Quit Alcohol - Support Thread

[Young Trees]

Hi guys, it's been years...long story short it's New Years and I'm ready to take another break from alcohol. I'm so compulsive when it comes to things I like that it can be difficult breaking free. Is anyone down to take at least January off from alcohol and replace it with a sport or a treat? It would be cool to just check in here and see if we can do it. Alcohol causes depression, I'm sure of it.
I was working out training MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai , nogi, hurt my leg and now I'm drinking beer every single day. I love the varities, but Cannabis is the only healthy med for me. I can feel the depressing feeling and the need to get to drinking asap and I hate it. I'm going to be checking in here regularly and if anyone else is down, let't try to stay free of the alcohol for a while..it tastes great and feels good when you are drinking but the effect on our body and mind is not worth it. I hope to see anyone here sharing their experience and support. Exercise and cannabis can reward us with the endorfins we need to be happier than with alcohol.

The doc thought I had torn my Acl and Mcl and said she hoped she was wrong or it was surgery for sure. Thank God only my Mcl is torn, but sice I have been benched for 2 months now I have been drinking daily and I notice the numbness. Depression, irritability, frustrations, and worse, it takes forever to ejaculate. Sexually, it numbs everything, and I mean hours and no feeling compared to when I only smoke Cannabis.

When I was exercizing daily and only smoking herb, each touch was heaven, with alcohol, it's like everything is numb, no sensation..alcohol sucks, only coke is worse in a numbing sense and other nastier drugs..

Cannabis is all we need and exercise, if anyone is in to stay at least January with 0 alcohol let's do it. check in here daily. Even if you slip, lets talk about it and start a new day.

Today is the start of a new life, less alcohol, let's do it. 2014 here we come.,

 

[k-s-p]

Hope your injury heals soon. I've had hamstring and peroneal problems this fall keeping me out of running mostly, but on the mend now. I have one or two beers a day, sorry, can't give those up, but good luck to you.

Beginning the third year tobacco free though! Happy New Year!

 

[supermanlives]

tough night to not drink....its prob in the top 3 drinking days. me I am gonna have a few. peace to all needing to stay sober. that sparkling cider stuff aint bad instead of champagne

 

[LEF]

Thing with alcohol is, it's nice to have a cold one on a summer day, or simply to sample a fine brew.

It goes down so well. You forget often how it affects you negatively. You tell yourself, i'm feeling good, I can take it. It always slows me down and I need to take a nap before I am taken seriously.

As for the hard stuff, I learned that it's best for me to stay away from the hard stuff, it don't take time that you are not there anymore.

 

[silver hawaiian]

Came home last night after 3 beers at a friend's bar. Opened another when I got home, and within about 45 seconds of opening it, I realized I really didn't feel like drinking it. So I didn't!

Small victories, eh? Instead, I smoked a bowl and went and laid down with my wife. No hangover increaser there..

(Though it's funny how habitual it is to come home from drinking and open up another beer..)

 

[420somewhere]

I quit about a month ago

I quit about a month ago

Cold Turkey

I have been a heavy drinker for 40 years. I stopped Jack Daniels (mostly) a few years ago.

Every night I would go up to my Spa and drink a six pack. My wife would be drinking as well. Now it's just her.

Had a Party on Saturday and did not drink, everyone else were doing shots of Petron, etc.

I am feeling great with no urges.

I'm sure I can handle it.

Good Luck to all of my brothers trying to quit and a Happy New

 

[AloeRuss]

I think cold turkey is the way

I quit everything that way. And believe me, I have done most of everything under the sun.
I am very lucky. God decided to grant me with an interesting personality.
I can easily walk away from any addiction without looking back.

6 years ago I went through a bad divorce where kids were involved.
I immediately started drinking and do drugs every day for over a year, but alcohol was what stuck to me for another 3 years. I went to rehabs twice, been to AA. Everyone around me but myself thought I was an alcoholic. I knew I will walk away when I had enough. Sure enough, two years ago I said "Enough" and I stopped. Now, I only drink 3 or 4 times a year when we go to a party or something. No urges. Nothing. My house is always filled with alcohol.

As for smoking. That was so easy. I just stopped and felt like I never smoked in my life, although I did for 20 years.
So I guess, mine is a success story.

Good luck to those who struggle with it.
Happy New Year.

 

[Young Trees]

I'm also going to make some edibles today. Yesterday I drank a few ales and had a stomache ache all night. Sex is good but not close to when I'm only burning so tonight will be the test lmao. I have a z of herb and frosty leaf, I'm going to kief it and then mix it in some warm oil to make brownies or banana bread or something.
I'm going cold turkey for sure at least the remainder of the week. As long as I go back to only drinking on Friday-Sun, I can start working in the rehab for the knee, and hopefully get back into working out 100%
Drinking a sixpack a day or so of 5-8% ales for a few months even has already made the side effects pretty obvious. Of course not exercizing doesnt help, but I can tell I am lazier, more irritable, forgetting things, fumbling and dropping things easier.
It feels so nice in the short run, but in the long run it starts taking it's toll. Not to mention I gained 20 lbs easily. I usually am at 180 and yesterday weighed in at 202.5 lmao!
Alright, I'm working on cutting down my herb tolerance and spending too. I'm trying to burn only after noon, give the lungs a break too so I can get back into cardio workout and keep the lungs elastic. Those Jamaican ginger sodas are great for a beer substitute, they warm the belly in a similar way.heheh
Good luck everyone. I'm working on day 1. No ALcohol today..

 

[chappie]

I've "quit" so many times... really weird how you always go back to thinking you can handle that "just one beer" again. I tried quitting beer, sticking to wine, or just cider, but it always ends up being a daily need instead of an occasional treat. I had quit for six months last year, then started sipping again, and just packed on 20lbs. This has nothing to do with New Years, but I decided last night fuck it, I'm done.

 

[supermanlives]

cold turkey blah,,,,,, wild turkey yaaaaa. lol peace . I had to go to aa once ,well I was supposed to go several times but I forged the forms after figuring how it all worked. my main issue was you have to believ god was gonna help you and all them dumbass steps. I heard they got a book too. fuck that shit I don't need a higher power to do anything

 

[DamnUglyDogE]

Having been on both sides of the quarter.
A drunk that got sober and a supporter of a drunk getting sober...

All I can say is...
Drinking sucks!!!
Put the bottle down...
Go smoke a bowl and lay down with a loved one...

Spot on,Silver....

My girl is 3 months sober BTW...

 

[Rob547]

I gotta take a break from drinking after NYE lol. My stomach still isn't quite right.

I was doing pretty well all year, not really depressed and drinking because of that or drinking excessively all the time. I took a few breaks during the year and it was always nice, I just love craft beer, and it eventually leads to drinking more and more..... My birthdays the 7th so hopefully after that gonna take a good break.. Might try and get some friends to join me as well

 

[shawkmon]

sip, still struggling

 

[NorCalDreaming]

Alcohol is evil. Killed my mom and in my genetics and environmental upbringing...sigh. Worst thing I ever did was get on the track to be a brewmaster when the microbrew craze hit in the early 90's. Triggered something that to this day dealing with,

 

[shawkmon]

im not gay , but like drinking to this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-cD4oLk_D0

 

[farmari]

I hear what yas are saying about cold beers on those summer days. When I discovered microbrew beers I was blown away. I love the taste of good beer and love the taste of good whiskey. But alcohol is so bad to me. I discovered these while a lot of bad things were happening and under huge stress.

I might feel good drinking the first time in a while, but if I start to drink regularly, and sometimes even if just once in a while, I know now that for days afterwards my mood is significantly worse. Then since my mood is worse... whats the best solution? More alcohol, right? It's such an obvious trap that I'm just going to try to avoid it as if its poison.

I can't imagine how hard it is for long term alcoholics, especially where I live in a rural booze-flooded area. Not only does everyone drink but all the grocery stores make you walk by all these alcohol sales just to enter the store, and in the checkout line they have all sorts of liquor within hands reach, next to the chewing gum and tabloids.

I really hate alcohol, for all the horrible things it has done (or influenced people to do, to say more accurately) to people in general. I wouldn't be surprised if marijuana legalization in the USA is a huge public benefit in lives and money saved simply from some people drinking less by using more marijuana.

Honestly I think I'd rather have opiates on hand for bad nerve wrecking times than alcohol as my emergency anti-panic attack med. But I don't want to possess anything illegally and don't want to get a pain script because the doc wants it to be a 'take everyday' thing.

I just need be strict on the right diet and exercising a lot, and not putting too much demands on myself (bad habit, especially when family needs me) and I could be okay. If I'm good to my body and mind I sometimes am rewarded greatly... when I am it feels a lot better and more sustainable than any drug.

Anyway, sorry to ramble... I wish the best for yall. I guess my only real point is the alcohol causing depressive feelings which are mistaken for 'normal feelings' which leads to more alcohol. Try to be aware if that is happening to you!

 

[MedicalGrower]

Alcohol has negativitly impacted way too many people I have know personally.
Health issues, personal/relationship issues, legal issues and mental issues.

Alcohol addiction is a hard road for many to beat. Many never do...

I personally have been using MJ since the 70's, my closet medicine taking my hits behind closed doors or deep into the forest away from possible trouble.

Although I used to DRINK (quite 2010 cold) I always preferred ingesting MJ over alcohol, given the possible legal issues of using Cannabis vs. Alcohol it is easy to understand why so many of people like me steered clear of Cannabis except in very private settings.

Thanks to Medical laws now in place I am happy to leave the booze behind and concentrate on the medicine's that have a truely benificial effect on my body/mind.

Never thought in the 70's that I would ever see this situation of Legal growing that I now enjoy... So happy the TRUTH is coming forward!

Thanks to the Medical laws in my state I can freely enjoy my herb without the worries of being busted for making a wiser choice for my body/mind and health.

mg

 

[chappie]

At the store last night, I was overcome with this feeling that if I just bought a small quantity, and something mild that I didn't usually drink (in this case, i was considering some decent california sake), it would be no big deal. Thankfully some part of my brain made me walk away before I could do it. So glad, but leaves me nervous about the future. This stuff is insidious; by that I mean it is like it reaches out from underneath and within and remote controls your mind.

 

[Young Trees]

Man these are powerful stories thanks guys. I drank beers this weekend but plan to not drink all week long. I have a workout plan - running, rehabbing the knee etc.
Farmari, you are right man, I notice my mood change for a few days and it's depressive, anxiety and doom and gloom shit on a nice sunny day..messed up.

Alien has the best reason that will overcome any excuse to drink - your loved ones, your woman..

Go smoke a bowl and lay down with a loved one...

Spot on,Silver....

My girl is 3 months sober BTW...

 

[chappie]

The dreams have returned, with such force and clarity. I hadn't really noticed they were gone!