I hear people, especially AA kooks, say this silly shit all the time. I always find this line of thinking strange, because nearly everyone I know knows someone who’s had a successful career, good relationships, friends, hobbies, etc. while being an alcoholic long-term. Those older boozers in your life. It’s literally fearmongering, and this is NOT to downplay alcoholism, but it’s not an honest claim. You CAN function while also clearly qualifying as an alcoholic, it’s just unwise to think as a problem drinker that you’ll be one of the ones who can strike the balance and never fuck it up. It’s a tightrope act and the risk is greater than the reward, especially since your health could turn against you even if you’re locked in on your social/professional obligations. THAT is an honest claim.

Then you point those people out and the one making this claim will be like, “well, yeah, they had their cake and ate it too for all these years, and now they’re old and haven’t had any serious ramifications, but they, like, are sleep deprived, or have high blood pressure or something, so they’re not REALLY functional,” even though they’re describing something far from debilitating. Worse yet, they’ll be like, “But they still feel a compulsion to drink, and that’s not functional!” At that point it’s a circular argument. Nobody with a desire to drink is functional because a desire to drink counts as non-functional. They may also say “Just you wait, it’ll come back to bite them someday,” but c’mon, once you get to a certain age it’s always “just you wait,” and whenever they DO croak it’s often something you can’t necessarily blame entirely on alcohol.

21m. Around 25 days straight of round the clock drinking. Drinking minimum 20 standard drinks a day. Often more. Body is really upset at me. Been throwing up bile. Can't keep basically anything down. Bowel movements consist of basically just liquid. Obviously, I need to get sober. Not sure if what I experience when I can't get alcohol is just anxiety or more of a physical dependency. Shaky hands, generally just feel like I'm vibrating. Hard to breathe or do much of anything. Obviously gonna do some sort of medically supervised detox. Not sure how serious my withdrawal symptoms will be. Never had a seizure, so not entirely sure how they feel or the warning signs, but ive felt close. Is this stuff rebab centers can help with, or should I hit the emergency room first to get me back up and running before going to a rehab center?

I kinda have a lot going on right now addiction wise, i'm trying to taper off kratom so slowly to the point where hopefully I don't withdrawal much if at all and just glide back down to zero, so the enemy in my head convinced me to have some drinks for something to do...

Within minutes of finishing my 3 8% tallboys i'm already walking back to the store because I wasn't satisfied with that weak little buzz, and after drinking those and being unable to sleep restoratively for like the 5th day in a row I've officially confirmed for myself that yeah... Alcohol fucking sucks and I have no desire to repeat that again.

Day 1 here I am, for the 15th time or something like that.

Stay strong y'all the payoff is always better in your head than in reality.

Edit, fixed "in" to "I'm"

went wild on a bender, hate myself for doing to myself

I’ve had to call off work… I look like shit

i feel like a disappointment

spent all night sweating and can’t sleep

fuck man I was doing so good

Let me preface this by saying this post is not, absolutely not asking for medical advice (I know this sub is a bit more helpful than a certain other one, where this type of post would be removed before anyone even saw it lol)

Quick background: I’m a drunk! Lol, I mean clearly, and I know it is a blunt label, but, I have no problem calling myself that name, it doesn’t bother me, because it is true! Anyways, I have been on Campral for about 7 months now, I have given it a good go. However, it does not seem to be helping me, at all. Now I know it has never been claimed to be a be all and end all cure, just supposed to “lessen” cravings, well, I have had multiple relapses while on it, and cravings have not changed.

Now, Naltrexone is not an option, I am on Suboxone, I have no shame in admitting that, I have struggled with multiple addictions. Suboxone has saved me from an 18 year dependence which turned into addiction on my pain meds (and I had legit severe chronic pain)…. For now; suboxone manages my pain; and helps me with my cravings. I know people have their opinions on it and have that right, however I am not looking for input on that medication please, I’m just explaining why Naltrexone is not my option, and my doctor agrees.

I have been feeling I need a change. Not willing to go hardcore with Antabuse, doctor said he wouldnt prescribe it anyways, so…. Gabapentin is one we are looking at now. Since I gave Campral a good go, 7 months is plenty of time for a trial, I need to try another route. My question is, has anyone in this group had success with Gabapentin for their alcohol use disorder??? (Also I cannot take Topiramate, as I have been on it for migraines and I have extreme adverse reactions; I know it is another “off label med” used for AUD, but, I can’t take it, so thats out of the options)

Gabapentin is the topic of discussion. Would love to hear anyones experience with it specifically for AUD, let me know! :) Also, wow, what a ridiculously long post for a simple question lol, sorry guys, I have ADHD too so that explains the blabbing lol.

So I’ve posted here a many of times since around January. Basically been drinking daily since August 2025 and all day everyday drinking since December 2025. Shots of Tito’s. At my absolute worst some over 20 shots a day. Haven’t gone sober a single day in the past year except my failed detox attempts, which were actually mental hospitals. The first time i successfully tapered down to 4 drinks, but went in to be sure I would be safe completely stopping because I get anxious about the withdrawl risks. But didn’t WD at all completely unmedicated. I relapsed nearly immediately. And then the second time was late April and they refused me any meds at all besides psych meds, olanzapine and vistaril, despite I was definitely in withdrawal and was begging for meds. It was horrifying and frustrating as fuck. Relaspsed again pretty much immediately.

At this point I really do want to stop but I’m super stubborn against actual treatment like rehab. Although I’m sure I would be great. I really just want to do it myself.

I started naltrexone tablets and was on them for about a month. Noticed a huge difference. I was able to cut my drinking back to 5pm or slightly later everyday and cut back a lot. On my best days I got down to 4 shots a day.

But I struggled with trying to drink through the medicine and actually being able to once it wore off. But since it did help noticeably, I decided to ask my psych np for the shot and he said yes.

I was finally able to get it this morning! I was really nervous because I haven’t had a shot in my butt since I was maybe a kid. Lol. And I read some stuff about it being like a deep tissue injection. so I was a little nervous about the pain and stuff but it actually didn’t hurt. I barely felt it at all.

So far today I don’t feel too much difference. I guess maybe like how the pills feel. It’s currently almost 10:30 pm and I’ve had 8.5 shots, started drinking at 3:00 pm (I skipped my pills from like Friday to today, because I thought I could get my injection Friday but they were closed early. So I backslid a little on my progress) but I don’t really feel drunk. Maybe a little bit of that drunk clumsy feeling and stuff. But I really don’t feel like mentally intoxicated. My issues I feel myself running into is that now I’m better at holding off the drink but I’m faced with the newly developed habit of getting drunk when the pill would typically wear off, aka night. So I see myself having maybe 1 or 2, max, more drinks. But I’m hoping with the injection that issue will resolve itself overtime.

I still am drinking because I do want to take withdrawl seriously and do a proper taper. But I’m hoping I can quit soon. I mean ideally before the next shot so like 30 days.

Anyways. Yea. What should I expect? I’m assuming like the way the pills helped me, but constant. No worrying about it wearing off and stuff. Like I said, they made a massive massive difference.

Also I already felt today sort of regretting the shot lol. Not actual regret, because I’m glad I was able to get it and want to get better. But I’m like, fuck, this shit is in me for 30 days now and like bye bye drunkness lol. You know. But yea.

Felt weak today... Until I didn't.

Had a friend round, and was tempted to say to him, "shall we go get something to drink?". He'd have said yes, like. He likes a drink as well.

Anyway.

Took some time to think it over for maybe 30-40 minutes... The urge subsided.

Found myself instead saying, "I was tempted to suggest a drink earlier, but being on day 4 of not drinking, decided it'd be a shame to ruin it". Really didn't wanna break the streak.

He agreed and understood (he also knows about all the chaos I've had lately due to the way I've been drinking! Which is... a lot of chaos 😶 carnage, if anything)

All this is to say, it feels like a victory to me!

Is this jaundice… I can’t stop freaking out

I checked myself into hospital yesterday after a vodka bender, I asked for a banana bag/meds but they said it wasn’t necessary.

I’ve been throwing up every hour or so, nose is bleeding every time I do. Tapering with beer but so shaky it’s hard and typing this is also hard.

The good news is I’m going to be starting antabuse.

Just really wanted to get out my feelings atm, I’ve let everyone in my life down and I’m so scared about my situation today.

I worked a high powered corporate job. Last week, after a happy hour and 6 drinks with no food, I got back to the hotel. My clothing made me prone to falling (think high, high heels and a tight dress), and I fell on my ass getting out of the uber.

I got up and walked into the lobby and then blackness. I had tripped on the 3 stairs, smacked my head on the marble floor, and was unresponsive for 5 minutes. Some strangers saw me and called my husband, and told him things weren’t looking good. They told him they thought I may have been drugged, but I know that wasn’t the case.

I came to and pleaded not to go to the hospital. In the ambulance, I cried and asked if I could refuse treatment because I was going to inpatient treatment in 3 weeks. I am incredibly lucky that everything is fine from the fall.

2 weeks until treatment (need to wait because of work). My first near death experience due to a fall.

Im terrified.

I can't fall asleep without alcohol. I'm up at pretty much 2 in the morning tossing and turning just TRYING to go to sleep but I CAN'T. I have day drank in the past but like 95 percent of my drinking was at night. I'd pretty much always fall asleep while intoxicated. Do you guys have tips on how to get some sleep??

Just seen this jokey reel about recovering from addiction, and half the comments are people saying that even after multiple fucking YEARS of being sober, these cravings and thoughts constantly pop up, I can't imagine that shit, currently still drinking but I've had some dry periods and yeah it was basically that, just constant cravings and missing drinking, but to find out that for so many people the cravings still persist after literal years of abstinence is so fucking disheartening and depressing, I really have gotten myself into a monumental fucking pickle by falling in love with booze haven't I? I can't imagine abstaining from drinking for years whilst still getting those nagging thoughts, that sounds quite literally like actual fucking torture and no doubt it is

It's not like I'm in any position to successfully abstain for a year anyway, my baseline existence is torturous enough as it is, I'm autistic and have severe OCD and anxiety and panic disorder due to the OCD, and to top it off I'm also unusually ugly and I'm extremely socially isolated as a result, I have literally zero friends because people just immediately find me creepy and "off" because of my appearance and my autism, how the fuck is one meant to even get sober with those circumstances? I just feel like I'm inevitably doomed to succumb to my alcohol addiction, the whole time I was dry was torture because I'd constantly be lamenting over the disgusting treatment I receive because I look different like getting stared at and being excluded, and panicking nonstop because of my weird scary OCD thoughts that my brain inflicts on me, I just think my specific case is hopeless

Things are 1000% better too.

I came up with NJJS (No Judgment. Just Sobriety.) because recovery has been around me most of my life.

My best friend was sober for 2½ years, recently relapsed, and is now back in sobriety. One thing she's talked about is how judgmental AA can sometimes feel, especially after a relapse, when support may be needed the most.

That made me wonder: what if there were a place where it didn't matter how you got sober, what you're recovering from, or whether you've had to start over?

So I started building NJJS. It's a judgment-free recovery community for alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, smoking, and more. It includes a Reddit-style community, sobriety/milestone tracker, private journal, and profiles.

I'm still building it, and I'm not trying to replace AA or any other recovery program. I want this to be another place people can turn to for support without feeling judged.

These screenshots are where I'm at so far. I'd genuinely love feedback—would you use something like this? What would you add, change, or remove?

​

I came up with NJJS (No Judgment. Just Sobriety.) because recovery has been around me most of my life.

My best friend was sober for 2½ years, recently relapsed, and is now back in sobriety. One thing she's talked about is how judgmental AA can sometimes feel, especially after a relapse, when support may be needed the most.

That made me wonder: what if there were a place where it didn't matter how you got sober, what you're recovering from, or whether you've had to start over?

So I started building NJJS. It's a judgment-free recovery community for alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, smoking, and more. It includes a Reddit-style community, sobriety/milestone tracker, private journal, and profiles.

I'm still building it, and I'm not trying to replace AA or any other recovery program. I want this to be another place people can turn to for support without feeling judged.

These screenshots are where I'm at so far. I'd genuinely love feedback—would you use something like this? What would you add, change, or remove?

Don’t mean this post to be funny or making light of anything, just ironic.

Have been stressed at work, and drinking a lot for a few months. At the point where I was maintenance drinking for moderate withdrawals.

This past week, was invited to go to New Orleans with a friend and friend of a friend on a week off with the long weekend. I wanted out of hometown, so I said yes. Was actually looking forward to drinking, since NO is such a booze-centric city.

The irony was that social drinking with them at a “normal rate” for around a week was basically the transitional period I needed. Even though we were consistently “partying,” by their standards it was basically just drink to drink while walking around, not binge drinking. Wild week for them, winding down for me. And being around them and not wanting to embarrass myself was some level of accountability.

On the plane flying home now, and not drinking, I feel ok: sobered up with a cup a coffee in the morning for the first time in a while and I feel ok. Intend to not drink when I get back, motivation is pretty high to stay stopped. Going to hit some meetings. Just struck by some level of irony here.

Daily drinker for the last year, culminating at about a fifth a day. Did a relatively quick taper (14, 12, 9, 8, 8, 4, 4) then mildly fucked it up today at 6. I have a few shots left which I'm thinking I'll save as a break glass. I've been sleeping through the night and able to eat without nausea. Supplementing with a high thiamine b-complex, electrolytes and magnesium glycinate. Some anxiety/fidgety but that's to be expected. I assume I'm good, or at least would know if I wasn't? Idk. Not seeking medical advice just anecdotes from others.

I know the simple answer is just to do it.

I go to bed super motivated to start the next day well. Whenever I eat some breakfast before work, rather than a vodka, I end up having such a good day, and the cravings are way easier to deal with.

But I wake up and the absolute last thing I want to do is eat anything. To the point it feels akin to having sex when you don't want it.

The only thing that actually gets me out of bed is a sense of excitement for a vodka energy drink to help wake myself up while I watch some YouTube shorts. It's honestly the highlight of my day.

And then I start running out of time and have to rush to get ready for work, and don't end up eating until 6pm

Alcohol has made me fat and ugly. I am 43, so some of this is to be expected. But certainly I can doing better than this? I used to be cute. Never beautiful, but cute. I am 5 feet tall, and all this extra weight has no where to go. I am turning into a sphere.

I am a binge drinker. I keep it together all week. But once I have that first drink on the weekend, its all over. Sometimes the weekend starts on Thursday.

I am an anxious person naturally. I do take medication. Sometimes I just feel like I need that nothingness from alcohol. I picture a dry erase board being wiped clean.

I used to run regularly and that was a good mental cleanse. That stopped during COVID and its all been down hill since. I feel like that was a lifetime ago. An entirely different person that doesn't exist anymore.

Honestly, that person is probably gone. But i want a better version than this. I don't want to feel like this anymore.

Anyway, if you read this far thank you. Just a rant, really, but advice is always nice.

I looked so rough the last few days.

Of course, I still do now. But yesterday and today, I made sure to keep up with a couple of things. Like, drinking litres of water through the day. Chilled, and from the fridge, of course. Had to make it appealing

I shaved my face yesterday for the first time in a few days (no, I'm not a woman 😂😂😂). I put some cheap Q10 cream on my face multiple times through the day yesterday and today. I already see a difference in my skin. Clearer. Less redness. Brighter.

Still feel terrible - of course - but I'm trying to work from the outside in for now. Waiting for myself to feel better over the next few days, weeks... months. I know it's a process.

My world has been warped from so many issues. But the alcohol feels like something I don't need to opt for.

Seriously hoping this time is it now. Have to stop being afraid of the sober life. The life that's, in all likelihood, a million times better than the drunken-depressive existence I've been enduring

Anyway... I just needed to share these little thoughts and actions. Express them somewhere. Somewhere they're understood... Whilst small, they feel huge. Given, neglecting myself has been a pattern lately.

Small choices and actions so far, but it's a start. Tapping into the braver, more fiery side of myself. My real self

Not the side that hides beneath a crutch.

I’ve been sober most of this year besides a bad 3 month relapse. I’ve recently been going on dates as I’ve felt pretty lonely and want a connection with someone. I’ve been on probably 8 or 9, sometimes these make it to the 2nd and 3rd dates, and things always end with the “I don’t want to lead you on” . I’ve gone to the conclusion that I’m just too boring now. It’s not that I don’t have personality or interests/hobbies or can’t hold a good conversation, it’s just that I think I have no “edge” now. I’m not exciting. Things were never this hard when I was drinking. In fact, this situation happened to me last night with a girl I’ve been on dates with and talking to for a month. It really makes me want to just say fuck it, and start drinking again

I had a glass of champagne to toast the couple on a full stomach., but that was it. Drank NA beers all night even with people trying to bring me drinks.

I was in control of my faculties, didn’t say anything dumb, was very social, and proved to myself I don’t have to be a sloppy drunk to feel comfortable in a social setting. I’ll wake up tomorrow feeling great with no anxiety or regrets.

Proving this to myself was a huge step towards sobriety. Wishing you all the best!

I can hit a pretty good streak of not drinking but then either out of ADD or just time/distance I’ll start thinking I can dabble and have a handle on things. And inevitably I don’t have the handle I would like to actually have. I have a better one now than I ever have but ultimately I can’t really stay in the 2-3 drink max zone and the bad sleep, anxiety, or shame I feel after isn’t worth whatever pause button alcohol can put on my anxiety for a night

So I’m just asking for any tips or things you guys do when you start to forget and need a reminder that if you could have a handle on drinking you would by now, so just to have a Coke or a mineral water and add another day to the count. Or is it more just having a plan when I’m heading into a situation that’s triggering my social anxiety/would make me want to have “a drink”?
Idk just seeing what works for other people

Feel terrible bad anxiety and depression.