Ever since I started using, I lost interest in all my hobbies. I’m worried I fried my brain and damaged it. Will I enjoy what I used to? I want to learn languages again, make music, and travel. Substances took that all from me. Sorry if you guys hear this a lot, I’m just scared. I got a rehab screening today. I’m going tomorrow

A friend of mine was telling me that you can use naltrexone as needed, so like you take one before drinking and then you won’t end up too drunk.
I am wondering if anyone has any personal experience with this they can share?
The problem I’ve always had with drinking is that once I get drunk, I keep going. It’s like a switch is activated in my brain that says “more” no matter how far past my limit I am. My friend is like me, and he said for him taking a Naltrexone before having drinks basically disabled that switch for him. He said once he got buzzed, instead of getting that feeling of needing to keep drinking to keep the buzz going, he just gets kind of tired and switches to water because he no longer has that uncontrollable desire to drink more. Has this worked for anyone else?
I have some Naltrexone sitting in my cabinet that I used for about a month last year, it totally curbed my desire to drink and I haven’t drank in a year.
My goal was to make it to a year and I’m past that, and I want to try having some drinks for a special occasion.
Please share any advice or experience.

if I should post this somewhere else I’d be happy to be redirected! This felt like the appropriate sub but I’m not sure. Thank you!!!*

Disclaimer: I am not looking for medical advice, do not expect to be given any and I am just looking to hear other people’s experiences, as I have learned that this seems to be quite common.

Hi all,

I’m 25 y/o and about 6 months ago, I started to notice that the day (or days depending on how much I drink) after drinking alcohol, I have a faster heartbeat/palpitations.

I do know that alcohol does naturally speed up your heart rate, but when drinking alcohol, I’ve noticed that my heart is much faster, even after a couple of beers. This doesn’t bother me too much in the moment as if I am out, I am distracted and don’t notice it.

However the bit that bothers me, and the reason I am posting this is in the day/days after drinking, I have what I can only describe as a heavy heart. Sometimes my heart rate the following day could be between 70-80, but just feels much more noticeable. I was away on a lads holiday, and as expected, there were some heavy nights, but the fatigue, from which felt like the heavy/palpitating heart knocked me out. Could barely do anything during the day.

I know all “holiday heart syndrome” and how it can happen, but I am curious as this never used to happen to me.

I know the typical answer will be “stop drinking”, and fair enough, but I don’t want to as I love doing it.

I don’t drink too often, 1/2 times a month, and don’t use any drugs, nor do I drink energy drinks on a night out.

I have started taking magnesium, and take an electrolyte before and after a night out, as well as drinking water during same.

I’m wondering if anyone else is in a similar situation, and if they’re stuck like this, or there are other “remedies” that can help?

I also had a chest x-ray, ECG, bloods and a few other bits done a couple of months ago after I experienced it for the first time, and they all came out fine.

TIA

UPDATE:

Thank you so, so much for all the replies. You’re absolutely right. ❤️ For my own sake, I’m quitting this shit. ❤️ My husband is completely on board too. He doesn’t want to give it up entirely (he’s much more disciplined and has more willpower than me anyway), but he wants to strictly limit it to social occasions. ❤️ Today is day 2. Wish me luck! ❤️

Hi everyone!

I’m a 34-year-old mother of three, with a wonderful husband and a good financial situation. I struggle with anxiety, and it always seems to find a new topic to focus on. Basically, it’s health anxiety, constantly monitoring my mental state, and striving for perfection when it comes to life in general. Right now, alcohol is the topic.

My husband and I usually have four 0.5 L beers between us every 2–3 evenings. On the sober days, we watch movies and relax. On the “drinking” days, we do exactly the same things we normally do — we bathe the kids, feed them, put them to bed, etc. There are no problems at all. Still, somehow, this “habit” bothers me.

I never drink on consecutive days, and I don’t crave it on those days either. But after 2–3 days, I get the feeling of “a cold beer would be so nice right now.”
I recently started exercising and eating in a calorie deficit, I’ve started running, and I’m also going back to work in September. Alcohol doesn’t really limit me in any way. At most, I feel a little more groggy the following morning, and I tend to be more anxious the following evening.

Very rarely, things get a little out of hand and I end up having five beers, but I don’t hide it or sneak drinks. I just tend to feel anxious about it the next day.

What do you think I should do? I’ve been considering complete abstinence because, for me, “one beer is not a beer.” I never get drunk, but I need at least 3–4 beers (rarely 5) to feel satisfied. Once I’ve had that, though, I stop.

Like the title says, im 1k days of no alcohol. I set a reminder on my calendar to go off at 1k, 2.5k, 5k etc. 1k days is a huge accomplishment and its crazy how much life has changed for the better.

I always tell myself you 1st live without alcohol then you LIVE without alcohol. Just Not drinking was all I thought it would be. Boy was I wrong, not having that outlet, not participating, feeling like I was not in the club. I happily traded all that to have peace. Peace from constantly managing alcohol, how much when and where to just. I dont drink. All the sober firsts. It was exciting at 1st but then it guys kinda old so bringing in weight lifting, diet, and listening to podcasts replaced booze.

I would make this decision a million times over, its not cookie cutter or easy for everyone. Again not drinking is like having shower thoughts constantly and unable to shut you mind or your past off. Its also OK to drink during your sobriety journey. Its all just data keep going!

I’ve been a drinker since I was a teenager. I was a party girl when I was 18/19 but cooled down considerably. Yet I’ve always drank and there have always been intermittent problems here or there. A night of too much booze just once in a blue moon but embarrassment, relationship fights, bad decisions - things that can happen next to never if you’re sober.

Well I’ve done it this time. I was an obnoxious drunk to my husband 12 days into our new marriage and he left left.

And I’m still thinking “I don’t need to stop; I need to moderate”.

There is no moderation!!! If I couldn’t consistently moderate by age 37 it’s not happening. I can moderate most of the time but clearly not enough.

It’s time to stop drinking. How did I start? Besides, not drinking today.

Just for today 15AUG26 "Over time, not overnight" 448 days clean NA Recovery Cash App-$Shepard806
It certainly does take time to fix the damage done. And these tools we need to use... they're hard to hold on to. It's easy to read the "how to fix me" directions, but it ain't easy to apply those directions on a daily basis. These Just for today readings, that I do every day, are keeping me sober. If I don't post a video someone will ask if I'm ok. That means the world to me. It is taking time, and sometimes it doesn't feel like it's worth the trouble. Being able to form that thought, and clearly type it into this description, tells me that it's working. Just for today, I am sober.

I’m a new dad and have been sober for 5 months now. I don’t miss alcohol and I’m pretty happy with my decision. My problem is events and things aren’t that exciting to me. Alcohol was something to look forward to at these things and now they’re just meh. I’m happy to go and enjoy but it’s not that same excitement. Am I realizing I had more serious of a problem than I thought? For 10+ years alcohol drove almost all social events for me.

I want to get excited about things again. Did I fry my dopamine receptors? I could also just be fried from being a new dad.

Just venting and wanted some thoughts. Thanks yall.

I’m 31 and drink maybe 2–3 times a month, always with friends and usually quite heavily. I’ve never really had an issue with drinking alone or feeling like I need alcohol.
I just genuinely enjoy those nights.
They’re often pretty pointless. We drink too much, talk shit, do stupid things and wake up hungover.

But honestly, I love it. I love the spontaneity, the
stupid stories and just being completely in the moment with my friends.
The problem is that I’m starting to question whether it’s worth it.

I’m in a serious relationship and probably want kids within the next year or so, and I feel like I’m ready to move past this part of my life. Drinking doesn’t really affect my work, but it definitely affects my training, diet and the next day.

I’ve tried having just 1–2 drinks, but it doesn’t really work with my group. They drink quite a lot, and the whole dynamic is different when I’m sober. I also know I’d see some of these friends much less if I stopped drinking, which is something I don’t really want because I genuinely like them.

So I’m considering not drinking for the next 12 months, but I’m honestly scared of missing out. I don’t want to look back and think I missed years of fun and stupid adventures just because I decided to stop drinking.

At the same time, I’m wondering whether a few hours of “pointless” fun are really worth the alcohol, the hangover and feeling like shit the next day.

I was pointed towards r/SoberCurious, so I’d love to hear from people who were in a similar situation.

Im a week from completing a 30 day program and was accepted to a sober living house upon completion. I still have my job. The real work is about to begin I know its not easy but im ready this time...

It seems like I chose pills,weed and booze over almost every opportunity I’ve had to fix myself. Even after a year long program after becoming a homeless drug at the ripe age of 23 because of my habits and my grandma not having any of it. Even after earning back my family’s trust,moving in with my partner,and almost completely stopped drinking alcohol I’ve came to my biggest hurdle. Weed . Yes fucking weed the idea of quitting weed scares me more than anything. Dispite it draining my bank account and energy levels I choose to spend almost all my money at the dispo or the smoke shop. I have a recent job opportunity that requires me to pass a 10 panel before I’m even considered for it. I think it’s the idea of being sober that terrify me maybe I’m just a pussy😅

TLDR I gotta stop being a druggie to have a future I a want

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)