more like desert at this point. i like eating a desert when i'm in the mood but if i randomly just slay a huge piece of cake for no reason i'll probably not be into it, same thing with just pounding drinks for not good reason.
- officially i can drink sunday by my program but lately i've been skipping it mainly because i don't want to feel like shit monday and i'm usually feeling worn out from fri and sat festivities
- initial weight loss is gone. i went HAM one weekend where we went on a road trip to see tool and ended up bingeing on food and alcohol the whole weekend.
all in all super happy with the lifestyle change. treating drinking more like food and keeping it lean and clean during the week and splurging on the weekends makes sense for me. enjoying the easy mornings and better nights sleep.[close]
Wanting to be my best self the next day was a big factor in me successfully doing what you’re doing (I went from raging nightly alcoholic to strictly only weekend drinking and have been good for years).
I skate better, workout better, work and socialize better after having been sober the night before. Once I got past initial cravings this really sealed the deal.
It’s dope how re-falling in love with skateboarding helped me. I got obsessed with filming a new part and I wanted to be on point the next day to skate way more than I wanted to drink.
Disclaimer I just want to say that “cutting back” like this is probably isn’t for most people. Not that I’m special it just seems like most people with an addiction need to fully quit.[close]
seeing others talking about moderation on here really helped get me motivated. last night i was thinking about having a drink but ended up eating some cheese and pretzels. i did a gnarly workout class after a long day and was just feeling exhausted.
i'm feeling the same way about skating as you mentioned. my big challenge now is that i usually skate saturday mornings and that's my worst day now, lol. a lot of the time i'll roll up at the skate park and just never get a session going because i'm physically tired and just not feeling pumped up. need to figure that one out.
Expand Quote^ instead of looking forward to drinking friday night .. look even further and get excited for the saturday morning skate sesh[close]
... good way to finish the work week...
fortunately for me i can easily be tired. i usually start working around 6am and work till around 5:30 pm and most days i do an hour intense workout at orange theory and if the weather is nice i'll throw a session on my quarter in there too or a hike with my wife on some trails in our neighborhood.
i was thinking the same thing about trying to hit up some week night sessions. i could also do week mornings. i own my own business and work from home/anywhere so there is this really chill coffee shop on the lake near the skatepark i like in austin so might start mixing that in once some of these projects i'm working on start getting less dependent on my time.
really appreciate the feedback though.
for all the crazy shit that this place is, i currently quit smoking weed after talking about it in a thread on here like 5 years ago and now this thread is great for moderating the drinking. good stuff.
Ooooh shit, man, I got my first of many SLAP accounts in like 99 or 2001, maybe earlier with those OG boards with that shithead YMHY (who I only remember because I was a kid and he gave me endless shit), and it's be a long, long time since I'm back from lurking hard, but this topic got me.
I stopped drinking alcohol just over 4 years ago and it's been a journey and a half. Due to the nature of the work I've done, I could drink a few beers all day and, excluding my physical and mental well being, get by fine enough. Then, when we settled down for the night, ate a little food, the beers starting getting crushed. It was always cases of Lagunitas IPA, Sculpin Grapefruit, or Racer 5. From here, a few night a week anyways, it went to the bar or whatever, and another substance was usually introduced and I'd be sitting in some shithole bar until 130am, doing nothing interesting or beneficial.
Then one day, following a weekend long outdoor craft beer festival, where I did a few other drugs, and drank a bloody maria for breakfast on the last day, feeling NOTHING, I decided it was time to lay off for a month. Well, in that first month I found myself back in the drunkest place I'd ever lived/worked, I'm talking my work partner drinking a pint of gin before 7am and breaking out the fire ball after his "nap." I didn't know if I'd make it through, but i figured I'd work harder sober no matter how challenging it was to not drinking a dank IPA while working the saw or splitting wood...
Then came the night of the DMT breakthrough. Sitting around the fire, Yolla Bollies in the distance, I ripped the Deemster bowl and took a trip into hyperspace. There was no cognitive breakthrough but upon returning to ground I knew that I no longer needed/wanted alcohol in my life. Now, this isn't to say I'm not usually thirsty and don't want a brew, but I know it's no good for me, so I stay away.
It got hard when I was laid up with a neck injury, then a low back injury, leaving me unable to skate, ride a bike, work manual labor, or practice yoga, and I had a few bouts messing with some pharmies, but all told, it's been a fucking sweet experience and one of the best things I've done for myself. I learned some serious job skills, saved hella cheddar, the body is healing, and, although some of changed and been dropped, my relationships are better, stronger and more positive.
Y'all do what y'all gotta do but it's possible to get sober and find better, more interesting shit to do. The boredom is a killer for the first year, then year 2 feels over confident, after that, the sailing starts to get smoother.
Haven’t really drank to get drunk in years, but still loved a beer here and there.
Well, this year here and there has been everywhere and I’ve noticed it’s gotten pretty hard going through the day without atleast 1 beer.
Currently 8 days fully sober, feeling restless.
We’ll see how this goes.
i really would like to switch over to completely healthy lifestyle but have no clue where to start.Fuckin right. I quit cigerettes and opiates but could never quit weed. And now im starting to think i dont need to. It does affect my thinking tho. The times ive quit made me realize that.
have really cut back on my weed and booze consumption but would like to eliminate it entirely. have to find a way to change up my routine + these new pens are just so god damned convenient :s the weed is going to be the hardest thing to quit for me
Peroni on tap is godlike!!!
started smoking weed again and thinking about drinking againDon’t give in . Think about how good you feel without it .
i flushed the last nug i had down the toilet last night
i love weed but ive just done it for so long i wanna break. lets see how long it lasts.
i plan to def blaze when i go back home which is jan 18th
but i wanna have at least 2-3 weeks off the green from now.
any tips?
Took 2 oxy last night. :/this ain't the 'things you are stoked on' thread.
Weed is a plant not a drug
(https://media.giphy.com/media/dZBa6EQnbnsHe/giphy.gif)
Expand QuoteWeed is a plant not a drug
(https://media.giphy.com/media/dZBa6EQnbnsHe/giphy.gif)[close]
Heroin is semi-organic, what is your point?
Weed is a plant not a drug
(https://media.giphy.com/media/dZBa6EQnbnsHe/giphy.gif)
Expand QuoteWeed is a plant not a drug
(https://media.giphy.com/media/dZBa6EQnbnsHe/giphy.gif)[close]
weed is a plant and a drug and nowadays medical strains have close to zero in common with naturally grown wild plants.
i love growing weed and if you (occasionally) smoke it you might seem more sympathetic to me than if you wouldn't.
you just chose the wrong thread for arguments of a teenager caught red-eyed by his mom.
/thread
strength to all sober pals (en)during all that holiday binge culture.
i really dread being around drunk people that much even though it just affirms my desire to not be one of them.
will probably get hammered by accident
I have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.
Expand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?
I can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.
I can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close]
Stoned all the time on weed. I don't really drink cause it makes me listless. Havent been drunk in more than a year and that was prolly only 5 beers anyway. I broke my rib skating flatground after leaving the pub that nite. That irish stout fucks me up. If Im travelling I might get into some party drugs. I always do acid or mushrooms every 6 months or so but sometimes I ramp that up a bit. If im surfing alot I'll start with more of the acid.Expand QuoteI can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close][close]
All good but, I gotta ask... are you drunk right now?
what if locals karate chop your board and send you into a bad trip? i've seen some brutal fights over who's wave it is.Stoned all the time on weed. I don't really drink cause it makes me listless. Havent been drunk in more than a year and that was prolly only 5 beers anyway. I broke my rib skating flatground after leaving the pub that nite. That irish stout fucks me up. If Im travelling I might get into some party drugs. I always do acid or mushrooms every 6 months or so but sometimes I ramp that up a bit. If im surfing alot I'll start with more of the acid.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close][close]
All good but, I gotta ask... are you drunk right now?[close]
People hate me for sure. The weird thing with the acid is i find shiddy aggressive line ups actually add to the fun (because ultimately navigating a line up is metal jit jit su). Ive gotten so stoked ive forgotten i took the acid.what if locals karate chop your board and send you into a bad trip? i've seen some brutal fights over who's wave it is.Expand QuoteStoned all the time on weed. I don't really drink cause it makes me listless. Havent been drunk in more than a year and that was prolly only 5 beers anyway. I broke my rib skating flatground after leaving the pub that nite. That irish stout fucks me up. If Im travelling I might get into some party drugs. I always do acid or mushrooms every 6 months or so but sometimes I ramp that up a bit. If im surfing alot I'll start with more of the acid.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close][close]
All good but, I gotta ask... are you drunk right now?[close][close]
People hate me for sure. The weird thing with the acid is i find shiddy aggressive line ups actually add to the fun (because ultimately navigating a line up is metal jit jit su). Ive gotten so stoked ive forgotten i took the acid.Expand Quotewhat if locals karate chop your board and send you into a bad trip? i've seen some brutal fights over who's wave it is.Expand QuoteStoned all the time on weed. I don't really drink cause it makes me listless. Havent been drunk in more than a year and that was prolly only 5 beers anyway. I broke my rib skating flatground after leaving the pub that nite. That irish stout fucks me up. If Im travelling I might get into some party drugs. I always do acid or mushrooms every 6 months or so but sometimes I ramp that up a bit. If im surfing alot I'll start with more of the acid.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close][close]
All good but, I gotta ask... are you drunk right now?[close][close][close]
Lol i think the last time i was in the water i was on acid. I rode a wave that was worth remembering and jumped off my board and the offshores were so strong the board flipped and the striger came in violent contact with the top of my head. ALL of my teeth hurt from the blow. There was one other dude out and he said, "ive never in my life seen anyone hit in the head with anything that hard in my life"
Expand QuotePeople hate me for sure. The weird thing with the acid is i find shiddy aggressive line ups actually add to the fun (because ultimately navigating a line up is metal jit jit su). Ive gotten so stoked ive forgotten i took the acid.Expand Quotewhat if locals karate chop your board and send you into a bad trip? i've seen some brutal fights over who's wave it is.Expand QuoteStoned all the time on weed. I don't really drink cause it makes me listless. Havent been drunk in more than a year and that was prolly only 5 beers anyway. I broke my rib skating flatground after leaving the pub that nite. That irish stout fucks me up. If Im travelling I might get into some party drugs. I always do acid or mushrooms every 6 months or so but sometimes I ramp that up a bit. If im surfing alot I'll start with more of the acid.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close][close]
All good but, I gotta ask... are you drunk right now?[close][close][close]
Lol i think the last time i was in the water i was on acid. I rode a wave that was worth remembering and jumped off my board and the offshores were so strong the board flipped and the striger came in violent contact with the top of my head. ALL of my teeth hurt from the blow. There was one other dude out and he said, "ive never in my life seen anyone hit in the head with anything that hard in my life"[close]
That's some Suciu level wordsmithing
Wow ur an insincere cunt! I was jus trying to help, ur life wasnt sounding to fun. Need to be drunk to stand ur wifes friends.Expand QuoteExpand QuotePeople hate me for sure. The weird thing with the acid is i find shiddy aggressive line ups actually add to the fun (because ultimately navigating a line up is metal jit jit su). Ive gotten so stoked ive forgotten i took the acid.Expand Quotewhat if locals karate chop your board and send you into a bad trip? i've seen some brutal fights over who's wave it is.Expand QuoteStoned all the time on weed. I don't really drink cause it makes me listless. Havent been drunk in more than a year and that was prolly only 5 beers anyway. I broke my rib skating flatground after leaving the pub that nite. That irish stout fucks me up. If Im travelling I might get into some party drugs. I always do acid or mushrooms every 6 months or so but sometimes I ramp that up a bit. If im surfing alot I'll start with more of the acid.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close][close]
All good but, I gotta ask... are you drunk right now?[close][close][close]
Lol i think the last time i was in the water i was on acid. I rode a wave that was worth remembering and jumped off my board and the offshores were so strong the board flipped and the striger came in violent contact with the top of my head. ALL of my teeth hurt from the blow. There was one other dude out and he said, "ive never in my life seen anyone hit in the head with anything that hard in my life"[close]
That's some Suciu level wordsmithing[close]
Did you eat a lot of paint chips as a kid?
Wow ur an insincere cunt! I was jus trying to help, ur life wasnt sounding to fun. Need to be drunk to stand ur wifes friends.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuotePeople hate me for sure. The weird thing with the acid is i find shiddy aggressive line ups actually add to the fun (because ultimately navigating a line up is metal jit jit su). Ive gotten so stoked ive forgotten i took the acid.Expand Quotewhat if locals karate chop your board and send you into a bad trip? i've seen some brutal fights over who's wave it is.Expand QuoteStoned all the time on weed. I don't really drink cause it makes me listless. Havent been drunk in more than a year and that was prolly only 5 beers anyway. I broke my rib skating flatground after leaving the pub that nite. That irish stout fucks me up. If Im travelling I might get into some party drugs. I always do acid or mushrooms every 6 months or so but sometimes I ramp that up a bit. If im surfing alot I'll start with more of the acid.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close][close]
All good but, I gotta ask... are you drunk right now?[close][close][close]
Lol i think the last time i was in the water i was on acid. I rode a wave that was worth remembering and jumped off my board and the offshores were so strong the board flipped and the striger came in violent contact with the top of my head. ALL of my teeth hurt from the blow. There was one other dude out and he said, "ive never in my life seen anyone hit in the head with anything that hard in my life"[close]
That's some Suciu level wordsmithing[close]
Did you eat a lot of paint chips as a kid?[close]
Expand QuoteExpand QuotePeople hate me for sure. The weird thing with the acid is i find shiddy aggressive line ups actually add to the fun (because ultimately navigating a line up is metal jit jit su). Ive gotten so stoked ive forgotten i took the acid.Expand Quotewhat if locals karate chop your board and send you into a bad trip? i've seen some brutal fights over who's wave it is.Expand QuoteStoned all the time on weed. I don't really drink cause it makes me listless. Havent been drunk in more than a year and that was prolly only 5 beers anyway. I broke my rib skating flatground after leaving the pub that nite. That irish stout fucks me up. If Im travelling I might get into some party drugs. I always do acid or mushrooms every 6 months or so but sometimes I ramp that up a bit. If im surfing alot I'll start with more of the acid.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close][close]
All good but, I gotta ask... are you drunk right now?[close][close][close]
Lol i think the last time i was in the water i was on acid. I rode a wave that was worth remembering and jumped off my board and the offshores were so strong the board flipped and the striger came in violent contact with the top of my head. ALL of my teeth hurt from the blow. There was one other dude out and he said, "ive never in my life seen anyone hit in the head with anything that hard in my life"[close]
That's some Suciu level wordsmithing[close]
Did you eat a lot of paint chips as a kid?
Expand QuoteWow ur an insincere cunt! I was jus trying to help, ur life wasnt sounding to fun. Need to be drunk to stand ur wifes friends.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuotePeople hate me for sure. The weird thing with the acid is i find shiddy aggressive line ups actually add to the fun (because ultimately navigating a line up is metal jit jit su). Ive gotten so stoked ive forgotten i took the acid.Expand Quotewhat if locals karate chop your board and send you into a bad trip? i've seen some brutal fights over who's wave it is.Expand QuoteStoned all the time on weed. I don't really drink cause it makes me listless. Havent been drunk in more than a year and that was prolly only 5 beers anyway. I broke my rib skating flatground after leaving the pub that nite. That irish stout fucks me up. If Im travelling I might get into some party drugs. I always do acid or mushrooms every 6 months or so but sometimes I ramp that up a bit. If im surfing alot I'll start with more of the acid.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI can feel u with pot increaing the anxitey but oral might be different for u? Alot people get put off cause of the effects of smoking or vaping or accidently od-ing with the edibles. Expeimenting with low dose edibles might provide different results. My brother thought pot gave him anixity but found a new window later in life where it helps him sleep now and chill when off work. Appologize here if im telling u stuff u already know btw.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have come to the conclusion that I am a social drinker. Struggled with social anxiety as long as I can remember (now 31) and use booze to combat awkward family and social situations. Ive noticed that I'll drink heavily but feel fine. However, as soon as the social event ends and I'm able to relax, it all hits me.
Wife and I are going to grab dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, will probably get hammered by accident. Hoping I stay strong.[close]
Just saying maybe try experimenting with cannabis edibles. I get pretty loose at work with the edibles, there is some yawn-y side effects but its good to mix it up and not turn into a drunk. Uh there's micro dosing extasy too ya know. Or get a gram of blow, be selfish with it and don't drink at all. Then get drunk some other time, all's Im saying is there's a world of substances out there and getting imaginative will help keep you out of dependancy. Why not ?[close]
I live in California and grew up using copious amounts of cannabis but, unfortunately, any strain or amount gives me ridiculously high anxiety. Thought about micro-dosing LSD but wife would be pissed if she found a sheet of acid in the house.
I rarely do a "New Years Resolution" as I find associating a specific date to change a bit odd... but have a couple coming for next year. #1 is to get back in shape, #2 is to stop drinking for the sake of killing anxiety.[close][close]
All good but, I gotta ask... are you drunk right now?[close][close][close]
Lol i think the last time i was in the water i was on acid. I rode a wave that was worth remembering and jumped off my board and the offshores were so strong the board flipped and the striger came in violent contact with the top of my head. ALL of my teeth hurt from the blow. There was one other dude out and he said, "ive never in my life seen anyone hit in the head with anything that hard in my life"[close]
That's some Suciu level wordsmithing[close]
Did you eat a lot of paint chips as a kid?[close][close]
They're both our friends. Update- went to dinner last night and I consumed 2.5 doubles of whisky. Accidentally yelled "Boomer" in a restaurant full of boomers. Wife told our Lebanese friend she'd never visit the middle east, that spiced up the evening. Altogether a great time!
This conversation makes me want to drink.
Its completely normal in Canada to drink every day, and not small amounts either.
If you drink 24 cans of beer a day that's considered pretty normal.
QuoteExpand QuoteIts completely normal in Canada to drink every day, and not small amounts either.
If you drink 24 cans of beer a day that's considered pretty normal.[close]
I can back that up... I also have been trying to quit drinking though.. it was mostly cause of problems with my ex and stuff like that. got into some messy situations drinking heavy and doing drugs.. fights, getting stranded, spending a check in one night. just gotta chill when i do drink and not go overboard. me and my friends dont know when to stop.. many sleepless nights filled with shenanigans and lots of blow.. ahhaha fuck. I find if you just try to control yourself you can get by with it.. just cant binge and shit like that constantly
Expand QuoteQuoteExpand QuoteIts completely normal in Canada to drink every day, and not small amounts either.
If you drink 24 cans of beer a day that's considered pretty normal.[close]
I can back that up... I also have been trying to quit drinking though.. it was mostly cause of problems with my ex and stuff like that. got into some messy situations drinking heavy and doing drugs.. fights, getting stranded, spending a check in one night. just gotta chill when i do drink and not go overboard. me and my friends dont know when to stop.. many sleepless nights filled with shenanigans and lots of blow.. ahhaha fuck. I find if you just try to control yourself you can get by with it.. just cant binge and shit like that constantly[close]
24 cans of beer in a day? That’s fucking metal.
I live in Southern California but am in Sweden once a month or so. Sweden in winter, along with their government sanctioned liquor stores, would make me want to do drugs. 3 hours of light is not meant to be lived in.
6 months sober today after reading about the This Naked Mind book on this forum. It worked - the author goes a bit preachy but it did what I need it to. Thanks Slap!
Expand Quote6 months sober today after reading about the This Naked Mind book on this forum. It worked - the author goes a bit preachy but it did what I need it to. Thanks Slap![close]
nice!
Got the news that one of AA dudes commited suicide. Very few are still sober.
Stay safe.
Expand QuoteGot the news that one of AA dudes commited suicide. Very few are still sober.
Stay safe.[close]
Sorry to hear that.
Despite my social drinking, I had a few years of heavy benzo addiction and abuse that tore my life apart. After going to rehab, those were (at the time) some of the closest bonds I ever made with another man. Every week after leaving, a new text would come through about someone we were in treatment with either OD'ing or committing suicide. Recovery is a beast that is hard to tame.
I have been through a ton of horrible medical problems lately. I just got cut off from oxycodone today because i took to much and ran out early. I have a colostomy bag and have to use crutches to leave the house. I have a vascular necrosis in my hip, dead bone I need a hip replacement and my intestines ruptured spilling shit into my body that required emergency surgery. I have been on Oxycodone for 5 months and my dr. Is out of town and the covering doc decided to cut me off from oxy. So I’m gonna go through intense withdrawals while 7 family members converge on my house for Christmas. I thought about just killing myself on Christmas Day but I think I’m going to try to ride it out. Here comes the pain. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, 4th of July greetings. It really sucks how dependent you become on a drug like oxy.
Fuck I need to stop taking oxy too and I don't have any of the problems you have woodsman. Never mentioned it on here yet because I'm ashamed I guess. Feel like an asshole. Been on it past month or so. Not too long, but need to stop. I need to figure this shit out. God damn. Good luck bro, you can do it. What doesn't kill you, right?
I have been through a ton of horrible medical problems lately. I just got cut off from oxycodone today because i took to much and ran out early. I have a colostomy bag and have to use crutches to leave the house. I have a vascular necrosis in my hip, dead bone I need a hip replacement and my intestines ruptured spilling shit into my body that required emergency surgery. I have been on Oxycodone for 5 months and my dr. Is out of town and the covering doc decided to cut me off from oxy. So I’m gonna go through intense withdrawals while 7 family members converge on my house for Christmas. I thought about just killing myself on Christmas Day but I think I’m going to try to ride it out. Here comes the pain. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, 4th of July greetings. It really sucks how dependent you become on a drug like oxy.You could drag all ur shit downtown and score ur oxys lol but maybe that visiting doc is a blessing. Nex time ur doc gives u some you could just sell it. I dont know wtf happened to u man but heres to u comming back hard! Good luck.
Expand QuoteFuck I need to stop taking oxy too and I don't have any of the problems you have woodsman. Never mentioned it on here yet because I'm ashamed I guess. Feel like an asshole. Been on it past month or so. Not too long, but need to stop. I need to figure this shit out. God damn. Good luck bro, you can do it. What doesn't kill you, right?[close]
Struggled with benzos of and on for a hellacious two years. Withdrawal is always a mother fucker, but coming of them is easier at one month, instead of two. Just taper of and accept that it’s better to stop now than later. Don’t be ashamed, happens to a lot of us around here. You got it, brotha. Always appreciate your posts, you seem to have your head on straight.
I fucked up guys. I went and copped dope. I couldn’t go through withdrawals with my family converging on Christmas. It was my first time with that shit. My doc was out of town and the doc filling in basically told me to go fuck my self. There is something so dark and scary when you start a drug like herion. I have a unique situation with so many medical problems but I made the choice to start doing dope when I ran out of oxy because I couldn’t handle stopping abruptly. I’m not looking for any sympathy because I made a choice to go buy that shit and snort it up my nose.at least enjoy it if you're on it. beating yourself up just ruins today, it doesn't help you kick tomorrow. wean if you can, get on suboxins for maintenance if you can't do it alone. we got a few days pre-new yrs, don't trip too hard. think of where you wanna be and you can get there. also. it takes most people 7 tries to break a bad habit so don't get discouraged. like skating, try over and over and eventually you land something.
I’m in a dark place for sure.
Thanks bud. I want this to be a short bridge to something else.
I fucked up guys. I went and copped dope. I couldn’t go through withdrawals with my family converging on Christmas. It was my first time with that shit. My doc was out of town and the doc filling in basically told me to go fuck my self. There is something so dark and scary when you start a drug like herion. I have a unique situation with so many medical problems but I made the choice to start doing dope when I ran out of oxy because I couldn’t handle stopping abruptly. I’m not looking for any sympathy because I made a choice to go buy that shit and snort it up my nose.
I’m in a dark place for sure.
Anybody try using CBD as a coping vice?
My girlfriend and I are planning a sober January.
I've sketched out potential activities, dates, and morning plans so I feel obligated to attend/skate/yoga with enough rest.
I fucked up guys. I went and copped dope. I couldn’t go through withdrawals with my family converging on Christmas. It was my first time with that shit. My doc was out of town and the doc filling in basically told me to go fuck my self. There is something so dark and scary when you start a drug like herion. I have a unique situation with so many medical problems but I made the choice to start doing dope when I ran out of oxy because I couldn’t handle stopping abruptly. I’m not looking for any sympathy because I made a choice to go buy that shit and snort it up my nose.
I’m in a dark place for sure.
Also not really super into drugs/alcohol but whenever I do partake, I go all out. Last time I got super fucked up and had some blood in my pee. Went to the doctor and they said my tests were good but not to drink like that and gave me some medicine. Also trying to stop and being scared of it helps with that but it's hella hard to socialize without being fucked up. Someone recommended filling a beer can with water and carrying that around so that people don't offer you drinks.Watch the new Tired video. Pay attention to the dude with all the tats leaving massive sweat stains on the floor slamming constantly. Dimes to dounuts that dudes been drinking more then hes been skating the last 20 or so years and time flys. If ur enveloped in social groups u need to be drunk to withstand try going backpacking solo for some months. Be that guy. Extreme measures to get rid of these twisted dependancies.
Thanks bud. I want this to be a short bridge to something else.
Taking off drinking mon-thurs for January. Not a lot but it's progress for me.
So my idea of not drinking for my 35th year alive lasted about a month. Oh well, moving on, I'm taking january fully off, and from there I'm gonna allow myself to drink, but not at all at home. Not drinking at home in the past has served me pretty well. I usually end up having less than ten beers a week, and can still let a little loose here or there.
Good luck to you all to do positive shit in your lives in the new year!
Been clean 53 hours. I feel awful but I’m really trying to do this. The wave of emotions hit me harder than the wave of nausea. Had a few good cry’s, like shaking drooling cry’s. Opioid’s are the problem but no booze or anything as that will instantly crack my willpower. I’ll keep you posted.Keep it going. In my experience, at 53 hours, it isn't getting any worse. You're dealing with worst of it so you just have to push through. Shalom Mind Power
Been clean 53 hours. I feel awful but I’m really trying to do this. The wave of emotions hit me harder than the wave of nausea. Had a few good cry’s, like shaking drooling cry’s. Opioid’s are the problem but no booze or anything as that will instantly crack my willpower. I’ll keep you posted.Wow dude. Right on just gets gradually easier after another 3 nights of hell. Pretty cray. Id get some fuckin weed but thats just me, whatever works. Pretty cool man.
Been clean 53 hours. I feel awful but I’m really trying to do this. The wave of emotions hit me harder than the wave of nausea. Had a few good cry’s, like shaking drooling cry’s. Opioid’s are the problem but no booze or anything as that will instantly crack my willpower. I’ll keep you posted.
Not an addict in any way but wondering if any addicts/former addicts can comment on something I (and others) have observed:
Why do so many former drug addicts become die hard conservatives?
Not an addict in any way but wondering if any addicts/former addicts can comment on something I (and others) have observed:
Why do so many former drug addicts become die hard conservatives?
Keep it going. In my experience, at 53 hours, it isn't getting any worse. You're dealing with worst of it so you just have to push through. Shalom Mind PowerExpand QuoteBeen clean 53 hours. I feel awful but I’m really trying to do this. The wave of emotions hit me harder than the wave of nausea. Had a few good cry’s, like shaking drooling cry’s. Opioid’s are the problem but no booze or anything as that will instantly crack my willpower. I’ll keep you posted.[close]
Not an addict in any way but wondering if any addicts/former addicts can comment on something I (and others) have observed:
Why do so many former drug addicts become die hard conservatives?
I’m trying to quit weed. Right now it’s 4 joints a day but today so far I’ve yet to smoke. I don’t have an appetite anymore and sleeping is incredibly difficult without weed. I’m trying to go cold turkey but in anyone’s experience that was able to quit what did you do?
Expand QuoteI’m trying to quit weed. Right now it’s 4 joints a day but today so far I’ve yet to smoke. I don’t have an appetite anymore and sleeping is incredibly difficult without weed. I’m trying to go cold turkey but in anyone’s experience that was able to quit what did you do?[close]
Same here. If I had to face how much I spent on trees in the last year I would be really bummed. And I’m more and more starting to realize how it contributes to/causes my anxiety and paranoia. It really gets in the way of me doing what I want to do more than I’d like to admit. I’m still getting by but I know I’m not living at my full potential, mentally, socially...
it’s been a habit for a long time. When I stop I’m just like filled with dissatisfaction and the feeling of something being missing, lol.. or maybe I always feel that and weed just helps distract or forget about it for a while. I don’t really feel okay on or off it, but in different ways. But being on it is getting to expensive, and taxing to my mental.
Even just slowing down would be amazing, for my mind and wallet. definitely told myself before “I’m only gonna smoke on weekends now” or “only in the evenings” but never stick to that for any time at all. No accountability I guess.
Interesting tradjectory and success i'd say. I can't argue (about the addictiveness), weeds the only thing I haven't been able to ever quit. Edit, wait I just read the last part, no more acid?! Come on!Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI’m trying to quit weed. Right now it’s 4 joints a day but today so far I’ve yet to smoke. I don’t have an appetite anymore and sleeping is incredibly difficult without weed. I’m trying to go cold turkey but in anyone’s experience that was able to quit what did you do?[close]
Same here. If I had to face how much I spent on trees in the last year I would be really bummed. And I’m more and more starting to realize how it contributes to/causes my anxiety and paranoia. It really gets in the way of me doing what I want to do more than I’d like to admit. I’m still getting by but I know I’m not living at my full potential, mentally, socially...
it’s been a habit for a long time. When I stop I’m just like filled with dissatisfaction and the feeling of something being missing, lol.. or maybe I always feel that and weed just helps distract or forget about it for a while. I don’t really feel okay on or off it, but in different ways. But being on it is getting to expensive, and taxing to my mental.
Even just slowing down would be amazing, for my mind and wallet. definitely told myself before “I’m only gonna smoke on weekends now” or “only in the evenings” but never stick to that for any time at all. No accountability I guess.[close]
i quit about 5 years back after talking to people in a similar thread on here. dr drew what you are describing was my exact situation. i was having really bad anxiety and paranoia and honestly mild schizophrenia is the best way i can describe it. this new kind of weed just makes your mind race and looking back i think the problem was that i'd be blasted and just try and chill at home and my mind would race and not always go to pleasant places. on top of that it really limited me socially without me really knowing. i'm a pretty social guy, probably annoyingly so, but when i smoked i pretty much only wanted to chill with people who smoked. at work without even knowing who did or didn't 100% there was a filtering going on. for me this was complicated by the fact that i'm pretty hyperactive and my career was going well. so financially it wasn't a strain and having naturally high energy levels i was functioning well.
after quitting i almost immediately figured out how to start a company which was something i had been obsessing on for years. but always hitting my one hitter when pulling out the parking lot of work made it pretty limited in how i could put in the extra time to get a side hustle started and the years of effort it takes to grow that side hustle into the main hustle. i know for sure this wouldn't have happened if i was smoking. as i mentioned the social thing was a big deal. i found that after i stopped smoking for a while my personality had turned away from this introvert and back to what it was when i was younger, basically an out going friendly guy which was super helpful.
for me to do quit, frankly speaking, was mostly because of exercise, tequila and cigars. i know that sounds like trading one vice for another, which it sort of was but that's what did it for me. every minute of the day is excruciatingly boring when you are used to be blasted all the time. but if you get off work, go hit the gym (go jog, etc...) then come home and sip a tequila it makes it so that you get pretty relaxed and can still sleep and all that. then if you find yourself really wanting to feel a little faded that's when a nice cigar helps. it's the coffee to weeds cocaine. you can smoke a cigar and it'll get a you mellow fade. it's no where near the same, just like coffee to coke but for me it works fine. to this day i'll get a nice dark liquor grab a cigar and put some live show on my ipad and chill and get a little fade going and it works for me to scratch that weed itch.
now that i'm about 5 years out on that i've been working on scaling back the drinking which for me has been way, way easier than trying to regulate smoking which just didn't work. that shit is crazy additive IMHO. most addictive thing i've messed with but i never got into all the pills and powders. now i've got my drinking pretty well regulated to weekends and it wasn't that hard to do.
anyway, everyone journey is super personal but i definitely connected with the struggles you were sharing and i'd encourage you to find a way at least pause the weed for a while. for me the day by day thing worked really well. each morning after a day of not smoking i'd take the time to reflect on if it was a better day and it always was so that helped me get through another day. these days i don't even think about it. its like acid or something. sure i had a lot of fun with that shit when i was young but i'm not about to go dosing now, those days are done.
Thanks for the support Sleazy. It feels good to hear that someone can relate and has gotten past this bullshit to a healthier routine and lifestyle. I am so comfortable and so fuxking complacent in my situation, even mentally it’s like I can’t accept that I’m ever gonna stop doing it regularly. However your acid analogy really helped make it sound possible for me for a second. To become a super occasionally done thing, a fun social experience with friends to open our minds a bit every year or so, not an everyday crutch to deal with reality.
When I really reflect on how it’s holding me back, I know it will be worth it to change my relationship with it. Man I get so geeked up at home in my own house I get scared to play music loud even. So weird. Like scared everyone in my neighborhood is paying attention to me and judging me for how I live haha.. even though the blinds are closed and you can barely hear it outside.. and most people are at work.. weird paranoid shit like that, feeling alien in the super market, this is no way to live lmao
And yeah I relate on the business thing, I’ve been trying to start something for a while now and see it having real potential but I make such slow progress on it, and tree is definitely much to blame for that. I mean it could fail, but either way it’s important to finish things and find out their results regardless
Sorry for typing a lot and I know I don’t have super gnarly problems like many people in this thread. Wishing strength and health to everyone. Stay self aware and try to make the right decisions, according to your own definition of what that is for you, you probably know what it is for yourself
Third day of no weed just using it at night one small joint to go to sleep because years of sleeping stoned has made it super difficult without. I’m hoping to ween off and eventually no weed at all. But the first two days were pretty bad. I would shake at certain times of the day and I really wanted to smoke but I bought these gaba supplements from Whole Foods and they have helped a bit. I just want to enjoy life without having to rely on something to enjoy it.
If your sleep is disrupted by coming of of something, you can try to use benadryl to get through the night. I'd take as much as half a pill if I really wanted to sleep and it wasn't happening. A quarter or an eighth will do it usually though. Also, look into St John's Wort and Melatonin when you're trying to restore your sleep equilibrium.Im taking melatonin too along with the joint at night. I wish I could eat bananas but they just make me gag I've been drinking smoothies in the morning to help with my appetite. One of the more difficult things is that I’m injured. I have a knee brace after meniscus surgery so I can’t do much. The first few weeks I was just getting very stoned. Have to find something to occupy my mind. Just graduated college too so the anxiety of entering the “real world” isn’t helping me stay off weed but I’m hanging in there. Right now it’s rainy and it’s a Saturday so I want to get high so badly.
I also forgot that I used a modified version of the thomas recipe to get of oxys. Do a search on it if you're looking to go the non-rehab route but maybe skip the benzos since you're a pill head and you gotta keep that behavior in perspective. The bananas were helpful when I had zero appetite and food was coming out way faster than it was going in.
I made it through the hell of withdrawals and I’m feeling okay. Now I’m just depressed. I want to thank you Pals. It might just be a sounding board but I think you guys actually helped me get through this. In between arguing about bullshit Pals are out here helping people. It’s kind of inspiring. Thanks, and I’ll keep posting.
This is all true in my experience and its good advise and i also propose it's very possible to experience happiness in this state where your dopamine and seratonine is depleted. I looked a lil bit rough but I enjoyed that time alot (the months after I'd quit) , thats when I got into surfing.Expand QuoteI made it through the hell of withdrawals and I’m feeling okay. Now I’m just depressed. I want to thank you Pals. It might just be a sounding board but I think you guys actually helped me get through this. In between arguing about bullshit Pals are out here helping people. It’s kind of inspiring. Thanks, and I’ll keep posting.[close]
Good job, man. Make sure to do as much as you can during the days. Physical and mental activity will keep you busy. Avoid sleeping in day time, it might fuck with your routine.
As for depression... I have nothing for you, now is the time to create your own happiness, because your brain will sure as fuck not recover for a year or so. In other words: no dopamine/seratonine for you, unless you brute force that shit.
48 hours in. Gonna give this a go again. The last time I posted in this thread, I had 10 days that I turned into a little less than 60. I just posted in the mental health thread, and dope and booze played a part in my mental breakdown the other day. Props to all the positive people in this thread and all the people giving it a go.
Expand Quote48 hours in. Gonna give this a go again. The last time I posted in this thread, I had 10 days that I turned into a little less than 60. I just posted in the mental health thread, and dope and booze played a part in my mental breakdown the other day. Props to all the positive people in this thread and all the people giving it a go.[close]
Happy to see you're making an effort again. Just keep at it, win those small battles, there will be speed bumps, just keep trying Salsa you will get there. Wish I could offer you legit advice, I'm a rookie in this field. Your last run impressive , you can do it again. Didnt you feel better last time after weeks passed? Hard in the early days. Take if day by day and before you know it turn into weeks again.
32 days sober ! Probably the longest I've gone in ten years...seems weird to say I haven't drank in 2020
Expand Quote32 days sober ! Probably the longest I've gone in ten years...seems weird to say I haven't drank in 2020[close]
Congrats man! That’s awesome that you can say that about this year! Wish I could say the same about 2020. I really fucked up the other day and feel terrible about it. Not Corey or Ali level F’ed up, but I feel so fucking guilty. Reached out 3 times and my friend has ghosted me. Damn I feel shitty about it. Oddly enough I almost feel worse about this than ruining my 3 year relationship with my ex girl. Although that shit haunts me and I think about her every day. Moral of the story is, if you’re reading this and think your drinking is ruing some of your personal relationships, please stop or get some help before it’s too late.
Anyway, sorry to rant. Not trying to steal your shine. That’s rad you haven’t had a drink this year!
Expand QuoteExpand Quote32 days sober ! Probably the longest I've gone in ten years...seems weird to say I haven't drank in 2020[close]
Congrats man! That’s awesome that you can say that about this year! Wish I could say the same about 2020. I really fucked up the other day and feel terrible about it. Not Corey or Ali level F’ed up, but I feel so fucking guilty. Reached out 3 times and my friend has ghosted me. Damn I feel shitty about it. Oddly enough I almost feel worse about this than ruining my 3 year relationship with my ex girl. Although that shit haunts me and I think about her every day. Moral of the story is, if you’re reading this and think your drinking is ruing some of your personal relationships, please stop or get some help before it’s too late.
Anyway, sorry to rant. Not trying to steal your shine. That’s rad you haven’t had a drink this year![close]
All good dude ! It's all love in this thread haha to be fair I was just doing a sober january to get some healthy/good routines in place...kinda detox. So now that it's over I'll be drinking again but hopefully stick with the positive routines I've picked up the last month. Lost 11 lb's in the month and I'm not a big guy (6 foot, 187 pounds down to 174) by any means so no booze/increased exercise has made a difference
Last drink was on January 1st.
Originally planned a sober January post that day.
Now I'm thinking sober February too.
Been more into skating lately and collectively happier than before; fewer mood swings.
Pretty cool to see all the people trying to better their life. I just hit a year sober on Jan 11th after a couple years of doing too many drugs. Things are going well and don't have cravings too much. However I do have to stay on top of my mental health and keep a positive attitude so I don't get sucked back into that life.
For anyone kicking weed, the https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/ community has a lot of good info. I'm about 5 weeks off of it and experienced intense insomnia for close to a week, about two weeks of feeling nauseous and a total lack of appetite, as well as really vivid, disconcerting dreams (once they began occurring again).Theyre has been good weed for centuries just not everywhere. When the US gov. says that weed is 10 times stronger then in the 50s they mean shiddy mex weed that wasnt even bud and they do that to trick soccer moms dude. Think about it, hash has always been around so theres your high concentration of thc right there, so some strong weed isnt bringing any high to the table that people havent already gotten for centuries. Dont believe or propigate the anti drug hype jus cause ur going sober. It is a cancer.
I'm starting to become convinced that the weed that's being cultivated now is stronger and more addictive than the plant is naturally supposed to be. I do miss all the high insights I got, as well as how fun it was to watch the sour videos, but the late nights, munchies and intense brain fog the next day really started to drag me down. Not to mention the total lack of motivation to do basic chores that crept in. I miss it occasionally, but ultimately the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Best of luck to everyone in their sobriety, and keep at it. The clarity in your thinking alone will be more than worth it.
Theyre has been good weed for centuries just not everywhere. When the US gov. says that weed is 10 times stronger then in the 50s they mean shiddy mex weed that wasnt even bud and they do that to trick soccer moms dude. Think about it, hash has always been around so theres your high concentration of thc right there, so some strong weed isnt bringing any high to the table that people havent already gotten for centuries. Dont believe or propigate the anti drug hype jus cause ur going sober. It is a cancer.Expand QuoteFor anyone kicking weed, the https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/ community has a lot of good info. I'm about 5 weeks off of it and experienced intense insomnia for close to a week, about two weeks of feeling nauseous and a total lack of appetite, as well as really vivid, disconcerting dreams (once they began occurring again).
I'm starting to become convinced that the weed that's being cultivated now is stronger and more addictive than the plant is naturally supposed to be. I do miss all the high insights I got, as well as how fun it was to watch the sour videos, but the late nights, munchies and intense brain fog the next day really started to drag me down. Not to mention the total lack of motivation to do basic chores that crept in. I miss it occasionally, but ultimately the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Best of luck to everyone in their sobriety, and keep at it. The clarity in your thinking alone will be more than worth it.[close]
I am thinking about giving up drinking for good. Just want my mental and physical health to get back up to 100%.Meet sober girls online?
However, I want to get back out into the dating scene and it's super hard to go around and meet girls outside of bars and parties.
Any sober bros got any helpful tips?
Meet sober girls online?Expand QuoteI am thinking about giving up drinking for good. Just want my mental and physical health to get back up to 100%.
However, I want to get back out into the dating scene and it's super hard to go around and meet girls outside of bars and parties.
Any sober bros got any helpful tips?[close]
My experience too. It makes sense that if I had to rethink how I interact socially in general I would have to rethink how I go about dating people too.Expand QuoteMeet sober girls online?Expand QuoteI am thinking about giving up drinking for good. Just want my mental and physical health to get back up to 100%.
However, I want to get back out into the dating scene and it's super hard to go around and meet girls outside of bars and parties.
Any sober bros got any helpful tips?[close][close]
I was in the same boat. Stopped drinking/doing drugs and realized it had been almost a decade since I went on a first (or second/third/20th) date sober. Tried to go to bars sober but probably looked like a creep, would go on dates with people I casually met in public but there was almost no deep connection and my only hobby was skateboarding.
Eventually, tried online dating after a couple years of sobriety. Met my wife from online dating, don't regret a thing.
What am I wrong about dickhead?, post away dude. Has hash not existed for centuries? Where are the 200 year old examples of weed from Afghanistan to fairly compare anyway. This is why u American fucks turn religious when going straight- needing to do this dramatic 180. “Multiple studies”. -Jesus Christ help us.Expand QuoteTheyre has been good weed for centuries just not everywhere. When the US gov. says that weed is 10 times stronger then in the 50s they mean shiddy mex weed that wasnt even bud and they do that to trick soccer moms dude. Think about it, hash has always been around so theres your high concentration of thc right there, so some strong weed isnt bringing any high to the table that people havent already gotten for centuries. Dont believe or propigate the anti drug hype jus cause ur going sober. It is a cancer.Expand QuoteFor anyone kicking weed, the https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/ community has a lot of good info. I'm about 5 weeks off of it and experienced intense insomnia for close to a week, about two weeks of feeling nauseous and a total lack of appetite, as well as really vivid, disconcerting dreams (once they began occurring again).
I'm starting to become convinced that the weed that's being cultivated now is stronger and more addictive than the plant is naturally supposed to be. I do miss all the high insights I got, as well as how fun it was to watch the sour videos, but the late nights, munchies and intense brain fog the next day really started to drag me down. Not to mention the total lack of motivation to do basic chores that crept in. I miss it occasionally, but ultimately the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Best of luck to everyone in their sobriety, and keep at it. The clarity in your thinking alone will be more than worth it.[close][close]
I could post links to multiple studies proving that you're wrong, but why are you in a sobriety thread telling people not to propagate anti drug hype? Take your tone policing elsewhere and fuck off.
What am I wrong about dickhead?, post away dude. Has hash not existed for centuries? Where are the 200 year old examples of weed from Afghanistan to fairly compare anyway. This is why u American fucks turn religious when going straight- needing to do this dramatic 180. “Multiple studies”. -Jesus Christ help us.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteTheyre has been good weed for centuries just not everywhere. When the US gov. says that weed is 10 times stronger then in the 50s they mean shiddy mex weed that wasnt even bud and they do that to trick soccer moms dude. Think about it, hash has always been around so theres your high concentration of thc right there, so some strong weed isnt bringing any high to the table that people havent already gotten for centuries. Dont believe or propigate the anti drug hype jus cause ur going sober. It is a cancer.Expand QuoteFor anyone kicking weed, the https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/ community has a lot of good info. I'm about 5 weeks off of it and experienced intense insomnia for close to a week, about two weeks of feeling nauseous and a total lack of appetite, as well as really vivid, disconcerting dreams (once they began occurring again).
I'm starting to become convinced that the weed that's being cultivated now is stronger and more addictive than the plant is naturally supposed to be. I do miss all the high insights I got, as well as how fun it was to watch the sour videos, but the late nights, munchies and intense brain fog the next day really started to drag me down. Not to mention the total lack of motivation to do basic chores that crept in. I miss it occasionally, but ultimately the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Best of luck to everyone in their sobriety, and keep at it. The clarity in your thinking alone will be more than worth it.[close][close]
I could post links to multiple studies proving that you're wrong, but why are you in a sobriety thread telling people not to propagate anti drug hype? Take your tone policing elsewhere and fuck off.[close]
Fuck u yes I’m jonsing for weed. Again I ask, where is the 200 year old Afghan bud sample that would make any of the bullshit claims ur making verifiable? The same bullshit claims the us war on drugs has made about weed since the 90s ? scare tactics.Expand QuoteWhat am I wrong about dickhead?, post away dude. Has hash not existed for centuries? Where are the 200 year old examples of weed from Afghanistan to fairly compare anyway. This is why u American fucks turn religious when going straight- needing to do this dramatic 180. “Multiple studies”. -Jesus Christ help us.Expand QuoteQuote from: givecigstosurfgroms link=topic=107177.msg3210280#msg3210280
date=1580800392Expand QuoteTheyre has been good weed for centuries just not everywhere. When the US gov. says that weed is 10 times stronger then in the 50s they mean shiddy mex weed that wasnt even bud and they do that to trick soccer moms dude. Think about it, hash has always been around so theres your high concentration of thc right there, so some strong weed isnt bringing any high to the table that people havent already gotten for centuries. Dont believe or propigate the anti drug hype jus cause ur going sober. It is a cancer.Expand QuoteFor anyone kicking weed, the https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/ community has a lot of good info. I'm about 5 weeks off of it and experienced intense insomnia for close to a week, about two weeks of feeling nauseous and a total lack of appetite, as well as really vivid, disconcerting dreams (once they began occurring again).
I'm starting to become convinced that the weed that's being cultivated now is stronger and more addictive than the plant is naturally supposed to be. I do miss all the high insights I got, as well as how fun it was to watch the sour videos, but the late nights, munchies and intense brain fog the next day really started to drag me down. Not to mention the total lack of motivation to do basic chores that crept in. I miss it occasionally, but ultimately the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Best of luck to everyone in their sobriety, and keep at it. The clarity in your thinking alone will be more than worth it.[close][close]
I could post links to multiple studies proving that you're wrong, but why are you in a sobriety thread telling people not to propagate anti drug hype? Take your tone policing elsewhere and fuck off.[close][close]
I wasn't talking about hash. That was a straw man argument that you introduced. Looking at your post history you seem to be a judgmental pedantic nitpicker, same as you did here. Are you angry postin cuz you're jonesin for weed or what?
Fuck u yes I’m jonsing for weed. Again I ask, where is the 200 year old Afghan bud sample that would make any of the bullshit claims ur making verifiable? The same bullshit claims the us war on drugs has made about weed since the 90s ? scare tactics.
Givecigs, why are you even in this topic?I’m off the weed cause I’m in south east Asia. Totally sobs. I guess I quit heroin cold turkey 15 years ago no relapses or dorky programs but it’s just common sense to quit that shit. Not something of much note. Edit maybe you are insinuating I’m not being helpful. Sorry if that’s the case. Stay good.
I’m off the weed cause I’m in south east Asia. Totally sobs. I guess I quit heroin cold turkey 15 years ago no relapses or dorky programs but it’s just common sense to quit that shit. Not something of much note. Edit maybe you are insinuating I’m not being helpful. Sorry if that’s the case. Stay good.Expand QuoteGivecigs, why are you even in this topic?[close]
Expand QuoteMeet sober girls online?Expand QuoteI am thinking about giving up drinking for good. Just want my mental and physical health to get back up to 100%.
However, I want to get back out into the dating scene and it's super hard to go around and meet girls outside of bars and parties.
Any sober bros got any helpful tips?[close][close]
I was in the same boat. Stopped drinking/doing drugs and realized it had been almost a decade since I went on a first (or second/third/20th) date sober. Tried to go to bars sober but probably looked like a creep, would go on dates with people I casually met in public but there was almost no deep connection and my only hobby was skateboarding.
Eventually, tried online dating after a couple years of sobriety. Met my wife from online dating, don't regret a thing.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteMeet sober girls online?Expand QuoteI am thinking about giving up drinking for good. Just want my mental and physical health to get back up to 100%.
However, I want to get back out into the dating scene and it's super hard to go around and meet girls outside of bars and parties.
Any sober bros got any helpful tips?[close][close]
I was in the same boat. Stopped drinking/doing drugs and realized it had been almost a decade since I went on a first (or second/third/20th) date sober. Tried to go to bars sober but probably looked like a creep, would go on dates with people I casually met in public but there was almost no deep connection and my only hobby was skateboarding.
Eventually, tried online dating after a couple years of sobriety. Met my wife from online dating, don't regret a thing.[close]
That's awesome to hear that. Good for you!
I hopped on Tinder but every other girl is holding a drink in their hand or talk about shotgunning a white claw. Probably because I'm in my mid 20's and live in a city where drinking is embedded in socialization.
Great thread, made me create an account and share my journey on the wagon.
My ultimate goal is being able to drink in moderation but it's still hard to see myself do that after 2-3 years of drinking 6-8 beers on week days and Jah knows how many over the weekend.
Quit drinking for over a month now and I've been starting to notice the positive differences as of the start of week 4.
If anyone out there has tried or really wants to quit but doesn't seem able to, it really gets better with time.
In my experience, it took 3 weeks of having pretty bad mood swings and feeling lazy (nothing different than when I was drinking apart from the beers not being an option to numb my negative thoughts)
As soon as my mood slowly started improving and energy levels went back up, I made myself get up an hour earlier to do some kind of exercise before work (office job - sitting down 8 hours a day 5 days/week) as I'm currently coming back from an injury which has stopped me from skating for about a month now.
Still a work in progress and I have done a month on the wagon here and there before but this is the first time where I've been wanting to keep it going as I'm blown away by how much better I feel both mentally and physically.
Can't wait to finally get back on the board with a body and mind that doesn't consist of 60% beer.
Good luck too all of you trying to make positive changes in their lives!
Expand QuoteGreat thread, made me create an account and share my journey on the wagon.
My ultimate goal is being able to drink in moderation but it's still hard to see myself do that after 2-3 years of drinking 6-8 beers on week days and Jah knows how many over the weekend.
Quit drinking for over a month now and I've been starting to notice the positive differences as of the start of week 4.
If anyone out there has tried or really wants to quit but doesn't seem able to, it really gets better with time.
In my experience, it took 3 weeks of having pretty bad mood swings and feeling lazy (nothing different than when I was drinking apart from the beers not being an option to numb my negative thoughts)
As soon as my mood slowly started improving and energy levels went back up, I made myself get up an hour earlier to do some kind of exercise before work (office job - sitting down 8 hours a day 5 days/week) as I'm currently coming back from an injury which has stopped me from skating for about a month now.
Still a work in progress and I have done a month on the wagon here and there before but this is the first time where I've been wanting to keep it going as I'm blown away by how much better I feel both mentally and physically.
Can't wait to finally get back on the board with a body and mind that doesn't consist of 60% beer.
Good luck too all of you trying to make positive changes in their lives![close]
props man and welcome to the board
new trick i've been doing lately. i keep mexican cokes in the fridge and at the end of the day when i'm tired and want to relax with a drink it makes a nice treat plus has some caffeine and sugar. been leaning on those and flavored soda water. also been hitting the kind bars at night for a tv watching treat.
Good on you man! I'm still getting used to being around the boys when everyone's drinking but me.
It defenitely helps getting a rountine going that makes you feel better - it can really be anything and doesn't need to take too much effort as long as it gives you some sense of accomplishment.
And hey, every day you add to your number of days being sober is already a huge accomplishment!
I did come here hoping to get some advice on a situation one of my dear friends is in, as maybe some of you may have been in this position yourselves.
He's completely losing his mind due to coke and alcohol and it's very upsetting to progressively see him get worse every single time we hang out. It's got to the point where you cannot hold a conversation with him. Jumps back and forth the weirdest subjects and nothing that comes out makes any sense. This guy is an intelligent and all round good person, known him for years but barely recognise him anymore when we're talking. Last time I saw him I had to come up with an excuse to remove myself from the situation because I couldn't handle it.
I've had talks with him before and know some close friends have too but he doesn't seem to see how bad it's become. What mainly scares the shit out of me it the thought that if something were to happen, I'd regret not talking sense into him.
The difficult thing is that he never seems to be in a state where I feel me bringing up that he needs to find help or do something about this is appropriate because he's always drunk or high when I see him and feel that he wouldn't take it seriously.
Of course I don't want to fall out with him as I love the dude but I feel like someone needs to have this conversation with him before it's too late.
If anyone has any advice on approaching this thing, It'd be greatly appreciated!
Expand QuoteGood on you man! I'm still getting used to being around the boys when everyone's drinking but me.
It defenitely helps getting a rountine going that makes you feel better - it can really be anything and doesn't need to take too much effort as long as it gives you some sense of accomplishment.
And hey, every day you add to your number of days being sober is already a huge accomplishment!
I did come here hoping to get some advice on a situation one of my dear friends is in, as maybe some of you may have been in this position yourselves.
He's completely losing his mind due to coke and alcohol and it's very upsetting to progressively see him get worse every single time we hang out. It's got to the point where you cannot hold a conversation with him. Jumps back and forth the weirdest subjects and nothing that comes out makes any sense. This guy is an intelligent and all round good person, known him for years but barely recognise him anymore when we're talking. Last time I saw him I had to come up with an excuse to remove myself from the situation because I couldn't handle it.
I've had talks with him before and know some close friends have too but he doesn't seem to see how bad it's become. What mainly scares the shit out of me it the thought that if something were to happen, I'd regret not talking sense into him.
The difficult thing is that he never seems to be in a state where I feel me bringing up that he needs to find help or do something about this is appropriate because he's always drunk or high when I see him and feel that he wouldn't take it seriously.
Of course I don't want to fall out with him as I love the dude but I feel like someone needs to have this conversation with him before it's too late.
If anyone has any advice on approaching this thing, It'd be greatly appreciated![close]
Unfortunately man there is nothing more you can do than offer support, offer to listen, and have a shoulder to cry on. You, and other people have said your piece to him. I'm sure he's aware that he's in a troublesome spot but as a lot of people struggling with alcohol and drug issues, are too afraid to admit it.
You can't chase people all day every day trying to get them to cool it, the want to change has to come from within them, all you can do is offer to be there as much as you can when they do have that realization.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteGreat thread, made me create an account and share my journey on the wagon.
My ultimate goal is being able to drink in moderation but it's still hard to see myself do that after 2-3 years of drinking 6-8 beers on week days and Jah knows how many over the weekend.
Quit drinking for over a month now and I've been starting to notice the positive differences as of the start of week 4.
If anyone out there has tried or really wants to quit but doesn't seem able to, it really gets better with time.
In my experience, it took 3 weeks of having pretty bad mood swings and feeling lazy (nothing different than when I was drinking apart from the beers not being an option to numb my negative thoughts)
As soon as my mood slowly started improving and energy levels went back up, I made myself get up an hour earlier to do some kind of exercise before work (office job - sitting down 8 hours a day 5 days/week) as I'm currently coming back from an injury which has stopped me from skating for about a month now.
Still a work in progress and I have done a month on the wagon here and there before but this is the first time where I've been wanting to keep it going as I'm blown away by how much better I feel both mentally and physically.
Can't wait to finally get back on the board with a body and mind that doesn't consist of 60% beer.
Good luck too all of you trying to make positive changes in their lives![close]
props man and welcome to the board
new trick i've been doing lately. i keep mexican cokes in the fridge and at the end of the day when i'm tired and want to relax with a drink it makes a nice treat plus has some caffeine and sugar. been leaning on those and flavored soda water. also been hitting the kind bars at night for a tv watching treat.[close]
These are actually pretty damn good, I was always a sucker for these ones:
(https://dr9wvh6oz7mzp.cloudfront.net/i/60f6edad3dff34c239a1ad8051340ed4_ra,w380,h380_pa,w380,h380.png)
20 days no weed today. Hoping to stay off it forever. I like it but it's always such a game changer when I quit.
Well for one thing, smoking regular weed just makes me so slow and unmotivated. For the last several months I was buying supposedly CBD weed just so that it would be much weaker and not make me feel so burned out. I can't moderate my smoking. Its all or nothing. The longest I've quit in the past like 10 years was like 6 months and I was way more responsible and functional and able to handle things. More outgoing and less anxious. So I've always wished I could just smoke occasionally but it always turns into an everyday thing. I was smoking that weak stuff, and it kind of worked, but I would still space out around my girlfriend and at work. I started going back to my psych because of my anxiety and inability to function at work and I'm honest when I talk with them. He said he would only treat me and prescribe medication if I was willing to submit to drug testing. It's actually something that a lot of psychiatrists are doing to cover their asses with new laws. I agreed because being on medication makes me much more functional and able to enjoy life and I value that more than getting high. I was already cutting back so much I thought it would be a great way to make sure that I didn't have the option to smoke because I will be held accountable and there will be consequences if I do. I've only quit for more than a month like 3 or 4 times in all these years, and the fact that I'm on a great medication combo has made me not even really think about it too much. I had really bad cravings about a week ago, but it has passed and I don't even really count the days, I just kind of think oh wow, its been 20 days.Expand Quote20 days no weed today. Hoping to stay off it forever. I like it but it's always such a game changer when I quit.[close]
Good job man!
Still off the sauce. Amost two months and it's still weird in certain situations.
Never really considered to quit weed though.
I did drastically cut down from smoking all day to now only smoking a tiny spliff in the evenings and I like it to self-reflect at the end of the day and look at things from different perspective.
Of course it impacts every individual differently but I'm interested in hearing what made you want to quit.
Well for one thing, smoking regular weed just makes me so slow and unmotivated. For the last several months I was buying supposedly CBD weed just so that it would be much weaker and not make me feel so burned out. I can't moderate my smoking. Its all or nothing. The longest I've quit in the past like 10 years was like 6 months and I was way more responsible and functional and able to handle things. More outgoing and less anxious. So I've always wished I could just smoke occasionally but it always turns into an everyday thing. I was smoking that weak stuff, and it kind of worked, but I would still space out around my girlfriend and at work. I started going back to my psych because of my anxiety and inability to function at work and I'm honest when I talk with them. He said he would only treat me and prescribe medication if I was willing to submit to drug testing. It's actually something that a lot of psychiatrists are doing to cover their asses with new laws. I agreed because being on medication makes me much more functional and able to enjoy life and I value that more than getting high. I was already cutting back so much I thought it would be a great way to make sure that I didn't have the option to smoke because I will be held accountable and there will be consequences if I do. I've only quit for more than a month like 3 or 4 times in all these years, and the fact that I'm on a great medication combo has made me not even really think about it too much. I had really bad cravings about a week ago, but it has passed and I don't even really count the days, I just kind of think oh wow, its been 20 days.Expand QuoteExpand Quote20 days no weed today. Hoping to stay off it forever. I like it but it's always such a game changer when I quit.[close]
Good job man!
Still off the sauce. Amost two months and it's still weird in certain situations.
Never really considered to quit weed though.
I did drastically cut down from smoking all day to now only smoking a tiny spliff in the evenings and I like it to self-reflect at the end of the day and look at things from different perspective.
Of course it impacts every individual differently but I'm interested in hearing what made you want to quit.[close]
I've tried to quit and stick with it for like 6 years now and I always give in. I'm a total bum when I'm smoking, and the total opposite when I don't. I wish I could control it but I know I can't. Weed is the only substance I have ever had trouble quitting oddly enough. And I never even got into like all kinds of crazy concentrates. Just like regular ass weed and edibles before CA regulated them to be a weak waste of money.
Really stoked for you guys keeping it up. I am still struggling a bit with my shit, but hope to get it together soon. Fuck opiates holy shit. Need to get my drinking in order now (weed will have to wait). Really love to read about all you pals actually having the strength to do it, regardless of what specifically it actually is your giving up, its not easy, but its not impossible. Shalom y'all!
Makes sense to me. And honestly I have been wanting to do mushrooms for a couple years now, just haven't had an opportunity. Even my girlfriend who is anti-drug has talked about wanting to do it, she did a tiny bit when she was young, but didn't feel it too crazy, she's never even smoked weed lol. Weed is the only thing I have a problem with. Even though I drank a ton when I was young, I never had trouble stopping. I've done blow for like a whole summer and never bought it for personal use or had trouble stopping, have taken pain pills and all that shit. Only weed is a problem for me, I think it is for a lot of people but there is so much bullshit pro-pot propaganda, it's just as dumb to me as ant-pot propaganda. Everything in moderation, and I think I clicked with weed because my mind races so much with anxiety that it would slow it down, but too much so. When I first drank I liked it because it made me less anxious at parties, but still, I never had a problem with it. I've gotten in trouble with drinking, but just the kind that any skate type kid could. I got a DUI at 19 because we were leaving a show and my friends were totally shit faced. I didn't drive us there but I was too scared to let them drive and got popped. A car was riding my ass in my friends fucked up car, and as I'm about to stop at a light I didn't stop all the way because I thought they were going to hit us. Then the blue and red lights, and that's all she wrote. But like now, I had 2 or 3 drinks on Christmas, and besides that I drank like maybe 1 time the whole year prior. Still haven't had a drink since then. I will in a week or so though because I'm moving home and Chili's is right there, and I love those fucking margaritas lol.Expand QuoteWell for one thing, smoking regular weed just makes me so slow and unmotivated. For the last several months I was buying supposedly CBD weed just so that it would be much weaker and not make me feel so burned out. I can't moderate my smoking. Its all or nothing. The longest I've quit in the past like 10 years was like 6 months and I was way more responsible and functional and able to handle things. More outgoing and less anxious. So I've always wished I could just smoke occasionally but it always turns into an everyday thing. I was smoking that weak stuff, and it kind of worked, but I would still space out around my girlfriend and at work. I started going back to my psych because of my anxiety and inability to function at work and I'm honest when I talk with them. He said he would only treat me and prescribe medication if I was willing to submit to drug testing. It's actually something that a lot of psychiatrists are doing to cover their asses with new laws. I agreed because being on medication makes me much more functional and able to enjoy life and I value that more than getting high. I was already cutting back so much I thought it would be a great way to make sure that I didn't have the option to smoke because I will be held accountable and there will be consequences if I do. I've only quit for more than a month like 3 or 4 times in all these years, and the fact that I'm on a great medication combo has made me not even really think about it too much. I had really bad cravings about a week ago, but it has passed and I don't even really count the days, I just kind of think oh wow, its been 20 days.Expand QuoteExpand Quote20 days no weed today. Hoping to stay off it forever. I like it but it's always such a game changer when I quit.[close]
Good job man!
Still off the sauce. Amost two months and it's still weird in certain situations.
Never really considered to quit weed though.
I did drastically cut down from smoking all day to now only smoking a tiny spliff in the evenings and I like it to self-reflect at the end of the day and look at things from different perspective.
Of course it impacts every individual differently but I'm interested in hearing what made you want to quit.[close]
I've tried to quit and stick with it for like 6 years now and I always give in. I'm a total bum when I'm smoking, and the total opposite when I don't. I wish I could control it but I know I can't. Weed is the only substance I have ever had trouble quitting oddly enough. And I never even got into like all kinds of crazy concentrates. Just like regular ass weed and edibles before CA regulated them to be a weak waste of money.[close]
I feel you. Being unproductive was one of the reasons for me to cut down. On top of that I felt that being high all day also made me avoid social interaction when possible. I'm already a quite reserved and introverted person so smoking weed only amplifies that.
Can't relate much to the anxiety as the only episodes I've had were when coming down from benders in the past and those were terrible. Can only imagine how it feels dealing with this on a regular basis.
I know this isn't for everyone but mushrooms really helped me make mental clicks to start different and healthier lifestyle routines.
I would always realize when my drinking or drug use started getting out of hand and that I needed to quit but once stuck in a negative pattern, feeling that these substances are the only way to feel good, made it hard to actually make changes.
Some guy used the analogy of your mind being a snow topped mountain and every day you take your sled and go down. By going down the mountain you create grooves in the snow, these grooves being your daily routines. Over time, every day you go sled down you can't help but slip back into these grooves. When having an intense experience on mushrooms it's like there's fresh snow on your mountain and you can take a different way down without slipping back into these old grooves.
Sounds corny but I find it quite accurate. After a trip where I've felt so connected with nature and being so deep into my thoughts, I usually come out with a new appreciation of everything and everyone around me and this motivates me to work on things I don't like about my life/behaviour and actually stick to them.
Lately starting thinking how fortunate I feel about having found skateboarding 15 years ago. I realize I've wasted the past 3 years due to drinking and partying which at first was a bummer. Now I'm more stoked than ever as this injury is finally healed up, I'm in the best shape I've been in since my early 20's and I'm looking at my first session in 2 months this weekend.
Hope talking to the psych helps and things start looking brighter soon - hang in there!Expand QuoteReally stoked for you guys keeping it up. I am still struggling a bit with my shit, but hope to get it together soon. Fuck opiates holy shit. Need to get my drinking in order now (weed will have to wait). Really love to read about all you pals actually having the strength to do it, regardless of what specifically it actually is your giving up, its not easy, but its not impossible. Shalom y'all![close]
Drinking is a damn hard one to give up but as you said: regardless of what specifically it actually is your giving up, its not easy, but its not impossible.
All the best to you!
been doing the sober thing on and off for last 3yrs, like 1 1/2 months max, then a couple weeks of drinking...which has at least one day of drinking binging (6-12 beers nothing heavy).
This year i've gotten past the furthest and was gifted my favorite beer last week. kind of almost gave into drinking them yesterday...even though im not drinking I STRONGLY believe one should NEVER waste alcohol or weed, not going to throw them away... the will power prevailed thanks to video games
Thought I was gonna celebrate last night cause an article of mine got posted but I went out to dinner then bought these instead. Onto month three of sobriety
(https://sage.blob.core.windows.net/media/5c130af03d4daf04b265779c_productdataa00099482471828-c1n1.jpg)
I also shit my pants lol (though nobody knew that)
The Moderation Management program recommends ceasing drinking and drug use for about 6 months when you start.
I don't think I have posted in this thread yet, but I have been reading all of it and I appreciate how open everyone is about their lifestyles and alcohol consumption. I'm still working out what approach is best for me.
I normally drink beer and wine in moderation, maybe like three beers three nights a week. But COVID-19 stress has got me drinking almost every night and in higher volume. My eating habits are also worse as I am stress eating. Anyone else experiencing this?
I don't think I have posted in this thread yet, but I have been reading all of it and I appreciate how open everyone is about their lifestyles and alcohol consumption. I'm still working out what approach is best for me.
I normally drink beer and wine in moderation, maybe like three beers three nights a week. But COVID-19 stress has got me drinking almost every night and in higher volume. My eating habits are also worse as I am stress eating. Anyone else experiencing this?
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteThe Moderation Management program recommends ceasing drinking and drug use for about 6 months when you start.[close]
Question: If I could do that, I would not be in the fucking program to begin with, right?[close]
You can't stop drinking for 6 months after you identify your bottom? Maybe you should be in AA...
I'll try to avoid telling my entire life story here, but basically I'm 32 now and I've been drinking way too heavily since my early 20s. Before that I would binge drink on weekends, but at some point it started happening all through the week.
At it's worst, a few years ago, I was drinking up to 20 beers a night, at least every second day. Often the benders would last a good four or more days, then I might have one day off.
Since I met my fiance three years ago I've managed to keep it mostly to weekends, but I'm still unable to control myself once I hit the bottle. Every weekend, I literally write a list of mistakes not to repeat, yet I end up repeating them every time.
It's mostly staying up on my own, drinking a stupid amount and listening to music in a trance until I pass out on the couch. Often I'll wake up about 4am, stumble off to bed, then I'm awake at 6am without fail and can't get back to sleep.
It really fucks my weekends because I always feel like shit come Saturday. Lacking sleep, irritable, regretful of all the stupid fucking messages I sent to people the night before (usually just telling them how awesome they are - I'm a happy drunk for the most part) and time I wasted scrolling through instagram like a zombie. If I'm back home with my friends, it can be even worse because I get so excited that we just drink all afternoon while skating and then all fucking night. Fat chance of having a good skate after that.
Usually the only way to feel better and to make myself skate (or do any of my other hobbies) is to get back on the bottle. This has become another problem too: I find it really difficult to skate without drinking. It just feels so much better and I'm so much more motivated when I'm drinking beers.
Then there's Mondays, they're usually always fucked, even if i don't drink on Sunday. I don't feel normal again until Tuesday or Wednesday, and by Friday, I'm ready to do it all over again.
Well, two weekends ago I woke up Sunday morning in my bed, in a puddle of my own piss. I don't think that's ever happened before. My fiance - with whom I'm trying for a baby at the moment - was so fucking bummed. I was convinced last weekend would be different, but it was the same old story (sans pissing the bed).
Anyway, I think I've come to the end of the road and need to make some changes. I've felt like this a million times before. I can stay motivated for a time, and then something clicks and I'm back to my old self. Last October I went a whole month without a drop. It was great for about two weeks, then it was torture.
Part of the issue is that I cannot do moderation at all. I suppose, I'd ideally like to be able to keep drinking in moderation - but I'm starting to realise I may need to just quit altogether.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Flying Rodent, do you consider this your "bottom"?
Is this the lowest point you are willing to let your drinking take you? Pissing yourself and scrolling your valuable time away off into The Ether?
If so, sounds like you wanna quit, bro. I say pick a date and go cold turkey if your body can handle it. Throw out all alcohol around your house. Find some AA meet ups either irl or online if ur under lockdown rn.
What did it feel like for you where the last 2 weeks of a past sober month were "torture"? Maybe if you can come up with a plan for how you are going to combat those feelings this time around, you will be more successful.
Does your fiancee drink? What's her deal?
As for hobbies and skating, don't worry about that shit. That shit is like riding a bike. You won't ever lose it and once your body and mind have acclimated to sober living, the creative and joyous stuff will be waiting for you to pick it back up.
Good luck, holmes.
thank you my man, I appreciate it. Yeah I realized sometimes even a trip to the liquor store I would have a drink before, then get a single beer or canned cocktail for the walk home with all the other booze in tow too. At this point it seems more like a habit than an addiction, so I’m going to try and change my behavior and daily patterns as opposed to going cold turkey to start. We’ll see.Expand QuoteThis quarantine period has made me realize drinking has become my default way of spending time when I’m not working. It feels like it’s been a gradual evolution - weekend partying in college, starting to work Full time and unloading with drinking on weekends again, then testing the waters with weekday drinking after tough days/breakups/adult bullshit, to mid twenties drinking 3-4 nights a week, now late twenties and the last year or two has gone to it being a rare exception that I don’t drink on a given night, and weekends starting in the morning or afternoon after I skate or workout. Now being stuck at home it’s become really obvious to me how this has evolved. Fortunately I’ve laid off the weed because it makes me anxious and this current time period already has me on edge. I’ve been sick the last three days which is really the only reason I’ve felt no need to drink. It’s hard for me to tell when something is a problem or not, since on the outside I’m a fairly high functioning adult.[close]
yo homie. i stopped drinking 3 months and 20 days after i turned 30. I was spending about $200/wk, sometimes more buying booze for home, going out and subsequently buying some flaave to keep up. I got to the point where I couldn't get drunk until blackout. I come from a family where my grandmother had a beer fridge in the basement, my dad has a beer fridge. they're all hard working, functioning people, but everything is a fucking party. Going to the hardware store on saturday is an excuse for a road soda on the way and a stop at the bar on the way home. It's a hard ingrained habit. It's been almost 6 years now without booze and there's no going back.
I'm just saying this because it's really insidious, the way that alcohol can sneak up on you and infiltrate everything you do. I credit a pretty heavy DMT blastoff shortly after I stopped as a turning point in helping me maintain.
If you wanna stop, you've got it.
Expand Quotethank you my man, I appreciate it. Yeah I realized sometimes even a trip to the liquor store I would have a drink before, then get a single beer or canned cocktail for the walk home with all the other booze in tow too. At this point it seems more like a habit than an addiction, so I’m going to try and change my behavior and daily patterns as opposed to going cold turkey to start. We’ll see.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteThis quarantine period has made me realize drinking has become my default way of spending time when I’m not working. It feels like it’s been a gradual evolution - weekend partying in college, starting to work Full time and unloading with drinking on weekends again, then testing the waters with weekday drinking after tough days/breakups/adult bullshit, to mid twenties drinking 3-4 nights a week, now late twenties and the last year or two has gone to it being a rare exception that I don’t drink on a given night, and weekends starting in the morning or afternoon after I skate or workout. Now being stuck at home it’s become really obvious to me how this has evolved. Fortunately I’ve laid off the weed because it makes me anxious and this current time period already has me on edge. I’ve been sick the last three days which is really the only reason I’ve felt no need to drink. It’s hard for me to tell when something is a problem or not, since on the outside I’m a fairly high functioning adult.[close]
yo homie. i stopped drinking 3 months and 20 days after i turned 30. I was spending about $200/wk, sometimes more buying booze for home, going out and subsequently buying some flaave to keep up. I got to the point where I couldn't get drunk until blackout. I come from a family where my grandmother had a beer fridge in the basement, my dad has a beer fridge. they're all hard working, functioning people, but everything is a fucking party. Going to the hardware store on saturday is an excuse for a road soda on the way and a stop at the bar on the way home. It's a hard ingrained habit. It's been almost 6 years now without booze and there's no going back.
I'm just saying this because it's really insidious, the way that alcohol can sneak up on you and infiltrate everything you do. I credit a pretty heavy DMT blastoff shortly after I stopped as a turning point in helping me maintain.
If you wanna stop, you've got it.[close][close]
the habit is the hardest part. Summer time is still the most challenging for me. I get hit with moments where I think "aah, that's beer drinking time..." do whatcha gotta do, man!
I kept hearing about the idea of figuring out the issues that are making you drink, but I never knew what that meant, and I also never thought I had any issues.
One book really helped me sort through my problems that led me to drinking, and it is
Ask And It Is Given
By Esther and Jerry Hicks.
When you read it, you are going to feel positive.
You are all good people and I wish you well.
Flying Rodent and NoComply 180,thank you, that means a lot. Yeah I can’t imagine asking real people in my life for help, or even just letting them know that I have problem. If I even do. Writing about it on an anonymous skateboarding forum was hard enough.
I've been sober for close to ten years. It was incredibly difficult for me to stop using drugs and alcohol and I needed a lot of help from other people (I still do) and that was almost as terrifying as the idea of getting through the days without substances. Please feel free to message me if you want to ask me any questions about recovery. I'm not any kind of authority on anything but I can definitely share what resources worked for me or I can just listen. No judgement.
PS this is a dope thread.
it's a hard road to hoe.Row.
don't really know where else to ask as one of my only friends is right next to me going through the same shit. I got hooked on fent. I'm not proud of it. Honestly totally ashamed. I lived a junky's dream for the last year. No work, no responsibilities or bills. Just blasted through all the money I have and my best friend has. Sold everything I could easily sell. Now I'm broke and kicking. I spent over 30k this year on drugs alone. Fent WD's are the worst thing I've ever experienced. I'm just happy I'm not kicking in prison or something. Anyway, can someone reach out and just chat with me? I'm really genuinely trying not to go out and use again. Doing everything I can including throwing out my dignity by reaching out to people on here.
Today marks a month without smoking. I always make it a month or several then get bored and smoke and I’m back to square one of being a total fucking burnout lazy fuck. Weed is terrible for me. I already lack motivation to do anything so when I smoke I pretty much just sit on the sidelines as life passes me by. This time though, I wasn’t hiding I was smoking or that I was quitting or that I needed support from my girlfriend. She’s the shit and is very much understanding that I’m an adult and can do what I want, doesn’t tell me to stop but will be on my ass making sure I’m not smoking if I ask her to be, which I did. When I smoke vs when I don’t is night and day personality wise and just being able to do basic shit like my job. I wish I could moderate like most but for some reason weed is the only substance that has really had a negative impact on my life and for myself personally is crazy addictive. Shalom.
Expand Quotedon't really know where else to ask as one of my only friends is right next to me going through the same shit. I got hooked on fent. I'm not proud of it. Honestly totally ashamed. I lived a junky's dream for the last year. No work, no responsibilities or bills. Just blasted through all the money I have and my best friend has. Sold everything I could easily sell. Now I'm broke and kicking. I spent over 30k this year on drugs alone. Fent WD's are the worst thing I've ever experienced. I'm just happy I'm not kicking in prison or something. Anyway, can someone reach out and just chat with me? I'm really genuinely trying not to go out and use again. Doing everything I can including throwing out my dignity by reaching out to people on here.[close]
I’m at work for the next 8 hours but can chat via pm until then and can talk after if you need someone.
Expand QuoteI'm on day 15 of no booze, which is the longest I've gone in a decade. I have more mental clarity, but am still really tired feeling still. Has anyone else had that? I thought it would be gone by now.[close]
Yooooo my G. Big ups. 15 days is a long frickin time, especially when you've been boozing for a decade. Prior to quitting in 2015, I only got that far a 2 or 3 times before I'd get back at it. It's great that you're realizing the reason for still feeling tired is related to getting off the sauce, rather than chalking it up to something else. It's going to take a while to get to that baseline you might have been at 10 years ago, but it's not insurmountable and will come faster than you expect. Things will gradually pick up and improve. you've got to remember that your body/brain are used to having a regular infusion of a depressant/sugars/carbs and is working overtime to regain a different sort of independent function. I don't know you as an individual, but as a human, you're resilient and can soon enough overcome the sense of dragging ass. I'm not speaking with medical knowledge, but whenever coming off of a toxic substance that has been habitually used/misused, it helps me to see the body/mind as being in shock and requiring more care than might normally be given. Supplements, clean eating, water, exercise will help your body/mind get to where they need to be.
you got this shit, homie.
Shalom thread
in 2020 I spend 8 months sober and had to move, i caved in after I moved due to the stress of moving and exhaustion, and last 4 month I had a 6 pack a night. first week was fun, the rest was whack and expensive, honestly just felt like shit everytime I drank and Got to the point where every beer I drank was gross.
Had to clean back up this year and been sober since Jan1.
any of y'all familiar with the founder of AA, Bill Wilson? He had a profound experience on Belladonna and/or henbane I believe, which helped him quit drinking by having a profound spiritual experience. He then took LSD, with some frequency, and got into correspondence with Carl Jung, to whom he expressed the belief that LSD could be part of the 12 steps, an introduction to that higher power or something greater.
Now, I'm not advocating for anyone to go get puddled, I will however, say that I know many addicts who have kicked some gnarly, long time habits of heroin, crack, meth, and booze, by using psychedelics. I partially credit a DMT experience during my first month sober from alcohol with helping move forward on the path. Little bit of L every now and again, in a comfortable, controlled setting with such an intention has done the same for many.
Again, I'm not advocating for anything, and y'all know your mental health status better than anyone else, but it's something to consider.
Stay strong n safe homies
Expand Quoteany of y'all familiar with the founder of AA, Bill Wilson? He had a profound experience on Belladonna and/or henbane I believe, which helped him quit drinking by having a profound spiritual experience. He then took LSD, with some frequency, and got into correspondence with Carl Jung, to whom he expressed the belief that LSD could be part of the 12 steps, an introduction to that higher power or something greater.
Now, I'm not advocating for anyone to go get puddled, I will however, say that I know many addicts who have kicked some gnarly, long time habits of heroin, crack, meth, and booze, by using psychedelics. I partially credit a DMT experience during my first month sober from alcohol with helping move forward on the path. Little bit of L every now and again, in a comfortable, controlled setting with such an intention has done the same for many.
Again, I'm not advocating for anything, and y'all know your mental health status better than anyone else, but it's something to consider.
Stay strong n safe homies[close]
Bill Wilson is a polarizing character. On his deathbed he asked for a drink. Not saying not to do LSD, but I havent in the 3 years ive been sober
My fiance/mother of my child left me to be with her boss on Friday. Im pretty fucked up over it. I have a lot of fear and anger and sadness and hurt. I didnt drink. Ive been on the phone with sober men pretty much hourly for the last 48 hours. I went to meetings. I wrote inventory. I dont think Im going to drink or smoke crack over this today.
Expand QuoteI'm at 15 weeks and change no drinking. 48 and have basically been a consistent beer drinker since 17/18. 48 now. Feel great. Lot of energy and way more positive mental outlook. Don't think I'll ever go back.[close]
;D
keep that PMA brotha!
Expand QuoteJust read through pretty much this whole thread.
I turn 47 next week. Always have drank mid to heavy since I was 17. Have good job , young kids , house , wife and all that but just starting to feel like I need to step away from the booze. I take care of all my shit but those 4 to 6 beers at the end of the day Are always a constant. With a few more On weekends.
It’s to a point where’s not drinking seems kind of an exciting change , but fucking hard to break 30 years worth of habits.
About to start a 12 week eating thing with the wife. She is trying to get healthier after
Our 2nd kid . So I’m gonna try my hardest to stay off For 12 weeks and see what happens.[close]
you can do it man. if you drink canned beer, have canned soda water or something to replace it. I used to have to crush those during the first few years. Still do when I visit my family and my pop is drinking beers all day.
So I’ve been off drugs for years now, and stopped smoking weed about a year ago. I’ve been trying to stop drinking, but it’s so fucking hard. I truly thought weed would be harder… I’ve got a great job, happy wife, and don’t drink enough in a sitting to be smashed, but I definitely drink every day and have a problem with it. The habit is just so hard to kick and the fear/anxiety I feel is mentally fucking with me. Any tips would be welcome. My birthday is the end of May, and the best gift I can think of is being sober… thanks y’all.
for those who went sober, did you find that it sobriety had a positive affect on your skating?
if so, in what ways?
for those who went sober, did you find that it sobriety had a positive affect on your skating?
if so, in what ways?
for those who went sober, did you find that it sobriety had a positive affect on your skating?
if so, in what ways?
Hit my 2 weeks booze free today. Had a few tough moments ,but not too many. Been at least 7 years since I’ve done 2 weeks with out a sip.
Bought some zero alcohol beer for the tough moments and it’s really helped surprisingly . Like a Friday night after a long week. One of those after we get the kids fed and in bed def helps me settle down on the urge.
My first goal is 1 month. So halfway there. Gotta keep at it.
Hit my 2 weeks booze free today. Had a few tough moments ,but not too many. Been at least 7 years since I’ve done 2 weeks with out a sip.
Bought some zero alcohol beer for the tough moments and it’s really helped surprisingly . Like a Friday night after a long week. One of those after we get the kids fed and in bed def helps me settle down on the urge.
My first goal is 1 month. So halfway there. Gotta keep at it.
for those who went sober, did you find that it sobriety had a positive affect on your skating?
if so, in what ways?
Expand QuoteI notice after quitting drinking for a year i am so much more sensitive to a night of bad sleep/or eating a bunch of greasy/sugary food. im weak af
I think my baseline has changed because being hungover all the time used to be the norm so functioning throughout a normal day was always foggy/headache was there and feeling like shit was tolerable
but of course overall feel way better[close]
dude. my dude. it took about a year of not drinking to realize that I had always been hungover and didn't realize that feeling like that was a result of drinking and living that life. Now, shit, if I don't get my 8 hours, I'm having anxiety attacks and shit
Expand QuotePosting this because I'm stoked but also for a little accountability. Hit a month sober the other day (today will be day 33) and I'm feeling good, better than in a long time. I've had stretches of sobriety in the past but this feels very different, and I am much more confident and committed.
Much love to all the sober pals sharing their stories, both the struggles and successes.[close]
first month is huge. I still have the calendar I created to track the days during that month. good for you, hombre.
Since I finally found a decent work-life balance I’ve been able to cut down booze and weed A LOT.
Total sobriety always seemed a bit forced to me.
I totally respect those who do it tho of course, and I was influenced by SxE bands when I was younger.
But yeah I basically cut everything down to the weekend and even then it’s not what it used to be unless I’m on holiday or there’s a particular celebration.
No more half bottles of bourbon on Tuesday nights and ounces of weed.
No more shots of Jager with drops of benzos on mornings while wfh.
I always knew there was something off when I was doing it that way. It was my reaction to a life and a society I couldn’t keep up with. To keep my mind limber you know?
But fuck yeah I’m so happy about myself. At some point I’m gonna quit cigs tho, those are the most subtle and stupid bullshit. I will get there.
Big up to everyone ‘exposing’ their weaknesses and even if just one person (even lurkers) read this and get somehow inspired by it that would make my day I’m telling you.
Choose life.
Quit cigarettes, weed and alcohol simultaneously 26 days ago, feels great
So I’m 35 day’s in to sobriety and I am cruising, however the other day I was on a fetish site looking around, who do I see?
My recent exgf was on there with her new man and degraded holes varieties of nudes as well as dudes spunk on what was mine?! Yeah I’m a tiny bit jealous lol I’ll admit with much chagrin that small piece of me is mad.
I remind myself of what I have lost and I don’t want anymore, fuck I hate that I have a heart.
So I’m 35 day’s in to sobriety and I am cruising, however the other day I was on a fetish site looking around, who do I see?
My recent exgf was on there with her new man and degraded holes varieties of nudes as well as dudes spunk on what was mine?! Yeah I’m a tiny bit jealous lol I’ll admit with much chagrin that small piece of me is mad.
I remind myself of what I have lost and I don’t want anymore, fuck I hate that I have a heart.
This guy gets it, I realize she’s probably not the healthiest of people and for that it makes me sad. However I’m glad to be on this journey for now, I’m not really trying to be with anyone else.Expand QuoteSo I’m 35 day’s in to sobriety and I am cruising, however the other day I was on a fetish site looking around, who do I see?
My recent exgf was on there with her new man and degraded holes varieties of nudes as well as dudes spunk on what was mine?! Yeah I’m a tiny bit jealous lol I’ll admit with much chagrin that small piece of me is mad.
I remind myself of what I have lost and I don’t want anymore, fuck I hate that I have a heart.[close]
I might be different, but I find people who are seeking that kind of attention aren't really healthy, probably better off finding some girl who doesn't have pics of her getting bukakke'd out on the net. I got an ex who is trying to sell candles and oils to those crystal mommys and another who is thirst trapping in her late 30s and I think I missed a bullet breaking up with them
I also find a lot of that thirst trap shit that goes down on IG and OnlyFans is super cringe.
This guy gets it, I realize she’s probably not the healthiest of people and for that it makes me sad. However I’m glad to be on this journey for now, I’m not really trying to be with anyone else.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteSo I’m 35 day’s in to sobriety and I am cruising, however the other day I was on a fetish site looking around, who do I see?
My recent exgf was on there with her new man and degraded holes varieties of nudes as well as dudes spunk on what was mine?! Yeah I’m a tiny bit jealous lol I’ll admit with much chagrin that small piece of me is mad.
I remind myself of what I have lost and I don’t want anymore, fuck I hate that I have a heart.[close]
I might be different, but I find people who are seeking that kind of attention aren't really healthy, probably better off finding some girl who doesn't have pics of her getting bukakke'd out on the net. I got an ex who is trying to sell candles and oils to those crystal mommys and another who is thirst trapping in her late 30s and I think I missed a bullet breaking up with them
I also find a lot of that thirst trap shit that goes down on IG and OnlyFans is super cringe.[close]
Yeah I can bang some random hoes not that I’m down for being a man whore just I’m not trying to marry or be with anyone else for the foreseeable future.
Onlyfans and other thirst traps are highly cringe, sure I can look at random boobs via Reddit or on a hiking trail, seen that movie Roll Models? Yeah I’m that dude who has 360 vision for some boobs.
Or worse yet some trafficked whore who has no shame for one’s self. For me it’s a conundrum and a paradox, lol what I mean is you think you’d know someone through and through yet something you find that’s mind blowing like wtf?$ I didn’t see that coming?!Expand QuoteThis guy gets it, I realize she’s probably not the healthiest of people and for that it makes me sad. However I’m glad to be on this journey for now, I’m not really trying to be with anyone else.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteSo I’m 35 day’s in to sobriety and I am cruising, however the other day I was on a fetish site looking around, who do I see?
My recent exgf was on there with her new man and degraded holes varieties of nudes as well as dudes spunk on what was mine?! Yeah I’m a tiny bit jealous lol I’ll admit with much chagrin that small piece of me is mad.
I remind myself of what I have lost and I don’t want anymore, fuck I hate that I have a heart.[close]
I might be different, but I find people who are seeking that kind of attention aren't really healthy, probably better off finding some girl who doesn't have pics of her getting bukakke'd out on the net. I got an ex who is trying to sell candles and oils to those crystal mommys and another who is thirst trapping in her late 30s and I think I missed a bullet breaking up with them
I also find a lot of that thirst trap shit that goes down on IG and OnlyFans is super cringe.[close]
Yeah I can bang some random hoes not that I’m down for being a man whore just I’m not trying to marry or be with anyone else for the foreseeable future.
Onlyfans and other thirst traps are highly cringe, sure I can look at random boobs via Reddit or on a hiking trail, seen that movie Roll Models? Yeah I’m that dude who has 360 vision for some boobs.[close]
wanting to keep things healthy is good thing and I've tried that a few times myself to no avail. It's crazy to me to think that some people don't care about the people they break up with after they've broken up.
Trust me I like looking at beautiful women too and have and usually find that most porn sites usually handles any itch to see a certain type of woman naked or being stuffed. Just think its super wack when regular ass people who are not porn stars or model tries to make themselves out to look like someone who was featured in Playboy or Hustler.
I'm going full straight edge mode from now own, I'm enjoying being sober and am trying to reconnect with my feelings/emotions/body/soul
Expand QuoteI'm going full straight edge mode from now own, I'm enjoying being sober and am trying to reconnect with my feelings/emotions/body/soul[close]
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/WereNotInThisAloneOriginal.jpg)
18 months sober of alcohol. 6 weeks off the pot. My skating has improved immensely, I enjoy it more. But now I just see the worst In people, and I have vivid dreams since not smoking pot. I have one sober skate homie, but today he talked about dabbling in wine. I asked him to rethink all that. I just wish I had more people around me who were on the same wavelength. But I didn’t have that a year ago and it won’t change much if I have it now. I feel like I walk this road alone most times. Staying positive though. My daughter keeps me on the right track, I don’t want to let her down by reverting to my old
Behaviors.
18 months sober of alcohol. 6 weeks off the pot. My skating has improved immensely, I enjoy it more. But now I just see the worst In people, and I have vivid dreams since not smoking pot. I have one sober skate homie, but today he talked about dabbling in wine. I asked him to rethink all that. I just wish I had more people around me who were on the same wavelength. But I didn’t have that a year ago and it won’t change much if I have it now. I feel like I walk this road alone most times. Staying positive though. My daughter keeps me on the right track, I don’t want to let her down by reverting to my old
Behaviors.
I’ve never tried edibles. Mostly trying quit smoking because well it just does not fit into my lifestyle anymore. I’m 30 and my mental stability is shifting, and being fried doesn’t help that at all. I work an airplane job and the FAA requires a drug free environment, but most my coworkers are either buzzed out or hungover. I was planning on quitting anyways. It just has me jaded. But I feel myself becoming a judgey asshole. So I just stay away from social activities, other than skating. Don’t get it twisted I loved being a stoner but it was stunting my growth as an adult and a father. I’ll miss being a pile, I wish that was sustainable for me, but it’s just not realistic in the grand scheme of it all. I want to be a good example for my daughter. I don’t want her to think it’s cool to be an adult and just fucking off your time on this planet.Expand Quote18 months sober of alcohol. 6 weeks off the pot. My skating has improved immensely, I enjoy it more. But now I just see the worst In people, and I have vivid dreams since not smoking pot. I have one sober skate homie, but today he talked about dabbling in wine. I asked him to rethink all that. I just wish I had more people around me who were on the same wavelength. But I didn’t have that a year ago and it won’t change much if I have it now. I feel like I walk this road alone most times. Staying positive though. My daughter keeps me on the right track, I don’t want to let her down by reverting to my old
Behaviors.[close]
I don't really smoke weed since i get nostalgic and start to remember walking around places as a child very vividly. Why are you trying to quit? You thought about edibles?
I quit alc since a bender last year. My doc did some blood work and found a mild elevation in liver enzymes so imma continue to avoid it so i don't get cirrhosis.
I’ve never tried edibles. Mostly trying quit smoking because well it just does not fit into my lifestyle anymore. I’m 30 and my mental stability is shifting, and being fried doesn’t help that at all. I work an airplane job and the FAA requires a drug free environment, but most my coworkers are either buzzed out or hungover. I was planning on quitting anyways. It just has me jaded. But I feel myself becoming a judgey asshole. So I just stay away from social activities, other than skating. Don’t get it twisted I loved being a stoner but it was stunting my growth as an adult and a father. I’ll miss being a pile, I wish that was sustainable for me, but it’s just not realistic in the grand scheme of it all. I want to be a good example for my daughter. I don’t want her to think it’s cool to be an adult and just fucking off your time on this planet.Expand QuoteExpand Quote18 months sober of alcohol. 6 weeks off the pot. My skating has improved immensely, I enjoy it more. But now I just see the worst In people, and I have vivid dreams since not smoking pot. I have one sober skate homie, but today he talked about dabbling in wine. I asked him to rethink all that. I just wish I had more people around me who were on the same wavelength. But I didn’t have that a year ago and it won’t change much if I have it now. I feel like I walk this road alone most times. Staying positive though. My daughter keeps me on the right track, I don’t want to let her down by reverting to my old
Behaviors.[close]
I don't really smoke weed since i get nostalgic and start to remember walking around places as a child very vividly. Why are you trying to quit? You thought about edibles?
I quit alc since a bender last year. My doc did some blood work and found a mild elevation in liver enzymes so imma continue to avoid it so i don't get cirrhosis.[close]
Thank you sir!Expand QuoteI’ve never tried edibles. Mostly trying quit smoking because well it just does not fit into my lifestyle anymore. I’m 30 and my mental stability is shifting, and being fried doesn’t help that at all. I work an airplane job and the FAA requires a drug free environment, but most my coworkers are either buzzed out or hungover. I was planning on quitting anyways. It just has me jaded. But I feel myself becoming a judgey asshole. So I just stay away from social activities, other than skating. Don’t get it twisted I loved being a stoner but it was stunting my growth as an adult and a father. I’ll miss being a pile, I wish that was sustainable for me, but it’s just not realistic in the grand scheme of it all. I want to be a good example for my daughter. I don’t want her to think it’s cool to be an adult and just fucking off your time on this planet.Expand QuoteExpand Quote18 months sober of alcohol. 6 weeks off the pot. My skating has improved immensely, I enjoy it more. But now I just see the worst In people, and I have vivid dreams since not smoking pot. I have one sober skate homie, but today he talked about dabbling in wine. I asked him to rethink all that. I just wish I had more people around me who were on the same wavelength. But I didn’t have that a year ago and it won’t change much if I have it now. I feel like I walk this road alone most times. Staying positive though. My daughter keeps me on the right track, I don’t want to let her down by reverting to my old
Behaviors.[close]
I don't really smoke weed since i get nostalgic and start to remember walking around places as a child very vividly. Why are you trying to quit? You thought about edibles?
I quit alc since a bender last year. My doc did some blood work and found a mild elevation in liver enzymes so imma continue to avoid it so i don't get cirrhosis.[close][close]
Word, best of luck man. You got this!
I'm probably near a year sober (not really keeping track of the dates), and now that I'm in vacation season (I'm a teacher), I'm definitely facing some growing pains. In my pre-sobriety mind, vacation meant staying drunk from morning til blackout, rather than beginning around 6 or 7pm and drinking til sleepy time.Always remember what it was taking from you brother
I miss that warm, fuzzy, euphoric feeling :-\, but I don't miss all the baggage that comes with it.
Stay on the righteous path, bros/sisters.
I talked to a psychiatrist today who is putting me forward for undiagnosed adult ADHD. He mentioned that a large percentage of people with the condition find themself with addidction issues from essentially self-medicating, which was interesting to hear.
Hope everyone's doing good, thanks again for all the help while i lurked in the shadows!
im trying i feel like i can do it #day5noalcohol
lmao seriously?? ive struggled for a long time and im trying to better my quality of life why jump to conclusions just because you dont like what i post. use ignore.... i have it on for you now ;)Expand Quoteim trying i feel like i can do it #day5noalcohol[close]
Please don’t troll in this thread
lmao seriously?? ive struggled for a long time and im trying to better my quality of life why jump to conclusions just because you dont like what i post. use ignore.... i have it on for you now ;)Expand QuoteExpand Quoteim trying i feel like i can do it #day5noalcohol[close]
Please don’t troll in this thread[close]
@sacking rails you should reread what @Steely Daniel said, he was giving you some kind words not berating you...
I did 2 years but I drink again.
It’s nice to step away and regain some perspective you might have lost growing up getting high and drunk all the time
Hey Pals. I have a real problem with alcohol. I started this thread last year around this time...
https://www.slapmagazine.com/index.php?topic=119917.0
I drank the first day of February and have continued to have usually at least 6 strong craft beers for the most part, sometimes 9-12.
Want to talk about this more when I'm less fucked up, but I am quitting January 1st. Feel free to check in on the thread if you're planning on doing Dry January as well. Lots of changes this year. Lost having a third person chip in for rent and utilities. Haven't overdrafted my account yet, but I need to straight up save some money. I probably spend at least $600 a month on fancy beer and yellow American Spirits. Time to get it!
Anybody give up the drink for January? I'm on day 2, and know I'm in for some challenges after a shitty day at work or life happening in general, but I was relieved that I haven't been shaky or sweaty so far. Fingers crossed.
Expand QuoteAnybody give up the drink for January? I'm on day 2, and know I'm in for some challenges after a shitty day at work or life happening in general, but I was relieved that I haven't been shaky or sweaty so far. Fingers crossed.[close]
If you aren't absolutely miserable on day 2, you are probably good. I'd like to post some of this stuff though, just because it's often overlooked. Alot of AA teetotal communities would scorn me for suggesting someone detoxing to drink a little bit to avoid the dangers of alcohol withdrawal.
If you are drinking 10+ units a day, or are spending days at a time without your BAC dropping to .00, you should consider tapering. Basically, have an idea of how much you drink a day and cut your consumption by a few units a day. Or drink just enough, so that you can function without being absolutely miserable. The real dangers of seizures come in around the day 3-4 mark, which is when people usually start to feel better. If you start hearing or seeing shit, get some alcohol in you. If your heart starts pounding uncontrollably 120+ bpm, get alcohol/get to the hospital asap.
If you drink alot, I'd suggest taking a B complex vitamin everyday. Alcohol depletes your body of B vitamins, specifically B-1. It's not good for you, and long term can cause wet brain. If you know an old alcoholic that kinda isn't there anymore, repeats themselves, that's wet brain. I'd also suggest a magnesium supplement before bed. Alcohol depletes magnesium and a supplement can help a little bit with the anxiety and to also get a solid shit out.
https://hams.cc/withdrawal/
https://hams.cc/odds/
my ex girlfriend is on fent percs, i talked to her all night after not really speaking to her in nearly 5 years because my best friend of 20 years od'd on the 28th and didn't make it so i messaged her and told her because she was friends with him too. i served her up a grim reality check that i literally just carried my friends casket and watched them put him in the dirt and kinda just offered her advice and listened to what shes been going through. i feel really bad for her cause she has a kid now.
we kinda had a bad break up and honestly i wasn't her biggest fan but at the end of the day i don't wanna see anything bad happen to her especially since she has a little kid depending on her.
shit sucks
Expand Quotemy ex girlfriend is on fent percs, i talked to her all night after not really speaking to her in nearly 5 years because my best friend of 20 years od'd on the 28th and didn't make it so i messaged her and told her because she was friends with him too. i served her up a grim reality check that i literally just carried my friends casket and watched them put him in the dirt and kinda just offered her advice and listened to what shes been going through. i feel really bad for her cause she has a kid now.
we kinda had a bad break up and honestly i wasn't her biggest fan but at the end of the day i don't wanna see anything bad happen to her especially since she has a little kid depending on her.
shit sucks[close]
Sorry about your bro, that sucks mate. Are you and your other mates all good? Never a good time for that but over Xmas is pretty fucked
Forgot to write dates down but it's possible I haven't smoked weed or drank in almost a month. Feel real good for it...'quit' smoking too but I had a few. But I'm not going to have any more
Day 1. Here goes nothing.
Wish I could get my partner to quit. She turns into a whole other person and it's very upsetting. Not to mention all the verbal and physical abuse.
One of my weed dealers brought it up that he sells Percs and at first I turned him down right away. But recently been going through some tough times and I’ve been very tempted. Just posting here to make sure I don’t go down that route.Can you find a new weed person? What they're selling is like those free cologne samples they give you in magazines. Such a small amount that it can't hurt to give it away. Of course they want you to buy the whole bottle and be a customer for life. In addition, those pills are almost definitely bootleg and have fent in them and you could die just playing around.
Can you find a new weed person? What they're selling is like those free cologne samples they give you in magazines. Such a small amount that it can't hurt to give it away. Of course they want you to buy the whole bottle and be a customer for life. In addition, those pills are almost definitely bootleg and have fent in them and you could die just playing around.Expand QuoteOne of my weed dealers brought it up that he sells Percs and at first I turned him down right away. But recently been going through some tough times and I’ve been very tempted. Just posting here to make sure I don’t go down that route.[close]
I had 7 days booze free and on January 8th I ended an 11 year longs relationship. Fallen the fuck off rn. Would love any advice.
I had 7 days booze free and on January 8th I ended an 11 year longs relationship. Fallen the fuck off rn. Would love any advice.
I had 7 days booze free and on January 8th I ended an 11 year longs relationship. Fallen the fuck off rn. Would love any advice.
Expand QuoteAnybody give up the drink for January? I'm on day 2, and know I'm in for some challenges after a shitty day at work or life happening in general, but I was relieved that I haven't been shaky or sweaty so far. Fingers crossed.[close]
If you aren't absolutely miserable on day 2, you are probably good. I'd like to post some of this stuff though, just because it's often overlooked. Alot of AA teetotal communities would scorn me for suggesting someone detoxing to drink a little bit to avoid the dangers of alcohol withdrawal.
If you are drinking 10+ units a day, or are spending days at a time without your BAC dropping to .00, you should consider tapering. Basically, have an idea of how much you drink a day and cut your consumption by a few units a day. Or drink just enough, so that you can function without being absolutely miserable. The real dangers of seizures come in around the day 3-4 mark, which is when people usually start to feel better. If you start hearing or seeing shit, get some alcohol in you. If your heart starts pounding uncontrollably 120+ bpm, get alcohol/get to the hospital asap.
If you drink alot, I'd suggest taking a B complex vitamin everyday. Alcohol depletes your body of B vitamins, specifically B-1. It's not good for you, and long term can cause wet brain. If you know an old alcoholic that kinda isn't there anymore, repeats themselves, that's wet brain. I'd also suggest a magnesium supplement before bed. Alcohol depletes magnesium and a supplement can help a little bit with the anxiety and to also get a solid shit out.
https://hams.cc/withdrawal/
https://hams.cc/odds/
Expand QuoteI had 7 days booze free and on January 8th I ended an 11 year longs relationship. Fallen the fuck off rn. Would love any advice.[close]
If you do drink, think about if it helped tomorrow. There were so many times I couldn’t imagine not drinking, a fight with my lady, bad news at work, bad news at life, money worries. Once you get some time sober and face some of that shit without drinking, you might be surprised that you used to think it was a good idea to pile on that on top of the problem, being a depressant and what not. Maybe not, but when I have a problem now I’m like at least I’m not gonna have alcohol or a hangover adding to it tomorrow. Can’t imagine wanting to drink after something stressful or depressing, but again not sure if that’s everyone’s experience.
Good luck getting a handle on it, you can absolutely do it, anyone can I think, and don’t get defeated if you slip or whatever, kinda like skating, next try you got it.
I feel like I'm having mild/moderate withdrawal symptoms. I've been sweating profusely, mostly from my hands and feet, having a tough time sleeping and feeling more anxious than usual. Also randomly feely very nauseous and queasy for seemingly no particular reason. Chills too I forgot to mention.
I had been drinking at least 3/4 of a 750ml bottle of Jim Beam pretty much every night for the last month or so. I think I'm going to have a glass of wine and see if that helps. I'd rather not but I don't want to make things worse. I've never felt this way and it's kind of scary I don't wanna have any serious side effects.
Expand QuoteI feel like I'm having mild/moderate withdrawal symptoms. I've been sweating profusely, mostly from my hands and feet, having a tough time sleeping and feeling more anxious than usual. Also randomly feely very nauseous and queasy for seemingly no particular reason. Chills too I forgot to mention.
I had been drinking at least 3/4 of a 750ml bottle of Jim Beam pretty much every night for the last month or so. I think I'm going to have a glass of wine and see if that helps. I'd rather not but I don't want to make things worse. I've never felt this way and it's kind of scary I don't wanna have any serious side effects.[close]
I'm not a doctor, but those all sound like withdrawl symptoms.
The road to sobriety isn't easy, and this is the hardest part. Again, not a doctor, but start to slowly reduce your intake over the course of a month. Have a quitting date in mind and stick to it. Might need to take advantage of PTO or mental health days for work. You've got this homie
I'm doing better now thanks fellas. I had considered seeking actual medical attention but I didn't want to wait hours in emergency or hours out in the cold in the embarrassing line at the clinic. Might see if I can get in with my doctor this week but such a long wait with everything. Haven't had a drink other than the 2 small glasses of wine the other day and I'm feeling okay other than my stomach killing me.
Fucked up again. Still drinking Crown Royal at 6:30 am. If I make more than 4-5 posts in a day I'm either drunk or angry about something. Possibly both. Usually, I save my negative posting for the dumpster boxing forum I frequent on the side at least though.
Trying to stay positive, instead of some stupid drunk whoring attempts, I quickly abandoned that and looked up more of our local indigenous languages after doing a bit of research on the native art related to the postage stamp thread in the main section. I'm trying to learn more words and sounds so that maybe I can help my kids preserve part of their language and culture from their mother's side. Another positive note is that I only drank 1/3 of the bottle instead of the normal 2/3 or finishing the damn thing.
The biggest issue I feel right now other than mental health stuff is that I have nothing going on and no responsibilities which makes it hard to stay on the wagon. I still haven't seen my kids in over a month now. Unemployed on some seasonal shit. It's been raining nonstop forever it feels like and any dry days that I could have skated I've squandered by sleeping through them being extremely depressed. There are probably a few things I should do but other than basic chores, hygiene, and eating, I have no motivation to really take any bold steps or put myself out there or try something new or fucking anything I don't know.
Everything feels fucked. I'm tired of screaming into the slap abyss with this stuff but I also can't bother any of the few people still willing to talk to me in my life which is just my immediate family and my partner who hates me half the time anyway.
I do have an appointment with my new counsellor tomorrow but feels like I'm either gonna clam up or just gush too much shit out, despite the fact that I couldn't wait until this afternoon and already started here...
On top of that, my insides have been killing me all week other than one day I held everything together. Stress eating to replace drinking might be even worse for me at this point. I have no idea. Too afraid to go to the doctor now. Time to go read the Bam thread to feel better about myself.
does anyone here find the further away you get from cigs / beer / booze…. the more you forget why you stopped in the first place. everyones path is relative ofc, but i stopped before i got in too deep. sometimes i want a beer and a smoke. shit. lol
Bumping the thread to see how everyone is doing.
I had my last drink on Christmas day to start Dry January early... Still dry... not sure where I am going with his... Was aiming for Spring Break like last year but who knows... Main benefits so far are sleeping and dreaming... and of course saving some $s...
does anyone here find the further away you get from cigs / beer / booze…. the more you forget why you stopped in the first place. everyones path is relative ofc, but i stopped before i got in too deep. sometimes i want a beer and a smoke. shit. lol
Expand Quotedoes anyone here find the further away you get from cigs / beer / booze…. the more you forget why you stopped in the first place. everyones path is relative ofc, but i stopped before i got in too deep. sometimes i want a beer and a smoke. shit. lol[close]
Question for everyone who's quit drinking, I don't drink daily, but when i do drink i tend to overdue it and end up wasting 2-3 days after because i feel like shit. how do you guys handle hanging out with people who do still drink? I feel like for me the ideal situation (like anyones i'm sure) would be to be able to just have a couple beers and stop, but that never works out.
I reached my 4 month mark being alcohol free yesterday. Last weekend I did a snowboarding trip with coworkers and I was the only one who wasn’t drinking at the Airbnb. To be honest I was sort of pissed off and annoyed by everyone but I guess I proved to myself I can do it.
Expand QuoteI reached my 4 month mark being alcohol free yesterday. Last weekend I did a snowboarding trip with coworkers and I was the only one who wasn’t drinking at the Airbnb. To be honest I was sort of pissed off and annoyed by everyone but I guess I proved to myself I can do it.[close]
Well done. It‘s crazy how you only notice how everyone around you is drinking all the time once you stop drinking yourself. I don‘t even go to such trips anymore.
Hitting 9 months next Sunday. Just NA beers once in awhile. No cigarettes for just about two years.
To the comment about being at an Airbnb & everyone drinks; I hear that & that’s when NA beers come in handy. I was just away in the Catskills & no one really drank but if they did, I’d have one NA beer & just nerd out on music & skating. Worked well & continue to know that alcohol won’t help a thing.
I quit drinking to take a month off while unemployed to find a job. Got a job where I had to get up before 5am and it was truly one of the best things to happen to me. No way in hell could I pull off that wake up time while drinking, I'd done it before and it was one of the worst stretches of time in my life.
I made it to 30 days like I'd done a handful of times before, but for the first time I kept it going. My job has cool people, the work is not terribly stressful, and it's full time, so I had way more incentive to actually be sober and enjoy my days talking to people instead of counting the minutes until I could drink again.
And let me tell you, I think it was day 33, I felt reborn. I felt like I had woken up from a coma, like I was an old man who was granted youth again, and put into a 33 year old body as a joke. A good joke! I was on that pink cloud for months, it was incredible.
Then I got injured and couldn't work, so I leaned onto weed and kratom to pass the time. Kratom started turning on me so I dropped it with no ill effects. Had some urges to drink, but made some lists, got some exercise, and made some plans to look forward to, and the urge passed. I still don't know if I want to not drink forever. I might try to have one in a healthy environment (not by myself) and see if the usual happens (back to the hangover of death cycle again).
But being "sober" has given me so much! It's like the opposite of Pandora's Box opening, where all these great things came barreling into my life and this little fart of boredom squeaked out at the end instead of hope.
Booze is a trap!
I quit drinking to take a month off while unemployed to find a job. Got a job where I had to get up before 5am and it was truly one of the best things to happen to me. No way in hell could I pull off that wake up time while drinking, I'd done it before and it was one of the worst stretches of time in my life.
I made it to 30 days like I'd done a handful of times before, but for the first time I kept it going. My job has cool people, the work is not terribly stressful, and it's full time, so I had way more incentive to actually be sober and enjoy my days talking to people instead of counting the minutes until I could drink again.
And let me tell you, I think it was day 33, I felt reborn. I felt like I had woken up from a coma, like I was an old man who was granted youth again, and put into a 33 year old body as a joke. A good joke! I was on that pink cloud for months, it was incredible.
Then I got injured and couldn't work, so I leaned onto weed and kratom to pass the time. Kratom started turning on me so I dropped it with no ill effects. Had some urges to drink, but made some lists, got some exercise, and made some plans to look forward to, and the urge passed. I still don't know if I want to not drink forever. I might try to have one in a healthy environment (not by myself) and see if the usual happens (back to the hangover of death cycle again).
But being "sober" has given me so much! It's like the opposite of Pandora's Box opening, where all these great things came barreling into my life and this little fart of boredom squeaked out at the end instead of hope.
Booze is a trap!
day 100 of being dry today.
didn't even remember, until i lay down to watch some it's sunny after a nice sunday doing yard work.
now what?
Expand Quoteday 100 of being dry today.
didn't even remember, until i lay down to watch some it's sunny after a nice sunday doing yard work.
now what?[close]
Congrats, The world is your oyster. It gets a bit easier after 100, but I will say you'll feel "bored", but it's just that your not poising yourself and making questionable decisions. Enjoy the new mind set.
Pick up a new hobby, shit, go skate!
I’m about to get on the train. Recovered from drug addiction a decade ago and really only drink once a week or so, with 1-2 drinks at most. Was never problematic until the last couple of months, where I’ve woken up the next day with crippling depression, no matter how much or little I drank. At this point, it’s a crutch for social situations I feel uncomfortable in, and no longer very enjoyable. Gonna maybe use this thread as motivation as I get through it
I’m about to get on the train. Recovered from drug addiction a decade ago and really only drink once a week or so, with 1-2 drinks at most. Was never problematic until the last couple of months, where I’ve woken up the next day with crippling depression, no matter how much or little I drank. At this point, it’s a crutch for social situations I feel uncomfortable in, and no longer very enjoyable. Gonna maybe use this thread as motivation as I get through it
Expand QuoteI’m about to get on the train. Recovered from drug addiction a decade ago and really only drink once a week or so, with 1-2 drinks at most. Was never problematic until the last couple of months, where I’ve woken up the next day with crippling depression, no matter how much or little I drank. At this point, it’s a crutch for social situations I feel uncomfortable in, and no longer very enjoyable. Gonna maybe use this thread as motivation as I get through it[close]
@fakie nollie let us know how you're doing <3
I had no alcohol for 6 years, but started drinking 4 months ago. it was a desperate attemp to connect with my wife again. Was a bad decision to try to save a broken marriage. Started with just a few beers, but ended blacking out last time a i drank. Never touching alcohol again
Quit smoking weed after smoking for 20 years, just to realize i have so much stuff in my head i have to deal with. I can’t enjoy being high like i used to.
I have no one to talk about this, so reading what other people are going through really helps.
Expand QuoteI had no alcohol for 6 years, but started drinking 4 months ago. it was a desperate attemp to connect with my wife again. Was a bad decision to try to save a broken marriage. Started with just a few beers, but ended blacking out last time a i drank. Never touching alcohol again
Quit smoking weed after smoking for 20 years, just to realize i have so much stuff in my head i have to deal with. I can’t enjoy being high like i used to.
I have no one to talk about this, so reading what other people are going through really helps.[close]
You‘ve come to the right place bruh. Speak your mind, share, read, get motivation to persevere.
I had no alcohol for 6 years, but started drinking 4 months ago. it was a desperate attemp to connect with my wife again. Was a bad decision to try to save a broken marriage. Started with just a few beers, but ended blacking out last time a i drank. Never touching alcohol again
Quit smoking weed after smoking for 20 years, just to realize i have so much stuff in my head i have to deal with. I can’t enjoy being high like i used to.
I have no one to talk about this, so reading what other people are going through really helps.
Expand QuoteI had no alcohol for 6 years, but started drinking 4 months ago. it was a desperate attemp to connect with my wife again. Was a bad decision to try to save a broken marriage. Started with just a few beers, but ended blacking out last time a i drank. Never touching alcohol again
Quit smoking weed after smoking for 20 years, just to realize i have so much stuff in my head i have to deal with. I can’t enjoy being high like i used to.
I have no one to talk about this, so reading what other people are going through really helps.[close]
Know you’re brave to even admit you need some help. That alone is huge.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI had no alcohol for 6 years, but started drinking 4 months ago. it was a desperate attemp to connect with my wife again. Was a bad decision to try to save a broken marriage. Started with just a few beers, but ended blacking out last time a i drank. Never touching alcohol again
Quit smoking weed after smoking for 20 years, just to realize i have so much stuff in my head i have to deal with. I can’t enjoy being high like i used to.
I have no one to talk about this, so reading what other people are going through really helps.[close]
Know you’re brave to even admit you need some help. That alone is huge.[close]
I apareciate your words a lot, quitting weed has really opened my eyes to so much shit i didn’t wanted to deal with. Just expressing this here is a big relief.
5 years today
@AlexOlsonsDashiki
5 years is huge. Keep it going my friendExpand QuoteI got 2 years no opiates and 8 months no alcohol. I haven't posted in awhile but I was in big trouble with heroin and I somehow got it together with Suboxone and a couple of phenomenal therapists.[close]
Fuck dope! None of the dope or pills are “real” anyways. Stick with your subs too man, i got a homie thats been taking a 1/4 strip for years, as he says to “keep the edge off and keep me honest.” Good for you
First off, maaaassive props to all you guys for a) being here, and b) the time you’ve got under your belts. Full sobriety has always been too daunting for me to take on. I’ve taken breaks from either weed or alcohol countless times in my adult life, but never both at the same time.
Sadly, it’s taken my fiancé telling me it’s over to get serious. There’s still hope it’ll work out, but honestly, that’s besides the point and irrelevant to what I need to do for myself. I cannot continue to smoke and drink regularly, without being an ugly, confused person.
I’ve always felt much better when I quit weed and just have a few occasional beers or vice versa, but I’ve never allowed myself to stop both and let my dopamine level itself out fully. I’ve been listening to podcasts about addiction and learning a lot. I also plan to get therapy, even just one or two sessions, depending on the cost, to really help me understand why I keep getting addicted to the same shit, and how to overcome it.
That’s a lot of words to say not much, but I guess that’s what this thread is for. Hopefully I can share a success story in the future, but for now I’m happy to read all of yours and be inspired by them.
Expand Quote@AlexOlsonsDashiki
5 years is huge. Keep it going my friendExpand QuoteI got 2 years no opiates and 8 months no alcohol. I haven't posted in awhile but I was in big trouble with heroin and I somehow got it together with Suboxone and a couple of phenomenal therapists.[close]
Fuck dope! None of the dope or pills are “real” anyways. Stick with your subs too man, i got a homie thats been taking a 1/4 strip for years, as he says to “keep the edge off and keep me honest.” Good for you[close]
Def think there's a weird chip ppl get on their shoulders about "cheating" or whatever when choosing the lesser evil in order to function as best as you can. Like calling people Cali sober or whatever when used as a slight. That's lame, if pot works as a substitute to alcohol and you can keep it way more together and not be a disaster there's no shame in that at all. Same with Suboxone or any other substitute.
Today is day 5. There was a work party at the office tonight for one of the bosses’ retirement. I went out of respect and expecting it to be pretty mellow, but when I got there everyone was already extremely turnt. Booze, weed, etc. I had a ginger ale, hung around for an hour and made conversation with everyone, then said my goodbyes as they raged on. It wasn’t hard to abstain in the moment, but driving home I felt very, I dunno, raw? It was definitely a bittersweet feeling, but I’m proud of myself.
Never was too crazy with it but as a bartender I'd easily have 2 beers at the end of my shifts. Thought I'd try to take a month off back in July and it's been 9 months now. I don't know how much different I feel but I get the bar closed down a lot faster now.
Its been 3 days since ive last smoked weed after doing it every day for the last year and a half because i dont really get high for more than 30 minutes anymore if i even do, which i dont more often than not. I dont want to quit forever but I think i have to break the habit of it because i cant stop eventhough I dont get high anymore and theres no purpose of doing it at this point. Anyone thats had a simlair experience, did you fully quit or just start to do it less frequently and how did that go.
@Coastal Fever @mrkamikaze
Big ups fellas. Big ups
I have found that i have accomplished far more in the past 8ish years without drinking than the 12 that i was a regular heavy drinker. One of my mentors in life had said to me about why he quit drinking at 30, while i was still drinking, that “if i didn’t quit drinking I would never have done anything.” I cant reiterate just how true that has been for me.
Alcohol made nothing better… i mean shitty situations seemed more tolerable, but thats it. Alcohol made me ok about mediocrity and feeling poorly. Numbed out feeling deeply. Anyways, thats my take on it for today.
Love to you dudes. Love yourselves
That’s awesome man, congrats! I’ll be at 1 month this weekend, and agree completely with what you said about less anxiety/more clarity. I’ve been through the wringer these past few weeks with car/house/work issues, and I feel like I’ve been handling everything like a champ and getting tons of shit done. Whereas if I was still trudging through my days waiting for that evening beer/toke, I’d have broken down multiple times.
I found this aptly stated
(https://i.ibb.co/3kv266w/IMG-1049.jpg) (https://ibb.co/3kv266w)
Funny you guys are discussing ba beers today. I don’t have an issue with alc free beer but usually just drink water. This week I am in Germany tho so I had a few alc free Hefeweizen, which are really good.
Tonight I ordered « another one » and the waitress brought me a real beer by mistake. I immediately noticed the difference in taste but also a wave of alcohol flowing through my system. Very very lightly of course because it was only one big gulp I had taken.
This was the first time I m’ve had real beer in 3.5 years and man I wanted nothing more than guzzle it down. Scary. Luckily I managed to stay reasonable and just told the waitress there had been a mistake and she took the poison away. Close one…
Funny you guys are discussing ba beers today. I don’t have an issue with alc free beer but usually just drink water. This week I am in Germany tho so I had a few alc free Hefeweizen, which are really good.
Tonight I ordered « another one » and the waitress brought me a real beer by mistake. I immediately noticed the difference in taste but also a wave of alcohol flowing through my system. Very very lightly of course because it was only one big gulp I had taken.
This was the first time I m’ve had real beer in 3.5 years and man I wanted nothing more than guzzle it down. Scary. Luckily I managed to stay reasonable and just told the waitress there had been a mistake and she took the poison away. Close one…
Expand QuoteFunny you guys are discussing ba beers today. I don’t have an issue with alc free beer but usually just drink water. This week I am in Germany tho so I had a few alc free Hefeweizen, which are really good.
Tonight I ordered « another one » and the waitress brought me a real beer by mistake. I immediately noticed the difference in taste but also a wave of alcohol flowing through my system. Very very lightly of course because it was only one big gulp I had taken.
This was the first time I m’ve had real beer in 3.5 years and man I wanted nothing more than guzzle it down. Scary. Luckily I managed to stay reasonable and just told the waitress there had been a mistake and she took the poison away. Close one…[close]
Cheers to you for not falling into the thinking error of "oh, it's an accident, it was meant for me", etc, etc, etc.....
I like NA beers just because it's tied into listening to records, painting & watching Pro Wrestling for me. I'll also have one if I am doing a ton of yard work etc. It's nice & for me, it hits that same spot of wanting a beer. However, I understand how for some, this may be a "slippery slope" as everyone's addiction, experiences, needs vary so again, not for everyone. I will say that it is cool that more places have them as I was in Brooklyn yesterday & the spot had em so since I drove all of the pals, they bought, so I had two of the Samuel Adams ones. Anyway, remember that the fact that you are all thinking you should change in regards to drinking is huge. So if that means cutting back, cutting it out, whatever the case may be, that is a victory in itself.
Too many people I see from when I was younger have just let alcohol consume them. My old roommate was seen by my pals a few weeks back & he was essentially unrecognizable from all of his drinking. I guess one of the other guys that were with my pals said that guy looks like he's 50. How do you know him....just a shame....
Expand QuoteGoing back to the original post, I've been sober since I was 16 and looking back, think it was a waste of time.
My original reasoning seemed logical. I was piling out on weekends from a young age, then decided I didn't like skating with a hangover so tapered drinking for the next few years until completely straight edge.
I'm already socially awkward, so no longer being the life of the party and having to interact with people in a honest way is uncomfortable for everyone. Since drinking/bars/clubs are our social commonality, I tended to hang out with sober weirdos and my social group became smaller and smaller (I've hung out with friends at bars and they always have a problem with you not drinking booze). Now as an adult, I actively avoid socializing, don't go to work functions or "networking", and since everyone who didn't drink before now drinks heavily, don't hang out with anyone. Back when I'd run into an old skate friend and say "let's meet up to skate", now they want to meet at a bar (even if they still skate). I think drinking is just too embedded as a social pillar in our society to completely omit it from your life.[close]
Alcohol sucks and people on alcohol often suck as well. If people have a problem with you not drinking, they dont care about you.
But if you feel this way, idk what you do or how old you are, but go drink and tear it up if you think its going to make your life better!
Expand QuoteFunny you guys are discussing ba beers today. I don’t have an issue with alc free beer but usually just drink water. This week I am in Germany tho so I had a few alc free Hefeweizen, which are really good.
Tonight I ordered « another one » and the waitress brought me a real beer by mistake. I immediately noticed the difference in taste but also a wave of alcohol flowing through my system. Very very lightly of course because it was only one big gulp I had taken.
This was the first time I m’ve had real beer in 3.5 years and man I wanted nothing more than guzzle it down. Scary. Luckily I managed to stay reasonable and just told the waitress there had been a mistake and she took the poison away. Close one…[close]
Cheers to you for not falling into the thinking error of "oh, it's an accident, it was meant for me", etc, etc, etc.....
I like NA beers just because it's tied into listening to records, painting & watching Pro Wrestling for me. I'll also have one if I am doing a ton of yard work etc. It's nice & for me, it hits that same spot of wanting a beer. However, I understand how for some, this may be a "slippery slope" as everyone's addiction, experiences, needs vary so again, not for everyone. I will say that it is cool that more places have them as I was in Brooklyn yesterday & the spot had em so since I drove all of the pals, they bought, so I had two of the Samuel Adams ones. Anyway, remember that the fact that you are all thinking you should change in regards to drinking is huge. So if that means cutting back, cutting it out, whatever the case may be, that is a victory in itself.
Too many people I see from when I was younger have just let alcohol consume them. My old roommate was seen by my pals a few weeks back & he was essentially unrecognizable from all of his drinking. I guess one of the other guys that were with my pals said that guy looks like he's 50. How do you know him....just a shame....
@Coastal Fever @mrkamikaze
Alcohol made nothing better… i mean shitty situations seemed more tolerable, but thats it. Alcohol made me ok about mediocrity and feeling poorly. Numbed out feeling deeply. Anyways, thats my take on it for today.
Love to you dudes. Love yourselves
@Huell Howser
yo brother, glad those words worked for your process of thinking. Bukowski and Burroughs way of being ain't too cool when you're living it, as thats what was happening for me. Sitting in dive bars scribbling the need for escape on napkins as if making notes of it was of more importance or value than getting out of it. Bleh.
@Jim and Dan
yo dude, dabs, hash, concentrates are not for me, someone who uses weed in various ways on a pretty regular basis, a big no way. those panic attacks are awful. 1 or 2 wacks of some clean flower or a small dose edible are juuuuust enough for me. sorry to hear your experience was so brutal. But hey, man, 5 years of dope and crack is huge. I'm glad you're alive. I wish everyone could make it like that. Sounds like you are hanging in there and got a decent thing going on. I go on weed benders every now and again. Some kratom benders a few times over the years (bleh) and it all is kinda lame but harm reductionist for me. Really though, the best thing ive found is when im in a regular meditation practice. Not that you asked, jist got me thinking.
-------------------------------------------------
there's a big homeless population where i'm living and it's but for the grace of the god, the support i've got, and some willpower that I didn't end up on the streets, you know? I see these cats tweaking or on whatever the dope is nowadays, mental illness, poor health etc, and i'm like "damn, it could have been me." I lived with this huge, monstrous survivors guilt complex for years when my good friends starting dying. I've worked through it and it's good, I'm grateful to be where i'm at, let alone alive and thriving.
So today, I'm skating this DIY spot on the side of a road and this cat comes by and starts chopping it up with me. He's got all sorts of stuff in his arms, looked like he was carrying it to build a shelter. Dude starts talking with me about skating and how he doesn't skate anymore but has the "curse of the skater vision... everything's a spot!" I give him a pound and get back to skating. think nothing of it other than "alright, that dude has some shit going on but was pleasant enough." so I move onto the next spot an hour later and dude comes out of the woods and starts chopping it up again, looks at the ledge i'm skating and is like "dude, you need some wax! I've got candles you can have." I'm like "nah bro, it's cool... i'll just go faster." He walks over to the ledge and runs his hand along the top of it and says very gently "dude, you really need some wax. this is dried out!" I keep skating and a bit later he comes up and hands me a nub from an emergency candle and says "go wax that thing, dude. get it. noseslide, right? go land that." So i wax the fucking top of the ledge and start landing the damn noseslides. Meanwhile, dude is messing with a basketball that was on the court and draining threes, kinda running solo drills, talking to himself a bit. he's got moves like he definitely played ball at another point in life. We start shooting the shit about skating for a minute again and I'm seeing that this cat is probably a few years younger than me and let him push around on my board and he's saying "not talking shit, but this board is loosey goosey and heavy... (DOA, Aces, 56mm loopholes) you got mad pop but you gotta get an element or something light and you'll be ollieing 6 decks dude..." I laughed and kept skating while he was doing his thing and I give him the $2 in my pocket, because you know, he's living in a tent and is obviously struggling, and I'm well, housed, fed, in love, got everything i could want and a dog to boot. two bucks is whatever to me most of the time. not even a cup of coffee without another 30 cents.
So I'm making my way out of the spot and i skate over to this cat and says "hey man, thanks again for the wax. what's your name?" and he says "i'm xxxxxxxxxxx, i live right over here behind the creek...." and no joke this dude's got the same name as a nickname that people used to call me til I moved to the west coast and got my shit together. I'm like "thanks for the wax and the chat, man. stay safe over there, you know?" I'm skating away and he says "hey, you know anyone with some percs?" I'm really thrown now because he's obviously from the east coast calling em percs and those are what took everyone from my generation out. I say "nah man, can't help ya there." He says to me "right on, well, if you ever have a spare board, i could use one. i camp right over there..."
Pals, it was a what the fuckity fuck sorta moment. Sad and again, i'm real grateful to be where i'm at. happy to be alive. happy you are all alive.
love to you all and love yourselves.
I’ll delete this if anyone finds it triggering, but after a few weeks of not even having non-alcoholic beer, I picked up a sixer of Bud Zero and I fucking loved it. Which is funny because I was strictly a juicy IPA guy while boozing, and I find most na beers disgusting, but this one reeeally hits the spot on a hot day.
Thankfully, I didn’t miss the buzz aspect at all, I just truly enjoyed the taste a lot. I’m a little nervous that I’m unwittingly leading myself back down a slippery slope towards the real thing.. but I love being sober, so I’d like to think that I’ve actually just found a healthier replacement, that provides the same refreshment I used to seek from drinking.
*this post was not in any way paid for or supported by Budweiser Zero, 0.0% alcohol beer.
Expand QuoteI’ll delete this if anyone finds it triggering, but after a few weeks of not even having non-alcoholic beer, I picked up a sixer of Bud Zero and I fucking loved it. Which is funny because I was strictly a juicy IPA guy while boozing, and I find most na beers disgusting, but this one reeeally hits the spot on a hot day.
Thankfully, I didn’t miss the buzz aspect at all, I just truly enjoyed the taste a lot. I’m a little nervous that I’m unwittingly leading myself back down a slippery slope towards the real thing.. but I love being sober, so I’d like to think that I’ve actually just found a healthier replacement, that provides the same refreshment I used to seek from drinking.
*this post was not in any way paid for or supported by Budweiser Zero, 0.0% alcohol beer.[close]
i've gone from being a heavy drinker (4-6 drinks a day) to an occasional drinker where I drink 3-4 days a week now. i know that's still a decent amount but i drink less when i do and half the time. NA beers have been a cool thing lately for me and figured i'd share. on days that i do drink i'll lean no NAs to drink less and then on days i don't drink i've been drinking them and i've realized that i really just enjoy relaxing with a beer with or without alcohol. current favorite is stella. my wife is much more hardcore than me when it comes to not drinking and she was more of a wine drinker than beer drinker but she's really gotten into the NA beers.
for both of us alcohol is more about how it effects our sleep. ive been tracking my sleep score with my garmin for a good bit and it's been really helpful as it gives me a very clear view of the effect that drinks have on me. you even start to understand the difference between two beers with dinner versus right before bed.
day 10 over here. it feels like cheating since it's being forced upon me by the county for 6-12 months. still the new found clarity of this thing called my life has been amazing. i've been realizing things about how i've been living that i never would have drinking everyday and waking up hungover. i've been doing things and taking care of stuff that i've put off for years. like dusting off my ceiling fans. i've had these fuckers for 8 years and never have dusted them once. disgusting i know. it's also pretty cool how long the weekend lasts when you don't drink.
right now i'm in the middle of reorganizing my record collection, that should keep me busy for a few months.
Yes, good job, breezy_again and fineslime. I am at about 4 weeks no alcohol. It's also kind of forced while I sort some things out, but I found it most difficult the first two weeks. Going out is definitely a lot cheaper! I went out to the pub tonight and just had waters with my food. Keep it up, guys!
benedryl is good for helping you sleep. its actually the same dose of the same drug as a unisom sleep gel. i believe it does show up as alcohol on a pee test though.I had to sign an agreement to be 100% sober during this day treatment and Benadryl was one of the things I can’t take. NyQuil as well. My mom bought me some cbd gummies to help me sleep and today they may give me non addictive pills to help with sleep. My pee tests will show up positive for thc the whole time I’m here they said but they can send it to a lab to get levels to see if I’m truly being sober. Which I have. It’s been very hard.
i'm gonna look into some of these other options myself as my sleep is kind of fucked at the moment. the medication i'm on makes me have crazy lucid dreams which has started to become annoying.
You got this!Thank you. Lots of stuff happening these last few days. The psychiatrist diagnosed me with bipolar type 1. Makes sense though to me
The only thing I’d warn against a 6 month plans is that can be a daunting and discouraging length of time. Not saying to adopt the whole “one day at a time” mindset either, but maybe a week? 2 weeks? Just long enough to get over the initial hurdle and start feeling the positive effects.
Sorry to sidetrack, but wanted to riff off on sobriety vs addictive behaviour vs spending habits… I think my ADHD is kicking in now that I’ve stopped numbing myself, and I’ve found new fixations to obsess over. Mainly teeth whitening products, na beers, and investing into new gear for every hobby that piques my interest. To the point where my partner is expressing concern rather than celebrating my sobriety.
Has anyone else been in a similar situation?
*This isn’t a flex about having lots of money either, I’m doing okay, but recently put a home reno project on credit while waiting on interest free funding, and have taken on the attitude of “hey why not invest in myself as well even if it means using credit”.
I appreciate that.
That's the crazy thing, anytime I drink way too much I always feel ashamed the next morning no matter how the night went. But lately I've been doing my binge drinking at home, alone. That part scares me too.
Thankfully I'm good at staying away from my phone and computer so far, heh.
I think I'll give your 6 month plan a try, that sounds about up my alley.
Sucks to have to start it when summer is just kicking off, but the booze isn't gonna wait until it's convenient for me, and hey, 4th of July will be a good last hurrah before going off the wagon...or on the wagon...I can't remember which means "doesn't drink"...
One week clean :)
Longest I’ve ever been clean since junior year of high school and I’m turning 27 in a few days
I have been on here with the same name twice. First time i posted about how i was excited to be almost 2 years or so sober. Well i completely fell into a full on drinking binge. I did the absolutely classic mistake of thinking i could have one at my friends wedding.Do you have access to a day treatment program or an IOP (intensive outpatient program)
That was a year ago today. Im only 1 month dry. I do smoke bud, but no tobacco etc. I swear it was easier last time when i stopped to keep no doing so. RN its insane to not drink. Any advice? I stay away from drinking friends when they are doing that. I try to just keep my mind off it.
im in our local AA program rn. I may have a sponsor lined up this week. I know that i just cant drink. Im dry rn i just gotta do something else.
im in our local AA program rn. I may have a sponsor lined up this week. I know that i just cant drink. Im dry rn i just gotta do something else.what has helped me is journaling, acknowledging the anxiety and depression that comes out once you stop numbing yourself. Journal your cravings every time they come. I just wrote I want to get high and I wrote it so many times the first few days. I don’t really have cravings now. Just dealing with the underlying mental health issues that caused me to spiral into addiction. Move. Like I’d just lay in bed and think of terrible shit so now when I wake up I get up and go outside or just go get some water. Have you tried SMART recovery meetings? They don’t do higher power but instead emphasize on your own responsibility. I like the meetings and they have virtual or in person. If you want to join mine you can dm me.
Two weeks sober today. I’ve had some cravings but my life in the long run will be better. I’ll actually have a life not just be a prisoner to weed and alcohol when I didn’t have any. I’m very sad and depressed right now but I’m not numbing my pain away. Trying to let it out.
Congrats Idk! That’s a huge accomplishment. If you’re feeling down maybe try reading or listening to some material about the benefits of sobriety? I don’t like the stuff that’s prefaced or focuses on the dark times leading up to it, but there’s some great motivational resources out there to remind you why you’re doing it, and why you’ll thank yourself soon.
I’m at 3 months today. In the beginning I was worried that my life wouldn’t actually improve going sober, that I’d still be bored, sad and unmotivated. It’s crazy how untrue that was. I have more time, money, energy, mental well-being, etc. I’m taking on and enjoying things that before would’ve felt like an absolute chore.
I also have to give credit to my supportive partner, friends and family. If they drank around me like I used to in their presence, this would be a lot harder. So I truly appreciate their patience with me when I was down bad. Be kind to yourself and others.
was just working a 40,000+ people/per day sort of event that doesn't serve/sell/prohibits alcohol. Mushrooms are legal in Oregon and instead of getting shitty on booze it seemed like at least 1/2 people were eating mushrooms. I'll take people on moderate dosages of boomers all day long. 100K+ people filtering in and out for 5 days with no fights, no cops, etc. Instead we got people hugging, laughing, making art, music, and being all around decent. fuck yaI have been microdosing more now that I’m sober from weed and alcohol. Obviously shrooms are a drug but they’ve never been enticing to me where I have to do them everyday nor is the high something I love, it’s way too intense for me. But I just eat a little of chocolate shrooms and they tend to bring me a peace of mind and a calmness. Like everything will be ok. Really has helped this recovery process.
Oh, and the amount of blood that starting to go from both ends is scary
And most of my adult life I’ve drank during work for sure. It becomes this massive task of always have deodorant, perfume (ck1!) mouthwash, toothpaste, cigarettes, anything to hid it. Like a full time job in itself
The thing I hate most about this addiction is the lying. All the little white lies add up and people work it out in the end. Also the money. Atm it’s around $60 a day. I’ve sold most of my Jordan’s, Airmaxs,so much ACG gear and stuff that took ages to hunt down only to sell them for cheap so I can get money in my hand now.
I stole a bottle of wine this morning. The shops around here don’t open till 7am.
Sorry for spewing all this shit. If it is triggering anyone please tell me to stop. Sorry in advance
Sitting at 4.5 months-ish right now as I didn’t really have an official start date. Was strictly a social drinker other than the occasional glass of wine or cocktail on a date night, but when it was party time I definitely suffered from CEBS (Constantly Empty Beer Syndrome), and would lose track and end up drinking too much and getting terrible sleep and anxiety the next few days. Just didn’t like who I was when I got to that point.
We welcomed our first baby in April, which has absolutely changed my life. I was thinking about giving it up for a while, but the third trimester and first few months of fatherhood have been the perfect catalyst. I just want to be there for every moment, and be ready at a second’s notice, and don’t want to have those experiences dulled in any way, either through alcohol or a hangover.
Still have plenty of anxiety issues to work on in therapy and a whole bunch of stupid party shit I did to feel guilty about forever, but this new step in my life definitely feels like the right one.
I’m on day 14 of no booze. Spent 8 days abroad and was drinking at least 3 beers/ drinks a day, with a couple of nights I went harder. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety throughout my but noticed, over the last year or so, drinking was exacerbating it far more than before. I’m hoping to ride this out through the rest of the year and get my mental/ physical health in a good and balanced place
I'll never get there. I've tried a few times. Usually, I couldn't even look at this thread after every imminent failure. Maybe I'm not ready or something. I don't know. It kinda feels like I'm finally over smoking weed though after 20-some years. But alcohol is so much worse that it doesn't even feel like that's progress and more like a step backwards into self-destruction.
With the amount of people that go on this thread we could do our own video meeting kinda like smart recovery? You don’t even have to be sober it’s more for if you’re considering sobriety or are currently sober.
Expand QuoteSitting at 4.5 months-ish right now as I didn’t really have an official start date. Was strictly a social drinker other than the occasional glass of wine or cocktail on a date night, but when it was party time I definitely suffered from CEBS (Constantly Empty Beer Syndrome), and would lose track and end up drinking too much and getting terrible sleep and anxiety the next few days. Just didn’t like who I was when I got to that point.
We welcomed our first baby in April, which has absolutely changed my life. I was thinking about giving it up for a while, but the third trimester and first few months of fatherhood have been the perfect catalyst. I just want to be there for every moment, and be ready at a second’s notice, and don’t want to have those experiences dulled in any way, either through alcohol or a hangover.
Still have plenty of anxiety issues to work on in therapy and a whole bunch of stupid party shit I did to feel guilty about forever, but this new step in my life definitely feels like the right one.[close]
Congratulations!
I have an 18 months old. At first I stopped getting drunk for the exact same reasons you wrote about, plus, I felt that the newborn was so fragile and I didn't want to do anything stupid after I had had a few drinks.
Now I will have a few drinks when I go out (which doesn't happen often anymore). But: Being hungover and taking care of a toddler doesn't mix for me at all. It's the worst. It gets to be super annoying and stressful. So the only time when I will have more then two drinks now is when I have the following day for myself. This only happens in the rare case, when my wife and son visit her mother for the weekend.
It's been good, but sometimes I do miss being stupid and drinking too much without these immediate consequences.
Im still stuck in the depressed phase after getting sober. I find no enjoyment in life, mixed with no friends and a non existent life it really sucks.
i'll be at 6 weeks this upcoming tuesday. it's amazing how clear headed i am these days. i love it!
i've also come to the point where i'm realizing things about myself. i had serious issues managing my anger when i was drinking everyday. if anything drinking elevated my don't-give-a-fuck attitude. i seriously owe a few people serious apologies. most notably my exgirlfriend from a year ago. i'm gonna try and cross that bridge later today. she probably won't answer the phone but we'll see.
i'll be at 6 weeks this upcoming tuesday. it's amazing how clear headed i am these days. i love it!
i've also come to the point where i'm realizing things about myself. i had serious issues managing my anger when i was drinking everyday. if anything drinking elevated my don't-give-a-fuck attitude. i seriously owe a few people serious apologies. most notably my exgirlfriend from a year ago. i'm gonna try and cross that bridge later today. she probably won't answer the phone but we'll see.
Sobriety is the new high.
i haven't tried this. in fact quite the opposite. i've had 3 servings today already. i think i'll give this a try tomorrow and skip my cup before work. by the time i get there i'll have been up for 2 hours or so.Expand Quotei'll be at 6 weeks this upcoming tuesday. it's amazing how clear headed i am these days. i love it!
i've also come to the point where i'm realizing things about myself. i had serious issues managing my anger when i was drinking everyday. if anything drinking elevated my don't-give-a-fuck attitude. i seriously owe a few people serious apologies. most notably my exgirlfriend from a year ago. i'm gonna try and cross that bridge later today. she probably won't answer the phone but we'll see.[close]Expand QuoteSobriety is the new high.[close]
@breezy_again
have you tried not drinking coffee for first hour of the day? this is a new one i've been doing after hearing a speaker talk about it at a recent business talk. the idea is that your body creates cortisol when you first wake up to help you get alert and drinking coffee gets in the way of this process (https://www.thorne.com/take-5-daily/article/why-you-should-reconsider-that-morning-cup-of-coffee). I've been doing it for a few weeks and really noticed a difference. I've also found if i'm not drinking i don't need the coffee right away.
27 days sober but it’s been really rough since last Thursday.
A little over 2 months with no alcohol here. Been buying zero-proof cocktails (in between waters) when I go to my local tavern, usually some sort of non-alcoholic mule.
Always felt it would be silly paying for non-alcoholic beverages, but it is not so bad. Good that I have an option to feel like I can be in a social setting and still support the establishment as a paying customer.
Other weird small things too, like not worrying about draining every last drop of my drink to get as much of that sweet firewater as possible -- once it gets watered down, I'm over it. Or if I forget to guard my drink and it gets picked up by a waitress, I'm less concerned for some reason (it's like losing a coca cola). All in all, there's less anxiety involved. I'm not getting that liquid courage anymore, but since I'm 38 (and gonna be a pro skater) now, the liquid courage has become pretty unnecessary at this point.
One thing I've noticed is that the bar is a lot emptier these days than when I first went dry and I suspect it is because everything has gotten so expensive (it sure as hell isn't because everyone else stopped drinking too). I think the bar owners have had to tighten their belts by raising prices and cutting back on deals for regulars. For 2 drinks and a meal, I'm dropping like $40 nowadays, whereas it used to cost me almost half that much (granted I'm friends with the staff so they would hook me up).
Proud of you guys and gals, keep it up!
A friend of mine moved back from the east coast and is going through detox right now. I'm very proud of him. Can't wait to see him in a couple of months and have a chill skate session. I just don't want to be an enabler since I'm still pounding back liquor daily. Every time I consider quitting I just get so anxious an hour before the liquor store closes and have to pick something up. Things are not going well in my life but I'm putting all my energy into skateboarding to distract myself so that's something at least.
@EdLawndale The part about bars being emptier post-covid is something I've read from a lot of bar staff on Reddit about. Times are changing and it's hard to point out just one thing. I quit 21 months ago, have bumped into a lot of acquaintances who have also quit in the past few years. On Saturday, I went skating with a buddy who used to bartend at the bars I would frequent. He quit and said a huge chunk of the staff quit as well. I know a decent chunk of early 20's kids through skating and NEVER hear them talk about drinking, rarely see pictures on social media.Expand QuoteA friend of mine moved back from the east coast and is going through detox right now. I'm very proud of him. Can't wait to see him in a couple of months and have a chill skate session. I just don't want to be an enabler since I'm still pounding back liquor daily. Every time I consider quitting I just get so anxious an hour before the liquor store closes and have to pick something up. Things are not going well in my life but I'm putting all my energy into skateboarding to distract myself so that's something at least.[close]
@Steely Daniel How's your buddy detoxing? Is he in a facility or some shit? I"m only asking cause they don't teach you this shit in school and will always take an opportunity to talk about it. I was lucky enough to get medically detoxed my final time, took a good 5 days to get me off the shit. This is a quick guide for tapering off booze. For the record, WITHDRAWAL IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, IF YOU'RE HEARING SHIT/HALLUCINATING DRINK SOME BOOZE OR GO TO A HOSPITAL DON'T TRY TO TOUGH IT OUT. https://hams.cc/taper/
And Steely I can definitely relate. When I used to drink the thought of going 3 days without it was terrifying. It took quite a while to rewire my brain. I used to wake up still a bit drunk, and the only think I could think about was immediately getting to the store to get more beer. Waiting again till that night to get drunk again was torture, so usually I'd just start day drinking. It took me a few weeks of not drinking, until it wasn't constantly on my mind. After about 6 months, the thoughts got a lot less intrusive. Had a ton of anxiety the first few months, skating/working out helped a bit, but I kinda just had to sit there with it.
I"m not going to preach at you because I know this shit's not easy. The alcohol did a number on my mental health. It's hard to not have anxiety and depression when you're constantly liquored up. I didn't exactly quit on a winning streak either, but it was much easier for me to fix the problems in my life when I wasn't giving 90 percent of my physical and mental energy to alcohol. It's good to hear you're skating though, if it weren't for shit I'm passionate about I would have just kept drinking or pulled the plug. Best of luck to you man.
@Steely Daniel Where's your buddy from? I think I have you in my head as a Canadian? Either way I'm just curious because I live where there's a lot of natives. Decent amount of them skate too and we occasionally go out to the rezervations that have small plazas built by the Tony Hawk Foundation. I've been meaning to hit the Pine Ridge park and skate with the kids, but shit keeps coming up.
Been to treatment twice, 14 years apart and I went to the same place for it. It was a dumpy little place, but it was really colorful due to all the Native patients/employees. They had contracts with tribes all across the country, but most of them were from the midwest. A couple years back, I dropped my car off at the mechanic and then went and got a couple pints of booze from this gas station. Ubered home and the driver was telling me about how he worked there(I had only been there once at this point). When I went back, it was a holy shit moment when I found out he runs the sweat lodge there.
This is like a 5 hour drive away, but it's in the state I live in. I've always had a lot of interest in Native culture just due to where I live.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN98eObkFCQ
i'm 6 weeks in and really enjoying it. lot's of energy, feel great and so pumped everyday. my weight is at a 8ish year low, been working out consistently (never been a problem for me).Congrats dude. I feel you on the lameness when the convo turns to sports or other stuff I don’t care about (pretty much anything but skating, fishing, or family). If you are lucky enough to have a cool work homie that you vibe with, get those vibes going while out at a dinner and then involve others. I find it hard to be in a social situation I don’t want to be in now that I don’t drink, but I try to find little things I can use to get into the conversation and introduce humor. Or I just roll my eyes and bounce if the vibe is lame. That isn’t always an option though.
main negative is i get bored eating out which is a problem sometimes because i do a lot of business networking. i have a happy hour tonight. the challenge isn't not wanting to drink, i'm fine with a soda water or NA beer. challenge is wanting to be social and outgoing which my business needs me to be. i did a business dinner at this really fancy place last week, food was amazing but i was bored out of my mind and counting the minutes and i'm sure some people noticed. and oh my god when the conversation of sports came up i thought i was going to die.
very small price to pay for feeling so revitalized.
Since I can’t buy hop water anywhere around here I found a recipe to make it, where you basically just make a strong hop tea then add a couple tbsp to sparkling water with lime juice or whatever you like. Not as good as Lagunitas but does the trick. Only thing is making the hop tea makes the house smell like feet according to my partner.
what is it with americans that they're either drinking two 24 beer packs on their own every evening or be "sober" ?
question from a european who enjoys a 25cl beer in the evening every now and then and sharing a good bottle of wine at a dinner with friends
Expand Quotewhat is it with americans that they're either drinking two 24 beer packs on their own every evening or be "sober" ?
question from a european who enjoys a 25cl beer in the evening every now and then and sharing a good bottle of wine at a dinner with friends[close]
Are you kidding? There’s parts of Europe with government sanctioned beer/liquor stores because of how stupid y’all get on the sauce. PS what the fuck is a CL? We measure our alcoholic liquids in hamburgers and “HELL YEAH!”’s
i'm 6 weeks in and really enjoying it. lot's of energy, feel great and so pumped everyday. my weight is at a 8ish year low, been working out consistently (never been a problem for me).
main negative is i get bored eating out which is a problem sometimes because i do a lot of business networking. i have a happy hour tonight. the challenge isn't not wanting to drink, i'm fine with a soda water or NA beer. challenge is wanting to be social and outgoing which my business needs me to be. i did a business dinner at this really fancy place last week, food was amazing but i was bored out of my mind and counting the minutes and i'm sure some people noticed. and oh my god when the conversation of sports came up i thought i was going to die.
very small price to pay for feeling so revitalized.
Yeah a lot of what has been stopping me from stopping is just the nervousness of “what if i go through withdrawals and what if they get gnarly?” They sound pretty scary.Expand QuoteI drink. A good amount actually. I post about it here and there, but I just now realized that I haven’t had a sober streak of more than a week since early January. Only been able to get a couple days in a row since then before I go back to boozing.
Currently I’m at one shot of one of those 50ml tequila shots (those ones that they give you on airplane rides) right before i get into work at 9am to get that morning buzz going, another one of those 50ml shots a couple hours later at 11am-12pm, and then maybe another one a couple hours after that (or sometimes I’ll just cap it off at two of those for the afternoon). Then once I’m off work around 6pm I’ll buy a few more of those 50ml tequila shots and just chug em throughout the night as I’m hanging out or skating, and then I’ll usually end the night at the bar with a couple beers and a couple more shots on top of what I already drank earlier, then repeat again the next day. That’s about an average of ten drinks a day (sometimes less, but often times more) and it’s been like that all of 2023 for me pretty much. Maybe not a lot when you compare it to some people who drink like a handle a day or a 24 pack a day, but still more than the average drinker for sure.
I’ve been thinking about going sober for a while now, if not permanently then at least for a handful of months just go give my body a rest from this constant boozing which I feel can’t be too good for it.
I’ve been reading up on withdrawals n stuff and it’s got me a bit nervous that I might get them so I was gonna try to just cut back by one less drink a day for the next week or two until I cut it down to none and then just go from there, kinda like what BA did when he quit drinking, so that way it would lessen any potential withdrawals. Wish me luck y’all.[close]
ya know, it doesn't matter what you're drinking compared to others. not at all. if it's something you want to change, thn that's all that matters. i was chilling with a friend back east last week and while they're very rarely "wasted," they're drinking from the time they wake til the time they go to bed at night. their hand shakes while they're pouring the first glass of wine or making a drink. like I said, they're rarely wasted and quite functional, but they can't do anything without the sauce in them.
I say this because you're not alone, holmes.
If you're going to work on a detox, and are planning this thing out, maybe it could be cool to talk to a doctor about it. A lot of people, myself included, ended up substituting with other problematic stuff when getting off booze.
wish you the best
Expand QuoteYeah a lot of what has been stopping me from stopping is just the nervousness of “what if i go through withdrawals and what if they get gnarly?” They sound pretty scary.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI drink. A good amount actually. I post about it here and there, but I just now realized that I haven’t had a sober streak of more than a week since early January. Only been able to get a couple days in a row since then before I go back to boozing.
Currently I’m at one shot of one of those 50ml tequila shots (those ones that they give you on airplane rides) right before i get into work at 9am to get that morning buzz going, another one of those 50ml shots a couple hours later at 11am-12pm, and then maybe another one a couple hours after that (or sometimes I’ll just cap it off at two of those for the afternoon). Then once I’m off work around 6pm I’ll buy a few more of those 50ml tequila shots and just chug em throughout the night as I’m hanging out or skating, and then I’ll usually end the night at the bar with a couple beers and a couple more shots on top of what I already drank earlier, then repeat again the next day. That’s about an average of ten drinks a day (sometimes less, but often times more) and it’s been like that all of 2023 for me pretty much. Maybe not a lot when you compare it to some people who drink like a handle a day or a 24 pack a day, but still more than the average drinker for sure.
I’ve been thinking about going sober for a while now, if not permanently then at least for a handful of months just go give my body a rest from this constant boozing which I feel can’t be too good for it.
I’ve been reading up on withdrawals n stuff and it’s got me a bit nervous that I might get them so I was gonna try to just cut back by one less drink a day for the next week or two until I cut it down to none and then just go from there, kinda like what BA did when he quit drinking, so that way it would lessen any potential withdrawals. Wish me luck y’all.[close]
ya know, it doesn't matter what you're drinking compared to others. not at all. if it's something you want to change, thn that's all that matters. i was chilling with a friend back east last week and while they're very rarely "wasted," they're drinking from the time they wake til the time they go to bed at night. their hand shakes while they're pouring the first glass of wine or making a drink. like I said, they're rarely wasted and quite functional, but they can't do anything without the sauce in them.
I say this because you're not alone, holmes.
If you're going to work on a detox, and are planning this thing out, maybe it could be cool to talk to a doctor about it. A lot of people, myself included, ended up substituting with other problematic stuff when getting off booze.
wish you the best[close]
I’ve read that severe withdrawals happen to a smaller percentage than some would assume but it still makes me nervous, which is why I was going to do the weaning off with a drink less per day method until I’m cut back altogether. I heard about BA doing a similar method to quit drinking in a YouTube vid about his alcohol addiction.
I would consult a doctor but my health insurance is crap so I try to stay away from hospitals and doctors unless I really need them. I already owe the hospital a ton of money as is.[close]
Right on! I advise you to avoid benzodiazepines at all costs. Might help at first but its a bad road to hoe. Valerian, passion flower, magnesium, and zinc will be very helpful. Low thc weed can also be very helpful
I drink. A good amount actually. I post about it here and there, but I just now realized that I haven’t had a sober streak of more than a week since early January. Only been able to get a couple days in a row since then before I go back to boozing.
Currently I’m at one shot of one of those 50ml tequila shots (those ones that they give you on airplane rides) right before i get into work at 9am to get that morning buzz going, another one of those 50ml shots a couple hours later at 11am-12pm, and then maybe another one a couple hours after that (or sometimes I’ll just cap it off at two of those for the afternoon). Then once I’m off work around 6pm I’ll buy a few more of those 50ml tequila shots and just chug em throughout the night as I’m hanging out or skating, and then I’ll usually end the night at the bar with a couple beers and a couple more shots on top of what I already drank earlier, then repeat again the next day. That’s about an average of ten drinks a day (sometimes less, but often times more) and it’s been like that all of 2023 for me pretty much. Maybe not a lot when you compare it to some people who drink like a handle a day or a 24 pack a day, but still more than the average drinker for sure.
I’ve been thinking about going sober for a while now, if not permanently then at least for a handful of months just to give my body a rest from this constant boozing which I feel can’t be too good for it.
I’ve been reading up on withdrawals n stuff and it’s got me a bit nervous that I might get them so I was gonna try to just cut back by one less drink a day for the next week or two until I cut it down to none and then just go from there, kinda like what BA did when he quit drinking, so that way it would lessen any potential withdrawals. Wish me luck y’all.
Expand Quotei'm 6 weeks in and really enjoying it. lot's of energy, feel great and so pumped everyday. my weight is at a 8ish year low, been working out consistently (never been a problem for me).
main negative is i get bored eating out which is a problem sometimes because i do a lot of business networking. i have a happy hour tonight. the challenge isn't not wanting to drink, i'm fine with a soda water or NA beer. challenge is wanting to be social and outgoing which my business needs me to be. i did a business dinner at this really fancy place last week, food was amazing but i was bored out of my mind and counting the minutes and i'm sure some people noticed. and oh my god when the conversation of sports came up i thought i was going to die.
very small price to pay for feeling so revitalized.[close]
Having to go through that kind of social interaction without some sort of “lubricant” is always hard. Props for making it through such encounters.
Just passed 3 months no alcohol here.
Has anyone found any interesting non-drinking uses for the beer and other alcohol left over in your home from before you quit?
year and a half today pals, much love to all y'all doin' it, or tryin' it! life can definitely get better if we let it.
Expand Quoteyear and a half today pals, much love to all y'all doin' it, or tryin' it! life can definitely get better if we let it.[close]
congratulations! i'm definitely enjoying it so far. 74 days in for me.
Huge congrats dudes! Hope you both still regularly feel the benefits of your choices.
My 37th bday just passed, so did 150 days/5 months. Always had 6 months in my head as the first big milestone, and it still is, but looking forward to a full year now.
Started taking an SSRI right when my last run of getting faded regularly began. It didn’t do shit until I went sober, and has been good since. I’ve even read that SSRIs can make quitting drinking/drugs easier. This week I decided to see if I could scale back from 30mg to 20mg, gonna try it out for a bit then maybe try to get off them completely.
I don’t want to rush or do anything self-sabotaging.. but I’m really curious if I actually do need it, or if sobriety was the answer to my mental instability throughout my whole adulthood. If I do find that I struggle without and they help me significantly, I’d happily get back on them.
Would love to hear any of your experiences with that type of medication in conjunction with your sobriety.
props to everyone posting up. keep it up!
i'm 91 days in. i started with a dry 30, went for 60 then 90 and now i'm just enjoying being sober and the energy. i might be done. probably getting too old for drinking.
Expand Quoteprops to everyone posting up. keep it up!
i'm 91 days in. i started with a dry 30, went for 60 then 90 and now i'm just enjoying being sober and the energy. i might be done. probably getting too old for drinking.[close]
I’m with you on being too old. The recovery from an evening moderate drinking isn’t worth it and I’m positive the booze and a slowing metabolism are to blame for the extra weight I’m carrying around.
Yeah, it took about 4 months of alcohol for my metabolism to adjust maybe, but I am losing crazy weight rn with minimal exercise and diet chages. Around a pound a week. Gonna have to poke a new hole in my belt soon.
Keep it up pals, love seeing everything trending in a positive direction in here.
Now, I definitely am "normal" when it comes to maintaining or losing weight, which is nice. And when I see that scale go up or down depending on my level of activity or what I've been eating (or the combination of the two of course) I am reminded of how much alcohol was actually affecting my weight and overall health / wellbeing. THAT, is a huge motivation to never look back for me at least.
Ya, coffee is the one thing I let myself neeeeeeeeed. I enjoy it. The ritual, the light craving, the flavor…
Coffee and energy drinks are my thing. When I hang with people that are drinking, I’ll get all hopped up on a couple Monsters and I can talk nonsense with everyone else that is drinking. I do find that having a non alcoholic beverage in my hand when in a setting where people are drinking makes me feel better…it’s hard to describe. I read about that tactic somewhere, but it really works for me.
Expand QuoteCoffee and energy drinks are my thing. When I hang with people that are drinking, I’ll get all hopped up on a couple Monsters and I can talk nonsense with everyone else that is drinking. I do find that having a non alcoholic beverage in my hand when in a setting where people are drinking makes me feel better…it’s hard to describe. I read about that tactic somewhere, but it really works for me.[close]
the NA beers have gotten really good. my wife and i really like heineken 0. definitely helpful to have a good social drink figured out. if there's no NAs then i'll go with a soda water
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteCoffee and energy drinks are my thing. When I hang with people that are drinking, I’ll get all hopped up on a couple Monsters and I can talk nonsense with everyone else that is drinking. I do find that having a non alcoholic beverage in my hand when in a setting where people are drinking makes me feel better…it’s hard to describe. I read about that tactic somewhere, but it really works for me.[close]
the NA beers have gotten really good. my wife and i really like heineken 0. definitely helpful to have a good social drink figured out. if there's no NAs then i'll go with a soda water[close]
Heineken 0 rules. That is my go to, along with the Athletic NA's. They have 4-5 options. The Samuel Adams NA is also a great option as it has a nice crisp taste. This June will be two years for me. There's no going back. Stay strong out there mates. You will all be happier with a hard day missing drinking & not giving in instead of waking up & saying "it got me".
thought of y'all today. 11 months. lately, in fear of autumn depression, been drinking a lot of cola. love this guarana cola. guarana is different than coffein, coffein just releases it's powers on you at once, guarana is slowly sneaking its energy into your system. lol.
Expand QuoteCoffee and energy drinks are my thing. When I hang with people that are drinking, I’ll get all hopped up on a couple Monsters and I can talk nonsense with everyone else that is drinking. I do find that having a non alcoholic beverage in my hand when in a setting where people are drinking makes me feel better…it’s hard to describe. I read about that tactic somewhere, but it really works for me.[close]
the NA beers have gotten really good. my wife and i really like heineken 0. definitely helpful to have a good social drink figured out. if there's no NAs then i'll go with a soda water
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteCoffee and energy drinks are my thing. When I hang with people that are drinking, I’ll get all hopped up on a couple Monsters and I can talk nonsense with everyone else that is drinking. I do find that having a non alcoholic beverage in my hand when in a setting where people are drinking makes me feel better…it’s hard to describe. I read about that tactic somewhere, but it really works for me.[close]
the NA beers have gotten really good. my wife and i really like heineken 0. definitely helpful to have a good social drink figured out. if there's no NAs then i'll go with a soda water[close]
Still drink occasionally, but usually resort to non-alcoholic beers.
There are quite a number of non-alcoholic IPAs out there that I really enjoy. The higher amount of hopes really counter balances the additional sweetness non-alcoholic beers usually have. The brew dog Punk NA and Nanny State NA are some widely available and pretty affordable beers that avoid the typical non-alcoholic taste
i've only gained pounds since being sober but everyone always comments that i look good and that it looks like I've lost weight. i think it must have to do with my face not being bloated and red from drinking. today is 6 months for me but my time on probation is drawing near. it really is amazing how much better i feel and all the things i've accomplished these past 6 months that i wouldn't have done if i had been drinking.
Also any advice or feedback from y’all who are currently going through cutting back or quitting or those of you who are sober would be greatly appreciated! Feels good to have a place to vent and rant and talk about it.
Expand Quoteprops to everyone posting up. keep it up!
i'm 91 days in. i started with a dry 30, went for 60 then 90 and now i'm just enjoying being sober and the energy. i might be done. probably getting too old for drinking.[close]
I’m with you on being too old. The recovery from an evening moderate drinking isn’t worth it and I’m positive the booze and a slowing metabolism are to blame for the extra weight I’m carrying around.
Expand QuoteExpand Quoteprops to everyone posting up. keep it up!
i'm 91 days in. i started with a dry 30, went for 60 then 90 and now i'm just enjoying being sober and the energy. i might be done. probably getting too old for drinking.[close]
I’m with you on being too old. The recovery from an evening moderate drinking isn’t worth it and I’m positive the booze and a slowing metabolism are to blame for the extra weight I’m carrying around.[close]
Pretty much these two. I’m lucky in that while alcoholism runs all over my family I have had no problems picking up or putting down beer for the most part. I’m the typical moderate old man weekend drinker for the most part. But lately beer just doesn’t sit well with me. The buzz isn’t great, the sleep gets fucked, it seems to give me heartburn now, and the next day is generally grey. Not to mention I took up skateboarding as an old man and I don’t need anything to interfere with my already shitty balance.
I have a brother who generally struggles with alcohol so we are quitting together. One thing I have thought a lot about is associations. Even as a moderate drinker it is new to associate not being buzzed with a Friday night movie. Making new mental associations is going to be key for me I think.
Good luck to all of you during this holiday season. Appreciate this thread.
props to everyone hitting milestones. i'm just shy of 6 months and had a pretty neat thing happen i figured i'd share. took my daughter (15) and son (13) to their first metal show. didn't drink, had a great time. my daughter and i got to the front of the stage and she was jamming the whole time and the guitarist ended up giving her the set list on his way off stage. my daughter was bragging after the show that she was partying harder and having more fun than a lot of the people and that she wasn't even drinking. she was saying how she felt bad for this couple next to us who were clearly huge fans but got so wasted they got thrown out of the show. she also commented how how "present" the people in the band seemed and how they didn't seem wasted. we googled it later and it turned out that they guys in the band had all sobered up a few years earlier and their before and after picks were pretty amazing difference. all in all it felt to be a great influence on my kids, be completely sober to drive them home and then to see my daughter and son learning to enjoy these type things without alcohol before they inevitably get into real partying. helping create that baseline and good example felt great.
before
(https://conc.art/files/2016/07/deafheaven_live_chicago_open_air_2016-04-1918x1280.jpg)
after
(https://blog.native-instruments.com/wp-content/uploads/dynamic/2021/08/kerry-mc-coy-deafheaven-interview-hero-big-2880x1200-c-default.jpg)Expand QuoteAlso any advice or feedback from y’all who are currently going through cutting back or quitting or those of you who are sober would be greatly appreciated! Feels good to have a place to vent and rant and talk about it.[close]
good luck @Noble Experiment
share from my side... i find stressful situations easier to navigate when i'm not drinking. to clarify, physical feelings of stress pretty much disappear with a drink but for me that just pauses it till the next day and then i still have to deal with the root cause of the stress. i've had to deal with putting my 7 year old dog down from cancer and having my business go from being profitable money maker to a stressful "is this still working" over the last year and being sober has made each blow easier to navigate for me. YMMV.
few other things that were helpful for me
- NA beers
- fitness tracker (keeping track of sleep scores is really eye opening)
- understanding alcohol withdraws. for me if i drink i'm going to have shit sleep for 2-3 days after and then on the 3rd to 4th day i have a full on crash and end up needing to take a huge nap mid day. it's why moderation wasn't working for me. if i only drink on the weekends it was actually harder than going dry.
Have any of you girls/guys been diagnosed with cirrhosis and other major internal problems from drinking?
I know it sounds dumb but I need to hear real stories about any of you have similar stuff and survived.
I understand that talking about your past is hard. It’s not very anti hero. (A poor example)
What time is it over there!?!? Merry Xmas and all that. I hope you’re with your children. I got to FaceTime mine for 15 minutes which was only better than nothing, it was magic.
It all goes back to the fucked up childhood. Being abused by parents and relatives. Then it compounds itself when you try to deal with it yourself with drugs and alcohol and trying to find happiness in places it’s not gonna happen.
I’m so sick of thinking about it. I can’t wait for the next 3 plus months where that’s all you talk about every day.
BUT. I live in the lucky country so I’m gonna punch myself in the face and suck it up.
It all goes back to the fucked up childhood. Being abused by parents and relatives. Then it compounds itself when you try to deal with it yourself with drugs and alcohol and trying to find happiness in places it’s not gonna happen.There is not a single person (myself included) with a history of addiction who has not experienced trauma. There are also huge numbers of people with unspeakable traumas who don’t become addicted,
I’m so sick of thinking about it. I can’t wait for the next 3 plus months where that’s all you talk about every day.
everyone have a fun sober new years. i hit an interesting milestone this week. my wife an i are just hosting a few of our kids friends and probably going to go to bed at 10 watching fargo. what you all got gooing?
(https://i.ibb.co/X53ZWvY/IMG-8205.png)
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand Quoteprops to everyone posting up. keep it up!
i'm 91 days in. i started with a dry 30, went for 60 then 90 and now i'm just enjoying being sober and the energy. i might be done. probably getting too old for drinking.[close]
I’m with you on being too old. The recovery from an evening moderate drinking isn’t worth it and I’m positive the booze and a slowing metabolism are to blame for the extra weight I’m carrying around.[close]
Pretty much these two. I’m lucky in that while alcoholism runs all over my family I have had no problems picking up or putting down beer for the most part. I’m the typical moderate old man weekend drinker for the most part. But lately beer just doesn’t sit well with me. The buzz isn’t great, the sleep gets fucked, it seems to give me heartburn now, and the next day is generally grey. Not to mention I took up skateboarding as an old man and I don’t need anything to interfere with my already shitty balance.
I have a brother who generally struggles with alcohol so we are quitting together. One thing I have thought a lot about is associations. Even as a moderate drinker it is new to associate not being buzzed with a Friday night movie. Making new mental associations is going to be key for me I think.
Good luck to all of you during this holiday season. Appreciate this thread.[close]
best wishes for your endeavour!
Have any of you girls/guys been diagnosed with cirrhosis and other major internal problems from drinking?
I know it sounds dumb but I need to hear real stories about any of you have similar stuff and survived.
I understand that talking about your past is hard. It’s not very anti hero. (A poor example)
What time is it over there!?!? Merry Xmas and all that. I hope you’re with your children. I got to FaceTime mine for 15 minutes which was only better than nothing, it was magic.
Whaddup. Trying to ease into quitting drinking via dry January. Tried a few times before and never made it past 5-6 weeks. But as I’m getting older and drinking more, and more often, the impacts from it are getting more and more clear and undeniable. I’m outwardly a highly functioning individual but I think if I keep drinking there’s no other outcome but it eventually ruining my life.Start easy…just don’t do things you’d need to get drunk to do. Example: you have to get drunk to hang out with a certain crowd…stay away. I used to enjoy getting hammered and washing my truck. I would take it through the wash once I stopped drinking, but now I am back to enjoying it with some good music playing. Took some time though.
Honestly what’s most daunting is how I’ll deal with having to do things I don’t feel like doing…for years now I’ve just gotten drunk for those.
appreciate the advice, thank you.Start easy…just don’t do things you’d need to get drunk to do. Example: you have to get drunk to hang out with a certain crowd…stay away. I used to enjoy getting hammered and washing my truck. I would take it through the wash once I stopped drinking, but now I am back to enjoying it with some good music playing. Took some time though.Expand QuoteWhaddup. Trying to ease into quitting drinking via dry January. Tried a few times before and never made it past 5-6 weeks. But as I’m getting older and drinking more, and more often, the impacts from it are getting more and more clear and undeniable. I’m outwardly a highly functioning individual but I think if I keep drinking there’s no other outcome but it eventually ruining my life.
Honestly what’s most daunting is how I’ll deal with having to do things I don’t feel like doing…for years now I’ve just gotten drunk for those.[close]
Also, I can’t enjoy bowling sober, so no more of that.
appreciate the advice, thank you.Expand QuoteStart easy…just don’t do things you’d need to get drunk to do. Example: you have to get drunk to hang out with a certain crowd…stay away. I used to enjoy getting hammered and washing my truck. I would take it through the wash once I stopped drinking, but now I am back to enjoying it with some good music playing. Took some time though.Expand QuoteWhaddup. Trying to ease into quitting drinking via dry January. Tried a few times before and never made it past 5-6 weeks. But as I’m getting older and drinking more, and more often, the impacts from it are getting more and more clear and undeniable. I’m outwardly a highly functioning individual but I think if I keep drinking there’s no other outcome but it eventually ruining my life.
Honestly what’s most daunting is how I’ll deal with having to do things I don’t feel like doing…for years now I’ve just gotten drunk for those.[close]
Also, I can’t enjoy bowling sober, so no more of that.[close]
I have some events I’ll have to attend (weddings, family stuff) that I’d need to drink at to enjoy. I think I’ll just have to be ok setting hard boundaries with myself and others. If I’m done and ready to go home, I’ll just go.
I appreciate this. I think the social events will be the hard part. I’ll just need to give myself leeway to leave things or say no to protect myself regardless of how it makes other people feel.Expand Quoteappreciate the advice, thank you.Expand QuoteStart easy…just don’t do things you’d need to get drunk to do. Example: you have to get drunk to hang out with a certain crowd…stay away. I used to enjoy getting hammered and washing my truck. I would take it through the wash once I stopped drinking, but now I am back to enjoying it with some good music playing. Took some time though.Expand QuoteWhaddup. Trying to ease into quitting drinking via dry January. Tried a few times before and never made it past 5-6 weeks. But as I’m getting older and drinking more, and more often, the impacts from it are getting more and more clear and undeniable. I’m outwardly a highly functioning individual but I think if I keep drinking there’s no other outcome but it eventually ruining my life.
Honestly what’s most daunting is how I’ll deal with having to do things I don’t feel like doing…for years now I’ve just gotten drunk for those.[close]
Also, I can’t enjoy bowling sober, so no more of that.[close]
I have some events I’ll have to attend (weddings, family stuff) that I’d need to drink at to enjoy. I think I’ll just have to be ok setting hard boundaries with myself and others. If I’m done and ready to go home, I’ll just go.[close]
desire is most of it so you are off to a great start and props on giving it a go. i just broke 6 months and i feel i've completely lost the desire to drink. no expert and total rookie compared to others in here but few things i can share from my experience.
- i like the i am sober app just to have something keeping count of my days. i don't use it for anything else now but in the begining the check ins where you reflect on how things went the last week was helpful.
- na beers have made it way easier for me, especially the social stuff. i brought a yeti backpack with some na's in it to the last wedding i went to and kept it off to the side.
- for social events, as soon as people start getting drunk it gets boring. i don't force it. chat and bounce when it gets boring until you've had enough and head out.
- for me the things i liked changed. i thought i really liked going to nice restaurants for a meal, turns out it was really the drinks. i like quick casual places with insta food porn type food now.
- weight loss didn't happen till way later than i expected. i loss probably 15+ lbs without doing any work but it took over 2 months before it started happening.
I start my week of detox then 3 months of full time rehab the day after tomorrow. I’m kinda shook. It’s kinda like boot camp. I’ve done detox many times (4 times in the last 6 months? It’s hard to remember) but never rehab.
My memory is cooked. I’m worried about the wet brain stuff or just damage I’ve done already.
I’m so looking forward to not have a splitting headache and super painful sore stomach everyday. I have to make sure I have at least half a bottle of vodka/brandy as soon as I wake up. It’s the only way I can down me one piece of Vegemite toast and even think about looking at my phone. Ha :(
In the rehab pamphlet it’s seems to be not to phone friendly (another thing I’m fine giving up) but I do need SLAP for some stoke.
Anyway, peace out. I hope the beginning of 2024 goes according to the plans you all have made.
One
Remember… if you are older and want to feel younger get a Velcro Wallet. The sound!! Hahaha xo
I appreciate this. I think the social events will be the hard part. I’ll just need to give myself leeway to leave things or say no to protect myself regardless of how it makes other people feel.Expand QuoteExpand Quoteappreciate the advice, thank you.Expand QuoteStart easy…just don’t do things you’d need to get drunk to do. Example: you have to get drunk to hang out with a certain crowd…stay away. I used to enjoy getting hammered and washing my truck. I would take it through the wash once I stopped drinking, but now I am back to enjoying it with some good music playing. Took some time though.Expand QuoteWhaddup. Trying to ease into quitting drinking via dry January. Tried a few times before and never made it past 5-6 weeks. But as I’m getting older and drinking more, and more often, the impacts from it are getting more and more clear and undeniable. I’m outwardly a highly functioning individual but I think if I keep drinking there’s no other outcome but it eventually ruining my life.
Honestly what’s most daunting is how I’ll deal with having to do things I don’t feel like doing…for years now I’ve just gotten drunk for those.[close]
Also, I can’t enjoy bowling sober, so no more of that.[close]
I have some events I’ll have to attend (weddings, family stuff) that I’d need to drink at to enjoy. I think I’ll just have to be ok setting hard boundaries with myself and others. If I’m done and ready to go home, I’ll just go.[close]
desire is most of it so you are off to a great start and props on giving it a go. i just broke 6 months and i feel i've completely lost the desire to drink. no expert and total rookie compared to others in here but few things i can share from my experience.
- i like the i am sober app just to have something keeping count of my days. i don't use it for anything else now but in the begining the check ins where you reflect on how things went the last week was helpful.
- na beers have made it way easier for me, especially the social stuff. i brought a yeti backpack with some na's in it to the last wedding i went to and kept it off to the side.
- for social events, as soon as people start getting drunk it gets boring. i don't force it. chat and bounce when it gets boring until you've had enough and head out.
- for me the things i liked changed. i thought i really liked going to nice restaurants for a meal, turns out it was really the drinks. i like quick casual places with insta food porn type food now.
- weight loss didn't happen till way later than i expected. i loss probably 15+ lbs without doing any work but it took over 2 months before it started happening.[close]
Definitely curious what will change over the next weeks/hopefully months+. When I’ve had sober stints before I notice serious decreases in anxiety/malaise pretty quickly once I’m done with any withdrawals.
I have a good friend trying this with me now. He keeps asking me what I think will “replace” or “fill the gap” for what booze provides…I’ve accepted that I don’t think anything will similarly let me immediately, without effort on my part, temporarily expel unwanted feelings the way booze does (short of other unhealthy substances). And I’ll just have to live with that and finding other ways to cope.
Went on the absolute dumbest 3 day long New Year’s bender and have been paying for it since wednesday. Drank a shit ton of russian standard, coquito and killed like a liter of Jose Cuervo and that was after pregaming with 8% beers. The feeling of impending doom, the sweating, nonstop projectile vomiting all the water I’m trying to chug down, NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP because my mind is just fucking racing constantly is nothing compared to how terrible I feel for my girl who’s been laying next to me this whole time trying to get her work done while trying to force the smallest bit of food down my throat. I’ve had bad hangovers before but this shit is straight up withdrawals. I’m turning 30 this year and decided this morning that my days of cosplaying a hardened eastern european laborer are done (even though I am Polish and work in HVAC lol) Reading this thread fills me with hope for the future, thanks pals.
VelcroWallet, yonnycage im rooting for y’all.
Weekend without booze has actually been super easy so far. Wrapped up work a little early yesterday, hit the gym, played some call of duty and watched a movie with the lady after getting dinner with an old friend. Felt fucking great to wake up and not be 1. Disoriented because I’m still hammered, slowly becoming aware that will transition to hungover if I don’t hair of the dog it or 2. Already hungover and dealing with feelings of doom and depersonalization.
Very lazy day today and took a nice walk in the rain.
Seeing some friends tomorrow who I don’t need booze to enjoy being around.
A Week without booze today, struggling with sleeping through the night but aside from that everything is better. Mood, focus, work, energy, consistency, etc. My resting heart rate is 10-20bpm lower on average too which is an interesting benefit.Right on man! Sleep may be a struggle for now but the sleep you are getting while sober is much better than drunk sleep. And fuck hangovers!
A Week without booze today, struggling with sleeping through the night but aside from that everything is better. Mood, focus, work, energy, consistency, etc. My resting heart rate is 10-20bpm lower on average too which is an interesting benefit.
Expand QuoteA Week without booze today, struggling with sleeping through the night but aside from that everything is better. Mood, focus, work, energy, consistency, etc. My resting heart rate is 10-20bpm lower on average too which is an interesting benefit.[close]
I hit 2 years October 2023 and struggled with sleep issues for awhile since I was used to going to sleep drunk every night. I used that non habit forming Zzzzquil (generic version) stuff to get through the first couple of months and then cut it totally out. Maybe not for everyone, but it worked for me. Good luck with it all and enjoy feeling good.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteA Week without booze today, struggling with sleeping through the night but aside from that everything is better. Mood, focus, work, energy, consistency, etc. My resting heart rate is 10-20bpm lower on average too which is an interesting benefit.[close]
I hit 2 years October 2023 and struggled with sleep issues for awhile since I was used to going to sleep drunk every night. I used that non habit forming Zzzzquil (generic version) stuff to get through the first couple of months and then cut it totally out. Maybe not for everyone, but it worked for me. Good luck with it all and enjoy feeling good.[close]
Same but I eventually had to cut it out because it fucked up my stomach. These days I just kinda wait til I actually get tired before I get into bed. I used to try to force an earlier sleep time but it just doesn't work for me. Congrats on 2 years! Coming up on that milestone in a couple months myself.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteA Week without booze today, struggling with sleeping through the night but aside from that everything is better. Mood, focus, work, energy, consistency, etc. My resting heart rate is 10-20bpm lower on average too which is an interesting benefit.[close]
I hit 2 years October 2023 and struggled with sleep issues for awhile since I was used to going to sleep drunk every night. I used that non habit forming Zzzzquil (generic version) stuff to get through the first couple of months and then cut it totally out. Maybe not for everyone, but it worked for me. Good luck with it all and enjoy feeling good.[close]
Same but I eventually had to cut it out because it fucked up my stomach. These days I just kinda wait til I actually get tired before I get into bed. I used to try to force an earlier sleep time but it just doesn't work for me. Congrats on 2 years! Coming up on that milestone in a couple months myself.[close]
Thanks!
Yeah, I wasn’t really into it but it did help with sleep and gave me some mental gratification of getting “medicated”. Which kind of helped ease me psychologically out of the habitual substance abuse cycle I was in. These days, like @sleazy said above, I drink sleepy time tea every night and regular tea in the morning. I really just enjoy my evening tea, don’t think I need it to sleep or anything anymore.
This and a 5-10mg melatonin results in a quick and restful sleep for me most nights. Doesn’t leave me feeling extra groggy or anything in the morning either.
https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/871c4b88-5131-4478-bbaf-23094ec186d0.3e730c08073049d201c1d10a48169b15.jpeg
^caffeine is a tough one to quit depending on your habit. I cold turkeyed off of 1-1.5 grams/day between coffee and energy drinks 6 years ago and the first week was hell. Headaches, exhausted, etc. but my gut definitely thanked me for it
After 5 weeks without it I had a coffee with a double shot of espresso in it and was legitimately high
I am inspired by reading everyone's booze free journeys.
Like most of you posting in this thread, I've had a long and very unhealthy relationship with alcohol almost my entire life.
I have been trying to cut drinking out completely from my life, but it's so hard. It's everywhere, and I have such terrible willpower when it comes to booze. It's always like, hey one won't hurt, but then the second it touches my lips... it just escalates and always turns into more and then I feel like shit the next day.
I've had four drinks since Christmas, and this past Christmas was the one where I've drank the least amount in as long as I can remember. The only four were because I was hanging out with my neighbour's shop two weeks ago and he offered beer. I always thought it was rude to refuse beer, but no one gives a shit if you do. Old habits for hard I guess. So four drinks in almost a month is pretty good.
I've been drinking some different craft brewed non alcoholic beers to kill the craving. They're not the same, but I guess it's working, I don't know. I crushed a case of bubbly water in a day once, trying to kill the craving, just to have something in my hand.
I just need to keep looking forward. It's for future me and my family.
I think back to all the terrible things I've done, and terrible ways I've treated other people, and myself because of drinking... it's honestly so embarrassing
My daughter doesn't need a boozer dad.
The way the healthcare system is falling apart up here, I've got to stay healthy as I can as a get older.
The booze was always also a self medication for the mental issues I was always battling, but I've been working on that with professionals and the booze just makes it worse.
thanks for listening. Throw me some reassurance, or words of wisdom or something. It will help.
I am inspired by reading everyone's booze free journeys.
Like most of you posting in this thread, I've had a long and very unhealthy relationship with alcohol almost my entire life.
I have been trying to cut drinking out completely from my life, but it's so hard. It's everywhere, and I have such terrible willpower when it comes to booze. It's always like, hey one won't hurt, but then the second it touches my lips... it just escalates and always turns into more and then I feel like shit the next day.
I've had four drinks since Christmas, and this past Christmas was the one where I've drank the least amount in as long as I can remember. The only four were because I was hanging out with my neighbour's shop two weeks ago and he offered beer. I always thought it was rude to refuse beer, but no one gives a shit if you do. Old habits for hard I guess. So four drinks in almost a month is pretty good.
I've been drinking some different craft brewed non alcoholic beers to kill the craving. They're not the same, but I guess it's working, I don't know. I crushed a case of bubbly water in a day once, trying to kill the craving, just to have something in my hand.
I just need to keep looking forward. It's for future me and my family.
I think back to all the terrible things I've done, and terrible ways I've treated other people, and myself because of drinking... it's honestly so embarrassing
My daughter doesn't need a boozer dad.
The way the healthcare system is falling apart up here, I've got to stay healthy as I can as a get older.
The booze was always also a self medication for the mental issues I was always battling, but I've been working on that with professionals and the booze just makes it worse.
thanks for listening. Throw me some reassurance, or words of wisdom or something. It will help.
Expand QuoteI am inspired by reading everyone's booze free journeys.
Like most of you posting in this thread, I've had a long and very unhealthy relationship with alcohol almost my entire life.
I have been trying to cut drinking out completely from my life, but it's so hard. It's everywhere, and I have such terrible willpower when it comes to booze. It's always like, hey one won't hurt, but then the second it touches my lips... it just escalates and always turns into more and then I feel like shit the next day.
I've had four drinks since Christmas, and this past Christmas was the one where I've drank the least amount in as long as I can remember. The only four were because I was hanging out with my neighbour's shop two weeks ago and he offered beer. I always thought it was rude to refuse beer, but no one gives a shit if you do. Old habits for hard I guess. So four drinks in almost a month is pretty good.
I've been drinking some different craft brewed non alcoholic beers to kill the craving. They're not the same, but I guess it's working, I don't know. I crushed a case of bubbly water in a day once, trying to kill the craving, just to have something in my hand.
I just need to keep looking forward. It's for future me and my family.
I think back to all the terrible things I've done, and terrible ways I've treated other people, and myself because of drinking... it's honestly so embarrassing
My daughter doesn't need a boozer dad.
The way the healthcare system is falling apart up here, I've got to stay healthy as I can as a get older.
The booze was always also a self medication for the mental issues I was always battling, but I've been working on that with professionals and the booze just makes it worse.
thanks for listening. Throw me some reassurance, or words of wisdom or something. It will help.[close]
That’s a really good start! You are on your way to redefining your habits. Do what you need to do to keep it going and stay motivated. I def enjoy me some no sodium, unsweetened bubbly water. Sometimes I’ll just pop in this thread or a similar thread on another forum and just read some posts to refocus myself when I catch my mind wandering. It really seems to help. Use this thread as a resource and outlet.
Oh yeah, it’s always okay to refuse someone offering you booze. If they take offense, that’s really weird.
I am inspired by reading everyone's booze free journeys.
Like most of you posting in this thread, I've had a long and very unhealthy relationship with alcohol almost my entire life.
I have been trying to cut drinking out completely from my life, but it's so hard. It's everywhere, and I have such terrible willpower when it comes to booze. It's always like, hey one won't hurt, but then the second it touches my lips... it just escalates and always turns into more and then I feel like shit the next day.
I've had four drinks since Christmas, and this past Christmas was the one where I've drank the least amount in as long as I can remember. The only four were because I was hanging out with my neighbour's shop two weeks ago and he offered beer. I always thought it was rude to refuse beer, but no one gives a shit if you do. Old habits for hard I guess. So four drinks in almost a month is pretty good.
I've been drinking some different craft brewed non alcoholic beers to kill the craving. They're not the same, but I guess it's working, I don't know. I crushed a case of bubbly water in a day once, trying to kill the craving, just to have something in my hand.
I just need to keep looking forward. It's for future me and my family.
I think back to all the terrible things I've done, and terrible ways I've treated other people, and myself because of drinking... it's honestly so embarrassing
My daughter doesn't need a boozer dad.
The way the healthcare system is falling apart up here, I've got to stay healthy as I can as a get older.
The booze was always also a self medication for the mental issues I was always battling, but I've been working on that with professionals and the booze just makes it worse.
thanks for listening. Throw me some reassurance, or words of wisdom or something. It will help.
Expand QuoteI am inspired by reading everyone's booze free journeys.
Like most of you posting in this thread, I've had a long and very unhealthy relationship with alcohol almost my entire life.
I have been trying to cut drinking out completely from my life, but it's so hard. It's everywhere, and I have such terrible willpower when it comes to booze. It's always like, hey one won't hurt, but then the second it touches my lips... it just escalates and always turns into more and then I feel like shit the next day.
I've had four drinks since Christmas, and this past Christmas was the one where I've drank the least amount in as long as I can remember. The only four were because I was hanging out with my neighbour's shop two weeks ago and he offered beer. I always thought it was rude to refuse beer, but no one gives a shit if you do. Old habits for hard I guess. So four drinks in almost a month is pretty good.
I've been drinking some different craft brewed non alcoholic beers to kill the craving. They're not the same, but I guess it's working, I don't know. I crushed a case of bubbly water in a day once, trying to kill the craving, just to have something in my hand.
I just need to keep looking forward. It's for future me and my family.
I think back to all the terrible things I've done, and terrible ways I've treated other people, and myself because of drinking... it's honestly so embarrassing
My daughter doesn't need a boozer dad.
The way the healthcare system is falling apart up here, I've got to stay healthy as I can as a get older.
The booze was always also a self medication for the mental issues I was always battling, but I've been working on that with professionals and the booze just makes it worse.
thanks for listening. Throw me some reassurance, or words of wisdom or something. It will help.[close]
You have already taken huge steps. You have the right reasons in mind, and you absolutely got this. I had some pretty intense sugar cravings during some of this, and I mainly gave into them. My thinking is "beat one thing at at time." Beat the drinking first, enjoy the benefits of that, and work on the sugar later is my mindset. I feel the same about sparkling water--they overcharge for that shit now, but it still is waaaay cheaper than craft beer where I am at. So I drink as many of those as I want. And your health is going to surprise you on this. It really is.
Thank you for all the kind words, my dudes.
I don't know any of you, but I appreciate it. I really do.
It's... I don't know, kind of comforting I guess to see that there are other regular dudes like myself struggling with the same thing and the same emotions and issues involving booze, and you're all going through it, but also succeeding at it.
At my weakest points in my life I have turned to booze, but that's the past, you know? Life is so much better now, and it's like an old habit that is hard to ditch.
NA’s, records, candy, wrestling, everything. Recently was at a party & only two people were drinking but it was light. Had a blast.
Almost two years of no beer! Doctor commended me today when I treated myself to a physical for my birthday. That felt good.
feeling pumped from all the recent shares. way to go everyone. 7 months for me tomorrow.congrats homie! 1 for me tomorrow.
congrats homie! 1 for me tomorrow.Expand Quotefeeling pumped from all the recent shares. way to go everyone. 7 months for me tomorrow.[close]
weeks 1-2 (well, after 4/5 days of withdrawals) were pretty happy go lucky and idealistic for me. Weeks 3/4 I’ve come back down to earth a bit but still feel confident in the path I’m on.Expand Quotecongrats homie! 1 for me tomorrow.Expand Quotefeeling pumped from all the recent shares. way to go everyone. 7 months for me tomorrow.[close][close]
nice, 1 month is a big one. i didn't really start feeling "normal" till week 3.
weeks 1-2 (well, after 4/5 days of withdrawals) were pretty happy go lucky and idealistic for me. Weeks 3/4 I’ve come back down to earth a bit but still feel confident in the path I’m on.Expand QuoteExpand Quotecongrats homie! 1 for me tomorrow.Expand Quotefeeling pumped from all the recent shares. way to go everyone. 7 months for me tomorrow.[close][close]
nice, 1 month is a big one. i didn't really start feeling "normal" till week 3.[close]
thank you! yeah I heard about the pink cloud haha. I think a big chunk of it for me was relief/realizing I don’t have to keep the cycle of drinking too much/hangovers/withdrawals/trying to cut back and failing -> back to drinking too much going.Expand Quoteweeks 1-2 (well, after 4/5 days of withdrawals) were pretty happy go lucky and idealistic for me. Weeks 3/4 I’ve come back down to earth a bit but still feel confident in the path I’m on.Expand QuoteExpand Quotecongrats homie! 1 for me tomorrow.Expand Quotefeeling pumped from all the recent shares. way to go everyone. 7 months for me tomorrow.[close][close]
nice, 1 month is a big one. i didn't really start feeling "normal" till week 3.[close][close]
Some will say the "pink cloud" of sobriety shows up once and then never again but I feel like at various times it will manifest again for a bit. Maybe that's just my brain actually experiencing positivity and being able to realize whats good when its good, you know?
Congrats on 7mos and 1mo respectively dudes! Big things, stoked for you both.
Went to my first wedding sober this weekend.
Was honestly fun and a lot easier than I expected - sipped club sodas with bitters the whole night. Only downside was sitting across from a random at dinner who (politely) wanted to try to make small talk the whole time despite the music and general noise being way too loud for conversation. That would’ve felt less awkward with a drink or two (10-15) in me. Fair trade off for being fully present for the most important day in my friends’ lives though!
Ill be honest, it was a way easier life on drugs being able to control my mood and motivation with substances. I have hardcore depression and schizophrenia and drugs are the only thing that really are able cut through that bullshit and let me live my life. Ever since I got sober I applied for disability and I havent left the house, I quit skating, Im just trapped in this mental illness ive had since I was 15, Im just existing at this point. Hopefully this is just a rough period in my life but yea shit has been sucking man.
Ive been sober 10 months, I used drugs for 10 years. This is my therapy just venting on the internet.Expand QuoteIll be honest, it was a way easier life on drugs being able to control my mood and motivation with substances. I have hardcore depression and schizophrenia and drugs are the only thing that really are able cut through that bullshit and let me live my life. Ever since I got sober I applied for disability and I havent left the house, I quit skating, Im just trapped in this mental illness ive had since I was 15, Im just existing at this point. Hopefully this is just a rough period in my life but yea shit has been sucking man.[close]
May I ask since when you are sober?
I can relate to and understand the part of controlling your emotions with drugs. But I think the drugs only made you think, that everything is under control because you suppressed your emotions. It all feels rough and pointless now, but there is always a way out of that.
I don't know if you ever considered therapy or things like that. But dude, hang in there. I work with disabled people and nothing is hopeless for you, I promise you that. There are places where you can go to. You are not worthless. If you need someone to talk to, send me a DM.
Ive been sober 10 months, I used drugs for 10 years. This is my therapy just venting on the internet.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteIll be honest, it was a way easier life on drugs being able to control my mood and motivation with substances. I have hardcore depression and schizophrenia and drugs are the only thing that really are able cut through that bullshit and let me live my life. Ever since I got sober I applied for disability and I havent left the house, I quit skating, Im just trapped in this mental illness ive had since I was 15, Im just existing at this point. Hopefully this is just a rough period in my life but yea shit has been sucking man.[close]
May I ask since when you are sober?
I can relate to and understand the part of controlling your emotions with drugs. But I think the drugs only made you think, that everything is under control because you suppressed your emotions. It all feels rough and pointless now, but there is always a way out of that.
I don't know if you ever considered therapy or things like that. But dude, hang in there. I work with disabled people and nothing is hopeless for you, I promise you that. There are places where you can go to. You are not worthless. If you need someone to talk to, send me a DM.[close]
Im 18 in my first year of college and i kind of feel like im blowing it in terms of substance abuse. Ive been smoking weed every day for a couple years and im starting to notice signs of schizophrenia which i know for a fact runs in my family but i just cant get myself to stop. I also have a pretty bad cocaine habit around twice a week on average. I also drink at least a few times a week and when i start i usually dont stop until i sort of crash. I still and am on top of my school work and im not fucking up my relationships or anything like that but im always very depressed and anxious and feel like i use these things as a crutch especially when going out socially and such. Sometimes like right now i just think im going down a dark path and i need to stop before it gets worse. Other times i convince myself its not that serious but i dont know i dont really open up to people i know in real life and i feel like it would be good to hear other peoples perspectives. Anyone whos been in a similar position or was close to people who are, i tripping over this too much or should i seriously start trying make some better lifestyle choices
Im 18 in my first year of college and i kind of feel like im blowing it in terms of substance abuse. Ive been smoking weed every day for a couple years and im starting to notice signs of schizophrenia which i know for a fact runs in my family but i just cant get myself to stop. I also have a pretty bad cocaine habit around twice a week on average. I also drink at least a few times a week and when i start i usually dont stop until i sort of crash. I still and am on top of my school work and im not fucking up my relationships or anything like that but im always very depressed and anxious and feel like i use these things as a crutch especially when going out socially and such. Sometimes like right now i just think im going down a dark path and i need to stop before it gets worse. Other times i convince myself its not that serious but i dont know i dont really open up to people i know in real life and i feel like it would be good to hear other peoples perspectives. Anyone whos been in a similar position or was close to people who are, i tripping over this too much or should i seriously start trying make some better lifestyle choices18/19 in college was similar for me in someways. I smoked weed every day for the most part and drank 2-3 nights a week or so, drinking mostly at parties/social settings. I was also on top of my classes and stuff. Had a lot of really bad depression and anxiety I hadn’t learned how to label and deal with yet.
Im 18 in my first year of college and i kind of feel like im blowing it in terms of substance abuse. Ive been smoking weed every day for a couple years and im starting to notice signs of schizophrenia which i know for a fact runs in my family but i just cant get myself to stop. I also have a pretty bad cocaine habit around twice a week on average. I also drink at least a few times a week and when i start i usually dont stop until i sort of crash. I still and am on top of my school work and im not fucking up my relationships or anything like that but im always very depressed and anxious and feel like i use these things as a crutch especially when going out socially and such. Sometimes like right now i just think im going down a dark path and i need to stop before it gets worse. Other times i convince myself its not that serious but i dont know i dont really open up to people i know in real life and i feel like it would be good to hear other peoples perspectives. Anyone whos been in a similar position or was close to people who are, i tripping over this too much or should i seriously start trying make some better lifestyle choices
The only thing I can add to the weed discussion is that last year I did try using very low dose thc/cbd edibles for sleep as I was going through some sleep problems and that seemed like a safe, natural solution.
It's interesting what everyone is talking about about with smoking weed.
I was a daily weed smoker until I was about 19 (Im 39 now)
I stopped smoking it because it just gave me wicked anxiety, but it also fucked me up. Weed fucks me right up, and if I do smoke some weed, I hear basically techno music and I guess what I would describe as malevolent voices, in my head. Almost like whispering voices.
I don't know if that's from mental issues, or from a history of drug taking from a young age. Either way it's fucked.
I've never been able to explain it to anyone because it makes me sound crazy, because the majority of people smoke weed and it relaxes them.
I have always liked alcohol for the main reason because it's numbing. It numbs my brain and feels so good.
Expand Quote
The only thing I can add to the weed discussion is that last year I did try using very low dose thc/cbd edibles for sleep as I was going through some sleep problems and that seemed like a safe, natural solution.[close]
I'd you're having trouble sleeping but want something natural try Valerian root.
I've used it, it actually works, but one of the side effects of it is possible nightmares.
I had a night after taking some where I legitimately had night terrors, like literally screaming while I was sleeping until my wife woke me up.
I get everyone is different and not trying to discount anyone's experiences. That said, I did take a class that taught me that one's reactions to and experiences with all substances, marijuana included, is related to one's "set and setting". In other words, there are variables that can change the experience each individual time you do it.
For me, sometimes I smoke weed and get very anxiety-ridden/paranoid, other times it's a very enjoyable experience. I can't really find a pattern or through line, except for maybe my built-up tolerance level or taking care of things to worry about beforehand, as sometimes each sort of experience happens regardless of where I am or who I'm with.
I recently started smoking much less, and partook with someone for the first time in months on Thanksgiving. He had a toddler staying in the house with us. And almost as soon as I smoked even a small amount, I began to trip hard on where I left my medication and if it was in place that the toddler could reach. Had he gone into my room when I wasn't there? Did he already find it and accidentally ingest it? Do I know where it is? I went upstairs to my room and searched my luggage for the pills (some were in a child-proof container, but I had others in just a plastic bag). Once I accounted for my pills, I put them all the way at the bottom of a zipped backpack. That seem to alleviate that concern.
While searching for my pills, I noticed the Air B&B had many roach traps under the beds. Then that became a thing to me that had to be immediately dealt with. I had to inform my friend that the roach traps were there, in case it was a threat of ingestion or contact to his son. My friend's wife was pregnant with their second child and ended up having a miscarriage that night in the Air B&B but I googled it and it likely had nothing to do with the insect traps.
But I was tripping.
Other times, I've smoked a bowl and gone to Costco or the farmer's market and been on cloud 9.
But it definitely can be a crapshoot as to what sort of time you are going to have.
My doctor added gabapentin to my meds and it has helped my mood alot, they wont give me benzos, which is what I was self medicating with. I actually went out to the garage and did a few kickflips I was feeling so good.
Hopefully this puts me on a better path, Im already thinking about ditching disability and getting a job, but man that disability money seems sweet. I havent heard any voices in months and my paranoia and delusions have been minor.
Im just 10 months in to my new life and im super lost as to what to do.
I know the answer is stop being a bitch but damn, im kinda fucked up over here
I just started gaba too, but for my chronic pain. One of my goals in sobriety is to be able to skate at least a little again.
I told my family about quitting drinking recently and it was well received. Feeling ok so far.
thanks homie!! 700 is huge. Next Monday will be 6 weeks - haven’t gone that long without booze in almost 15 years. Every time I’ve quit before I fail before the 6 week mark. Not a doubt in my mind I’ll get it this time.Expand QuoteI just started gaba too, but for my chronic pain. One of my goals in sobriety is to be able to skate at least a little again.
I told my family about quitting drinking recently and it was well received. Feeling ok so far.[close]
Fuck yeah! Stoked for you, what a great feeling that was for myself as well. I'm glad they're on your side!
700 Days today pals, right at the cusp of two years. Grateful. As always thankful for the people and stories shared in this thread. Keep going!
thanks homie!! 700 is huge. Next Monday will be 6 weeks - haven’t gone that long without booze in almost 15 years. Every time I’ve quit before I fail before the 6 week mark. Not a doubt in my mind I’ll get it this time.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI just started gaba too, but for my chronic pain. One of my goals in sobriety is to be able to skate at least a little again.
I told my family about quitting drinking recently and it was well received. Feeling ok so far.[close]
Fuck yeah! Stoked for you, what a great feeling that was for myself as well. I'm glad they're on your side!
700 Days today pals, right at the cusp of two years. Grateful. As always thankful for the people and stories shared in this thread. Keep going![close]
Type - I have some close friends who spent bitcoin back in the day on dumb shit - synthetic cannabinoids, random stupid dark web crap. Hindsight eh
Been feeling kind of squirrelly and having some booze thoughts lately. Wanted to speak (type?) the truth of it rather than keep it bottled in. Encouraging and inspiring to see everyone finding new freedom away from a drink. To those struggling, I feel you right now!keep your head up homie. You got this. Shit can be tough though I feel you.
I saw GZA like 5 years ago and he killed it.
I have cut off most social events but yesterday I went to see the GZA. Club was full of old heads getting drunk. Not only was I not tempted but I found it repulsive to see how they turned into blabbering idiots as the time moved on. Also most of them looked hella unhealthy. Maybe I am really over it. Might as well after five years off the sauce.
Anyway, hang in there bros, being sober may be tough but being an alkie is much worse in the long run.
Been feeling kind of squirrelly and having some booze thoughts lately. Wanted to speak (type?) the truth of it rather than keep it bottled in. Encouraging and inspiring to see everyone finding new freedom away from a drink. To those struggling, I feel you right now!
I have cut off most social events but yesterday I went to see the GZA. Club was full of old heads getting drunk. Not only was I not tempted but I found it repulsive to see how they turned into blabbering idiots as the time moved on. Also most of them looked hella unhealthy. Maybe I am really over it. Might as well after five years off the sauce.I go to shows and places where people drink and I’m grossed out now. Maybe it’s wrong to judge people but yeah some look out of shape and sad. Pointless conversations they will forget. Seeking socialization in an isolated world, sad that drinking booze is one of the ways adults can meet other adults.
Anyway, hang in there bros, being sober may be tough but being an alkie is much worse in the long run.
I go to shows and places where people drink and I’m grossed out now. Maybe it’s wrong to judge people but yeah some look out of shape and sad. Pointless conversations they will forget. Seeking socialization in an isolated world, sad that drinking booze is one of the ways adults can meet other adults.Expand QuoteI have cut off most social events but yesterday I went to see the GZA. Club was full of old heads getting drunk. Not only was I not tempted but I found it repulsive to see how they turned into blabbering idiots as the time moved on. Also most of them looked hella unhealthy. Maybe I am really over it. Might as well after five years off the sauce.
Anyway, hang in there bros, being sober may be tough but being an alkie is much worse in the long run.[close]
I always think about that Jason Adams interview where he says you don’t have to go into an environment you don't want to be. Exiting drinking circles will initially be lonely but I’ve met more skaters and people that like other shit. Slow process.
Our society is fucked up and I think about SOMA from brave new world. Normalized drug to blunt our thoughts and emotions to deal with this shitty world. Like how casual it is to say “I need a drink!” And how acceptable that phrase is. Booze is so ingrained in our culture to suppress our emotions.
I’ve cut booze back a lot in my life, no more casual drinks to “wind down” in the evenings and I’m eating whole foods and being active. My job now has a lot of people that rely on me to be sharp so I’ve cut back a lot. I would rather be present now in my life. Alcohol and weed disrupt sleep cycles and actual rest. This thread is inspiring. Seems like addiction is pretty normal and good for everyone here to be honest with themselves and each other.
Yeah I’m already noticing my friends and family getting sloppy around me a few hours into hangs where booze is there. Mostly been funny things so far, but I’m sure it’ll get sad eventually.
For me I’m struggling with how booze allowed me to make anything tolerable - I said yes to things, was ok doing things I didn’t really feel like doing because I knew I could just be drunk.
Without them, I have a much much shorter list of things I enjoy (for now).
appreciate the suggestions! I’m heavy on the workouts, walks with headphones on, and reading. I’m pretty happy on the hobby front. I’m having a tough time recalibrating my socialization mechanisms/tolerance. My partner is super outgoing and extroverted and I’m figuring out how to manage that. It’s tough but I’m sure gets easier with time.Expand QuoteYeah I’m already noticing my friends and family getting sloppy around me a few hours into hangs where booze is there. Mostly been funny things so far, but I’m sure it’ll get sad eventually.
For me I’m struggling with how booze allowed me to make anything tolerable - I said yes to things, was ok doing things I didn’t really feel like doing because I knew I could just be drunk.
Without them, I have a much much shorter list of things I enjoy (for now).[close]
Have you tried going on walks, running, exercising a.k.a. stuff you typically don‘t do when hungover?
Also: Read, write, paint, sing, play an instrument, play chess.
You can also cook, make yourself delicious and/or healthy food, check out some teas or coffees (I dabble with herbal teas, yerba mate, green tea, matcha currently).
Listen to music, podcasts.
Get a project car, work on it, clean it, drive around (it gets you anywhere and you never have to worry about drunk driving).
Go to places you never visited, historic sites, nice landscapes, take pictures and work on them back home.
Just some stuff I do that comes to mind.
appreciate the suggestions! I’m heavy on the workouts, walks with headphones on, and reading. I’m pretty happy on the hobby front. I’m having a tough time recalibrating my socialization mechanisms/tolerance. My partner is super outgoing and extroverted and I’m figuring out how to manage that. It’s tough but I’m sure gets easier with time.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteYeah I’m already noticing my friends and family getting sloppy around me a few hours into hangs where booze is there. Mostly been funny things so far, but I’m sure it’ll get sad eventually.
For me I’m struggling with how booze allowed me to make anything tolerable - I said yes to things, was ok doing things I didn’t really feel like doing because I knew I could just be drunk.
Without them, I have a much much shorter list of things I enjoy (for now).[close]
Have you tried going on walks, running, exercising a.k.a. stuff you typically don‘t do when hungover?
Also: Read, write, paint, sing, play an instrument, play chess.
You can also cook, make yourself delicious and/or healthy food, check out some teas or coffees (I dabble with herbal teas, yerba mate, green tea, matcha currently).
Listen to music, podcasts.
Get a project car, work on it, clean it, drive around (it gets you anywhere and you never have to worry about drunk driving).
Go to places you never visited, historic sites, nice landscapes, take pictures and work on them back home.
Just some stuff I do that comes to mind.[close]
Expand QuoteI have cut off most social events but yesterday I went to see the GZA. Club was full of old heads getting drunk. Not only was I not tempted but I found it repulsive to see how they turned into blabbering idiots as the time moved on. Also most of them looked hella unhealthy. Maybe I am really over it. Might as well after five years off the sauce.
Anyway, hang in there bros, being sober may be tough but being an alkie is much worse in the long run.[close]
I feel you on that one. I took my daughter to see Angel maker at this park called Empire room in Austin. The show got rain delayed and we ended up hanging out in the bar and just looking at all the locals. I was texting my wife and saying these people are clearly not living very healthy. I’m only seven months in and I look at things way differently.Expand QuoteBeen feeling kind of squirrelly and having some booze thoughts lately. Wanted to speak (type?) the truth of it rather than keep it bottled in. Encouraging and inspiring to see everyone finding new freedom away from a drink. To those struggling, I feel you right now![close]
@mfweeno
What situations are getting you to feel a little Squirrley?
coffee is rough on my stomach too. had to stop cold brew. i really like the don't drink for first 60-90 minutes hack with caffine. it's been a game changer for me. for the stomach acid i've started taking acid reducers from the pharmacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSO-11o2A_M
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI have cut off most social events but yesterday I went to see the GZA. Club was full of old heads getting drunk. Not only was I not tempted but I found it repulsive to see how they turned into blabbering idiots as the time moved on. Also most of them looked hella unhealthy. Maybe I am really over it. Might as well after five years off the sauce.
Anyway, hang in there bros, being sober may be tough but being an alkie is much worse in the long run.[close]
I feel you on that one. I took my daughter to see Angel maker at this park called Empire room in Austin. The show got rain delayed and we ended up hanging out in the bar and just looking at all the locals. I was texting my wife and saying these people are clearly not living very healthy. I’m only seven months in and I look at things way differently.Expand QuoteBeen feeling kind of squirrelly and having some booze thoughts lately. Wanted to speak (type?) the truth of it rather than keep it bottled in. Encouraging and inspiring to see everyone finding new freedom away from a drink. To those struggling, I feel you right now![close]
@mfweeno
What situations are getting you to feel a little Squirrley?[close]
Appreciate you asking, man. I'm definitely doing better than I was when I typed that.
I think I'm just still ultimately learning to deal with life on life's terms. I start fantasizing about escaping into my old habits again when life feels too overwhelming or monotonous. I have to remember I can only take things one moment at a time and to be grateful for what's in front of me.
First cup of regular coffee in a month happening right now. My no caffeine journey has ended, kind of. I felt pretty great that entire month. I definitely feel like not relying on caffeine in the mornings helped give me structure, which sounds weird, but it made me prioritize sleep a little more, which in turn made me think about how I spend my time through the day and ways to improve that relative to energy and when it would be at it's peak vs time to wind down, stuff like that. Also, it really helped with creating a better eating schedule; not snacking way into the night mostly, because I would already be in bed or maybe my metabolism was not as active later in the day as a result of all this. I plan on being much more cognizant of when I have caffeine and how much I ingest moving forward, that is for sure.
Still, my main goal was to continue with improving my digestive health, something I felt caffeine was affecting. And while I do think this helped a lot, I believe the real culprit to be the acidic nature of coffee itself. So for now, we're trying some baking soda in with the coffee, and we'll see how that goes. I'm also starting a set of nutrients to help fix my gut biome which is kind of part of this as well. But that's for another time.
Anyway, if you consider caffeine to be something in your life that may have a little too much presence, consider taking a small break. Yeah, it was tough at the beginning, but I think it's helped me shape a different relationship with it in the end.
Another day booze free, hope all is well pals. DM's always open if anyone ever needs to talk.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI have cut off most social events but yesterday I went to see the GZA. Club was full of old heads getting drunk. Not only was I not tempted but I found it repulsive to see how they turned into blabbering idiots as the time moved on. Also most of them looked hella unhealthy. Maybe I am really over it. Might as well after five years off the sauce.
Anyway, hang in there bros, being sober may be tough but being an alkie is much worse in the long run.[close]
I feel you on that one. I took my daughter to see Angel maker at this park called Empire room in Austin. The show got rain delayed and we ended up hanging out in the bar and just looking at all the locals. I was texting my wife and saying these people are clearly not living very healthy. I’m only seven months in and I look at things way differently.Expand QuoteBeen feeling kind of squirrelly and having some booze thoughts lately. Wanted to speak (type?) the truth of it rather than keep it bottled in. Encouraging and inspiring to see everyone finding new freedom away from a drink. To those struggling, I feel you right now![close]
@mfweeno
What situations are getting you to feel a little Squirrley?[close]
Appreciate you asking, man. I'm definitely doing better than I was when I typed that.
I think I'm just still ultimately learning to deal with life on life's terms. I start fantasizing about escaping into my old habits again when life feels too overwhelming or monotonous. I have to remember I can only take things one moment at a time and to be grateful for what's in front of me.
Expand Quotecoffee is rough on my stomach too. had to stop cold brew. i really like the don't drink for first 60-90 minutes hack with caffine. it's been a game changer for me. for the stomach acid i've started taking acid reducers from the pharmacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSO-11o2A_M[close]
Yeah I feel most days I'm able to achieve that, today for example I was already up for 45min or so before I even got the brew going. The baking soda seems to have helped though! None of the usual mid coffee bs tummy ache type stuff.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have cut off most social events but yesterday I went to see the GZA. Club was full of old heads getting drunk. Not only was I not tempted but I found it repulsive to see how they turned into blabbering idiots as the time moved on. Also most of them looked hella unhealthy. Maybe I am really over it. Might as well after five years off the sauce.
Anyway, hang in there bros, being sober may be tough but being an alkie is much worse in the long run.[close]
I feel you on that one. I took my daughter to see Angel maker at this park called Empire room in Austin. The show got rain delayed and we ended up hanging out in the bar and just looking at all the locals. I was texting my wife and saying these people are clearly not living very healthy. I’m only seven months in and I look at things way differently.Expand QuoteBeen feeling kind of squirrelly and having some booze thoughts lately. Wanted to speak (type?) the truth of it rather than keep it bottled in. Encouraging and inspiring to see everyone finding new freedom away from a drink. To those struggling, I feel you right now![close]
@mfweeno
What situations are getting you to feel a little Squirrley?[close]
Appreciate you asking, man. I'm definitely doing better than I was when I typed that.
I think I'm just still ultimately learning to deal with life on life's terms. I start fantasizing about escaping into my old habits again when life feels too overwhelming or monotonous. I have to remember I can only take things one moment at a time and to be grateful for what's in front of me.[close]
i had excessive bordum around 7-9 at night after dinner for a while. i'd just sit on the couch and stare at the TV after dinner. eventually it just stopped being a focus for me.Expand QuoteExpand Quotecoffee is rough on my stomach too. had to stop cold brew. i really like the don't drink for first 60-90 minutes hack with caffine. it's been a game changer for me. for the stomach acid i've started taking acid reducers from the pharmacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSO-11o2A_M[close]
Yeah I feel most days I'm able to achieve that, today for example I was already up for 45min or so before I even got the brew going. The baking soda seems to have helped though! None of the usual mid coffee bs tummy ache type stuff.[close]
@hmmoookay can you share more about what you are doing with baking soda and coffee? this seems cool
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI have cut off most social events but yesterday I went to see the GZA. Club was full of old heads getting drunk. Not only was I not tempted but I found it repulsive to see how they turned into blabbering idiots as the time moved on. Also most of them looked hella unhealthy. Maybe I am really over it. Might as well after five years off the sauce.
Anyway, hang in there bros, being sober may be tough but being an alkie is much worse in the long run.[close]
I feel you on that one. I took my daughter to see Angel maker at this park called Empire room in Austin. The show got rain delayed and we ended up hanging out in the bar and just looking at all the locals. I was texting my wife and saying these people are clearly not living very healthy. I’m only seven months in and I look at things way differently.Expand QuoteBeen feeling kind of squirrelly and having some booze thoughts lately. Wanted to speak (type?) the truth of it rather than keep it bottled in. Encouraging and inspiring to see everyone finding new freedom away from a drink. To those struggling, I feel you right now![close]
@mfweeno
What situations are getting you to feel a little Squirrley?[close]
Appreciate you asking, man. I'm definitely doing better than I was when I typed that.
I think I'm just still ultimately learning to deal with life on life's terms. I start fantasizing about escaping into my old habits again when life feels too overwhelming or monotonous. I have to remember I can only take things one moment at a time and to be grateful for what's in front of me.[close]
i had excessive bordum around 7-9 at night after dinner for a while. i'd just sit on the couch and stare at the TV after dinner. eventually it just stopped being a focus for me.Expand QuoteExpand Quotecoffee is rough on my stomach too. had to stop cold brew. i really like the don't drink for first 60-90 minutes hack with caffine. it's been a game changer for me. for the stomach acid i've started taking acid reducers from the pharmacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSO-11o2A_M[close]
Yeah I feel most days I'm able to achieve that, today for example I was already up for 45min or so before I even got the brew going. The baking soda seems to have helped though! None of the usual mid coffee bs tummy ache type stuff.[close]
@hmmoookay can you share more about what you are doing with baking soda and coffee? this seems cool[close]
On a base level, I am simply adding a bit of it to my coffee after I'm done brewing it. I usually do pour overs / aeropress which, I guess I never really thought about it, actually helps to decrease acidity already because the water contact is pretty short rather than sitting with the grounds like a coffee maker.
What I have thought about trying though, and I think I will later today when I get home from work, is mixing the baking soda in with the grounds and then carrying out the pour over process. I wanna try this for two reasons. 1. In theory, it should do the exact same thing as mixing it after the fact in terms of helping reduce acidity, which in turn helps my stomach. 2. From a brewing standpoint, I'm curious as to if the bubbly reactive nature of water to baking soda has any effect on bloom and overall brew time because of how active it would make the grounds relative to their normal gas releases.
I read through this website the other day and while there seem to be a number of ways to reduce acidity for both taste and sensitive stomach, baking soda seems to be doing the trick for now so I'm gonna keep rolling with it.
https://mybigfatgrainfreelife.com/2023/06/how-to-make-coffee-alkaline.html
I got sober in 2015 at the behest of my ex-wife. We split up in the tail end of 2022 and if I’m being honest with myself, I think I only stayed sober through last year out of a hope she would take me back. Now at this point it’s abundantly clear I will never be in her life again and it’s been a serious struggle to not drink myself to death. Everyday is an eternity. But still sober.
I got sober in 2015 at the behest of my ex-wife. We split up in the tail end of 2022 and if I’m being honest with myself, I think I only stayed sober through last year out of a hope she would take me back. Now at this point it’s abundantly clear I will never be in her life again and it’s been a serious struggle to not drink myself to death. Everyday is an eternity. But still sober.fuck man. I can’t imagine how difficult shit must be for you right now. I don’t have any advice, just hope you can stay strong.
Strength and love to all the pals dealing with the psychological/emotional challenges that come with sobriety, but I have a question relating to the "lower" faculties:drinking gave me diarrhea for the last 5+ years of it - a week or so into sobriety I had my first solid, satisfying tree trunk breaking off in my ass kind of dump in years.
Anybody else deal with digestive issues after they stopped drinking? I'm a couple of months into sobriety and I've gone from taking substantial dumps just about every day (when I was drinking regularly) to taking these meager little half-shits now that I'm sober. My diet isn't terrible or particularly low on fiber and I probably eat more now that I'm not worried about trying to balance my booze and food calories, but my shits are just not there. I'm not experiencing any pain or constipation per se, but it's like my digestive system is on low battery mode or recalibrating or something. Idk what to think.
I did have a lapse of judgment yesterday, I havent been on the darkweb since I got sober but yesterday i hopped on to see what was up with it. Sure enough different markets are now the new thing, and the only thing stopping me from ordering xanax and heroin was that I dont have any money. When I got sober I also stopped selling drugs so Ive been broke ever since.
I kinda fear for when I get a job Im just gonna fall right back into addiction. In some ways I feel like im staying broke just so I can stay sober.
I really just want to improve my mood. Nothing defeats depression better than a hit of heroin, nothing gets me out of my own head like a xanax. Trying to self medicate. Its just been rough having to learn how to live with this depression ive always had, on top of that I take anti psychotics that leave me like a lifeless zombie. Its tough inside my head. Really I just have to stay off the markets to not get tempted.Expand QuoteI did have a lapse of judgment yesterday, I havent been on the darkweb since I got sober but yesterday i hopped on to see what was up with it. Sure enough different markets are now the new thing, and the only thing stopping me from ordering xanax and heroin was that I dont have any money. When I got sober I also stopped selling drugs so Ive been broke ever since.
I kinda fear for when I get a job Im just gonna fall right back into addiction. In some ways I feel like im staying broke just so I can stay sober.[close]
Will xanax and heroin improve anything in your life? Why do you think, that you need it? I think you already came a long way being sober, why do you wanna destroy it all again? No judgement mate, we are with you and all fight our battles. We have to be stronger as the demons.
9 years free of alcohol and hard drugs and 6 weeks free from weed for mecongrats dude that’s major! What made you decide to quit weed too?
congrats dude that’s major! What made you decide to quit weed too?Expand Quote9 years free of alcohol and hard drugs and 6 weeks free from weed for me[close]
@type depression sucks. I hope you stay strong and clean. Nothing good comes from the dark web.
Without alcohol, I’m losing a little bit of weight and taking better care of my health issues that have caused chronic pain and kept me from doing many things that I love, including skating. I haven’t skated since July 2021. I think when I hit 2 months (march 1) I’m going to reward myself with a new complete and see if I can push around. Shit, even if I can’t yet maybe I can buttboard around my neighborhood. There’s some kids on bikes who I see around, maybe they’ll accept a limping 30 something into their crew.
Expand Quotecongrats dude that’s major! What made you decide to quit weed too?Expand Quote9 years free of alcohol and hard drugs and 6 weeks free from weed for me[close]
@type depression sucks. I hope you stay strong and clean. Nothing good comes from the dark web.
Without alcohol, I’m losing a little bit of weight and taking better care of my health issues that have caused chronic pain and kept me from doing many things that I love, including skating. I haven’t skated since July 2021. I think when I hit 2 months (march 1) I’m going to reward myself with a new complete and see if I can push around. Shit, even if I can’t yet maybe I can buttboard around my neighborhood. There’s some kids on bikes who I see around, maybe they’ll accept a limping 30 something into their crew.[close]
Thanks I really appreciate the support my problem is I can’t do anything I’m moderation I got a two year old and another on the way and I just don’t want them to grow up around my substance abuse issues. So I just replace my unhealthy addiction’s with healthier ones like skating and surfing but I really just want to be a good dad and set good examples
I really just want to improve my mood. Nothing defeats depression better than a hit of heroin, nothing gets me out of my own head like a xanax. Trying to self medicate. Its just been rough having to learn how to live with this depression ive always had, on top of that I take anti psychotics that leave me like a lifeless zombie. Its tough inside my head. Really I just have to stay off the markets to not get tempted.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI did have a lapse of judgment yesterday, I havent been on the darkweb since I got sober but yesterday i hopped on to see what was up with it. Sure enough different markets are now the new thing, and the only thing stopping me from ordering xanax and heroin was that I dont have any money. When I got sober I also stopped selling drugs so Ive been broke ever since.
I kinda fear for when I get a job Im just gonna fall right back into addiction. In some ways I feel like im staying broke just so I can stay sober.[close]
Will xanax and heroin improve anything in your life? Why do you think, that you need it? I think you already came a long way being sober, why do you wanna destroy it all again? No judgement mate, we are with you and all fight our battles. We have to be stronger as the demons.[close]
This far into my sobriety I have generally been able to kind of just accept life on life's terms and try to smile and continue forward. That doesn't mean I haven't had bad days and all that, but I'm pretty sure I had some kind of dissociative / anxiety attack last night. Long story short, I have had a pretty stressful couple weeks at work, which culminated Friday after an email from another employee, kind of questioning my job performance (really generalized way of putting it, worth mentioning this person is not my boss or has any actionable power over me) and despite doing my job very fucking well for 5 years now it really, really got to me. Friday was the first time I had to seriously sit with myself and tell myself that any escape was not worth it (for me that would be drinking). #1, I cant believe I let someones opinion, as short sighted as it is, get to me like that. But I have a feeling that was just the cherry on top so I cant blame them 100% but #2, this was a serious reminder that no matter how positive I can try to be, none of us are immune to the intrusive thoughts of times gone by where our past selves would have just poured gasoline all over our emotions.
I'm feeling better today, good enough at least. I did reach out to some close friends not so much to say "hey, I'm worried about drinking" but just giving them a similar rundown of the situation so they were at least aware I was pretty fucking stressed out. Those folks would know how to talk me down if need be. Anyway I just kind of wanted to get that off my chest a bit. Last night was really weird and (hopefully) just the tail end of a stressful period of time. I was questioning my entire life choices, felt so hopeless and lost, I truly don't want to feel those things again given how sure I am that I'm doing the best that I can, but we all know how unpredictable life is so that's an unrealistic expectation.
Thankful for this thread to be able to spell things out, much love y'all.
Expand QuoteThis far into my sobriety I have generally been able to kind of just accept life on life's terms and try to smile and continue forward. That doesn't mean I haven't had bad days and all that, but I'm pretty sure I had some kind of dissociative / anxiety attack last night. Long story short, I have had a pretty stressful couple weeks at work, which culminated Friday after an email from another employee, kind of questioning my job performance (really generalized way of putting it, worth mentioning this person is not my boss or has any actionable power over me) and despite doing my job very fucking well for 5 years now it really, really got to me. Friday was the first time I had to seriously sit with myself and tell myself that any escape was not worth it (for me that would be drinking). #1, I cant believe I let someones opinion, as short sighted as it is, get to me like that. But I have a feeling that was just the cherry on top so I cant blame them 100% but #2, this was a serious reminder that no matter how positive I can try to be, none of us are immune to the intrusive thoughts of times gone by where our past selves would have just poured gasoline all over our emotions.
I'm feeling better today, good enough at least. I did reach out to some close friends not so much to say "hey, I'm worried about drinking" but just giving them a similar rundown of the situation so they were at least aware I was pretty fucking stressed out. Those folks would know how to talk me down if need be. Anyway I just kind of wanted to get that off my chest a bit. Last night was really weird and (hopefully) just the tail end of a stressful period of time. I was questioning my entire life choices, felt so hopeless and lost, I truly don't want to feel those things again given how sure I am that I'm doing the best that I can, but we all know how unpredictable life is so that's an unrealistic expectation.
Thankful for this thread to be able to spell things out, much love y'all.[close]
I had someone tell me when i first quit drinking “it gets easier but it never get easy” I think things like this remind up how fragile things are and kinda helps keep us on track the day I think I got it beat is the day I start drinking again. Good luck out there
10 months of not drinking for health reasons and it’s surprising how all cravings are gone. Impressed by how adaptable the human mind/body is. Mostly just about declining it in situations when it’s offered. I used to explain, but now I just say ‘no thanks’ and it’s not a big deal.
6 years sober today. The first 2 years were rough. Especially the first 6 months, I felt overwhelmed a lot from all the suppressed emotions all the years before. But I had much more energy after those 6 months. I felt really lost for the first month and I needed some structure and things to do. Skating, drawing, video games, going on dates and coffee all helped. It all felt lame and boring compared to party but it also felt good to take a slower pace and see how good life is already. It is still what you make of it, you just need to have a plan I think. It was the best decision in my life, especially if I now see the people I used to hang around back then. They haven't stopped in the last 6 years and things got worse for them. But that is another topic, maybe they are happy with the life they live and don't expect or want much more from it. But enough of that, I don't want to judge them. Neither am I in the right to do so. I am happy that I was able to break out of that cycle and find other things in life that make me happy. I still feel bad how I treated the people around me and how I made people sad or angry. Only thinking about myself and getting high or drunk was all that mattered to me. But I also don't wanted to end up as the 40 something year old who never took responsibilities for anything in his life. Still trying to be a better person everyday. The only thing that never fully got away is my aversion of people. Too much, too loud, too annoying but I try to be better with that. There are still some rough days nowadays but it is better to deal with any emotions instead of swallowing them. At the very least you can still say fuck you to stupid people and avoid them. I think that’s all I had in my head half the day and I am happy we have this place here to talk/write about stuff.congrats man! Stoked on you for having gotten out of the cycle of harm for yourself.
You can all kick the bad habits and create a better life for you if you want. Yes, it will suck in the beginning and it won't be easy. But that is still better as being homeless, mentally ill or dead.
Send me a message if any of you make it here and wanna skate some crusty spots. Or if you just want to talk or get stuff of your chest, my DMs are always open. Much love from Berlin pals.
I think im done skating for good. Like drugs it just feels like something I need to move forward from. I skated from kindergarten till 32 non stop, all I have to show for is im kinda good at skating. Maybe because drugs and skating were so intertwined for me, I never piled out and stopped skating, I would do drugs and skate, my favorite combo. I kinda feel at this point I can only skate if im high. Thats all I cared about was drugs and skating.
Really Im just ready to move forward with my life and focus on the things I never focused on like getting a career and a relationship. Disability denied my claim and I dont feel like appealing it, Im just ready to start moving forward and skating just isnt important to me anymore.
I dunno, maybe Ill just take a break and revisit it in the future, I think it would maybe be fun relearning stuff in the future.
Im just at that point that im over it, I dont feel bad about it either it is what is.
Expand QuoteI think im done skating for good. Like drugs it just feels like something I need to move forward from. I skated from kindergarten till 32 non stop, all I have to show for is im kinda good at skating. Maybe because drugs and skating were so intertwined for me, I never piled out and stopped skating, I would do drugs and skate, my favorite combo. I kinda feel at this point I can only skate if im high. Thats all I cared about was drugs and skating.
Really Im just ready to move forward with my life and focus on the things I never focused on like getting a career and a relationship. Disability denied my claim and I dont feel like appealing it, Im just ready to start moving forward and skating just isnt important to me anymore.
I dunno, maybe Ill just take a break and revisit it in the future, I think it would maybe be fun relearning stuff in the future.
Im just at that point that im over it, I dont feel bad about it either it is what is.[close]
Maybe you’ll eventually come back to it in a different way. Cruise or skate bowls or whatever you haven’t done, but I totally get where you are coming from.
I really think that is what separates people is the willingness to take on new ways of being in the world.
Not everyone is willing to do that.
Respect.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI think im done skating for good. Like drugs it just feels like something I need to move forward from. I skated from kindergarten till 32 non stop, all I have to show for is im kinda good at skating. Maybe because drugs and skating were so intertwined for me, I never piled out and stopped skating, I would do drugs and skate, my favorite combo. I kinda feel at this point I can only skate if im high. Thats all I cared about was drugs and skating.
Really Im just ready to move forward with my life and focus on the things I never focused on like getting a career and a relationship. Disability denied my claim and I dont feel like appealing it, Im just ready to start moving forward and skating just isnt important to me anymore.
I dunno, maybe Ill just take a break and revisit it in the future, I think it would maybe be fun relearning stuff in the future.
Im just at that point that im over it, I dont feel bad about it either it is what is.[close]
Maybe you’ll eventually come back to it in a different way. Cruise or skate bowls or whatever you haven’t done, but I totally get where you are coming from.
I really think that is what separates people is the willingness to take on new ways of being in the world.
Not everyone is willing to do that.
Respect.[close]
This really spoke to me this afternoon. I think this willingness is foundational to living an actively sober life - it's also the hardest part and something I have to come to grips with myself daily.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI think im done skating for good. Like drugs it just feels like something I need to move forward from. I skated from kindergarten till 32 non stop, all I have to show for is im kinda good at skating. Maybe because drugs and skating were so intertwined for me, I never piled out and stopped skating, I would do drugs and skate, my favorite combo. I kinda feel at this point I can only skate if im high. Thats all I cared about was drugs and skating.
Really Im just ready to move forward with my life and focus on the things I never focused on like getting a career and a relationship. Disability denied my claim and I dont feel like appealing it, Im just ready to start moving forward and skating just isnt important to me anymore.
I dunno, maybe Ill just take a break and revisit it in the future, I think it would maybe be fun relearning stuff in the future.
Im just at that point that im over it, I dont feel bad about it either it is what is.[close]
Maybe you’ll eventually come back to it in a different way. Cruise or skate bowls or whatever you haven’t done, but I totally get where you are coming from.
I really think that is what separates people is the willingness to take on new ways of being in the world.
Not everyone is willing to do that.
Respect.[close]
This really spoke to me this afternoon. I think this willingness is foundational to living an actively sober life - it's also the hardest part and something I have to come to grips with myself daily.[close]
Here, here!
I'll tack my little thought onto the line here: I'm 34 years old going on 35. Alcohol was always my drug of choice. I went sober for ~year long stretches at two different points in my 20s, both of them basically to appease the two women with whom I've been in long term relationships. The latter of these women is now my wife, and the period of sobriety which I undertook for her sake ended a few years ago when we both agreed that it was unhealthy, for my own psychology and for the health of our relationship, for me to go sober for her sake instead of my own. I needed to be actively, not passively, sober, or what was the point? A few months ago, after a couple of years of heavy but relatively orderly drinking (I'd picked up some maturity and restraint along the way!), I had a bad night where I drank way too much, for no discernible reason, and my wife found me blacked out in the bathroom. When she woke me up, I stood up and basically fainted (it felt like passing out from heat exhaustion) and almost hit my head on the edge of the tub. I didn't quit drinking for a couple of weeks after that, but I knew without reservation that I was soon going to, and now that I've stopped, I have to say that it feels different from the other time's I've quit (knock on wood).
Circling back around to the "finding different ways of being in the world" point, I think the thing that strikes me now that didn't really strike me in my late teens and 20s, no matter how fucked up I got, and no matter how many times I actually did put my life on the line while I was "being in the world" under the influence, is that my time in the world is really limited. Given an average lifespan, I'm likely halfway through my life; in my prime in some ways, but the cracks are beginning to show (as they will) and I'm having to come to terms with the fact that I will only live to do and be so much, and that the decisions that I make will have some binding effect on the way the rest of my life plays out. This isn't a new thought to me - in fact, some of my most primal fears have always been bound up with the notion that choices are binding, that I can't just be anything or anyone I want, that on some level I have to "become who I am." For so long I think I was just letting the booze choose for me, and I think I could see how that was playing out and I just finally had enough. I have to remind myself that the choices that come up are a privilege and that I've got to show up to make them before they are made for me. Or maybe what I'm saying is that I finally don't have to remind myself...that it has become clear to me in a way that I can't unsee or ignore.
Just celebrated 1 year over the past weekend. Since my son was born about 2 months after I stopped drinking entirely (was only sparsely drinking before), this past year has been wild in terms of changes in habits, friends, free time, etc. But being present through it all and always ready to help out has been amazing.
My anxiety has improved a good amount, I’m eating relatively healthy and exercising when I get some time, I think the last step for me to where I can really feel like I’m nailing it and being the person I want to be is kicking my phone addiction. Feels so silly having removed alcohol and caffeine and being worried about this, but I just hate how much time I spend plugged in. I’ve tried to go cold turkey a few times but I always back in the same loops, so gonna try to find a book or some other resource.
Dealing with some bad family problems - I’m lucky in that I’ve never really had them before, as I know many people do, but I’m unlucky in that I don’t really have a playbook for dealing with them. Positive side - I’ve not been tempted, at all, to drink about it. I’ll have 2 months without booze Friday.
First time posting but today marks 36 days of sobriety. So far loving the clarity, and thank a lot of previous posters for sharing their stories and progress, super inspiring and supportive!
Expand QuoteJust celebrated 1 year over the past weekend. Since my son was born about 2 months after I stopped drinking entirely (was only sparsely drinking before), this past year has been wild in terms of changes in habits, friends, free time, etc. But being present through it all and always ready to help out has been amazing.
My anxiety has improved a good amount, I’m eating relatively healthy and exercising when I get some time, I think the last step for me to where I can really feel like I’m nailing it and being the person I want to be is kicking my phone addiction. Feels so silly having removed alcohol and caffeine and being worried about this, but I just hate how much time I spend plugged in. I’ve tried to go cold turkey a few times but I always back in the same loops, so gonna try to find a book or some other resource.[close]
No this isn't silly at all, I'm right there with you. Not so much the phone itself but social media. I'm not even all that active, but the passive scrolling and letting things get to me that I choose to subject myself to; those things kind of need to go. There can be enough negativity in real life, I don't need to keep adding to it. I was thinking when I hit two years sober next month I might give myself the gift of deactivating all socials. We'll see. And congrats on 1 year!!!
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteJust celebrated 1 year over the past weekend. Since my son was born about 2 months after I stopped drinking entirely (was only sparsely drinking before), this past year has been wild in terms of changes in habits, friends, free time, etc. But being present through it all and always ready to help out has been amazing.
My anxiety has improved a good amount, I’m eating relatively healthy and exercising when I get some time, I think the last step for me to where I can really feel like I’m nailing it and being the person I want to be is kicking my phone addiction. Feels so silly having removed alcohol and caffeine and being worried about this, but I just hate how much time I spend plugged in. I’ve tried to go cold turkey a few times but I always back in the same loops, so gonna try to find a book or some other resource.[close]
No this isn't silly at all, I'm right there with you. Not so much the phone itself but social media. I'm not even all that active, but the passive scrolling and letting things get to me that I choose to subject myself to; those things kind of need to go. There can be enough negativity in real life, I don't need to keep adding to it. I was thinking when I hit two years sober next month I might give myself the gift of deactivating all socials. We'll see. And congrats on 1 year!!![close]
I don't know if that works on all phones. But I activated a timer on my phone, so that I can only use 40 minutes of Instagram per day, after those 40 minutes the app closes itself. That was a huge step in the right direction for me personally. I started with 2 hours per day and now I am at 40 minutes. And most days, I don't use that 40 minutes.
Stay strong and healthy ya all pals.
Just celebrated 1 year over the past weekend. Since my son was born about 2 months after I stopped drinking entirely (was only sparsely drinking before), this past year has been wild in terms of changes in habits, friends, free time, etc. But being present through it all and always ready to help out has been amazing.
My anxiety has improved a good amount, I’m eating relatively healthy and exercising when I get some time, I think the last step for me to where I can really feel like I’m nailing it and being the person I want to be is kicking my phone addiction. Feels so silly having removed alcohol and caffeine and being worried about this, but I just hate how much time I spend plugged in. I’ve tried to go cold turkey a few times but I always back in the same loops, so gonna try to find a book or some other resource.
Dealing with some bad family problems - I’m lucky in that I’ve never really had them before, as I know many people do, but I’m unlucky in that I don’t really have a playbook for dealing with them. Positive side - I’ve not been tempted, at all, to drink about it. I’ll have 2 months without booze Friday.
First time posting but today marks 36 days of sobriety. So far loving the clarity, and thank a lot of previous posters for sharing their stories and progress, super inspiring and supportive!
I have a Samsung phone, so it is android. As far as I can tell, that is a standard app on android devices.
You go into settings, there should be something called digital wellbeing. Open that. Now they show you which app you used the most. Scroll a bit down and there should be something called app-timer. Select the app and choose how many daily minutes you want to use it. Wait, I take a screenshot how it looks on my phone.
(https://i.postimg.cc/W4FPC0QP/Screenshot-20240229-081830-Digital-Wellbeing.jpg)
I hope my explainations made sense.
Traveled this weekend for the first time since quitting booze and man, travel is definitely a trigger for me. Or at least, all my habits while traveling have been centered around drinking. Didn’t drink but definitely dealt with a really wide range of emotions. I think my brain was trying to figure out what the fuck to do in a new place and free time and none of my routines from at home. Normally traveling meant drink on the way there, bar hop the whole time being there, suffer or hair of the dog the whole way back.
Expand QuoteTraveled this weekend for the first time since quitting booze and man, travel is definitely a trigger for me. Or at least, all my habits while traveling have been centered around drinking. Didn’t drink but definitely dealt with a really wide range of emotions. I think my brain was trying to figure out what the fuck to do in a new place and free time and none of my routines from at home. Normally traveling meant drink on the way there, bar hop the whole time being there, suffer or hair of the dog the whole way back.[close]
Man, totally relate to this and have been thinking about it a lot lately. I was always a really big traveler going all over the world. But I am now worried about getting out of my current routine comfort zone and getting back on the sauce to cope with those disruptions. When ever I traveled I was drinking before, during and on the way back everyday. Hopefully I can figure out a way to do it, probably need to start small and not jump into some big international trip or anything.
props to all sharing updates! always feels good reading these updates.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteTraveled this weekend for the first time since quitting booze and man, travel is definitely a trigger for me. Or at least, all my habits while traveling have been centered around drinking. Didn’t drink but definitely dealt with a really wide range of emotions. I think my brain was trying to figure out what the fuck to do in a new place and free time and none of my routines from at home. Normally traveling meant drink on the way there, bar hop the whole time being there, suffer or hair of the dog the whole way back.[close]
Man, totally relate to this and have been thinking about it a lot lately. I was always a really big traveler going all over the world. But I am now worried about getting out of my current routine comfort zone and getting back on the sauce to cope with those disruptions. When ever I traveled I was drinking before, during and on the way back everyday. Hopefully I can figure out a way to do it, probably need to start small and not jump into some big international trip or anything.[close]
only time i thought about drinking recently was traveling. i was stuck in an airport, tired and had a long day of traveling ahead of me.
"this is the kind of situation that drinking is made for..."
but it was a fleeting thought. i'm more or less in a new mental space where my nights are about resting up so i can have a killer day and not about unwinding from a shitty day.
Coming up on 3 years without drinking next week. life is still hard(that ain’t changin) but 1000x more manageable. way less reactionary to bullshit and quicker to fix problems.
I have forgotten until day of the last two years to try and do something to “celebrate” the time passing so it’s been lackluster, but this year I’m going to do it up. Maybe go eat a nice/fancy dinner…
anyone else do anything when they hit milestones?
props to all sharing updates! always feels good reading these updates.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteTraveled this weekend for the first time since quitting booze and man, travel is definitely a trigger for me. Or at least, all my habits while traveling have been centered around drinking. Didn’t drink but definitely dealt with a really wide range of emotions. I think my brain was trying to figure out what the fuck to do in a new place and free time and none of my routines from at home. Normally traveling meant drink on the way there, bar hop the whole time being there, suffer or hair of the dog the whole way back.[close]
Man, totally relate to this and have been thinking about it a lot lately. I was always a really big traveler going all over the world. But I am now worried about getting out of my current routine comfort zone and getting back on the sauce to cope with those disruptions. When ever I traveled I was drinking before, during and on the way back everyday. Hopefully I can figure out a way to do it, probably need to start small and not jump into some big international trip or anything.[close]
only time i thought about drinking recently was traveling. i was stuck in an airport, tired and had a long day of traveling ahead of me.
"this is the kind of situation that drinking is made for..."
but it was a fleeting thought. i'm more or less in a new mental space where my nights are about resting up so i can have a killer day and not about unwinding from a shitty day.
Expand Quoteprops to all sharing updates! always feels good reading these updates.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteTraveled this weekend for the first time since quitting booze and man, travel is definitely a trigger for me. Or at least, all my habits while traveling have been centered around drinking. Didn’t drink but definitely dealt with a really wide range of emotions. I think my brain was trying to figure out what the fuck to do in a new place and free time and none of my routines from at home. Normally traveling meant drink on the way there, bar hop the whole time being there, suffer or hair of the dog the whole way back.[close]
Man, totally relate to this and have been thinking about it a lot lately. I was always a really big traveler going all over the world. But I am now worried about getting out of my current routine comfort zone and getting back on the sauce to cope with those disruptions. When ever I traveled I was drinking before, during and on the way back everyday. Hopefully I can figure out a way to do it, probably need to start small and not jump into some big international trip or anything.[close]
only time i thought about drinking recently was traveling. i was stuck in an airport, tired and had a long day of traveling ahead of me.
"this is the kind of situation that drinking is made for..."
but it was a fleeting thought. i'm more or less in a new mental space where my nights are about resting up so i can have a killer day and not about unwinding from a shitty day.[close]
Really encouraging to hear I’m not alone in these particular feelings. I have therapy today and it’ll be great to dissect this a bit there as well.
Definitely enjoying my days more without alcohol - I was totally rushing through work/chores/whatever before to get to the point in the day where I could justify starting drinking.
Congrats to those of yall hitting milestones now/soon!
I'll be thee months no booze in a few weeks. I've been craving sweets like a mother fucker though...chocolate bars and candy, even Pepsi and pop. I don't normally have a sweet tooth, and I never would drink pop. One of the dollar stores in my city has these weird Turkish chocolate bars, amd ones called 4fun and it's absolutely delicious and is only 60¢. I'm not proud , but I've been crushing those.
Still here still sober. I have a craving for some whiskey every once in a while. I just do something else to try to forget. Do the cravings ever go away? Or am i gonna have that forever?
Expand QuoteI'll be thee months no booze in a few weeks. I've been craving sweets like a mother fucker though...chocolate bars and candy, even Pepsi and pop. I don't normally have a sweet tooth, and I never would drink pop. One of the dollar stores in my city has these weird Turkish chocolate bars, amd ones called 4fun and it's absolutely delicious and is only 60¢. I'm not proud , but I've been crushing those.[close]
I was never a big sweets guy until I quit drinking, you'll eventually phase out of it, enjoy it for now though haha. If you're lucky, you'll strike a nice balance. I did for a bit but now I can hardly get through a whole soda without just kinda being over it, which I guess is a healthy balance I suppose, but sometimes I find it hard to enjoy sweets now. I'm sure my body is happier for it though! Congrats on three months! :)
Shout out to everyone who has updated in the thread recently. I have a really good support group of friends/family but I find that the anonymous group setting here is really nice too because there’s no pressure or anything personal really, we’re just internet strangers with similar goals.
I also noticed the sweets craving/food cravings in general. I didn’t give them much thought because my main focus is kicking booze and whatever I gotta do to get there (within reason) I’m ok with. I’ve been eating more and eating more treats and I’m still down 12 lbs since January.
I’m getting absolutely crushed at work right now - I’m in tech and pretty sure my company is gearing up for more layoffs. The good news is even though my anxiety is through the roof, I’m not sleeping, etc - drinking hasn’t been an appealing thought. I think I’m slowly getting better at dealing with emotions and life’s ups and downs instead of trying to push them away or temporarily blunt them with 12 old fashioneds
Hope everybody has a great week ahead of them
Shout out to everyone who has updated in the thread recently. I have a really good support group of friends/family but I find that the anonymous group setting here is really nice too because there’s no pressure or anything personal really, we’re just internet strangers with similar goals.
I also noticed the sweets craving/food cravings in general. I didn’t give them much thought because my main focus is kicking booze and whatever I gotta do to get there (within reason) I’m ok with. I’ve been eating more and eating more treats and I’m still down 12 lbs since January.
I’m getting absolutely crushed at work right now - I’m in tech and pretty sure my company is gearing up for more layoffs. The good news is even though my anxiety is through the roof, I’m not sleeping, etc - drinking hasn’t been an appealing thought. I think I’m slowly getting better at dealing with emotions and life’s ups and downs instead of trying to push them away or temporarily blunt them with 12 old fashioneds
Hope everybody has a great week ahead of them
3 weeks ago I was yellow. This putrid colour yellow and yellow eyes.
In rehab for the second time. Gonna make it work even though it’s fuxking boot camp with extremely unstable people. My bunky has 1% on one side of his neck and 187 on the other side. Super nice dude though. I try to never judge.
99% of people here are from a court order straight from jail. Definitely not like the rehabs on the movies. But hey, at least I’m not drinking.
Proud of you g. You’ve got what it takes to make it out the other side.
Today is 1 year for me. Fucking crazy lol. From 16-36 I never would considered that a possibility. Full steam ahead.
Expand Quote3 weeks ago I was yellow. This putrid colour yellow and yellow eyes.
In rehab for the second time. Gonna make it work even though it’s fuxking boot camp with extremely unstable people. My bunky has 1% on one side of his neck and 187 on the other side. Super nice dude though. I try to never judge.
99% of people here are from a court order straight from jail. Definitely not like the rehabs on the movies. But hey, at least I’m not drinking.[close]
Glad you're here VW, rooting for you.Expand QuoteProud of you g. You’ve got what it takes to make it out the other side.
Today is 1 year for me. Fucking crazy lol. From 16-36 I never would considered that a possibility. Full steam ahead.[close]
Congrats!!! Big 1 year, that's awesome. I agree it's kind of interesting to think back on other stages of our lives and go "yeah 24 year old me would have never"...and yet here we are.
.
Bought myself a gaming PC as a “happy 100 days without booze” gift, coming in soon. What’s crazy is it cost me about 6 weeks of typical drinking costs. Fuck did drinking add up.
Expand Quote.
Bought myself a gaming PC as a “happy 100 days without booze” gift, coming in soon. What’s crazy is it cost me about 6 weeks of typical drinking costs. Fuck did drinking add up.[close]
Noice!! Might as well enjoy the extra money and buy something you want.
I cringe when I think of all the money I've spent on booze, since I was like, 17.
I've been three months last weekend no booze.
The sugar cravings are subsiding, and I have lost some weight, 5lbs. My wife says I look slimmer, so that gave my ego a boost!
It is lame to say this, but I am proud of myself as well.
Last night wife, me, and my daughter went to the local microbrewery for supper. They have a bbq pulled pork pineapple pizza that is super good that my wife likes a lot. We don't eat out much anymore because restaurant eating is so fucking expensive now, but she had a absolutely terrible week at work that emotionally destroyed here but eventually turned out ok, so it was kind of like a bitter sweet celebration the week.
I was so, so tempted to order a beer. (One won't hurt, right?!)
My head was literally vibrating inside with the thought of having a beer. It was consuming me all supper.
But... I didn't. I fought the temptation, and mainly though was how shitty and bloated it would end up feeling washing down the pizza with some beer, and also not being able to stop at one.
It's a small victory, but a victory none the less. I'll take it.
Expand Quote.
Bought myself a gaming PC as a “happy 100 days without booze” gift, coming in soon. What’s crazy is it cost me about 6 weeks of typical drinking costs. Fuck did drinking add up.[close]
Noice!! Might as well enjoy the extra money and buy something you want.
I cringe when I think of all the money I've spent on booze, since I was like, 17.
I've been three months last weekend no booze.
The sugar cravings are subsiding, and I have lost some weight, 5lbs. My wife says I look slimmer, so that gave my ego a boost!
It is lame to say this, but I am proud of myself as well.
Last night wife, me, and my daughter went to the local microbrewery for supper. They have a bbq pulled pork pineapple pizza that is super good that my wife likes a lot. We don't eat out much anymore because restaurant eating is so fucking expensive now, but she had a absolutely terrible week at work that emotionally destroyed here but eventually turned out ok, so it was kind of like a bitter sweet celebration the week.
I was so, so tempted to order a beer. (One won't hurt, right?!)
My head was literally vibrating inside with the thought of having a beer. It was consuming me all supper.
But... I didn't. I fought the temptation, and mainly though was how shitty and bloated it would end up feeling washing down the pizza with some beer, and also not being able to stop at one.
It's a small victory, but a victory none the less. I'll take it.
Expand QuoteExpand Quote.
Bought myself a gaming PC as a “happy 100 days without booze” gift, coming in soon. What’s crazy is it cost me about 6 weeks of typical drinking costs. Fuck did drinking add up.[close]
Noice!! Might as well enjoy the extra money and buy something you want.
I cringe when I think of all the money I've spent on booze, since I was like, 17.
I've been three months last weekend no booze.
The sugar cravings are subsiding, and I have lost some weight, 5lbs. My wife says I look slimmer, so that gave my ego a boost!
It is lame to say this, but I am proud of myself as well.
Last night wife, me, and my daughter went to the local microbrewery for supper. They have a bbq pulled pork pineapple pizza that is super good that my wife likes a lot. We don't eat out much anymore because restaurant eating is so fucking expensive now, but she had a absolutely terrible week at work that emotionally destroyed here but eventually turned out ok, so it was kind of like a bitter sweet celebration the week.
I was so, so tempted to order a beer. (One won't hurt, right?!)
My head was literally vibrating inside with the thought of having a beer. It was consuming me all supper.
But... I didn't. I fought the temptation, and mainly though was how shitty and bloated it would end up feeling washing down the pizza with some beer, and also not being able to stop at one.
It's a small victory, but a victory none the less. I'll take it.[close]
way to go man. actually that's about as big as they get victory wise. for me there was the temptation for a while in restaurant which got replaced by boredom and now i can go out to a restaurant and it feels normal. took like 8 months though. temptation for me was probably at around 4-5 month mark though.
how did the morning after go for you? i bet it was epic
Expand Quote.
Bought myself a gaming PC as a “happy 100 days without booze” gift, coming in soon. What’s crazy is it cost me about 6 weeks of typical drinking costs. Fuck did drinking add up.[close]
Noice!! Might as well enjoy the extra money and buy something you want.
I cringe when I think of all the money I've spent on booze, since I was like, 17.
I've been three months last weekend no booze.
The sugar cravings are subsiding, and I have lost some weight, 5lbs. My wife says I look slimmer, so that gave my ego a boost!
It is lame to say this, but I am proud of myself as well.
Last night wife, me, and my daughter went to the local microbrewery for supper. They have a bbq pulled pork pineapple pizza that is super good that my wife likes a lot. We don't eat out much anymore because restaurant eating is so fucking expensive now, but she had a absolutely terrible week at work that emotionally destroyed here but eventually turned out ok, so it was kind of like a bitter sweet celebration the week.
I was so, so tempted to order a beer. (One won't hurt, right?!)
My head was literally vibrating inside with the thought of having a beer. It was consuming me all supper.
But... I didn't. I fought the temptation, and mainly though was how shitty and bloated it would end up feeling washing down the pizza with some beer, and also not being able to stop at one.
It's a small victory, but a victory none the less. I'll take it.
Expand QuoteExpand Quote.
Bought myself a gaming PC as a “happy 100 days without booze” gift, coming in soon. What’s crazy is it cost me about 6 weeks of typical drinking costs. Fuck did drinking add up.[close]
Noice!! Might as well enjoy the extra money and buy something you want.
I cringe when I think of all the money I've spent on booze, since I was like, 17.
I've been three months last weekend no booze.
The sugar cravings are subsiding, and I have lost some weight, 5lbs. My wife says I look slimmer, so that gave my ego a boost!
It is lame to say this, but I am proud of myself as well.
Last night wife, me, and my daughter went to the local microbrewery for supper. They have a bbq pulled pork pineapple pizza that is super good that my wife likes a lot. We don't eat out much anymore because restaurant eating is so fucking expensive now, but she had a absolutely terrible week at work that emotionally destroyed here but eventually turned out ok, so it was kind of like a bitter sweet celebration the week.
I was so, so tempted to order a beer. (One won't hurt, right?!)
My head was literally vibrating inside with the thought of having a beer. It was consuming me all supper.
But... I didn't. I fought the temptation, and mainly though was how shitty and bloated it would end up feeling washing down the pizza with some beer, and also not being able to stop at one.
It's a small victory, but a victory none the less. I'll take it.[close]
I noticed the financial literacy increase with sobriety as well and usually end up treating myself (more on the food end than anything)
Not sure if it counts but I usually cook with my beer for my deep oil fried fish and chicken recipes...I dont drink any of it. I read the alcohol is completely burned off in the oil but others say it does not, I taste it but there is no buzzes from eating meals cooked with them...thoughts from the pals on cooking with alcohol.
Yeah, that stuff burns off and definitely adds a dpleoth of richness to the flavor of cooking.
My mom cooks like crazy with wine. She used to use that as a way to sneak drinks when she was supposed to have quit. She did a 60 day inpatient rehab a few years ago and I don’t think she has had a drink since. She still cooks with wine like crazy so kinda worry about it occasionally. Ugggh that was such a difficult time dealing with her alcoholism. I stopped and my dad around the same time as she was in the inpatient treatment. Shit just caused so many problems for everyone it wasn’t worth it anymore. My bro still drinks everyday though unfortunately. Called him the other night on a Tuesday and was just thinking “dang dude, you sound wasted”.
Expand Quote[close]
I've had drinking dreams two nights in a row this week and it's really kind of fucked me up in the morning.
Expand QuoteFour months since my last beer. Wasn't planning on quitting forever but not really interested in cracking one any time soon.[close]
Nice! When i quit, i had only planned on drying out for a month. Its cool to aee where it goes!
Aight, I will get one beer. I drank it but as soon as it touched my lips, something didn't felt right. It felt wrong for some reason, I emptied it anyway. After that I had the desire to get another drink but I didn't. It was a weird situation for me
Having a pretty gnarly one right now. My dad died of a heart attack last Sunday, and I’ve been back home going through all his shit, figuring out the will, and planning the memorial since Thursday. He was a functioning alcoholic, and while the drinking might not be killed him it certainly didn’t help his health.
Being back here with all his old friends coming by has been rough, just watching them all get fucked up “in his honor”. So many bottles of wine and champagne getting opened while I’m cataloguing his things, cleaning out the garage, etc.
I’m 14 months sober and stopped drinking pretty gradually and never had an issue with “turning it off”/the act of quitting, so this hasn’t been triggering to me from an off the wagon perspective, but just rough to see so much self soothing with alcohol (and some flashbacks to similar days/nights being the only sober person as a kid, thankful my wife is here now).
Apologies for being a downer, just had to do some internet journaling somewhere.
Having a pretty gnarly one right now. My dad died of a heart attack last Sunday, and I’ve been back home going through all his shit, figuring out the will, and planning the memorial since Thursday. He was a functioning alcoholic, and while the drinking might not be killed him it certainly didn’t help his health.
Being back here with all his old friends coming by has been rough, just watching them all get fucked up “in his honor”. So many bottles of wine and champagne getting opened while I’m cataloguing his things, cleaning out the garage, etc.
I’m 14 months sober and stopped drinking pretty gradually and never had an issue with “turning it off”/the act of quitting, so this hasn’t been triggering to me from an off the wagon perspective, but just rough to see so much self soothing with alcohol (and some flashbacks to similar days/nights being the only sober person as a kid, thankful my wife is here now).
Apologies for being a downer, just had to do some internet journaling somewhere.
Expand QuoteHaving a pretty gnarly one right now. My dad died of a heart attack last Sunday, and I’ve been back home going through all his shit, figuring out the will, and planning the memorial since Thursday. He was a functioning alcoholic, and while the drinking might not be killed him it certainly didn’t help his health.
Being back here with all his old friends coming by has been rough, just watching them all get fucked up “in his honor”. So many bottles of wine and champagne getting opened while I’m cataloguing his things, cleaning out the garage, etc.
I’m 14 months sober and stopped drinking pretty gradually and never had an issue with “turning it off”/the act of quitting, so this hasn’t been triggering to me from an off the wagon perspective, but just rough to see so much self soothing with alcohol (and some flashbacks to similar days/nights being the only sober person as a kid, thankful my wife is here now).
Apologies for being a downer, just had to do some internet journaling somewhere.[close]
@Enrico Pallazzo so sorry for your loss and thanks so much for sharing.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteHaving a pretty gnarly one right now. My dad died of a heart attack last Sunday, and I’ve been back home going through all his shit, figuring out the will, and planning the memorial since Thursday. He was a functioning alcoholic, and while the drinking might not be killed him it certainly didn’t help his health.
Being back here with all his old friends coming by has been rough, just watching them all get fucked up “in his honor”. So many bottles of wine and champagne getting opened while I’m cataloguing his things, cleaning out the garage, etc.
I’m 14 months sober and stopped drinking pretty gradually and never had an issue with “turning it off”/the act of quitting, so this hasn’t been triggering to me from an off the wagon perspective, but just rough to see so much self soothing with alcohol (and some flashbacks to similar days/nights being the only sober person as a kid, thankful my wife is here now).
Apologies for being a downer, just had to do some internet journaling somewhere.[close]
@Enrico Pallazzo so sorry for your loss and thanks so much for sharing.[close]
Harsh one. I went through a similar thing when my dad died last September. I missed him by one day, travelling halfway across the world. When I got home, I was greeted by a household that stunk like a brewery and all my family hammered. I nearly turned 180 and walked back out. At the wake my nephew told me his plan was to drink a gallon of beer in my dad's honor as my dad had once told him he could drink a gallon and still function fine... Welsh funerals eh...
My Condolences @Enrico Pallazzo
Expand Quote17 months. thinking of hangovers: would there be something worse than having one say tomorrow morning (noon)? on the other hand they sometimes made for chill days (excuses) to stay in bed eat pizza and ice-cream (and eventually drink beers in bed, too)…[close]
I didn’t realize that I was in a years long hangover until my body acclimated about a year out of drinking. I never got any of those pizza and ice cream days. On non work days it was straight to beer, work days, i just powered through with coffee and PMA.
Nowadays, if i dont sleep enough, or drink enough water by a certain time, or dont stretch, im a miserable grouch. Alcohol was a crazy anesthetic for sure
Well I am starting over again. I went 90+ days as an “experiment” and felt great. Again I was never a “problem” drinker in that alcohol never interfered with my daily life. But it is definitely affecting my energy levels in my old age. And I just overall felt so much better sober. Was stupid of me to give that up. My job security went to hell right before I did so I justified it with “ stress” and things like “you’ve proven you can give it up.”
Job is still insecure but obviously long term alcohol doesn’t really reduce stress. Anyway I am very grateful for this thread. Thank you all for sharing. It is all inspiring and encouraging me to restart my sober journey.
To spin all of this in a positive light, it's all made me thankful for my sobriety because if I were still "living" off of vodka and fried food I think I would probably have spiraled into a mental health crisis by now. No one ever said this would be easy, but its easier than repeating that cycle for damn sure.
Congrats on 17months ralf, big big big. Keep it up! :)
Expand Quote
To spin all of this in a positive light, it's all made me thankful for my sobriety because if I were still "living" off of vodka and fried food I think I would probably have spiraled into a mental health crisis by now. No one ever said this would be easy, but its easier than repeating that cycle for damn sure.
Congrats on 17months ralf, big big big. Keep it up! :)[close]
That's it right there. The cycle from before is easy and comfortable to get into, but just remember how shitty you probably felt all time.
All the negative emotions that follow after a binge. They're the worst. Keep going.
Well I am starting over again. I went 90+ days as an “experiment” and felt great. Again I was never a “problem” drinker in that alcohol never interfered with my daily life. But it is definitely affecting my energy levels in my old age. And I just overall felt so much better sober. Was stupid of me to give that up. My job security went to hell right before I did so I justified it with “ stress” and things like “you’ve proven you can give it up.”
Job is still insecure but obviously long term alcohol doesn’t really reduce stress. Anyway I am very grateful for this thread. Thank you all for sharing. It is all inspiring and encouraging me to restart my sober journey.
Expand QuoteWell I am starting over again. I went 90+ days as an “experiment” and felt great. Again I was never a “problem” drinker in that alcohol never interfered with my daily life. But it is definitely affecting my energy levels in my old age. And I just overall felt so much better sober. Was stupid of me to give that up. My job security went to hell right before I did so I justified it with “ stress” and things like “you’ve proven you can give it up.”
Job is still insecure but obviously long term alcohol doesn’t really reduce stress. Anyway I am very grateful for this thread. Thank you all for sharing. It is all inspiring and encouraging me to restart my sober journey.[close]
Im in the same boat but at the same time realized that alcohol itself is a problem. I also started getting older and the morning DADS was getting gnarly even after 2 beers, when i stopped the morning poops became more enjoyable . Im at 5.5 Months now and probably won't touch it for the foreseeable future
i'm in a forum group for my work and i meet with other people with similar jobs monthly to share personal and professional challenges, accomplishments, etc. i had one of my forum mates this month thank me for inspiring him to quit drinking and another who got a garmin and has been tracking using sleep score, body battery, etc. when i first quit drinking i think my thoughts about it were pretty dated and i thought that it'd be this embarrassing thing that makes people think you had some kind of weakness or problem. drunk guy who was abusive to family vibes... it really feels like times have changed for the way better and people view it more like taking on a health diet and exercise routine.
like him or not (I'm relatively neutral) the Huberman thing helped with perception for a lot of folks.Expand Quotei'm in a forum group for my work and i meet with other people with similar jobs monthly to share personal and professional challenges, accomplishments, etc. i had one of my forum mates this month thank me for inspiring him to quit drinking and another who got a garmin and has been tracking using sleep score, body battery, etc. when i first quit drinking i think my thoughts about it were pretty dated and i thought that it'd be this embarrassing thing that makes people think you had some kind of weakness or problem. drunk guy who was abusive to family vibes... it really feels like times have changed for the way better and people view it more like taking on a health diet and exercise routine.[close]
https://youtu.be/zXHp0AAOfvE (https://youtu.be/zXHp0AAOfvE)
I looked back but did not see this posted in here before.
Expand Quotehttps://youtu.be/zXHp0AAOfvE (https://youtu.be/zXHp0AAOfvE)
I looked back but did not see this posted in here before.[close]
Oh wow this is sick. I skate with Jason sometimes at the local park, cool guy. Sick interview.
My one year anniversary of no alcohol is coming up this week.
I wasn't sure when I started this journey if I was gonna make it this far even...but it looks like I have. And I plan to continue.
My birthday is coming up this summer and I am considering pushing back my sobriety birthday to coincide with my bday. It just seems it would be more meaningful and easy to remember. Maybe hold more gravity and give me the strength to abstain if someone ever tries to buy me a bday drink?
And I would be pushing my sobriety bday back as opposed to pushing it up, so not technically cheating. Seems pretty minor. Anyone here who stopped drinking on their birthday (so the dates coincide)? If so, are there any positives or negatives?
Anyways, EdLawndale of alcohol, confirmed.
As a kid I thought being a drunk would be a dirty secret and the sober people would be out in the open, but it honestly feels the opposite to me. The sober people are in secret clubs and are low key, the drunks are the ones with no shame. There is no shame in being sober! Making healthy choices is rad. Bettering yourself, and being the best version of you, is something to be proud of. I won't drink with y'all today.
Sobriety really is a gift.
I stopped keeping track.. it's been like 8 months or something for me? I'm constantly surrounded by alcoholics and partiers though. I got sober with my Mom after she started having kidney/liver failure from years of alcoholism. Once she died, it really took the fun out of drinking.
Now that I'm sober, I'm seeing how much of drinking/partying is people running from problems and not knowing how to cope. Oddly, the more I'm around drunks and partying, the less I want to do with that shit. I used to think drinking + drugs = fun, but I'm realizing that I'm usually having the most fun out of everyone. I love music, so it's pretty wild to be dancing and vibing stone sober though ha!
Energy levels are unbelievable. Blood pressure is back on track. Healthy diet, health looking good. In the gym and feeling and looking good. In my free time I've basically recorded a 12 track demo, relaunched my media business, got my finances under control, and took up a bunch of really fun hobbies. It feels like I always have money because I'm not spending $$$ on booze and weed every night so it's been easy to invest in myself and my interests.
It's so nice waking up with no guilt or anxiety about being an idiot. I thought getting sober would fuck up my art but it's actually made it way better because I'm actually releasing emotions and being fully present while creating and jamming. My relationships are better, I feel like I'm in the drivers seat of life again. I've had conversations and opportunities with people I wouldn't even dream about, and I left them feeling good! I'm not constantly putting out fires. I've been developing real connections with people that aren't centered on booze or getting the next fix.
I started to see how once you take booze and drugs out of the equation, a lot of partying really isn't even that fun. It's pretty lame to be sitting around doing nothing getting wasted now. I could be out exploring the world, making something beautiful, sharing a real moment with someone, growing my business, following a passion, developing a skill, but instead they're sitting there killing themselves slowly with poison and literally pissing away their money, to not remember it!
My problem is being expected to take care of everyone because I'm "sober". Setting boundaries is tough with people you care about. I've had to cut out people who couldn't get it together, were burning out, and were just toxic and miserable to be around. Having to deal with jealousy and envy now too from bitter drunks who won't help themselves. Seeing people close to you actually prefer you being fucked up because it makes them feel better about themselves is a tough one. You get a front row, all access pass to peoples lives crumbling, while you're waking up stoked to get after life. It's weird. A lot of people come to me now asking what the secret is and when I tell them sobriety, they want to get sober but never do. The answers are right in front of them but they can't do it. Once you get over the hump of learning to cope and coming to terms with your fuck ups and fixing them as best you can, sobriety is pretty cool.
I kinda left this wall of text up for anyone wanting to get sober. As a kid I thought being a drunk would be a dirty secret and the sober people would be out in the open, but it honestly feels the opposite to me. The sober people are in secret clubs and are low key, the drunks are the ones with no shame. There is no shame in being sober! Making healthy choices is rad. Bettering yourself, and being the best version of you, is something to be proud of. I won't drink with y'all today.
Sobriety really is a gift.
Not going to lie, now that it’s summer here and warm, there’s been some moments where I’ve had “ah fuck, what if I just went on a bender at the beach this weekend and got back to sobriety next week” thoughts/impulses, thankfully I’m not acting on them and it’s not been overwhelming, but it’s funny because a week ago I posted in here about booze being so out of my mind.
Stay strong slappers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd3EiVVB9D0
Expand Quotehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd3EiVVB9D0[close]
Thanks for posting this, it was an interesting listen. Poor Patrick O'Dell sounds like a really unhappy person although he's obviously dealing the best he can with life. All had good stories.
Hey gang.Booom!!
Today my sobriety date is old enough to legally drink.
Hey gang.
Today my sobriety date is old enough to legally drink.
Hey gang.Right on Gay. You love to see it.
Today my sobriety date is old enough to legally drink.
Hey gang.
Today my sobriety date is old enough to legally drink.
Hey gang.Congrats and massive respect, you are inspiring to everyone in recovery.
Today my sobriety date is old enough to legally drink.
today is day 5 no alcohol. well day 6 actually
i had plently of energy to work and wasn't tired when i got home and had a great night with the family.
Yeah, everyone, thank you all for your stories. They are inspiring. I had a 12 day streak then went on vacation and busted it. Now on an 8 day streak. Really want this one to last longer. I am eating sugar like a fat person though. Like I'm wondering if I might be pushing myself to diabetes. This thread is something I go to for reinforcement so again thanks all.I had huge sugar cravings the first few weeks. I still eat more sugar now than when I was drinking. I go through 3 or so pints of ice cream a week - still 25 lbs lighter than I was January 1
Yeah, everyone, thank you all for your stories. They are inspiring. I had a 12 day streak then went on vacation and busted it. Now on an 8 day streak. Really want this one to last longer. I am eating sugar like a fat person though. Like I'm wondering if I might be pushing myself to diabetes. This thread is something I go to for reinforcement so again thanks all.
Got a call yesterday that an older close family friend is terminal with cirrhosis and pancreatic cancer. Couple days to live. Pretty crushed. He had started calling me drunk late at night, sounding pretty rough. Told him I would go to AA with him if he wanted help and putting him onto the steps.sorry to hear that
I guess he ended up going and got sober for a couple months but the damage was already done. Same story as my mom… feeling pretty terrible. He had started isolating on social media and a couple months went by from when I last heard from him. Can’t help but feel like I should have called more but god damn. It’s a gruesome reminder that some peoples bottom is the point of no return, or even death.
Fuck drinking.
Nearly five years sober here and have no problems hanging in pubs with drunk idiots until stumps (watch a lot of bands), but I do like a zero beer in my hand at all times. Bougie bar in Melbourne AUS tried to charge me SIXTEEN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS for a 375 ml can of non-alcoholic beer recently. I laughed and did not buy, obviously. Obscene shit. They're often up to nine dollars, which is enough of a rip already. I've actually been known to sneak my own in, which is obviously, quite ridiculous, but old habits die hard. Pints of heavy in the same place were $14. Mental.
Anyhoo, rant over. Well done everyone for trying to stay/staying sober. All the initial bullshit is well worth it once you turn a corner and enjoy life without booze.
I quit alcohol, but I’m looking to quit weed for good, hoping it will make me less lazy.
Expand QuoteI quit alcohol, but I’m looking to quit weed for good, hoping it will make me less lazy.[close]
nice on the alcohol, hope your feeling great.
definitely going to be less lazy if you quit. i quit weed probably 10 years back and started a company that's provided my family a great lifestyle. something i would never have done when i was smoking because when i wasn't working i was faded and getting my business going involved a lot of networking after hours. i was also having really bad paranoia and even mild schizophrenia (maybe just extreme mind racing) and people say it's not addictive but it was a bitch for me to quit.
i'm closing in on one year and only drink coffee now. i do the 1-2 hour delay and i feel pretty amazing all day. definitely way better feeling that being faded or drunk. hasn't gotten old or boring. just hyped all day. skate sessions are almost always good. it's been fantastic.
i have a harder time with coffee
6 months today since my last beer. Not sure where things go from here as I never intended to go fully sober permanently.... but why ruin a good run.... ?
6 months today since my last beer. Not sure where things go from here as I never intended to go fully sober permanently.... but why ruin a good run.... ?
6 months today since my last beer. Not sure where things go from here as I never intended to go fully sober permanently.... but why ruin a good run.... ?
Expand Quote6 months today since my last beer. Not sure where things go from here as I never intended to go fully sober permanently.... but why ruin a good run.... ?[close]
My aim was a month for Harvest. Had my last drink in Maine. It was a bloody maria with some cazadores. Going on 9 years in September.
Life is generally better. I was out with my pop last night and while 5 deep, he was talking about a hockey game i took him to the year before i quit drinking, talking about the guys from Montreal we met. I hardly recalled anything he was sharing. I didn’t generally black out and had a high tolerance for appearing not wasted/hung over to most, but fuck if it isn’t awesome to not have swamp brain.
I was helping in the yoga center yesterday and saw a flyer from 2010 for a week long teacher training in a specific modality, with a really talented and well known teacher. I was thinking about how i “participated” in that training. it was like 7am-5pm, sunday-Saturday, and i was absolutely destroyed the whole time. Not actively drunk during the training, but feeling like death all day, trying to focus, and going out to the bar afterwards.
Month or so ago, i stopped to visit an old friend who i am not so close with these days. She is a serious drunk but inherited a few million and some investments, so other than socially, doesn’t feel the ramifications of drinking all day. This girl is pickled, man. Anyways, it was about 1030am and she asked if i wanted to go to the post office in her brand new Forrester. I felt bad and said “sure,” figuring as it was before noon she wouls be fine. So we drive to the PO, then the package store where she buys a case of canned wine. Coming back to the car ahe says “i am really too drunk, can you drive?” So, i drive. While driving she cracks a can of wine. You know what happens next? For the first time in at least 14 years, i get pulled over by a cop. Was going 35 in a quickly shifting zone. Im like WTF and tell her to put her drink in the console. She is over her cracking the fuck up saying “IUTSM, who drives like a grandma, gets pulled over in my car ha ha ha.” And im like “hey, this isnt cool. I will get the charge, not you. Chill the fuck out.” On top of it all, I didn’t have my ID, as i had not planned on driving. Thankfully, homegirl zipped her lip and the cop was alright, sent me on with a warning.
Seriously though, my life, my alcohol free life, the goals and successes that have come about through perseverance and sheer will, were almost ripped away by hanging out with a drunk shitbag.
Stay safe out there, y’all
1) Better sleep
2) Less inflammation. Less joint pain. As an aging skateboarder who wants to keep at it, this is no small thing.
3) Lost some weight. Although sugar addiction is real...
4) Saved some money, which I promptly spent on skate and surf shit...
5) Generally a bit more even keel in mood and temper throughout the day. Giving up caffeine could further help this I am sure.
Negatives:
1) First sip of a good beer after a great or terrible day... but that's always a slippery slope.
2) When visiting new places, it was rad to sample the local offerings. it really felt like another way to connect to a place... but again this is a slippery slope and there are many other ways to do this.
3) A weird one but I was perhaps more creative when under the influence. A few beers might inspire pen to hit paper, and spark some ideas that would get fleshed out while sober. I don't really do that anymore.
Expand Quote6 months today since my last beer. Not sure where things go from here as I never intended to go fully sober permanently.... but why ruin a good run.... ?[close]
what's been good about it for you?
what's the negatives?
I'm constantly humbled by the fact that one wrong move can ruin my life or seriously set me back. Sounds like your "friend" doesn't give a shit about you or is too drunk to be empathetic to another person. Swamp brain is real. It's too easy to justify bonehead behavior when drunk and make excuses for treating people bad. I would personally consider that a wake up call experience but...if it isn’t awesome to not have swamp brain.Expand Quote6 months today since my last beer. Not sure where things go from here as I never intended to go fully sober permanently.... but why ruin a good run.... ?[close]
Month or so ago, i stopped to visit an old friend who i am not so close with these days. She is a serious drunk but inherited a few million and some investments, so other than socially, doesn’t feel the ramifications of drinking all day. This girl is pickled, man. Anyways, it was about 1030am and she asked if i wanted to go to the post office in her brand new Forrester. I felt bad and said “sure,” figuring as it was before noon she wouls be fine. So we drive to the PO, then the package store where she buys a case of canned wine. Coming back to the car ahe says “i am really too drunk, can you drive?” So, i drive. While driving she cracks a can of wine. You know what happens next? For the first time in at least 14 years, i get pulled over by a cop. Was going 35 in a quickly shifting zone. Im like WTF and tell her to put her drink in the console. She is over her cracking the fuck up saying “IUTSM, who drives like a grandma, gets pulled over in my car ha ha ha.” And im like “hey, this isnt cool. I will get the charge, not you. Chill the fuck out.” On top of it all, I didn’t have my ID, as i had not planned on driving. Thankfully, homegirl zipped her lip and the cop was alright, sent me on with a warning.
Seriously though, my life, my alcohol free life, the goals and successes that have come about through perseverance and sheer will, were almost ripped away by hanging out with a drunk shitbag.
Stay safe out there, y’all
@IUTSMThose positives look reallll good. Those negatives look kinda minor to me.. I didn't necessarily have a "problem" either but alcoholism runs in my family and has impacted my family big time. I am trying to right the ship and end the cycle of the disease. So while I don't get blackout RIGHT NOW, it's certainly a possibility. I know I was a shithead while drinking and I don't like letting people down anymore or not being my best version of me. I never want to apologize for doing something while drunk again.
No I would not have considered myself alcoholic or even an alcohol abuser by Brit standards... and I likely could be the dude who limits things to one or two on a special occasion which is always why I feel a bit weird posting in this thread. I never want to undermine the real struggle some of you are dealing with...
1) Better sleep
2) Less inflammation. Less joint pain. As an aging skateboarder who wants to keep at it, this is no small thing.
3) Lost some weight. Although sugar addiction is real...
4) Saved some money, which I promptly spent on skate and surf shit...
5) Generally a bit more even keel in mood and temper throughout the day. Giving up caffeine could further help this I am sure.
3) A weird one but I was perhaps more creative when under the influence. A few beers might inspire pen to hit paper, and spark some ideas that would get fleshed out while sober. I don't really do that anymore.
@IUTSM Glad you made it through that one without hassle from the law...
Good thoughts everyone...
No I would not have considered myself alcoholic or even an alcohol abuser by Brit standards... and I likely could be the dude who limits things to one or two on a special occasion which is always why I feel a bit weird posting in this thread. I never want to undermine the real struggle some of you are dealing with...
In saying I have had periods where binge drinking was problematic, unsafe and unhealthy. Mainly teenage idiocy. Also, I lost a brother and brother in law to A/D misuse/ overdose. And my old man was the highest functioning alcohol abuser I met in my life. He could not drink for months but then might drive home so drunk he couldn't talk or walk.... and then get up at 5am ready to tackle life again... but be smashed every evening for months on end... And I have plenty other relatives whose drinking habits blow my mind.
The main positives in the last 6 months have been:
1) Better sleep
2) Less inflammation. Less joint pain. As an aging skateboarder who wants to keep at it, this is no small thing.
3) Lost some weight. Although sugar addiction is real...
4) Saved some money, which I promptly spent on skate and surf shit...
5) Generally a bit more even keel in mood and temper throughout the day. Giving up caffeine could further help this I am sure.
Negatives:
1) First sip of a good beer after a great or terrible day... but that's always a slippery slope.
2) When visiting new places, it was rad to sample the local offerings. it really felt like another way to connect to a place... but again this is a slippery slope and there are many other ways to do this.
3) A weird one but I was perhaps more creative when under the influence. A few beers might inspire pen to hit paper, and spark some ideas that would get fleshed out while sober. I don't really do that anymore.
Double post... Just saw today is 1 year for me. Been a great year. Sleep score today, 94, Training readiness 90+ and body battery 96. Fun active day so far. This thread has been great. Thanks for sharing everyone.
Expand QuoteDouble post... Just saw today is 1 year for me. Been a great year. Sleep score today, 94, Training readiness 90+ and body battery 96. Fun active day so far. This thread has been great. Thanks for sharing everyone.[close]
Congratulations! A year is big. The better sleep thing never gets old. My first 3 years of attempting to quit I couldn't get past six months, and from what I've observed in others, the six month point is make or break time. When I fell off, I'd fall off about as hard as anyone could, and of the seven times that i did, all seven ended up with me being taken to residential detox. Five years no booze next month, and I fully believe that even if I were able to moderate my drinking instead of quit entirely, my life wouldn't even be as close to as enjoyable as it is now. Keep it up, everyone. xo
Great to hear those having success living a sober life! I'm interested on those that have been sober a while, what the effects have been on your levels of anxiety? It's something I struggle with from time to time and when I've done months off before it's definitely helped. About 3 weeks no sauce just now.At first, it was worse. Especially cutting out herb. Those super vivid dreams were not fun. Especially the nightmares. I won't lie, when I first quit my anxiety spiked way up because I had no idea how to cope with my emotions and take care of myself. Now that I'm out a while, it's gotten so much better. I had to ask myself a lot, Gnar_Gnar, what exactly do you need right now? Sometimes it was calling a friend or family. Sometimes it was working hard on a project. Other times it was as simple as getting some rest or making some food. Then I think my body learned to relax about stuff. It trusted I was going to take care of myself and that I could handle things. Then I stopped feeling so worried, especially once the good decisions of sobriety start adding up and I just... had less things to be worried about.
I’m gonna jump on the wagon. Can’t do it anymore. Feels like I’m losing more time to hangovers and I can’t justify it. I’m not even really having a good time when I’m out drinking. Mouth gets me in trouble. It’s all bad now.Step 1 is admitting it. I know I was there at one point.
I’m gonna jump on the wagon. Can’t do it anymore. Feels like I’m losing more time to hangovers and I can’t justify it. I’m not even really having a good time when I’m out drinking. Mouth gets me in trouble. It’s all bad now.
Great to hear those having success living a sober life! I'm interested on those that have been sober a while, what the effects have been on your levels of anxiety? It's something I struggle with from time to time and when I've done months off before it's definitely helped. About 3 weeks no sauce just now.
Double post... Just saw today is 1 year for me. Been a great year. Sleep score today, 94, Training readiness 90+ and body battery 96. Fun active day so far. This thread has been great. Thanks for sharing everyone.
I got so drunk at the skatepark last night I was falling all over the place just trying to ride my skateboard. Fucking embarrassing. Think it's time for a change.
I got so drunk at the skatepark last night I was falling all over the place just trying to ride my skateboard. Fucking embarrassing. Think it's time for a change.This happened to me the first time I relapsed after a month off. I feel where you’re coming from. I hope you find the motivation and support system to keep you committed to cutting out booze. Feel free to DM if you feel comfortable.
Think it's time for a change.
Great to hear those having success living a sober life! I'm interested on those that have been sober a while, what the effects have been on your levels of anxiety? It's something I struggle with from time to time and when I've done months off before it's definitely helped. About 3 weeks no sauce just now.
Expand QuoteDouble post... Just saw today is 1 year for me. Been a great year. Sleep score today, 94, Training readiness 90+ and body battery 96. Fun active day so far. This thread has been great. Thanks for sharing everyone.[close]
How do you know all that? A Fitbit or something?
Went out to some friends scene to kick back on the 4th. It was the first non spiritual gathering i have ever been to where there was no booze. Plenty of herbs from the garden being sampled, but no drunks. This dude and I used to go hard with all the stops pulled out, but now we spent the day in the woods with 4 wheelers and dogs, watching the mountains, talking about our mental health. Was able to drive my lady and dog home the 2 hr drive at 11 pm no issues, wake up run 2 miles and get it on
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteWent out to some friends scene to kick back on the 4th. It was the first non spiritual gathering i have ever been to where there was no booze. Plenty of herbs from the garden being sampled, but no drunks. This dude and I used to go hard with all the stops pulled out, but now we spent the day in the woods with 4 wheelers and dogs, watching the mountains, talking about our mental health. Was able to drive my lady and dog home the 2 hr drive at 11 pm no issues, wake up run 2 miles and get it on[close]
This is inspiring[close]
Truthfully, homie, its an inspiration to have written about it. This was the cat, a bit older than me, who really taught me how to get fucked up. No holds bar. Most of my friends from “before” are dead or doing the same old stupid shit, so to be alive and taking good care of ourselves, its fucking awesome. Not only taking good care, but being able to reflect, man, its beautiful.
Welp, I think it is time to join the club. I don't have to work for the next 5 weeks and need to start being productive and actually enjoy summer. It is crazy how depressing depressants (alcohol) is/are. Looking forward to being able to contribute to this thread periodically. It is wonderful hearing how great everyone is doing.welcome homie! Even if you just don’t drink for 5 weeks, you should notice some positive differences, depending on how much you drink.
Welp, I think it is time to join the club. I don't have to work for the next 5 weeks and need to start being productive and actually enjoy summer. It is crazy how depressing depressants (alcohol) is/are. Looking forward to being able to contribute to this thread periodically. It is wonderful hearing how great everyone is doing.
I decided Sunday after freaking out on my chick and causing a scene at the house in front of my son that it’s time for me to take a break, reading other stories in here have definitely been an influence, I appreciate all you dudes for helping me make this decision, I’m not even a week yet but the first three days have been pretty hard, I have been drinking everyday (at least a beer) since my surgery, what I’m missing most about drinking is (prolly gonna sound pretty weird) having a few in the shower while I listen to music and chill, so I’ve been taking canned sparkle water to try and get the same sensation, its been working slightly but yea, thanks bros, just wanted to shareBest of luck to you, wanting to be better for my family and friends still motivates my sobriety to this day.
Big ups to all the pals getting the help they need. Used to be a "fuck sobriety" person myself until I started taking medication recently. Shit fuuuuuuccked up my reaction to alcohol. I'm talking straight up thinking I was going to fucking die the day after drinking and/or being bed ridden for like 4 days afterwards with major depressive episodes. No thank you.
One thing about "sobriety" that I never liked is the weird implications of like "wellness". Reminds me of like a Hallmark card or Whole Foods ad or something. And usually 'sobriety' has an overlap of religiosity (specifically Christianity) which puts me off. But I get it.
I think for some people they need those markers and milestones and pat on the back. Was never into it. Sometimes sobriety is just that: being sober. So now what? Idk. Draw a picture. Listen to music. Eat gummi worms. Life goes on whether youre drinking or not. Good luck.
Best of luck to you, wanting to be better for my family and friends still motivates my sobriety to this day.Expand QuoteI decided Sunday after freaking out on my chick and causing a scene at the house in front of my son that it’s time for me to take a break, reading other stories in here have definitely been an influence, I appreciate all you dudes for helping me make this decision, I’m not even a week yet but the first three days have been pretty hard, I have been drinking everyday (at least a beer) since my surgery, what I’m missing most about drinking is (prolly gonna sound pretty weird) having a few in the shower while I listen to music and chill, so I’ve been taking canned sparkle water to try and get the same sensation, its been working slightly but yea, thanks bros, just wanted to share[close]
I still take some seltzers in the shower with me every so often too - made me realize that the ritual of it was more important than the actual alcohol buzz.
Expand QuoteBig ups to all the pals getting the help they need. Used to be a "fuck sobriety" person myself until I started taking medication recently. Shit fuuuuuuccked up my reaction to alcohol. I'm talking straight up thinking I was going to fucking die the day after drinking and/or being bed ridden for like 4 days afterwards with major depressive episodes. No thank you.
One thing about "sobriety" that I never liked is the weird implications of like "wellness". Reminds me of like a Hallmark card or Whole Foods ad or something. And usually 'sobriety' has an overlap of religiosity (specifically Christianity) which puts me off. But I get it.
I think for some people they need those markers and milestones and pat on the back. Was never into it. Sometimes sobriety is just that: being sober. So now what? Idk. Draw a picture. Listen to music. Eat gummi worms. Life goes on whether youre drinking or not. Good luck.[close]
Yea man same, I’m not religious either, I enjoy screaming into the echo chamber that is slap, sometimes I get a reply back and that’s nice, but being able to put shit out there really helps me, I’m still not even a week out yet but I’m feeling better, so I’m gonna keep this train going and see how long this ride is gonna last
I decided Sunday after freaking out on my chick and causing a scene at the house in front of my son that it’s time for me to take a break, reading other stories in here have definitely been an influence, I appreciate all you dudes for helping me make this decision, I’m not even a week yet but the first three days have been pretty hard, I have been drinking everyday (at least a beer) since my surgery, what I’m missing most about drinking is (prolly gonna sound pretty weird) having a few in the shower while I listen to music and chill, so I’ve been taking canned sparkle water to try and get the same sensation, its been working slightly but yea, thanks bros, just wanted to share
I decided Sunday after freaking out on my chick and causing a scene at the house in front of my son that it’s time for me to take a break,
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteBig ups to all the pals getting the help they need. Used to be a "fuck sobriety" person myself until I started taking medication recently. Shit fuuuuuuccked up my reaction to alcohol. I'm talking straight up thinking I was going to fucking die the day after drinking and/or being bed ridden for like 4 days afterwards with major depressive episodes. No thank you.
One thing about "sobriety" that I never liked is the weird implications of like "wellness". Reminds me of like a Hallmark card or Whole Foods ad or something. And usually 'sobriety' has an overlap of religiosity (specifically Christianity) which puts me off. But I get it.
I think for some people they need those markers and milestones and pat on the back. Was never into it. Sometimes sobriety is just that: being sober. So now what? Idk. Draw a picture. Listen to music. Eat gummi worms. Life goes on whether youre drinking or not. Good luck.[close]
Yea man same, I’m not religious either, I enjoy screaming into the echo chamber that is slap, sometimes I get a reply back and that’s nice, but being able to put shit out there really helps me, I’m still not even a week out yet but I’m feeling better, so I’m gonna keep this train going and see how long this ride is gonna last[close]
Cheers to you man. A few things that may help: Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're gonna make mistakes. Full stop. Take them as they are, fail with grace, be compassionate to yourself. (Sounds very 'therapeutic' but there's truth to some clichés). Also, do it for your child and your girl. Think about what kind parent you would like to be to your child.
I see what you're saying about the routine. It's a neurological thing. My shit was having beers at sundown walking around the city. Taste the sunset, see the people. So delicious. You just have to carve out another neuro pathway. That's why you see dudes "fucking lifting bro!!! Gains!" Cause your brain needs another uptick. You just have to create another routine until your brain/body gets used to it. And it will.
Try not to think about it as "im not drinking" and more like "im trying this thing now". Start a hot sauce collection, find out how algorithms for traffic lights are programmed, only read books whose author's have the same name as yours. Spend a week buying only groceries in one specific color each day.
There's literally an infinite amount of things you could be doing. Drinking is just one of them.
I'm proud of you. You're proud of you. Build your lego tower brick by brick.
I don't want to ignore or gloss over the lovely support given to me in this thread but I only dabble in this shit, and it's fucking embarrassing. I made it 7 days and caved fucking HARD tonight. My partner is out on some coke/drinking bender while she won't acknowledge me and ditched our 2 kids, the youngest to me and my son is staying with her mother and boyfriend. She started on Friday night after some stupid fight at Costco we could have easily worked through (I didn't realize you had to go to some stupid fucking electronic kiosk to order the food and just stood there waiting by the counter for 20 minutes while no one said shit to me and finally the cashier asked if I'm paying in cash and I gave him a confused look and said no I'm just waiting [he thought I meant for my food] but I just wanted a few things for me and my daughter and partner. I fucking hate this shit. I even had a long weekend because there are various issues at work with the truck I drive and blagh blah blah shut the fuck up useless kook pile of human fucking garbage. At least I held it together for a couple days while she humilates me.
I don't want to ignore or gloss over the lovely support given to me in this thread but I only dabble in this shit, and it's fucking embarrassing. I made it 7 days and caved fucking HARD tonight. My partner is out on some coke/drinking bender while she won't acknowledge me and ditched our 2 kids, the youngest to me and my son is staying with her mother and boyfriend. She started on Friday night after some stupid fight at Costco we could have easily worked through (I didn't realize you had to go to some stupid fucking electronic kiosk to order the food and just stood there waiting by the counter for 20 minutes while no one said shit to me and finally the cashier asked if I'm paying in cash and I gave him a confused look and said no I'm just waiting [he thought I meant for my food] but I just wanted a few things for me and my daughter and partner. I fucking hate this shit. I even had a long weekend because there are various issues at work with the truck I drive and blagh blah blah shut the fuck up useless kook pile of human fucking garbage. At least I held it together for a couple days while she humilates me.I’m no pro at this, but I know that tearing yourself down isn’t going to help you deal with all of your shit. Try giving yourself some grace and forgiveness for not being perfect, you know the good parts that are inside of you; remember those and appreciate yourself for them. You’re a father that is continuing to show up, you have a job and provide what you can for your family, etc. Recognize the good and build on it, change what you don’t like, and recognize that your journey won’t be perfect and that’s ok. Just keep doing your best, and keep on trying every day. You’re going to be ok…
I don't want to ignore or gloss over the lovely support given to me in this thread but I only dabble in this shit, and it's fucking embarrassing. I made it 7 days and caved fucking HARD tonight. My partner is out on some coke/drinking bender while she won't acknowledge me and ditched our 2 kids, the youngest to me and my son is staying with her mother and boyfriend. She started on Friday night after some stupid fight at Costco we could have easily worked through (I didn't realize you had to go to some stupid fucking electronic kiosk to order the food and just stood there waiting by the counter for 20 minutes while no one said shit to me and finally the cashier asked if I'm paying in cash and I gave him a confused look and said no I'm just waiting [he thought I meant for my food] but I just wanted a few things for me and my daughter and partner. I fucking hate this shit. I even had a long weekend because there are various issues at work with the truck I drive and blagh blah blah shut the fuck up useless kook pile of human fucking garbage. At least I held it together for a couple days while she humilates me.fuck man, sorry you’re going through it. Hope things turn around for you. Can fall off the horse a million times, just get back on when you can.
I don't want to ignore or gloss over the lovely support given to me in this thread but I only dabble in this shit, and it's fucking embarrassing. I made it 7 days and caved fucking HARD tonight. My partner is out on some coke/drinking bender while she won't acknowledge me and ditched our 2 kids, the youngest to me and my son is staying with her mother and boyfriend. She started on Friday night after some stupid fight at Costco we could have easily worked through (I didn't realize you had to go to some stupid fucking electronic kiosk to order the food and just stood there waiting by the counter for 20 minutes while no one said shit to me and finally the cashier asked if I'm paying in cash and I gave him a confused look and said no I'm just waiting [he thought I meant for my food] but I just wanted a few things for me and my daughter and partner. I fucking hate this shit. I even had a long weekend because there are various issues at work with the truck I drive and blagh blah blah shut the fuck up useless kook pile of human fucking garbage. At least I held it together for a couple days while she humilates me.
Just updating since folks have been so cool in this thread. 52 days alcohol free today. Pretty happy with it. Only cali sober at this point though. thought i was giving that (cannabis) up as well but i guess not fully yet. not daily or heavy use (once every 7-10 days) so I'm not super worried about it. I do like the total clarity when I'm off both but one day at a time.
It absolutely feels better being truly hydrated during these hotter months. Oddly within the last few days the weight has started to drop after actually going up the first two weeks. The sugar cravings are finally dissipating. Again, was never really a 'problem' drinker so I don't suffer the withdraws some do. But I was a regular every weekend day (and sometimes a happy hour here or there) drinker. It certainly adds up to unhealthy habits.
To those who are problem drinkers, keep at it, you're on the right path. And re-starting is no biggie either imo. We get obsessed with streaks and counts but the more you tip the scales towards sobriety imo the better off you are. Certainly Better than giving up. hmm, kind of similar to skating if you think about it. You're battling the ultimate new trick. I hope you all win the war.
So my original goal was 6 months, did that, then a year, did that, then paying off my credit line.. and I just did that. Was toying with the idea of having a few to celebrate, or while on my upcoming vacation. But I know damn well that once I crack that seal the floodgates will open.
If I drink once and enjoy it, then naturally, every other “worthy situation” will also be improved by drinking. Family bbqs, bike rides to the beach, concerts.. if I drink for one, I’ll want to drink for all. It’s really a bitch coming to terms with the fact I probably can’t just occasionally and responsibly have a “couple”. But it is what it is, and life’s been good so why would I want to screw that up again. Time to set another goal.
Been in a rut the last few weeks homies. 7 months in. Just don’t really enjoy anything right now. Dunno if I need to adjust/increase my meds for the ol noggin, give it some time, or what. Still not drinking though, so that’s a win.
My wife is dealing with some potentially scary health shit and it’s put me back in a mindset where I’m really craving a relapse again. Just needed to speak truth to that right now. I know it’s a gift to be present to offer support and love but I’m just feeling overwhelmed and wanting to hit the eject button.
Expand QuoteMy wife is dealing with some potentially scary health shit and it’s put me back in a mindset where I’m really craving a relapse again. Just needed to speak truth to that right now. I know it’s a gift to be present to offer support and love but I’m just feeling overwhelmed and wanting to hit the eject button.[close]
Wishing you and your wife the best outcomes on health. No advice to give as I’ve never had to deal with it and can’t imagine how hard it is. My business partner is going through it now with his wife and it’s been so hard for him.
Thank you both @Easy Slider and @Sleazy for your responses and kind words. I appreciate you sharing your experience and your prayers @Easy Slider. It really helps to hear that others have been in the same shoes.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteMy wife is dealing with some potentially scary health shit and it’s put me back in a mindset where I’m really craving a relapse again. Just needed to speak truth to that right now. I know it’s a gift to be present to offer support and love but I’m just feeling overwhelmed and wanting to hit the eject button.[close]
Wishing you and your wife the best outcomes on health. No advice to give as I’ve never had to deal with it and can’t imagine how hard it is. My business partner is going through it now with his wife and it’s been so hard for him.[close]
I have been through some similar shit, my wife was in a coma for three weeks with long recovery in 2020 and I was relatively fresh on the wagon. All I can say is I am glad I was sober because this stuff is hard enough to process for your mind and body without additionally intoxicating/weakening it. Also, your wife needs you with a clear head now taking the right decisions, doing the right stuff, saying intelligent and loving things not rambling half drunk.
What I did instead, while she was in the hospital was visiting her as much as I could and otherwise took long walks listening to podcasts. This, and praying, which I will also do for you and your wife.
3 years sober today. Best decision I've ever made and my life has been so much better for it. Always here to answer any questions via PM
Stay strong and focused pals
Expand Quote3 years sober today. Best decision I've ever made and my life has been so much better for it. Always here to answer any questions via PM
Stay strong and focused pals[close]
Word, holmes. Very radical
3 years sober today. Best decision I've ever made and my life has been so much better for it. Always here to answer any questions via PM
Stay strong and focused pals
Expand QuoteExpand Quote3 years sober today. Best decision I've ever made and my life has been so much better for it. Always here to answer any questions via PM
Stay strong and focused pals[close]
Word, holmes. Very radical[close]
i'm a few years behind you but firmly enjoying it. i'm chilling at a waterpark with my kids and just enjoying ice cold water and multitaksing catching up on work with bombing slides and then going to go home, play some board games and video games with kids, go out to eat, etc. and then wake up feeling great. last year i would have been pouding beers, ate some nasty food then went home and passed out for a few hours.
any you cats fuck with electrolyte packets added to your ice water? we all used to drink shit that made us extra dehydrated, but now i like to add some electrolytes to my agua on extra hot days.
stay cool
80 days no alcohol today. definitely a record in my adult life. that's all I got.
any you cats fuck with electrolyte packets added to your ice water? we all used to drink shit that made us extra dehydrated, but now i like to add some electrolytes to my agua on extra hot days.
stay cool
80 days no alcohol today. definitely a record in my adult life. that's all I got.Big congrats dude! Those first 6 months felt like a dogfight for me at times - don’t discount these milestones because they are huge.
Big congrats dude! Those first 6 months felt like a dogfight for me at times - don’t discount these milestones because they are huge.Expand Quote80 days no alcohol today. definitely a record in my adult life. that's all I got.[close]
I mentioned in a couple of other threads I bought an Element flatbar recently. While it seems off topic, I bring this up in the context of this thread because the only other time I owned one of these was in the midst of my deeper drinking days.
I remember driving in an ice storm while pretty buzzed one weekend to pick the thing up an hour or so away from where I lived at the time. Just to be clear, I have terrible guilt and nightmares about doing things like this still to this day.
I was absolute fucking trash when skating it too. I basically just spammed backside boardslides and the occasional Hail Mary front 5050 because I was too off kilter from what turned into constant steady day drinking.
Fast forward to now - I have learned back and front 5050s and 5-0s in the span of about a week and am feeling comfortable enough to add them into some little flatground lines. It’s nice being able to change my relationship with things like skating in sobriety. Kind of feels like I’m making wrong things right again at some level.
Just felt like sharing that tonight - sending hope and strength out for those who need it.
Im at 9mo and its probably the 2nd longest time I've been this sober and what actually makes me feel better about not drinking is the amount of money Im saving ...but I really do remember how shitty I would feel even after having 1 or 2 drinks, not to mention the DADS was always happening so its nice to wake up and not have terrible smelly shits
Expand QuoteIm at 9mo and its probably the 2nd longest time I've been this sober and what actually makes me feel better about not drinking is the amount of money Im saving ...but I really do remember how shitty I would feel even after having 1 or 2 drinks, not to mention the DADS was always happening so its nice to wake up and not have terrible smelly shits[close]
For real. Congrats! And you said it better than I did and much more succinct. Just one or two was leaving me feeling crappy.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteIm at 9mo and its probably the 2nd longest time I've been this sober and what actually makes me feel better about not drinking is the amount of money Im saving ...but I really do remember how shitty I would feel even after having 1 or 2 drinks, not to mention the DADS was always happening so its nice to wake up and not have terrible smelly shits[close]
For real. Congrats! And you said it better than I did and much more succinct. Just one or two was leaving me feeling crappy.[close]
Side note...I havent been to the doctor in almost 20yrs and paid out of pocket because of some shit I am dealing with and the doctor was really happy to hear that I dont drink or smoke...she did say if I can stop using ganja that would be perfect so Im considering that now
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteIm at 9mo and its probably the 2nd longest time I've been this sober and what actually makes me feel better about not drinking is the amount of money Im saving ...but I really do remember how shitty I would feel even after having 1 or 2 drinks, not to mention the DADS was always happening so its nice to wake up and not have terrible smelly shits[close]
For real. Congrats! And you said it better than I did and much more succinct. Just one or two was leaving me feeling crappy.[close]
Side note...I havent been to the doctor in almost 20yrs and paid out of pocket because of some shit I am dealing with and the doctor was really happy to hear that I dont drink or smoke...she did say if I can stop using ganja that would be perfect so Im considering that now[close]
That's awesome. If I had the ability to rep (gnar?) everyone on this thread, I would and I'd start with your post here. I'm at 45 days cannabis free now. I don't know why your doctor wanted you to quit it. I just wanted to feel more present and less out of it the next day. I will say this, and i mean it honestly--I think around day 31 or 33 or so I went through hard out of nowhere depression. And it lasted nearly a week. Much better now, but I do wonder how much purging that stuff from my system played with my mind. In my mind that was the majority of it. Oh, one other warning...somewhere about a week into it or so I had vivid nightmares. Like bad ones. I hear that's not abnormal. But they went away.
I laugh more now normally than I did when I was partaking. Edit: This happened even before the random depression. And ifif I can skate and I do some exercise my moods are mostly way better. Take it easy and good luck with it all.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteIm at 9mo and its probably the 2nd longest time I've been this sober and what actually makes me feel better about not drinking is the amount of money Im saving ...but I really do remember how shitty I would feel even after having 1 or 2 drinks, not to mention the DADS was always happening so its nice to wake up and not have terrible smelly shits[close]
For real. Congrats! And you said it better than I did and much more succinct. Just one or two was leaving me feeling crappy.[close]
Side note...I havent been to the doctor in almost 20yrs and paid out of pocket because of some shit I am dealing with and the doctor was really happy to hear that I dont drink or smoke...she did say if I can stop using ganja that would be perfect so Im considering that now[close]
That's awesome. If I had the ability to rep (gnar?) everyone on this thread, I would and I'd start with your post here. I'm at 45 days cannabis free now. I don't know why your doctor wanted you to quit it. I just wanted to feel more present and less out of it the next day. I will say this, and i mean it honestly--I think around day 31 or 33 or so I went through hard out of nowhere depression. And it lasted nearly a week. Much better now, but I do wonder how much purging that stuff from my system played with my mind. In my mind that was the majority of it. Oh, one other warning...somewhere about a week into it or so I had vivid nightmares. Like bad ones. I hear that's not abnormal. But they went away.
I laugh more now normally than I did when I was partaking. Edit: This happened even before the random depression. And ifif I can skate and I do some exercise my moods are mostly way better. Take it easy and good luck with it all.[close]
I've been a Cali medical Marijuana user since 2005 and around 2012 adopted a non-smoke approach. Mainly edibles and water filtration vaping...I also use a lot of CBD these days. I've also had very mild depression/ anxiety and anger management, so it pretty much helps with that. But this last month I've been of any THC intake and feel the anxiety fucking with me/ part of the reason i needed to go see some professional.
She said if I did that then whenever I visit she wouldnt have to make consider it a potential cause for the visit.[close]
Since you mentioned a Dr, Is this a psychiatrist? I worked in a health care setting on the mental health end and the psychiatrists had such a hard on cannabis use disorder. The therapists and social workers often had a bone to pick with them over that one.
Regardless, hope the anxiety levels out. Small amounts of herb, meditation, running, and yoga do wonders for this head case
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteIm at 9mo and its probably the 2nd longest time I've been this sober and what actually makes me feel better about not drinking is the amount of money Im saving ...but I really do remember how shitty I would feel even after having 1 or 2 drinks, not to mention the DADS was always happening so its nice to wake up and not have terrible smelly shits[close]
For real. Congrats! And you said it better than I did and much more succinct. Just one or two was leaving me feeling crappy.[close]
Side note...I havent been to the doctor in almost 20yrs and paid out of pocket because of some shit I am dealing with and the doctor was really happy to hear that I dont drink or smoke...she did say if I can stop using ganja that would be perfect so Im considering that now[close]
That's awesome. If I had the ability to rep (gnar?) everyone on this thread, I would and I'd start with your post here. I'm at 45 days cannabis free now. I don't know why your doctor wanted you to quit it. I just wanted to feel more present and less out of it the next day. I will say this, and i mean it honestly--I think around day 31 or 33 or so I went through hard out of nowhere depression. And it lasted nearly a week. Much better now, but I do wonder how much purging that stuff from my system played with my mind. In my mind that was the majority of it. Oh, one other warning...somewhere about a week into it or so I had vivid nightmares. Like bad ones. I hear that's not abnormal. But they went away.
I laugh more now normally than I did when I was partaking. Edit: This happened even before the random depression. And ifif I can skate and I do some exercise my moods are mostly way better. Take it easy and good luck with it all.[close]
I've been a Cali medical Marijuana user since 2005 and around 2012 adopted a non-smoke approach. Mainly edibles and water filtration vaping...I also use a lot of CBD these days. I've also had very mild depression/ anxiety and anger management, so it pretty much helps with that. But this last month I've been of any THC intake and feel the anxiety fucking with me/ part of the reason i needed to go see some professional.
She said if I did that then whenever I visit she wouldnt have to make consider it a potential cause for the visit.[close]
Since you mentioned a Dr, Is this a psychiatrist? I worked in a health care setting on the mental health end and the psychiatrists had such a hard on cannabis use disorder. The therapists and social workers often had a bone to pick with them over that one.
Regardless, hope the anxiety levels out. Small amounts of herb, meditation, running, and yoga do wonders for this head case[close]
Nurse Practitioner...she was pretty much dressed like a doctor and did everything a doctor would do. I was having real trouble with being light headed and dizzy all day/last week to the point were I couldn't do shit but put my head down and hope it went away.
I thought she would refer me to psychiatrist but said I need more vitamin D/ Sun and to get a blood test if it keeps up this week, its been a lot better since monday so I told her I think it was taking time off from work that helped. I run my own business and hit a brick wall as far as burnout and anxiety over projects/ clients.
I don't really use a lot of ganja and really didnt want to bring it up but was being honest with her[close]
Gotcha. Idk, man, thats disappointing to hear. The doctor says get more sun/vitamin d and no on site blood work. Ruling out imbalances, Sounds like something possibly stress/anxiety related in my opinion. Ever consider counseling/therapy?
I’m typing this because I’ve been venting to my friends today. I’m almost 6 months booze free and after think about it, it’s kind of great. I like a lot about it, but honestly I just want to fucking drink. Not in a crave sense, I don’t really have cravings, or at least anything that comes close isn’t very intense. I dunno I’m not in front of a PC so I can’t type now, but I almost feel ripped off. I know how childish that sounds. I don’t even have an urge to drink per se, it’s hard to describe. I’m here and I’m playing along but I don’t really want to be.
Expand QuoteApproaching 7 weeks sober. Longest in my adult life. I am starting to feel great, though the fatigue during the first month was rough.
Haven't been on the board in well over a year aside from a quick whip on the polarizer. Hoping to change that soon. Miss posting in shoes in gear.[close]
Yo dude. Welcome back. Pleasant surprise to see your name on my screen again.
7 weeks is a long time! If its what you wish to do and how you want to be, keep it up!
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteApproaching 7 weeks sober. Longest in my adult life. I am starting to feel great, though the fatigue during the first month was rough.
Haven't been on the board in well over a year aside from a quick whip on the polarizer. Hoping to change that soon. Miss posting in shoes in gear.[close]
Yo dude. Welcome back. Pleasant surprise to see your name on my screen again.
7 weeks is a long time! If its what you wish to do and how you want to be, keep it up![close]
Hey thanks! Didn't think anyone would remember me on here. Glad to be back here and looking forward to getting back on the board.
Aside from fatigue and random weird acne at 42 years old I am loving it and have zero desire to go back. I had a bunch of "trials" right after I quit so it has put a lot into perspective.[close]
My name has been shortened from
i_used_to_skate_more
But ya we remember the good ones 😜😜😜
whats yalls opinion on na beers?
whats yalls opinion on na beers?
3,287 days ago i had my last drink. I had spent the weekend at a beer festival in Maine, pissing off vendors because i kept going back for more samples. I recall drinking a very smooth vanilla stout and the guy refusing to take my tickets after a while. But that weekend, i went up there with a bag of mediocre white and the last OC 40s i ever encountered. I bought a bottle of tequila, cazadores, with the deer on the bottle, to make bloody maria breakfast.
I had spent the past few years working a regular job but also building a small, albeit demanding business on the side and decided that it was time to go full time on my own enterprise. I decided that i was going to take a month off. Made a little chart and started marking the days. I was living in a tent on a mountain at that point and although everyone around me waa drinking hard, i was hanging in there. Toward the end of that month, i was handed a pipe with some DMT rocks in it and blasted off. After that, staying off the sauce wasn’t so unbearable. That isnt to say I stopped all the other shit right away, but alcohol was generally the main issue. Couldnt get coke or pills everyday, but get a ride into town and alcohol is always available. Who didnt want to go raw dog w strange chicks, drive, snort shit, fight people, and hate life while drinking all the time?
So yeah, 9 years. There have been points that are harder than others, but really, i am happy to be alove and thriving. I have not only lived a cool fucking life, but i have wrangled some so-called life accomplishments that i never would have considered had i still be on that train. I owe a lot of it to my lady who has been with me for going on 10 years and who stuck w me during my most disgusting alcoholic/addict period.
Ya, its nice to be alive
I was messing w/NA beers for quite some time. Then I thought about the fact that they cost as much where I am as 'regular' beer. So I wasn't getting the benefit of saving money.
Now I drink as many sparkling waters as I want because the most expensive 8 pack (stupid shrinkflation) still costs less than a six pack of beer for me.
120 days as of today. Can't say I feel super great, but I don't long for or miss alcohol really. I think world events, job events, and getting hurt to where I can't skate are all affecting my mood. But beer wouldn't make any of these issues better. Carry on, fellow sober skaters. Carry on.
Congrats to everyone racking up days!Expand QuoteI was messing w/NA beers for quite some time. Then I thought about the fact that they cost as much where I am as 'regular' beer. So I wasn't getting the benefit of saving money.
Now I drink as many sparkling waters as I want because the most expensive 8 pack (stupid shrinkflation) still costs less than a six pack of beer for me.
120 days as of today. Can't say I feel super great, but I don't long for or miss alcohol really. I think world events, job events, and getting hurt to where I can't skate are all affecting my mood. But beer wouldn't make any of these issues better. Carry on, fellow sober skaters. Carry on.[close]
you will notice after awhile that sparkling water isn't all that cheap also, It does help a lot tho...
I myself was buying cases of this stuff
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.heb.com%2Fis%2Fimage%2FHEBGrocery%2F000223698&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=35429a2078629fe01a9eb8a8f511c031d886423eb5497506aaaac39d1a4d378e&ipo=images)
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.importmex.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F06%2FJARRITO_PINEAPPLE_24_12_5_OZ-removebg-preview.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=a98051b57086edc987e1b7b128f1efaf663f2beb53be8ee4a792d966a6761976&ipo=images)
Now I drink as many sparkling waters as I want because the most expensive 8 pack (stupid shrinkflation) still costs less than a six pack of beer for me.
Over nine months no booze now. People keep saying I've lost weight and my wetsuits are a little baggy now... But that does not mean as much to me as great sleep and less inflammation (no real aches and pains which I count as victory for a 49 year old skateboarder).I feel you on a lot of this. Tomorrow is 4 weeks for me (longest dry spell in years), which was supposed to be the end of a self imposed break after a summer of heavy drinking. Earlier this year I quit my job (was having some mental health issues due to a shit boss that I let get the best of me) and am going back to school for a career change, wife is carrying the bills (+ borrowing $$ from family to stay comfortable) so I feel like the privilege/habit which is my drinking shouldn’t put further strain on my family. This break has actually been surprisingly easy this time around and I have been considering doing a sober October or just seeing how long this feels good for, but tomorrow is my birthday and I’m still contemplating whether or not I’m gonna have a few or not. Drinking is like a toxic friendship that I treasure even though I know it’s terrible, but it’s currently not problematic, so it feels weird to just cut it off even though I know that’s what would actually be best. Typing this out also makes me realize that I’d be pretty fuckin stupid to wait for some big issue or rock bottom to finally quit. It just seems so anticlimactic and that things will be so boring if I cut it off completely right now. I stopped for 3 years after my 2nd DUI (over 15 years ago), but fuckin hated it and was so relieved when I got to relax and unwind with booze and ciggies again. Not picking up cigs anytime soon, but not sure about some drinks; only time will tell.
Still not sure how this journey plays out. I had the loose plan to enjoy some beers between Halloween and New Year. I'm talking 1 or 2 on weekends or the holidays. But maybe that's silly at this point... TBD....
3,287 days ago i had my last drink. I had spent the weekend at a beer festival in Maine, pissing off vendors because i kept going back for more samples. I recall drinking a very smooth vanilla stout and the guy refusing to take my tickets after a while. But that weekend, i went up there with a bag of mediocre white and the last OC 40s i ever encountered. I bought a bottle of tequila, cazadores, with the deer on the bottle, to make bloody maria breakfast.
I had spent the past few years working a regular job but also building a small, albeit demanding business on the side and decided that it was time to go full time on my own enterprise. I decided that i was going to take a month off. Made a little chart and started marking the days. I was living in a tent on a mountain at that point and although everyone around me waa drinking hard, i was hanging in there. Toward the end of that month, i was handed a pipe with some DMT rocks in it and blasted off. After that, staying off the sauce wasn’t so unbearable. That isnt to say I stopped all the other shit right away, but alcohol was generally the main issue. Couldnt get coke or pills everyday, but get a ride into town and alcohol is always available. Who didnt want to go raw dog w strange chicks, drive, snort shit, fight people, and hate life while drinking all the time?
So yeah, 9 years. There have been points that are harder than others, but really, i am happy to be alove and thriving. I have not only lived a cool fucking life, but i have wrangled some so-called life accomplishments that i never would have considered had i still be on that train. I owe a lot of it to my lady who has been with me for going on 10 years and who stuck w me during my most disgusting alcoholic/addict period.
Ya, its nice to be alive
3,287 days ago i had my last drink. I had spent the weekend at a beer festival in Maine, pissing off vendors because i kept going back for more samples. I recall drinking a very smooth vanilla stout and the guy refusing to take my tickets after a while. But that weekend, i went up there with a bag of mediocre white and the last OC 40s i ever encountered. I bought a bottle of tequila, cazadores, with the deer on the bottle, to make bloody maria breakfast.Hell yes. Big love man!!
I had spent the past few years working a regular job but also building a small, albeit demanding business on the side and decided that it was time to go full time on my own enterprise. I decided that i was going to take a month off. Made a little chart and started marking the days. I was living in a tent on a mountain at that point and although everyone around me waa drinking hard, i was hanging in there. Toward the end of that month, i was handed a pipe with some DMT rocks in it and blasted off. After that, staying off the sauce wasn’t so unbearable. That isnt to say I stopped all the other shit right away, but alcohol was generally the main issue. Couldnt get coke or pills everyday, but get a ride into town and alcohol is always available. Who didnt want to go raw dog w strange chicks, drive, snort shit, fight people, and hate life while drinking all the time?
So yeah, 9 years. There have been points that are harder than others, but really, i am happy to be alove and thriving. I have not only lived a cool fucking life, but i have wrangled some so-called life accomplishments that i never would have considered had i still be on that train. I owe a lot of it to my lady who has been with me for going on 10 years and who stuck w me during my most disgusting alcoholic/addict period.
Ya, its nice to be alive
Expand Quote
Now I drink as many sparkling waters as I want because the most expensive 8 pack (stupid shrinkflation) still costs less than a six pack of beer for me.[close]
My dentist told me to cut back on the sparkling water. Apparently it's bad for your teeth, and she could tell I drink a lot of it.
My wife and I would crush a case of Bubbly in a day. She said that's way too much sparkling water to drink. The carbonation fucks up the back of your teeth or something.
So yeah, great...
I don't drink booze anymore, and now sparkling water is bad for me?
Fucking hell. Looks like I'll just die.
Expand QuoteHell yes. Big love man!!Expand Quote3,287 days ago i had my last drink. I had spent the weekend at a beer festival in Maine, pissing off vendors because i kept going back for more samples. I recall drinking a very smooth vanilla stout and the guy refusing to take my tickets after a while. But that weekend, i went up there with a bag of mediocre white and the last OC 40s i ever encountered. I bought a bottle of tequila, cazadores, with the deer on the bottle, to make bloody maria breakfast.
I had spent the past few years working a regular job but also building a small, albeit demanding business on the side and decided that it was time to go full time on my own enterprise. I decided that i was going to take a month off. Made a little chart and started marking the days. I was living in a tent on a mountain at that point and although everyone around me waa drinking hard, i was hanging in there. Toward the end of that month, i was handed a pipe with some DMT rocks in it and blasted off. After that, staying off the sauce wasn’t so unbearable. That isnt to say I stopped all the other shit right away, but alcohol was generally the main issue. Couldnt get coke or pills everyday, but get a ride into town and alcohol is always available. Who didnt want to go raw dog w strange chicks, drive, snort shit, fight people, and hate life while drinking all the time?
So yeah, 9 years. There have been points that are harder than others, but really, i am happy to be alove and thriving. I have not only lived a cool fucking life, but i have wrangled some so-called life accomplishments that i never would have considered had i still be on that train. I owe a lot of it to my lady who has been with me for going on 10 years and who stuck w me during my most disgusting alcoholic/addict period.
Ya, its nice to be alive[close]5 ofhhhhhh 8[close]
Thanks, breddah. Nice to see you around these parts again.
And thanks to everyone else who commented with kind words!
I am a fuck off who has started again in their life many times at 39. Highs and lows. Been a caregiver, dishwasher, floor mopper, tried the military, been a school teacher, a counselor, farm hand, farm manager, got a few degrees, been depressed and anxious and come close to losing every single thing, ridden trains, hitch hiked, and driven cars all over, written poems and stories, made music, shot photos, lately i work as a carpenter and on boxer engines.
Im just sharing this because if you’re struggling, know that change is possible. life is fluid but you have to find the ways to move with it, swim in the stream. If I can do it, you can too.
You may have to reshape relationships with others, even people very important to you. Reshape the relationship with yourself. But trust this dude who used to skatemore, and who used to get really, really fucking wasted and doesnt anymore, you can get off whatever you want to.
Love and respect
Congratulations. Sounds like an amazing year. Great pic. Looks like Port A.
always enjoy checking in on this thread and hearing how well everyone is doing. i'm celebrating my 52nd birthday today. i'm at the beach with my kids. been having the best days. i've been able to go so hard all day. up for sunrise walks with the dogs, spend a few hours fixing up our remote cars with my son, bike rides missions around town, we finished off last night at this outdoor place with country music and i drank a few corona NAs and was back up early today for the sunrise walk. first year fully sober and i feel like i've completely recharged my life. it's real easy to feel like you are on your final descent at this age and it's really nice to feel pumped for every day.
(https://i.ibb.co/s2BdfF8/IMG-0266.jpg)
Expand Quotealways enjoy checking in on this thread and hearing how well everyone is doing. i'm celebrating my 52nd birthday today. i'm at the beach with my kids. been having the best days. i've been able to go so hard all day. up for sunrise walks with the dogs, spend a few hours fixing up our remote cars with my son, bike rides missions around town, we finished off last night at this outdoor place with country music and i drank a few corona NAs and was back up early today for the sunrise walk. first year fully sober and i feel like i've completely recharged my life. it's real easy to feel like you are on your final descent at this age and it's really nice to feel pumped for every day.
(https://i.ibb.co/s2BdfF8/IMG-0266.jpg)[close]
living it up
this was part of my birthday decorations my kids did. pretty funny
(https://i.ibb.co/0QZy3NR/IMG-0316.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/2sCVmWh/IMG-0317.jpg)Expand QuoteCongratulations. Sounds like an amazing year. Great pic. Looks like Port A.[close]
it's port a. we have airbnb down there that we use in the off season when no one is renting it. much nicer time of year to go. no bugs, no seaweed, not hot, places aren't busy and way less moron's with political flags.
got engaged
Expand Quotegot engaged[close]
NOICE!!
Congrats Sleazy and others - been a minute since I hit this thread.
Time has been flying. I’ve had a lot of distractions and things pulling my attention - got engaged, work has been hectic, dealing with chronic pain. Still going strong on the no booze train. I’ve been dabbling with weed/cannabinoids more but it doesn’t feel like a problem. Not the same irresistible draw and effect on me that booze had. If I have a stressful day the last thing I feel like doing is getting stoned and thinking about that stress more.
Closing in on a year for me. Keep it up pals.
Just about at 11 months. Had a Guinness Zero to celebrate. Not bad.
Expand QuoteJust about at 11 months. Had a Guinness Zero to celebrate. Not bad.[close]
Guiness zero is an absolute treat when available. I feel like it tastes the exact same as a regular one
I'm proud of all of you, keep it up!
thanks everyone!
@IUTSM wow, sucks about your friend. yeah, fuck alcohol!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh7QPqvPLTE
@imburntyerburntwhocares nice work on the 3 months.
Dating seems tough as that is a great way to connect. One thing I could share is that when I decided to get serious with dating I switched to coffee dates for first dates. I’m sure I got laid less because it becomes apparent real quick that you’re not compatible with someone if you have a coffee while with drinks it’s pretty easy to have a good time with almost anyone. If I was in your situation I’d angle for coffee or hiking first date, play up that I’m really into healthy living and then back that up with follow up dates that don’t revolve around drinking that might be more fun for anyone you’d end up being compatible with in your new lifestyle. Maybe get a ballroom dance lesson then dinner in some walkable area of town with cool shops or go axe throwing, museums… I’d try and angle it as a alternative that healthier and more fun than just going get hammered and stuffing your face.
Anyone have experience or advice on dating sober (not drinking) or being in a relationship with someone does partake?
About a month in to no drinking. 70% of why I stopped is to lose weight and be healthy. The other 30% is I e noticed I get very depressed when hungover and my body feels like hell, even with moderate amounts.
I went to a brewery yesterday with friends and ordered a non alcoholic kombucha. Was tempted as hell to get a beer but resisted, with the thought of ruining my progress in mind and the spiral I get into. Felt very empowering to overcome that.
Godspeed, pals
I gotta say, if, before you stopped drinking, (i) you had a Cheers-type situation where you regularly went into the same watering hole where everyone knows your name and (ii) the bartenders actually like you, and (iii) the establishment is reasonably progressive offering n.a. drinks, then I've found that batenders who aren't total pieces of shit and actually respect life, are pretty relieved to have some customers where they aren't supporting their deaths by serving endless alcoholic drinks, like they are stoked to continue having you as a customer. I think a lot of bartenders are bummed to be serving alcohol because they see what it does to ppl. We had a couple long-term customers who died from liver cancer and I have to imagine that a bartender could feel at least somewhat responsible for their part in it, even though the customer makes his own decisions at the end of the day (and it is legal). Like dealers who sell ppl fent go to fucking jail.
133 days without booze. Career high. Hit a 100 days couple times in the past. Today, sat at the bar for the first time. Craved a bar burger. Felt comfortable drinking water & chatting with the old timers.
Couple weeks ago, went to a show sober for the first time. Definitely need to get used to it. Didn’t have the urge to drink, just felt really awkward the whole time. My whole life, always had a beer in my hand while watching a band. Planned to get a club soda with lime. Never ordered that before then just got in my head too much so didn’t even approach the bar. Very strange experience. So double awkward that I didn’t have anything in my hands while the band played lol. Just very bizarre, the bars used to be my playground. For the first time ever, felt really out of place . The band I wanted to see was the opener & left abruptly after their set . Just gotta practice being chill & not think so much next time. What’s your go to non alcoholic drink at the bar?
133 days without booze. Career high. Hit a 100 days couple times in the past. Today, sat at the bar for the first time. Craved a bar burger. Felt comfortable drinking water & chatting with the old timers.
Couple weeks ago, went to a show sober for the first time. Definitely need to get used to it. Didn’t have the urge to drink, just felt really awkward the whole time. My whole life, always had a beer in my hand while watching a band. Planned to get a club soda with lime. Never ordered that before then just got in my head too much so didn’t even approach the bar. Very strange experience. So double awkward that I didn’t have anything in my hands while the band played lol. Just very bizarre, the bars used to be my playground. For the first time ever, felt really out of place . The band I wanted to see was the opener & left abruptly after their set . Just gotta practice being chill & not think so much next time. What’s your go to non alcoholic drink at the bar?
Thank You Gents :salute:Congrats man! I'm 6 weeks in myself. I had alcohol beat into submission for about 4-5 years, in my only other whole hearted bout with sobriety. Somehow I'm doing really well so far, even with being off my skateboard for the last two weeks due to a skate related injury. Great inspiration in this thread.
Grateful to have people to share such a 180 in life. Fam & friends supportive however they don’t understand. If you know, you know. Thank you, looking forward to seizing the day
Yessah you know I will! I'm thinking I will be up in theExpand QuoteCongrats man! I'm 6 weeks in myself. I had alcohol beat into submission for about 4-5 years, in my only other whole hearted bout with sobriety. Somehow I'm doing really well so far, even with being off my skateboard for the last two weeks due to a skate related injury. Great inspiration in this thread.Expand QuoteThank You Gents :salute:
Grateful to have people to share such a 180 in life. Fam & friends supportive however they don’t understand. If you know, you know. Thank you, looking forward to seizing the day[close][close]
yo man. glad to hear you're on the wagon again. holler when you back in the 5 oh 8
Haha! I am going to have to guess yes to that, as my memorable nights (and sometimes days) at Gildas are foggy at best lolExpand QuoteYessah you know I will! I'm thinking I will be up in theExpand QuoteExpand QuoteCongrats man! I'm 6 weeks in myself. I had alcohol beat into submission for about 4-5 years, in my only other whole hearted bout with sobriety. Somehow I'm doing really well so far, even with being off my skateboard for the last two weeks due to a skate related injury. Great inspiration in this thread.Expand QuoteThank You Gents :salute:
Grateful to have people to share such a 180 in life. Fam & friends supportive however they don’t understand. If you know, you know. Thank you, looking forward to seizing the day[close][close]
yo man. glad to hear you're on the wagon again. holler when you back in the 5 oh 8[close]5ohhhhhh8around April. Already looking forward to a crusty session and some laughs man. It will be pretty fun enjoying the area outside of a bar room.[close]
You mean skating is maybe more fun than Gilda’s?
My gf and I did dry january again, I’m still going.
Hit 40 days today.
Funnily it’s harder to type this post, than not to get a drink.
Feel like if I label myself as a person who quit drinking, I’ll let people down and embarrass myself if I end up having a drink.
My gf and I did dry january again, I’m still going.
Hit 40 days today.
Funnily it’s harder to type this post, than not to get a drink.
Feel like if I label myself as a person who quit drinking, I’ll let people down and embarrass myself if I end up having a drink.
Expand QuoteMy gf and I did dry january again, I’m still going.
Hit 40 days today.
Funnily it’s harder to type this post, than not to get a drink.
Feel like if I label myself as a person who quit drinking, I’ll let people down and embarrass myself if I end up having a drink.[close]
then dont have that drink, mate.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteMy gf and I did dry january again, I’m still going.
Hit 40 days today.
Funnily it’s harder to type this post, than not to get a drink.
Feel like if I label myself as a person who quit drinking, I’ll let people down and embarrass myself if I end up having a drink.[close]
then dont have that drink, mate.[close]
The first time I saw my doctor about my drinking problem and asked for advice he said to me "Just don't drink!", with a big smile on his face.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteMy gf and I did dry january again, I’m still going.
Hit 40 days today.
Funnily it’s harder to type this post, than not to get a drink.
Feel like if I label myself as a person who quit drinking, I’ll let people down and embarrass myself if I end up having a drink.[close]
then dont have that drink, mate.[close]
The first time I saw my doctor about my drinking problem and asked for advice he said to me "Just don't drink!", with a big smile on his face.[close]
Hey, it works!
Expand QuoteI was down from 90 mg a day Valium (well, equivalency) to 1 mg a day, then relapsed a bit, now back on 2 mg a day. Hope to "jump" soon.
I've quit weed, nicotine, blow and uppers without major problems but benzos, damn...[close]
you on the etizolam equivalency? benzos/research benzos are the most insidious, harmful substances i've ever encountered.
be careful with the jump. you know this, i'm sure, but the delusions and hallucinations from too soon of a jump are realer and scarier than anything.
wishing you the best
I got a year off the sauce as of today, pretty stoked on that
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteI was down from 90 mg a day Valium (well, equivalency) to 1 mg a day, then relapsed a bit, now back on 2 mg a day. Hope to "jump" soon.
I've quit weed, nicotine, blow and uppers without major problems but benzos, damn...[close]
you on the etizolam equivalency? benzos/research benzos are the most insidious, harmful substances i've ever encountered.
be careful with the jump. you know this, i'm sure, but the delusions and hallucinations from too soon of a jump are realer and scarier than anything.
wishing you the best[close]
Thanks! And yes both rc and pharma. But I stayed away from the real potent ones like clonazolam and flualp (blacked out on clonazolam once for a few days, scary stuff)
I fear the jump but also want to stop this tapering which is going on for about a year now.[close]
You can do it, for real! Passionflower extracts, valerian extracts, and the like can help once you jump. I know a couple cats who just ate chunks of hash for a few weeks when they jumped off. Helped them sleep, with RLS, and have an appetite.
My gf and I did dry january again, I’m still going.
Hit 40 days today.
Funnily it’s harder to type this post, than not to get a drink.
Feel like if I label myself as a person who quit drinking, I’ll let people down and embarrass myself if I end up having a drink.
the thought of getting blackout shitfaced goes from HELL YEAH to ‘oh hell no, I don’t want to feel like total shit’.
Only downside to date is the occasional awkwardness at conferences and work events, but the improvements in sleep, mindfulness, anxiety, mood, health, etc make it worth it many times over.
Having a long time partner makes all of this exponentially more easy, with all do respect.Definitely agree having someone makes it much easier. Hard everyday to stay happy, sober, & fulfilled when you’re embarking on a different journey completely solo. Not being in a relationship turned into a major shortcoming of my life. Doesn’t help that whenever I talk to friends or family, they always ask if I am dating someone. Always think…wow thanks for bringing it up, it’s not like I don’t think about it all the time. All failed relationships due to substance abuse problems. Staying positive that I will find someone & develop a long term relationship while staying sober. Hoping you find someone too that makes you happy. Never settle, it will take time to find someone worthy. Really think having someone by your side & someone to hang out with everyday especially after a long day makes life more enjoyable.
I’m not trying to be rude truly. I am just very disappointed and generally resentful.
I miss it too & jealous that they can keep it in check.
Something I never thought would happen as a side effect of not drinking any more: at social gatherings, I notice the people with no personality when they are sober become some other person when drinking. I guess thats kind of why we all do it (to some extent) but it makes me like a person less when I see them go from some uptight kook who usually wouldnt speak to me to wanting to talk skating (its in the olympics now!) with me after they downed a few douchknuckle stouts or whatever the hell people drink these days. I just don’t respect that. Be a cool person with a real personality off the sauce, too.
Expand QuoteI miss it too & jealous that they can keep it in check.[close]
Most of them actually probably can't. I would wager that 85% of ppl who drink 3 or more days a week are having some serious problems that they just simply refuse to address and deal with.
Today is day 11, that I am off cigarettes. The first 6 days were brutal. Now I realize how much time I have during some days and feel hella bored. I also feel very depressed because I don't really know what else to do in my life besides skating and playing video games. It also doesn't help that I turned 34 and most of my friends don't take skating that seriously anymore. I quit weed, alcohol and now tobacco but something in me feels very sad although all those things are gone. What else is there to do? Are there really things that can bring similar joy as skateboarding? I am not so sure about that to be honest.
Anyway I read through the last page and I am mad proud of you all. Alcohol addiction is horrible for you, your family and your neighborhood.
Today is day 11, that I am off cigarettes. The first 6 days were brutal. Now I realize how much time I have during some days and feel hella bored. I also feel very depressed because I don't really know what else to do in my life besides skating and playing video games. It also doesn't help that I turned 34 and most of my friends don't take skating that seriously anymore. I quit weed, alcohol and now tobacco but something in me feels very sad although all those things are gone. What else is there to do? Are there really things that can bring similar joy as skateboarding? I am not so sure about that to be honest.
Anyway I read through the last page and I am mad proud of you all. Alcohol addiction is horrible for you, your family and your neighborhood.
something in me feels very sad although all those things are gone. What else is there to do? Are there really things that can bring similar joy as skateboarding?Nothing. It's boring but you get used to it over the years. I actually have found things that give me the same joy as skating like walking and gardening but it took me a few years to realize the fun in it, either that or my life is so boring now planting flowers seem cool. Either way things smooth out over time.
Nothing. It's boring but you get used to it over the years. I actually have found things that give me the same joy as skating like walking and gardening but it took me a few years to realize the fun in it, either that or my life is so boring now planting flowers seem cool. Either way things smooth out over time.Expand Quotesomething in me feels very sad although all those things are gone. What else is there to do? Are there really things that can bring similar joy as skateboarding?[close]
I'm a week into a booze break and trying to make it as long as I can. Usually don't make it past a week but this time I'm feeling more motivated to go the distance. I'm in my 40s now and I can really feel the inflammatory effects of regular drinking. Whenever I get a few days without booze I'm like, 'dang this is nice, my body feels great, i sleep better, and I can think more clearly'.
The inflammation is crazy. It just creeps up on you and you don't realize how it makes you feel like shit until you get off the sauce.
I want to do a lot more skating and biking this summer and feel top-notch while doing it.
What I want to convey to people that feel like they'll be wrestling with a demon moment to moment for the rest of their lives, and they're dreading that is just that sometimes it's not such a big deal.
Passed 2 years off booze and weed last week. Joked with a friend about how it just gets harder everyday. Been dealing with stressful life stuff lately, and the temptation to say fuck it and start having a few drinks/puffs again is very strong. But I know it won’t be just a few, so I’m keeping the streak going for now. Never even planned to be sober forever.. just haven’t had a good enough reason to stop yet. Physical issues are keeping me from being as active as I’d like, so I’ve just been napping and eating like a mf.Hell yea dude! That's awesome! I'm just over 2 years without booze. It was never really a bad thing for me. Would drink once or twice a week and catch a nice buzz, but haven't got really fucked up in some time. I stopped drinking once my daughter was born and really haven't missed it at all. I'll have a NA beer every so often, but i don't ever find myself craving alcohol. I'll still smoke/eat weed, which I hope to eventually stop doing. It's been cut down drastically over the years. I used to be a wake up, smoke, and stay high throughout the day kinda guy. Now i'll just smoke a hitter or eat 10mg eddie to wind down after my kid goes to sleep. But weed is much harder to cut off for me than booze was.
Did any of you guys deal with fatigue early on in sobriety? And about how long did this last?
I haven't taken more than a month off the bottle since fall 2022. That time, I felt so much more well rested and energized after maybe 5ish days of poor sleep.
This time (last drink the last day of March), I've felt absolutely exhausted the past three weeks, despite exercising regularly, eating fairly healthy, drinking a ton of water, and seemingly getting decent quality sleep at night.
The reduction in overall anxiety is keeping me going right now. But missing feeling so well rested and energized each day like I did last time I was off the bottle.
Feel like I have a good four or five hours first thing in the morning and then start feeling like shit the rest of the day - low energy, fatigue, brain fog, and I guess maybe mild depression too. Luckily, I work from home so been "giving myself grace" to take short naps once or twice a day.
Expand QuoteDid any of you guys deal with fatigue early on in sobriety? And about how long did this last?
I haven't taken more than a month off the bottle since fall 2022. That time, I felt so much more well rested and energized after maybe 5ish days of poor sleep.
This time (last drink the last day of March), I've felt absolutely exhausted the past three weeks, despite exercising regularly, eating fairly healthy, drinking a ton of water, and seemingly getting decent quality sleep at night.
The reduction in overall anxiety is keeping me going right now. But missing feeling so well rested and energized each day like I did last time I was off the bottle.
Feel like I have a good four or five hours first thing in the morning and then start feeling like shit the rest of the day - low energy, fatigue, brain fog, and I guess maybe mild depression too. Luckily, I work from home so been "giving myself grace" to take short naps once or twice a day.[close]
how annoying. you doing any sleep tracking? what's your cafine routine like?
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteDid any of you guys deal with fatigue early on in sobriety? And about how long did this last?
I haven't taken more than a month off the bottle since fall 2022. That time, I felt so much more well rested and energized after maybe 5ish days of poor sleep.
This time (last drink the last day of March), I've felt absolutely exhausted the past three weeks, despite exercising regularly, eating fairly healthy, drinking a ton of water, and seemingly getting decent quality sleep at night.
The reduction in overall anxiety is keeping me going right now. But missing feeling so well rested and energized each day like I did last time I was off the bottle.
Feel like I have a good four or five hours first thing in the morning and then start feeling like shit the rest of the day - low energy, fatigue, brain fog, and I guess maybe mild depression too. Luckily, I work from home so been "giving myself grace" to take short naps once or twice a day.[close]
how annoying. you doing any sleep tracking? what's your cafine routine like?[close]
Never tracked my sleep. Two or three cups of coffee before noontime. No nicotine or weed.
Could totally be unrelated to not drinking, but seems like fatigue is at least somewhat common with the early part of sobriety. Going to doctor for the first time since Covid started in early May so will mention it then. Was just curious if anyone else had experienced it.
Unrelated - but just want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences. It's been a big help/motivation, even when I was still drinking.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteDid any of you guys deal with fatigue early on in sobriety? And about how long did this last?
I haven't taken more than a month off the bottle since fall 2022. That time, I felt so much more well rested and energized after maybe 5ish days of poor sleep.
This time (last drink the last day of March), I've felt absolutely exhausted the past three weeks, despite exercising regularly, eating fairly healthy, drinking a ton of water, and seemingly getting decent quality sleep at night.
The reduction in overall anxiety is keeping me going right now. But missing feeling so well rested and energized each day like I did last time I was off the bottle.
Feel like I have a good four or five hours first thing in the morning and then start feeling like shit the rest of the day - low energy, fatigue, brain fog, and I guess maybe mild depression too. Luckily, I work from home so been "giving myself grace" to take short naps once or twice a day.[close]
how annoying. you doing any sleep tracking? what's your cafine routine like?[close]
Never tracked my sleep. Two or three cups of coffee before noontime. No nicotine or weed.
Could totally be unrelated to not drinking, but seems like fatigue is at least somewhat common with the early part of sobriety. Going to doctor for the first time since Covid started in early May so will mention it then. Was just curious if anyone else had experienced it.
Unrelated - but just want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences. It's been a big help/motivation, even when I was still drinking.[close]
Sobriety fatigue is definitely a thing. Its sort of confusing to me because I'll actually sleep longer and deeper when I take a break but throughout the day I feel pretty lazy and snoozy and want to go to bed early and not do shit after work but sit around. Just needs to run its course and allow the body to adjust.
It's definitely important to have a good diet, especially with gut-friendly food rich in pre and probiotics and overall nutrition to help get past the fatigue and regenerate healthy gut bacteria. Booze wreaks havoc on your gut. Considering it's your second brain, totally makes sense why we feel like shit and get all moody cause its fucking up our serotinin and dopamine functionality.
Just adds to the reason to quit booze entirely. Jams you up when you're on it and jams you up when you try to get off it as your body readjusts. All time lost.
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteDid any of you guys deal with fatigue early on in sobriety? And about how long did this last?
I haven't taken more than a month off the bottle since fall 2022. That time, I felt so much more well rested and energized after maybe 5ish days of poor sleep.
This time (last drink the last day of March), I've felt absolutely exhausted the past three weeks, despite exercising regularly, eating fairly healthy, drinking a ton of water, and seemingly getting decent quality sleep at night.
The reduction in overall anxiety is keeping me going right now. But missing feeling so well rested and energized each day like I did last time I was off the bottle.
Feel like I have a good four or five hours first thing in the morning and then start feeling like shit the rest of the day - low energy, fatigue, brain fog, and I guess maybe mild depression too. Luckily, I work from home so been "giving myself grace" to take short naps once or twice a day.[close]
how annoying. you doing any sleep tracking? what's your cafine routine like?[close]
Never tracked my sleep. Two or three cups of coffee before noontime. No nicotine or weed.
Could totally be unrelated to not drinking, but seems like fatigue is at least somewhat common with the early part of sobriety. Going to doctor for the first time since Covid started in early May so will mention it then. Was just curious if anyone else had experienced it.
Unrelated - but just want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences. It's been a big help/motivation, even when I was still drinking.[close]
Sobriety fatigue is definitely a thing. Its sort of confusing to me because I'll actually sleep longer and deeper when I take a break but throughout the day I feel pretty lazy and snoozy and want to go to bed early and not do shit after work but sit around. Just needs to run its course and allow the body to adjust.
It's definitely important to have a good diet, especially with gut-friendly food rich in pre and probiotics and overall nutrition to help get past the fatigue and regenerate healthy gut bacteria. Booze wreaks havoc on your gut. Considering it's your second brain, totally makes sense why we feel like shit and get all moody cause its fucking up our serotinin and dopamine functionality.
Just adds to the reason to quit booze entirely. Jams you up when you're on it and jams you up when you try to get off it as your body readjusts. All time lost.[close]
Also because of the way society is now we spend most of our time indoors, and therefor don't get enough sun, my doctor said to get some vitamin D and B12 supplements
I'd also recommend calorie counting food and activities to know where your energy is coming from and going into
Tomorrow marks 4 months for me. There is not one single aspect of my life that hasn't prospered in that time, and it's not a coincidence :)
Tomorrow marks 4 months for me. There is not one single aspect of my life that hasn't prospered in that time, and it's not a coincidence :)
Made it 6 days, then had a bottle of wine last night.Hey man stop beating yourself up! There is a whole world out there willing to do that for us on the daily. Just dust yourself off and head back into battle. Like I said before in this thread, WE are skaters so we are used to something that we want so badly not always going as planned at first. Keep pushing until you get the make. :) And don't ever feel embarrassed to post on this thread..as it's not about sobriety bragging rights on here, it is a team of supporters.
I really fucked up this time though. Lost everything because of stupid things I did while insanely drunk.
Pretty sure I have a horrible ulcer too. I spent an entire month just pounding back a 26(fifth) of cheap vodka every single day at least. I can hardly sleep or lay down it hurts so much and I keep waking up drenched in sweat with the worst stomach ache ever. Just constant gut pain. I don't even have a doctor anymore lol have to go wait 3 hours at the walk in clinic. I'm so fucking tired. I can't do this anymore.
Feels like I'm on the Leaving Las Vegas program now.
I dabble in this thread here or there but I never show my face again after posting because I always fucking fail and its embarrassing.
Tomorrow marks 4 months for me. There is not one single aspect of my life that hasn't prospered in that time, and it's not a coincidence :)
Made it 6 days, then had a bottle of wine last night.
I really fucked up this time though. Lost everything because of stupid things I did while insanely drunk.
Pretty sure I have a horrible ulcer too. I spent an entire month just pounding back a 26(fifth) of cheap vodka every single day at least. I can hardly sleep or lay down it hurts so much and I keep waking up drenched in sweat with the worst stomach ache ever. Just constant gut pain. I don't even have a doctor anymore lol have to go wait 3 hours at the walk in clinic. I'm so fucking tired. I can't do this anymore.
Feels like I'm on the Leaving Las Vegas program now.
I dabble in this thread here or there but I never show my face again after posting because I always fucking fail and its embarrassing.
Day 7 tomorrow and gotta go get groceries/cat food, home depot trip and pickup weed with my lady tonight before we spackle the basement. Temptation to stock 6-8 tallboys for the weekend is gonna hit but I've been chilling all week and haven't given it a thought til now. It's gonna be downpouring the whole time too so I can't even go skate but that's why Red Dead 2 exists. Stay strong, gentlemen.
Expand QuoteDay 7 tomorrow and gotta go get groceries/cat food, home depot trip and pickup weed with my lady tonight before we spackle the basement. Temptation to stock 6-8 tallboys for the weekend is gonna hit but I've been chilling all week and haven't given it a thought til now. It's gonna be downpouring the whole time too so I can't even go skate but that's why Red Dead 2 exists. Stay strong, gentlemen.[close]
first week is so hard. i'd focus on mornings and how good you'll feel but it's so hard to keep your mind from racing. good luck!
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteDay 7 tomorrow and gotta go get groceries/cat food, home depot trip and pickup weed with my lady tonight before we spackle the basement. Temptation to stock 6-8 tallboys for the weekend is gonna hit but I've been chilling all week and haven't given it a thought til now. It's gonna be downpouring the whole time too so I can't even go skate but that's why Red Dead 2 exists. Stay strong, gentlemen.[close]
first week is so hard. i'd focus on mornings and how good you'll feel but it's so hard to keep your mind from racing. good luck![close]
Thanks brother. I got past the liquid guts, no appetite and inability to sleep after day 3. I swear if it wasn't for the volcano bag being a massive crutch I'd still be laying in bed shivering, nibbling on cheez-its just to shut my stomach up. I'm so thankful I never got to the point of chugging mouthwash even at my worst. I did end up buying the tallboys but I refused to take them any further than the garage. For some reason having them in the vicinity makes it easier to ignore the temptation.
Day 7 as well, it’s been a long time coming and after blacking out last Friday it’s time, a friend recommended looking into NA beers since it’s basically a social activity for me, I’ve been drinking those when I’m on the sesh or when I need one in the shower, it’s been a nice week being clear headed, gonna go bowling tonight luckily the place we are going sells NA Heineken, gonna throw a few back and knock down some pins, this thread is righteous and thanks to everyone for being there for each other
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteDay 7 tomorrow and gotta go get groceries/cat food, home depot trip and pickup weed with my lady tonight before we spackle the basement. Temptation to stock 6-8 tallboys for the weekend is gonna hit but I've been chilling all week and haven't given it a thought til now. It's gonna be downpouring the whole time too so I can't even go skate but that's why Red Dead 2 exists. Stay strong, gentlemen.[close]
first week is so hard. i'd focus on mornings and how good you'll feel but it's so hard to keep your mind from racing. good luck![close]
Thanks brother. I got past the liquid guts, no appetite and inability to sleep after day 3. I swear if it wasn't for the volcano bag being a massive crutch I'd still be laying in bed shivering, nibbling on cheez-its just to shut my stomach up. I'm so thankful I never got to the point of chugging mouthwash even at my worst. I did end up buying the tallboys but I refused to take them any further than the garage. For some reason having them in the vicinity makes it easier to ignore the temptation.[close]
nice!Expand QuoteDay 7 as well, it’s been a long time coming and after blacking out last Friday it’s time, a friend recommended looking into NA beers since it’s basically a social activity for me, I’ve been drinking those when I’m on the sesh or when I need one in the shower, it’s been a nice week being clear headed, gonna go bowling tonight luckily the place we are going sells NA Heineken, gonna throw a few back and knock down some pins, this thread is righteous and thanks to everyone for being there for each other[close]
i was drinking na's last night. a lot of places carry atheltic which i think are great
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteDay 7 tomorrow and gotta go get groceries/cat food, home depot trip and pickup weed with my lady tonight before we spackle the basement. Temptation to stock 6-8 tallboys for the weekend is gonna hit but I've been chilling all week and haven't given it a thought til now. It's gonna be downpouring the whole time too so I can't even go skate but that's why Red Dead 2 exists. Stay strong, gentlemen.[close]
first week is so hard. i'd focus on mornings and how good you'll feel but it's so hard to keep your mind from racing. good luck![close]
Thanks brother. I got past the liquid guts, no appetite and inability to sleep after day 3. I swear if it wasn't for the volcano bag being a massive crutch I'd still be laying in bed shivering, nibbling on cheez-its just to shut my stomach up. I'm so thankful I never got to the point of chugging mouthwash even at my worst. I did end up buying the tallboys but I refused to take them any further than the garage. For some reason having them in the vicinity makes it easier to ignore the temptation.[close]
nice!Expand QuoteDay 7 as well, it’s been a long time coming and after blacking out last Friday it’s time, a friend recommended looking into NA beers since it’s basically a social activity for me, I’ve been drinking those when I’m on the sesh or when I need one in the shower, it’s been a nice week being clear headed, gonna go bowling tonight luckily the place we are going sells NA Heineken, gonna throw a few back and knock down some pins, this thread is righteous and thanks to everyone for being there for each other[close]
i was drinking na's last night. a lot of places carry atheltic which i think are great[close]
Been drinking those with Tajin!!! So good
so how often are you guys thinking about a time in the future where you'll have a whisky alone at night after a tough day's doings?
so how often are you guys thinking about a time in the future where you'll have a whisky alone at night after a tough day's doings?
so how often are you guys thinking about a time in the future where you'll have a whisky alone at night after a tough day's doings?
I was a huge whisky nerd (or anorak as they call it) and it would be great if I could do that but I know my compulsive behaviour so I know it‘s not going to work. I would be sucked into the vortex immediately. Anyway, if you love the complex taste of whisky or wine but are an alkie, try tea. Sounds lame but trust me once you get into the subject, a huge world of different tastes opens up to you. I am just starting out but am fascinated by the insane variety of tea. Plus it‘s very healthy and you can get a caffeine / l-theanine high out of it. :-)Expand Quoteso how often are you guys thinking about a time in the future where you'll have a whisky alone at night after a tough day's doings?[close]
Expand QuoteI was a huge whisky nerd (or anorak as they call it) and it would be great if I could do that but I know my compulsive behaviour so I know it‘s not going to work. I would be sucked into the vortex immediately. Anyway, if you love the complex taste of whisky or wine but are an alkie, try tea. Sounds lame but trust me once you get into the subject, a huge world of different tastes opens up to you. I am just starting out but am fascinated by the insane variety of tea. Plus it‘s very healthy and you can get a caffeine / l-theanine high out of it. :-)Expand Quoteso how often are you guys thinking about a time in the future where you'll have a whisky alone at night after a tough day's doings?[close][close]
@Easy Slider i like this idea. I mix it up with my coffee but bringing in t sounds great. My wife and I love this green t with brown rice base of some kind at this sushi place we go.
What are some ones you dig?
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteExpand QuoteDay 7 tomorrow and gotta go get groceries/cat food, home depot trip and pickup weed with my lady tonight before we spackle the basement. Temptation to stock 6-8 tallboys for the weekend is gonna hit but I've been chilling all week and haven't given it a thought til now. It's gonna be downpouring the whole time too so I can't even go skate but that's why Red Dead 2 exists. Stay strong, gentlemen.[close]
first week is so hard. i'd focus on mornings and how good you'll feel but it's so hard to keep your mind from racing. good luck![close]
Thanks brother. I got past the liquid guts, no appetite and inability to sleep after day 3. I swear if it wasn't for the volcano bag being a massive crutch I'd still be laying in bed shivering, nibbling on cheez-its just to shut my stomach up. I'm so thankful I never got to the point of chugging mouthwash even at my worst. I did end up buying the tallboys but I refused to take them any further than the garage. For some reason having them in the vicinity makes it easier to ignore the temptation.[close]
nice!Expand QuoteDay 7 as well, it’s been a long time coming and after blacking out last Friday it’s time, a friend recommended looking into NA beers since it’s basically a social activity for me, I’ve been drinking those when I’m on the sesh or when I need one in the shower, it’s been a nice week being clear headed, gonna go bowling tonight luckily the place we are going sells NA Heineken, gonna throw a few back and knock down some pins, this thread is righteous and thanks to everyone for being there for each other[close]
i was drinking na's last night. a lot of places carry atheltic which i think are great[close]
Been drinking those with Tajin!!! So good[close]
are you drinking the mexican one? seems like that one would work well with it. maybe the the lite
Alertness is often used in this thread, and I love seeing it. Once someone is well into their sobriety, I imagine the alertness can be taken for granted. Thankfully I haven't had any cravings, but when/if I do I will remind myself of how shitty it feels to not always be there mentally, in times when I really should be. I don't miss that fucking brain fog.
If I went back to my old ways my piss poor grammar on here would be even worse. So it's really for the greater good for all of us.
@easyslider that was an awesome share with the tea rabbit hole. That whole process really could help the type of ex-drinkers that really enjoyed the thrill of the kill, when contemplating their poison.
As always.. to anyone struggling, it truly gets better. If it didn't, I wouldn't of have the strength to still be here with yall.
Not looking for any particular type of response here, just wanted to share my recent experience. Recently passed 2yrs, and the thought of having a drink was becoming overwhelming. Just way too much internal pressure on having or not having one.
Got together with friends last weekend, and decided I’d buy one tallcan of cider I used to love. Drank about 3/4 over a couple hrs and poured out the rest. It didn’t taste good to me anymore, just way too boozy. It didn’t feel that good either, no warm euphoric buzz that I was worried would hook me back in, just a groggy sloppy feeling.
Last night my s/o was having a beer, so I had one too, and again.. didn’t taste or feel that good at all. I’m not saying I’m cured of alcoholism, or going back all in, but after two years of thinking a drink would be the best thing ever, I’m relieved that it’s not.
I’m one week sober. I’m on the juul and a had only few squally’s since last Saturday night. Idk if it’s a good thing Yet. It’s difficult as fuck
I’ll smoke again when I’m happier probably. I gave my last eighth to my neighbor. It was called grape gasoline. It was just too speedy and was setting off my schizophrenia sometimes.
I don’t want sanity to be a tightrope walk. I don’t want intrusive thoughts anymore. I gotta be sharp and in my right mind at this time.
I’m one week sober. I’m on the juul and a had only few squally’s since last Saturday night. Idk if it’s a good thing Yet. It’s difficult as fuck
I’ll smoke again when I’m happier probably. I gave my last eighth to my neighbor. It was called grape gasoline. It was just too speedy and was setting off my schizophrenia sometimes.
I don’t want sanity to be a tightrope walk. I don’t want intrusive thoughts anymore. I gotta be sharp and in my right mind at this time.
Expand QuoteI’m one week sober. I’m on the juul and a had only few squally’s since last Saturday night. Idk if it’s a good thing Yet. It’s difficult as fuck
I’ll smoke again when I’m happier probably. I gave my last eighth to my neighbor. It was called grape gasoline. It was just too speedy and was setting off my schizophrenia sometimes.
I don’t want sanity to be a tightrope walk. I don’t want intrusive thoughts anymore. I gotta be sharp and in my right mind at this time.[close]
i haven't heard anyone else talk about schizophrenia and intrusive thoughts with weed but i was having really bad problems with this when i quit a decade or so back. i kind of feel it just makes your mind race so much and then paranoia gets out of hand. i'm not sure but i feel more people should talk about it because it sucks.
Stay sober guys..I slipped up last weekend and its gonna cost me a large sum of money. I have some not ideal repercussions coming my way and I didn't have access to Slap for a few days..I should leave it at that.I hope whatever happened isn’t too terrible. Don’t beat yourself up.
accommodations were 0/10 ⭐️'s
learn from our mistakes and keep on rolling.
much love guys
Stay sober guys..I slipped up last weekend and its gonna cost me a large sum of money. I have some not ideal repercussions coming my way and I didn't have access to Slap for a few days..I should leave it at that.
accommodations were 0/10 ⭐️'s
learn from our mistakes and keep on rolling.
much love guys
Expand QuoteExpand QuoteI’m one week sober. I’m on the juul and a had only few squally’s since last Saturday night. Idk if it’s a good thing Yet. It’s difficult as fuck
I’ll smoke again when I’m happier probably. I gave my last eighth to my neighbor. It was called grape gasoline. It was just too speedy and was setting off my schizophrenia sometimes.
I don’t want sanity to be a tightrope walk. I don’t want intrusive thoughts anymore. I gotta be sharp and in my right mind at this time.[close]
i haven't heard anyone else talk about schizophrenia and intrusive thoughts with weed but i was having really bad problems with this when i quit a decade or so back. i kind of feel it just makes your mind race so much and then paranoia gets out of hand. i'm not sure but i feel more people should talk about it because it sucks.[close]
Yeah it’s vicious. I never understood why the other men in my family would experience this. But now I see.
It’s like the Megadeth song sweating bullets. It’s not cool. I don’t wanna think about getting even with old enemies. I don’t wanna think about all the people who passed.
Sometimes off I’m driving stoned I can hear people screaming and I hear like almost cartoonish collision noises and shit. But in reality I’m actually driving extra fine.
Sometimes weed hits me like a crack low. I think about the past and nope. I don’t wanna do that no more.
100 days. Feeling pretty indifferent, but I intend to keep it going.hell yes.
my wife quit drinking about a 3 weeks ago. i went for about 10 days, had a few beers on a saturday, and realized it just wasn't as fun anymore.
i think i'm really struggling with the idea of having an issue, if that makes sense. i've never thought i had an problem, i just liked having some beers every now and then, and would fairly regularly go a week or 2 without drinking without a struggle.however, it recently hit me though that i shouldn't be thinking about alcohol this much, and that i really struggle (and straight up just can't remember) having just one beer if i'm with friends or at a bar. im headed to new york on vacation, and i was already telling myself this could be my last hurrah.
in the last 3 weeks, i've had one day of drinking and it was absurd how much shittier i felt the next day. never felt hammered or drunk but my sleep scored dropped from the high 80s to low 50s, my run the next time was shit, and i just felt like a dick, even though nothing happened.
i dunno, i guess here's a cheers to trying something new.
Yesterday was six months sober and I didn’t realize til I was going to bed. Been sort of out of sight, out of mind. I think that’s probably for the best.
hit 30 days today. pretty excited about that.
it was interesting, during a vacation, no internal pressure. but we went to a wedding last weekend and goddamn, i haven't missed beer like that this entire time
Just hit 5 months sober from alcohol 2 days ago. Although I feel great, I’ve found myself in a weird spot and I wonder if anyone else here has experienced this:
I feel like some people aren’t taking my sobriety seriously. They downplay it like “it wasn’t that bad” or just straight up don’t take me seriously. I’ve also noticed that once it became known to a lot of people, people stopped inviting me to things or just don’t bother to hang out with me anymore. I felt pretty shitty about this at first, but I think I’m doing a good job standing my ground and not giving in to the pressure. It has really got my thinking about cutting people loose from my life who I thought were supportive but weren’t in the end. I think it has pushed me to learn how to feel comfortable just spending time alone and enjoying my own company instead of hanging out with people who in the end don’t really have my back.
Idk..just feel like I’m in a weird spot in life, but overall I’m doing well and I hope everyone else here is doing well too. I’m rooting for you all.
Expand QuoteJust hit 5 months sober from alcohol 2 days ago. Although I feel great, I’ve found myself in a weird spot and I wonder if anyone else here has experienced this:
I feel like some people aren’t taking my sobriety seriously. They downplay it like “it wasn’t that bad” or just straight up don’t take me seriously. I’ve also noticed that once it became known to a lot of people, people stopped inviting me to things or just don’t bother to hang out with me anymore. I felt pretty shitty about this at first, but I think I’m doing a good job standing my ground and not giving in to the pressure. It has really got my thinking about cutting people loose from my life who I thought were supportive but weren’t in the end. I think it has pushed me to learn how to feel comfortable just spending time alone and enjoying my own company instead of hanging out with people who in the end don’t really have my back.
Idk..just feel like I’m in a weird spot in life, but overall I’m doing well and I hope everyone else here is doing well too. I’m rooting for you all.[close]
really sorry to hear that. closest thing i've got to that is that when i tell people i don't drink and they ask why after i explain they often will start justifying their drinking to me which makes it feel a little awkward. when i quit smoking weed my circle definitely changed though.
as far as being alone goes that's been my default for a good bit. i like chilling with my dogs and family and then having casual acquaintances associated with work and hobbies. i'm probably 5 years from being an empty nester and i might have to get homies back in the mix then but might just be more hobbies and dog walks.
Just hit 5 months sober from alcohol 2 days ago. Although I feel great, I’ve found myself in a weird spot and I wonder if anyone else here has experienced this:
I feel like some people aren’t taking my sobriety seriously. They downplay it like “it wasn’t that bad” or just straight up don’t take me seriously. I’ve also noticed that once it became known to a lot of people, people stopped inviting me to things or just don’t bother to hang out with me anymore. I felt pretty shitty about this at first, but I think I’m doing a good job standing my ground and not giving in to the pressure. It has really got my thinking about cutting people loose from my life who I thought were supportive but weren’t in the end. I think it has pushed me to learn how to feel comfortable just spending time alone and enjoying my own company instead of hanging out with people who in the end don’t really have my back.
Idk..just feel like I’m in a weird spot in life, but overall I’m doing well and I hope everyone else here is doing well too. I’m rooting for you all.
I think a lot of people are downplaying your reasons and efforts because deep down they know what they’re doing is not healthy for them but haven’t found the strenght to do something about it.Expand QuoteExpand QuoteJust hit 5 months sober from alcohol 2 days ago. Although I feel great, I’ve found myself in a weird spot and I wonder if anyone else here has experienced this:
I feel like some people aren’t taking my sobriety seriously. They downplay it like “it wasn’t that bad” or just straight up don’t take me seriously. I’ve also noticed that once it became known to a lot of people, people stopped inviting me to things or just don’t bother to hang out with me anymore. I felt pretty shitty about this at first, but I think I’m doing a good job standing my ground and not giving in to the pressure. It has really got my thinking about cutting people loose from my life who I thought were supportive but weren’t in the end. I think it has pushed me to learn how to feel comfortable just spending time alone and enjoying my own company instead of hanging out with people who in the end don’t really have my back.
Idk..just feel like I’m in a weird spot in life, but overall I’m doing well and I hope everyone else here is doing well too. I’m rooting for you all.[close]
really sorry to hear that. closest thing i've got to that is that when i tell people i don't drink and they ask why after i explain they often will start justifying their drinking to me which makes it feel a little awkward. when i quit smoking weed my circle definitely changed though.
as far as being alone goes that's been my default for a good bit. i like chilling with my dogs and family and then having casual acquaintances associated with work and hobbies. i'm probably 5 years from being an empty nester and i might have to get homies back in the mix then but might just be more hobbies and dog walks.[close]
Yup I can relate to those awkward moments too. I also think there are some people out there that secretly don’t want to see you succeed or better yourself out of jealousy or some kind of insecurity about their own lives. Sort of a way to try to guilt trip you or something.
props to everyone putting in the work@sleazy Thanks for the words of encouragement. Just saw this, wish I saw it yesterday. Made it a month and went to skate yesterday but I was drained from 60 hours work weeks the past three weeks. It's not the hours it's how fucked my body is at the end of Saturday. Seems like when I'm too tired for anything else I just say fuck it and have some beers. Here I am waking up late for another week but at least I'm aware of what my downfalls are and I'm gonna keep trying. Next time I'm too tired for skate I'll just come here.
@ratking i used to wake up pissed at my night time self everyday. i was able to figure out how to make my night time self and morning self to be on the same team. the anxiety i get about having an off day because of alcohol wins every time for me now. best of luck to you.
@Maccat super relatable and thanks for sharing. there was a thread on here about quitting smoking weed and i ended up getting started as a result of it. it got overwhelming for me. it was making me antisocial and grouchy and a bit schizophrenic which i think is what paranoia turns into after years of use. i found myself not wanting to do most things without being buzzed. if my wife and i were going see a movie i'd want to get a hit before going in, going on a hike, etc. it was also really awkward around my kids and fortunately i quit when they were really young. no regrets for me probably 15 years later. good luck with it.
@Sleazy Thanks for the words of encouragement. Just saw this, wish I saw it yesterday. Made it a month and went to skate yesterday but I was drained from 60 hours work weeks the past three weeks. It's not the hours it's how fucked my body is at the end of Saturday. Seems like when I'm too tired for anything else I just say fuck it and have some beers. Here I am waking up late for another week but at least I'm aware of what my downfalls are and I'm gonna keep trying. Next time I'm too tired for skate I'll just come here.Expand Quoteprops to everyone putting in the work
@ratking i used to wake up pissed at my night time self everyday. i was able to figure out how to make my night time self and morning self to be on the same team. the anxiety i get about having an off day because of alcohol wins every time for me now. best of luck to you.
@Maccat super relatable and thanks for sharing. there was a thread on here about quitting smoking weed and i ended up getting started as a result of it. it got overwhelming for me. it was making me antisocial and grouchy and a bit schizophrenic which i think is what paranoia turns into after years of use. i found myself not wanting to do most things without being buzzed. if my wife and i were going see a movie i'd want to get a hit before going in, going on a hike, etc. it was also really awkward around my kids and fortunately i quit when they were really young. no regrets for me probably 15 years later. good luck with it.[close]
@sleazy "reframe how I deal with being tired" I like that outlook. Gonna use that. Definitely been on the ice cream kick lately as well. Usually a Snickers ice cream bar. This way I don't eat an entire pint of talenti haha. Appreciate ya reaching out.Expand Quote@Sleazy Thanks for the words of encouragement. Just saw this, wish I saw it yesterday. Made it a month and went to skate yesterday but I was drained from 60 hours work weeks the past three weeks. It's not the hours it's how fucked my body is at the end of Saturday. Seems like when I'm too tired for anything else I just say fuck it and have some beers. Here I am waking up late for another week but at least I'm aware of what my downfalls are and I'm gonna keep trying. Next time I'm too tired for skate I'll just come here.Expand Quoteprops to everyone putting in the work
@ratking i used to wake up pissed at my night time self everyday. i was able to figure out how to make my night time self and morning self to be on the same team. the anxiety i get about having an off day because of alcohol wins every time for me now. best of luck to you.
@Maccat super relatable and thanks for sharing. there was a thread on here about quitting smoking weed and i ended up getting started as a result of it. it got overwhelming for me. it was making me antisocial and grouchy and a bit schizophrenic which i think is what paranoia turns into after years of use. i found myself not wanting to do most things without being buzzed. if my wife and i were going see a movie i'd want to get a hit before going in, going on a hike, etc. it was also really awkward around my kids and fortunately i quit when they were really young. no regrets for me probably 15 years later. good luck with it.[close][close]
@ratking there's so much value in a lesson learned so you still win.
it took me ages to reframe how i deal with being tired. now instead of feeling board and restless when i'm just lampin it feels like relaxing. i do eat a good bit of halo ice cream though, lol.
@Sleazy "reframe how I deal with being tired" I like that outlook. Gonna use that. Definitely been on the ice cream kick lately as well. Usually a Snickers ice cream bar. This way I don't eat an entire pint of talenti haha. Appreciate ya reaching out.Expand QuoteExpand Quote@Sleazy Thanks for the words of encouragement. Just saw this, wish I saw it yesterday. Made it a month and went to skate yesterday but I was drained from 60 hours work weeks the past three weeks. It's not the hours it's how fucked my body is at the end of Saturday. Seems like when I'm too tired for anything else I just say fuck it and have some beers. Here I am waking up late for another week but at least I'm aware of what my downfalls are and I'm gonna keep trying. Next time I'm too tired for skate I'll just come here.Expand Quoteprops to everyone putting in the work
@ratking i used to wake up pissed at my night time self everyday. i was able to figure out how to make my night time self and morning self to be on the same team. the anxiety i get about having an off day because of alcohol wins every time for me now. best of luck to you.
@Maccat super relatable and thanks for sharing. there was a thread on here about quitting smoking weed and i ended up getting started as a result of it. it got overwhelming for me. it was making me antisocial and grouchy and a bit schizophrenic which i think is what paranoia turns into after years of use. i found myself not wanting to do most things without being buzzed. if my wife and i were going see a movie i'd want to get a hit before going in, going on a hike, etc. it was also really awkward around my kids and fortunately i quit when they were really young. no regrets for me probably 15 years later. good luck with it.[close][close]
@ratking there's so much value in a lesson learned so you still win.
it took me ages to reframe how i deal with being tired. now instead of feeling board and restless when i'm just lampin it feels like relaxing. i do eat a good bit of halo ice cream though, lol.[close]
@sleazy Mos def gonna check out halo. Idk how it stayed off my radar. Soda water might be my most consumed beverage. La Croix has a peach strawberry that's wonderful. Otherwise I usually just go with Aldi brand. Wish I could only drink Mexican coke and have zero reprocussion. Picked up a fiesta (12 different flavor 12 pack if I'm not mistaken) pack of jarritos last week for when it's too late for the caffeine from Coke. Highly recommendExpand Quote@Sleazy "reframe how I deal with being tired" I like that outlook. Gonna use that. Definitely been on the ice cream kick lately as well. Usually a Snickers ice cream bar. This way I don't eat an entire pint of talenti haha. Appreciate ya reaching out.Expand QuoteExpand Quote@Sleazy Thanks for the words of encouragement. Just saw this, wish I saw it yesterday. Made it a month and went to skate yesterday but I was drained from 60 hours work weeks the past three weeks. It's not the hours it's how fucked my body is at the end of Saturday. Seems like when I'm too tired for anything else I just say fuck it and have some beers. Here I am waking up late for another week but at least I'm aware of what my downfalls are and I'm gonna keep trying. Next time I'm too tired for skate I'll just come here.Expand Quoteprops to everyone putting in the work
@ratking i used to wake up pissed at my night time self everyday. i was able to figure out how to make my night time self and morning self to be on the same team. the anxiety i get about having an off day because of alcohol wins every time for me now. best of luck to you.
@Maccat super relatable and thanks for sharing. there was a thread on here about quitting smoking weed and i ended up getting started as a result of it. it got overwhelming for me. it was making me antisocial and grouchy and a bit schizophrenic which i think is what paranoia turns into after years of use. i found myself not wanting to do most things without being buzzed. if my wife and i were going see a movie i'd want to get a hit before going in, going on a hike, etc. it was also really awkward around my kids and fortunately i quit when they were really young. no regrets for me probably 15 years later. good luck with it.[close][close]
@ratking there's so much value in a lesson learned so you still win.
it took me ages to reframe how i deal with being tired. now instead of feeling board and restless when i'm just lampin it feels like relaxing. i do eat a good bit of halo ice cream though, lol.[close][close]
@ratking if you haven’t checked out halo you should give it a go. Tasty low cal ice cream.
Reframing for me is just enjoying being bored. I have a drink fridge stocked with fun drinks and I just started doing filtered water in glass bottles like they give at cool restaurants which is surprisingly enjoyable and refreshing. Mexican cokes go hard when I’m tired. Soda water is great for a fizzy fix.
(https://i.ibb.co/C5CYnzCf/IMG-0415.jpg)
had to get my appendix removed last week and it sucked so bad. need to start taking better care of myself.
day 8 no pile out. havent had any drinks since the surgery. i am definitely going until the end of Sept and lets see if we can keep it going beyond that.
for me i dont really even hang out with anyone that drinks anymore. i dont feel like i am really missing out on anything. i was jsut doing it because i was bored.
Still don't even feel like drinking so that is good. Have thought about it a few times but my body is just like "nah" even though I am feeling pretty close to 100%. I don't want to take skating for granted, it sucks to have to miss it for 2 weeks.
Had three glasses of wine last night, nice meal but the wine wasn’t worth it, kinda disappointed in myself but it is what it is, just got to get back to it, bought a case of Erik Ellingtons new NA, looking forward to trying thatFeel like if you enjoy wine it just adds another layer to sobriety. It has its own classification under alcohol making it more difficult. Idk but I do know I'm gonna try these Ellington beers and I'm not even a na fan
would really like to drink a bottle of anything right now. hope this passes.It will. Mos def. You might have a great time doing it but half way thru you might wish ya hadn't. Catch a flick. Get high and watch music videos if that works. Clean your bearings, you know they need it. Good for you for saying it out loud though.
I don't miss this
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOirDmBkcNg/
would really like to drink a bottle of anything right now. hope this passes.
so far i am doing really well and the idea of drinking doesnt feel good. I dont feel like i really miss it. i estimate i have saved for sure $200-300 already which is really hype. has been about 2 weeks now.
but i am not back skating for another week still it looks like which sucks, but I have been playing a lot of 3DS though and the time has been flying by
Expand Quoteso far i am doing really well and the idea of drinking doesnt feel good. I dont feel like i really miss it. i estimate i have saved for sure $200-300 already which is really hype. has been about 2 weeks now.
but i am not back skating for another week still it looks like which sucks, but I have been playing a lot of 3DS though and the time has been flying by[close]
When I was drinking daily monthly expense for beer was at least $350/month (craft- IPA's aint cheep)...during covid I was also getting into Japanese whiskey every month and that expense was another $150-$200/month
woke up feeling really good today, brought my board with me and just going to take it super easy skating. havent been off the board for this long in like 5 years or so.
i smelled beer the other day and it smelled nasty
i feel like i am letting go a shitty part of my life in a way. i am really enjoying having shit like a flavored soda water or powerade so much. just drinking insane amounts of water every day. i am finding i am starving all the time too. i ate a popeyes mini chicken sandwich at like 3 pm and still ate tons of spaghetti for dinner. i guess i have to make back up the weight i lost from the surgery.
Expand Quotewoke up feeling really good today, brought my board with me and just going to take it super easy skating. havent been off the board for this long in like 5 years or so.
i smelled beer the other day and it smelled nasty
i feel like i am letting go a shitty part of my life in a way. i am really enjoying having shit like a flavored soda water or powerade so much. just drinking insane amounts of water every day. i am finding i am starving all the time too. i ate a popeyes mini chicken sandwich at like 3 pm and still ate tons of spaghetti for dinner. i guess i have to make back up the weight i lost from the surgery.[close]
this is great @rawbertson.
for me the alertness of sobriety turbo charged with some coffee after a coffee delay (https://blog.ultrahuman.com/blog/why-you-should-delay-your-first-coffee-by-90-minutes/#:~:text=According%20to%20emerging%20research%20in,Here's%20what%20the%20science%20says.) is my new high. if i feel tired now i get so annoyed but unlike before where i'd make it worse by having a drink i do what i can to make my day less annoying, watch a movie, etc... and make sure i have a killer day the next day.
if you look above you'll see i was sharing my current drink selection. i've really gotten into ice cold filtered water in glass bottles like they do at restaurants. you can get them on amazon for like 20 bucks.
Note: if you haven't tried coffee delay, i highly recommend it
thanks everybody for the kind words!
freaking 33 months in.. i will stay strong. just sometimes seems like too much work making it through the day. y'all right, i just need to stay occupied. keep them hands busy
Expand Quotethanks everybody for the kind words!
freaking 33 months in.. i will stay strong. just sometimes seems like too much work making it through the day. y'all right, i just need to stay occupied. keep them hands busy[close]
You’re way ahead of me, way to go
Is it work stress making it hard?
I am finding I am absolutely starving still every day
I am eating a lot but not really gaining weight i dont think. i guess it will take awhile.
I think I was intaking a lot of calories with all the beer maybe and my body is still looking for it. Trying to eat healthy is really hard still. I am trying my best but yesterday i had a lot of garbage. I had a lot of free time yesterday and i normally would have piled out hard. drank like 4 soda waters, it is a good feeling like having a beer on a hot day and you dont feel like garbage after you chug one.
still gonna need probably 2 more weeks realistically before i can skate properly again i think. it just feels weird still inside, a lot has to heal. doesnt feel good to be jumping around and stuff. i am probably not gonna even push around again until monday.i feel like i am able to focus more on stuff though. I have had a hard time completing Bravely Default cause it is a hard game and i was just all over the place mentally but lately i have been just crushing it and i will wrap that up and start Bravely 2nd.
Expand QuoteExpand Quotethanks everybody for the kind words!
freaking 33 months in.. i will stay strong. just sometimes seems like too much work making it through the day. y'all right, i just need to stay occupied. keep them hands busy[close]
You’re way ahead of me, way to go
Is it work stress making it hard?[close]
yeah, work stress, plus the pressure i put on myself with the other stuff.
just wish to escape this all for a moment, make the sadness and pain go away.
now i work on my cabin every other day and that works, but its also putting pressure on in a different way.
just gotta bite my teeth, eh?
I am finding I am absolutely starving still every day
I am eating a lot but not really gaining weight i dont think. i guess it will take awhile.
I think I was intaking a lot of calories with all the beer maybe and my body is still looking for it. Trying to eat healthy is really hard still. I am trying my best but yesterday i had a lot of garbage. I had a lot of free time yesterday and i normally would have piled out hard. drank like 4 soda waters, it is a good feeling like having a beer on a hot day and you dont feel like garbage after you chug one.
still gonna need probably 2 more weeks realistically before i can skate properly again i think. it just feels weird still inside, a lot has to heal. doesnt feel good to be jumping around and stuff. i am probably not gonna even push around again until monday.i feel like i am able to focus more on stuff though. I have had a hard time completing Bravely Default cause it is a hard game and i was just all over the place mentally but lately i have been just crushing it and i will wrap that up and start Bravely 2nd.
Got my case of Erik Ellingtons new NA, it’s a more bready tasting bud imo, really easy to crush and looks pretty badassDamn, can we get these in Canada?
(https://i.ibb.co/VWyZc8qH/image.jpg)
I finally feel comfortable enough to tell a bit more of my story on here. After 8 months of sobriety amidst a kind of a self-cleansing process I made the decision to go have drinks with some a few friends from work. I ended up doing some shots and having a few beers, I don't typically drink hard alcohol so I was absolutely shit-faced within an hour and a half. At that point I decided it would be best to get out of the bar as I felt very uncomfortable with how drunk I was and was kind of embarrassed for myself. I proceeded out to the parking lot and it didn't take long for me to realize there was no possible way that I could drive. I started my vehicle to get some AC going in hopes of laying there for a while in my truck and sleeping it off. I woke up an hour later to five Sheriff's surrounding my vehicle and was then arrested and spent four days in jail before I was bonded out. That was 3 months ago and I have a few more months of Court related things..probation an alcohol ankle monitor and all sorts of other things that are costing me a ton of money which I don't have. I had a great job at the time and lost that due to the charges and have truly been humbled by this entire experience in every way. I have had to do a lot of work on myself lately and have come a long way..I have learned a lot of lessons throughout all this, and most of all I am very thankful to have some amazing people in my corner to help me through these times so that I can use them to continue to progress, instead of falling into depression or just constantly being angry at this whole situation. Thankfully the charges will completely be dropped and permanently go away after 6 months when my probation is served in my alcohol ankle monitor will then be taken off, I will then have a clean record which is absolutely amazing. In my eyes I made the right decision that day, but I believe this had to happen to teach me that alcohol is not meant for me. Sorry for the long rant.. but through this account and another one that I had for many years before this one I have made a lot of friends on here and to be honest I don't really get much into skateboarding anymore these days and that has caused me to hop on here less and less..so if I don't post on here again I wanted to let my friends on here know that I am okay in fact I'm better than okay.. I'm doing the best I have in a long time all things considered. I wish all of my friends on here well..Keep ripping.
🤙Shalom.
Hi y'all and thanks for all the shared experiences, highly relatable! This thread has been a major motivation and support for my decision to ditch drinking.
I've been consuming alcohol in accelerating pace since teenage, for good 15+ years now and also been aware of how much it messes up my life or at least makes everything harder. Ofc there's been good times and a many things would've never even happened without a the booze boost, both in good and bad.
Have had dry weeks here and there and longest pause was 3 months in total, however, for the wrong reasons. I've known for long that it's a problem and that I should do something about it, but guess I finally reached the point where I can't anymore give myself any valid argument why to continue drinking.
Ok enough blabber. Just wanted to bump this thread and write/say something about this, guess to make it more real. Haven't really talked to my s.o, family nor buddies about the decision. One week down yesterday and counting.
Congrats to everyone for changing or attempting to change their lives for better, keep on the good work!
Great to read everyone's stories. I went a good while and then went back into a 20 days off, hang out with a friend then there goes the streak. Never wasted because that's never an issue for me. But as I get even older I realize alcohol just doesn't do anything positive for me. At all. My sleep gets wrecked for two days from one night of having 2-3 pints. I feel like crap and get nothing done. Just isn't worth it.
I'm also 90 plus days off of cannabis. Just another thing that doesn't do me any good really. I love sleep now more than anything. First few weeks off of cannabis I started having nightmares. My non-scientific theory is my dopamine receptors were resetting. Now sleep is awesome and dreams are generally pleasant.
I do enjoy NA beers at home. I think in the long run I'll quit those as well. They're just as expensive as the 'regular' beer so not much in savings there. Although the ones I get are lower in calories. I'm a fan of Untitled Art's NA when I want one. And there's a bar here that actually has it on tap so I can go out with friends and psychologically feel like I'm having one with them. Have also tried NA wine and gone to a 'bar' that served NA mocktails. I don't really like cocktails in general but it was nice to be with a group of sober folks even if it was hippy dippy.
Hang strong every one. For those of you who really struggle, please know its worth it. I have a brother who I thought could never stick to sobriety and he has been alcohol free for 500 plus days now. And seriously like magic every other aspect of his life improved. New job, bigger raises, e.t.c. And the health benefits of course. Stay with it, crew.
It’s been a really challenging few days of keeping willpower against booze. I flew out to a charity golf tournament sponsored by the company I work for. I have awful flying anxiety so I was very tempted to order a drink on both flights to calm my racing thoughts. Most of my colleagues are pretty enthusiastic drinkers as well, so there was a lot of beer and wine flowing the entire time. They know I don’t drink so there wasn’t peer pressure, but I did feel a little left out in a way.
I know these kinds of situations would have triggered me to drink in the past, so I’m fucking proud that I kept my commitment to myself. “Playing the tape forward” was a very helpful technique - imagining doing stupid shit in front of the company, waking up hungover as fuck, and the crushing regret I would have felt if I gave in were all motivators.
It’s been a really challenging few days of keeping willpower against booze. I flew out to a charity golf tournament sponsored by the company I work for. I have awful flying anxiety so I was very tempted to order a drink on both flights to calm my racing thoughts. Most of my colleagues are pretty enthusiastic drinkers as well, so there was a lot of beer and wine flowing the entire time. They know I don’t drink so there wasn’t peer pressure, but I did feel a little left out in a way.
I know these kinds of situations would have triggered me to drink in the past, so I’m fucking proud that I kept my commitment to myself. “Playing the tape forward” was a very helpful technique - imagining doing stupid shit in front of the company, waking up hungover as fuck, and the crushing regret I would have felt if I gave in were all motivators.
Definitely stay away from that. Making it 24 hours is a great start, I'm sure you didn't quit cigs first t. Stay strong. Try try again.
Replacing a bad habit with a good one helped.
Everyone struggling, just take it moment for moment, a day at a time. The good days add up to something great.
Expand QuoteReplacing a bad habit with a good one helped.
Everyone struggling, just take it moment for moment, a day at a time. The good days add up to something great.[close]
wow, love this!
Hi everyone, back with some remarks after one month of sobriety:
Quality of sleep has improved a lot and circadian rhythm is starting to maintain itself; I naturally navigate to bed around 11 pm and wake up between 7-8 am. Used to sleep max 6h while still drinking and constantly woke up during the night. First two weeks however, felt like it took forever for me to wake up or then I just had brain fog through the day. Now it's finally getting better and at times I actually feel bit overstimulated and frankly, quite looney. Overall, expressing emotions comes more naturally and even laughter feels more genuine, although I tend to snap easier especially in sports.
Social encounters involving alcohol haven't bothered me as much as in the past and absolutely no problem sticking in n/a's while hanging with my buddies, but no support to be expected from there. I've been to some parties/gigs where in the past would've definitely gotten drunk, as most of the people attending did. Main issue I've encountered is that I feel being "too present" quite exhausting. I mean, I enjoy chatting but after a while it's not only dull but bit confusing too to have the same conversations over and over again. Around midnight I usually bounce, since after that the main goal for most is to get pissed or to hook up.
As of having more time to spend, productivity hasn't increased as much as I was maybe hoping for but definitely have gotten more things done and mandatory stuff I find unpleasant has been easier to cope with. In general have felt more active and energetic, still trying to fix an exercise routine and slowly getting there (which I'd better since sugar craving is insane). Constantly need to keep reminding myself that it's not a sprint, but rather a marathon. Planning on stepping back on the board as well.
Oddly enough, it has been rather easy not to drink considering that I used to get hammered every weekend, sometimes during the week too and knock down few beers almost daily. Only couple times I've had the urge to down a bottle of booze, but it has passed as fast as occurred. Beer I haven't really missed thanks to the n/a's, not even the buzz. I guess for the past few years alcohol has been merely a means of escape to me; moments I feel worried or anxious about something are the moments when the impulse of drinking it off appears.
Well that's it for now. Gotta stay focused since experience has shown that the more comfortable I get with being able not to drink, the easier it gets to slip back to the old habits. Hope y'all doing well, keep it up!
@Sleazy I didn't want to cross threads but it was awesome to see your skate video knowing how cool you are on this thread. Kudos to you all around. Great stuff.
I haven’t gotten into any trouble with alcohol besides my own discomfort, didn’t start drinking until my early-mid twenties, and would rarely drink to get drunk, yet still, the 1-3 drinks most nights of the week have started to feel off. I’ve only ever taken off for single months at a time. I want to do three months this time, which feels ambitious. I’m one week in.
Writing this here because even though my drinking is on the mellow side abstaining feels difficult.
Coming up on 2 years no booze for me. I’ve definitely replaced the habit with halo top ice cream, diet soda, NA beers…and a pretty steady 5-7 day/week habit of 5-20mg of THC these days. I’m not sure if it’s actually manageable and better than drinking overall, but that’s how I feel right now. Trying to keep an eye on it. It doesn’t dominate my mental space or have me planning my day around it like booze did, but even in low doses it’s definitely some escapism.
My drinking buddy from work and I made a pact to do Sober October, which he bailed on after about 5 days. I’m still rolling with it and it’s a bit of a tough pill to swallow because I was always just a beer or two a day, not doing dumb shit type drinker, but I haven’t felt this good in a really long time. Realizing that the constant slight headache, low energy state I have been in for years (I’m currently 31) was something I just became accustomed to but isn’t how it has to be.
I quit weed after 15 years last year too which was a huge improvement in my mental state and energy levels. Hoping I can stay sober off the booze too just one day at a time.
hey, thank you so much for this really thoughtful reply. I agree with everything you said. And congrats to you on 5.5/10 years off hard shit and booze. I hope to join you there some day!Expand QuoteComing up on 2 years no booze for me. I’ve definitely replaced the habit with halo top ice cream, diet soda, NA beers…and a pretty steady 5-7 day/week habit of 5-20mg of THC these days. I’m not sure if it’s actually manageable and better than drinking overall, but that’s how I feel right now. Trying to keep an eye on it. It doesn’t dominate my mental space or have me planning my day around it like booze did, but even in low doses it’s definitely some escapism.[close]
Good for you, dawg. I hit 10 years off the booze at the end of September. I'm around 5.5 years off drugs and shit. I smoke weed most days. Not getting fried all day long (ok, ok, if I'm painting a house, working outdoors, or skating at 9am a rip and coffee can be nice 8)) but definitely and consistently find extraordinary benefits and negligible downsides around using herb to ease muscle/soft tissue aches, have more fun playing guitar, zone out while working out, or just take the level somewhere else. For me, it's just weed. I enjoy and appreciate the shit out of it. Choosing, for whatever reasons, to not blaze for days, weeks, or months isn't a problem and happens from time to time.
Weed isn't for everyone, perhaps due to over consumption or underlying mental health or psychiatric concerns, but in my 10 years off booze and half that with the harder shit, i've learned that it's about finding out who you are, who you want to be, and going about what works best for the person walking in your shoes (you!).
I see/hear a lot of people express some sort of shame, guilt, or self questioning because they're not NA/AA sober and I think it's really unfortunate. I say this because you mentioned escapism and I don't know that it matters or if when we're measuring levels of "escapism" we're considering what metric we hold ourselves up against. The more we learn, the more apparent it becomes that Social Media/Internet/Phone/AI/Gaming (screen time!) related things all hit the brain in ways similar to drugs. I think that's a form of escapism, for sure. For some people, that variety of escapism/use/habit/addiction is acceptable and works, but outside many, but not all, health concerns, I'm not sold that it's all that different regarding the hooks of addiction and escaping both the exterior and our internal experiences.
Anyways, this is all just my opinion and experience. It doesn't matter, so I really want to say, dude,
2 years is fucking sweet. keep it up
I think about this thread often. I think it is one of my favorites on the internet. 31 days of no alcohol today. I've gone much longer before but as a moderate drinker always reserved 'the right' to go back to it. I'm going to try and stay completely off it now. As mentioned probably too many times (forgive me), it just does me no good even at moderate levels so why bother?
Peace and strength to all of you.
I think about this thread often. I think it is one of my favorites on the internet. 31 days of no alcohol today. I've gone much longer before but as a moderate drinker always reserved 'the right' to go back to it. I'm going to try and stay completely off it now. As mentioned probably too many times (forgive me), it just does me no good even at moderate levels so why bother?
Peace and strength to all of you.
Expand QuoteI think about this thread often. I think it is one of my favorites on the internet. 31 days of no alcohol today. I've gone much longer before but as a moderate drinker always reserved 'the right' to go back to it. I'm going to try and stay completely off it now. As mentioned probably too many times (forgive me), it just does me no good even at moderate levels so why bother?
Peace and strength to all of you.[close]
I feel this. Just ended 9 weeks no beer on Friday. It was fun having 3 beers with a friend. Drank again yesterday (5 across 4 hours) and woke up unmotivated, tired and depressed.
Ive come to the conclusion that im too easily affected by the day-after affects of alcohol to use it more than on special occasions. I don’t enjoy casual drinking and my body/ brain don’t enjoy the depression.
Congrats pal, seeing people hungover is a big motivator for me.
I had a dream about drinking last night. I only remember a snippet of it but I woke up stoked it wasn't real. I never remember dreams. At all. Last three nights I have a brief memory of a dream. The other two were skating. Which was a first. So badass haha.
Bump!
Two months sober, feeling good physically and more capable mentally. Gotta admit that sometimes I get tempted to drink just to make time pass and even the idea of the following hangover seems like a nice excuse to zone off for a day or two.. pretty twisted huh?
Been going out on weekends and inviting friends over, seeing people drunk is good motivation to stay away from booze. I actually find it bit depressing to realise how much time and energy I've put into being like that myself, but at the same time question if this is any better. Jeez... Existential crisis isn't what I was expecting of sobriety. Wonder how long it takes to become a new norm?
Just peeking in here before the holidays kick off in the USA. It can get extra tough, since for most of us it's easier to stay out of bars than it is to avoid our drunken relatives in their/our own homes.
For people who feel awkward, just keep in mind the general rule that most people in this world are barely even paying an ounce of attention to you ever. When your drunk uncle raises his eyebrow at you for not taking a beer, 27 seconds later he's moved on to his own bullshit.
I do confess that not drinking around family can make it sometimes feel a little less fun and festive, but "fun" is often superficial, and you'll be thankful ultimately for having clear-eyed memories of your life on this Earth.
If you can't have fun and relax without booze, it's also a good time to reflect on if there are other lifestyle changes to consider.
Surround yourself with people whose company you enjoy sober.
Long time lurker, first time posting. Created an account because of this thread. Been struggling with alcohol for a long time now. Reading everyone’s stories has helped a lot. I’ve tried to quit countless times for countless reasons over the years (I’m 32). Went to AA even, but it wasn’t for me. It’s been incredibly difficult. Last night I feel like I hit the lowest of rock bottoms. I don’t remember much, but let’s just say my relationship is hanging on by a thread, my neighbors probably hate me, and it’s a miracle I still have a job. Blacked out on a fucking Sunday night.. I don’t know why or how I let my drinking get so out of hand. It started when I was around 17-18. Skating with the older dudes, bumming beers and realizing I loved how it made me feel. I thought I could skate better, hang better, really it made everything better. I was fucking delusional. It rapidly progressed over the years. From losing friends, jobs, ruining relationships, blowing money, drugs, not being able to skate, making a complete fool of myself, to where I am now. 32 years old, severely depressed, unhealthy and wanting to get better. Today is day 1 of making that change. It seems harder because my girl drinks, but I’m hoping me chilling may help her eventually too. We definitely would enable each other a lot and most nights turned bad. I just wanted to put this out there for some accountably and to also let everyone on here know that I appreciate the posts. It’s nice to not feel so alone, even though I still kind of do at the moment. Much love, thanks
Long time lurker, first time posting. Created an account because of this thread. Been struggling with alcohol for a long time now. Reading everyone’s stories has helped a lot. I’ve tried to quit countless times for countless reasons over the years (I’m 32). Went to AA even, but it wasn’t for me. It’s been incredibly difficult. Last night I feel like I hit the lowest of rock bottoms. I don’t remember much, but let’s just say my relationship is hanging on by a thread, my neighbors probably hate me, and it’s a miracle I still have a job. Blacked out on a fucking Sunday night.. I don’t know why or how I let my drinking get so out of hand. It started when I was around 17-18. Skating with the older dudes, bumming beers and realizing I loved how it made me feel. I thought I could skate better, hang better, really it made everything better. I was fucking delusional. It rapidly progressed over the years. From losing friends, jobs, ruining relationships, blowing money, drugs, not being able to skate, making a complete fool of myself, to where I am now. 32 years old, severely depressed, unhealthy and wanting to get better. Today is day 1 of making that change. It seems harder because my girl drinks, but I’m hoping me chilling may help her eventually too. We definitely would enable each other a lot and most nights turned bad. I just wanted to put this out there for some accountably and to also let everyone on here know that I appreciate the posts. It’s nice to not feel so alone, even though I still kind of do at the moment. Much love, thanks
What are some of yalls tricks or tips to break the cycle, and maybe stop the urge to kill the edge by drinking again the next day?
cause the urge to balance you out leads to just more drinking and gets you back in the cycle. sucks.
Expand QuoteWhat are some of yalls tricks or tips to break the cycle, and maybe stop the urge to kill the edge by drinking again the next day?
cause the urge to balance you out leads to just more drinking and gets you back in the cycle. sucks.[close]
Though I sometimes frig up and don’t remember them in my moments of urges one I got from my wife was eating some candy or chewing some gum, also took one out from Reynolds of just eating some food and consider a meeting after (if that’s the route you’re on). Mostly just seltzers or N/a beers to chill out mostly now, and some candy still.
What are some of yalls tricks or tips to break the cycle, and maybe stop the urge to kill the edge by drinking again the next day?
cause the urge to balance you out leads to just more drinking and gets you back in the cycle. sucks.
What are some of yalls tricks or tips to break the cycle, and maybe stop the urge to kill the edge by drinking again the next day?
cause the urge to balance you out leads to just more drinking and gets you back in the cycle. sucks.
That’s honestly the hardest part. I was drinking sleepy time tea for a good bit when I first quit. There’s a bunch of mellow herbal ts that relax you without getting you buzzed and causing hangovers.
over 10 years sober here!
Anybody else a morning person after the sober
I wake up 4am no alarm ready to go
Love the sunrise
Is it okay if I post something long here? I don't want to clog the forum. I'm also nervous to talk about my issues with alcohol.
Is it okay if I post something long here? I don't want to clog the forum. I'm also nervous to talk about my issues with alcohol.
I don't like to belabor the topic of sobriety in my personal life, I just wanted to get this down before the end of year:
I feel like I exhausted my compulsion to use weed and coke this year. Coke was not a big problem but I don't think I've gone a year without weed since my early 20s and I'm 44.
I look forward to posting a year from now, confirming I remained sober off them.
Sup everyone,
I’ve got 1.5 years clean from meth/coke/drinking and a bunch of other shit, but I do the NA thing so I’m only 42 days clean (weed)
Keep it up, and if you’re struggling don’t hold it in, that’s what held me back. Tell somebody.
Also if anyone is clean and has ig mine is the same handle as on here.
Edit* or not clean if you need help please reach out.
Just checking back in at around the 2 month mark. Whilst I'm not stone cold sober yet, I've cut down significantly and the benefits are just as I'd hoped.
I feel sharper, a lot of the mental battles I'd been dealing with have lessened, whilst they're probably not rooted in alcohol, its silly to avoid the fact that they probably weren't made any better by my heavy drinking days.
I sort of took my general health and diet more seriously at the same time and weight is really starting to fall off at this point which feels awesome. Still a long way to go with it but its nice to just physically see some progress.
I'm sure there are plenty of people reading this who are thinking about it, you don't have to be straight edge sober, but just try giving it a bit of a break or cutting down, you'd be surprised I bet. I can feel the urge come in now and then and its definitely something I need to be mindful of managing, but its worth it 100%.
I’ve tried to stop drinking but always relapsed if I also stopped smoking weed at the same time. It has been over two months since the last time I smoked, and I don’t have the urge to since the breathing whistle satisfies the fixation.
It has been a week or two since I stoped drinking, and I don’t plan on going back. Coffee has been killing the desire to drink, but I started eating fast food frequently and drinking soda.
I’m having difficulty staying healthy while being sober and have put on a couple pounds in a short period of time, with the rain preventing me from hitting up the park. I got some sugar-free soda made with Stevia on the way, but does anyone have tips on healthy consumption while staying sober? Maybe, fruit, sparkling water and coconut water is the way to go?
Also, I started buying shit I don’t need. Online buying satisfies the dopamine receptors.
If I could stop consuming processed sugar and not do online shopping, sobriety would actually be beneficial.
Expand QuoteI’ve tried to stop drinking but always relapsed if I also stopped smoking weed at the same time. It has been over two months since the last time I smoked, and I don’t have the urge to since the breathing whistle satisfies the fixation.
It has been a week or two since I stoped drinking, and I don’t plan on going back. Coffee has been killing the desire to drink, but I started eating fast food frequently and drinking soda.
I’m having difficulty staying healthy while being sober and have put on a couple pounds in a short period of time, with the rain preventing me from hitting up the park. I got some sugar-free soda made with Stevia on the way, but does anyone have tips on healthy consumption while staying sober? Maybe, fruit, sparkling water and coconut water is the way to go?
Also, I started buying shit I don’t need. Online buying satisfies the dopamine receptors.
If I could stop consuming processed sugar and not do online shopping, sobriety would actually be beneficial.[close]
Good on you for getting off the weed and sauce! That's huge! For me when first getting sober my body also craved sugar; from what I've read and heard in meetings with other people who've gotten sober the body is missing the sugar it used to get from alcohol, so it all makes sense. Fruit and sparkling water are great substitutes as are protein shakes/smoothies.
As to the online shopping part--I try (sometimes successfully) to limit my buying to things I really want instead of just impulse buying new shoes constantly. It's difficult but progress is my goal and not perfection.
I made it to a month but had the last NA beer in the fridge that was about to expire. My fridge is stocked up with Body Armour, coconut water, and stevia soda. Coconut water is the only beverage out of those that I actually enjoy, so I’ll start stocking up on that and Polar/LaCroix sparkling waters whenever they go on sale. Also, I’m going to get a pack of those blood orange sodas from San Pelligrino, since I haven’t had one in a while.
Bump for good measureRight on.