Haven't touched a drop in...

Anotherreg

Cushtie wrote: »

Just passed the 1000 day mark over the weekend there. Delighted.

That's a great achievement Cushtie.

I'm only 990 days behind. The first weekend was relatively simple, in that I didn't set foot outside the door. I can't continue on like that. I'll be renewing acquaintances with non al beer this weekend.

Well done again Cushtie

hubba

Anotherreg wrote: »

That's a great achievement Cushtie.

I'm only 990 days behind. The first weekend was relatively simple, in that I didn't set foot outside the door. I can't continue on like that. I'll be renewing acquaintances with non al beer this weekend.

Well done again Cushtie

Well, for me the first week seemed about 6 months long so it's all relative. Sometimes I feel it's almost better to forget about counting days as it's just a reminder. For example, I quit cigarettes and after a year or so I just started to think 'I used to smoke' and that was that. So WELL DONE YOU anotherreg is what I'm trying to say, the early days are the most crucial and the ones to be most proud of. Be strong, be good to yourself.

Cushtie

Anotherreg wrote: »

That's a great achievement Cushtie.

I'm only 990 days behind. The first weekend was relatively simple, in that I didn't set foot outside the door. I can't continue on like that. I'll be renewing acquaintances with non al beer this weekend.

Well done again Cushtie

Keep pluggin away and before you know it, you will have a month done, next thing you will realise 6 months have gone by and before you know it you wont even be counting anymore.

[-0-]

A week.

Up at 7:30am, had breakfast and now I'm drinking some tea and reading with a fine clear head.

[-0-]

[-0-] wrote: »

A week.

Up at 7:30am, had breakfast and now I'm drinking some tea and reading with a fine clear head.

And doesn't it feel so much better?

I always compare what I'm like now to how I was 2 years ago.

For example today I'd probably have already had 4-5 beers after going to the off licence when it opened getting ready for a day of football etc with the lads. Followed by a night that would see me blackout with the horrors tomorrow, rinse and repeat with some Johnny Cash - Sunday Morning Coming Down.

Compare that today to waking up with a girl I love and care about without even the urge for a drink after a great night with nothing to regret. Looking forward to a day with her and I might even get to watch a match in between and remember it. Getting sober has given me the life I always wanted when I was sitting on a bar stool

JonBon27

622:)

pa4

88 days at the moment, only drank 3 times this year. I haven't given up completely, I never drank that much compared to most of my friends but made the decision at the start of this year to cut down. Won't be touching the stuff until at least Christmas.. mightn't even bother at that. The thoughts of drinking now makes my stomach churn, I'm gone completely off it.. I didn't even enjoy the 3 times I did drink this year and regretted it so much afterwards! Drinking makes everything so depressing the next day its just not worth it. It takes my body way to long to recover especially when I'm training for a sport 6 days a week, its either one or the other.

xzanti

pa4 wrote: »

Drinking makes everything so depressing the next day

It really does.. I used to marvel at just how crap everything feels the day after drinking.. It could be the best day ever but it will all feel sh1t if you're hungover.. everything feels like an effort..

That scaldy feeling that your poor soul has to endure in the days after a session.. Yaysus! No thanks!

Well done on the 88 days

pa4

xzanti wrote: »

It really does.. I used to marvel at just how crap everything feels the day after drinking.. It could be the best day ever but it will all feel sh1t if you're hungover.. everything feels like an effort..

That scaldy feeling that your poor soul has to endure in the days after a session.. Yaysus! No thanks!

Well done on the 88 days

So true, its just not worth it especially if you end up forgetting everything from the night before anyway! Thanks

haveabanana

I've been off it for over two weeks and I feel awful, I've no energy, get wrecked just climbing the stairs and I keep injuring myself when I exercise. I've no desire to drink though but i just feel like shíté.

danoc

I have never had alcohol addiction problems, but I went off drink for 5 months, and adopted a healthy eating lifestyle with exercise.
Since doing this, I have never felt better, have dropped 2 stone and have been so productive. It's crazy how better I have felt since doing this- mentally, physically, emotionally (though I have never experience problems with these).

emmabrighton

haveabanana wrote: »

I've been off it for over two weeks and I feel awful, I've no energy, get wrecked just climbing the stairs and I keep injuring myself when I exercise. I've no desire to drink though but i just feel like shíté.

From what I remember it takes several weeks to get your body used to life without alcohol. Your body is used to functioning with it and your body expects the rush of endorphin's, dopamine and serotonin that it used to get every time you drank. Also, because of the alcohol causing your body to release the above hormones in one go, you have probably used up all your body's reserves. This is why people often get librium when they are stopping off their gp - so everything doesn't feel s*!t. If you can battle through, do. If you think you need help, go to the GP.

Best of luck, you're doing great!

hubba

Approximately 29 months free of it at this stage. I just thought I'd post the notes below which I just came across this morning and found in hindsight that it was quite accurate for me. If it can give some comfort and hope to those currently in the more challenging phases then well and good:


Creative Recovery (a trackable spiritual process) - Recognisable Denominates in Recovery.

• First few weeks: Defiance and giddiness
• Then: Expolosive Anger
• Then: Grief. Bolts of pain. Denial.
• Then: Altering waves of resistance and hope. This period of growth becomes a series of expansions and contractions, a birthing process where you might experience intense elation and defensive skepticism.
• Then: tempation to abandon and return to life as it was (familiar). Bargaining period. U-turn (total abandonment) is possible here. The alternative is re-committment which migh trigger a freefall of major ego surrender.
• Final phase: a new sense of self, marked by AUTONOMY, RESILIENCE, EXPECTANCY and EXCITEMENT as well as the capacity to make and execute concreate creative plans.

Unfortunately I can't quote the source as I handwrote the notes above into my journal.

Be strong, everyone. You deserve it.

Diablo Verde

3 days!

I'm normally an early riser, and since struggling to get out of bed before 2pm a few Sundays back, I 've been considering knocking the drink on the head...again.

I certainly don't drink anything like as often as I used to. When I started running about 4 years ago, I quickly realised realised that the two pasttimes tended to conflict, and now only really drink every few weeks. Nonetheless, I'd prefer not to bother at all.

Have had periods of not drinking at all for up to six months over the past few years but always seem to drift back to it.

Looking forward to: Plenty of energy and a clear head at the weekends.

Not looking forward to: The constant badgering from people trying to convince me to "just have one", or "to stop being boring".

JohnMartyn

Question for you folks. Is there anyone here in the same boat as myself?

I never relied on alcohol. I could go a few months without drinking without difficulty.

As I said previously 9 out of 10 nights are fine and then unintentionally drink myself into a stupor.

Off it 50 days on Sunday but have done that before without being "off it"

In the 50 days there's been two weddings, a stag party (sober in a strip club was a new one for me!), and a college reunion.

No problem what so ever, I like to dance so the weddings were no problem. I even started a sing song outside a pub on the stag as love to sing too, even though I'm a woeful singer.

What I miss, and this might sound bananas to some here is the couple of bottles of cold beer from the fridge the odd wknd. This was always the downfall before when I tried to give it up too.

It'd be "a sure a couple of bottles here with herself will be okay" next then would be out in a pub and "a sure, a couple of pints will be okay. This time I won't get pissed"

Invariably this would be okay for a few months and then bang. Langers drunk and being a bollox.

I have done some silly things when pissed. I have put my life in danger, my job in danger etc. I contracted illnesses due to alcohol. Been arrested etc

I have the most wonderful wife a man could wish for. She is the best. We have a lovely healthy three year old and another due in February.

I am not what a lot of people classify as an "alcoholic" yet I know if I continue to drink I will end up hurting the people I love. It is because of this I have made the decision to quit full stop. Some of the people I have told I am quitting have laughed and told me not to be silly etc but I guess they don't know the whole story. I'm 30 now. Time for change. For the sake of those that I love.

Sorry for the ramble and thank you for taking the time to read this mumble.

I am not going to any meetings and haven't spoken to any professional about it. I believe I am strong enough to quit myself. Is this the rock I will perish on?

From a bit of reading here there seems to be a substantial amount of talk of a higher power. I do not believe in any higher power. The highest power to me is what you have in your heart. A persons highest power is they themselves. In my humble opinion.

Am I an eejit?

John

bootybouncer

hubba wrote: »

Approximately 29 months free of it at this stage. I just thought I'd post the notes below which I just came across this morning and found in hindsight that it was quite accurate for me. If it can give some comfort and hope to those currently in the more challenging phases then well and good:


Creative Recovery (a trackable spiritual process) - Recognisable Denominates in Recovery.

• First few weeks: Defiance and giddiness
  
• Then: Expolosive Anger
• Then: Grief. Bolts of pain. Denial.
• Then: Altering waves of resistance and hope. This period of growth becomes a series of expansions and contractions, a birthing process where you might experience intense elation and defensive skepticism.
• Then: tempation to abandon and return to life as it was (familiar). Bargaining period. U-turn (total abandonment) is possible here. The alternative is re-committment which migh trigger a freefall of major ego surrender.
• Final phase: a new sense of self, marked by AUTONOMY, RESILIENCE, EXPECTANCY and EXCITEMENT as well as the capacity to make and execute concreate creative plans.

Unfortunately I can't quote the source as I handwrote the notes above into my journal.

Be strong, everyone. You deserve it.

Spot on Chap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

40 months poison free

stefan idiot jones

JohnMartyn wrote: »

I am not going to any meetings and haven't spoken to any professional about it. I believe I am strong enough to quit myself. Is this the rock I will perish on?

From a bit of reading here there seems to be a substantial amount of talk of a higher power. I do not believe in any higher power. The highest power to me is what you have in your heart. A persons highest power is they themselves. In my humble opinion.

Am I an eejit?

John

You seem to have yourself all sewn up and understood. Your priorities make sense to me too and as for being an eejit, we'll have to ask your wife about that one.

I myself kicked the habit with self belief and Mr. Carrs book. Coming from my athiest (whole family) background, I would have reservations myself about the Higher Power and whether I could believe or commit to such a program. But whatever works for anyone is good. It all wants the same end result.

Every one is different in the grip of alcoholism, and after my own father and reading other stories here on this forum I thank my lucky stars that I got away lightly with just reading a paperback (THE GREATEST PAPERBACK EVER PRINTED).

Good luck with it John, you appear to be a good distance down the road already with the finish line there to cross. Now start posting the days up here. I'm on day 3, 248.

I am an idiot.

Amazingfun

I am not going to any meetings and haven't spoken to any professional about it. I believe I am strong enough to quit myself. Is this the rock I will perish on?

Seems like a fairly easy experiment in self control. You say you are off the drink for good, and so your actions will show whether that will be, or not.

If you find yourself back with a drink in your hand, wondering how the hell it happened again, despite your willpower and strength, then maybe AA will have something of interest for you, or maybe one of the many other options for help will appeal (Aware, Lifering, etc). Btw: I know of atheists who got sober in AA, they just use "Good Orderly Direction" , or Nature, or the people as a whole, as their higher power to begin with. It's really not as much of an issue as some think.

Basically, you (and the rest of us) get to *watch* and see how you get on I genuinely hope you're able to stay on the path you've chosen without any lapses.

Diablo Verde

8 days now.

Definitely feeling much clearer in the head than I did the past few Mondays. Got out for a nice early morning run in the Phoenix Park yesterday which really enforces the positive feeling of not having a hangover.

Spent an hour or two in a pub with my brother on Saturday afternoon and wasn't even slightly tempted. If I can still say that in 6 months, I'l be very happy.

Ed The Equalizer

JohnMartyn wrote: »

Question for you folks. Is there anyone here in the same boat as myself?

I never relied on alcohol. I could go a few months without drinking without difficulty.

As I said previously 9 out of 10 nights are fine and then unintentionally drink myself into a stupor.

Off it 50 days on Sunday but have done that before without being "off it"

In the 50 days there's been two weddings, a stag party (sober in a strip club was a new one for me!), and a college reunion.

No problem what so ever, I like to dance so the weddings were no problem. I even started a sing song outside a pub on the stag as love to sing too, even though I'm a woeful singer.

What I miss, and this might sound bananas to some here is the couple of bottles of cold beer from the fridge the odd wknd. This was always the downfall before when I tried to give it up too.

It'd be "a sure a couple of bottles here with herself will be okay" next then would be out in a pub and "a sure, a couple of pints will be okay. This time I won't get pissed"

Invariably this would be okay for a few months and then bang. Langers drunk and being a bollox.

I have done some silly things when pissed. I have put my life in danger, my job in danger etc. I contracted illnesses due to alcohol. Been arrested etc

I have the most wonderful wife a man could wish for. She is the best. We have a lovely healthy three year old and another due in February.

I am not what a lot of people classify as an "alcoholic" yet I know if I continue to drink I will end up hurting the people I love. It is because of this I have made the decision to quit full stop. Some of the people I have told I am quitting have laughed and told me not to be silly etc but I guess they don't know the whole story. I'm 30 now. Time for change. For the sake of those that I love.

Sorry for the ramble and thank you for taking the time to read this mumble.

I am not going to any meetings and haven't spoken to any professional about it. I believe I am strong enough to quit myself. Is this the rock I will perish on?

From a bit of reading here there seems to be a substantial amount of talk of a higher power. I do not believe in any higher power. The highest power to me is what you have in your heart. A persons highest power is they themselves. In my humble opinion.

Am I an eejit?

John

Hey John

I was in a similar boat but probably would have been considered a bit worse than you.

I did 1.5 years of meetings but have done it alone for more than 3 years now.

And it's been fantastic. Complete freedom and self-reliance. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do it on your own because you can.

I was also like you, I missed the quiet beers in the evening. Then one Christmas I met a guy who was off it 22 years and was having a non-alcholic beer with lunch. So I joined him, and realised that it gave me exactly what I wanted - an enjoyable way to relax with none of the bad stuff that comes with alcohol.

I now have about 2 evenings a week where I enjoy one, and also meet my friends in the pub from time to time and have a few n/a's there. I'm usually leaving by midnight before they get messy though.

There is another 'recovery method' that I made use of (just a one-off read, no meetings or anything) - it gave me a great tool to understand my thoughts in relation to drink and strengthened my conviction that I won't slip. I won't mention it here, since this forum is supposed to be free from recovery stuff, but feel free to PM and I'll send it on to you.

Good luck!

Taok

Bench Press

6 months today I finished off my last bottle of wine. Been some journey

Wingman2010

I haven't visited here in a while but it's great to read all the positive stories! I'm four years off it in four weeks time. I'm absolutely delighted and very proud.

I've managed to meet an amazing girl (mind you it's very early days!) who loves that I don't drink which is great :-) Previously here I've wrote how a lot of girls didn't trust me etc for being a non drinker. They always thought there was some big reason why I don't drink. But there is no big drama story with me, I'm just a normal lad who at 24 decided to give up drink as I don't like the drink culture in Ireland and I didn't want to be part of it. Be it a funeral, baptism, first communion the Irish just need any reason for a piss up.

I thank god I had the strength to give up drink. The best thing I've ever done :-) I've done amazing things since I've knocked it on the head. I've gone really into my fitness, have done a few couple hundred kilometre cycles, ran a few 5 and 10k's. I will run a half marathon some day before setting new targets.

If anyone is thinking of giving up drink 'go for it'. You will not regret it. It always helps that you will have more money in your pocket the next morning after a night out!

I sing from the rooftops that I love soberity :-)

pudzey101

8 Months i used to drink up to 6-8 Cans of strong cider everynight of the week , Feeling better than ever now , and woudnt go back to it for nowan

Sunnyisland

Wingman2010 wrote: »

I haven't visited here in a while but it's great to read all the positive stories! I'm four years off it in four weeks time. I'm absolutely delighted and very proud.

I've managed to meet an amazing girl (mind you it's very early days!) who loves that I don't drink which is great :-) Previously here I've wrote how a lot of girls didn't trust me etc for being a non drinker. They always thought there was some big reason why I don't drink. But there is no big drama story with me, I'm just a normal lad who at 24 decided to give up drink as I don't like the drink culture in Ireland and I didn't want to be part of it. Be it a funeral, baptism, first communion the Irish just need any reason for a piss up.

I thank god I had the strength to give up drink. The best thing I've ever done :-) I've done amazing things since I've knocked it on the head. I've gone really into my fitness, have done a few couple hundred kilometre cycles, ran a few 5 and 10k's. I will run a half marathon some day before setting new targets.

If anyone is thinking of giving up drink 'go for it'. You will not regret it. It always helps that you will have more money in your pocket the next morning after a night out!


I sing from the rooftops that I love soberity :-)

Delighted for you that your life is turning around for the good, It sure is great to wake up sober every morning, btw think I have heard you singing a few times

pa4

105 days! Don't know where the time went :eek: Have exams starting soon which don't finish until the 21st so won't even be thinking about it until at least then.

bootybouncer

Chaps and Lassies ye are all a credit to yourselves keep it going........................

Alan Carrs Easy Way, I cannot rate it highly enough..............................this book should be on the Leaving Cert syllabus

xzanti

bootybouncer wrote: »

Chaps and Lassies ye are all a credit to yourselves keep it going........................

Alan Carrs Easy Way, I cannot rate it highly enough..............................this book should be on the Leaving Cert syllabus

I agree..

When did you read it bootybouncer? If you don't mind me asking.

Diablo Verde

Must say that I'd also recommend Allen Carr's Easyway. I'd read his 'No More Hangovers' before, which seems to be a summary of the longer book. Having read it, you no longer feel like you are missing out on anything. You are not 'abstaining' or 'giving something up'. There is no sacrifice here.

This makes being a person who doesn't drink much easier.

bootybouncer wrote: »

Chaps and Lassies ye are all a credit to yourselves keep it going........................

Alan Carrs Easy Way, I cannot rate it highly enough..............................this book should be on the Leaving Cert syllabus

RingTheAlarm!

9 months next week! Feel so much better without it, sleeping so much more and look much healthier, like the guy up above I'm young enough but don't like any event being used as an excuse for a piss-up. Friends have been great about it too, some of them are even starting their own non-drinking attempts soon as well

bootybouncer

xzanti wrote: »

I agree..

When did you read it bootybouncer? If you don't mind me asking.

Read it about 3 and a half years ago, I was tying with the idea of giving it up for a long time, this helped me understand things a little more

Still have the book in my bedside locker