Anyone else given up the booze and gone through withdrawals? The booze thread

a reply to: DaisyRainbow

Happy for you that you have found your way to sobriety after such a horrible battle with the excesses of alcohol. Sounds like you have some very good friends in your ‘tribe’ looking out for you. I’m happy you don’t have to give any of them up and still enjoy your time with them at your local hangout. You seem happy.. and that says a lot.

Wishing you continued success with your sobriety as well as the wisdom to help others who you’ve inspired with your sobriety.

a reply to: Sheye

Oh thank you ❤️
It's totally opened up the conversation between everyone in a good way. I could've hidden the whole last few weeks with a few key friends but I went full on public on facebook with it, and I only have around 100 fb friends but all actually loved friends, very difficult to friend me on facebook lol

Anyway, there's a nice group chat and lots of honesty without the shame, somebody had to go public and it has had a strong influence in the confidence of everyone to talk...and that is the first step, admitting it to yourself and to people who you trust. 😁❤️

a reply to: DaisyRainbow

Great thread! S&F to you.

I've had issues with alcohol in my life, and even thought AA would be helpful for me at one point. I didn't have a 'drinking problem'. I had a 'stopping problem'. Here's what I found with AA...

First off, AA really can be helpful, BUT it really depends on the group. To say "AA is absolutely the way to go, and the only way", as a blanket statement, is incorrect. If you can find an AA group with peers you can identify with, then yes. However, when I first went, I thought all the AA groups were pretty much the same. I was very wrong. The first group I went to were 99% junkies and ex-cons, all with lots of jail time, homelessness and crime in their daily lives, not just in their pasts. I couldn't identify with most of them...not even a little bit.

Now, I know in AA you're not supposed to judge, but I'm sorry there are limits (at least for me). Most of those folks needed to be in NA, not AA. I mean seriously, I just couldn't identify with someone who was happy they didn't relapse on alcohol last week when they had their heroin relapse. Neither could I identify with the guy who was celebrating a week sober after waking up in his car (the one he lived in) on someone's front lawn with a stop sign in his front seat, a stop sign which had smashed through his window the night before that he remembered none of. Judgemental on my part, right? Well, except for the fact this same fella was a SCHOOL BUS DRIVER! I'm sorry, but I just couldn't identify with that. Or the blow-hard who drove all around two counties every day to attend 4-5 meetings each day so he could "pontificate", ad nauseum, and at great length, ranting about how he could have been the greatest used car salesman on planet earth if "the man" hadn't been out to get him. Week after week this same guy would show up and do the same thing. And, all I could think about was how fun it would be to give this guy a GIANT, hour-long, "swirlie" followed by an atomic wedgie by hanging him from the ceiling fan by his Under-Roo's! But, I digress.

Then I found another AA group who were folks with similar experiences and backgrounds and it was much more therapeutic.

So, bottom line, AA can be very helpful, but it really depends on the group. You don't have to give up all your old friends, but perhaps consider including some AA time with all that extra time you have by not drinking. It certainly can't hurt, and you might find it really helps.

I also both agree and disagree on the going to the bar thing. I agree associating with people who are actively doing the thing you are actively trying to avoid can be risky for a relapse. However, I disagree that someone needs to find all new friends and completely change everything about their life; to me this is even more risky (people can't change like that overnight).

Just some thoughts.

Here's one other thing which helps reinforce the not drinking thing.

Go into a very popular bar (completely sober) as soon as they open on a Saturday morning. Try to be the first one there. Walk in and take a deep breath...the smell of stale beer and liquor from the Friday night before is extremely off-putting! With a hangover this smell wouldn't have bothered you, but completely sober the smell will make you never want to drink again. And, if you want to doubly reinforce it, walk over and take another deep breath in the smoking area nearby (there will be one). That stale liquor and cigarette smell is nauseating.

Then be happy that you weren't participating in any of that, and think about how good you feel.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thanks for sharing your story and thoughts ❤️

I've mentioned still popping in the bar for my usual - lemonade on the rocks with a generous dash of fresh orange juice lol , that or no orange juice but squeezed lime and slices - it has become my new dopamine hit, my treat at the bar to socialize and enjoy the fun environment.I even go "Ahh" after my first sip psychologically to me it is like an ice cold sparkling wine ☺️

I've also had a few alcohol free fun nights with friends, non drinkers and drinkers, the rule is sober, and bring no booze. We still pour each other drinks like it's wine, it's funny almost automatic like we are drinking together, just not alcohol.
Games, music, laughter, it's good fun and we call it the fizzy pop club lol.
More friends wishing to reduce drinking are coming along, it's great.

I'he found a happy mix and no wish to drink alcohol anymore, at all, I've faced every possible 'triggers' now head on and no cravings. I imagine if a loved one like my child were to die I'd probably wake the snake in my brain and get trashed, not caring anymore, you can bet your house on that lol, but any other crap life throws me I am comfortable and more in control dealing with things in sobriety. No desire for it at all, I know I cannot control it, one would turn to two, then it would be a litre vodka a night, nope been there terrified of going there again 😱

Oh and stale pubs smells were a part of my childhood and from 12 was collecting glasses and bottles for washing in the local pub...how times have changed!