SOBRIETY

[Burt Ward]

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.

This is something I never worked out and ultimately led me to the bottom. That was exacerbated by a withdrawal seizure making me paranoid that every hangover was gonna lead to another fit. Feeling like you gotta hair of the dog it all the time means you should seriously consider total sobriety. Biggest red flag there is.

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.

This is good advice.

[Burt Ward]

over 10 years sober here!

Big ups!

[white monster]

Anybody else a morning person after the sober

I wake up 4am no alarm ready to go

Love the sunrise

[disclosed]

good luck during the holidays everyone. it can be a hard time if you quit recently. especually when people around you love to disrespect your boundaries and push you.
i know you can do it. keep it up!

[Sleazy]

Anybody else a morning person after the sober

I wake up 4am no alarm ready to go

Love the sunrise

Mornings are the best. Especially in Texas during summer. Rest of the day is pretty miserable

[Allez_Jambon]

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.

[companguero]

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.

Multiple posts in a row clogs, one long dump is great. Writing in long form to exorcise whatever you're ruminating on is healthy. And you can choose not to post it, too. I don't think it's necessary to keep things for posterity, it's the self expression that's good for you.

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.

[Sleazy]

M

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.

Sure

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.

I can’t imagine this won’t be a net positive. Weed was really messing my mental health causing paranoia, anxiety and mild schizophrenia for me. It also made me anti-social to non-weed smokers. One of the most awkward and annoying experiences in life has to be running into people you know when your running errand stoned.

[bigbevev]

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.

[Tiltmode Army Reservist]

A little over eight years without alcohol over here. Definitely one of the best choices I've ever made. I have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism (several heavy drinkers on my Mom's side of the family, and my biological father essentially drank himself to death when I was 18, and he never had a presence in my life).

I had to plan his funeral in the summer after I graduated from High School. When I was cleaning out his apartment, in between what felt like endless trips to the dumpster, I told myself I didn't think alcohol should be part of my life. Until I made it to college, thought a few beers won't hurt, until the beers started making me fat, so then I switched to hard liquor, and before I knew it, I was a functioning alcoholic.

I drank mostly to escape what I thought was a miserable sober life, and then my drinking got to a point where I wasn't happy when I was drunk either. In that moment I wondered if there was ANY place where I could be happy, and doubted such a possibility, and that's where my suicide attempt happened.

The morning after I was flooded with calls and messages from people I cared about, and I had several honest conversations about everything I was going through (things they could see and things they couldn't). One such conversation happened with my doctor, who suggested I get on some sort of anti-depressant. He let me know that it was going to take some time to not only find the right one that worked for me, but also the right dosage, and that I needed to "reduce" my alcohol intake while on anti-depressants. I figured this was the ideal time for me to quit drinking entirely, since I was literally fighting for a better quality of life for myself at this point. Eventually we found the right medicine, and the right dosage, and in that time, days without alcohol turned into weeks, then months, then years.

In that time I became a better person to be around, more dependable, and I even earned a few promotions at work. In this stretch of time I also met my wife, and we bought a house. The health benefits of not drinking are great (mental and physical), but the amount of money you save by not drinking will absolutely change your life.

Attitudes towards alcohol have changed dramatically in the last eight years, and it doesn't seem like a taboo anymore to not drink alcohol. I've also noticed a boom in NA Beers (it took me a while to allow myself to try those, and I'll enjoy them here and there on a weekend with a sporting event), and those are much more forgiving on the waistline and headache areas.

Sobriety is not for everyone, and those that arrive here all take their own unique path. I just wanted to share mine and hopefully it helps someone out there.

[Benicio El Toro]

^^^^I didn't buy the genetic predisposition for the longest time. Thought it was some bs mom would say to keep me from drinking while she got turnt. Very very real. Alcohol is like the sun, it demands your respect and is worse for some just bc....idk why I made that simile but you get it.

Went to walgreens last night feeling shitty looking for fisherman's friend. Passed a bottle of espolon and thought to myself, sounds pretty good and that'll put me right to sleep. Next thought was how shitty I'd feel at 1am. Didn't buy the espolon and still felt shitty at 1am but ten times better than what the tequila would have done.

[midnitecruiser]

I was talking with a friend doing dry January the other day. He filmed a pretty sweet clip onto a bank off a roof by some abandoned railroad tracks. I was saying if I was still drinking this would be my type of place to knock back a few, and he was talking about how he would have imagined himself definitely cracking a beer after the clip if he hadn't been being sober. I mentioned how now that I'm not drinking, I'm definitely more attuned to smelling alcohol on people's breath, no shade, just something I noticed and he agreed. Thinking back to times with arm around somebody's shoulder telling them something that seemed of utmost importance, now I haven't been in a bar in years. Just gotta keep the sparkling water and fresh squeezed OJ on deck.

[Benchpress]

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%.

[No-pants Pee Hands]

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%.

Hell yeah keep it going!

[Enrico Pallazzo]

Three years as of a few days ago, feeling great and and sleeping well. Mid-30s so starting to see a couple of friends lose their edge and move a little slower - no judgement, just hope they're able to find a balance that works for them. Enjoying being as present a father as possible, plus I normally have the park all to myself on Friday or Saturday nights.

[CrumblingInfrastructure]

A little late but I had 2 years last week off the sauce (drugs too but that wasnt really my “problem”). Stoked on my life overall since getting sober.

[ham_mah]

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the reflections on the topic again, reading this thread always brings me hope and motivation to keep on working with my relationship with alcohol.

To begin with, gotta say that moderating is a slippery slope, at least for me. After almost 3 months of sobriety I tried to have occasional drinks here and there but before I knew, it turned the other way around and soon I'd only have occasional days when I wouldn't have a drink. Now that I think of it, I probably was just thinking that I'll cut myself some slack since it was the holiday season and soon it would be the new year new me or some corny bs. I had decided to have a dry January, so in my mind I was in some way "safe" and even if I'd drink too often it was going to end eventually. Inside I knew I was treating myself wrong and felt shittier by each day, and actually slipped drinking twice in January too.

Now I've been sober little over a month and feel good and confident about it. What really shocked me during my not-so-successful moderating attempt was how little weight my previous reasons and significant benefits of sobriety held when I gave myself permission to drink again. Definitely a wake up call.

[arrbee]

I'm turning 40 this year. Decided on NYE, while drinking, I was going to mellow out this year. I've been boozing pretty hard since like 15 or so. I want to be healthier and be in better general shape not just for skating, but mainly for my kids and wife. I went the last 6 weeks booze free, wasn't calling it dry January or anything was just not drinking, had some NA beers and mocktails in there when being out and about. Wife and I went to one of our favorite breweries this past weekend while on a road trip and I had 2 real beers, this felt like a win for me previously I would have had about 4-6 and then bought a bunch to bring home for the beer fridge and spent a month drinking those daily "while they were fresh" I did bring some cans home but they are for a co-worker. I'm not bummed I broke the 6 week streak, but I will certainly be putting space between the drinks I do decide to have.

I learned a lot about my drinking habits while I wasn't doing it. I didn't have a problem with over consumption or knowing when to stop. Don't get me wrong there were definitely nights I was "going for it" but that decision was made before the first sip. I am able to keep booze in the house and not consume it, and am able to drink and stop after a few. I know quite a few people that aren't stopping until the fridge is empty. I was drinking out of habit, grab beer or make an old fashioned while I was making dinner while the wife was finishing work. Drinking as an introvert to be social at events. Drinking to unwind after a hard/stressful day.

In those 6 weeks I made it through situations I would have 100% drank to make it through. Had clearer mornings. Slightly better memory. Was getting out skating a bunch until the snowfall blanketed the east coast. That 6 weeks was probably the longest stretch I had gone since 15 years old, and it felt great. I wasn't calling that time "sober" I was just taking a break and seeing what happens. I can confidently say this time away from booze has reframed what a relationship with alcohol can be for me. The snow is finally melting and its time to get back on the board and try and lose this winter weight.

Not really sure why I am writing any of this, maybe to serve as a little bookmark for myself. Something I can comeback to and hold myself accountable if moderation doesn't end up working. Cheers to everyone out here doing it.

[Chalupa]

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.

[dstrytruitt]

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.

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.

[Abyss1]

Expand Quote

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.

[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.

Yeah its the calorie intake replacement of alcohol...I also found myself eating a lot, no so much sugar, but a lot of breads/pasta/red meat.   I always get teeth aches when I eat a lot of sugar so that kind of helped me from eating too much candy

[No-pants Pee Hands]

Just giving the page a bump and also just hit 200days, so a bump (pun not intended) and a win

[Chalupa]

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.

[Easy Slider]

I make my own waterkefir with figs and ginger. Technically it has a wee bit of alcohol but it‘s good for gut health.

[Enrico Pallazzo]

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.

The Instant Heartburn 5000s.

Congrats on a month!

[chuckles]

I’m at 5 months and it’s the slowing down on sugar that’s harder for me than quitting drinking.

[Benicio El Toro]

Bump for good measure

[Shapelessness]

Bump for good measure

Right on.

[Sleazy]

2 years 11 months

my wife and i are getting divorced after 28 years together. i'm a dedicated man so about to be dating again for the first time in 28 years which is kind of wild. it's the most stressful thing i've experienced in my life and i'm so thankful that i'm not drinking. i feel i'm better able to process the pain and grief of the situation. the other day i worked downtown in a cool coffee shop and when i got off i went for a paddle board on town lake solo. it was epic. i think it's way better than if i had drink a few ipas and then a couple bourbons. i would also imagine the legal side of what i'm doing would be a total pain if i was drinking because everything would be about how i drink too much... now it's just about how i'm an asshole

[ilovegay]

I hope everything works out as well as it can Sleazy. I always appreciate your contributions to this thread, and I am wishing the best for you and your family. Stay strong brother and keep helping and inspiring others on this forum.