(Topic ID: 251435)

Who here has stopped drinking

By jorge5240

4 years ago


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    There are 693 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 14.
    11
    #101 4 years ago

    By choice, I just did my first night without a drink in close to 20 years! Problem is , it's 4am and I'm wide awake. Lol.

    Going to see if I can go night number 2 without one.

    #102 4 years ago
    Quoted from dirkdiggler:

    By choice, I just did my first night without a drink in close to 20 years! Problem is , it's 4am and I'm wide awake. Lol.
    Going to see if I can go night number 2 without one.

    Respect, good luck!

    #103 4 years ago

    I woke up one day tired, broke ,sick, and homeless, Quitting was like the best thing Ever!...Today 20 years later things are good, really good.

    #104 4 years ago

    Was a big club/party/bar guy is my younger years, then just normal stuff, then there was a little affair with Cpt Morgan and bad blood work a few years ago, quit cold Turkey for around six months I believe? I didn't really notice any "eye opening " differences from lack of booze. Well, then the "Craft Beer" craze hit, and I acquired a new "hobby". Have my blood work twice a year, looking ok. We have a full liquor cabinet with everything you can imagine, neither of us drink any of it (except for my occasional Jameson/gingers). I drink my "craft beer", but I've slowly been losing interest in my former beloved heavy NEIPA's (except now that they distribute Heady Topper all through VT I have been making a VT run every few months for the OG of NEIPA's). I keep thinking I should quit, but I have no real justification for it at this point. I'm not a raging alcoholic, I rarely get drunk, have maybe 2-4 beers, 3-4 days a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Sometimes don't have any for a few weeks, sometimes a few almost every day. I say F it, if your not ruining your life, and the lives of the ones you love, or destroying your health, drink up. If your Choice is abstinence, I commend you. Life is short, be you... My great grandfather was a bootlegger way back when, and ran a successful underground...well, lol, anyway, he lived until his late 90's, eating bacon and drinking whiskey and had a good life.

    #105 4 years ago

    Big time binge drinker here like most my age, 41. I plan to limit the weekend drinking this winter and see if some pounds come off.

    Side note: I prefer playing pinball stone sober. I shoot like shit when I get lit, how about you guys?

    It’s an actual hobby that can help you kick the habit, as that rush you get from playing is a natural high.

    #106 4 years ago
    Quoted from dsmoke1986:

    Big time binge drinker here like most my age, 41. I plan to limit the weekend drinking this winter and see if some pounds come off.
    Side note: I prefer playing pinball stone sober. I shoot like shit when I get lit, how about you guys?
    It’s an actual hobby that can help you kick the habit, as that rush you get from playing is a natural high.

    If I'm sober or drinking, I'm still awful at playing pinball

    #107 4 years ago
    Quoted from Irishbastard:

    My great grandfather was a bootlegger way back when, and ran a successful underground...well, lol, anyway, he lived until his late 90's, eating bacon and drinking whiskey and had a good life.

    Sounds like he was well preserved!

    #108 4 years ago

    For me, it was more seeing if I could go a day without a beer or whiskey and coke. Im a 6 drink minimum a day guy. Thursday night/Friday morning I woke up with a racing heart and it scared me a little. When 4pm yesterday came around and the wife asked if we were going for happy hour I said we can go but I'll just have a coke. We stayed home and watched tv all night instead.

    It will be hard to watch football today without a beer in hand. At least i have plenty of pot to keep me happy.

    #109 4 years ago

    Alchohol and drugs saved my life ...

    #110 4 years ago

    For those like me who have been told to cut it out for medical reasons but still enjoy the taste and social aspect....there actually have been some major advances in the world of non-alcoholic beer. We aren't talking swill like O'Doulls here. Breweries that specialize in making non alcoholic beer exist - my two favorite right now are Athletic Brewing out of CT and Wellbeing Brewing (St Louis I think?). For me personally it allows me to have the occasional "beer" without concern. The flavors are actually quite good...I've actually had people ask me "what beer is that" if I share it with them.

    Some food for thought for those considering going dry for whatever reason.

    #111 4 years ago
    Quoted from dirkdiggler:

    For me, it was more seeing if I could go a day without a beer or whiskey and coke. Im a 6 drink minimum a day guy. Thursday night/Friday morning I woke up with a racing heart and it scared me a little. When 4pm yesterday came around and the wife asked if we were going for happy hour I said we can go but I'll just have a coke. We stayed home and watched tv all night instead.
    It will be hard to watch football today without a beer in hand. At least i have plenty of pot to keep me happy.

    You might want to get a checkup with your Doc...

    #112 4 years ago

    If you want to quit and are a heavy drinker come up with a taper schedule. If you are a binge drinking slowly reduce the number of nights a week you get lit. If you are an all day drinker wait until later and the day and reduce the amount you drink slowly. Taper will likely reduce the amount of withdrawal to deal with. I tapered down and had none of the typical withdrawal symptoms but still got PAWS for months which sucked. Cannabis and Kratom helped feel content during it.

    2 - 1/4 years of no alcohol here after being a nightly binge drinker and I don't miss it anymore. It's pretty bad for you

    #113 4 years ago

    I started this thread and I have gone back and forth since. I stop for a couple months and then go back. Just had two weeks off and drank often. Had lots of friends and family up and lots of parties. Heading back to reality on Monday and I will do another 60 days dry and see what I want to do after that.

    I thank everyone that has posted in this thread and has been interesting and educational.

    #114 4 years ago
    Quoted from dirkdiggler:

    For me, it was more seeing if I could go a day without a beer or whiskey and coke. Im a 6 drink minimum a day guy. Thursday night/Friday morning I woke up with a racing heart and it scared me a little. When 4pm yesterday came around and the wife asked if we were going for happy hour I said we can go but I'll just have a coke. We stayed home and watched tv all night instead.
    It will be hard to watch football today without a beer in hand. At least i have plenty of pot to keep me happy.

    My buddy drank almost every day for 2 decades. He woke up one morning, and felt horrible. He went into Urgent care, and after a blood test, they found out his organs were shutting down.

    He died 2 days later at age 47.

    #115 4 years ago

    Unlike George, I never drink alone. But when a Friend(s) stops over, oh yes, I usually
    make up for it, but it wouldn't be any problem for me to go months without a beer..
    But more importantly, going on 30 years, I quit smoking. Although now much older,
    in a 1,000 yard race, maybe about the 250 mark, I would be able to surpass my younger
    self and go on to an easy victory..

    #116 4 years ago

    I'll have about 5 drinks a week, rarely more than one in a given day.

    I used to have about 2 drinks a day. About 2 years ago I was in the hospital for an AFib incident and the nurse asked how much I drank. I said "About two drinks a day", she said "OK, about 15 a week". That sounded too high to me, so I've been cutting back ever since.

    I'd say I enjoy *a* good scotch even more now...

    #117 4 years ago

    Alcohol drys me out like a prune. As soon as I have a sip of alcohol my body gets rid of all its fluids and I almost instantly have a headache.

    I do enjoy a drink from time to time but past 30 I havent had many drunk nights. I never get there before I feel shitty.

    Glad they legalized the 2-hour buzz, hang over free solution to this problem in my state. If only the lines werent so long...

    #118 4 years ago

    Moderation is key in all things, most especially with alcohol.

    #119 4 years ago
    Quoted from Methos:

    My buddy drank almost every day for 2 decades. He woke up one morning, and felt horrible. He went into Urgent care, and after a blood test, they found out his organs were shutting down.
    He died 2 days later at age 47.

    Omg, that is horrible. I’m worried that might happen to friends of ours.

    #120 4 years ago
    Quoted from dirkdiggler:

    By choice, I just did my first night without a drink in close to 20 years! Problem is , it's 4am and I'm wide awake. Lol.
    Going to see if I can go night number 2 without one.

    Booze was getting me down so I’m done
    The sleep part is tough at first but after a month or less the quality of sleep is amazing. Also I have more money for Pinballs

    Oh yeah ! You will live longer

    #121 4 years ago

    Had a blast in Reno for the Christmas holiday week. The booze was flowing.....

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    #122 4 years ago

    I’ve been doing ‘dry January’ for many years now, this year too. Not always successfully, but more often than not I’ve managed to do that. Drinking too much over the holidays happens easily, so I find this a good way to break the habit. And the health benefits are pretty significant too. Dry January FTW!

    #123 4 years ago
    Quoted from Methos:

    My buddy drank almost every day for 2 decades. He woke up one morning, and felt horrible. He went into Urgent care, and after a blood test, they found out his organs were shutting down.
    He died 2 days later at age 47.

    Wow. Sounds like my friend, was about the same age.

    #124 4 years ago
    Quoted from dirkdiggler:

    For me, it was more seeing if I could go a day without a beer or whiskey and coke. Im a 6 drink minimum a day guy. Thursday night/Friday morning I woke up with a racing heart and it scared me a little. When 4pm yesterday came around and the wife asked if we were going for happy hour I said we can go but I'll just have a coke. We stayed home and watched tv all night instead.
    It will be hard to watch football today without a beer in hand. At least i have plenty of pot to keep me happy.

    Some of that is habit, some of it culture. Both are f-ing hard to break. Harder to stay sober than succumb to the drink or the leaf. Think about what’s best for you. Maybe it’s a smaller ratio. Maybe it’s none... who knows.

    -6
    #125 4 years ago

    Y'all crack me up! You act like quitting drinking is going to be awsome. Once I put booze down problem solved. Ummm. Ok. Unless you are downing a 5th of whiskey a day maybe something will change. Besides that nah you are fooling yourself.

    #126 4 years ago

    Cut back on drinking a couple of years ago. A couple of things I noticed since then is that my tolerance went down so I don’t have to drink as much to get a similar buzz. I wasn’t overweight, but my weight dropped a little also. With less weight alcohol hits me faster also. Even though I have a similar buzz now since I drank less overall, I feel better the next day than when I consumed more.

    So more bang for my buck per drink now and feel better the next day. Not bad.

    Downside is that drinking more was more fun compared to taking a night off, but again I was paying for it more the next day, so I may be more slow on the move and not as energetic. That was not as fun. I am also slightly more irritated at things and not quite as laid back as when I drank more and more often. Not a huge difference but slightly.

    Just some observations I noticed from my experience.

    Oh also I go to the liquor store a hell of a lot less now. I would drop $150 on booze and beer easily each trip I went when I drank more. I don’t go near as much as I used to. Same thing with restaurant checks. Not having 2 IPA’s during dinner easily drops off $20 or more off the bill. I saved a ton of money since I cut back.

    #127 4 years ago
    Quoted from pinnyheadhead:

    Cut back on drinking a couple of years ago. A couple of things I noticed since then is that my tolerance went down so I don’t have to drink as much to get a similar buzz

    Hell yeah, when I cut back or stop for a few days it saves me a lot of money when I have beer again.

    #128 4 years ago
    Quoted from Gunnut40:

    Y'all crack me up! You act like quitting drinking is going to be awsome. Once I put booze down problem solved. Ummm. Ok. Unless you are downing a 5th of whiskey a day maybe something will change. Besides that nah you are fooling yourself.

    That's not true, think of all the hours you wasted hanging out with strangers and fake friends and doing literally nothing.

    #129 4 years ago

    this very thread was the final nail for me.

    love beer and weed, they just go hand in hand.

    being on holidays, and 3 nights during the working week I would really get smashed. being 55 it was harder to function and had noticed after these binges I would have trouble even speaking.

    so about 2 weeks ago just had enough of feeling shit and thought time to get straight. this was finding inspiration from various posts on here.

    found it easy enough but the first 48 hours were pretty interesting.

    not saying I won't drink or smoke pot again but not as heavily.

    have found more energy, sleeping better, more focused getting out more.

    interesting times ahead.

    #130 4 years ago

    Everyone who quit or is thinking of quiting: I wish you the best of luck and you've earned respect!

    I haven't stopped drinking and I'm not planning to, but I still got a story:
    Couple of years ago I went drunk every weekend and drank outside of weekends too. Since a year or 2 I managed to reduce it to only 1 or 2 beers a week Not the same as quiting ofcourse, but it's going in the right direction.

    -21
    #131 4 years ago

    I'm really sorry to read this much about a bunch of drunks!! I never started drinking because,like cigarettes,its stupid,smelly,expensive,destructive to your health and puts you in a crowd of people generally frowned upon! I always see guys with a giant pot-belly,drink in one hand,cigarette in the other,talking crap about anything that they are doing!! How about you big business assholes that have to have several Martinis at lunch,and think that because you wear a silly suit and tie to work,your cool...NOT!!Who cares about how much money you can steal from your investors and laugh about it over a couple of drinks!! This is the underbelly of our society !!!!

    #132 4 years ago
    Quoted from mario_1_up:

    Stopped about a 1 1/2 yr ago. Having a closet alcoholic for a wife will make never want to drink again.

    My dad was an alcoholic. A mean fkn drunk. It is no fun to live with someone like that; it causes some severe family situations.

    And it is no fun when the town drunk that is being laughed at happens to be your dad.

    I am not anti-alcohol. I have a drink once in a while and like to sip on a beer occasionally but living with and seeing the other side of booze always worked as a check valve for me.

    Well, the above, plus if any more than 2 drinks or 3 beers then I become the commode hugging drunk who is gagging his self the next morning to get the rest of the poison out.

    I get more satisfaction with a pitcher of iced tea and lots of sugar.

    #133 4 years ago
    Quoted from Gunnut40:

    Y'all crack me up! You act like quitting drinking is going to be awsome. Once I put booze down problem solved. Ummm. Ok. Unless you are downing a 5th of whiskey a day maybe something will change. Besides that nah you are fooling yourself.

    I have not had a hang over in 2.25 years. that alone is a major change. Its Sunday morning and I feel fantastic.

    #134 4 years ago
    Quoted from hawkmoon:

    How about you big business assholes that have to have several Martinis at lunch,and think that because you wear a silly suit and tie to work,your cool...NOT!!Who cares about how much money you can steal from your investors and laugh about it over a couple of drinks!! This is the underbelly of our society !!!!

    Well, in this day and age, we're not allowed to do that at lunch. Only after work. Thank goodness for expense acCOuNts.

    When you work for a private organization, you aren't stealing from shareholders other than yourself if you have a direct stake in the business. It's not stealing, it's part of G & A costs.

    #135 4 years ago
    Quoted from barakandl:

    I have not had a hang over in 2.25 years. that alone is a major change. Its Sunday morning and I feel fantastic.

    #136 4 years ago

    I hope I can quit drinking alcohol for good someday but I'll never quit the herb...

    #137 4 years ago
    Quoted from dsmoke1986:

    Omg, that is horrible. I’m worried that might happen to friends of ours.

    It happened so fast. He was always a big drinker, was in rehab a few times, he would stay away from it, then fall of the wagon.

    A friend of mine is a Physician at a local hospital, and he has told me the number of men (and women) in their 40s-50s that come in with major alcohol related terminal illness is staggering. Obviously liver disease and liver cancer are predominant, but other things he sees is Esophageal cancer, Gallbladder Cancer, Pancreatic cancer, and Stomach cancer. All of those are almost always painful death sentences. Colon Cancer is a big one, but that can be treated for a few years.

    The pattern always seems to be the same; daily drinking in excess. They go to work (sometimes), and sit all night and weekend watching TV and drinking. Has to be a miserable way to live one's only life.

    #138 4 years ago
    Quoted from Methos:

    It happened so fast. He was always a big drinker, was in rehab a few times, he would stay away from it, then fall of the wagon.
    When he was diagnosed the Doctor said there was literally nothing they could do. His lever was so damaged, that it stopped working, and then all his other organs shut down.

    OMG, just horrible...We have friends that literally drink to blackout 5 times a week; high level functioning alcoholics; I worry that this will be their fate...Can't burn the candle at both ends that hard and not lose control and have your body not shut down...It's insane. Very sad to anyone who has seen someone go through it.

    Much love to anyone on this thread that is quitting, or thinking of quitting; there are help options out there; don't be afraid to seek them.

    18
    #139 4 years ago

    Today is my 6th day sober. To some that's laughable, but to me it's been a very hard 6 days. I really need and want to give it up completely except in a social aspect or family event and even then try to limit it to a couple drinks. But like some I have the problem of "once you pop you just can't stop" lol.

    #140 4 years ago
    Quoted from V_piscopo:

    But like some I have the problem of "once you pop you just can't stop" lol.

    Tha is my issue, especially with beer. What works is I think about how I'll feel the next day.

    #141 4 years ago
    Quoted from V_piscopo:

    Today is my 6th day sober. To some that's laughable, but to me it's been a very hard 6 days. I really need and want to give it up completely except in a social aspect or family event and even then try to limit it to a couple drinks. But like some I have the problem of "once you pop you just can't stop" lol.

    Me too. My wife can have a couple beers during happy hour then not have another drink the rest of the night. Not me. I drink basically till I fall asleep.

    Congrats on 6 days! I made one and had a few beers last night. We'll see how today goes.

    #142 4 years ago

    For those of you that are having problems quitting, have you thought about giving yourself a goal or getting on a work out program? Some of it sounds like an addictive personality that maybe you can replace with a healthier activity.

    I start my 60 days tomorrow. I don’t just start not drinking, I combine it with clean eating and physical exercise.

    I turn it into a game, how good of physical shape I can get in, in 60 days. It works for me but what ever keeps you on track is the most important.

    #143 4 years ago

    I have also been eating healthier and plan to continue. I have not started a work out program yet but plan to implement one soon ish. Beer is a lot of empty calories. Just cutting out beer and eating a little better should cut roughly 1,800 calories a day out of my diet.

    #144 4 years ago

    I'm 42 and haven't had a drop in my life. I bowled leagues until my late 20s. I was around way too many people that could barely put on their shoes at the end of the night (and often still drove home) to ever want to start drinking. My half brother was (is?) an alcoholic. He got multiple DUIs. Haven't seen him in almost 20 years.

    #145 4 years ago
    Quoted from hawkmoon:

    I'm really sorry to read this much about a bunch of drunks!! I never started drinking because,like cigarettes,its stupid,smelly,expensive,destructive to your health and puts you in a crowd of people generally frowned upon! I always see guys with a giant pot-belly,drink in one hand,cigarette in the other,talking crap about anything that they are doing!! How about you big business assholes that have to have several Martinis at lunch,and think that because you wear a silly suit and tie to work,your cool...NOT!!Who cares about how much money you can steal from your investors and laugh about it over a couple of drinks!! This is the underbelly of our society !!!!

    Yet, you're a pothead....That doesn't fit the category your placed "drunks" in at all...Lol. Sounds like you're on prescribed medication as well, or at least should be.

    #146 4 years ago

    Havent had a drink since New Years...but ill make up for it when gout clears!

    #147 4 years ago

    I’m a health nut but dabbled in drugs in early teens and alcohol over the years up & downs but always stayed healthy. I drink occasionally now with my wife harassing me not to. I exercise like crazy 4 hard cardio days a week 1/2 hour weights on other days eat healthy & on no meds thank god. I’m turning 56 and possible retirement in Florida as we’re having a home built and moving this summer. I’ve worked hard and thinking how I’d like to enjoy drinking more and resisting the urge to overdo it, but definitely looking to party more. Hopefully I’ll keep it in check. My older sister is retired and I worry about her. There isn’t a day goes by she smokes cigarettes all day. At night it’s wine and a joint until she slurs, but it’s every night. I worry about her and I guess what I’m trying to say is it’s very easy to fall into that routine.

    #148 4 years ago

    i know a few that need too.

    #149 4 years ago

    Question for those who have successfully quit drinking. How did you handle social situations at first? I live in a small town and the only entertainment/social gatherings are at the bar. Not sure if I could handle hanging out with people getting drunk while I stay sober.

    #150 4 years ago
    Quoted from dirkdiggler:

    Question for those who have successfully quit drinking. How did you handle social situations at first? I live in a small town and the only entertainment/social gatherings are at the bar. Not sure if I could handle hanging out with people getting drunk while I stay sober.

    Looks like you will need to start going to church for lack of other things to do

    There are 693 posts in this topic. You are on page 3 of 14.

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