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Singher

Member
Apr 10, 2018
299
I don't even know where to begin. I think every year once or twice around the time of my Dad's death I've been having self destructive tendencies of drinking more than 20 units in a night. This occurred in May and I've been feeling depressed ever since that I put myself in a place of no control and did stupid things. It really terrified me, and i've been trying to reduce my alcohol intake since then to little to no success until I made a mandate that I would only drink 5 pints max on a night out. This began Mid-August and i've only slipped up twice due to celebrations and goodbyes. I'm not happy I slipped up, but those two days I already agreed to myself I allow myself to drink more when I made the restriction. I want to put a further restriction on myself that for the next month I will not drink any hard alcohol involving shots. I have a lot of celebrations including finishing my Masters degree, brothers wedding and birthday coming up and I'm very motivated succeed with these restrictions on them.

Have people had success with restrictions? Throughout the week I don't really have any major desires to drink, its just when I do, I have trouble stopping myself. One of my favorite things is going to a brewery with my girlfriend and I don't really want to stop doing that. I also never want to be not in control of myself ever again.
 
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Threadkular

Member
Dec 29, 2017
2,418
Have people had success with restrictions?

You'll get those who do a strict recovery that say this is impossible. I tend to think nothing is impossible, but as an alcoholic I know management isn't for me.

You'll also get those who claim they're managing their consumption. That said, denial is powerful with alcohol, and if I learned anything from recovery, humans lie a lot (often to ourselves). There's a saying to take whatever an alcoholic claims they drink and multiply it by 2 or 3. Hell, that could even just be a technicality these days when you look at the ABV of today's drinks.
 

Metalgus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,087
Have people had success with restrictions? Throughout the week I don't really have any major desires to drink, its just when I do, I have trouble stopping myself.

I think the success of moderation or of imposing restrictions depends on each individual. I drank almost everyday for 14 years (now 2 years sober) and I did try a couple of restrictions. I tried limiting myself to a certain number of drinks a week, crossing out the units as I drank them. It worked for a while. Then I tried skipping most of the work week. I was able to do it most of the time, but I was often angry that I "'couldn't drink" on these nights and it was harder to enjoy myself. Then I said fuckit and went back to drinking daily. So in the end I realized that I had alway alcohol on my mind, not in the sense that I needed a drink in the morning, but that I was always planning my next drink you know. The solution was pretty clear: no more drinking. Since I don't drink, I don't think about it (well, I did for the first couple of months, but not anymore). So the problem is ''solved'' for now. All in all, I couldn't moderate. I'm not a ''one-two drink kinda guy''. It sucks that I can't go to a brewery and partake in a couple of pints, but in the grand scheme, it's a small price to pay for, I don't know... freedom?
 

Awesome Kev

Banned
Jan 10, 2018
1,670
I don't even know where to begin. I think every year once or twice around the time of my Dad's death I've been having self destructive tendencies of drinking more than 20 units in a night. This occurred in May and I've been feeling depressed ever since that I put myself in a place of no control and did stupid things. It really terrified me, and i've been trying to reduce my alcohol intake since then to little to no success until I made a mandate that I would only drink 5 pints max on a night out. This began Mid-August and i've only slipped up twice due to celebrations and goodbyes. I'm not happy I slipped up and I want to put a further restriction on myself that for the next month I will not drink any hard alcohol involving shots.

Have people had success with restrictions? Throughout the week I don't really have any major desires to drink, its just when I do, I have trouble stopping myself. One of my favorite things is going to a brewery with my girlfriend and I don't really want to stop doing that. I also never want to be not in control of myself ever again.

As an addict, I know there is no restricting myself. I don't just want a drink or two. I want 10 drinks, 15 drinks, 20 drinks. To me drinking is the main attraction. It's not casual, or social or part of an attempt to fit in. To me it's the only reason to be in any of those situations to begin with: to drink and get drunk. When their are no such situations available for me to do that, then the only option left for me is to drink by myself... which is of course what happened nearly every night for over many years.

So no, I can't say that I have had success with drinking restrictions, and I'm willing to bet most in this topic will echo the same sentiment. :/

Even if I was able to control myself for a night, or a week or even a couple months, it would never last. That's because I have an addictive personality, which when coupled with powerful substances like drugs and alcohol, is what empowered the addict in me show his ugly face, in full-force, unrepressed and completely off his leash.

I was always an addict and I always will be. It took drugs and alcohol for me to see that addict and, eventually, accept that he'll always be there.

Some of the words you're in your post remind me of myself before I realized I was an addict. It sounds like you have already begun to recognize your tendencies, which is great! But I would seriously caution you to keep yourself in check. Some people can drink just a few and be okay, but it sounds like from the words in your post, you may be one of the people who has trouble doing that. And that my friend is a dangerous road to go down.

Hope that wasn't too dark :/ Just my honest reaction to your post. Good luck to you and please come back and post how you are doing, we'd love to hear from you.
 

LookAtMeGo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,136
a parallel universe
I don't even know where to begin. I think every year once or twice around the time of my Dad's death I've been having self destructive tendencies of drinking more than 20 units in a night. This occurred in May and I've been feeling depressed ever since that I put myself in a place of no control and did stupid things. It really terrified me, and i've been trying to reduce my alcohol intake since then to little to no success until I made a mandate that I would only drink 5 pints max on a night out. This began Mid-August and i've only slipped up twice due to celebrations and goodbyes. I'm not happy I slipped up and I want to put a further restriction on myself that for the next month I will not drink any hard alcohol involving shots.

Have people had success with restrictions? Throughout the week I don't really have any major desires to drink, its just when I do, I have trouble stopping myself. One of my favorite things is going to a brewery with my girlfriend and I don't really want to stop doing that. I also never want to be not in control of myself ever again.
Only thing that works for me is complete sobriety. Any time I set restrictions or try to limit myself, its only a matter of time before I fall back. Everyone is different but thats me. I can go weeks without drinking but then say im going to just have a few and it turns into a shit show. Something in my brain switches off and I have no self control. I stop giving a fuck and then live with the regret. The frequency I drink is still a lot less than it used to be but I stopped kidding myself with setting limits with myself. Fact is I just cant consistently only have a few. So the best thing for me is to just go as long as I possibly can in between the times I drink. The longer the better.
 

Singher

Member
Apr 10, 2018
299
Thank you all for the replies and allowing me to gain insight from your stories. I got pretty teary eyed and had to leave the library haha.

I didn't even consider sobriety until these messages. This is my first time ever trying to really change my behavior with alcohol so I want to see for myself if I can do it. It's sounding like these restrictions are unlikely to work, but I really want to try them. If I fail, it seems sobriety is the only thing that will work.

Edit: Reading that back, I am recognize that I may just be sounding like hopeful naive idiot. But I dunno, I just want to see
 

Threadkular

Member
Dec 29, 2017
2,418
Thank you all for the replies and allowing me to gain insight from your stories. I got pretty teary eyed and had to leave the library haha.

I didn't even consider sobriety until these messages. This is my first time ever trying to really change my behavior with alcohol so I want to see for myself if I can do it. It's sounding like these restrictions are unlikely to work, but I really want to try them. If I fail, it seems sobriety is the only thing that will work.

Edit: Reading that back, I am recognize that I may just be sounding like hopeful naive idiot. But I dunno, I just want to see

Even the people in the programs would encourage you to give the controlled drinking a try (be safe of course - no drinking and driving!). I promise you are not the first person to need to experience this for themself.

However and whenever and wherever you want to try sobriety is on your terms. Unless you are around a really shitty sober community, that community will be ready to welcome you whenever without judgement or shame when you are ready

Edit: for the thread, I actually thought of this before Bojack did. And I know millions of others did too.

95t6otl6jnm11.png


Edit2: really love the way Metalgus explains it... can totally relate.
 
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pleighboi

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
99
I am trying to stay Sober. Currently have 1 day sobriety. I joined a 12 step program and I am on step 6 currently. I had 120+ days sober but fell but now I am trying to get back on it again.
 

Awesome Kev

Banned
Jan 10, 2018
1,670
Edit: for the thread, I actually thought of this before Bojack did. And I know millions of others did too.

95t6otl6jnm11.png

The scene where he gets out of bed at 11:59 at night, grabs the bottle out of the freezer, waits for the clock to strike midnight and immediately drinks his entire portion for the day really hits home for me. That is exactly the type of shenanigans I would pull on myself. I'd have a system that kind of worked, but I would completely abuse it.

And just like Bojack, it would only be a matter of time before that system crumbled and I went back to my normal bullshit.

I keep saying that I'm going to drink again after I'm done with school.. but man, I dunno if I can. I'm so clear headed now that I can see how much of a fiend I was, something I never could have seen back then.

Really looking forward to season 6, but I'm also a bit terrified because I don't want to see Bojack eat shit like I am almost sure he will do (and will probably bring it upon himself and bring down everyone around him down with him). It'd be too reflective of my own past, and too much of a bad omen for my own future... I just don't think my spirit can handle that, ya' know? No joke, I will weep like a little bitch if it comes to that. Pleeeeaaaase be a happy ending lol
 

AliceAmber

Drive-in Mutant
Administrator
May 2, 2018
6,686
Last night was my anniversary, and I thought I could reward myself a bit with a drink. I didn't stick to mixed drinks like I had intended because HEY celebrating. I was always a shots person, so I wavered. However I didn't get drunk. But WOW it certainly affected my sleep. I woke up tired as hell, and had all sorts of dreams about things I'm stressing about currently. Wasn't hungover, but didn't really wasn't psyched to go to work.

So it was a good reminder to stick to my goals. Having a drink in my hand isn't a requirement for celebrating or having fun.
 

shnurgleton

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,864
Boston
Gonna try to do sober October. Going to a wedding in November and I wanna feel slim and sharp in a suit. It's been 24 hours and my fitbit informed me I had the best sleep I've had in months last night
 

Threadkular

Member
Dec 29, 2017
2,418
But WOW it certainly affected my sleep. I woke up tired as hell, and had all sorts of dreams about things I'm stressing about currently. Wasn't hungover, but didn't really wasn't psyched to go to work.

I've found that words are very important in recovery. You can say you weren't hungover because you've experienced much worse (it can always get worse) or you were off this morning because you drank, i.e. a hangover.

I suppose it's a paradox whether this kind of thinking is "challenging thoughts" vs "gaslighting". I've just learned not to trust a lot of my initial thoughts with alcohol... they tend to be always be some form of me saying "it wasn't that bad".
 
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Jeremiah

Jeremiah

Member
Oct 25, 2017
774
Wanting to post a short update -- still sober!

The human mind is the darnest thing. Before i got sober, the idea of life without alcohol seemed depressing and just boring. Of course this illusion is not what drove me to stop -- rather, the very real negative consequences that came about my drinking outweighed the supposed positive. The scale had tipped significantly one way.

Now having been sober for over two years, the idea of life without sobriety is downright terrifying. I am by no means speaking for all addicts, this is just my observation and experience. When i look back at the vast majority of moments, tipsy-drunk-smashed or blacked out, i don't understand why prior to being sober i would classify this shit as 'fun' or 'good', or something i would deeply miss if i went without. Alcohol just made me feel so good, it blinded me to the reality of my situation. If it had been anything BUT alcohol that had caused me all this pain, both to myself and loved ones, all the dangerous and stupid shit i did, i would have had little trouble giving it up. Heck, i can easily give stuff up for diet, but of course alcohol was different.

I'll close with saying that life is really great sober, at least for me. What i've managed to do in my early years of sobriety, no longer shackled to alcohol, dwarf my accomplishments when i was still drinking. Not drinking also has become easier over time. I found the first 6 months the hardest.
 

Threadkular

Member
Dec 29, 2017
2,418
Awesome Jeremiah! And great thanks to you for starting this thread!!

How's everyone doing going into the weekend? For me, Saturday mornings are my favorite where I go to an ACoA meeting and do a small men's group.
 

AliceAmber

Drive-in Mutant
Administrator
May 2, 2018
6,686
Thank you! This weekend might be a tough one for me. This week was roughhhhhhhhhhh. But I've got some hobbies I can dive into.
 

Pwnz

Member
Oct 28, 2017
14,279
Places
My 18 months milestone is coming up later this month. I remember reading the 10th step promises at the start of AA meetings early on, but around 6 months or so I was like "shit, that is actually what has happened". I'm really in a position of neutrality with booze much like before when I was a kid and my parents had booze at the house. It's just a fluid in the house.

For me, I just have to keep an eye on my arrogance going wild. I'm a lot more humble at work and at home, but every now and then my ego will start to go off. When this happens, I find meditation helps tremendously. It's not even about the booze anymore, it's about intercepting resentments as they start to form. Life is so much easier than it was before.

Before mental clarity, the earlier milestone was about 3 months into sobriety. That's about when the raw addiction to booze lifted. You know, when you either can feel like shit if you don't drink but feel slightly less shitty if you do because your body has such a heavy dependence on it.
 
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Jeremiah

Jeremiah

Member
Oct 25, 2017
774
Feel the need to post

Around April of this year I started an indie game dev studio -- and what a journey it has been. We started full production late last month. In game dev I truly find a deep sense of fulfillment, so it has been great in that regard.

The studio is self funded by my wife and I, and we've got a solid team passionate about developing the game dev scene in Indonesia. We pulled money out of investments to pursue this project, and have enough squared away to get us to the finish line on this project. I also still work full time alongside game dev, so been working crazy hours, am sure that is impacting my state of mind.

See even writing this I am developing a knot in my stomach... ever since we entered full production I've been dealing with the realties of commercial failure, and it's causing me some intense anxiety. I've developed a really close bond with everyone on the team, and I truly feel alive when doing game dev. My fear is that should the game be a commercial failure, I can't take out more money from investments to fund a second project -- I need to consider my daughters future, with the insane tuition cost of university nowadays. The thought of the game failing, and me failing the team -- god forbid having to close the studio is honestly so horrifying.

I really don't want to let everyone on the team down -- I take solace in the fact that I am doing everything in my power to prevent this scenario from happening, but understand that this is not enough, there are factors outside my control. Even with the mentality that 'failure is not an option', can't seem to shake of this anxiety. What's troubling is that we have about 18-22 more months of this so I definitely need to learn how to cope with it sooner rather than later.

My daughter recently said this to me, and It really put a smile on my face: "doubt is the shadow of success". Anyway, I do feel a bit better getting this off my chest, thanks to anyone that read.
 

BigHatPaul

Member
May 28, 2019
1,670
Monday I went to a bar to watch the football game and holy shit drinking was fucking boring as hell. Like... it was just bad. I didn't get shit faced or anything it just boring. I couldn't help but notice how bored I was and drinking just to drink. I think this is the real breakthrough I needed to want to stay sober. It was a huge waste of time and money. Gonna start getting more curious about coffees as an alternative.
 

Awesome Kev

Banned
Jan 10, 2018
1,670
Monday I went to a bar to watch the football game and holy shit drinking was fucking boring as hell. Like... it was just bad. I didn't get shit faced or anything it just boring. I couldn't help but notice how bored I was and drinking just to drink. I think this is the real breakthrough I needed to want to stay sober. It was a huge waste of time and money. Gonna start getting more curious about coffees as an alternative.

having a cup of coffee always helped me curb my cravings. sober living is a good life, just think of all the time wasted that you'll be getting back. good luck to you!
 

BigHatPaul

Member
May 28, 2019
1,670
having a cup of coffee always helped me curb my cravings. sober living is a good life, just think of all the time wasted that you'll be getting back. good luck to you!
Hits the spot, smells great, perks you up. Nothing not to love. Coffee is wonderful. When I was at my worst, one of the best things was waking up not hungover and feeling like shit. It blew my mind how good waking up feeling normal was. Alcohol robs me of that simple pleasure and all I have to do is choose not to drink. Thank you!
 
Oct 27, 2017
4,432
Bye sober ERA! Tired of getting banned/warned and not understanding why, at all, so I've asked for my account to be deleted.

I wish you all well on your journey. 41 months without booze on the 22nd. Naltrexone can work. Look up the Sinclair method. A cure for alcoholism is out there!


This is kind of my main link to the outside world so I'm a bit worried, but i think I'll be happier without the anxiety of whether I'll be arbitrarily 'punished' for having a good faith discussion. Plus, I've generally found myself happier after cutting out social media, which forums are a version of. So hopefully it's the right call.

Bye era I love you!
 

Deleted member 25140

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 29, 2017
1,076
After years of being completely unable to control my drinking and feeling like I was at war with myself over it I've managed to go three months sober so far. Even if it was just a couple of drinks I was drinking on average 4/5 times a week, usually more, for the best part of a decade. I was definitely using alcohol as a confidence shield and I think I ended up addicted to my social life as a result of that. The majority of the time I was drinking to the point of blacking out. I've done some very weird and stupid shit whilst drunk, said things to hurt friends and family and put my life at risk multiple times. A hangover for me wasn't spending all day in bed binge watching Netflix and ordering a KFC delivery like it was for my friends, for me it felt like overwhelming negativity flowing through my body. I was getting anxiety attacks, my body dysmorphia was at peak levels, I felt like my life was just falling apart and was beating myself up about it because it felt like I was letting myself down every time I was drinking. I was so fucking unhappy. It was such a vicious cycle because for me getting drunk was the absolute most fun thing, it was so easy to forget how bad it was making me feel in the moment. Earlier this year I was seeing a therapist for body dysmorphia and as part of the therapy she encouraged me to try going sober for two weeks to see if it helped and I couldn't even manage one week.

To be honest I'm not really sure what changed, I think hitting 28 was probably a bit of a wake up call. It broke my heart but I had to cut out some of the people that were encouraging me to drink so much, some of them friends for 10+ years. I'm responsible for my own decisions and nobody was forcing me to drink but I had tried to shift our friendships away from being based solely around alcohol but some people had gotten annoyed at me telling them I wasn't going to drink or said something like 'just have a couple you'll be fine' when I had seen them so I had told them if I couldn't be there without drinking then I wasn't going to be there at all. I've still gone to social things and even had full nights out and just drank alcohol free beer or coke which could have never happened before. To be honest I don't think I will ever drink again, I know I can't moderate it and knowing the effect it has on my mental health it's easier to just do away with it entirely. I feel a lot better for it; gym progress is looking good, I'm enjoying spending time at home and rediscovering all the hobbies I had in my teens, my head feels a lot clearer. Good luck to anybody who is struggling, please be strong, it gets so much better.
 

Threadkular

Member
Dec 29, 2017
2,418
Cortez great story and message. I actually had a period of extreme body dysmorphia (focused on acne scars) from 2007-2012 that preceded my "out-of-control" drinking period. Ugh... the mirror checking, it was awful.

Looking back at it from a sober mind, I was really just an alcoholic way back when (well since my first drink) and then in 2012 exchanged one problem (the BDD) for another.

It's amazing how I never wanted to look at how alcohol or other mind altering substances could have been a part of all of my mental issues. And my ego is all based around how "smart" I am :-P.
 

BigHatPaul

Member
May 28, 2019
1,670
A hangover for me wasn't spending all day in bed binge watching Netflix and ordering a KFC delivery like it was for my friends, for me it felt like overwhelming negativity flowing through my body.
Dude, same. It's a whole day of me just hating myself and going over all the stupid shit I did. So much of your post rings true, but this part especially. Glad to hear you are doing well. It's really eye opening how many friendships or hobbies you have actually end up revolving around drinking and not what you actually thought. I've adopted a mind set of "If I have to drink to enjoy this, do I really enjoy this?"
 
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Jeremiah

Jeremiah

Member
Oct 25, 2017
774
Just made it back to Indonesia yesterday, mind and body still absolutely fried from the jetlag, but it's good to be back. Home is people, not a place, that's for sure.

I made it past my birthday and now I am sober for the longest I have ever been since I started ten years ago. Pretty cool.

Congratulations!

After years of being completely unable to control my drinking and feeling like I was at war with myself over it I've managed to go three months sober so far. Even if it was just a couple of drinks I was drinking on average 4/5 times a week, usually more, for the best part of a decade. I was definitely using alcohol as a confidence shield and I think I ended up addicted to my social life as a result of that. The majority of the time I was drinking to the point of blacking out. I've done some very weird and stupid shit whilst drunk, said things to hurt friends and family and put my life at risk multiple times. A hangover for me wasn't spending all day in bed binge watching Netflix and ordering a KFC delivery like it was for my friends, for me it felt like overwhelming negativity flowing through my body. I was getting anxiety attacks, my body dysmorphia was at peak levels, I felt like my life was just falling apart and was beating myself up about it because it felt like I was letting myself down every time I was drinking. I was so fucking unhappy. It was such a vicious cycle because for me getting drunk was the absolute most fun thing, it was so easy to forget how bad it was making me feel in the moment. Earlier this year I was seeing a therapist for body dysmorphia and as part of the therapy she encouraged me to try going sober for two weeks to see if it helped and I couldn't even manage one week.

To be honest I'm not really sure what changed, I think hitting 28 was probably a bit of a wake up call. It broke my heart but I had to cut out some of the people that were encouraging me to drink so much, some of them friends for 10+ years. I'm responsible for my own decisions and nobody was forcing me to drink but I had tried to shift our friendships away from being based solely around alcohol but some people had gotten annoyed at me telling them I wasn't going to drink or said something like 'just have a couple you'll be fine' when I had seen them so I had told them if I couldn't be there without drinking then I wasn't going to be there at all. I've still gone to social things and even had full nights out and just drank alcohol free beer or coke which could have never happened before. To be honest I don't think I will ever drink again, I know I can't moderate it and knowing the effect it has on my mental health it's easier to just do away with it entirely. I feel a lot better for it; gym progress is looking good, I'm enjoying spending time at home and rediscovering all the hobbies I had in my teens, my head feels a lot clearer. Good luck to anybody who is struggling, please be strong, it gets so much better.

Really thank you for sharing, and happy to read you are doing well --what's in bold is especially true for anyone else on the fence about stopping.
 

iXenon

Member
Sep 22, 2019
160
I'm about 110 days sober. Found out yesterday morning that a girl I was getting real close to while I was in rehab (she wasn't in rehab with me) and ghosted me after I got out eventually got back with her ex. I was pretty pissed about it. I felt like her help during my recovery was substantial and she used her practices on me to go and try using them to help her ex, who she described as an addict. I'm in Houston visiting an uncle for the weekend and I'm bored and frustrated and I miss my dog but I'm trying to stay strong. I just really want a drink right now
 

SolVanderlyn

I love pineapple on pizza!
Member
Oct 28, 2017
13,507
Earth, 21st Century
I'm about 110 days sober. Found out yesterday morning that a girl I was getting real close to while I was in rehab (she wasn't in rehab with me) and ghosted me after I got out eventually got back with her ex. I was pretty pissed about it. I felt like her help during my recovery was substantial and she used her practices on me to go and try using them to help her ex, who she described as an addict. I'm in Houston visiting an uncle for the weekend and I'm bored and frustrated and I miss my dog but I'm trying to stay strong. I just really want a drink right now
Sorry to hear that, man. Relationships and the void failed ones create is a primary avenue for relapsing - trust me, I would know. Stay strong, buddy. You're not alone and it sounds like you know the right path for yourself to take.

I'm four months sober in three days... trying to deal with the influx of sadness when I'm alone. I've realized so many things, once again, in my period of sobriety. That I never really got over my ex, that I was still clinging on to so many issues, not dealing with internal scars and failings. I was drinking it all away for so long I had forgotten they were even there. Being forced to deal with them in a productive way has been enlightening, but difficult.

All it takes - and knock on wood it remains this way - to not go back to drinking is remembering all those nightmarish mornings of trying to piece together what happened during a blackout, playing damage control, dealing with the physical pain of a hangover, the emotional pain of guilt, etc. etc. etc. I feel a lot more at peace despite having to deal with a lot more shit, if that makes any sense at all.

Anyway, how is everyone else doing?
 

Threadkular

Member
Dec 29, 2017
2,418
So great to see this thread bumped. I need to check in...

First, congrats to SolVanderlyn on your time man. I remember you were really struggling, so it's awesome to hear about you getting better.

One thing I can definitely relate to SolVanderlyn with is the dealing with repressed issues/feelings once getting sober. I've been in a bit of a rut lately (what AA what call a "bad spiritual condition") but have been working and trying not to isolate until my mode improves. It's probably the first time since my last slip that some significant depression has crept in. I'm pretty sure it's do to the holidays - I've shared before but one of my issues in sobriety has been revisiting a lot of my father's alcoholism and my family's and his ways of managing it growing up. And of course how it effected me (specifically how long it took me to realize "hey even though I didn't do XYZ like my dad or someone else, I still use way too much").

It's been almost 1.5 years since I saw my family, and even harder is 10 months since speaking to my mom. And I won't be seeing them this holiday season. There's a lot of good there and healing done by setting a boundary, but it's really hard when I've been so enmeshed an alcoholic/codependent family for so long (which I of course want to do my best to minimize bringing to my marriage).

Anyway, super grateful to be sober. There are times I would like to check out with weed but that's something not in the cards for me (would get some psychosis). Thankful I still have no desire for alcohol.

Wishing you all the best.
 

BigHatPaul

Member
May 28, 2019
1,670
Can't help but notice that all my friends ever do when they're hanging out is drink. I mean, they do other stuff too, usually play games together, but drinking is always involved. It's frustrating. I've been trying my best to stay off the stuff, I live really far away from my friends now so I don't see them except maybe 3 times a year, but in that time frame, I don't want to just be drinking the whole time.
 

Blue Skies

Banned
Mar 27, 2019
9,224
13 days without alcohol here.
non alcoholic beer has been helping me a lot, specifically "partake ale" and "Bravus IPA"

its funny, butwhen drinking beer I never thought of the financial cost, but buying these non alchoholic beer has me looking at the receipt like "whoa!"

I can't believe I was spending $100-$200 a month on craft beer. and that's without going out and partying, that's just me drinking solo at home. Its not worth what it costs.
I don't miss being drunk, I think I was just accustomed to trying out a new 6 pack of craft brews twice or thrice a week.

time to continue this change!

also feel my self losing weight just in these two weeks. ive always worked out a lot and used it as an excuse to drink a lot, so I guess I was never as fit as I could be.now I will be.
 

BigHatPaul

Member
May 28, 2019
1,670
Does anyone else think "Why does having a drink feel so tempting" and "Why can't I just have a drink like a normal person?" Everyone else seems to drink just fine, they don't (presumably) feel guilt or out of place. But then I think of the negatives that come with being shit faced and I don't want it. It's such a struggle.
 

Jeffolation

Member
Oct 30, 2017
7,117
Trying to hop on the wagon today after months of fucking around. Breaking point was a concert a few days ago, got so fucked up I'm not sure how something terrible didn't happen to me. Gotta to get control of things, It's gotten pretty bad.
 

Threadkular

Member
Dec 29, 2017
2,418
Does anyone else think "Why does having a drink feel so tempting" and "Why can't I just have a drink like a normal person?" Everyone else seems to drink just fine, they don't (presumably) feel guilt or out of place. But then I think of the negatives that come with being shit faced and I don't want it. It's such a struggle.

"…And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation – some fact of my life – unacceptable to me and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober, unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitudes"
 

Awesome Kev

Banned
Jan 10, 2018
1,670
Trying to hop on the wagon today after months of fucking around. Breaking point was a concert a few days ago, got so fucked up I'm not sure how something terrible didn't happen to me. Gotta to get control of things, It's gotten pretty bad.
For Christmas a couple years ago, my parents spent like $150 for me to go to a 2 day metal festival, with a hotel room and everything, and Ozzy headlining. I was soooo stoked, tho thinkthat in my lifetime I was going to get to see the Prince of Darkness, one of the founding fathers of metal! Even my Dad was jealous, and he helped by the tickets for me, lol! The first day I made it through without blacking out. The second day I snuck in a bottle of rum and blacked out sometime in the afternoon. I woke up sleeping in the backseat of my car.

I know I was going ham because the last thing I remember is losing my mind to Sevendust. So, I'm not sure if I got kicked out, or just walked, dragged out... I mean, I was black out drunk and I'm sure I was stumbling around and falling down and shit, probably causing a scene. And I drank nearly an entire bottle of rum in the like 6 - 8 hours so I can't imagine a scenario where security didn't drag my drunk ass out of there. I'm sure something along those lines happened. But I'll never know. Which fills me with an emotion hard to describe, but I know I hate it, and when I feel it, I hate myself...

One of the things that hurt the most was that all too familiar feeling of, "God dammnit, again!? Really Kev!? The fuck is wrong with you!?". And, of course, I missed Ozzy and like 3 of the bands I really wanted to see. Sitting there in my Mom's car (oh yeah she let me borrow her car too!) I felt so angry at myself, so ashamed for having wasted the amazing gift my amazing, relentlessly loving parents had bought for me, and so helpless to control my addictive tendencies, that all I could do was break down crying. For a good half hour I just sat there cursing, crying, occasionally pounding the steering wheel. Then I went straight to the liquor store, bought more booze, went back to the hotel room and drank until I blacked out again.

I was really, utterly powerless to control myself. And so many amazing moments in my life were falling victim to my addictions. I believe that was one of the last time's I ever got that drunk. And a few months later, July 2018, I went to another concert, decided not to drink, and I've been sober ever since that day.

Sometimes man, these "breaking points" like you had are what finally pushes us over the edge to give up the piss. I know it seems like life won't be as fun without it but I'm here to tell you, with many concerts under my belt since that Ozzy show, that it is just as fun if not more without the poison. I can actually remember seeing my favorite bands. I don't get embarrassingly drunk at family events. I actually have money to go do other fun things (my parents don't have to buy me tickets anymore lol!).

So, I dunno maybe it'll take a few more blackout nights for you to come around, but why not make it now? Why not nip that shit in the bud and make sure that you don't have those moments of self loathing after waking up from blacking out (again and again and again, trust me i know how that goes)? No one's saying you never have to drink again, but why not try it out for a month or maybe a year? I think you'll find that life (and concerts!) are not only as enjoyable, but often times even more enjoyable that way.

Good luck! Keep coming back, we'd love to hear from you!
 
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BigHatPaul

Member
May 28, 2019
1,670
"…And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation – some fact of my life – unacceptable to me and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober, unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitudes"
You know it's kind of funny to think back when I was younger and how many unforgettable nights I had with friends playing video games all night, scouring the internet for funny videos to watch, just really enjoying each other's time and having tons of fun, all in the absence of alcohol. Then we get older and it becomes a staple in gatherings. It's sad. I don't get it. I ended up not drinking last night and the first thought I had when I woke up was "Thank god I'm sober."
 

Jeffolation

Member
Oct 30, 2017
7,117
So, I dunno maybe it'll take a few more blackout nights for you to come around, but why not make it now? Why not nip that shit in the bud and make sure that you don't have those moments of self loathing after waking up from blacking out (again and again and again, trust me i know how that goes)? No one's saying you never have to drink again, but why not try it out for a month or maybe a year? I think you'll find that life (and concerts!) are not only as enjoyable, but often times even more enjoyable that way.

Good luck! Keep coming back, we'd love to hear from you!
Thanks for sharing man, means a lot. This has been the third concert (nothing beats live music) that alcohol and drugs have fouled up. I figured waking up in toronto handcuffed to a gurney a few years ago would have been the wake up call but honestly it was this latest instance and knowing my closest friends were the ones that saw me in that state. If I can avoid another intervention and stint in rehab it'll be worth it.
 

Blue Skies

Banned
Mar 27, 2019
9,224
On 17 days of sobriety

I am not gonna be completely alcohol free, in just not gonna EVER drink by myself again. i was drinking alone 5/7 days a week
 

Scarlet Spider

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,747
Brooklyn, NY
Well guys, I've remained sober for about 5 years. Stopped when I turned 22. Yesterday I went out with some coworkers where they told me just a sip wouldn't hurt. It was a bit rough but I did tell them I'm not drinking anymore. Part of me is happy for not drinking but boy did I want to try some. Give me strength.