r/stopdrinking helped me find alternatives

I started drinking cranberry spritzers as a substitute for alcohol

I feel great after a few days off weed but after a week or two I do it once and get right back on it. It’s tuff

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What is your goal? Is it relaxation? Do you have another way to do that besides alcohol? Is there someone that makes you feel relaxed when you’re around them? Is there something where you feel relaxed while you are doing it?

If alcohol is accomplishing a goal and you would like to replace it, the replacement should also accomplish your goal(s).

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I’m at 10 days right now. I don’t see going back.

I think I drink because it makes me happier (in the moment), allows me to be more present, and lets me forget about the shitty stuff that happened during the day. I’m on antidepressants for depression and anxiety, and while those do help, I often get home and can’t sit still because I’m always thinking about what else I should be doing.

Whats wrong with thinking about what you should be doing?

Do you feel like you use alcohol to distract you from the fact that you don’t really know what you’re doing in life besides staying alive?

I quit for my health and cause I like drinking way, way, too much. I did alot of self reflecting and realized that I had a problem. After some hard realizations, I found what my triggers were for wanting a drink and tried to replace it with healthy alternatives. To relax after work I would take a short walk and listen to a book on audible. When I was playing xbox I would drink bubbly or la croix. I would try to explain to my family that I was feeling overwhelmed or stressed because I wasn't drinking and understand that the feeling were because of wanting to drink. Every day was another step towards healing and not being dependent on the booze. It took alot of work, it wasn't easy, but eventually I was able to figure it all out and haven't drank for 4 years.

I stopped drinking last January and have stuck with it by learning the science of what alcohol does to our bodies and brains. What's kept me motivated is weight loss and the fact that I realized alcohol was the cause of my anxiety issues. It took maybe 4 or 5 months to see my anxiety pretty much disappear.

I would say try to do it for 30 days and see how you feel.

Good luck!

You should listen to your anxiety and do some of the other things you feel you need to do. Not all of them at once but just pick one or two every evening. You'll instantly feel better after you accomplish some of these other things, even if they're tiny tasks. Pretty soon you'll have that list down to a small, manageable one and you'll be in the habit of not procrastinating because you'll realize how much better it feels than alcohol.

You'll always have things to take care of, that's life. But if you ignore the anxious part of your brain it'll just convert that over to a lack of any really emotion as a way to cope with you not dealing with it (depression).

I would take it day by day. I love beer and decided to do dry January. Similar to you, I like to have a little alcohol after work to relax. If you have to, try non-alcoholic beers or virgin cocktails. Try and set a goal of a month if you can. Doing things to take your mind off of it helps too like hitting the gym or some other hobby.

Exercising helps a lot and for me video games fill the void especially games that require problem solving

First of all, you NEED to remember that pee is stored in the balls.

I used to drink a shit ton (5 bottles of bourbon a week) and I just replaced it with weed. It actually worked and I don't drink at all anymore

They have come a long way in recent years.

I dont know per say about drinking because lik any addiction/cutting it out. Its the hardest thing to do. Maybe find alternatives.

Also the word motivation is kinda overused(I dont know if that is the right word). But discipline is what matters the most.

I'm not alcoholic, but I think remplacing an addiction with a harmless one works well. Try teas or infusion, I agree it won't be as enjoyable, but once you find the right one it does the trick, plus the warm touch is nice, during winter!

By replacing the booze with sweets/candy, chocolate and chilli Doritos for me :D

It's hard, first weekend is the toughest but after that I find it gets easier as you'll feel the benefits. Better sleep and skin, more energy, more refreshed, less anxiety etc.

I'm not teetotal - far from it but I try 3-4 times a year to go off the booze for 3-4 weeks and mostly always manage. It's just habit really. Good luck.

I’m trying to understand what you are trying to accomplish.

You mentioned you want to be happy, present, forgetful, and still.

I hate to say this because the thought of it makes me cringe.

You might benefit from meditation. It doesn’t work for me because I never want to be still. It does work for a lot of people.

Otherwise, try to think of things not alcohol that can help you accomplish your goals.

Maybe you don’t really want to be still, you just don’t know what to do with all your energy. In that case maybe some form of exercise would be nice. I also try to mix in as much sexual activity as possible. It’s so good for all of the things you mentioned.

Finding a proper healthy outlet is key! Detox your body! Takes 21 days to form a new habit?! Try to be sober for 21 days and see how you feel

Listen to this podcast on the physical effects of alcohol, remembering how damaging it is helps me not turn to it. Also I really got into tea, just the ritual of making a cup and savoring it after work helps me decompress just like a glass of wine did. It takes time because you're essentially making a new habit. Just take it one day at a time. Also, r/stopdrinking is very motivating.

My reasons for cutting alcohol is due to a health scare I had last year - I was admitted to the hospital at the urging of my doctor.

I was going through what appeared to be liver disease - mottled skin, itchiness, abdominal pain, brown urine, yellowing eyes, severe dehydration, etc.

I was so dehydrated that the nurses had to use a special IV needle and an ultrasound to try and find a vein they could put the needle in, and it took at least half an hour to find a vein. It took another 45 minutes to get four/five vials of blood.

After the doctors reviewed my blood work, I had a nurse tell me that I was now a priority to be seen, as my liver’s enzymes were extremely high.

It turned out my issues were caused by my gallbladder having sludge (and maybe gallstones - there were none they could find, but it looked like I might have already passed them). apparently gallbladder sludge can be caused by excessive drinking.

After the doctors cleaned out the sludge, my body went back to normal and I quit drinking.

I don’t want to go through that again.

Ricky, that you?

Alcohol is like eating a dry steak. Sobriety is the filet minion. You can eat that dry steak and tell yourself it's ok, but you know deep down the filet is better.

This is actually a really important point that plays into the behavioral science of changing habits. The ritual of making (or ordering) something can be replaced with a new, non-threatening version: a hydrating, sweet, savory, or refreshing drink.

You can build an entirely new ritual around *drinking* some non-alcoholic thing. Practicing appreciating its flavor or how refreshing it is can also help be a distraction. It also gets a glass into your hand, so it checks the box for that muscle memory too.

Ideas: get into brewing tea, making milkshakes, trying new spritzes or soda flavors, flavor water with fruits, or squeeze your own orange juice each afternoon after work. If you are caffeine tolerant, creating your own mixed coffee or iced coffee shot could work too.

When you do it too much, you become task paralyzed and end up doing nearly nothing.

I found that what did it for me was ALSO quitting vaping (on Monday) and then miserably failing (on Friday night). I was so happy to continue vaping that weekend that I didn’t even give alcohol a thought. This worked so well that I haven’t thought of drinking again. Not once. It’s been a month now. So, if you happen to vape, quit for a full work week in tandem with quitting alcohol. When the weekend rolls around I think you will see how useful this technique is. If you don’t happen to vape, maybe you could do this with something else, like video games, carbs, weed, or anything else you do on a daily basis.

Hot yoga. It is intense, physically challenging, requiring focus, concentration but perfectly stimulating in every way. By the end you are physically spent, yet mentally focused and calm, spiritually fulfilled and emotionally balanced. Follow it with a bubble bath or shower (you’ll need it) and the night is yours to relax.

The NA market is exploding right now. NA wine, beer (of all varieties), and spirits.

For some, it can be a good alternative if you want something to sip on or just miss the taste.

If someone’s an actual alcoholic I would steer clear of NA options, however.

You need to not use alcohol as an reward.

I like to use carbonated beverages ( sparkling water, soda) to replace the alcohol drink. Not going to help get you motivated but helps when you aren't feeling motivated and just want to sit and relax while curbing the feeling of wanting a drink.

It really sounds like you're self-medicating depression and anxiety. (I realize you are also on actual medication for these two issues.) It feels to me like you need more proper support for those two conditions--maybe a different combo of meds, or someone to talk to, or a hobby you find more motivating than exercise to distract you from your workday.

I'd like to say change jobs if yours is literally driving you to drink, but I know that that is likely not an option. I'm guessing you're internalizing sone things about your work that you need to externalize. If you have anxieties about your performance that are honestly due to you underperforming, try to work on that so that you feel better about yourself and your contribution. But if you have anxieties that are due to factors that are largely or wholly outside your control, try to remember that it's not your sole job to make everything perfect. Practice "acting your wage" mentally. Don't give the job mental time that it is not paying you for.

(I know that last part is easier said than done. But it takes a kind of mental discipline. Unless you NEED to think about something for work in your off hours, tell yourself a firm "no" when you start to think about it, and forcibly find something else to think about. Even if you literally have to make something up. After a while it becomes more natural.)

I felt so much better after quitting weed as well. I would not switch alcohol for weed because in the long term weed can be hard to quit. Weed made me lazy, depressed not to mention was spending money on it.

Embrace what it feels like to wake up refreshed. Have you tried mindfulness meditation? I can focus on my breathing for 10-45 mins and slow the wheels down. Doesn't have to be fancy or magical woo woo thinking... Maybe watch a documentary about Thich Nhat Hanh and his development of mindfulness during the Vietnam War it's powerfully humbling and his techniques are simple. There's also headspace and other apps.

As someone who was emotionally addicted to tea for many years, just make sure you stick to non-caffeinated teas in the 6-8 hours before you go to bed.

I think reading “This Naked Mind” can also be very inspiring!

mar-jua-na cha cha cha

Fair enough, OP saying they can’t sit still made me think they just legit had things they needed to do and were thinking about those things and trying to work on them. Too often it seems people look for ways to ignore what they should probably just tackle and get out of the way and I’ve witnessed it too many times in my own life in the form of friends or family members living with filth, unpaid bills, and any other problem with a known solution but they just want to relax with a few beer so they don’t have to think about all the stress when they really should be. Its a cycle and I was asking OP because I was curious why they consider thinking about what they should be doing as a bad thing. It could be skewed perceptions, maybe they had a role model growing up who came home from work and laid on the couch for the rest of the day and they can’t understand why they can’t relax the same way. It might just be they’re comparing themselves to a wildly different person. Who knows, my side is purely anecdotal. I do hope Im not doing any harm by asking.

I replaced alcohol at night with way too much Amazon shopping, and then switched to doing face masks/skin care. After a while, that got old but by that time I had broken the alcohol habit and my brain was no longer my mortal enemy/under the chemical spell of alcohol so I could do whatever.

I was sick of hangovers ruining my weekends. I just made the realization that I didn’t need alcohol to be part of my life any longer. It’s been 37 months and going great. Make it past that first weekend and start that new routine without the booze. After that, it was smooth sailing for me. Good luck.

I’ve been a lifelong binger, and abstainer, there really is no middle ground for me, as sad as that is because in limited doses alcohol can be okay. I just can’t consume in limited doses though, and have pretty much sidelined my life with alcohol issues. Currently on a clean streak, just trying to stay positive

One other thing, for me it had proven impossible to moderate. Stopping entirely worked. (I say “stop” instead of “quit” because it seemed less daunting to me….) Once I had the first drink, my brain could always convince me that one more drink was a great idea. Always. I called my brain my enemy during that time. “Deciding not to decide” was my mantra. I had decided that I would not make a decision later about whether or not to drink. I knew at night my brain would start trying to convince me that drinking one night wasn’t so bad, I’d already gone without for so long. I knew it was going to happen so I decided in advance that there was no choice to be made. I used basically IFTTT: If my brain is saying This, then I will say/do That. If my brain is saying “I’m all keyed up, I need to relax,” then I will respond with very specific premeditated plans: “I will text my mom. I will wash my face. I will do a face mask. I will watch this one reality show that I only watch when I’m feeling like this.” Ideally, it would be a That that is reinforcing or some sort of self-care or a treat. I think it’s totally fine (although I can only speak for my situation) to have a bowl of ice cream with all the toppings when your brain is telling you it would be such a great idea to have a drink. Treat yourself during this time. Your brain WILL require itself once you teach it that these urges will be responded to with different behavior. Once you establish a new routine—and undoubtedly it can take a while, even if your “routine” wasn’t super consistent—the intrusive thoughts become less relevant and they will slow down until they stop. I’m still shocked that I just forget about alcohol altogether for weeks if not months.

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Very interesting idea!! I’m going to try applying this to other aspects of my life.

This is key. I switch the herbals after 4pm.

Hey I’m someone who successfully cut down from seriously problematic drinking levels. I wasn’t a classic “alcoholic” (no physical withdrawals), but I couldn’t stop myself from getting near black out drunk when going out with friends, which was causing personal life issues.

My solution was two fold —

1. Step 1 was I needed time off to recalibrate and lower my tolerance. I first did a dry week, where I had my girlfriend hold me accountable. I later did a full dry month, again, using my girlfriend for accountability. I also scheduled weekly check ins for extra accountability.

2. Step 2 was that when I did return to drinking, I tracked all my drinks religiously. I downloaded an app and tracked every drink. Bringing alcohol consumption into conscious memory via writing it down helped a lot.

3. A subtle step I did on the side was starting meditation. This wasn’t directly related, but I strongly, strongly believe it gave me the emotional strength to succeed at this.

I have not consumed over moderation in many years at this point.

Oh yes strictly herbal I can't tolerate any PM caffeine. It's just cool to me because I used to truly disdain tea...now it's a nice comfort.

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My advice would be to pursue therapy to help you examine the deeper motivations behind your drinking. I think a lot of time we use substances like weed or alcohol as an easy escape or way to relax, but it’s just a bandaid for the deeper issues causing us stress. I agree that a lot of the tool suggested here could be useful, but I think ultimately self examination and self work are the key. Best of luck my dude!

It's me again, and I want you to step outside of yourself and think about other people you think about who you're hurting or who you might be hurting that you don't even know who you're hurting maybe go up to a loved one don't say anything to them just hug it look them in the eyes and say I'm trying. I'm really trying to be patient with me. I don't want to hurt anybody just say that and see if you two motherfuckers don't tear up you gotta think about other people because everything you do affect somebody.

I'll tell you when it comes to drinking you have to look at each time you accidently drink while quitting as simply a mistake and be ok with it. Because when I thought in absolutes I'd drink one time and sinse that ruined my streak I would drink hard every weekend for a long time before doing it again.

So you have to be ok with making mistakes. Which in all likelihood is half of the reason your drinking anyways. A life of mistakes adds up in your head and you run around with anxiety so you try to drink it away.

Anyways.. learning to tolerate your mistakes is the best thing to do.

And swap it out for less damaging things like video games or coffee or whatever works too.

It's all about the dopamine. Every mistake takes some away and booze makes it feel better. Gotta get a new source.

One last time it's me again. The common thread in everybody's comments is rehabilitation through knowledge of self.

Sparkling water helps me a lot! Also helps I don’t drive by the place I typically buy my alcohol from anymore.

I’ve definitely taken to Celestial’s peach tea as a way to relieve stress lately. I guess you can never have too much (herbal) tea.

That sounds really depressing. No, I don’t use it for that reason. A lot of it is just because my work is very stressful and it keeps me from thinking about it too much.

Mm, that’s fair. I guess keeping my to-do list each evening limited to one or two things would help keep me from burning myself out while also taking care of the things on my mind.

I just get burnt out by trying to do everything all at once. Like my fiancé will want to get intimate or just chill with me for a bit, but because I’m so focused on tasks, I can’t relax and be with him. Like it feels like I’m on a timer to do things before I have to go to bed and go to work the next day. Getting a bit tipsy alleviates that sense of urgency.

I love that analogy lol.

Why do I need to remember pee is stored in the balls?

If you’re drinking every day you’re likely dependent upon it and that’s why you can’t relax without it. You’re going to have to just suffer thru the withdrawals for awhile. Try going to bed early or get involved in some hobby- anything this stay busy and keep your mind off having a drink. It gets easier after a few days

And give you something more productive than drinking to do in your free time. Win win win. Saying this as someone working through the habit myself.

I quit drinking during a deep dive into breathwork. It helped release all the tension that builds when feeling all your feelings for the first time. It also helped to read other sober success stories (by way of books, not articles) and have a support group around it all. I think when we can name our addictions as such and not judge ourselves for them, it helps to become detached. Cold turkey has been the only thing to get me through quitting any vice, and discipline around not lashing out at others as my emotions surface. Seek help. You'll feel amazing after you give it a good amount of time.

If you can identify your window of vulnerability to needing it, that’s great! Build new routines and self-soothing strategies. Try a free 30 day yoga challenge on YouTube. Happy hour to me now is yoga hour.

Meditation, even just ten minutes, can bring wind down relief, instead of reaching for a drink.

I find just a low sugar slightly bitter bubbly AF drink can quench that desire to hold a drink, you know? A lot of drinking at the end of a hard day can be placebo. Ie, NOW I can relax holding my potion.

Try some early morning activities on weekends — an awesome hike with a great view, a ride to a beautiful beach, a water view sunrise then breakfast with a friend, a hard gym workout — to prove to yourself that not waking up feeling crap from alcohol is way better.

Ooo, I LOVE hot yoga. It made me super energetic afterward last time I did it, but after a shower I mellowed out really quick.

Drink more it helps.

I’ve been trying to get a new job since the beginning of last year, but it’s tough out there. I did get an interview recently though, so hopefully that goes somewhere. My current job is working with SPED students in an elementary school, so while it’s very rewarding spiritually, it also takes a lot out of you. I think ignoring my work emails until they need to be looked at (like before I go in) may help.

It's simple really. You either want to quite or you don't. If the answer is latter, simply don't buy it.

Maybe try meditation as well

My doctor gave me a low level Ativan prescription which helped me transition to not drinking. I used that as needed for a couple of months. I hope this helps and good luck with your journey.

r/stopdrinking is what helps me. Ironically this is the second time I’ve recommended it today. You’re not the only one dealing with this

Go to a meeting once. Depending on your area, vibe of the group you may receive more tough love or more inclusive and understanding approach to sobriety. For me one meeting is all it took. I did not want to live with alcohol. I still do crave it here and there but lots of other N/A substitutes out there

I decided to quit for lots of reasons. Step one while hungover on a Monday morning was to say to myself, "You've had your last drink." But Friday night I got drunk. Saturday morning I said to myself, "If you drink again, you have to get professional help." That did it. Facing the expense, embarrassment, hassle, meetings, etc. made me keep that promise to myself. I smoked my last weed a couple weeks after that too. It was 13 years ago.

Same program. Cannabis helps me and I feel much better overall. That said will prob mix some beers in here in the next week.

I’ve been able to do dry January by getting up at 5am each day to work out before work. My tip is to write down your 30 day schedule and DECIDE UP FRONT. When I wake up and don’t want to do it, or am at a party and want a drink, I say to myself “I almost forgot I already decided I can’t drink this month. The decision has already been made.” Hope this helps a little and good luck!

Booze causes cancer.

figure out when you’re most likely to break. Prepare for those times. Give it your best, and if you happen to break again, make another plan that learned from the last one.

Text your mates ahead of time about your goal and ask them to not offer you any.

Plan what else to drink in those environments. Maybe plan a night out with pals at a place with good mock tails. Learn some good Alc free drink orders.

If things are more serious, you can look into groups to join. You can also read the book the Alcohol Experiment. We

Schedule a workout the morning after you think you might drink.

I do a trail run with a buddy on Sunday mornings and knowing I have to get up and be ready for that helps keep me from drinking on Saturday night.

I’m fortunate enough to live in a state with legal marijuana. The THC drinks help and you can mix them with sparkling water to make cocktails. You can get the same thing with CBD if you don’t live in a state where it’s legal.

Finding something to replace the motion and ritual helps a lot.

Same here. If I drink, I DRINK to a bad bad point

Thank you for working on yourself. I’m glad you did this.

Whenever quitting an addiction, see an addiction specialist. It's a handy tool.

I’m glad you are making this change. It’s a happy story to read and you can do this. You’ve already made the hardest step.

You rock! That’s a great milestone to accomplish. Keep it up!

I've had a lot of success using Sunnyside. It's a cutback program where you set goals for the week and track your drinking. One thing that's really made it work for me is that I absolutely don't keep more alcohol in the house than I've planned to drink that night. Otherwise it's too easy to have more than I intended or drink on nights I didn't plan to. I'm fortunate to live walking distance from a great bottle shop that sells pint cans in singles. However I know other people who it's worked for who aren't in that situation.

https://ctbk.co/3GfO5YQ

Don't do something important so when you remember

Thanks!

I keep small tubes of gel frosting for my kid’s lows when they’re sick. If you can keep anything down, squirting gel frosting into your gumbo e will bring you right back up.

Seeing the science behind it helped me get 7 weeks. Up and down since

Is the transmission drunk Ricky? Cause you are!

What works for me is I set a rule that I don’t drink between 3am and 9am.

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Have you heard of The Alcohol Experiment? My husband started out with it. You just quit for 30 days. He’s been sober for 1.5 years now. There are daily videos to watch and you learn about alcohol- what it does to your body, how society views it, the marketing behind it, etc. It’s so interesting. The goal is to take a break but some folks end up quitting altogether. Good luck!!

https://thisnakedmind.com/blog-the-alcohol-experiment/

https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/the-alcohol-experiment-registration

It wasn’t until I listened to “This naked mind” and “Alcohol explained” that I had real success with quitting. They both do a very good job explaining the negatives of alcohol so far outweigh the positives, there’s no reason at all we should drink it.

I have loved drinking both the variety of flavors and the effects of alcohol. But I kinda got out of hand during the pandemic. Long story short, my Garmin watch provided me with data about how alcohol was affecting my life, especially sleep and stress. It totally kills the idea that alcohol provides some kind of stress relief, in fact it is exactly the opposite, and you can see it in real time on your watch. You can choos to ignore it but now you’ll have some hard eta, which has helped me to give up alcohol going from daily to once or twice a year.

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I quit drinking a couple years ago after realizing that I had a problem and that it just makes me feel like crap. What’s helped me is connecting with other non-drinking people (via zoom at first because it was during the pandemic) and now in person. I also try my best to connect how I feel - mentally, emotionally, and physically - after I’ve done something different or something I used to do while drinking. Initially, the question I would ask myself is if (whatever I did) made me feel good…now I try to identify deeper feelings. There’s a lot of great quit lit out there, too, if you’re curious to read more about how others cope. It’s not always easy, there are certainly days I want to drown whatever is going on, but those feelings always pass. Meditation and yoga have helped with that.

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Depending on your financial situation, you can do something fun or productive with the extra money you have every month. For me every time I quit drinking that’s the most dramatic change is that I just suddenly have four or 500 extra dollars in my bank account every month.

Do the math on how much you typically spent in a week or in a month on booze, and make a point to set that money aside: save it, donate it to an effective charity, buy yourself something nice with it. Celebrate that extra money every month in some way. Very motivating for me.

Yesterday I went to the funeral of my only sibling who died as a result of constant drinking. He was 40.

I used to always come home to a nice blue collar beer. Replacing it with a PBR, (placebo beer replacement) helps. I get those flavored zero cal/zero sugar seltzers and its a refreshing little burn in your throat and it just hits the spot after a long day. That or you can throw some lime and mint in there for a refreshing virgin mojito. Drinking usually is just an activity you’re accustomed to and associate with relaxing. You gotta change your relationship with the vice and create your own boundaries. Stick to them!! Thats the discipline part no one else can control except you. Create your own parameters that are maintainable and stick to them indefinitely. Its very difficult to live surrounded by alcohol and not stand out in a crowd for being entirely sober. This is what often pressures people back into binging behaviors. Its okay to have a drink sometimes, you just need to consciously control when.

Figure out your triggers… when on the weekends do you start drinking? I had some problems around and after the pandemic and honestly the thing that helped most was just hard exercise. I got way into lifting and the high from the workout made me less likely to drink plus I knew the alcohol would negatively impact my fitness goals. Working out in the late afternoon really helped me get rid of my evening drinking issue

I planned purchases for things I could afford with my previous alcohol intake.

So far, that’s 3 pair of boots, Series X, PS5, a laptop, and a new bass. I’ve since lost count and know I shouldn’t drink again.

I also joined r/stopdrinking

I drank tons of soda water early on. 1:1 or 1:2 per drink that would be alcohol and maybe a bit more at bars. I quit before and went back after “special occasions.” It has been almost 4 years since my last drink.

You may be an alcoholic. I was the same as your for 10 years. Then covid came and I went into a deep hole of permanent bingeing. Came to realize that I'm an alcoholic

Give yourself a manageable timeframe - say, a month, like the dry January im doing now.

Hell, you can cut it down to a day, AA style: I’m just not drinking today (repeat ad infinitum)

"Discipline is knowing you can do a thing and choosing not to."

At first non alcoholic beer and tomato juice was my jam, along with cbd supplements. Magnesium and ashwaganda (sp?) supplements helped as well.

i can help you.

let me walk you through it.

so to start off, ask yourself, why are you cutting alcohol?

I was drinking for 21 years, and was an alcoholic for 20 of them(I’m 35 started when I was 12.5)When I quit drinking, I did it with the intention of drinking again. I know that sounds crazy but bare with me. I set a goal of 30 days, after which I told myself I could have a drink again. It was rough, my anxiety and depression, were spiking through the roof. I’m a naturally anxious and depressed person, I feel this is one of the reasons why I drank, but I pushed through those 30 days. It was rough, I realized how much I did with a drink in my hand, from walking my dog, shopping, and even working. After those 30 days I told myself I could have a drink or we can go for 90 days,I chose to go for 90 days. After those 90 days had passed, I told myself again you can have a drink or we can go big and go for a year. I chose to go for that year. It was still hard but at about 120 days it became easier. The urges started to lessen, my impulse to grab a beer, or take a shot to deal with my problems, or even to relax or enjoy myself, began to go away. Once I made it to a year, I told myself once again, you can have a drink or we can go for two years. I’ll be at two years of sobriety June 17, 2023. In this time the only habit I changed was drinking. I made sure I had money to buy booze, I made sure I had booze in my fridge, and I still went to bars to watch games or grab a bite to eat with my friends. I didn’t use therapy, AA meetings, or self-help books(if these help you please pursue them, they just weren’t for me, but they have helped millions of people find sobriety). I did this, because I wanted to ensure I was chasing true sobriety, not running away from alcohol, and fearing what it might do to me again. I stayed true to my resolve, and never faltered. Even if I did, I wouldn’t of been hard on myself, because that would only inure my drinking habit. It wasn’t easy at first, but after a while, the habit of not drinking, became just as familiar to me as a habit of drinking. I’m healthier mentally and physically. I’m more glad that I did it then I’m not. It’s not an easy road by any means, I wish I can say that it was. But the benefits of it, are far greater than the feeling that alcohol brings. It is something I wouldn’t trade for all the money in the world.

I don’t know you personally, but making a post like this is a step most people don’t take. And it’s a step in the right direction. My best advice would be don’t replace alcohol with another habit, mostly, because once you fall out of that habit, you may fall back into the habit of drinking again. Just remove the habit of drinking from your daily routine,or your weekend routine. If you need to go to meetings, or seek therapy, or read self-help books, or even post on Reddit for advice, do that. It’s amazing what those things have done for people and can do for people. It’s not going to be easy. But I believe in you, and I feel that you can achieve your goal of either cutting back or cutting it out completely. I do truly hope that you reach your goal, I really do. I would love to hear an update, and see where you’re at with your sobriety. Best of luck, you have absolutely got this.

I quit because I realized it added absolutely zero positive things to my life. Thirty years later I have never had a single drop. I've also never awakened with a hang over or regret from drinking. For me its been nothing but positive. Especially when I look at the cumulative effects that drinking has had on some of my friends that have chosen to keep at it. That in itself is a great motivator. I wish you all the best on your journey whatever you choose to do.

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Well for me this time , with emphasis on ' this time' I've been sober 5 years. I have been in and out of double a meetings my whole life , it is a good program and helps a lot of people and also destroys a lot of families and does a lot of damage to people, in my opinion. So I'm not much to going to meetings right now but there have been many years of my life some sober , some not but going to meetings. Good place to find and meet women. The problem for me like I said 5 years this time , also 4 years , 2 years , and 2 years , 6 months afew times , a day and half a day. My point is the problem is not about stopping. The problem is 'staying stopped'. So for me this last go around 5 years ago I had liver failure and needed a transplant and then the reality sank in that if I drink the drink will shut my body down . Thats not what I want. I drank to have fun and enjoy life but drinking turned into the antithesis of a good life for me. So I am sober this time really for my life. So hope that helps some..

Try bitters and soda. Technically there's a small amount of alcohol present (the bitters) but it's negligible. For me it's the tactile experience of having a drink without actually having a drink.

There is a book , can't remember title exactly but I think it was '21days to change a habit' or 30 days. Something like that , I can't remember title exactly but it makes sense in the sobriety realm. I posted earlier about my tenures of sobriety on off on off on again and so on. After reading some more posts I thought of few more things to share. You mentioned anxiety and depression. Alcohol is a depressant . Period. You are depressed because of the neurological effects and the brain chemistry changes from putting the depressant elixir in your body. Anxiety is just a neurological by product of depression. So not only does it causes depression in the life of the drinker , alcohol in my opinion is the creator of huge amounts of anxiety. Just everything about it to detoxing yourself from booze with the fear of going into delirium tremors and seizures not to mention just the type of life style that it creates for the drinker is always , in my opinion very problematic. Even though alcohol is legal , everything you do with it from the point of purchase is illegal. Whether you are walking down the street drinking or driving. Alcohol is the most destructive 'legal' thing I can think of. It destroys lives , jobs , families, your body , destroys relationships and so on . So how do I stay sober now , I mentioned this time 5 years. So I had to realize , this just for me, I am an addict , I need something to give me that special feeling , or little zest , or edge off life type of feeling. I compare it to the feeling one would get with just maybe 3 or four beers , you know that life is good buzz, but that is so not really ever happening in the life of the real problem drinker. I didn't mention it earlier so will now , that whole 3 ,4 beers , social type of drinking , I was doing that in middle school. My freshman year in highschool I basically had a near death experience after being in a drunken driving accident , I was passenger of truck that drove off a bridge 100 feet, and they shocked me back to life , just like in the movies , anyways by sophomore year I had keys to grandma s liquor cabinet and was drinking , binge drinking everyday , bc I had access to huge suums of liquor. I realize now as an adult that my childhood was just totally so bizarre and abnormal but nonetheless I am 42 now and proud as hell to be alive. Just because I've heard it my entire life from double a meetings that I was doomed. At 14 I heard I wouldn'take it to 18 , then they said 21, 30, then 40 and I barely made it there but I did. But I realized the only thing that really doomed me was the aa manuscript on life. I was hypnotized , I thought I had to drink , bc I was an alcoholic, but that's all hogwash. I was taught by the super hypnosis of double a that I was doomed , but once I really decided fuck double a , I am staying sober this time for myself meetings or no meetings , I want to live and fuck all the bullshit in the meetings and maybe once in a while self medicate with a substance that I can handle , without becoming full blown fucked up. So this time I'm on methadone. From another addiction , but it gives me that feeling full effect. Suboxone works too. When I was prescribed Suboxone I only drank one time in 2 years. So hope that helps. Good luck.

My gym has a sauna and a pool. I've found doing sitting in the sauna and sweating it out, followed by jumping in the pool to cool off (I do this a few times), resets my brain and body.

I don’t drink anymore at all just because honestly it makes me feel like shit and puts my anxiety through the roof. Every time I have a drink in my hand I just would think about how anxious I feel.

Not very helpful for you I don’t think, but I can tell you that not drinking gets easier every time you decide to have a water or a soda instead of that drink. I feel way more in control of my everyday life since quitting drinking and I only drank on weekends.

Perhaps cutting alcohol altogether isn’t the best strategy at first. Try reducing from your current intake. After decades of drinking issues here and there, what helped me what something I got from the book Atomic Habits.

I thought, “What kind of person do I want to be as it relates to alcohol?” Do I want to be someone who has 1-2 drinks with friends? Yes. Do I want to be someone who needs a drink at the end of the day to unwind? No.

Alcohol is a poison and not healthy for the body in any way. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for it in society. What kind of person do you want to be as it relates to alcohol?

My last drink was in June of 2014. I had an unfortunate incident and came very close to losing my life. I decided right then and there that I had consumed my last drink. I am now 51 years old and have several chronic conditions. To be honest with you, I'm so glad I quit. Whenever I feel like taking a drink, I just tell myself that alcohol is no longer for me.

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Recent studies have shown that alcohol is just not good for the human body. Not even two drinks a day or a few a week. Try and tell yourself that you are setting up future you for a healthier life. Good luck to you!

I quit back in December for health reasons as well as my issues with bingeing.

I was diagnosed with lymes disease back in early November, took my medication, but then once I completed my treatment I decided to "celebrate" with some drinks with friends. We basically drink from 1pm until 10pm non stop. I ended up getting a fever and horrible body aches and joint pains. I had never had that prior to my diagnosis. Needless to say, I had to stop alcohol all together. So after that I bought a couple books on sober living and the science behind alcohol and how it's terrible for our health. The books have kept me on track and have helped me completely change my mindset towards alcohol. I no longer have cravings for it and can go out to eat or even go to bars and order a ginger ale instead of a beer.

I have also noticed that I used alcohol as a source of calming my anxiety in social situations. Without it now though, I have learned to be content with who I am out in public and have learned how to sit with my emotions and feelings. It's actually quite nice to be out with friends and have a clear mind!

I also enjoy the feeling of waking up without hangovers anymore from sound and restful sleep. My skin has cleared and my brain is no longer foggy (lymes related but elevated by alcohol). I started going to the gym again and my energy levels have improved so my physical body has really changed for the better.

I'm just overall really happy with quitting. It's really changed my life perspective.

All of these things combined have really helped me stay motivated! :)

Op needs to figure out the root cause of why the job is causing him to feel like that and work on stress management techniques to adress those concerns if wants to continue working in that specific job or look into a career switch . No job is worth making you feel forced to have unhealthy habits.

I stopped drinking once I realized alcohol is nothing more than an addictive poison. That’s it. It’s poison snowball rolling downhill. At the bottom of the hill is you in a cemetery.

This has worked for some and its a possibility that it could help you.

"Legal" use of mushrooms. These have the ability to show you how and why and give you the reasons why you don't want to continue.

Saved my life from addiction. I can say this without a doubt I would not be writing this without its help. I'm beyond greatful for my experience.

Oregon is starting therapy sessions with doctors that are trained in this field.

Safe travels.

Any bullet points you would like to share?

I am right there with y’all

“One is too many, and six isn’t enough”

Yes! I just posted this yesterday and I’ve had one vodka, and I’m starting to feel it and instead of just enjoying that I’m like no way I gotta have another one

I’m sorry :/ idk if a random Reddit stranger can change your mind but I hope you can keep it to a minimum. I understand the craving . Feel free to DM

Low dose naltrexone. You can get it on AgelessRx

https://preview.redd.it/0c7ydd620bfa1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=3fc247535a0efedabe50d21c41c3c4ce92d2a5ec

This is one vodka meaning 10 ounces of vodka with some water and some sugar-free water flavoring so this is number two. I will stop here because I know I should but I probably won’t. Actually I’m probably about to go because it’s almost out as you can see. 🤦🏻‍♀️

You could always try to drink one or two of those just water in between. That could possibly help curve it some….

Get rid or sell any hooch ya got in your house. If you can’t sell before an urge just trash it. Find an AA meeting (young people meeting if 35 or under). Just google AA meeting near me. The 12 step book doesn’t really work to well for me but the people and support are amazing. Anytime I’m down trying to find an excuse to buy some booze at the store, I have a list of 10 people to call down just incase somebody doesn’t answer. Somebody has always answer and planned to come over at some point. If you don’t have support like this in your group… get out and find another one. There’s meetings literally every minute of every day. Stay sharp amigo people still care in this shithole of a world.

For me it doesn't make me depressed or lazy. I don't smoke weed until I get everything I need to get done in the day. What I'm saying is if you need weed to quit an alcohol addiction I think it's fine. Weed is much much safer then alcohol.

Thank you for the podcast recommendation btw. It’s now in my gym rotation =)

I too decided to do dry January and it’s been amazing seeing a difference in my mood and how much better I’m spending my time.. keep going my guy! Plan on doing February too and going from there!!

I have anxiety problems, and drink pretty much daily…sometimes only 1 drink, but usually 2 or 3, sometimes up to 6 probably. I realized I had gone so long without missing a night, and stopped for a month. I didn’t feel any different at all like some people say.

Were you taking medication for anxiety, or in therapy or anything? And how did those first 3 or 4 month feel before you started to see changes with your anxiety?

This is me. Or, was me? Was never a daily drinker but my binges got worse.. and worse.. and worse..

I reached a point where I told myself “I’ll do literally anything to quit drinking.” Did every recovery program and action you could think of. Committed 100%. And it worked.

Cold showers! Cold water immersion has helped Me immensely with impulse control and motivation.

Listen to ‘The Naked Mind’ on Audible. Very eye opening and helped me too!

I had a health scare on the 4th of July 2020 where I had horrible vertigo and nystagmus (eyes rolling from side to side uncontrollably), I was taken to the hospital and had all the tests done to make sure it wasn’t a heart attack or stroke, and once I was out, every night afterwards for what seemed an eternity, I was so scared of feeling that again that I had small anxiety attacks and could not stop trembling and it took me a while to calm down and fall asleep. After that, I swore off alcohol completely, the very little tobacco I would smoke, basically everything that could harm my body in any way. I’m no health nut by any measure but I do eat healthier and I’m even exercising. I’m still not sure what caused or exacerbated the vertigo (I had melatonin and a bit of alcohol the night before but I also got an ear infection), but it scared me straight regardless.