SOBRIETY

[Benicio El Toro]

Haha I went back and checked it out, immediately started reading it as if you were yelling. That's a harmless shtick. Idk what the problem was but thanks for starting it. Also one of my favorite things on the internet.

Tomorrow is entirely the reason I'm sober today. Nothing better than waking up feeling 100%.
The depression that comes with alcohol is very real and rarely talked about.
I know everyone has different experiences with alcohol but I'm grateful for the struggle. Otherwise idk if I would have the wherewithal to cut back until instructed. 

Hardest part about sobriety for me is that when the urge to have a couple comes about, it's always when I'm around people drinking and I'm the only sober one. It's not often or everytime but I'll be in that moment for a minute before realizing I'm sober today. Idk if that's ADHD or wha. Tweed probably doesn't help but there's no way I'm going straightedge until I can walk or ride a bike or something. When I can skate/be active/work it's only difficult on the days where I'm really sore and can't do anything else but it's been awhile since that was the case. All in all, 3or 4 times since May, but 9/1/25.

[StormonMormon]

I'll always remember falling off the wagon in 2003 , by the the beginning of 2004 i would be at the liquor store on my bike in minus 40 ... 15 minutes before opening.
Shaking, sweating , sick waiting to buy my alcohol.
Yada.... Id bike over to 801 6th Avenue South West Calgary Alberta, id go to the 28th floor of Monenco , empty bathroom, get the alcohol in me to take the shakes away.

Blah.... By the grace of God I stopped drinking again in 2004 but with full disclosure in 2009,  I took a drink of beer n almost threw up.
I thank God , every morning , on my hands n knees n thank God for helping me abstain from alcohol, cigarettes n illegal drugs.

One day at a time .

[Monolithic Flick]

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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.

[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.

Yes to this.  Not the same numbers but I'm old.  Same idea though.  The next two days even after moderate drinking just not worth it.

[ham_mah]

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?

[Benicio El Toro]

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.

[No-pants Pee Hands]

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.

Hell yea to those dreams!!!

[Sleazy]

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?

congrats on 2 months. that's a great milestone.

what's the point of all this is definitely something that comes up for me. the answer is to make 50-80 as good as it can be

[Benchpress]

Giving it a shot here. Always been a moderate to heavy drinker, but I feel my mental edge starting to slip, the calories in the beer are definitely starting to show. (80kg to 95kg in about the space of a year).

I'll never usually drink during the week, but then just get completely written off on the weekends. 10-12 pints aren't uncommon, and then feel worse as I've probably made a fool of myself over the weekend and then wasting a beautiful day to go skating sitting inside being a fat cunt.

Longest I've gone without drinking since I've been 20 or so has been a week or two, and I'm banging on 31 now.
Getting the feeling its one of those things that if I don't start changing my ways now it will really start to impact me in older age, so hoping we can get ahead.

Biggest concern is just social situations, I get so awkward and anxious when I'm in them sober, and then just drink to take the edge off, but then its a vicious cycle right?

Appreciate the motivation reading through this has provided.

[ham_mah]

Big up for doing some self reflection on the topic! From my own experience I can say that sobriety definitely deserves a go, I mean you can always return to the old habits. Which I actually did just this past weekend and still feel like shit physically and mentally.. Well, gonna stay out of booze again and try to find out a way that works for me.

The social aspect is the tricky part for me as well. Bummed how entwined booze is with "having fun" or just normal get togethers in my social ring. What has worked for me is drinking n/a's and to just leave when the going gets too intoxicated. Sometimes things get awkward but I have learned how to cope with it and it's actually kinda fun sometimes. Like whatever, drunk ppl don't give a shit if you're awkward! While you're still thinking what happened, they probably already moved up to the next strange encounter which is normal when you are intoxicated in a hectic environment.

This last part is hard to put in words and makes me feel like I blame others from my actions. I know it's my own decision to drink or not, but hanging with buddies who nonchalantly drink a six-pac on a weekday (not to mention weekends) definitely compromises my moral. It also feels stupid to have bunch of n/a's just to beat the urge to drink. Therefore, I've started to think that maybe I should just accept that I cant be around as much, which sucks.

(Hope my quote works)

edit. Yup didn't work..

[Benicio El Toro]

It gets easier but will linger still. Imo. Also not a fan of n/a but there other things you could try. I always to try remind myself that doing things first t is a rarity, there's no shame in trying again. That's how we get good

[artskool]

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.

[steve]

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.

a most important piece right there

[Sleazy]

great shares on this page

@Benchpress i really wish i would have quit when i was 30. best of luck to you.

i just got back from holiday dinner. i didn't find it too awkward. probably the most awkward thing was after dinner everyone else was getting their drinks situated and i went for a walk. in past years all the kids and a few other people would come on the post dinner walk but kids are getting older and were in the teenage zone. everyone was kind of busy with stuff so i just went solo. it's beautiful hill country so nice stroll up and down the hills helps the food settle. finished out the night on the patio and all the other men were pretty sloshed by then. slurring and stumbling, one guy almost fell getting up right after getting a fresh bourbon. not passing judgement, it's fun in the moment but i felt good about not being in that state and gonna have a great nights sleep and feel great in the morning. also feel pretty good about setting an example for the kids. they are going to get into all these things for sure but i like being able to set a positive example for enjoying these things without drinking so it will feel approachable to them if they go that way someday.

[Monolithic Flick]

Just checking in because I enjoy it.  63 days alcohol free today. 151 days no cannabis.  I am consuming a bunch of NA brews so I'm not slimming down much lol.  And Thanksgiving just happened.  Good notes above.  We had my sister-in-law and her kids stay with us.  And I think she's fantastic.  I laughed so much with her and my wife it was wild.  I have noticed the more I stay free of intoxicants the more I find myself naturally laughing.  My toxic family that would make me miserable is nowhere near us this year so that helps a bunch.

Anyway happy holiday season to you all.

[Bigdummy]

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

[Easy Slider]

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

You‘re not in this alone. Many have been where you are at. You made the right decision. Stick with it and if you need encouragement, come here. It‘s going to be hard but you will not regret it. You got this.

[Sleazy]

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

thanks for sharing and definitely sounds like you should chill. stay busy and just focus more on your mornings being great than evenings being boring (which they will be). obviously staying busy helps.

[EdLawndale]

I don't miss this shit either

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRiybjYDIQw/

[PatrickO]

over 10 years sober here!

[Corey Websturd]

problem with sobriety is that sometimes it may turn a Andy Roy into a Andy Mac.

[matty_c]

Man I wasn’t drinking for like 2 months but I got fucking spastic last night at broncos leagues club

It’s fun to get trashed sometimes

[Benicio El Toro]

Sobriety isn't something everyone needs. Glad you had a good time. Sounds like you felt alright this morning too. I'm less fortunate. Crazy how I'll wake up on edge pretty much every time.
What is this broncos leagues club? Some sort of dressage?? Car club? Can I join?

[matty_c]

Ahh it’s just like the bar and restaurant for my city’s football club like you know those places they have
I think it’s a buck to join so sure you can

The team is called Brisbane broncos haha that’s why has that name. They got a horse too that this bird rides around when they score a try at the home games. The horse’s name is buck which is fairly corny

What you do is because we got these dumb responsible service of alcohol laws it’s hard to get a strong drink, so you order a double of rum in one glass then you get a schooner of alcoholic ginger beer and mix them yourself in the smoking area

Absolute rocket fuel I must have drank fifteen of those shits. I still have acid reflux now because of it

[Benicio El Toro]

They say soccer is a gentlemen's game played hooligans and rugby is a hooligans game played by gentlemen. I used to play weakside wing/full back once upon a time. Sign me up

[Shapelessness]

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.

[No-pants Pee Hands]

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.

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.

[midnitecruiser]

I’ve been off alcohol for almost two years. Moving to Utah from NYC was a big change, driving a car on snowy mountain roads made being sober and not hungover a priority, plus having a girlfriend made me happy on some level where I wasn’t always seeking further feeling. I feel like we’re living in a golden age of non alcoholic beverages. There’s financial savings. I’m grateful I haven’t struggled with stopping, I really don’t think I’ll drink alcohol
again, though I guess I had three champagne toasts over the past two years. I’m definitely skating well, months away from 40.

[Shapelessness]

Expand Quote

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.

[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.

Thanks for the reply. yeah, that helped when i ate some candy. also, i find that those sugar free hydration gatorades help my hydrate. or some mineral water and lime and a little salt.

[Sleazy]

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.

[white monster]

Spend a portion of the money you used to spent in that shit on lottery tickets

I do a dollar scratcher a day

Plus energy drink