Just remember those that get their drinks from you help your livelihood.

From my perspective, all properly made Old Fashioned's (Woodford, please) taste really good, even the third one. I feel better after the third one than the first. Especially in a casino if I'm winning....

Yep agree 1 through to 6 all taste good to me but I only drink Draught lager as bottles and cans do not compare at all.

At my worst I was drinking about a 1.75 liter bottle of vodka a week. Once into my 30s alcohol started giving me terrible hangovers much worse than I was younger so I decided it was time to quit. Tapered down use over a couple weeks then stopped. I never had classic withdrawal but it sucked for a few months. It was kind of surprising how annoying PAWS type symptoms are. Just felt really agitated, depressed, and/or anxious at times. That slowly went away and now feel normal. Come the end of this month it will be two years of no alcohol for me. I am really glad I quit and will never touch the stuff again. Toxic.

Not much. I left grad school at 36 and had all my stupid undergrad habits intact. Plus I worked in restaurants. It was just a part of life. Never drank to stupid excess, never any problems with it. Just didn’t enjoy it anymore. Until 5 yrs ago, I was always able to make dramatic weight changes with small dietary changes—just the way it worked.

Haven’t had a drink in 5 years now. However, I am an alcoholic and needed to quit. Best decision I’ve ever made

Most of my friends drank as much as I did and more.
When I stopped and they figured it out ( there was no huge announcement, one day I just stopped) they avoided me.
I believe there were 2 reasons for this:

1) They did not want to tempt me by drinking in front of me. ( Not a problem, I have had a bottle of Vodka in the cabinet since the day I stopped: just in case !)
2) It was awkward to be drinking in front of someone who wasn't. ( now I am the DD so it all works out)

They did avoid me for several years however.

Seems like trying to quit would be a lost cause.

Then we'll see if you're a "glass half full" or "glass half empty" kind of guy.

I stopped three years ago. I would drink enough to kill 3 people on a weekend. Don’t miss it a bit. I got into arcades and then pinball shortly after. This is a much better use of my time and money. It was Kentucky Bourbon and German Hefeweizen every weekend for years. I quit wheat and dairy too. I’m not a total prude though, I got me a vape pen, it’s a better buzz with no hangover.

Back in my late teens, early 20's, I could down a liter of vodka in a night and be ready to find more.... I honestly don't know how I'm still alive to be honest. When I think back, I realize I really shouldn't have made it to 25. That was 20 years ago now. I will do anything it takes to NOT revert back.

At some point, couldn't really tell you when, I just decided I didn't want to anymore. I never had a big event or anything, maybe it was just that my lifestyle changed, I'm not really sure. Now I have maybe a beer or two annually, so sporadic I can't even really remember when the last one was.

Don't miss it at all.

Good for you. I cut down a lot from where I was several years ago. I have maybe 2 or 3 a week, that's it.

What not everyone realises is that alcohol is a pretty heavy carcinogen let alone a major risk factor for cancers of the bladder, kidneys, pancreas (one you don't want to get), colon, stomach, liver, throat, mouth, and others.

I lost a very good high school friend from it a few years ago. We drank a lot in high school and college. All of us modified, he didn't. He woke up one day and felt horrible. He want to urgent care, they hospitalized him immediately and he was dead in 24 hours from his organs shutting down. He was 47.

I haven't had a drink since last night.

Me too.

I do drink a whole lot less now than when I was younger. I like the taste and a small buzz. I actually hate when I get to the point I can not walk good, and that rarely happens now. I never ever drink and drive, not even one beer. When I go to the lake or whatever I drink non-alcohol beer, it is not bad. Hell, all I drink is water and beer, I have not had coffee or soda in 20 years.

Good on you. 1DAAT

Kind of a bizarre reaction - hopefully you got some better friends!

There is a pill. Try Naltrexone. I’m considering it. A friend of mine changed his life with it. Gotta use it correctly though.

Never have.. I love my booze. Just drink socially though.

Just like other chemicals in your body, this can have different effects with different people. Suboxone was supposed to be a godsend for those with an opiate predilection. It makes it worse in many, MANY people. Wait for that lawsuit next year after the Purdue/Sackler settlement is gutted. Those people have phenomenal attorneys.

Anyway, Naltrexone: try it, but beware of side effects and polarity reversal effects

I haven't quit drinking, but I quit drinking for the sake of drinking, if that makes sense. Before we had our son a few years ago, I would often just passively drink when watching tv, playing video games or whatever else. I was trying to lose weight and just was sick of feeling overall like crap so I consciously try to avoid alcohol unless really want it, and that seems to have made a big difference. Aside from contributing to my weight loss, I just feel better when I drink less. If we go to a place with a nice cocktail menu I'll have a drink or two, or if we hit a brewery I'll have a few beers and so on, but I've really stopped drinking passively or just to get drunk and really try to only have it if it's something I'm going to enjoy and not just because I made it home from work and "earned a beer" or whatever.

I never drink when I'm home alone. I've thrown our beer because it was so far out of date.

But... on me and t's nights out we drink pretty hard and have a blast. Start with some "pregaming" before we leave and "postgaming" after we get back. Mondays are our big nights out and usually the sun is up before we crash. Plays hell on Tuesdays though. Worth every minute.

I went from a big party guy in college to casual to barely drinking at all now. Most of my changes came because my company started having a health/wellness check once a year where it showed me where I thought I was health-wise and where I actually was were two different things. Started eating healthier, did p90x and lost 40 pounds, started drinking less and less to almost nothing, etc. Cholesterol down like 70 points over 6 or 7 years.

I'll have a two finger pour of something maybe 4 nights a week. I can't remember the last time I was hammered been years. In moderation does no harm. I love the taste of straight bourbon and scotch and sipping rums. Don't care for beer at all. Beer will certainly pack on the weight. I also realize many people can become dependent. I'm fortunate in that it never has affected me in that way and I can turn it off and not miss it.

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I stop drinking alcohol shortly after turning 22, and I’m 58 years old now. Yes, I did drink some beer over the years, but some years I didn’t drink more than 4-5 beers a year. I didn’t really like alcohol, so I mostly drank milk and pop verse any alcohol in the last 36 years. Five years ago, I stopped drinking any sugar type drinks as I was diagnosed with diabetes. About two years ago, I was told to stop drinking milk as I was drinking more than ½ gallon a day. Drinking that much milk a day was not good for controlling my diabetes and I found out that it was not easy just to have only ½ glass of milk during my meal, so it was easier for me to quit milk altogether. Until this summer the only thing I was drinking was water, but with three boys who are between 21 and 25 there was vast amount of different kind of beers in my downstairs frig and so this summer I started drinking a couple of beers a day. Funny, this weekend I told myself that I need to stop drinking beer.

So this my resolution to stop drinking the beer and going forward to just drink water and sugarless tea. Funny, after all these years of not being much of an alcohol type person I now enjoy drinking beer, and yes I will miss drinking my boy’s beer.

Yes it can. It has never bothered me but I have had girlfriends that beer did not agree with.

Just keep it straight water, do not add lemon or anything, my Dad was diabetic and would not drink straight water and it messed him up.

I have always had low sugar, so I deal with my own things, but all is good. I love me a Krispy Kreme donut, but I can not even have one, having one donut makes me feel so bad like I just downed 30 beers in a hour.

I avoid beer, not a huge beer fan to begin with but it's basically just liquid bread and so easy to pile on pounds with it so I avoid the stuff. Mostly dropped wine as well. I drink whiskey sometimes but only neat, I find that way it's fairly controlled at maybe 150-300 calories tops so it doesn't affect my fitness or lifestyle at all. I try to avoid mixing it as well because even then it's so easy to over do it.

I enjoy a beer or two after a 10k+ run. But besides that I don't drink that much. (Holidays and family visits mostly)

I quit drinking nightly but start again the next night. I'm a alcoholic and both my parents were/are. I enjoy a few beers and cocktails daily. Probably consume way too much on a weekly basis but never have the urge to drink early in the day so i somehow justify it? My wife quit drinking for about 10 years due to reactions to the medications she was on so I drank by myself daily. Now that she is off the dangerous drugs she was on, I have my drinking partner back. It's much more enjoyable to have someone to drink with. If she quit again, I might join her but think I would really need to go to rehab. Don't think I could quit on my own. I'm 41 and haven't gone a day without alcohol since high school. Maybe someday.

Cheers

For anyone posting or lurking, and thinking about quitting, there's a very good forum at reddit.com/r/stopdrinking.

Peace and good vibes out there.

I quit drinking in 2011 and have no desire to go back. The effects of drinking alcohol on my body seemed to be changing as I got older and I found I was always tired both physically and mentally. My wife had quit drinking probably 8-10 before me and I had never really paid attention to her always saying how much better she felt but it was true, I feel much better all around than I did years back.

Interesting timing for this topic as I got drunk for the first time in I don't know how long last Saturday night. I didn't like the feeling to be honest.

I haven't drink liquor in over 20 years.

Before I joined pinball league 3 years ago, I hadn't a drink in like 3 years. Since then I've been drinking beer and playing pinball several times a week. I normally don't get drunk though. Last Saturday was an anomaly.

I started drinking in high school, let say that was late eighties. Drank DAILY ever since until I got Sober on 7 Jan, 2014.

The wife will drink when we go out but it does not bother me one bit when she does.
I'm down 3 pant sizes, cycle for cardio 5+ times a week and do calisthenics 4+ days a week.
Before I quit I did not dream of doing 'exercise' beyond the 12oz curls.
I sleep 6-7 hrs each night, actually SLEEP, and wake up every day at 0500, and could never have done that on the bottle.

Certainly one of the best things I've done for myself in a LONG time.

Congratulations to anyone even ONE DAY sober, after all, one has to start somewhere!

I've haven't ever consciously decided to give up alcohol, but I've certainly gone a few weeks without a drink. Can't say I've noticed any health effects directly related to not drinking.

This is actually something I’ve been thinking about lately. I don’t think I would ever just stop and never have another drink again. But I do need to break the cycle of drinking I’m currently in. Think a lot of it is habit with me. Getting to old to continue drinking like I do. I’m sure my body and wallet would appreciate it.

Wife and I would have beer during the week, maybe a 6 pack between us. Went cold turkey well over a year ago.

No difference in weight, more energy.

As someone who pretty much quit drinking coming up on 20 years ago and (being in Wisconsin) used to drink like a fish, I feel qualified to answer the OP's questions.

Yes, your social life will change. Peer pressure can be a big deal to some, and your drinking friends will give you a hard time. Forget them. Life is short. Move on. Your real friends and family don't care if you drink or not. Do what's best for YOU.

Yes, you'll feel much better and you'll have extra cash in your pocket. People tend to not put drinking in their budget.

So my advice is that if you're counting dry days and debating drinking again, you might/could/will have a problem and might as well make the change now... Especially if you have kids! Get help if you need it, and sooner the better... It will take a while, but life is too short and you won't regret it.

I used to drink a lot.

I still do, but I used to too.

(credit and RIP to M. Hedberg - one of the greatest comics ever)

eyE sometizme mostly justs drank on monday aftersnnoons.

If you feel better when you stop drinking alcohol - you were probably drinking too much in the first place.

Stopped Drinking?.......I havent had a serious drink in 24 years!! However, since Im not driving much, I just started!!!!!
I am 18 Again! (in my mind)

I quit smoking 4 years ago. I allow myself to erase 1 bad habit a decade. Have 6 good years left before I quit beer.

I was drinking Sunday night while watching the WWE Clash of Champions PPV. Man, combo of staying up late and drinking had me wiped out on Monday. Think I took a few naps during the day.

Last night, in bed around 8:30 and watching TV, asleep around 9:30. Had the coolest dream with me and Thor battling bad guys to break Jesus Christ outta jail. lol

I really never would remember dreams when doing to bed with a buzz or drunk, so it's been fun lately.

I've never been a heavy drinker. I enjoy a beer or two a couple times a week, but I seem to have an allergy of some sort to certain beers. I sometimes get an instant headache before the first one is done...then the night is ruined. I think it could be dirty taps...may also be from mixing beers. I home brew a couple times a year for the fun of it, and that stuff is usually okay. Most of the hard stuff doesn't agree with me, so I avoid it. Honestly, I'm glad it makes me sick sometimes, because I don't need it to become a life altering habit.

I love beer....

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as with anything moderation is the key. I drink once or twice a week. Usually don't surpass 2 drinks a day unless really cutting loose. Can't say it makes me feel any better or worse than my normal self.

When I was 27, doctor told me if I did not quit, I would not see my son graduate High School. I did, water only for 2 years. My liver healed up and looked great. I was told I could have one, well I have 2 about every 2 weeks. One thing that makes me smile, I can't stand the smell of certain hard liquors and that is all I used to drink. Makes for a fun evening when someone buys shots and I just give mine away, quietly of course.

I don’t drink no more.

I don’t drink no less either.

48 year run.....why stop now. Doc told me years ago "2 drinks a day is good for me". no more, and at at least 1
Every time I see him he says, so how we doing? 2 drinks, right? I answer "yep"....."at least 2 drinks per day". We just laugh..I love this guy and he just retired. I just hope things don't change with the new young guy replacing him...or I may have to go shopping.