No Alcohol it's time

Exactly the same thing with smoking. God blesses us. God bless God!

So I assume you are still in you 20's OP?
Life passes so quick OP. Im in my 50's now and it was just like yesterday at 13-14 my buddies and I started drinking. I have always had a tight group of friends going back to childhood and High School.

I lost my 1st High School best friend at 36, diabetes from alcohol. He had everything going for him. The drinking became a "job" problem. His employer did everything, spent a total of $90,000 for three trips to professional rehab. Had to fire him. With-in a few months he got his evection notice, arrested for DUI, died on his couch after drinking from a diabetic coma.

Then the 40's hit and you see your friends liver fail.
When alcohol takes out a buddy from liver failure its not something you want to see.

Im no medical expert but just based on my friends it can only take 20 year of drinking and it can kill you.

I have one high school buddy now in his 50's that drank little in high school and even into his 20's as he did not want to end up like his father that was a total bad alcoholic but all it took was he moving into an apartment with a drinking roommate and he drank a fifth everyday for 10 year, it almost killed him, he stopped drinking 10 years ago and is still with us but even looking at him, you see what drinking did to him.

Not something you think about when I was in High School drinking shots and drinking beer like a fish.
If you live long enough you will see your drinking buddies die. People that drink regularly and have for 20 years and see nothing wrong with it. I ask have you had t=your liver function tested the last year or so, If not do as its always unexpected and "poof" sick and gone.

If you see a problem with the drink starting OP, 20 years can pass in a blink of the eye... many options around to help. Im loosing my friends and have few left.
Blessing to you OP!

If Alcoholics Anonymous doesn’t sit right with you (they call you powerless, an addict for life and basically say you’ve got no control over your addiction at all as in you can’t make the choice to stop drinking) check out smart recovery, I just had someone tell me about it recently. It makes you responsible for your behavior, not a disease or a higher power.
I don’t care what works for anyone, if AA can help you stop drinking that’s awesome and I don’t judge anybody, as long as you quit that’s all that matters. When I decided to quit around 15 years ago, I went to an AA meeting and had an issue with the group leader telling me I was powerless over my addiction & without giving myself up to a higher power I’d drink again. When I told him “I’m the only one with the power over my addiction” he told me “No, if you don’t admit you’re powerless & give yourself up to a higher power you WILL drink again”.
It kinda pissed me off as I’m the one that decides to drink, I buy the booze and I decide I’m going to get drunk and put the bottle to my mouth. The fact I was told I was powerless was a bit condescending to me. I walked out of the only meeting I ever went to because of that...and I never drank again. I had hurt myself, family & friends because of my excessive drinking and was tired of doing that. So I made the decision to quit and did. I don’t consider myself an alcoholic after 15+ years of being sober but AA does. I don’t miss alcohol at all. I also give myself the credit and not the fact I gave myself to a higher power. I just found it sad that people are not giving themselves all the credit for quitting and instead thank their higher power. Again though whatever works for you is cool by me though.

start weed and coke!! forget alchol, and lots of sex.then get off the coke throw the bitches back on the street, and weeen of the weed! problem solved!been there done that! you're mileage may vary....dont kill your self, its not worth it!

Thanks

Good luck to you, OP. You can decide to quit, then just bite the bullet and get through a period of suffering, which will get less and less as time goes by.
A lot of people who drink need an alternative thing to do/obsess about when they quit drinking. For some an interest in getting their health back leads to taking up running or cycling, etc.

Ty 33 now I had one just about a year back and it was regular...which blew my mind. The 2 before I had raised lvls but started a support everyday. if Tested tomorrow I would be shocked if it's anywhere close to normal
And I do drink a gal of water everyday ,feel like I would have died by now if not for that. And I truly believe that

May sound strange, but hear me out....

Stop eating meat, if you can’t stop right away, at least stop eating pork, beef and chicken. Eat fish every couple of meals and work vegetarian meatless crumbles into your diet. After a few weeks drop the fish, and go vegetarian. Eat like you always have, spaghetti with veggie crumbles, tacos with veggie crumbles. Don’t go berserk trying to “be vegetarian”. Just make the adjustment without all the talk and debate with yourself and others.

You may ask why??? Well, it’s because eating meat is eating SUFFERING. Most alcoholics I’ve known have all been ravenous meat eaters, (myself once included). FWIW, Some vegetarians are alcoholic, too - but there problems extend beyond the topic at hand. Nevertheless, little did we know that we were IMBIBING suffering because of animal slaughter. The result is that we are using alcohol to subdue this suffering and the cycle repeats day after day. If you’ve taken hallucinogens or have spiritual awareness you may be better situated to understand this nuanced subject, because it’s largely transcendental.

If you are able to put a couple weeks behind you, then I would suggest cooking your food and then offering it to the higher power of your best understanding. After that you will notice remarkable changes - SUSTAINED.

Give it an honest effort. For my part, I stayed sober in AA for a year or so, but was ignorant. Terribly, terribly ignorant. And gave it up. It was only after a near death experience that I realized all of us - the animals, the aquatics, the plant kingdom and humans - we are all spirit souls inhabiting meat bodies. NOT meat bodies with souls. We don’t “have a soul” because we ARE spirit/souls. There is a difference. As such I have stayed nicely sober adopting a vegetarian diet, been five years now with no looking back and little to no suffering or desire for alcohol.

It’s all a matter of degree as the plants are inhabited by spirit souls, too. However they are not suffering during harvest the way a beautiful cow does.

Good luck to you, Sir. I wish you and all of the contributors here all the best.

BTW - if this is all too uncomfortable for you, then I would strongly suggest AA, because they’re just like you (and me). Good people with a heart for serving their fellow man.

I've been quit for two years now ... too ..! ...

Good advice...if we only could

From college on man could I drink. My work didnt help either overseas contractor man we drank at work worse then in college. But about 7 yrs ago I quit man what a difference it makes. Now one beer and I get sick as a dog. Havent had a drink except the past two presidental elections had a fith of jack select this last election. Man do I regret election night in more ways then one. My hangover lasted for days!! Never again!!! I dont know what it is but it seems like it is poison for me these days.

Well, you can do something about it now, or wait until it takes everything. Trust me, it does take everything, eventually.

.

Just because

I have two old compression fractures and earlier this year I couldn't walk, had to crawl to the bathroom. Legs swollen, massive pain. Only used beer and ibuprofen and nearly destroyed my liver. I quit drinking for months until Christmas day, as I am in Nashville. We lost phones and internet for three days and I got beer. I am not drinking much but it really helps my anxiety, which hasn't ended, and in fact is worse. Delta 8 really helps, but it makes me really hungry - actually wake up and cook at 3 am. Whatever. Shit's so weird I don't care about hours anymore. Just trying to keep my head. BTW I was sober for 23 years after I had children. I even chaired AA meetings at midnight for five years. I made a conscious decision to use beer again when I hit 50. Menopause is like tripping but you never get off. Terrible.

We all do the best we can. One day at a time and all that. Precious imperfect pieces of God, all of us.

noooooo ..trust the plan! dont stop now!!

I drink, because it's how I clean and sanitize my teeth; gulp, swoosh, swoosh, gargle, swallow, repeat.

Usually after a decent dinner.

I find I need to do this a couple hours at a time, several times a week.

19 Months sober here, OP. Good luck to you. I got sober in AA but haven't been to a meeting since the scamdemic began. I did online meetings for a while, but I DON'T have any desire to drink.

That it do.

Well, if I worked where you do - I'd drink a lot more too.

u mad, bro?

I feel you - wish they did too. I just lost my sister - 51 y/o on Dec 5th 2020. Liver failure from drinking.

Be sure to take your thiamine if you are stopping cold turkey

Smoke pot. It will ease your pain and anxiety and it will not kill you

Yes weed is very helpful. I was on SSRIs for anxiety disorder and totally miserable. Quit using hash and two weeks off of work. I quit going to AA because I couldn't be honest about the weed. Nearly everyone was on prescription drugs but they would shun you if you used weed. Eventually I got a medical card in CA but frankly meetings are kind of toxic, last I saw. Half the people didn't want to be there but had to go as part of their sentences. It just won't work that way. But I digress. My daughter was doing zoom meetings and ended up getting stalked and harassed by someone from there. What a shame. She got off of FB because he wouldn't leave her alone. There were a lot of cross addicted sex addicts that go to AA in New Orleans. Shit gets really weird. I was very much about the primary purpose of the program when I chaired meetings and I hated censorship but ultimately closed a meeting early and locked the place up because this one jerk talked about fighting his urges to molest children when he shared. I said NOPE> Not doing this anymore. Meeting closed. The end. I guess everyone has their breaking point. Sorry to write a book but this thread has been very helpful and enlightening. Very much know I am not alone in being conflicted and anxious and struggling with myself.

I quit for 28 days straight (after 25 years of too much everyday...ruined a marriage). Drank one gallon or so of water for each day during that time.

Changed so much for me.

Nowadays, a few times a week, I'll poor 2oz of vodka straight and sip it. Rarely finish the glass, but feel very satisfied with my drinking.

I think a lot of people who drink excessive alcohol also eat rather poorly, which helps contribute to their rapid decline in health and body function.

A good diet can go a long way in offsetting the damage that alcohol has on a body over time if done in conjunction with one another.

A good diet helps restore nutrients alcohol strips from the body.

Your body will tell you what you are missing by giving you a craving for something that has it in it.

It is an unconscious mechanism your body uses to replenish specific nutrients you are lacking.

Just my opinion based upon my own experience over time.

Alcohol is just as bad as pills. Even worse from a physical health standpoint. Don't go down that route.

Wow, that is a inspiring story! Thanks for sharing that.

I feel the same way. Slow suicide.

I've had 8 shots of shine and 15 shots of bourbon today and I'm only slightly buzzed.
Going hunting in the am so I'm taking it easy. LOL