Sobriety, V2.

[lowsparkco]

Hey all. Jackson bartender for five years, I probably know some of you in real life but haven’t put internet names to faces. Realized awhile ago that I can’t live my life how I want when I’m drinking, but also love spirits and wine and cocktails in a professional and passionate way.

A good dive bar that is just slow enough and about to be too busy is nirvana. A simple cocktail with attention to detail is art… a shitty beer after is hard day might as well be medicine.

But I’m over it. I don’t heal, I get fat, I get angry, my brain doesn’t work anymore, my knees hurt more than they need to. But I can’t seem to stop for more than a week.

I’m working with a therapist, and my family is in my corner. I’m not sure what to name it yet, or what my goal is, but this seems like the right place. Mostly because this is also the community that I’d never think I’d open up to.

Everybody’s different. I’ve quit a few times over the years, and these are some things I think helped me. First, as was kind of mentioned, don’t think about never having another drink. Just decide that drinking isn’t for you today. Keep challenging yourself to make it a little longer. Can you do a month? A year?

If you can do three months you’ll really be surprised. Your brain actually works different. It’s like your body’s memory isn’t longer than 12 weeks, so without the subtle little cravings you’ll feel a lot better.

Not everyone on here will probably agree, but the single biggest help for me has been meditation. I trained in Transcendental Meditation although I don’t practice it exactly how it’s recommended. It generally helps me be much more present, let go of thoughts that don’t serve me, let go of attachment, shame, embarrassment for thoughts that I’m unattached to. It goes a long way for me, in helping me recognize when anxiety builds so I can identify triggers and decide how to deal. When I started dealing with bigger problems I could find peace, rest, relax, engage and enjoy my life without needing that pressure release of “checking out” with a few drinks.

Whether that helps or not, congrats on taking the first steps and I know I can speak for everyone in this thread and say reach out. On this thread, through PM’s or exchange phone numbers. No one has all the answers but don’t limit how you get support. If someone just cheers you up and makes you laugh, that can go a long way. There are a ton of data points, you can open up a dimension to your life that doesn’t seem possible when you really step into who you genuinely are. No masks, no bullshit.

[SumJongGuy]

^^^LIKE^^^

[byates1]

^x2. Good stuff..

[cdubski]

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7py...Rqi8DkCJlDGVPg

[cdubski]

Avalanche Hour Podcast - sobriety episode

[WhetherMan]

I listened to that yesterday and I thought it was fucking fantastic. Mad respect to all of those guys for opening up. That will change some people's lives

[mooseknuckle]

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7py...Rqi8DkCJlDGVPg

Thanks for that; I appreciated and enjoyed the listen.

[Bunion 2020]

Have to check that out. Drinking and ski patrolling go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Was watching a You-tube on what happens to your body when you quit alcohol and I'm intrigued and giving it a shot, mainly to help with B/P and liver function.

[Woodsy]

Was watching a You-tube on what happens to your body when you quit alcohol and I'm intrigued and giving it a shot, mainly to help with B/P and liver function.

Nice work folks, drinking less is never bad.
For the " ALL OR NOTHGING" Crowd let people bringthemselves to the table as they can as Foggy polinted out.

I started tracking my drinks and it is/was eye opening.
Down to 6- 7 a week with 3-4 dry days from 20ish a week daily drinker in May and the results are clear in Liver Function and BP as well as general better life, weight loss & no black outs.

Booze is a poison but a cultural mainstay and I do appreciate it now when I do choose to imbibe whether that is ONE cocktail, or A glass of wine with dinner, or A coldbeer after skiing, outside work. Just stopped keeping going and mindlessly going right for it after/with everything.

NA beers have gotten very good and I find substitutes for other times.
Again, when I do drink, its worth it and I track it

[Woodsy]

[Foggy_Goggles]

I wish I could find Coors Edge in a can!

It's gotten to the point where I like not drinking more than drinking most of the time now.

I'm pretty new to the low/no social drinking so for better or worse I've been managing that by being not very social.

I definitely get inspiration from others trying to be the best version of themselves.

Sent from my Turbo 850 Flatbrimed Highhorse

[riser4]

I'm interested in any good new NA and 0 beers. Any Micro brews? I don't like to drink alcohol. I'm not "sober", however I can count on my fingers the average number of drinks I have per year.

[byates1]

Gave that a listen gearing up to get down this am. Basically very similar stories for ppl like us.

Im glad I figured it out. I was pretty fucking bad for a number of years. For me it's either completely clear or all in on daily drinking heavy.

[Woodsy]

I'm interested in any good new NA and 0 beers. Any Micro brews? I don't like to drink alcohol. I'm not "sober", however I can count on my fingers the average number of drinks I have per year.

Theres a whole thread on that and I wil add to it as have discoverd a lot recently, brewers are coming after the sober(ish) market.

[TNKen]

Kiddo is 5 months sober. No alcohol, no weed, no drugs. She still has an occasional emotional outburst every now and then, but I guess that might be expected.

She has decided that DAA meetings seem to be better for her, and seem to have more folks in her age group.

Fingers crossed.

[riser4]

Kiddo is 5 months sober. No alcohol, no weed, no drugs. She still has an occasional emotional outburst every now and then, but I guess that might be expected.

She has decided that DAA meetings seem to be better for her, and seem to have more folks in her age group.

Fingers crossed.

Fingers crossed for you guys. Does the D stand for Danger?

[CarlMega]

I'm interested in any good new NA and 0 beers. Any Micro brews? I don't like to drink alcohol. I'm not "sober", however I can count on my fingers the average number of drinks I have per year.

Sober. The NA that tickles my nostalgia is the 0.0 Heineken. I know most people consider Heineken to be skunky piss water but I guess that's what I associate with 'beer'. It tastes exactly like the alcohol version - at least from what I remember. You even get nice and phlegmy like the real stuff. Probably not for the beer snob crowd tho.

[riser4]

Sober. The NA that tickles my nostalgia is the 0.0 Heineken. I know most people consider Heineken to be skunky piss water but I guess that's what I associate with 'beer'. It tastes exactly like the alcohol version - at least from what I remember. You even get nice and phlegmy like the real stuff. Probably not for the beer snob crowd tho.

I've tried it. Not my cup of tea. Although it works after mowing a lawn. Hydration.

[SumJongGuy]

Kiddo is 5 months sober. No alcohol, no weed, no drugs. She still has an occasional emotional outburst every now and then, but I guess that might be expected.

She has decided that DAA meetings seem to be better for her, and seem to have more folks in her age group.

Fingers crossed.

Sounds like good progress.. It's a forever program that nobody ever graduates from. We are all just one really bad day away from being right back at our lowest point again.. There are still really bad days in sobriety. The comradery of a sober community helps us face adversity together instead of alone..

[sb]

I would like to see certain folks extend their sobriety to social media and even forgo computer/phones and internet connections but hey I can dream.

[yeahman]

I now forego alcohol two days a week, and on other days I often only have one beer whereas I used to have two. Makes a difference. One night a week I will drink two or three, but I can feel the appeal of that even slipping away.

Still like a puff a day though. Pretty sure I'm a lifer when it comes to that.

[SumJongGuy]

Gave that a listen gearing up to get down this am. Basically very similar stories for ppl like us.

Im glad I figured it out. I was pretty fucking bad for a number of years. For me it's either completely clear or all in on daily drinking heavy.

Ya. drinking one or two would make me feel worse than nothing.. It's 5+ or NOTHING... and 5 is if I started at 10pm had had to crash at 12 to get up early..

[SumJongGuy]

I would like to see certain folks extend their sobriety to social media and even forgo computer/phones and internet connections but hey I can dream.

And guns..

[RShea]

I'm interested in any good new NA and 0 beers. Any Micro brews? I don't like to drink alcohol. I'm not "sober", however I can count on my fingers the average number of drinks I have per year.

Don't know about the Micro Brews with near 0 or non-alcoholic, around here one of the Brew Pubs does Root Beer for the NA or those that do not want their list of Pilsners, IPA's, etc. I guess it is something everyone would have to ask.

For NA beers, most of the Euro's have a good non-alcohol and Canadian brewers Labatts and Molson were so much better than the O'Douls original...

[RShea]

Kiddo is 5 months sober. No alcohol, no weed, no drugs. She still has an occasional emotional outburst every now and then, but I guess that might be expected.

She has decided that DAA meetings seem to be better for her, and seem to have more folks in her age group.

Fingers crossed.

Good on her, hope she has a grasp after reading some of your earlier posts. I too am not sure what DAA is- Drugs AA?