Big milestone for me. Used to drink a bottle of 375 ml bacardi everyday. I can see improvements in my face, wish it was more! Hopefully I get more encouraged along the way!

IWDWYTD!

Today I celebrate 11 years sober from alcohol!! Ahhh, the gratitude is oozing!
before I got sober, my life was a fucking wreck. My goal of drinking was to black out every time since it was the closest thing to dying without actually dying. I was so young when I started drinking heavily (just 15!) and spent the next 3 years in constant chaos. I was lonely & hurting with a pain I didn’t even understand how to process. I went to rehab for 30 days & relapsed shortly after I got out. I realized the rehab stint was for everyone else & not for me. Well, when I relapsed… I’m not sure what clicked but something did. I didn’t even finish the beer in my hand (shocking!) & decided in that moment, sitting on that curb outside, I never wanted to drink again.

I went to AA meetings literally all day for the first month. I’m talking I got dropped off at 8am & picked up at 10pm. I didn’t want to fail so I committed as hard as I could. Fast forward 11 years later & im engaged, I have two amazing tiny humans who changed my life for the better, I’m about to graduate with my masters degree in clinical mental health counseling with a 3.93 GPA & pursue a career as a therapist, and I’m happy. Even when life is low (and we know life be lifeing right?) I’m happy that I can experience it sober. My worst days sober are still better than my best days belligerently hammered. Feeling gratitude today. Thanks all 🤍

edit: wow! Thank you guys so much. I did not expect all this love, but it really means alot. I’m rooting for everyone in their healing journey!

The Milwaukee Brewers completed the sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium the other night..
The Brewers retreated to their clubhouse for the obligatory celebration consisting of champagne and beer flying all over the clubhouse etc.. PARTY!!!
Brewers manager Pat Murphy was invited back onto the field by the Fox broadcast team for an interview..
as he sat down with them he apparently off-camera said something to the effect that the clubhouse was so loud he couldn't hear anything..
a guy on the broadcast team, gesturing to the thermos container Murphy had brought with him and put on the table in front of him responded, "..after this drink you REALLY won't be able to hear us!"..
gestures again to the thermos and asks, "..what's in there Pat?"..
and Murphy says, "..uh, it's carbonated water.. I haven't drank, um, 1984.. is the last time I touched alcohol.."
the broadcast team obviously unaware that Murphy lived a sober life, presumed he was getting loaded in the clubhouse after the sweep clincher, because, well, when we win we celebrate right?.. and celebrating means getting drunk right?.. etc..
anyway Pat Murphy turned the tables in a polite dignified way, and the broadcast team, a little embarrassed I think, quickly then switched gears and moved on with the interview..
anyway I thought of all the kids who might be watching..
pretty cool.. hey kids, it's perfectly ok to play and win and celebrate without getting hammered..

Anyone still here with me for Sober October? We're just over half way through!

My heart is so full of joy. My wife and I have had a very rocky relationship over the years and went through a horrible separation at one point. My oldest daughter is 4 and it dawned on me today as my wife is with my in-laws with our newborn at their house for the weekend, that I’ve never been alone with my daughter overnight.

I never did anything to put my kid in danger from drinking, I actually mostly gave alcohol up before my oldest was born, but with a lot of my bad decisions in this life and how bad it was when we were separated, I’m so happy that not only did I fix my family, but I get to be with my daughter alone and trusted.

Watching One Piece and Wonka, having my family come over for dinner, and ready for a night full of happy memories.

#Blessed

I have to say its Finland. We have 400 000 people struggling with alcohol out of a population of 5,6 million but still non-drinkers are frowned upon in social events. People who dont drink need to constantly explain why they dont drink to others.

Hello!

Just putting this out in the world. It's been three weeks since I haven't had a drink. It's been a life altering experience. I'm 41. I've been drinking for more than two decades, either regularly or binging. I could easily polish off a bottle of vodka a night. I loved it. I loved being drunk and happy, not worrying, relaxing and having fun. I learned to be completely functional. Until I couldn't anymore.

I always knew I needed to stop. I cut down to just the weekends, but then the weekends turned to weekdays. To everyday again. So three weeks ago I decided to stop, mainly to see if I could do it. I've stopped many things before, cocaine, ecstasy, cigarettes and marijuana, even caffeine. So I made the commitment.

So, what has changed? Well, weightloss, 15lbs. Saving money, a stupid amount of money. My routine has significantly improved. I'm enjoying my hobbies more, I haven't consecutively cooked meals everyday in an awful long time. I'm talking down the bone using my culinary skills cooking.

What am I still struggling with? Well, I can't say that I don't still crave a drink. Because I do. My sleep has been slightly improving (I'm diagnosed with insomnia, so that's part of the reason I drank, to sleep) but it's not regular. My mental health is still here, but louder. My past, I keep thinking about how I've wasted so much time being drunk, blacking out and treating people like garbage or make very poor decisions. Handling other people whilst drunk. Being social.

What am I happy about? I'm becoming wwaayy more self aware. My complection is radiant. I love waking up and saying "Good Morning" to people. I'm journaling, being more active with my pup, cleaning my house and finally feeling like my life is on the right track. I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

If you read all of this, I thank you. This subreddit has been a great inspiration and incredibly supportive. Also, if any lurkers are reading. If I can do it, you can do it. You have a community of us here to help you. IWNDWYT 🫂💗

I am an alcoholic. I have drank heavily for the last 2 years. I have recently started waking up with SEVERE panic attacks every time I drink. Last night the panic attacks started WHILE I was drinking. Now obviously, this is my sign to stop drinking and I will be. I went four days last week without drinking because of the first day of panic attacks after alcohol, but I thought I could try it again and nope.

I guess my question is has anyone else gone through this?

Felt quite tempted today. It's the first day of a two week break, and normally I'd be celebrating by getting drunk. But not today. Played some videogames, did some writing, kept quiet because my wife was asleep after working a night shift. Nice and simple.

IWNDWYT

Something I never thought would be possible, but a third of a year completed.

I found this subreddit incredibly hard to read whilst I was in addiction and drinking because the home truths were hard to admit.

Life is beautiful without the constant control of alcohol engulfing my brain.

IWNDWYT!

Here I am.

For years I (F39) drank two to three bottles of wine pretty much every day. Blackouts were normal. So was waking up and finding traces of the night before that I couldn’t remember.

I have type 2 diabetes and BMI is over 35. I also have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and I’ve been treated for depression and anxiety for 13 years. All in all I take six different pills a day. My stomach hasn’t been working as normal since I don't remember.

I have a decent job at a private IT company and a decent salary, nothing extreme but good. Even so, I never managed to save anything, month after month. My boyfriend and I have lived together for 15 years, DINKs, so there was really no excuse.

A few weeks ago, after a weekend that didn’t even feel extreme, I slept for most of a week. Somewhere in that fog, something shifted. It doesn’t feel like a decision so much as finally understanding something obvious: alcohol isn’t good for me, and I don’t want it running my life anymore.

I’ve had a few slips since then, and I’m still finding my footing. I’m scared of a backlash, and I’m also scared of sounding like a born-again sober person when I’m barely a month into this. But today I told three friends. One of them texted back that she’d love to go out for fun alcohol-free drinks with me. I bought kombucha and pear juice at the farmers’ market, had tea at my singing class and an alcohol-free beer at my old local. Tonight I’m daydreaming about a house in the countryside and maybe a dog. Those are things that never had room before.

I want to talk about this way more than the people around me want to listen, so I figured I’d start here.

IWNDWYT.

I am going through a divorce, and I have been tempted to drink to numb the pain...

I saw a liquor store across the parking lot and entertained the idea for the first time in a long time. I thought, "That might be a good way to kill some time..."

I think it might wind up killing me.

IWNDWYT.

By quit drinking.. I save approx $14 every single day. This adds up fast. Leaving me with around $434 extra each month. A little over $5200 a year.. And more than $26 000 saved over a five year period. And that is probably a conservative estmate.. When this comes on the top of a clear mind and a less bloated body. It is a good motivation. Thank you sobriety!

38 years as of Oct 12th. If I can do that, so can you. One step at a time. One day at a time.

13 weeks sober. My body is a temple.

Having experienced the rewards of sobriety does not make you immune to falling all the way down that slippery slope if you dare to dangle a leg. On a foolish whim last night, I drank with my wife and our friends over billiards. As the effects of the poison began to wax over me, I tried to hang on to my mind and experience it clinically, observing myself fall. I ended up having a good night, but it was in spite of myself sabotage as opposed to because of drink, and I was very aware of the self-induced limitations, let's say.

Of course this morning I'm sick and bedridden and that sinister liar whispers, "a drink would ease this."

Not falling for it again!

I'm back at day one. But that ain't the point.

The point is this: To be aware of all of my moments, the glory, the pain, the boredom, and the flow is LIFE! I should like not to exit it again until that last permanent unconsciousness.

I am gonna be.

Iwndwyt.

After 5 months of not drinking, everything finally got so good. I finally got a place of my own, I had a full time job with tons of overtime. I felt like I could handle it. When I finally picked up the bottle again I completely blacked out for 2 weeks straight. I called out of work and the crazy part is that they were willing to work with me as long as I kept checking in. I was too drunk to remember. My husband tells me that he tried to get me to go back to work and I flat out said no, that I shouldn’t have to work. We ran out of money, right before rent was due so now we’re scrambling to make ends meet. Bless his heart he tells me that everything will be okay because I always bounce back but obviously I can’t ever touch the shit again. I fucking cut off all of my hair and don’t remember it. I even tried to stop cold turkey and for the first time had visual and audible hallucinations. The thing I remember most vividly about that experience was how the voices were so fucking mean and vile. I just remember walking around my house trying to stay awake because I knew the nightmares were coming and I wasn’t used to them like I was when I drank for 4 years straight. My mind couldn’t handle it. So I stayed awake and eventually when I went to sleep I felt my heartbeat slow down and woke up coughing and gagging. I literally felt my pulse rising as I regained consciousness. I’ve hit rock bottom. Again. And this time I have everything to lose. The only thing keeping me going is my amazing husband. He’s been here pretty much throughout the worst of everything I’ve been through in my adult life. And I deeply feel like I don’t deserve him. But he tells me it’s just a disease. He knows it’s not me. The anxiety of all of this is eating me alive. I feel like I’ve officially fried my brain and I can’t get out of this. I’m sorry for the rant I just wanted some place to vent. This is extremely eye opening. Nothing like I’ve ever known before. This is it. It has to stop.

I’ve written before about my husband having an affair. This year has been a painful struggle and he’s been less forthcoming and understanding of my pain. It has been a real struggle to stay sober but I’ve managed! Kept up my hiking and relationships and photography which has helped.

Today after months of poor communication and him not giving me any info only telling me what it wasn’t never what it was, he’s going to tell me everything. I’m so anxious.
Ive needed this group more than I’ve checked in, and that hasn’t helped.
He told me he can’t remember but thinks they met on this sub years ago. I don’t actually believe him, but it’s made it an uncomfortable place for me.

I hope I hear the whole truth and he’s not going to be hostile towards me and my pain or blame me. That aside, I am worried about my sobriety during getting some honesty and hopefully accountability from him.

This has really taken so much out of me. Alcohol would only take what’s left. I don’t know how I’ll handle the info or how he presents it but I know I do it without alcohol. Wish me luck IWNDWYT❤️

My daughter told me the other day that she was glad I was back and that she missed me. I got done with inpatient 46 days ago, she wasn’t talking about me being physically home.

I am invited, and going, to a close friends milestone birthday - 50 years old.

I am probably going to be the only sober person there.

The entire group are drinkers. Very heavy drinkers.

Pray for Mojo!

Not a real believer in angel numbers, but it’s certainly by a power greater than me that i am sober today. I want to thank this group. in my early days of sobriety, i felt so alone, so scared, and so unable to control my drinking. This page gave me so much hope. If I can kick the habit, i believe anyone can. Thank you all!!!

I’ve never been a super consistent drinker before. I’d consider myself purely a social drinker. This past week I’d been drinking every day because of circumstances, but today I decided not to. I was in complete shock at how awful withdrawal symptoms feel already. I’m a regular cigarette smoker, i’ve quit a few times and know what withdrawals can feel like. Alcohol withdrawals made me genuinely think something was seriously wrong with my body. I had no clue why I had so much anxiety or a shortness of breath until I realized that it’s because I hadn’t drank today. Like a serious pain in my chest that made me think something bad was going to happen to my body. Never again, this feeling is beyond terrible.

Tonight I went out to a function with my husband, daughter and friends of ours. Everyone was drinking I had made my excuses early (I’m not ready to tell friends yet) and went along sober.

But it was really tough I have felt sad and emotional all night. I put a brave face on and got up and danced when required, laughed clapped and cheered along with everyone else but I felt empty.

As a side note I chopped all my hair off last week and even though it’s pretty I am feeling massively vulnerable and insecure about it.

I didn’t drink though but I looked around me at everyone else laughing and it felt bleak to say the least.

Sorry I realise this may be triggering I just wanted some support.

Also I’m 19 days not 5

Feeling lonely and left out. It’s a game day in my city and things are buzzing with party energy. I honestly miss it and I just want to be a part of it. Hoping for some encouragement to stay sober today.

Tomorrow I start a re-shaping of my life.. I hope it works out well.