I quit drinking, for ever!

[fcalise]

Congrats and good luck with your alcohol free life Enjoy!

[Cape1]

Good luck to you. It's a tough thing to overcome but stay the course and remain disciplined. When you see the results in the gym, your motivation will be reinforced.

I've been there myself and understand painfully well how much damage can be done by ignorning this problem. Also, understand this: It WILL get worse if you don't take these steps.

Good for you to recognize this at your age.

[burgerboy]

Good on ya, mate

[mdude1]

good work man!

My family also has a long history of problems all involving alcahol.
Thats why the day i gave up drinking about a year and a half ago, was the best thing i ever did!

[honda954racer03]

I have been on the same journey for 6 months. Before 6 months ago I had gone from using a little tobacco in 7th grade all the way up to being a full blown needle using heroin addict by the time I turned 21. Never went to any sort of na meetings or rehab. The only way I quit was by the will of god or I would have blown my head off already. I came pretty close to death alot of times but now that I have been clean for a while I have zero desire to ever drink or do anything again. I am still suffering from a lot of financial problems and stress I caused my self but things are clearer than they have been in many years. I feel better and happier and more determined than I ever have. When I got clean I replaced it with working out. I met a marine sergeant at the gym and me and him hit off right away. He pushed me through everything and said he used to be a meth addict before he joined the marines. After all this I have learned life is about striving to be better constantly. Its never easy but its a great feeling to feel accomplished and successful and have what you want rather than trying to cover up things you have not taken care of in your life with substances. Figure out what you liked to do before the problem. My thing was racing motorcycles so I am working to get money so I can go back at it. Also the farther away you get from it the easier it is to stay away but you also have to surround yourself with good friends other wise its to easy to give into temptation. I moved over a thousand miles away and started a new life.

[Apothecurious]

I hope we can give you our full support. I quit drinking recently as well. I used to binge drink almost 4-5 times a week for 4 years while I was and undergrad in college. I also have a family history of alcohol abuse and I want to prevent myself from going down the same path. Good luck to you and keep up updated on your progress

[TNetz]

Wow, thank you all for the comments and support. This weekend was a success. Friday night was pretty tough though. After work I went and picked up a part I needed for the jeep to get started on some repairs. It was tough because this is the time that I'm usually headed to the beer distributor. I called a friend of mine that I knew who also quit drinking about a year ago and told him about everything. He recomended that I pick up some non-alcoholic beer. I told him that I had tried it in the past but I couldn't get over the taste. He recommended a few different brands and I talked to the wife and we decided to give it a shot.

I can honestly say it helped a bunch. I had no temptation to get drunk at all over the entire weekend and the taste of the NA wasn't bad at all. I had about 6 over the whole weekend.

It was great being able to wake up on Saturday morning for the trail ride I had planned also. Before I would have slept in and missed everything for sure. I feel like I have my weekends back haha.

The only thing I feel right now is a little guilt for buying the NA beer. I know it helped and my buddy says it's worked for him for over year. I still feel a little apprehensive about it though. I guess it's because I feel like it's a step backwards. Well, time will tell if I keep the stuff around. It may be just what I need.

Thanks again!

[TNetz]

Honda5954racer03, Thank you for the reply. Some of what you said is very insperational. It makes me think that if you can do what you've done than I can surely be successful. I honestly can't say that I'd have the strength to accomplish what you have. Good luck to you and thank you.

[TNetz]

I just wanted to add my approach to my friends. I'm not telling anyone this time around that I quit. In the past I would get on the phone and call everyone I knew just to get it off of my chest. It never worked because I would depend on the their input and not my own decisions.

This time I decided that I would wait until the moment, get together, halloween party ect. and decline a drink on the spot. If I feel that I will get any type of resistance from them than I'll just say "no thank you, I don't feel like it tonight" or something like that.

I just know that the bigger deal I make about it the less chance of being successful I am.

---Other than this thread lol.

[Apothecurious]

I just wanted to add my approach to my friends. I'm not telling anyone this time around that I quit. In the past I would get on the phone and call everyone I knew just to get it off of my chest. It never worked because I would depend on the their input and not my own decisions.

This time I decided that I would wait until the moment, get together, halloween party ect. and decline a drink on the spot. If I feel that I will get any type of resistance from them than I'll just say "no thank you, I don't feel like it tonight" or something like that.

I just know that the bigger deal I make about it the less chance of being successful I am.

---Other than this thread lol.

I kinda agree with you on that one. The first time I quit drinking, all my housemates played with me to try to get me to drink again because I outwardly appeared so serious about it and determined. When I gave it up again, I didn't tell them, and would just refuse drinks as they asked me and that worked much better.

[juboobily]

I wanted to start this thread for a little motivation to not drink again. I will update my progress as the weeks/months go on with honest feedback from the weekends events.

Reasons:
-Legal troubles in the past.
-I'm newly married and if I want to have a healthy relationship with my wife I can not drink.
-I have a family history of alcohol abuse and it needs to end with me. My father lost his family because he couldn't say NO, I need to learn from his mistake.
-No more pointless drama, stupid arguments, and conflicts in general.
-save money
-wake up early on a Friday & Saturday for change.
-Mental health

Since June 09 I've been doing pretty good about keeping it to the weekends only. Before that I drank every other day, some weeks, every day. I always had an excuse for it saying I didn't have anything to do the next day or I didn't drink yesterday so today it's ok.

I wanted a change in my life so I decided to quit drinking during the week and start going to the gym again.
Now, it's not any better. I find my self very irritable on the days that I don't drink and I binge drink on the weekends. I won't say how much I drink but I know I only stop when I'm passed out on the couch.
This past weekend I got into a pretty good fight with my wife and I almost lost her.

I'm done. The only way for me to be healthy is to quit the cycle that I think I can control. I can not drink in moderation, I've tried. It's lasts for a while and then SMACK! It's back.

I'm too old for this sh!t.

Congratulations mate. Keep it up and you won't regret it.

[blockmonkey]

Here is the bb.com alcohol support froup

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...883921&page=30

It's pretty bad those first few weeks You have a good day you want a drink to reward yourself, you have a bad day you want a drink to take away the stress.
You will come to realise though that 99% of that stress and anxiety is caused by alcohol in the first place.

Getting to sleep can also be a little tricky the first week or two so you may want to try something like valerian root, it helped me a lot

Good luck Aaron

[TNetz]

I kinda agree with you on that one. The first time I quit drinking, all my housemates played with me to try to get me to drink again because I outwardly appeared so serious about it and determined. When I gave it up again, I didn't tell them, and would just refuse drinks as they asked me and that worked much better.

That sums up what I was trying to say. It seems to work better for me too, so far.

Here is the bb.com alcohol support froup

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...883921&page=30

It's pretty bad those first few weeks You have a good day you want a drink to reward yourself, you have a bad day you want a drink to take away the stress.
You will come to realise though that 99% of that stress and anxiety is caused by alcohol in the first place.

Getting to sleep can also be a little tricky the first week or two so you may want to try something like valerian root, it helped me a lot

Good luck Aaron

Thank you sir. In.

[plaskowski2002]

I wanted to start this thread for a little motivation to not drink again. I will update my progress as the weeks/months go on with honest feedback from the weekends events.

Reasons:
-Legal troubles in the past.
-I'm newly married and if I want to have a healthy relationship with my wife I can not drink.
-I have a family history of alcohol abuse and it needs to end with me. My father lost his family because he couldn't say NO, I need to learn from his mistake.
-No more pointless drama, stupid arguments, and conflicts in general.
-save money
-wake up early on a Friday & Saturday for change.
-Mental health

Since June 09 I've been doing pretty good about keeping it to the weekends only. Before that I drank every other day, some weeks, every day. I always had an excuse for it saying I didn't have anything to do the next day or I didn't drink yesterday so today it's ok.

I wanted a change in my life so I decided to quit drinking during the week and start going to the gym again.
Now, it's not any better. I find my self very irritable on the days that I don't drink and I binge drink on the weekends. I won't say how much I drink but I know I only stop when I'm passed out on the couch.
This past weekend I got into a pretty good fight with my wife and I almost lost her.

I'm done. The only way for me to be healthy is to quit the cycle that I think I can control. I can not drink in moderation, I've tried. It's lasts for a while and then SMACK! It's back.

I'm too old for this sh!t.

im glad you decided to give it up man and good to see you in the other thread. ihave just over 4 years and my life has completely changed. hang in there!

[WRXbrah]

Congrats on your decision. I hope you keep up with it. Ive personally had many legal/social problems with my drinking getting out of control. When I was younger my friends always found it funny when Id get angry and do stupid **** when I was drunk, infact it was encouraged.

As I got older, it was almost habitual for me to get drunk to the point of blacking out and doing stupid **** and then having to find out next day what I did. I quit drinking for a while as well but I find myself able to handle social drinking as long as I keep it to drinking beer.

My true problems arise from drinking hard alcohol/shots so I now avoid them. So far this has worked for the past year + working out has really helped out with the stress and anxiety. I find myself limiting my beers on weekends when I do go out and its nice to remember where you fall asleep or not be hung over in the morning.

[TNetz]

Congrats on your decision. I hope you keep up with it. Ive personally had many legal/social problems with my drinking getting out of control. When I was younger my friends always found it funny when Id get angry and do stupid **** when I was drunk, infact it was encouraged.

As I got older, it was almost habitual for me to get drunk to the point of blacking out and doing stupid **** and then having to find out next day what I did. I quit drinking for a while as well but I find myself able to handle social drinking as long as I keep it to drinking beer.

My true problems arise from drinking hard alcohol/shots so I now avoid them. So far this has worked for the past year + working out has really helped out with the stress and anxiety. I find myself limiting my beers on weekends when I do go out and its nice to remember where you fall asleep or not be hung over in the morning.

Thanks man. I wish you luck, sounds like you've come a long way.

I agree with you about the hard stuff. I wasn't even allowed to drink liquor haha. My wife told me so because of my history with it. Basically it turns me in an "evil bastard". I didn't mind too much because I considered myself a beer drinker anyway.

That said, the incident that made me finally give it all up, happend while I was drinking liquor. It's funny because I never do. We were at a wedding and it just seemed like the thing to do.

Looking back, I know now that I can not control when I'll be drinking liquor or beer or something else. Hell, she use to yell at me all the time because she couldn't keep a bottle of wine in the house for more than a day because I would drink it when she went to bed. Like I said earlier, I would be able to control myself for a few months drinking in moderation and then, one day when my guilt had faded or I lost my resolve (because time does that), I would be right back; Passing out, sleeping till 4pm on Saturday afternoon, and feeling like sh!t at work on Monday.

I now know that I can not kid myself any longer. I need to be completely sober to have a chance at anything.

Edit: Keep in mind, most of the time I drank beer but that is where most of my troubles came from. My father was also a beer drinker. It didn't help him any.

Good luck, reps sent!

[MidnightSun]

I wanted to start this thread for a little motivation to not drink again. I will update my progress as the weeks/months go on with honest feedback from the weekends events.

Reasons:
-Legal troubles in the past.
-I'm newly married and if I want to have a healthy relationship with my wife I can not drink.
-I have a family history of alcohol abuse and it needs to end with me. My father lost his family because he couldn't say NO, I need to learn from his mistake.
-No more pointless drama, stupid arguments, and conflicts in general.
-save money
-wake up early on a Friday & Saturday for change.
-Mental health

Since June 09 I've been doing pretty good about keeping it to the weekends only. Before that I drank every other day, some weeks, every day. I always had an excuse for it saying I didn't have anything to do the next day or I didn't drink yesterday so today it's ok.

I wanted a change in my life so I decided to quit drinking during the week and start going to the gym again.
Now, it's not any better. I find my self very irritable on the days that I don't drink and I binge drink on the weekends. I won't say how much I drink but I know I only stop when I'm passed out on the couch.
This past weekend I got into a pretty good fight with my wife and I almost lost her.

I'm done. The only way for me to be healthy is to quit the cycle that I think I can control. I can not drink in moderation, I've tried. It's lasts for a while and then SMACK! It's back.

I'm too old for this sh!t.

Good luck!

I never had a drinking problem - even as a University student - however I really diminished my alcool consumption. I usually drink one night per week. And that's between 3 and 6 beers. 6-8 would be a big freakin' night for me..!

[TNetz]

Good luck!

I never had a drinking problem - even as a University student - however I really diminished my alcool consumption. I usually drink one night per week. And that's between 3 and 6 beers. 6-8 would be a big freakin' night for me..!

Thanks.

My wife is the same way. She'd buy a six pack of coors light and have two and be done for the night. Then not touch the rest for a week later. She can also go to a bar and be perfectly happy drinking Pepsi.
I think most people can do that.

I'm not sure what it is about me that can't. Maybe it's selfishness or just being impulsive, I don't know. I do know that when I drink I love it, and on my first beer I'm racing to get to #6, then #12 and so on.

[blockmonkey]

Most alcoholics have an addictive personality. I am an all or nothing person I either put 110% into something or nothing at all

[Flexxo]

HECK YEAH BRO.

Repped.

Welcome to the light side : )

Choosing to become straight edge was one of the best decisions of my life. Couldn't be happier being alcohol, cigarette, and drug free.

[Apothecurious]

Thanks.

My wife is the same way. She'd buy a six pack of coors light and have two and be done for the night. Then not touch the rest for a week later. She can also go to a bar and be perfectly happy drinking Pepsi.
I think most people can do that.

I'm not sure what it is about me that can't. Maybe it's selfishness or just being impulsive, I don't know. I do know that when I drink I love it, and on my first beer I'm racing to get to #6, then #12 and so on.

Lol.. I can't. Since I stopped drinking I can't go into a bar and NOT have a drink. I don't have that kind of self control. I can't have just one either.. which is where my problem lies.

[TNetz]

Most alcoholics have an addictive personality. I am an all or nothing person I either put 110% into something or nothing at all

Me too! It sucks because I become obsessed with hobbies very easily. Then, when it's out of my system, it's gone. It is nice not putting 110% into drinking though lol.

HECK YEAH BRO.

Repped.

Welcome to the light side : )

Choosing to become straight edge was one of the best decisions of my life. Couldn't be happier being alcohol, cigarette, and drug free.

Thanks man.

Lol.. I can't. Since I stopped drinking I can't go into a bar and NOT have a drink. I don't have that kind of self control. I can't have just one either.. which is where my problem lies.

Haha. When I use to go to the local bar there was a guy there, probably in his late 50's, he'd be there everyday drinking Coke and playing pool. I asked him one time why he didn't drink and he said he was diabetic. I never asked him why he still came to the bar though. He never talked to anyone, he'd just play pool amd if he ever lost a game, he'd walk strait out the door and go home. It was sort of funny really.

Me, no way I'll be at a bar if I'm not drinking. Like you, I don't think I'll have the self control. I've tried in the past but drunk people annoy the hell out of me when I'm not drinking lol.

[TNetz]

Interesting article on NA beer.

http://www.dolenutrition.com/article....aspx?RecId=47

[dust1984]

I just wanted to add my approach to my friends. I'm not telling anyone this time around that I quit. In the past I would get on the phone and call everyone I knew just to get it off of my chest. It never worked because I would depend on the their input and not my own decisions.

This time I decided that I would wait until the moment, get together, halloween party ect. and decline a drink on the spot. If I feel that I will get any type of resistance from them than I'll just say "no thank you, I don't feel like it tonight" or something like that.

I just know that the bigger deal I make about it the less chance of being successful I am.

---Other than this thread lol.

Good luck man! I have a lot of the smae stories man! Cops, fights, women, break ups, public hummiliation, major depression..... It gets better bro. I'm not far from the burgh, bout 30 min from Robinson township.

[Thrace]

I used to work in a Liquor store and some of the people I saw everyday really needed help. It got so bad that at times I was turning the same people away 3 times or more a day.

[FATA55]

I quit drinking forever too.....................around 30 times.
Reminded me of a movie
"I didnt have a sip of alcohol for eleven years" 'what happened?' "I turned twelve"


but all jokes aside, good luck bro, If you slip don't sweat it. just keep at it. I Have always had alcohol issues most of my life, but I quit for a year and a half now..So just put your mind to it, and do it.

[staydown11]

tnetz.. i know ill get flamed for this, but think about it objectively. i know this works bc its what i did..

i knew i had to get off the booze. fighting, being forgetful, bad relationships, etc. BUT, i love my beer. watching football, during sports, after a long day, whatever.

so, the same train of thought you have about totally dropping it all, was what i had except i allowed myself to view beer as a food product, like a few slices of bread or something, and i realized that the hard stuff, and EXCESS of beer, had to go...

now i am cool to chill (even at a bar!) with no more than 3 bottles of beer in one sitting. i just drink 'em slower, relish the taste, and look forward to a hangover free morning..

maybe you can learn to set this kind of limit, as opposed to killing yourself with the coldturkey approach... FWIW

[TNetz]

tnetz.. i know ill get flamed for this, but think about it objectively. i know this works bc its what i did..

i knew i had to get off the booze. fighting, being forgetful, bad relationships, etc. BUT, i love my beer. watching football, during sports, after a long day, whatever.

so, the same train of thought you have about totally dropping it all, was what i had except i allowed myself to view beer as a food product, like a few slices of bread or something, and i realized that the hard stuff, and EXCESS of beer, had to go...

now i am cool to chill (even at a bar!) with no more than 3 bottles of beer in one sitting. i just drink 'em slower, relish the taste, and look forward to a hangover free morning..

maybe you can learn to set this kind of limit, as opposed to killing yourself with the coldturkey approach... FWIW

Thanks man. More power to you. I went to an AA meeting a few years ago and one of the members told me the same thing. I guess because at the time I was pretty young, I was also there involuntarily. He told me to keep coming to the meetings, that maybe they would help me drink in moderation. It was a good idea but I couldn't sit there with a bunch of alcoholics knowing that I drank the night before.

Anyway, there's nothing wrong with what you're doing. If you can maintain that way than more power to you.

I can not. I already know this about my self and honestly it's no big deal to me. I don't feel like I'm killing myself right now. So far it's been pretty damn easy. I guess once the switch it off, it's off.

Honestly, I don't care to drink at all. I've been there done that so many times that it's just getting old. I don't care for the bar, I actually hate the damn bar because I don't like being around a lot of people. I've become a major home body over the years and it suits me great.

Yes football will be hard, but after a few times of not drinking I'll get use to it. It's amazing how the body and mind adapt over time.

[iamlegend]

I wanted to start this thread for a little motivation to not drink again. I will update my progress as the weeks/months go on with honest feedback from the weekends events.

Reasons:
-Legal troubles in the past.
-I'm newly married and if I want to have a healthy relationship with my wife I can not drink.
-I have a family history of alcohol abuse and it needs to end with me. My father lost his family because he couldn't say NO, I need to learn from his mistake.
-No more pointless drama, stupid arguments, and conflicts in general.
-save money
-wake up early on a Friday & Saturday for change.
-Mental health

Since June 09 I've been doing pretty good about keeping it to the weekends only. Before that I drank every other day, some weeks, every day. I always had an excuse for it saying I didn't have anything to do the next day or I didn't drink yesterday so today it's ok.

I wanted a change in my life so I decided to quit drinking during the week and start going to the gym again.
Now, it's not any better. I find my self very irritable on the days that I don't drink and I binge drink on the weekends. I won't say how much I drink but I know I only stop when I'm passed out on the couch.
This past weekend I got into a pretty good fight with my wife and I almost lost her.

I'm done. The only way for me to be healthy is to quit the cycle that I think I can control. I can not drink in moderation, I've tried. It's lasts for a while and then SMACK! It's back.

I'm too old for this sh!t.

I agree. You have to stomp on the snakes head.

[TNetz]

I agree. You have to stomp on the snakes head.

Thanks. My new sig haha.