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Posts created by GusA

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

Not sure if this can help me

Hey AJ,

I was in your situation about a year ago. I listened to that voice inside telling me to quit. I am quit now almost 5 months. Cross that line in the sand my friend.

To figure out how, look around on this website. Lots of tools and ideas here for quitting. And there's a great group of supporters here for you as well.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

What motivates you?

What motivates you?

My physical and mental well being.

Internal calmness.

External calmness (stremming from internal calmness)

Peace and serenity since I quit drinking

All of the above have happened since I gave up drinking.

What keeps you in the game?

No matter how bad things may be at times, drinking makes it worse.

Knowing that keeps me on track.

What helps push you farther?

Having a clear head, every day, when I wake up.

Have you found your motivation?

Yes, its the ones I love. I dont want to hurt them by my continuing drinking.

I had a good friend die from drinking last year. He was in his 30s. I dont want to end up like he ended up. There but by the grace of god go I.

I had a dream about him last night, that he was still alive. It was really sad to wake up and and find out it was only a dream. It was a real punch in the stomach when I woke up.

I am off booze now almost 5 months. Once you form the new habit of not drinking, its not that hard. It becomes the new normal. I cannot come up with a reason TO DRINK anymore.

Hope that helps someone.

Gus

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

Moment of Clarity

Virgo, congrats on one week! You just got through the hardest part of quitting drinking- those first few days. I guess you have already noticed that withdrawal symptoms are all gone???

I am headed towards 6 months beimg alcohol free. In this new state of being alcohol free, I have discovered lots of new stuff. Like you, having more time on my hands is one major benefit. I have more time to read, think, workout, etc etc.

I never realized how much time drinking took until I stopped. Planning to drink, actually drinking, then dealing with the dehydration and/or hangover tooks hours and hours.

In fact, the more I keep thinking about what alcohol does for me (nothing), the more I keep saying to myself "Why would I drink again? What benefit will get from drinking? What could possibly make we want to feel drunk and/or hungover ever again?????" My thinking has changed so much over the last 6 months that I cannot come up with one reason TO DRINK anymore. Offering me a drink now is like offering me battery acid - sorry not interested.

Good on you Virgo. Keep up the good work!

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

Hello

Hi mothership16,

I'm a dad, and I made the decision to change my drinking pattern for the same reason as you - for my kids. They need me, and Im sure yours need you too.

Your description of yourself when drinking described me perfectly as well when I drank. I had to quit 6 months ago. I tried cutting back drastically over and over again for about a year. I found it was easier to quit altogether, vrs trying to "manage" my drinking. And I know a few other ladies here on this site who found quitting altogether easier.

For me, "managing" my drinking became too burdensome. Questions i had to deal with included "Will I fall asleep on the couch again? Will I slurr my speech in front of my kids? Who will drive my kids if I have been drinkig? How hung over will i be tomorrow? How down in the dumps will I be tomorrow?" And on and on and on. When I stopped drinking, all those questions stopped. And what a relief! The energy that went into that process was draining, even if I wasnt drinking!

Maybe quitting altogether would work better for you too? Think about it.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

Quit 6 months today

I made the decision to stop drinking six months ago today. I have not had any alcohol in that period of time.

I would like to share a few thoughts with those of you who may be considering cutting back or quitting altogether.

I found quitting easier than trying to cut back. I tried cutting back or "managing" what I was drinking for a couple years. It would work for a bit, but then I went back to the same patterns. Once I quit, and got used to the pattern of not drinking at all, then I found it became easier to just not drink at all, vrs trying to manage what I was drinking. Maybe thats not everyones experience, but thats what I found for me.

The biggest benefit of quitting for me has been the reduction in emotional downs. I found myself down in the dumps alot more when I was drinking too much. Alcohol is a depressant after all, so it has its physiological effect. And drinking too much made me have a lower opinion of myself. Since I have quit, those depressive episodes have stopped almost completely. Life still happens, but the downs arent as deep or as long anymore.

I also sleep better. Alcohol had been interupting my sleep patterns greatly. Since I quit, I have gotten nice deep sleeps every night. As a result, the next day I am more alert, and refreshed, and of course, not hungover! As a side note, I had a dream last week I had been drinking and was suffering a massive hangover. Not sure if it was a dream or nightmare:)

My message to anyone who is considering quitting is that based on my experience, there is no downside to quitting. I have not found one negative thing about stopping drinking. Getting through the first few days was tough, but once I did, it got alot easier. In fact, its much easier than I had anticipated.

I hope this note gave someone an idea or two to help them out.

Cheers everyone!

Gus

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

Introduction

Hey Aspen.

I am really sorry to read about you losing your sister. I cant imagine your pain.

I lost two good friends in a short period of time in 2014. It triggered probably the worst drinking streak i was ever on. In hindsight, the drinking only made me feel worse. Coping with them passing was difficult. I think the drinking just made the depression deeper and longer.

I quit seven months ago. For me, I found it easier to quit outright, vrs cutting back or managing. For me, stopping all together was a simpler and easier plan. The first few days were hard, but every day got easier. Now, this constant state of sobriety is my new normal.

I am no expert on quitting drinking BTW. I just wanted to share my experience. Maybe there's an idea there that may help you or someone else who reads it.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

6 Months!

Congrats Julie! Your success is really an inpuration for me and all the rest of us who have struggled over the years. Like you said, if you can do it, so can I!

I have found this site helpful in so many ways. Probably the biggest benefit is that people posting here are either in your situation, or have been in the past. When i had no support group, I felt alone in a losing battle. Once I got on here, and found people like Julie, it was like the burden was a bit lighter.

I will soon be quit 8 months myself. Best thing ever happened to me in a long long time. Congrats again Julie! Your success gives me renewed confidence in myself.

Gus

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

Hello,

Hey Charlie,

Im quit eight months, after trying for years to quit. My advice to you is just take it one day at a time. Keep reading the advice and insight on this site. It gets easier to quit with time, and you start feeling better everyday you are quit.

All the best!

Gus

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

day one is today

Welcome Globerover, I am sure you will find this site to be a very helpful site for trying to help you break the cycle of drinking too much. I myself am quit now almost 9 months, after a few unsuccessful attempts the previous couple years.

I want to point out to you a big benefit of quitting drinking that may not be that obvious up front. When i was drinking, my sleeping patterns were completely screwed up. Oftentimes, I was not falling asleep. Instead, i was "passsing out." The next day, I was sluggish and tired due to lack of proper sleep ( and on top of that, often hungover). Then on days when i did not drink, i found i couldnt sleep, because i had been dependent on booze to go to sleep.

Since I quit drinking, my sleeping patterns have returned to the way they are supposed to function. I fall asleep shortly after i get in bed (usually I read for 15 minutes). I get long, deep, uninterupted sleeps. These leave me refreshed and energized the following day, not to mention that fact I am not hungover!

So sleeping well has to be one of the biggest benefits I found since I quit drinking. I think this has drastically improved my overall well being. I found after I was quit a week or so, my sleeping patterns started to return to "normal."

I wish you all the best. For you or anyone starting the process, my advice to you is dont get thinking too far ahead. Handle it one day at a time. It gets easier wto not drink with each day that you dont drink. As the booze gets out of our system, your head starts to clear, and it gets easier to keep on track. At least that was my experience.

8 years ago 0 +0 / -0 115

Coping with Withdrawal

Hi Wendy,

Congrats first of all on two years sober! I am hoping to hit that mark in May 2017. I quit last May, after trying a few times unsuccessfully to quit.

Your friend sounds similar in me in alot of ways. First of all, I thought I had "depression" for a couple years. I showed alot of the symtoms associated with depression. Once, I quit drinking, most all of those symtoms went away. Alcohol is a depressant after all, so we shouldnt be surprised if it makes us depressed. Secondly, my spouse thought I had a sleep disorder due to by snoring and stopping breathing during sleep.. Once I quit drinking, that stopped almost completely. I now only snore if i an extrmeely tired before bed. In fact, for me, I would say proper sleeping is one of the biggest benefits I have experienced since I quit drinking.

I am no health care expert, but I really would like to know if your friends apnea symptoms and depression syptoms would be less if he got off booze for a period of time?

For withdrawal symptoms, when I quit drinking first, I was very mindful of what was going to happen. When I got a craving, I said to myself "This is normal. It will pass." And low and behold it passed away after a few minutes.

All the best to your friend. He's lucky to have a friend like you to support him.

Gus

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