Haven't touched a drop in...

Panic E

Havent touched a drop in 5 month's.

Never suited me either, not a 'normal' drinker here no.

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

hubba

Four years this weekend. Best thing I ever did.

marienbad

hubba wrote: »

Four years this weekend. Best thing I ever did.

Outstanding. isn't like grand

Queen-Mise

enoughalready wrote: »

Thanks guys - well the stumble only lasted three days. I've been back on track since yesterday and getting in the right head space. Basically you could say I'm on Day 2 again, but I don't want to necessarily discount the last 18 months either, it was a slip up that hopefully with the right help won't happen again, anyway, I'm more hopeful today than I was yesterday.

The time spent of the drink will stand to you. You are not starting from scratch per se.


I'm hitting a silly amount of years of the drink next month - 21st June. I am nearly twice as long of the drink as I was drinking. Fcuking crazy.

It's like looking into a dreamscape or someone else's life looking back.

quinrea01

hubba wrote: »

Four years this weekend. Best thing I ever did.

Well done hubba, quite an achievement. I haven't been on this site in a while, so I'm just checking in here to see how we are all doing. I'm still on the straight and narrow, TG, and I see lots of us are, but there may be a few of us experiencing difficulties from time to time. My advice, for what it's worth, is NEVER GIVE UP. During my early days I struggled hard to stay sober and I slipped and slid like a duck on ice. At times I wondered if I would ever escape from the drinking nightmare life, but thanks in large part to my wonderful family, I persevered and today my life is so much better. My secret to success is no secret at all: it is simply perseverance. Never, ever give up, no matter how many times you fall down. Surround yourself with love like a defensive cloak and carry on. Because all we can is carry on and do our best. May your God go with you and give us all the strength to live as we all deserve in freedom and love.

souls

7 Days!

Cody montana

souls wrote: »

7 Days!

14 days, nah nah.

Going to a concert on Wednesday and meeting a friend in the pub on Friday though.
So gonna fail.

What booze has limited calories?

Faith+1

3 years. Really couldn't be arsed either, it's great to have nights out and not be dying the next day. I always had a terrible tolerance to drink in the first place, 2-3 drinks and I was p*ssed.

So eventually I just said feck it and went off the stuff. The worst thing I find about not drinking is that people think it's weird you don't. Also they think you're better than them because you don't need alcohol to enjoy yourself.

Had one girl tell me she doesn't trust anyone who doesn't drink and walked away from me. The fuq!?

Sunnyisland

Faith+1 wrote: »

3 years. Really couldn't be arsed either, it's great to have nights out and not be dying the next day. I always had a terrible tolerance to drink in the first place, 2-3 drinks and I was p*ssed.

So eventually I just said feck it and went off the stuff. The worst thing I find about not drinking is that people think it's weird you don't. Also they think you're better than them because you don't need alcohol to enjoy yourself.

Had one girl tell me she doesn't trust anyone who doesn't drink and walked away from me. The fuq!?

Well done Faith on your 3years, great work.
Don't mind them people who slag/joke about you not drinking,most of them don't understand and why should they,I remember I was one of them people who slagged/joked or just couldn't get how people did not drink, how times have changed :-) 6 n half years clean now and wondering why I ever bothered drinking in the first place...

Sunnyisland

Still haven't touched a drop how are we all doing ....

Kunkka

Will be 4 years this October. Graduated for the first time about a month ago too with a Diploma I was doing while working. Another thing to add to the list that I wouldn't have if I didn't stop drinking.

tinpib

Right now I am really good.

Happiest I have been in a while and mainly down to 2 reasons, 1. that I am busy at work (self employed), 2. I am doing a lot of running which makes a massive difference to my mood. Add both of those to slashing my drinking down by 80-90% of what I was and I feel great.

So I am not off drink completely.

It is around a year since I finally gave up 'for good'. Stayed off it 4 plus months until halloween, then back on it with no regrets including a great blackout free holiday where I drank. Then by the turn of the near year I was gradually getting sick of it again. Tired at work etc, thinking it is isn't worth it.

Cue a catastrophic night drinking at the end of Feb and I was back off it 'permanently' again.

Since then I have drunk 5 or 6 times.

I'm not going to beat myself up about it. But at my age drinking/hangovers don't fit into my lifestyle/working life.

So if I drink sporadically I will be happy with that. It is good enough for me, by sporadically I mean once every 4-8 weeks on average. As I say that's a huge reduction, like any 'normal' Irish drinker of course I used to drink 4-5 nights a week.

A few years ago I drank every night for about 4 months or so and was starting to get worried.

I am going on holiday again soon and there is no way I will enjoy myself as much sober. I have accepted I will probably overindulge and then once it is over I will abstain again.

I wish I could abstain completely like people here, I know the only thing stopping me is me. But I will settle for the way I am now and in the future who knows. Sober is my new normal now.

Famous last words, but I know I won't go back to drinking the way I was simply because now at my age( mid 30s) it is guaranteed that I will have a horrendous hangover and I can only tolerate 6/8/10 of those a year.

Sorry to not be abstaining completely and posting on this forum but I am just being honest and want to describe what is working for me right now.

I am very content at the moment and that is great.

enoughalready

enoughalready wrote: »

I'm doing as much as possible to stay positive and upbeat, anything but wallow in self pity, helping others to get out of my own head.

If it's any small consolation, enoughalready, I've been thinking a lot of something insightful you wrote on this forum a while ago, and it's so true as I peel the layers back on my life in search of some sort of self-understanding and honesty since I parted with the drink:

[url=http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=91477936&postcount=1309
]"I once heard a sober alcoholic say that drinking never made him happy, but it made him feel like he was going to be happy in about fifteen minutes...."[/url]

Thank you, and to everybody else here who has offered nuggets of wisdom on common patterns of behaviour, and awareness on how we deceive ourselves.

GerB40

realies wrote: »

Still haven't touched a drop how are we all doing ....

I was actually gonna give an update today. Day 424 today and still not a drop. At first, when I started feeling "normal" again I got into a right fitness buzz but that kinda fizzled out. From tomorrow onwards I'll be back doing walks and just getting out there again. Alcohol wise I'm doing far better than I could ever dream of.

But (unsubscribed) tablets never went away fully and I'm completely aware that it's those that are holding back my recovery. I'm taking them far less than before and I'm taking fewer than I did. Whereas before I used to take them just to get stoned out of my mind, I now just take the bare minimum to get rid of the headaches that come withdrawl. In my mind I'm consciously weaning myself off them but I reckon there's a chance that I use this a an excuse to justify my taking them.

Overall I'm happy (shocked) that I haven't drank in 14 months. I've been to pubs, drank becks, enjoyed myself, but as an anxiety disorder sufferer I don't know how to deal with sobriety. It's not as bad as it was and I'm sure if/when I get this tablet situation sorted I'll actually enjoy being sober.

I went back through some of the advice I've given people on this thread and thought to myself "fúck sake Ger, why can't I practice what I preach?".

Despite all that doom and gloom I can honestly say that this is the best I've felt about myself in a long, long time. Nobody said it was easy but everyone says it's worth it. I have no doubt I'll get through these hiccups along the eventful road to recovery and finally live the life I've denied myself far too long..

KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT FOLKS!!!

P.S. realies I bet you're sorry you asked now :):)

Sunnyisland

Never Ger :-) love hearing the story's and the progress we all making, it gives me encouragement and hopefully everyone else here to...

iusedtoknow

3 years 4 months since my last drink. For a year before then I had probably 3 drinks the entire year.

Life has changed immeasurably since I gave up - i've lost very little and gained so much. I lost some friends (drinking buddies) and a pile of weight. I've gained happiness, and a grasp on how to deal with my emotions. My relationship has improved no end - and my career has gone through a lot of changes, and I put a lot of down to down drinking. My wife barely drinks so I have a built in support network

I'm not millitant, we use white wine or red wine sometimes when we're cooking, I have NA beer the odd time when it is really hot, especially when I am back in Spain.

The bottom line is, alcohol is no longer my default setting. I am sat in a lounge waiting to board a flight to Sao Paulo and have nothing in front of me except a cup of tea - my colleague is 3 beers in. It doesn't bother me - it's on him. The only thing on me is to not drink.

Amazingfun

Happy and sober here 4746 days in a row now....used this to tell you how many days since I hadn't a clue


http://silkworth.net/aa/bb.html

Over 6 months for me at this stage. Lovin' it and the completely new perspective on life. Also loving the hangover guilt free mornings

GerB40

Cali_girl wrote: »

Over 6 months for me at this stage. Lovin' it and the completely new perspective on life. Also loving the hangover guilt free mornings

Monday and Tuesday mornings after a bank holiday weekend are utter ecstasy when you're off the drink but have been in the utter horror in the past. I make sure to call my friends who still love the sessions and ask in an overly happy voice, "alright bud, smashing weather for a walk, up for a stroll later on?". The average response (assuming they don't just cancel the call and turn their phone) is "Fuuck oofff" in a voice that sounds like Dott Cotton after suckin a bucket.

Evil? Maybe.
Fun? Absofúckinlutely.

tinpib

GerB40 wrote: »

Complete abstinence works for most people but I know a lad twice as old as me who, back in the day would drink for weeks at a time, end up in a treatment centre, be released and do the same thing over and over again. In a town full of drunks he seemed to be THE drunk.

These days he goes out every few weeks, has a few drinks and goes home. Whereas not too long ago he did some very very stupid things, nothing perverted or anything that would put people's lives in danger (other than his own), he is almost a respectable member of society.

He's living proof that people with serious drinking problems can eventually enjoy a few drinks responsibly. I dare say they're in the minority but it can happen..

Maybe just to clarify a few things, I am far happier sober today then I was sober 4 weeks ago because finally I am busy at work after months of scrapeing by and now I am running pretty much every day with the huge mood lift that gives.

I am taking each day as it comes at the moment, almost certain I wont drink this weekend, next weekend with the Conor McGregor fight followed shortly after by a week long holiday I'm not so sure.

But this is the best I've felt sober in ages, because of those 2 reasons, I feel great.

Like many people here once I start I can't stop so it wouldn't be going out for a few and then stopping more like going out one night and drinking to excess.

I did that a couple of Fridays ago and again probably a sign of old age(and because the supermarket is far away) instead of having a few glasses, i.e. a bottle, of wine on the Saturday to 'take the edge off' I just grinned and beared it. A few miserable hours going cold turkey meant that I missed out a proper long depression session from 2 nights drinking and so my recovery time was less.

I'm gradually growing out of drinking.

GerB40

"Gradually growing out of drinking". Tidbit, by reading your last few posts I honestly reckon you can do it. You seem to have a smart head on your shoulders so I wish you all the best.

And keep us posted, if it works for you then a lot of people on this thread will be over the moon. We like hearing happy stories. Equally, if it doesn't go to plan, there's an encyclopedic amount of advise here that has helped us all.

Before I go, it might be worth speaking to a doctor. I'm not qualified so my advice mightn't be worth a shyte. Best of luck...

marienbad

13,514 days if I have used that calculator thingy right and I have never regretted a minute of it. I have made mistakes sure enough but not as bad as they would have been had I been drinking and the good times are even better sober and I have no fears of something that I can't recall coming out of nowhere to bite me in the ass.

So happy times everyone on this forum and lets make this 4th of July our own Independence Day !

tinpib

Hi Ger,

Thanks for the words of support! It's good to hear it.

Jose Aldo has pulled out of the Conor McGregor fight so that's a temptation removed, I might just watch it at home.

But I feel like a different person compared to 4 or even 2 weeks ago. I am proud of myself, I am holding my head high and that comes from turning around my work situation. I feel happy and sober rather than relived I am sober and 'well at least I'm not dying with a hangover'.

We will see what the future holds.

Good luck to everyone here.

auldgranny

4 days today. Bit down though

marienbad

auldgranny wrote: »

4 days today. Bit down though

Hang in there , it does get better . Do what ever it takes to get through the first few months and you will be surprised how quickly things will improve .

auldgranny

marienbad wrote: »

Hang in there , it does get better . Do what ever it takes to get through the first few months and you will be surprised how quickly things will improve .

It's not the drink as such. Not nice being at home Fri and Sat when all the rest of them are out. Feeling sorry for myself moments.

marienbad

auldgranny wrote: »

It's not the drink as such. Not nice being at home Fri and Sat when all the rest of them are out. Feeling sorry for myself moments.

It is a complete change of lifestyle , at least it was for me . I had to find friends and things to do that simply didn't involve drink . It may sound hard but for me it was the only way and soon enough I realised that I didn't need drink to have good company or a good time

auldgranny

marienbad wrote: »

It is a complete change of lifestyle , at least it was for me . I had to find friends and things to do that simply didn't involve drink . It may sound hard but for me it was the only way and soon enough I realised that I didn't need drink to have good company or a good time

I know you're right, just feeling a bit hard done by tonight. But at least I didn't give in so that's a positive:)

marienbad

auldgranny wrote: »

I know you're right, just feeling a bit hard done by tonight. But at least I didn't give in so that's a positive:)

Definitely a positive and build on that , for me it was just one day at a time and before you know it many days have past .

If I may be so bold - beware of the self pity , no offence meant . But it is often the first warning sign .