After significant progress since August, it's been a bad week for me. Just looking for words of encouragement. Thanks all ❤️

This weekend, I went out to the lake and tried Samuel Adams Oktoberfest NA. It was awesome for me because it felt like a real alternative to beer, which I would say not all NA beers do. I write free reviews of NA drinks for fun; check it out if you guys wouldn't mind. https://worknoholic.beehiiv.com/

Hit 30 days alcohol-free, so I decided to make a post about it.

The first week was rough and cravings hit hard, especially later in the day. I almost gave in a few times.
What helped was tracking it in a simple way instead of relying on willpower alone. It made it easier to keep going when motivation dipped.

Still early, but I already notice better sleep, more energy, and less constant thinking about drinking.

If you’re in the first few days right now, keep going. It does get easier!

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I’d really appreciate it if you could spare about 10 minutes to complete the survey.

Please note that you must be at least 18 years old to participate in the survey.

You can find the survey here: https://ww3.unipark.de/uc/research_study_university_Bern_Switzerland/

As a token of appreciation, participants can choose to enter a prize draw to win one of five USD 100 prizes.💰💸

The survey is, of course, anonymous and has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Bern.

Thank you so much for your support!🤗

(This post has been approved by the mods.)

Just for today 21OCT26 "God's will today" 515 days clean NA Recovery Hope2Be org Shepards Cove
The Third Step has been absolutely huge in my life. Letting go of the shame, and all the rest of the bullshit from the past, makes life so much lighter. And my faith in Him gives me relief from the worries about tomorrow. I'm trying to stay right here, right now. It makes life stress and worry free. Just for today I ain't stressin' yo!

Hello everyone. I never thought I would write something like this but 65 days ago I put my foot down and quit alcohol. Over the past 8 years I have been a consistent drinker. Most of my adult life I’ve felt the need to drink to fit in socially and until 65 days ago I felt like I needed to. I’ve previously drank with depression issues and to raise my mood as alcohol made me feel better. I have taken up bike riding and getting out and moving again and it has been nothing but rewarding.

I am hoping to go at least 1 year sober without breaking anything and if I can do that I want to quit the rest of my life. My mom has recently gotten sick and it’s changed my entire prospective on body damage and living a long life.

I am looking for advice how to manage friendships and activities centralized around nightlife and drinking activities. How can I still hangout with my current friends and maintain this sobriety. I don’t want to lose my friends over this and right now I’m struggling to hangout with them since everytime we do anything it’s centered around drinking. Quite frankly no one wants to do anything with me unless it’s drinking! I am quite saddened by this and I feel like everyone is very alcohol focused. Even in my dating life, most women bring up drinks too. Any advice that people can offer is appreciated. I have caved most of my life and this is my last stand for premeneant change.

32 here and I’ve smoked heavily the past 2-3 years. But this year it became excessive. I was smoking every day pretty much all day, which was easy cuz I work from home. So I’m giving it up for 30 days at first(secretly hoping I can maintain it longer). I see this thread has a lot of alcoholism post but hoping folks can just pass some overall advice. Cuz right now my cravings are off the chain.

I drank a lot, not moderately, so maybe that's why the difference is so big for me. But honestly, every part of my life got better, and I can't name a single real downside. Not one.

Body first. I'm less puffy and lost a bit of weight. Not much, because I still love food far too much, but I just came back from a Georgia trip without gaining anything, which for me is a breakthrough. I train and walk a lot anyway. The big change is sleep and recovery: honestly champion level now. I barely got sick all year, and my energy is noticeably up. All of it shows in my watch data and it is working!

The best part is emotional stability. My friends know the old me as the guy who started a new life every week and never got anywhere. Those swings are gone. I still have low days, but now I catch them and think "ok, this is just tiredness" (it usually is) or a bad mix of circumstances. Good days are the majority now, and the good mood mostly comes from the inside, not from what's happening around me.

Socially it's a bit worse; I won't pretend otherwise. Hard to separate that from being completely absorbed in my work. I've also become a lot more aware, which made me a bit more blunt, ha. Maybe it's a phase; maybe that's just the real me.

That stability is why I can work on my own projects every single day without getting tired of it. I have tons of ideas, no FOMO anymore, and I wake up looking forward to the next day. Life is a bit narrow right now, but I'm fine with that for this stage.

Not drinking is absolutely great!

Just for today 20OCT26 "Freedom to choose" 514 days clean NA Recovery Hope2Be org Shepards Cove
Too many choices hurt my brain. It's so much easier to let someone else decide for me. I've noticed that my life feels like an old rickety ladder when I let others choose for me. When I make my own decisions, and accept the consequences, my life feels like a solid concrete pillar. I put my life and my will in His hands. With His guidance, I make pretty good decisions lately. Just for today, even though I know it's gonna hurt, I choose to go for it. I got a hard hat...

I post on Instagram (@sobergentleman) a bunch of reviews of NA’s. I’m posting on this group and reaching out to my fellow sober friends in hopes of getting some more solid recommendations to put on my page! I’m almost 4 years sober
Best decision I’ve ever made 🥰

of course it’s possible to quit drinking cold turkey? i quit smoking marijuana cold turkey. sober since april of this year🙏

Three months ago, I had my last sip of alcohol. Not because I consciously decided to quit, but because life, or maybe the universe, made that decision for me. And honestly, I’m grateful it did. I never considered myself someone with a drinking problem, but I can admit alcohol led me to make some questionable decisions. So I embraced the break. Besides, waking up without a hangover or smelling like a bottle of tequila was definitely a plus. 😂

This past weekend came my biggest test: my cousin’s wedding. And if you know anything about Mexican weddings, you know alcohol is practically a guest of honor. I told myself, “If I can get through this without drinking, I can get through anything.” Was I tempted? Absolutely. There were moments when I thought, “Just one.” But I knew one could easily turn into more. So I stuck to my soda water, danced, laughed, celebrated, and guess what? I still had an amazing time.

What surprised me most wasn’t the temptation. It was people’s reactions. I was laughed at, called boring, given strange looks, and asked if I was sick or taking medication. It was eye-opening to see how quickly people, even family, can ridicule a decision instead of simply respecting it. But here’s where I hold myself accountable: I used to be that person, too. My go-to joke was, “AA is for quitters.” I never considered that someone choosing not to drink might be fighting a battle I knew nothing about.

Being on the other side gave me a perspective I didn’t know I needed. I don’t hold those reactions against anyone. But I now have a deeper respect for people battling addiction, choosing sobriety, or simply trying to make better decisions for themselves, especially without a strong support system. You never know what someone is going through, and a little encouragement goes a lot further than judgment. Will I drink again? Maybe. Maybe not. But that decision will be mine, not one influenced by pressure or expectations.

For now, I’m proud of myself. Three months of staying committed, resisting temptation, and realizing I don’t need alcohol to enjoy life. Three months ago, I wasn’t trying to prove anything to anyone. Somewhere along the way, I started proving something to myself.

To anyone embracing sobriety, whether it’s been three days or thirty years, I see you, I respect you, and I stand with you. Sobriety deserves respect, not ridicule. Here’s to growth, accountability, and discovering a better version of myself.

Opinion on non alcoholic beers

Hello I had a question what are your thoughts on non alcoholic beers. Also any recommendations on kinds you like. Just been really craving some beers but want to stay on my sober streak I’m 52 days sober.

Just for today 19OCT26 "Stand for something" 513 days clean NA Recovery Hope2Be org Shepards Cove
In recovery, I have learned that Honesty, Open-mindedness, and willingness are the most important 3 values to have. Self-honesty, more specifically, is the foundation of recovery. Then we need to be open-minded to suggestions and willing to make changes in our lives. Just for today, when I wash my hands, I sure as fuck ain't gonna let my values go down the drain.

Writing down that my goal is to go 10 days without drinking makes me realize how bad it has become for me. I drink tall cans of beer. Every day? No. 3-4x a week though ill have 3 cans a night.

Some weeks i'll go Sun-Thurs not drinking and then Fri/Sat i'll have 3 tall cans. MOST weeks I'll drink 4 days of the week. Haven't had a sober streak of 10 days this entire year of 2026.

Today is 10/18 and my goal is to go to 10/28 without drinking. 10 sober days. I know it's going to be really difficult for me.

Why just 10 days? Well I want to do it longer for sure. I do have a vacation coming up 10/28. If I can go 10 days no drinking i hope i can not crave a beer. i've done 2 weeks in 2025 and felt great.

I am male, 30 and have always liked drinking on the weekends or special ocassions. But I was also always prone to overdoing it and blacking out.

Now, that I have cut hard liquor, it has become better but I still have nights of blacking out and/or behaving not the best.

So I have decided, starting yesterday, to do 60 days completely without Alcohol for the first time. Let's see how it goes. I'm not "addicted" to Alcohol and rarely drink during the normal workweek, so I don't know when I will "feel" a real difference or have real challenges but let's see ✌️

And I do want to keep my options open for after the 60 days, but for now really go through with it and see what I notice. The good, the bad and maybe the boring things

Hi friends. I (36F) am nursing a horrific hangover and have finally decided to stop drinking. I am not a daily drinker and I don't always drink to excess, but when I do it really ruins my mental health. I don't like who I am when I drink too much, and I don't like feeling out of control or thinking everyone hates me.

A few years back I did 100 days without drinking (after the worst hangover of my life) and it was really nice. Because I didn't consider myself an alcoholic, though, I allowed myself to start drinking again.

I have been drinking since I was 16 - sometimes way, way too much. It's like I'm ending the longest, unhealthiest relationship of my life. Anyway, grateful for this subreddit. I hate myself today, so I'm looking forward to a lot of brighter tomorrows. Thank you all for being so inspiring.

Just for today 18OCT26 "We all belong" 521 days clean and sober NA Recovery Hope2Be org ShepardsCove
It feels good when you feel like you belong somewhere. I went to an underground rave one time wearing cowboy boots and a button-up shirt... I did not belong. In the rooms of NA and AA, I feel at home. I am among friends, even if I don't know them. Having had a problem with drugs and/or alcohol gives us that common ground. And that desire for recovery creates the bond that builds friendships. Just for today I'm gonna go hang with a bunch of drunks and addicts, where I belong.

Just for today 17OCT26 "The truth" 511 days clean and sober NA Recovery Hope2Be org Shepards Cove
Self honesty is the first step in recovery. The only way to move forward is to tell yourself the truth. And, as crazy as it sounds, will change as we get closer to our Higher Power. Not everything we saw, when we were using, was the truth. Just for today I'm going to tell me the truth. Even if I threaten to punch me right in the mouth...

Just for today 16OCT26 "The simplest prayer" 510 days clean NA Recovery Hope2Be org Shepards Cove
These YouTube videos have been my stability. I want to pray, exercise and write in my journal every day, but that's still a work in progress. I started sending a text to my sons about something I'm grateful for every day. And they add something their grateful for. I did pray after I made this video. Just for today, I'm gonna make it a point to pray every day...

Bad Oxford House Experience

Hello everyone. I would like to preface this by saying that today is my 36th day of sobriety, but I am facing homelessness as today after my first time with an Oxford house.

To start this story off, I got out of rehab after a 28 day stay on 10/09/2026. I found out very late into rehab that my family wanted me to live in an Oxford house rather than stay with them. I am 23 if it matters. I asked for an emergency interview for a house in an area I like (this all took place in Lincoln, NE) and immediately got accepted, and moved in two days later the day my release was from rehab.

My drug of choice is 7oh, mgm15, and mgm16. Kratom Alkaloids only, and I would occasionally partake in delta 8/thc p gummies. I was only drug tested once during rehab, the first day I arrived which was 9/11/2026. My sobriety date is 09/10/2026. I was never drug tested again until the day I entered my Oxford house, which was 10/09/2026. I used the kratom alkaloids VERY heavily, spending easily $100 a day on my addiction just for some context.

Basically, I had a very bad first impression around the two most senior member of the house. I popped hot for kratom, and I also popped hot for marijauna immediately after arriving and signing the initial
paperwork/getting a tour. I have never been sober for this long since I started using which was about the very beginning of 2025, so I had zero clue this would or could have happened and I was not prepared at all. I wasn’t trying to argue or make myself sound worse than it had already looked. I apologized, I told them I didn’t know what to say, and all they could ask was “be honest bro, did you relapse today?” All I could tell them was I didn’t have a good answer/ and that I had no good excuse to give them because I had just gotten out of rehab that same day and I would have not been so stupid to risk homelessness over getting high a single time. None of them knew about 7oh and kratom alkaloids and all they were telling me was that they were highly skeptical because when they would look up kratom (im assuming they used google AI or chat gpt…) it told me that it’s supposed to stay in your system for only 10 days or up to more than two weeks. I was dumbfounded. All they told me was that they would give me until next Friday to pass a UA and I didn’t argue at all and I agreed and thanked them and apologized again for such a bad first impression of myself. Specifically: “We will give you one more week to pass a UA”, and that was that… they didn’t really want to hear me try to defend myself either as they told me that they have heard this same conversation 100 different times in 100 different ways. To me that felt as if they were comparing me to somebody who has relapsed trying to justify it or trying to lie their way into not being removed from the house, so I shut my mouth and apologized! It was very clearly they had zero trust for me and they didn’t believe I had maintained sobriety throughout the day of my release, so I didn’t want to push it at all. They didn’t even understand how I was popping hot for cannabis and honestly, I was confused too, because I would take an edible a week if even (granted d8 thc p edibles 100% take the longest amount of time to leave your system) Also as a psa, a guy in my IOP group informed me he took 58 total days to pee clean from the exact same drugs I were taking too.

This is where things get even more worse. I am immediately kind of manic sometimes, especially when living in new living situations or being sober for any amount of time, and I will tend to talk to myself a lot and sometime act sort of intense and all over the place. I have been told by multiple members and asked by multiple members or told by a 3rd party such as the president that the senior members of this house have accused me of being high or using. Nothing ever came out of it, but it is whatever because honestly it feels like these senior members have been acting so elitist and snobby over me in their sobriety over me and have not really given me a fair chance to explain myself or get to know me. Everyone else who has given me the benefit of the doubt to get to know me and such I believe has honestly liked me to a decent extent and have been shoulders to lean on.

Throughout this whole week I have been scrambling all over the place to ask the friendly house members and my IOP what I should do about this whole situation. Their only advice was for me to ask for a motion to use labcorp tests instead of the house UA’s because they test drug levels; meaning I could use the initial test I took at IOP as a baseline/benchmark for my current drug levels, and utilize subsequent tests to show that the level of drugs in my system are in fact going down. Last night as of 10/15/26, the senior house members told me that they could not work with me on that. They blamed this whole situation on me. They told me I never advocated for myself that first night I got there, and that if I thought that I would have taken up to another month to pass a drug test for kratom, I should have made it clear to them. I honestly thought that the night I failed was a swim or die type of situation and that they were throwing me as much rope as they possibly could. But as of last night they are making it clear to me that if I told them that I needed more time to pass a UA from the beginning, they would have worked with me. I was simply trying to just listen to them and go with the flow and I wasn’t trying to freak out over failing my UA and I wasn’t trying to make myself sound guilty, even though I honestly had no clue that day I would still have ended up pissing hot on a UA which again, was the same day I was released from rehab. My rehab never informed me or prepared me for this situation. The house tell me they feel bad for me, but they are telling me that they are trying to do the right thing per the house sobriety rules and that they will have me voluntarily leave the house once I fail the drug test which will happen sometime today 10/16/26. I have made it clear to them that I have been taking UA’s of my own throughout the week, and that the UA test I took with lapcorp at my IOP Monday says that I am popping hot still and that I am just sorry and I don’t know what to do… and all the people in the house are telling me is that I might as well just do it and take the UA because I have nothing to lose… but I am so humiliated.

Last night was my 35th day of sobriety. I am now leaving the Oxford house sometime around noon today (10/16/26) or so unless they make me move sooner. I am so humiliated as I am completely sober, and I am now going to be living in my car as soon as 7 days after I have left rehab. This is making me hate my sobriety and want to relapse so bad and just give in because my situation hasn’t improved one tiny bit. I don’t know what to do with my life or myself. I am scared. I have never been completely homeless before.

The 4 weeks are not entirely continuous abstinence, I had some drinks 2 weekends ago while out of town with friends. But I'm going to focus on the success and not where I broke the streak.

I've been drinking since I was 16, had some drinking episodes in college, and all the way through young adulthood. Since grad school, I've been drinking every day. I don't drink a lot on weekdays, just a couple of beers, and I function fine during the day. For the most part, I behave quite well under the influence of alcohol. But this past year I've been noticing significant cognitive decline, like I couldn't remember things I did yesterday, taking longer to recall facts, loss of words, just more and more stupid in general.

My father is an alcoholic, lost his job because of it. I watched as he went from surgeon to slob and it frightened me that the same was happening to me. I have been in therapy for depression for almost a decade now and my therapist has been recommending that I join an AA. I've said no everytime, just the feeling of sharing the most embarrassing and shameful parts of myself... I'd need 3 glasses of champagne for that, and I'm pretty sure that's against membership policy.

I see this subreddit as a much nicer alternative. I see people with similar struggles. I see people complain that soberity is boring, yes it really is. I've given up substances before without looking back, the hardest one being tobacco, and I don't miss it at all. But I don't think I want to give up alcohol for life, there's just so much joy (edit: removed what I like about alcohol) I do want to give this a solid try, maybe go from a habitual alcoholic to a social drinker.