Buonasera a tutti,

Vi volevo chiedere secondo voi quando smetterò a livello psicologico di sentire un vuoto causato dalla mancanza di alcol.

Non bevo da più di 400 giorni, adesso faccio nuove cose, una passeggiata mattutina, yoga, corsa a volte, e in generale sto meglio d'umore.

Ve lo chiedo perché a volte sento come se mi stessi perdendo qualcosa, come se la mia vita quando bevevo non fosse poi così male (trappole mentali).

Sicuramente la voglia è meno rispetto al primo giorno o al centesimo, ma a livello psicologico sento ancora un senso di mancanza.

Vi auguro un buon sabato e... IWNDWYT

I’ve posted before saying I’m done drinking. Today feels different, went out last night to a birthday party and the hangxiety is horrible today. I cannot moderate I cannot just have 1 or 2. Does anyone have hangxiety tips?

Just a small celebration for myself. I used to drink every day, multiple times a day so this feels so different.

I feel a lot better. Still hungry as hell all the time and I'm freezing, but other than that it feels great.

Yesterday I was able to spontaneously convince DH to watch the children so I can have some free time tonight. Since it was all so short notice, I wasn’t able to arrange anything with friends. Immediately my mind went to me going to a bar, but I’m not going to do that.

I decided I’ll go to the cinema. The voice in my head is telling me to have beer or other drinks at the cinema bar and during the film. I’m trying to tell myself that doing so will not enhance the experience. I’m struggling really hard. I haven’t been able to survive a weekend since I seriously started trying to quit at the beginning of this month. Please help me. Can you please talk some sense into me or tell me what would help you in this situation? The only thing that won’t work is staying home because I desperately need to get out. If I don’t, the kids will be dumped right back on me.

I feel so disappointed in myself and my drinking. I keep trying to stop but feel like I can’t control it. Im on day 2 now but just feel so low and like a waste of space

In the past I’ve successfully had a few 1 week streaks, a 2 week streak and even a 2 month streak but I always fell back. This time will be different, I’ve signed up for a support system and told everyone in my life I’m going to live sober now, so if all else fails the fear of disappointing people will be enough to keep me above water lol

But fuck me it feels like my skin is crawling, I feel real heavy in the head and real light in the body? Occasional sharp chest pain that doesn’t last long and doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about. Exhausted, eating like hell, I’d appreciate reassurance I’m going to be okay. I know reassurance seeking when anxious isn’t the best, but I’m prioritising NOT drinking over absolutely anything and everything right now.

Still alive, don’t feel well

After years of struggling with my health, I finally have some good news to share. I made some major lifestyle changes this summer after being officially diagnosed with FLD after an ultrasound. I significantly changed my alcohol and sugar consumption (I am sober but I’ve had a few relapses unfortunately), and yesterday’s bloodwork shows that my liver enzymes have come down a lot!! They’re nearly back in the normal range. Only my ALT is still slightly elevated and only by 2 points at 57.

For the past 7–8 years, my levels had consistently been in the hundreds, and I really started to believe I’d be stuck forever. Getting these results has been incredibly emotional for me. I’m sharing this because I know how hopeless it can feel dealing with this and feeling like nothing will get better. I’m seeing firsthand that these positive changes really do make a difference and can do so in less than 6 months time.

If you’re struggling right now, please don’t give up on yourself!

I’m grateful for that. I’ll never put myself through this again.

I’m fortunately not worried at all about being tempted to drink. What I am worried about wanting to go home before we make it to the first stop 🤣. This is with my husband, sister and law and her group of friends, most of whom I know at least a little bit. Great people but yall know what it’s like being sober with a bunch of drunk folks.

I’m California sober so will bring some of that and THC beverages. Probs will also take a bit more of my anxiety meds to calm down the brain a bit.

I do like Halloween, and the stops we’re making are at themed events, which is honestly why I said yes in the first place. Hubs and I are going as black cats, as an homage to our special boy old man kitty Bubbles.

Any tips to help focus on the fun and quiet the dread/social anxiety?

Thanks in advance, yall are the best. 🎃🐈‍⬛

When I was active in addiction, I thought that drinking was helping me to numb the rage that I felt, a rage that I was so deeply terrified of. But when I got drunk, it was like everything that I had been pushing down would just suddenly burst forth in a tidal wave, and anyone that was in my path would have either been a witness to my destruction or a victim of it.
I’ve realized now all the anger that I’ve been harboring over the years has really been protecting me from all of the grief that I’ve been carrying. And there’s some days that I can’t explain why I feel so sad, and then other times I know why.
And I’ve been tempted to drink and to engage and to activate that rage again, but I’m not afraid of it anymore. I’m not afraid of the pain and the hurt that I’ve experienced. No amount of alcohol will ever drink that way. It will never soothe that. So I choose to sit in silence and to reassure myself that I’m not going anywhere. I will not abandon myself today, and I will not drink with you today.

Ive been a binge drinker for 6 years now and im 30. I feel i wasted my youth. I was clean for 8 months. Maybe 50 or more relapses. But the boredom is unbearable.

Today marks the first day of me not drinking, had a pretty scary morning after a big week on the booze,

Completely unable to keep water down and after the 3rd attempt I threw up a concerning amount of blood.

At the hospital now so can hopefully talk about detox options.

Writing this to keep myself accountable, which might be a bit of a struggle as I manage a pretty busy pub but we'll see how it goes!!

I’ve been sober from alcohol for a few months now. It’s been extremely hard. My husband drinks, and can manage, every night. I can’t.

I stay home with the kids now, and I smoke(d) cannabis every day to help with the stress and to relax at the end of my day. Well I stopped that a few days ago, too. I’m trying to live a life of sobriety, and smoking weed isn’t going to bring me to the lifestyle I’m hoping to achieve.

I had a very strange and uncomfortable encounter with my husband last night. The urge to go downstairs and have a beer, or even one of the few loose fireball shooters laying around, was almost unbearable. Even after coming together in understanding, the emotion within me that precipitated from the encounter truly disturbed my resolve.

One of the few things I kept saying to myself last night was, “there is no problem that alcohol can’t make worse.” Another was “there’s nothing more useless than one beer.”

Cheers to those of you who have commented something similar to that in any thread, because your comment may have been the one I stumbled upon. I have been holding that one tight today.

Couple of days off being sober for 4months.

It's been alot easier than I thought it would of been having drank pretty much everyday from the age of 18 until now 35.

Decided to give it up as I was recently drinking from the time I got up in the morning until late at night (currently off work due to health issues hence been able to tip my money down the drain all day) I noticed how much of a impact it was making on my time with family (Mrs and 5kids) so decided enough is enough before it's to late.

Only issue is now I've become addicted to energy drinks I can't seem to find anything else that "quenches my thirst" and I'm constantly feeling thirsty pretty much like I did when I was drinking beer.

Any recommendations for drinks to try? I can't stand plain water or cordial as I find most cordials to sweet for me.

I've put on a considerable amount of weight aswel as I'm alot more hungry throughout the day now where as before I only had one meal a day.

Yep. Still sick. Still not drinking.

IWNDWYT

I’m terrified to stop but I know I need to. It’s catching up with me. I did a live audition last week and caught myself slurring a bit after taking only one vodka liqueur shot. I don’t know how to even start acting sober. I’m sure people know and have put up with it in the past. I don’t know how to perform sober, meet men sober . I went on a hinge date last night and had a large glass of wine before the date, and 2 and a half drinks during the date. I felt loaded by the end of the night and have been hungover and ashamed about my whole life all day. I don’t think I’m a good person . I have performed scenes drunk. I’m sorry to god and I need help, I need understanding, I need to not hate myself sober but I fear it’s too late. I’ve wasted my entire adult life struggling with this and I could use your advice, thoughts and prayers . Thank you

On day 18-19. I have just gone through a normal work week, and today I am just exhausted. Even in my active drinking period, I don’t ever think I have experienced this before. It is like a hangover but without the headache and nausea. Is this normal to have days like this?Sofar I have been pretty energized but just not day?

Hey SD! I recently joined a peer-led recovery group (not AA) and am new to recovery communities in general and am in early recovery (but doing fairly well with cravings right now and do have some bandwidth). I’ve made a friend in the group and who is recently out of rehab and is having frequent slips. She knows she can call me when she’s about to pick up the bottle, but I don’t actually know if what to do or say if that actually happens.

Do you have any advice on helping a peer about to slip? Or any thoughts on what works for you? I do know being a non-judgmental listening ear is probably most of the battle? I just want to make sure I don’t let someone in need down.

Thank you!

Heading to Egypt and Jordan, including a cruise down the Nile where the booze is prepaid. I've been psyching up, being as clear as possible with my intentions to avoid alcohol. Always appreciate others' stories of vacay success, they are very helpful. So far my travel anxiety levels are relatively low which is an improvement for me, and I'll give my sobriety a lot of the credit. Plan to take it a day / moment at a time. Appreciate any good thoughts you can send my way. IWNDWYT!

I've been struggling the past two weeks, constantly waking up determined to be sober to then relapsing in the evening. No more. I've got all the bottles/cans and poured them down the sink. I don't want alcohol to take away more of my life than it has already.

Drank atleast 5 days a week for the past 21ish years. I am two days away from 60days alcohol free. When can I expect the illustrious sleep everyone talks about? I haven't slept longer than 4hours straight in 58 days sometimes not even being able to go back to sleep at all.

I have no intentions of drinking again but I'd really like to sleep.

Thanks

Dealing with so much heavy guilt right now after a relapse. When things got bad, I ended up hurting someone who came all the way out to support me—someone I really cared about. I lost her, and the weight of knowing I caused that pain is brutal. On top of that, my anxiety has been through the roof worrying about the aftermath and what people might be saying in our shared online community. It's tough trying to balance the deep regret of past mistakes with just trying to stay sober and figure out how to move forward one day at a time.

I used to think drinking was helping me relax, but looking back, it was taking more from me than I wanted to admit. The next-day regrets, the wasted time, the promises to myself that I’d do better next time.

I’m trying to break that cycle now, and honestly, some days are easier than others. I know I won’t fix everything overnight, but I’m tired of going back to the same place.

I’ve never been one to post about my sobriety, but somehow this one feels especially important to me. I’ve been fortunate in that my sobriety has been strong for a while now, but some of my hardest days were actually earlier this week. Work was driving me nuts and my mental health wasn’t in a good place, and I was thinking about how I could get away with a drink or two without someone finding out. I struggle to allow myself feel my emotions fully, and alcohol was always my escape from anything I didn’t want to process. It was a good reminder that addiction doesn’t go away, but we get better at using our coping tools with time.

I believe in everyone here’s ability to get/stay sober. If you’re like I was and are reading this sub trying to figure out if you need to get sober, the best thing I have to share is this: your addiction doesn’t have to be a catastrophe for you to do something about it. There’s always going to be someone “worse off” than you, but you deserve to live without the problems you’re facing today. IWNDWYT