c/interestingasfuck

You probably already know this but as a general PSA, don’t hesitate to seek out medical help if you’re having other symptoms or severe anxiety; alcohol withdrawal can be fatal without intervention

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/...

You can do it!

The hardest part is what you gave already just done, good luck!

I had trouble stopping for a good while, then one day I realized it was Saturday morning and I was out for a walk on a chilly, sunny day and I felt good. It was like a switch flipped. In a flood I realized that I had trapped myself in a habit I didn't even like any more. My health had already suffered a bit from it, and the upside of having a ton of friends and family at gatherings cracking open a few had faded, friends moved on as they do, family expanded and the growing complexity of it all made alcohol an anchor rather than a buoy, and it went from a catalyst for fun to a stress factor that only had downsides.

I realized those old days were gone. My cousin wasn't going to hurl over the railing at my other cousin's wedding reception while our uncles roasted and toasted him from an open trunk. I wasn't loosening up in the hopes of talking to a cute girl at a party. I was sitting alone in my basement on a Saturday with a jug of questionable vintage, drinking because there was in that habit a faint recollection of good times past, and a compulsion that was just strong enough to keep me there, but weak enough to fly under the radar.

I love a fizzy club soda. I love a cup of mint tea. I love feeling the day as it happens, the drag of a bad time felt fully ricochets into the actual good feeling of an accomplishment, however small.

It's not a tough choice any more, because I've seen it in the light of day... But it's still there.

Also, to echo another poster, you CAN do it.

The first day is the hardest part. I have full faith in you and for your next 24 hours, I'll pledge with you, IWNDWYT (I will not drink with you today). Don't worry about next week or even two days from now. Lets do another 24 hours not drinking together.

Also, not to swamp you with books but the book Allen Carr's Quit Drinking Without Willpower changed my entire mindset around alcohol and that made it much easier to get thru the cravings that happen in the first couple weeks.

https://www.aa.org/...

Not the AA Big Book, but a guide to tricks for not drinking.

You can do it! Bite its fucking head off!

The longer I look at this, the worse it gets

A the classic road map of working in tech. Programmers be like "Lead dev: How did you write this code? It's really good", "Senior dev: I don't remember." "Lead dev: No worries, keep up the good work! Want to go to the pub later?"

Heh at least my friend doesn't get blackout drunk anymore.

that's worth posting to !programmer_humor@programming.dev if it hasn't been already :)

Congrats! You should feel really proud of yourself!

When I was in elementary school, a teacher said like "I haven't had a drink in 5 years" and I said "Wouldn't you, like, die?"

I don't know if he thought I was fucking with him, or my parents told me not drinking booze was lethal, or what, but he didn't like laugh and clarify what he meant.

Colorblind shrodingers drinking problem?

When I quit smoking tobacco, I waited as long as i could to have my first smoke of the day. Some days I made it very far, some days I lit up right when I woke up. Eventually I made it through a whole day.

It accelerated pretty fast after that cause once I got a few days under my belt, I felt positive reinforcement. Relapsing didnt crush my spirit, I could be so happy with how much time I "earned" last go around. Not bad that I failed to "quit". This really flipped the script for me. I felt stronger as I kept trying rather then pulled apart and broken down.

If being hard on yourself worked, we would be perfect by now.

I'll offer insights into two I have experience with. First there's AA. They're faith based but leave it to the individual to define their higher power however they wish. But the point is that people don't believe they have it in themselves to quit drinking so they must submit to something they consider outside themselves in order to stop. AA is also where you get the "12 steps", which are what you have to go through in order to have the best chance of maintaining your sobriety. The steps are all faith based, such as giving yourself over to god in order to overcome your addiction. In meetings, you have to label yourself as an alcoholic when you start to talk, such as "I'm Luna, I'm an alcoholic. This program also labels you an addict for life and insists on total abstinence from your drug of choice

The other is Smart recovery. They are not faith based and rely on reason and psychology to change behavior. They offer workbooks with the goal of helping you understand the patterns and mindsets that led to your addiction and how to modify those behaviors. They have a 4 point program based on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and is meant to be a temporary support rather than a lifelong commitment.

What I've experienced in meetings: In AA everyone seems constantly fearful and anxious just below the surface, and angry. They really push you to share your stories of recovery and it's somewhat cultish. If someone shares something particularly devastating and obviously needs help they might offer a phone number or say just continue to come to the meetings but they won't offer any support in the meeting because they don't allow cross talk. In a recent meeting a woman was asking someone to change her mind because she was saying the program wasn't doing anything for her but instead of helping her people were asking to have her thrown out of the meeting and one even gave her the finger on camera. It was very disappointing to see.

In Smart meetings cross talk is allowed. There's also the impression the IQ in the room is significantly higher than in AA meetings. They would have been happy to have a discussion with the woman asking someone to change her mind. They also frame the situations you face in your addiction as choices, rather than an all powerful urge that's unstoppable without god's help. If you're a junkie and you have to get that next shot, you have a choice not to do it even though the consequences might be almost unbearable.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for being honest. For yourself and for all those also struggling.

Given the logo in the pic, I would assume drylendar? It seems an app for iPhone

Same, glad I’m not a lone on here.

Ironic

Damn, 53 years?

What replaced the addiction? I'm struggling with something else and have come to understand the addiction usually fills a gap I think

What replaced the addiction? I'm struggling with something else and have come to understand the addiction usually fills a gap I think

Does the docking help with the power grid or is it just an excuse to have fun with the homies?

What replaced the addiction? I'm struggling with something else and have come to understand the addiction usually fills a gap I think

i agree with all of this. it's human nature to fail, and as long as you're still genuinely trying and heading the right direction your behavior is admirable.

While rehabilitation is a very personal journey, it is from my perspective that addiction is a life long thing. There is no "clear" to get to.

I am the same addict I was when in active addiction, just with a better grasp on who I am and what my strengths and weaknesses are. People who are growing through recovery just have more tools to succeed in situations that may have tripped us up in the past back when we were "unarmed".

I've seen far too many people go that route. I am so glad I never developed a drinking problem.

College is such a dangerous time. So many of us drink excessively, and for most of us it's just a phase associated with that time in our lives. But that period also allows alcoholism to sneak in unnoticed for others. When getting drunk multiple times a week is normal behavior, nobody knows to he concerned about the severe drinking problem that's taking over someone's life until it's too late.

Honestly my social life has gone from lonely misery to having the deepest and most meaningful relationships with friends and community since I quit 5 months ago.

Also you don't need to drink to party. Not only can you learn to enjoy yourself sober but other drugs when taken sparingly, carefully, and intentially get even better when your brain is healthy! 😉