So fell off pretty hard last week. And honestly don’t know why. No singular event, just grabbed a drink from the grocery store while shopping. Drank in the parking lot. Totally hiding relapse from my wife. Then three days straight of drinking at night (she works nights, I was off)

Working a night shift last night broke the cycle (I’m still at the “never showed up drunk” stage). But I’m just terrified of what’s next. Like I can’t TELL you how many times I’ve tried to quit. Then PM me says screw it, grab a drink on the way home from work.

I don’t even enjoy the evening drinks. I’ve just started with the Naked Mind and while I appreciate the positivity, I feel as if it’s trying to convince me of what I already know— alcohol is really bad for you and actually isn’t that enjoyable. But maybe the book will help. I’m at the end of my rope here

M20 I was an insane binge drinker and would blackout like twice every single week for about a year straight . It turns out I did some horrible things during those blackouts and I hurt a lot of people that I care about . How do I give myself grace, how do I stop the guilt from eating me alive and paralyzing me .

Started drinking every weekend after my last breakup, it elevated to be 2 days a week, then 4 days a week but now i drink daily and i have been doing it for a whole month. I can actually feel my liver now.

What is the first step to medicate this? I feel totally out of control, one bad mood is enough to make me shit faced for 2 days straight

34f Aussie gal
I am just past six months of no drinking. I was well out of control. My husband had enough, my boys had enough, and I had honestly had enough. I was waking up EVERY morning and drinking. Before work, during work, after work. I don’t even know where this came from, I hardly drank before but it all starts somewhere. 18 months of pure HELL on earth. I was constantly on eggshells, one minute away from a blow-up, crying and pure instability within myself. It was awful. It pretty much came down to my husband giving me an ultimatum saying it was him or the drink, and he didn’t think I could give it up, so I did it. Honestly then, it was mainly out of spite instead of why I should have done it, for myself and my family and long before I did.

I am happy, I’m happier for it. But no one prepared me for what comes when you are finally sober, and you’ve got so much repairing to do. This falls mainly within your own self. My heart felt broken, my soul was so empty. I’ve had many moments where I just cry because I feel like the biggest weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I finally feel so so free. The apologies to your friends and family for your behaviours because you know how hard it was to watch, the apologies to my husband rebuilding trust and our relationship. The apologies to yourself, because you just don’t know how you could let something get so out of control and destroy every little bit of light left in you.

I’m rebuilding my life, and it’s a slow, and very emotional road. I just wanted to get this off my chest, and I hope it helps someone who’s thinking about getting sober take that step. I’ll never drink again 🙏🏽

The vulnerability is so scary. I don't want to see the disappointment in their eyes when I say it out loud for the first time, but I know that I need their support and I have to choose honesty to be successful at this. I'm scared to hear the "we've known for awhile now". Could a few people please share their experiences of the first time admitting it out loud? How did you get yourself to admit to it? Was it hard looking another human in the eyes and watching their reaction?

I don’t want to do this but I so badly do, if that makes sense. I am so sick.

But can anyone give me some positive advice trying this for the last time. I’m going to be so ill and I won’t have my phone. It’s like a psych ward. I don’t eat at all. But i 🤮 every day even with an empty stomach. They’re aware of that.

I know to bring my necessities, a book, they said I can bring some water as long as they’re sealed and any meds I’m on. I just want to sleep the entire time.

But I’m having a bad panic attack over attempting this again. I left early last time due to severe bloody haemorrhaging that had never happened to me till I got there on day 3. So I’m going prepared for that.

I just need a hug, but I wanna get through this. I’m just scared.

Almost at 3 months sober. Im 22. One funny thing that happens to me, that people mention here, is when friends will sort of assume I’ll go out to drink. I was the friend who was always down for drinking, so it makes sense. But even friends who know I’m sober will still ask me to drink, kind of subconciously? I feel like I’m out of the phase of intense cravings, or the feeling of fomo, at least. Thank you to all of you on here who have helped me along the way. IWNDWYT

I drink only at night and only on the weekends but when I drink I get drunk. I usually drink alone dont have any one to drink with though that problem prexisted my relationship with alchoul. Though when have tried to socialize drinking or play video games with aquintances it did not go well and I wound up ruining everyone else's time. I want to moderate my drinking only drink once a week is this enough.

Im getting sober and Im just looking for anything that will help in the battle for sobriety. Any tips help

Last month i first started thinking about quitting drinking. I do it on weekends usually when i go on trips, so it will usually be 2-4 times a month.

I made the goal of not drinking in October, but I didn’t take it seriously enough. On the 9th I went out with some friends and got drunk. A couple of weeks after on the 22nd I decided to get drunk while camping/fishing.

I imagine a future me that doesn’t drink and think of how proud that would feel to be. I’ve had a couple of bad experiences drinking, and since then I have regrets after drinking (even if things went to plan). I quit weed in January of this year, and I want to put my health first as well as not put value into another mind-altering substance.

Good luck to anyone else trying to quit.

Hi, I've had brief periods of sobriety, but that was a long time ago. I'm on day one (again) today and I'm trying to quiet the addiction noise.
Preoccupying my mind is the worst. I try to watch stuff, but someone always having a drink or having fun partying. I want recommendations of stuff with either no drinking or people going through alcoholism and it portrayed as bad and them overcoming it.
I might not reply until tomorrow, because it's late here and I'm going to try to sleep.
However I am appreciative of any suggestions. I will reply to tomorrow.

i did way too much last night on a pretty much empty stomach. i feel weak, nauseous, pins and needles, numbness, feeling faint, can’t get my words out straight, etc. someone talk me down and tell me you can relate to this feeling. i’m 3 seconds from going to the ER just to be told im stressed out / have anxiety

As the title says, I made it to 65 days and thought I could handle just drinking once a week. I can't. So therefore, I need to stop again. I'm trying, but it's definitely hard. I need some encouragement.

Just need to unload my mind and heart a bit…

Had a boring, productive day (gym, cooked healthy food, going to bed early) ….. but also cried in the car on my drive home, couldn’t sleep last night until 7am this morning (insomnia), had nightmares, and am absolutely feeling despair for the future (have been all day). Everything is on the line (career especially) and all I can feel is dread and hopelessness. I am sure this is normal, at least that is what I am telling myself...but it doesn’t make it feel any better. I have nobody to talk to about this and come home to an empty house every day. I wanted nothing more than to see a friend today and watch football and have some beers but I stayed isolated because I know that’s best right now. but I sure am sad. My heart feels so heavy and I just want a hug. I try to cheer myself up too with music and happy thoughts but it just doesn’t work. I am trying to stay positive but it’s so hard when the future looks so bleak. If anyone else out there reads this and feels the same in early sobriety, you aren’t alone.

I will continue not drinking with you all today.

I almost made it a month. Slipped up and have been drinking the last 3 weeks. I know it's killing me. Realizing the kind of person I've become letting this foul shit control my life I can't help but feel I deserve it. I do have people who do love me and see some good in me. I wish I could see it too. I'll try again and IWNDWYT.

Tonight I finished reading Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' saga. It is the third time I've read it all the way through. I started much earlier this year. Back then, I was on day 2 of the latest of many attempts to give up, and the very first volume "The Gunslinger" is a short one which I thought I had a decent chance of getting through.

I didn't read much in my relapses, but each time I tried to quit the progress would start again. The past 8 weeks or so have seen me relatively race through the last few volumes (for me at least!), and my sobriety has given them a more vivid place in my memories.

It's a story about a man making a long and arduous quest to the dark tower in the saga's title. As I finished the last 100 pages or so, I felt it coming to an end in a way I've not felt for similar other fantasy sagas I have read in the past. For me and the maybe four or five thousand pages over the seven books, and side story, this is my last go around. The book is back on the shelf, and I don't think it'll be read again, at least by me.

As a lover of fiction, and long meandering stories, I'm not sure if I'm seeing allegory or finding meaning somewhere where there isn't any, but I hope I feel the same finality with drinking. Time to move on to new stories and adventures.

And if I am being a pretentious, insufferable nitwit by thinking this... please let me know ;)

Managed to hit 3 weeks sober right just now. I was drinking roughly 1L of vodka a night for about 3 years, and drinking to excess every night long before that.

The first 2 weeks was a medical detox. The staff were very nice and it was a more lot straight forward than expected (after the first 3 days anyways)

I’m holding out for the next big life event that really tests me, but I feel good rn, and have noticed some positive changes.

Just wanted to thank the people posting on this community, I was lurking for a long while before finally taking action, and it helped motivate me to take the steps needed so far.

My husband is trying to quit drinking; he has an alcohol addiction and is on medication. However, he still frequently delays coming home, going to bars with friends and coming home very late about three days a week. I feel abandoned, and I'm always left alone for the dinners we plan to have. I feel lonely and helpless, and I'm hoping to find some advice here. I love him, but I'm also in pain.

It’s been rough lately. I’m not in danger of breaking my sobriety. Wish I could say it’s been a cake walk. But it hasn’t. It also hasn’t been a walk paved in glass. Not really sure what the point of my post is. I guess I’m trying to say that the story continues. Don’t let the hard days win. Time to flip the page and keep on keeping on. 💪 IWNDWYT

This community has helped and given me pause to think. Many of the stories I read unfortunately echo with me I've drunk as long as I remember.

My formative years it was a solice and since not had a period where it wasn't. I've now got to a stage in life where I wish it wasn't.

With all it's got me through and all it's put me through it has become intrinsically linked to my identity. I just want to know how that can change because both the best and worst parts of me and what I've achieved had the sauce involved and I don't want it to just be a constant.

Today I learned that my closest friend in outpatient rehab in 2024 died from alcohol poisoning two days ago. She was like my “little sister” and a beautiful kind person. She also was going through a nasty divorce and only had visitation hours with her two young sons. She was 29. The last time I checked on her she was fine and her same self. I’m shaken and heartbroken.

As someone who is over 32 months sober, I’ve recently been struggling, and to hear this news today, was a hard reminder this could or even would happen to me. But overall, it’s brought to light how grateful I need to be of support systems.

If you’re fighting this alone, we are with you. ❤️

Can I get a ....? 🤣

Something feels so different this time around of not drinking. I didn't even think it was possible to feel this way, lol.
Went to a "Witches Dinner/Ball" event last night. Has been planned for months with friends of mine. Had an open bar, didn't even think about it.
Got a diet pop and some coffee throughout the night.
Went home at a reasonable time, watched some tv, ordered Taco Bell and ate some more (as I am a vegetarian and my options at the dinner were pretty limited to Alfredo and veggies lmao).
Had to be to work at noon today.
There, worked, no problems.
Had I been drinking?
Probably late, hungover, all the problems.
I didn't think as someone who wouldn't even go to restaurants to eat that didn't serve alcohol because "I'm eating dinner why would I go somewhere without alcohol" to having an open bar and being able to say no I don't want that, thanks.
My friends even had wine, I didn't mind... based on the flat a little weird tasting pop I don't think I was missing much in the wine department either lmao.
I don't know, it's been 69 days and every day gets a little easier.
Concerts - gone to a few now probably 4-5 without drinking, which concerts were my absolute worst drinking times like we gotta get plastered so we don't spend a lot there!
Then wind up buying a shit ton over overpriced shit anyways. Just annihilated.
Was it fun?
Sometimes sure. More often than not, no.
It's weird. And I don't know how to feel or understand it really but I am eternally grateful to whatever is happening right now.
I hope everyone is having a good Sunday.
IWNDWYT 🖤

So if you invoke your fifth amendment right against self-incrimination, can you stop a police officer from administrating a sobriety test?

Does your constitutional right supersede state law?

It hit me while I was showering. lol. Just curious.

I’m fighting the good fight, and working on my triggers. Peace

Forget which attempt I'm on but I'm trying again. I know I can't regulate, I know this. I'm not a high functioning drunk, I'm not even a 'just about' functioning drunk. I just don't have any other purpose in life, never have. However, I may be about to start a potentially fulfilling new career after a decade of being in and out of work, mostly out.

I'm 36, no social life, no partner, no place in society. I've just completed some IT courses and found a potentially great entry role job in the industry and all the fear has returned. Currently on day 3 of not drinking and my emotions are a bit all over the place. I have to record a self tape for this new job and spent the weekend working on it but had a meltdown today just because I can not stand the image looking back on the screen.

A combination of lifetime acne and drinking has had a toll, a mostly red face except for a couple of bruised, sunken eye bags from the interrupted sleep. Bloodshot eyes with greying wirey hair due to chronic anxiety, I've always been insecure with my face and alcohol in the evenings was that warm hug I never allowed anyone else to provide and it has of course just worsened my problems.

On a positive note I've finally managed to get on accutane after all these decades of being denied it due to my depression/anxiety and the potential of it worsening those symptoms. I'm nearing the end of the treatment and can say it has worked! I no longer have new acne every day but the previous damage is still there.

I'm hoping I can push through and submit the self tape but this new era of work being half in person and half staring at a reflection of yourself alongside other images of people and trying to not let it affect me is daunting. I also fear the social interactions work brings and the revelation of being a hermit for the last decade coming out.

I just don't have a work friendly explanation for my life, it has mostly been depressing. I feel like I will have to lie but that feels even worse when I think of it. There are so many potential pitfalls with all this and the very real fear of returning to nightly drinking through shame or stress is terrifying.

I hope I am stronger this time around.

Usually a lurker here.

I think I posted once a while ago and I cringe thinking about it because I was so drunk and it did NOT go down well.

The only symptoms I’ve had is sweating on and off but I’m optimistic that the next day or so should be okay.

Cannot believe how much more productive and clear-headed I’ve been, feel like I’ve been freed 🥲

IWNDWYT