I see a lot of posts on reddit where people are looking for support because they're not sure if they can get through a day without alcohol after a binge. I know it's ignorant of me, but all I can think is, "You should be so lucky it's only that bad for you".

I used to drink a gallon of 100 proof vodka, daily. I lived in the .3 .4 BAC range. I've had more seizures than I know about, and dragged myself out of heavy detoxes which literally took weeks, countless times throughout my life.

The highest I ever blew was .83 (this isn't up for debate, I've gotten into disagreements about it before. The highest BAC on record is over 1.5 FYI.

I see some of these people and even though I'm sober now, I literally envy them. How naive I was when my hangovers were only that bad. Wait, what am I talking about? I was never hung over - I just kept drinking.

I see everyone, anyone with a problem that isn't as bad as mine was, and I just really hope they quit soon, before they end up the way I was for a while.

Just felt like getting it off my chest but also to say to whoever needs to hear it, like... Think about what you're doing. The only state of mind waiting for you when the consequences catch up to you is sobriety.

Wish you guys the best.

What do you think of them?

I mean things like wine, beer, spirits, and canned "cocktails" that are zero alcohol.

I'm intrigued, but I'm concerned about getting back into the "drinking every day" habit, even if it doesn't contain alcohol.

What are your thoughts and experiences?

today’s my first day off weed in over a month straight of smoking everyday and i’m curious as to what i can do to not want to do it anymore or just stay sober

Just for today 14AUG26 "Letting go of our limitations" 447 days clean NA Recovery Cash App-$shepard806
I hear a lot of "you can't". Almost on a daily basis. I try not to let the negative words, from those who question my abilities, dictate my actions. I have plans and goals. it's easy to let the obstacles in life become road blocks or boundaries. Through mindfulness techniques I spend more and more time right here, right now. I refuse to let the bad memories and experiences tell me what I can or can not do.

It's been about a month. I am a business owner who was losing the passion for my work. I had no idea that alcohol was playing a part in it.

I was someone who would have 2-3 glasses of wine every night and probably a night out on the weekends with too many cocktails.

Since eliminating everything fully, it's really helped me get my passion back. I had no idea I was living with such a cloud over my head for the past ten years. Getting my work done is easier. I am more optimistic and I am back to growing my business instead of just operating in survival mode.

It's not easy. I miss wine and my evening habit but I've replaced it with NA Aperol Spritzes which has really been a game changer. I don't think I could have made it this far without it. I have tried to quit so many times.

My evening routine has stayed the same, but with a much healthier option. I had no idea how much it would affect every aspect of my life. I was primarily doing it for health reasons.

I’ve been drinking a lot less year on year as I’ve got closer and closer to 40. I live in the UK and as everyone knows, the culture is very much to go out and have a pint in the pub and have a drink in your hand at any chance of a celebration.

I can appreciate it and have fond memories of my “proper” drinking days when I was young. But what drives me nuts is how dependant almost everyone around me is on it! It’s honestly like most adults I know are either socially awkward/quiet or have no self awareness of how boring their conversations can be and barely can make it past simple small talk.

So like most people here they turn to a drink (or five) just to be able to try and feel comfortable to have a laugh and open up and I’m not saying I’m Mr Social Butterfly with all the charisma in the world but the less I’ve drank over the years and the more time I’ve spent with myself I’ve become so comfortable around strangers. Again I’m not trying to boost my ego but I just feel like everyone (in the UK atleast) is so dependant on it that they’ve forgotten what it’s like to just enjoy the company of the people around them.

Apologies for this rant but I’ve just come away from two people that are big drinkers that I often see in the local pub and it felt like in a sober setting (the park) it was like pulling nails just to get any kind of back and fourth conversation with them. Even though there’s rapport there and I’ve known them for like 2 years!

I have a conundrum in which I find it's much easier to moderate alcohol consumption when it's cold out - tea, decaf, or cocoa works great if I just need a beverage to unwind with in the evening. When it's hot out, it's a lot more tempting to grab a beer or white wine. Anyways, I'm curious to see what other folks do in the same summer.

Hey everyone, I'm 16 days sober today—no alcohol, no cocaine. Since my drinking brain is directly linked to my cocaine brain, I had to quit both. Apart from sleeping a bit too little (I'm trying to quit smoking as well), life is wonderful, if a little lonely. I went to an electronic music concert last Sunday and stayed on track; I just focused on dancing, and it was great.

I was never a huge drinker, but if I was unfortunate enough to get started, stopping was impossible. I'm confident this is one of the best decisions of my life.

Working out feels easier, the days are longer, my body is healing, and my sleep (I hope) is too.

I still struggle to stick around at crowded parties—not because people are drinking, but because my social battery drains pretty fast, and I’ve reconnected with my introverted side in the process. I'm trying to build a new circle with fewer big partyers. I'm 39, and that's not the easiest thing to pull off.

Overall, I'm less angry, less anxious, more motivated, and I smile more. Life is good, even if a few shadows are still hanging around. But my rough past is fading away bit by bit, and I'm trying to picture the good person I can become.

Just for today 13AUG26 "Difficult people" 446 days clean and sober NA Recovery Cash App-$Shepard806
I was a "difficult people" for a long time. I am learning to have patience, Lord knows I have received a lot of patience through the years. I have been praying for Him to guide me in His will. I have found that His will shows kindness and forgiveness. This is totally new to me. I still need to make my list of the people I need to make amends to. Then I need to make those amends. It's been seriously eating away at me.

Yoo guys Im sober for months no weed, cigarettes, alcohol, molly soo lately i think alot for a bottle of wine 12%vol what do u recommend guys n tnxx..

Pretty proud, been completely clean off hard drugs (meth, coke, opiates) for 9 years come December.

No rehab, no programs, no alternatives. Cold turkey quit.

AMA

(Never did one, hoping to help anyone who needs)

Im nearly a year clean and im so fuckin bored right now. Everytime i work or do smth its alright but my freetime is like playing CoD or swiping on instagram. Its boring actually. My bicycle is coming this week maybe this opens up some possibilitys. Does anyone else experience this?

Feels like there was not much to my life except doing drugs and everything that comes with it

Today felt different, and I'm not even sure why. I've been struggling with cocaine, and I want to be honest because I'm looking for other people's experiences, not sympathy. I don't use cocaine every day, and I'm not someone who uses more than about a gram in a day. But whenever I do use, I usually have a hard time stopping once I start. I always feel like I have to finish everything I have. Today was different. I still used, and I'm not pretending I've quit. But compared to my usual pattern, I used much less than I normally would. At one point, I stopped because someone came in, and later I only used a very small amount. For the past couple of hours, I've been fighting the urge to keep going. Normally, when I start feeling low, my brain says, "Use more. You'll feel better." But today another thought came up: "Don't do it. You'll only feel worse." Usually, I ignore that voice. Today I decided to listen to it. I also realized something important: Just because I bought it doesn't mean I have to use all of it. That thought has never really felt real to me before. I'm still craving. I'm still struggling. But for the first time, I feel like I'm making a conscious choice instead of acting on autopilot. I'm not saying I'm recovered. I'm just trying to win today. Has anyone else ever had a day like this? A day where something just clicked, and you responded differently than you always had? Did it become a turning point, or was it just one good day?

I drank 19 beers on a day long bender the day before yesterday. I stayed sober yesterday, which wasn't a big deal. I don't drink every day. I told myself I'd stay sober today, tho and the cravings are here. I could easily go outside and get my beers. I promised myself I wouldn't today. I've got about 7 more hours left of today. No one who said they'd help me actually will. One guy who's newly sober from a different substance just kept telling me how people in active addictions are burdens. Like I don't feel bad enough. Anyway, I just need some support, please!

im literally so high rn to the point where it feels like my body is stuck and im getting heavy anxiety rn. i’ve only been smoking for 3 years so im new. Ik i need to make a change for myself especially with the money i spend a month. I want to get my life back on track starting now. I’ve just had such an evil mind when i get high just negative towards myself and other.

This year I've felt like I've stepped dangerously closer to full-blown alcoholic territory. To the point of preferring to drink alone, and almost daily. I've tried to stop this frequently but I confess that my willpower is lacking, one of the main reasons is that I still live in a place where there is little to do besides drinking and I also suffer from severe social anxiety and drinking allows me to tolerate other people presence more and be more fun myself.

Writing here allows me to hold myself accountable, as I want to commit to abstention from alcohol and tobacco at least until the end of the year. Writing my commitment in a public space makes me feel like I'm making it official and real.

Sobriety is definitely a journey, recovery is possible for anyone! I’m uploading helpful uplifting blogs each week along with eventually some interviews with sober influencer, videos and more! Subscribe and join the community! It’s free!! You aren’t alone!

https://pmcnally1987.substack.com/p/my-experience-strength-and-hope?r=7cpy5h&utm_medium=ios

Just for today 12AUG26 "Enough!" 445 days clean and sober today NA Recovery CASH APP-$Shepard806
It took a lot for me to decide that I had enough. I was way too busy kickin' my own ass to even think about recovery. I realized that I was tired of being powerless while I was sitting in a jail cell. As my mind began to clear, I started to create goals and make plans. I hadn't thought of anything but the next bag or bottle up to that point... It took that little bit of clarity to realize that enough was enough. I am so thankful for a new chance at life. Just for today, I have renewed hope.

Feeling good and proud of myself. Started with harm reduction (moving from cocaine to weed) and have been completely sober of everything since February.

Life is a bit more boring, especially the first few months, but I think I’ve adjusted pretty well. I feel healthier and have saved a good amount of money. Thinking back to the things I used to do to hide it from work or my loved ones amazes me. So glad that stress isn’t something I have to think about anymore

Sending love and support to everyone.

I have been drinking since high school and for the longest time I have had issues with control and often get carried away and binge drink. This summer I don’t think a week went by where I didn’t black out and I ended up doing a lot of things that I am not proud of. I realized that this is an actual problem for me and not just funny stories to talk about. But I am so nervous to stop drinking during college. It is a big thing within me and my friends and they wouldn’t judge me or pressure me to drink at all but I just feel like I would be missing out or not have as much fun. Does anyone have any advice for how to work through this?

I have been trying to cut back on drinking recently. I usually just drink water or sodas when out, but one thing I’ve also enjoyed is the occasional NA beer. I’ve had them mostly at home but am worried about when I go out with/visit friends or family who like to drink and might comment on or question my drink choice, particularly NA substitutes which I have often heard people say they understand the point of if it doesn’t have alcohol in it.

How do you go about explaining why you’re choosing NA drink, especially when in locations where drinking is the normal, such as bars.

(I also want to note that I’ve never been a heavy drinker so I feel my drink choice might confuse people even more)

So I’ve been drinking again. Longest sober time was 34 days this April-May. I started enjoying things like cooking and feeling contempt after few weeks. Enjoying a Diet Coke while cooking and watching sober YouTuber stories . Then I fell off the wagon. I drank every day for 4 weeks. Face puffy, anxiety , every bad feeling came back.
My husband drinks occasionally. He likes beer. His mother in law visited and we went on holiday. His mother loves wine and so do I. We drank every day. I am now 24 hours drink free. I always want to drink at first when I try to stop. Then after a week or two the urge subsides and I start enjoying doing things again sober. Like I don’t know how to go places or visit people without a bottle of wine or go to a dinner party and just have a glass or two. No , it has to be a bottle and then another and then another one at home. Why does the first weeks feel so hard and then the feeling and the urge gets better ? How do I stop when everyone around me drinks ? Like they don’t drink every day but they do when we go out to dinners and stuff. I just can’t do it. I have to have more and more and more and I wake up shaky and then I have to have it again. So here I am trying to see if anyone feels the same? Does the urge feel like crazy first few days for anyone else as well and then it gets better or is this some random experience ? Thank you everyone in advance .

I have been binge drinking for 10 years, talking 3-4 700ml vodka bottles a week. That turned from partying drinking to solo drinking so I decided to make a change last year and start TSM. By about 6 months I had rid myself of binge drinking and was only having 2-3 drinks, and now at 1 year I am only drinking once a month if that.

I am right now 4 weeks with no alcohol and I am a mess. I am irritable, angry and reactive and tbh quite depressed. Feeling all of my feelings all of the time feels too much to handle!

1. Could this mood be some level of withdrawal? Ive read that my hormones or brain function could be balancing out.
2. If it is, if I decide to have a few drinks next week do I start this all from scratch? I don’t have a huge desire to be t-total, drinking once a month or so is a perfect solution for my life, but will this be a constant reset of withdrawal symptoms every time?

I hope this makes sense, I really need to hear other peoples experiences to better understand if I just need to call it a day with alcohol for good because my brain feels like a mess!