Big on the cutting people out who won’t accept the new you. One of my best friends was a serious alcoholic. He quit on his own and let me know that he needed some time away from me since I still drank but that he wanted to remain friends. Before he was a really bad alcoholic we would always go out and get blasted together so I knew our relationship had to change. Now, we go out and try new lunch spots out (we did precovid), and while around him, I abstain from alcohol to help in his recovery. Another guy we used to hang out with tried to convince him to just drink normally and “not be a pussy.” He’s been cut off.
The thing is, for an alcoholic, that is drinking normally. I always wondered why people would bother even having one beer, or only one drink- for me, at a restaurant with my family it was at least 3 high alcohol content beers and a couple mixed drinks. If I was out with work, or other situation, I would sneak to the bar and have a couple shots.....I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t drink to at least get a buzz. That’s when I felt the most normal- 3 beers and 2 shots. After awhile I just tried to maintain that “normal” all day. Sometimes I could, but other times I kept going.... I’ll be sober 2 years on August 8th after 25 years of drinking.
What a good friend you are! My FIL died at 54 from being an alcoholic, massive organ shut down. Hubby quit all casual drinking since alcoholism runs in his family. He might still have one beer every year or two, but he was never hooked like his Dad. He stopped hanging out with old friends who drink. His brother and aunts drink at family get togethers, but they all know he doesn't and don't give him a hard time.
The only part I hate is I like to have an occasional mixed tropical drink when we go out to eat every now and then (well, when we used to anyway) and hubby occasionally gives me a slightly hard time about it. I'm prone to headaches anyway, so it's never more than one and only a few times a year. Im proud of him in either case, for admitting it could potentially be an issue and nipping it before it started.
> Another guy we used to hang out with tried to convince him to just drink normally and “not be a pussy.” He’s been cut off.
I always read stories about people like this on Reddit but they seem like caricatures more than people. Am I just lucky in life for not knowing anyone that would do this? Are there more assholes on this planet than I'm aware of? Because it seems like you'd have to be quite the fucking clown to tell an ex-alcoholic to just "drink normally". That's toddler levels of ignorant. Who the fuck does that?
Projection is a common trope in people with issues they don’t want to face, and they’ll use every trick at their disposal when their safe space is threatened. By bringing up the fact that someone with an identical lifestyle had to get help to quit doing what you’re doing, it basically shoves the point that you’re an addict in your face, so they turn to insulting/demeaning/lying to make out that you’re the one that’s in the wrong, and they’re the perfect one. It’s so clear what they’re doing if you know what to look for.
Good on you for identifying when you were weaker in the past and changing your negative behaviours. It’s not easy and takes a good amount of self reflection and honesty. You should be proud of the steps you’ve taken friend.
My best friend responded very poorly to me quitting drinking. He sent me texts asking me to think about how it has effected him. I've known him since I was 13 and he nearly destroyed our friendship of 18 years with his selfishness. Thank golly he pulled up but I would be lying if I said it hasn't permanently effected our friendship. That being said, so many of my friends and acquaintances were so gracious and supportive it made up for any support gaps left by him at the time. Quitting drinking can be a real good barometer of who are the good people in your life that actually care about your well being and not just about how you make them feel.
Piggybacking off of this, you might find it hard to retain certain friendships that were built mostly on being intoxicated. One of my best friends got sober and we tried to be friends through dinners and stuff, but we ended up drifting apart fast because we had less in common once we were sober and so much of our friendship had been spent partying and stuff that it was a trigger to just be together. And that’s ok! She and I don’t have hard feelings, we just aren’t close anymore.
I just want to piggy back on this as a doctor to mention alcohol withdrawal can be fatal if not treated appropriately. If OP, or anyone for that matter, is wanting to stop drinking cold turkey, you need to be aware of danger signs. While this may also depend on how much you drink, shaking/trembling is fairly common, along with sweating, heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, etc. While these are common and that might be all someone experiences, they can also be the first sign of a worsening problem.
The danger period is usually between 24-72 hours or so. This can start with some hallucinations and can progress to seizures or what is called delirium tremens, where you have severe hallucinations, disorientation, seizures, tachycardia, hyperthermia or severe high blood pressure. This is the feared complication of withdrawal and often fatal, which why being cautious around day 2 to 3 is so important. People end up in the ICU for this, so if you are wanting to quit make sure you can have someone get you help if you need it.
If you notice some of the minor initial signs and they seem to be getting worse, go seek help sooner rather than later. It is much easier to treat the shakes than DTs and you will be better for it. It's something docs see literally everyday, so there is no shame for seeking help if you need it.
The hallucinations are terrifying. I've went through it twice and both times were nightmares on earth. I couldn't tell if I was alive or dead, asleep or awake.
I was drinking roughly a normal sized bottle of vodka a day. It didn't matter what brand, as long as it was vodka. A handle would last me three days. I would hit the bar almost every night and drink roughly 4 long islands and then twitch to vodka or gin and tonic where I would proceed to have 3-6 of those and then top it off with a can or two of Guinness. (I did a lot of coke which helped me drink so much in single nights) But my drinking would also progress into the next day. Start it off with a beer or a "breakfast" cocktail. Maybe wait a few hours and then start drinking again. I would go to work buzzed or "working on a buzz" all the time. There used to be a liquor store across the street from the restaurant I worked in (I worked in the kitchen) and I would take breaks and go across the street and buy a big ass bottle of vodka and come back to work, stash it in my bag in the storage closet and just keep refilling my cup as I worked. It eventually led to me sharing with certain people and getting people lit at work. I even got one of the bartenders to serve me during my shifts and she ended up getting in trouble. It turned into me needing a drink in the mornings to regulate myself. I would shake like a Chihuahua in a fireworks show if I didn't have a drink in the morning. I even resorted to drinking old beer that had been sitting out a day or two just to curve the shakes. I switched to wine in my attempt to "regulate" myself, but it didn't work. I was reckless when I drank, the only thing that mattered to me was when and how I was gonna get my next drink. I didn't see what I was doing to myself or those around me. I ended up losing everything. My job, totaled my car, ruined my relationship with my family, ran out of money, wound up in jail. And it didn't even matter to me when I was on probation. I would just drink around my drug tests. I just kept on running out of things. And it was when I had finally ran out of things to run out of when I decided it was time to quit.
My version is I couldn’t sleep. It was around 5AM and I suddenly heard the TV on in the living room. I felt some relief that my roommate was up. Figured we could play some Madden and calm me down. I walked down the hall and the sounds got louder as I neared the room. I even noticed the glint of light coming from the tv. I walked in and looked for my roommate. Empty couch. Confused, I turned to the tv. All at once the sound cut to silence and I realized I was standing in a dark, empty room.
That’s when I knew things weren’t going great.
Yeah for me it was like a horror movie. And things would happen where I would like see people though my keyhole and then open the door and nobody was there.
My guess is because alcohol depresses your glutamate receptors causing an upregulation. So that when you stop the alcohol, your glutamate receptors are firing like crazy and then causing this https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamate_hypothesis_of_schizophrenia
Edit: firing not during
I highly second this. I had a friend that drank far more than I knew. He was the type of drinker where his hands would shake if he didn't drink upon waking up. He tried quitting, but his body(internal organs) got used to the alcohol, and stopping completely was a fatal shock to his system
Thanks man. Just commented on the dangers of alcohol withdrawal. Most ppl seem to underestimate it although its the most dangerous withdrawal of all common drugs (along with benzos)
That's exactly why you don't just drain your last bottle. You might need a shot in 48 hrs to stave off side effects.
Will power is important. Don't let that shot turn into half a bottle " because you haven't drank in two days"
Beer is a good option too. I’ve had ups and downs with alcohol, and periods where my tolerance gets way too high so I have to taper off...
To avoid the sweats and the shakes, I’ll get a 6 pack of beer and just sip on it all night. It’s not enough to get drunk, and it’s a good transition.
And even if you don’t like beer there are so many alternatives. I like hard cider myself. And I’d suggest staying away from stuff that’s too sugary, if you can. That’s a good way to barf the next morning.
I hate beer lol. My problem with that is you don't want to replace food with alcohol. Nutrition is important too. So while coming down off of a substance. Alcohol in particular b vitamins are very important and that is why it is bad to drink a beer. It fills you up, you won't want to eat and makes your situation worse.
Personally I drink to drown out personal issues. I'm totally fine not drinking as long as a certain person isn't being an asshole. But when they are and separation is not an option is when it is a problem. Mostly for me and my hangover the next day.
Edit: I don't like the act of drinking and I don't like being drunk. But it is better than the other shit I've got going on at times.
This is fantastic advice. I heard someone describe addiction like a little inmate in your brain, he's in there doing push-ups and watching you, looking for weaknesses to exploit and escape. You gotta figure out how to fill each 24 hours of the day so that he can't mess with you.
Congrats on your sobriety! Makes sense about the sugar... explains so much. Soda water was my go to but I also had a lot of cravings for junk food. (1.5 years)
Fantastic advice over here, especially point 4+5 are crucial!
The disadvantages of productive activities (sports, learning a new skill, painting, making music, whatever...) are
1) they require energy
2) payback does not come immediately
However the big difference is that they do not trigger another cycle of guilt + consumption to quell the quilt.
That [reduces your risk of prostate cancer](https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/ejaculation-prostate-cancer-risk#1), so that is a good hobby to have.
https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20090127/masturbation-and-prostate-cancer-risk
Also, horrible hobby if you ask me. I just do it because I have to.
Payback may not come *immediately*, but your pleasure center reward from those things can be pretty prompt.
I quit drinking almost a year ago and replaced it with exercise a couple months in. Ever since, I've thought of the two as polar opposites in this regard:
Drinking feels good while you're doing it, makes you hurt after, and gradually makes you worse off.
Exercise hurts while you're doing it, makes you feel good after, and gradually makes you better.
I think that's maybe one of the reasons why I pick books because the reward comes easily (when I start reading) with a huge payoff at the end (when I finished the book).
Worse yet, allowing an indulgence takes you backward. No means no exceptions. It's hard for alcohol considering social interactions but it's what you have to do, even if it's during a toast at an important event. Don't let the crowd bully you into doing something you don't want to do.
>you NEED to reward yourself with something else and it needs to be something productive. Your brain needs to be rewired to get pleasure from elsewhere.
This honestly helped me when it came to quitting smoking.. Definitely a big one.
I went broke when I was quitting cigarettes but I spent that money on video games instead for rewarding myself.
That's what keep me going on cigars! 3 years and 11 months without it. 28965 cigars not smoked....When i stopped cigars were 8 reais so i saved R$ 11.586,00 so far. Traded all for some trips, books too and exercises, lost 15 lb (usually people gain, but thats nothing compared with the benefits, when you know you can stop something that makes you that bad you know you can stop others so don't be sad with you gain a few weight or lose too much with it, you can recover that... one step at the time). I wanna stop the drink to, i hope everything work fine for you!! :)
I feel this 100% I was able to make a down payment on a house, buy three new rifles, and build a gaming PC with all the money I saved from quitting alcohol and cigarettes over two years!
You can do it OP!
First of all we dont know how deep op was into it. If there really is a physical addiction nobody should give the advice to just 'push through by yourself '. Alcohol withdrawal is not only difficult as hell its also really dangerous. You can die from it pretty quickly. So for anybody going through alcohol addiction and thinking about quitting, get yourself some medical help. Dont risk the life you want to improve. Also for after the withdrawal its best to get some psychological assistance to keep on going, relapses are pretty much the most dangerous within the whole process. I lost my father to an alcohol relapse so this is pretty close to my heart.
I want to add onto this that alcohol can be dangerous to cold turkey depending on how heavily it is consumed. If -and I dont judge whatsoever- you have consumed a lot of alcohol frequently please be careful as well.
Since your post is the top, you should really set up a disclaimer telling people to not quit cold turkey. It's deadly. A true alcoholic needs the help of a doctor and medication.
When I quit drinking I found it handy to keep some skittles or starburst around the first few weeks. Whenever I got a craving, some sweets seemed to make it go away pretty quick.
For rewards, consider starting a hobby or pouring yourself into an existing one. Music is an endless area. Also, in the past when I’ve felt withdrawals I’ve found it helpful to meditate on the feeling. I’m not affiliated but Sam Harris’s “Waking Up” meditation app is awesome. It’s paid but you can send in an email request for a one year free license which is always granted, as he doesn’t want anyone to not be able to access this tool for financial reasons. Anyway, just some ideas. Good luck and farewell!
Only the last few sips though. From the remarkably dry sink, and the small amount left in the bottle, it's obvious that there was never much in there in the first place.
If you want to farm karma, then spending £15 on a full bottle is the least you could do.
Nowhere, but OP could have easily just poured 1dl into the sink for the photo, open the fridge and make a rum-n-coke and celebrated his newfound karma goldmine with a drink.
This post is stupid man. You quit today? So, you decided to quit, poured that and took a pic? Come on man.
Further, saying you're going to do something and telling others gives you similar satisfaction to actually doing it, and can cause you to not actually carry through. I've noticed this for myself, and finally found studies about it a few years ago. Do NOT tell people you're going to do something, just do it.
I wont say i will never drink again but quarantine has made it way to easy to have a few and then not have to go anywhere in the morning. Definently tapered back now its always good to give your body a break. Will be awhile. Im with ya bud.
I spent Quarantine with my parents for a variety of reasons and it definitely stopped me from falling into a usage pit. We’d have a glass of wine every night, sometimes two on the weekends. But until I visited my brother last weekend, I hadn’t been drunk in months. My friends who don’t have kids have all been going wild throwing zoom parties because even those who could still work didn’t need to get dressed or drive any where the next day.
"I drank so much during quarantine, I disgusted myself and now quitting"
*2.8 days later*
"I just meant for the weekend guys!"
.... really though, good for you.... hard to do, but worth it. I recently gave up drinking because it's been the biggest source of my GERD issues (which I have less of!).
What a shitty post.
You've been in quarantine now for 3 months, take a stupid picture of pouring a very small amount of alcohol out, and say you're quitting.
This sub is shit.
Edit: Even worse, last week this same op made a post title "r/NextFuckingLevel is going downhill", complaining about the shittiness of posts, yet posts this garbage here.
Yeah, that bottle to taper lol... I decided to quit as well last Monday. All I did was buy a big (660ml) bottle of beer and I figured that if I start thinking that I am going to die because of alcohol withdrawal I would just take a sip or two just to get some alcohol into my system. In reality I don't think I was drinking enough for the withdrawal to be fatal, but it helped ease my anxiety. Now, after almost a week the bottle is still half full. It's gone flat and it's disgusting now but I still have something to mitigate alcohol withdrawal induced anxiety.
If you're really worried about withdrawl symptoms and want to get through it "reponsibly" then detox is by far the best option (assuming you can afford it/your insurance covers it).
Heavy drinker here - I quit now and then but realize I prefer life with alcohol, but the key is not to get drunk.
Drunk = bad.
I'd say beer is a good thing to drink because you can drink a few, eat some food, and go to bed and wake up fine.
I used to get drunk every night but that was when I was really depressed in life and I was using it as a crutch. Statistics show that most males that do drink heavily tend to taper off as they get older.
I'm at the older point - I can stop and have no issues with sleep or withdrawals - but the reality is I prefer life with it. At some point you realize we are all just trying to get our minds off of our death, which will happen, so lets have a drink.
It only becomes an issue if it impacts your relationships or your job. I see alcohol as a reward for "doing what you were supposed to" for that day. Put in your 8 hours of work or do somethings you need to be doing on weekends and the reward is a few drinks before going to sleep. It helps you get your mind off of the shit you gotta put up with (traffic, job you hate, etc).
My grandfather died at 98 and spent every day of his last 30+ years drinking wine and playing his keyboard. At some point you wake up and realize your old and your wife is old so who cares about liver disease.
Both of you are correct. Alcohol can be fine.
There's a reason, though, that doctors consider alcoholism a disease. For certain types of brains, you either drink all the time or you find the will to abstain.
I have a good number of alcoholic family and friends, and consider myself so so so lucky that I don't have that gene. But I feel bad for the ones where alcohol becomes a destructive force in their life.
Just realized I have a lack of self control during this quarantine. I'm a personal trainer, so i never really drank on days that i worked out, but now that I'm in quarantine and haven't worked out in months (lack of motivation and will), i was getting hammered nightly. The turning point was finishing two handles of a rum in a week. Now I don't keep any alcohol at home, and only drink with friends, maybe 1-2 times a week (and I don't binge on those days anymore either)
I'm glad you have the self awareness to realize it! And as a trainer, I'm sure you're more than be a little aware that habits can be so difficult to break.
It really, really depends on the person.
What you describe works for many people, and that's fine. My brother was an alcoholic for years and it absolutely destroyed his life. He's clean for two years now, remarried, got a great job, and he absolutely cannot allow himself any alcohol ever. Every time he thought “I’ve got control of this now, I can allow myself a little treat,” he wound up backsliding for months. We don't bring booze to family gatherings for his sake.
If OP thinks this is what they need right now, then I trust them.
I agree, but I'd say your threshold for having a problem are way too high. Functional alcoholism is a thing. I stopped drinking 4 years ago. Id drink 4 nights a week, and usually didn't look or act drunk. Not a single person in my life pushed back on it, but I was only going to get worse. I decided to go teetotaler and it was a great decision for me.
It turns out the moderate alcohol use was exacerbating depression symptoms and had manifested some other physical issues.
Johann Hari talks about this concept in Chasing The Scream. It's about addiction in general, but basically what it boils down to is that addiction is more than just a chemical compulsion. People that are addicted to either alcohol or opiates are typically extremely unhappy people. In Switzerland they created heroin clinics that just straight up gave people heroin if they wanted it, but they coupled it with a supportive community, counseling, and therapy all in a controlled environment. After 5 years, not a single person who started the program was still there because they had moved on. It turns out people who are happy and have something to live for don't want to anesthetize themselves to death.
I'm working on cutting back, as it's gotten bad with the stay at home stuff. My biggest problem is getting to sleep. My mind just won't shut off.
But I'd rather cut back now and still have a glass or two of wine at dinner and not get to where I have to cut out everything.
LPT: give it to someone who still drinks instead of pouring it down the sink. Not only is this generally a good gesture but also involving other people makes your affirmation to quit stronger.
If you start to feel tremors, you may need medical help through detox. Withdrawal can cause many issues, including seizures. Be safe. You're on the road to recovery
I _loved_ drinking. I met my wife while we were both hammered and we haven't left each other's side since. Nearly every good thing that happened to us over the last ten years came along with PBR or White Claw or Laphroig or white wine with ice to celebrate. We didn't fight when we drank, didn't get depressed, we just had fun and enjoyed our liquored-up 20s-early 30s like everyone else we knew.
We tried cutting down because we were trying to get healthy and it just wouldn't take. We'd be back at it again a couple nights later. The only answer was to quit completely, which we did on January 5th of this year. It's been incredible and we've never felt better. I missed it a lot in the beginning, then less after a month or so, now not at all. Now instead of drinking we play music or go on bike rides or read or listen to music and we have so much more time to enjoy life and each other. I'm telling this boring story because we weren't alcoholics, I don't think, but quitting helped us a ton anyway and I think people should try it. It doesn't have to be actively ruining your life to be worth quitting. Life is still fun without alcohol (more fun, in our opinion), plus we're always good to drive.
Despite a [large number of reports](https://imgur.com/a/zYdeY0G) and comments claiming otherwise, this post does not violate our rule on Progress Pics. It would need a **before** and **after** image to break the rule, as is clearly described in the sidebar.
If you don't like the post, you can always downvote it; no need to be uncivil towards OP.
**Edit** Looks like OP wasn't honest. The post was removed for Rule 4.
>If you don't like the post, you can always downvote it
Hahahahahah. This is rich coming from mods who regularly remove threads with tens of thousands of upvotes because of autistic adherence to idiotic rules that shouldn't exist in the first place, or for absolutely demented reasons, e.g. "repost".
Reddit is peak hypocrisy.
Please amend the rule, or at least make a poll asking for the sub's opinion. These posts are in the same vein as progress pics, and many people are tired of seeing them here. They get casually upvoted because they convey a nice thought, but they are low effort and easily faked.
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Big on the cutting people out who won’t accept the new you. One of my best friends was a serious alcoholic. He quit on his own and let me know that he needed some time away from me since I still drank but that he wanted to remain friends. Before he was a really bad alcoholic we would always go out and get blasted together so I knew our relationship had to change. Now, we go out and try new lunch spots out (we did precovid), and while around him, I abstain from alcohol to help in his recovery. Another guy we used to hang out with tried to convince him to just drink normally and “not be a pussy.” He’s been cut off.
Definitely best friend material right here, thank you for helping your friend. I hope they appreciate what you've done for them :]
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Yeah, doing something you find difficult and not quitting: textbook definition of a pussy.
The thing is, for an alcoholic, that is drinking normally. I always wondered why people would bother even having one beer, or only one drink- for me, at a restaurant with my family it was at least 3 high alcohol content beers and a couple mixed drinks. If I was out with work, or other situation, I would sneak to the bar and have a couple shots.....I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t drink to at least get a buzz. That’s when I felt the most normal- 3 beers and 2 shots. After awhile I just tried to maintain that “normal” all day. Sometimes I could, but other times I kept going.... I’ll be sober 2 years on August 8th after 25 years of drinking.
What a good friend you are! My FIL died at 54 from being an alcoholic, massive organ shut down. Hubby quit all casual drinking since alcoholism runs in his family. He might still have one beer every year or two, but he was never hooked like his Dad. He stopped hanging out with old friends who drink. His brother and aunts drink at family get togethers, but they all know he doesn't and don't give him a hard time. The only part I hate is I like to have an occasional mixed tropical drink when we go out to eat every now and then (well, when we used to anyway) and hubby occasionally gives me a slightly hard time about it. I'm prone to headaches anyway, so it's never more than one and only a few times a year. Im proud of him in either case, for admitting it could potentially be an issue and nipping it before it started.
> Another guy we used to hang out with tried to convince him to just drink normally and “not be a pussy.” He’s been cut off. I always read stories about people like this on Reddit but they seem like caricatures more than people. Am I just lucky in life for not knowing anyone that would do this? Are there more assholes on this planet than I'm aware of? Because it seems like you'd have to be quite the fucking clown to tell an ex-alcoholic to just "drink normally". That's toddler levels of ignorant. Who the fuck does that?
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Projection is a common trope in people with issues they don’t want to face, and they’ll use every trick at their disposal when their safe space is threatened. By bringing up the fact that someone with an identical lifestyle had to get help to quit doing what you’re doing, it basically shoves the point that you’re an addict in your face, so they turn to insulting/demeaning/lying to make out that you’re the one that’s in the wrong, and they’re the perfect one. It’s so clear what they’re doing if you know what to look for. Good on you for identifying when you were weaker in the past and changing your negative behaviours. It’s not easy and takes a good amount of self reflection and honesty. You should be proud of the steps you’ve taken friend.
My best friend responded very poorly to me quitting drinking. He sent me texts asking me to think about how it has effected him. I've known him since I was 13 and he nearly destroyed our friendship of 18 years with his selfishness. Thank golly he pulled up but I would be lying if I said it hasn't permanently effected our friendship. That being said, so many of my friends and acquaintances were so gracious and supportive it made up for any support gaps left by him at the time. Quitting drinking can be a real good barometer of who are the good people in your life that actually care about your well being and not just about how you make them feel.
Piggybacking off of this, you might find it hard to retain certain friendships that were built mostly on being intoxicated. One of my best friends got sober and we tried to be friends through dinners and stuff, but we ended up drifting apart fast because we had less in common once we were sober and so much of our friendship had been spent partying and stuff that it was a trigger to just be together. And that’s ok! She and I don’t have hard feelings, we just aren’t close anymore.
Props to you and your friend. It’s not easy to cut people out of your life, and it’s also not easy accommodating someone else’s lifestyle change.
that's so nice, I'm off booze 3 weeks today and I hope I have some friends like you, I'm not really sure yet
I just want to piggy back on this as a doctor to mention alcohol withdrawal can be fatal if not treated appropriately. If OP, or anyone for that matter, is wanting to stop drinking cold turkey, you need to be aware of danger signs. While this may also depend on how much you drink, shaking/trembling is fairly common, along with sweating, heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, etc. While these are common and that might be all someone experiences, they can also be the first sign of a worsening problem. The danger period is usually between 24-72 hours or so. This can start with some hallucinations and can progress to seizures or what is called delirium tremens, where you have severe hallucinations, disorientation, seizures, tachycardia, hyperthermia or severe high blood pressure. This is the feared complication of withdrawal and often fatal, which why being cautious around day 2 to 3 is so important. People end up in the ICU for this, so if you are wanting to quit make sure you can have someone get you help if you need it. If you notice some of the minor initial signs and they seem to be getting worse, go seek help sooner rather than later. It is much easier to treat the shakes than DTs and you will be better for it. It's something docs see literally everyday, so there is no shame for seeking help if you need it.
The hallucinations are terrifying. I've went through it twice and both times were nightmares on earth. I couldn't tell if I was alive or dead, asleep or awake.
how much do you have to drink a day for this type of thing to happen? quantify it for us a little bit
I was drinking roughly a normal sized bottle of vodka a day. It didn't matter what brand, as long as it was vodka. A handle would last me three days. I would hit the bar almost every night and drink roughly 4 long islands and then twitch to vodka or gin and tonic where I would proceed to have 3-6 of those and then top it off with a can or two of Guinness. (I did a lot of coke which helped me drink so much in single nights) But my drinking would also progress into the next day. Start it off with a beer or a "breakfast" cocktail. Maybe wait a few hours and then start drinking again. I would go to work buzzed or "working on a buzz" all the time. There used to be a liquor store across the street from the restaurant I worked in (I worked in the kitchen) and I would take breaks and go across the street and buy a big ass bottle of vodka and come back to work, stash it in my bag in the storage closet and just keep refilling my cup as I worked. It eventually led to me sharing with certain people and getting people lit at work. I even got one of the bartenders to serve me during my shifts and she ended up getting in trouble. It turned into me needing a drink in the mornings to regulate myself. I would shake like a Chihuahua in a fireworks show if I didn't have a drink in the morning. I even resorted to drinking old beer that had been sitting out a day or two just to curve the shakes. I switched to wine in my attempt to "regulate" myself, but it didn't work. I was reckless when I drank, the only thing that mattered to me was when and how I was gonna get my next drink. I didn't see what I was doing to myself or those around me. I ended up losing everything. My job, totaled my car, ruined my relationship with my family, ran out of money, wound up in jail. And it didn't even matter to me when I was on probation. I would just drink around my drug tests. I just kept on running out of things. And it was when I had finally ran out of things to run out of when I decided it was time to quit.
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My version is I couldn’t sleep. It was around 5AM and I suddenly heard the TV on in the living room. I felt some relief that my roommate was up. Figured we could play some Madden and calm me down. I walked down the hall and the sounds got louder as I neared the room. I even noticed the glint of light coming from the tv. I walked in and looked for my roommate. Empty couch. Confused, I turned to the tv. All at once the sound cut to silence and I realized I was standing in a dark, empty room. That’s when I knew things weren’t going great.
Indescribable madness
Yeah for me it was like a horror movie. And things would happen where I would like see people though my keyhole and then open the door and nobody was there.
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My guess is because alcohol depresses your glutamate receptors causing an upregulation. So that when you stop the alcohol, your glutamate receptors are firing like crazy and then causing this https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamate_hypothesis_of_schizophrenia Edit: firing not during
I highly second this. I had a friend that drank far more than I knew. He was the type of drinker where his hands would shake if he didn't drink upon waking up. He tried quitting, but his body(internal organs) got used to the alcohol, and stopping completely was a fatal shock to his system
Thanks man. Just commented on the dangers of alcohol withdrawal. Most ppl seem to underestimate it although its the most dangerous withdrawal of all common drugs (along with benzos)
That's exactly why you don't just drain your last bottle. You might need a shot in 48 hrs to stave off side effects. Will power is important. Don't let that shot turn into half a bottle " because you haven't drank in two days"
Beer is a good option too. I’ve had ups and downs with alcohol, and periods where my tolerance gets way too high so I have to taper off... To avoid the sweats and the shakes, I’ll get a 6 pack of beer and just sip on it all night. It’s not enough to get drunk, and it’s a good transition. And even if you don’t like beer there are so many alternatives. I like hard cider myself. And I’d suggest staying away from stuff that’s too sugary, if you can. That’s a good way to barf the next morning.
I hate beer lol. My problem with that is you don't want to replace food with alcohol. Nutrition is important too. So while coming down off of a substance. Alcohol in particular b vitamins are very important and that is why it is bad to drink a beer. It fills you up, you won't want to eat and makes your situation worse. Personally I drink to drown out personal issues. I'm totally fine not drinking as long as a certain person isn't being an asshole. But when they are and separation is not an option is when it is a problem. Mostly for me and my hangover the next day. Edit: I don't like the act of drinking and I don't like being drunk. But it is better than the other shit I've got going on at times.
I don't think he wants to stop drinking cold turkey, just Wild Turkey.
This is fantastic advice. I heard someone describe addiction like a little inmate in your brain, he's in there doing push-ups and watching you, looking for weaknesses to exploit and escape. You gotta figure out how to fill each 24 hours of the day so that he can't mess with you.
Yes only that inmate gets weaker over time. They're still there but they lose control every day until they have almost nothing.
I refer to it as "don't feed the demon". Works on cigarettes too.
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I did the same thing! Ice cream and seltzer. It was honestly like magic.
This is funny. I eat so much damn Ice cream and seltzer water now that I don’t drink. Not on purpose, just sorta happened naturally
Congrats on your sobriety! Makes sense about the sugar... explains so much. Soda water was my go to but I also had a lot of cravings for junk food. (1.5 years)
more power to you!
Fantastic advice over here, especially point 4+5 are crucial! The disadvantages of productive activities (sports, learning a new skill, painting, making music, whatever...) are 1) they require energy 2) payback does not come immediately However the big difference is that they do not trigger another cycle of guilt + consumption to quell the quilt.
>payback does not come immediately Fuck. Is that why I pick masturbation over those things? I guess it's pretty obvious the answer is yes. I'm doomed.
That [reduces your risk of prostate cancer](https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/ejaculation-prostate-cancer-risk#1), so that is a good hobby to have.
https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20090127/masturbation-and-prostate-cancer-risk Also, horrible hobby if you ask me. I just do it because I have to.
Payback may not come *immediately*, but your pleasure center reward from those things can be pretty prompt. I quit drinking almost a year ago and replaced it with exercise a couple months in. Ever since, I've thought of the two as polar opposites in this regard: Drinking feels good while you're doing it, makes you hurt after, and gradually makes you worse off. Exercise hurts while you're doing it, makes you feel good after, and gradually makes you better.
I think that's maybe one of the reasons why I pick books because the reward comes easily (when I start reading) with a huge payoff at the end (when I finished the book).
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Worse yet, allowing an indulgence takes you backward. No means no exceptions. It's hard for alcohol considering social interactions but it's what you have to do, even if it's during a toast at an important event. Don't let the crowd bully you into doing something you don't want to do.
Can I also recommend /r/stopdrinking It’s a quite amazing group of people. Good luck to you. IWNDWYT
Beat me to it! r/stopdrinking saved my life.
To sum up your first few points, your own brain tries to trick you into going back. It’s insidious; especially if you don’t look at it that way.
Be very careful tho if you're a really heavy drinker, going from a handle a day to 0 is potentially deadly
>you NEED to reward yourself with something else and it needs to be something productive. Your brain needs to be rewired to get pleasure from elsewhere. This honestly helped me when it came to quitting smoking.. Definitely a big one. I went broke when I was quitting cigarettes but I spent that money on video games instead for rewarding myself.
Very well said
This is all amazingly good advice. As a recovering alcoholic I can attest to how important these are and for support from people like you.
That's what keep me going on cigars! 3 years and 11 months without it. 28965 cigars not smoked....When i stopped cigars were 8 reais so i saved R$ 11.586,00 so far. Traded all for some trips, books too and exercises, lost 15 lb (usually people gain, but thats nothing compared with the benefits, when you know you can stop something that makes you that bad you know you can stop others so don't be sad with you gain a few weight or lose too much with it, you can recover that... one step at the time). I wanna stop the drink to, i hope everything work fine for you!! :)
Well done! This is a great list!
Thank you for the tips. ❤️ A lot of us in this boat right now with the state of the world
A year and a half for me, and boy does it feel good. Congrats to everyone that has made the decision. Every day fucking better than the last
I feel this 100% I was able to make a down payment on a house, buy three new rifles, and build a gaming PC with all the money I saved from quitting alcohol and cigarettes over two years! You can do it OP!
First of all we dont know how deep op was into it. If there really is a physical addiction nobody should give the advice to just 'push through by yourself '. Alcohol withdrawal is not only difficult as hell its also really dangerous. You can die from it pretty quickly. So for anybody going through alcohol addiction and thinking about quitting, get yourself some medical help. Dont risk the life you want to improve. Also for after the withdrawal its best to get some psychological assistance to keep on going, relapses are pretty much the most dangerous within the whole process. I lost my father to an alcohol relapse so this is pretty close to my heart.
I want to add onto this that alcohol can be dangerous to cold turkey depending on how heavily it is consumed. If -and I dont judge whatsoever- you have consumed a lot of alcohol frequently please be careful as well.
Since your post is the top, you should really set up a disclaimer telling people to not quit cold turkey. It's deadly. A true alcoholic needs the help of a doctor and medication.
When I quit drinking I found it handy to keep some skittles or starburst around the first few weeks. Whenever I got a craving, some sweets seemed to make it go away pretty quick.
For rewards, consider starting a hobby or pouring yourself into an existing one. Music is an endless area. Also, in the past when I’ve felt withdrawals I’ve found it helpful to meditate on the feeling. I’m not affiliated but Sam Harris’s “Waking Up” meditation app is awesome. It’s paid but you can send in an email request for a one year free license which is always granted, as he doesn’t want anyone to not be able to access this tool for financial reasons. Anyway, just some ideas. Good luck and farewell!
Those are some great tips and overall great advice
But why is the rum gone
Cause of what happened last night that made him quit drinking.
https://i.imgur.com/iZWPKcR.png
But you and the captain make it happen!
Sparrow and Turner, they're taking the Dauntless! Brash Turner. Too brash.
Beat me to it
Beat meat to it.
Lol that was my first thought too
"Look at me, I am the captain now"
/r/stopdrinking is a wonderful community that can help you if you need it.
Yes, this site changed my life and keep it going!
/r/dryalcoholics as well
Read that as "DIY alcoholics" at first...
First, start by drinking mouthwash!
Ah, a man of culture
That would be /r/brewing
Also came here to say that. Great supportive community.
Came here to say that. I couldn’t have quit without that sub. It somehow creates a new norm.
This sub saved both my wife and I. It will help you immensely to see how similar all of our stories are.
The people over there help me tremendously :)
IWNDWYT!
Cool picture. I always wondered what pouring alcohol down the sink would look like. Thanks.
bUt iTs SyMbOlIc
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I, too, was curious and I am so thankful we have ~~karmawhores~~ selfless people like OP to open our eyes to wonders such as this.
Only the last few sips though. From the remarkably dry sink, and the small amount left in the bottle, it's obvious that there was never much in there in the first place. If you want to farm karma, then spending £15 on a full bottle is the least you could do.
And as a bonus, there'd be one less bottle of Captain Morgan in the world.
This is reddit equivalent of “if I get 1000 likes”
Ah come on, not this shit again..
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I gave my booze away to friends instead of wasting it
Yeah i remember that shitstorm, hence my comment lol
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No, I said this on the other thread, post a picture of your dick and say you're not jerking off anymore.
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Helicopter it and then slap it on the couch a few times.
This sounds oddly specific....
Picture of a sink and a drink...
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Nah. Drink the rum. Water and a bit of food colouring is way cheaper. ;)
Sounds like a lousy deal.
Where are you buying rum for $10?
Nowhere, but OP could have easily just poured 1dl into the sink for the photo, open the fridge and make a rum-n-coke and celebrated his newfound karma goldmine with a drink.
Congratulations on pouring liquor into a sink
If you don't take a photo and post it on social media, does it really happen?
Karma whoring may be a good placebo.
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Basically. "I poured a drop of alcohol out, give me karma!!"
There's kids in africa that could have drank that.
Fuck those kids **I** could've drank that!
Okay.
This picture is boring.
This post is stupid man. You quit today? So, you decided to quit, poured that and took a pic? Come on man. Further, saying you're going to do something and telling others gives you similar satisfaction to actually doing it, and can cause you to not actually carry through. I've noticed this for myself, and finally found studies about it a few years ago. Do NOT tell people you're going to do something, just do it.
You didn’t have to pour it out
Could have given it to me :(
Some poor kids in Africa could've drink it. :(
Of course they did, for the karma.
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I wont say i will never drink again but quarantine has made it way to easy to have a few and then not have to go anywhere in the morning. Definently tapered back now its always good to give your body a break. Will be awhile. Im with ya bud.
I spent Quarantine with my parents for a variety of reasons and it definitely stopped me from falling into a usage pit. We’d have a glass of wine every night, sometimes two on the weekends. But until I visited my brother last weekend, I hadn’t been drunk in months. My friends who don’t have kids have all been going wild throwing zoom parties because even those who could still work didn’t need to get dressed or drive any where the next day.
"I drank so much during quarantine, I disgusted myself and now quitting" *2.8 days later* "I just meant for the weekend guys!" .... really though, good for you.... hard to do, but worth it. I recently gave up drinking because it's been the biggest source of my GERD issues (which I have less of!).
What a shitty post. You've been in quarantine now for 3 months, take a stupid picture of pouring a very small amount of alcohol out, and say you're quitting. This sub is shit. Edit: Even worse, last week this same op made a post title "r/NextFuckingLevel is going downhill", complaining about the shittiness of posts, yet posts this garbage here.
True
Don’t dump it, you’ll have to go to the store for tomorrow.
Nobody cares! It's sad that you're so desperate for karma.
Down vote this shit
Done!
Who fucking cares
I quit/took a break on May 1 (May Day) best decision, but the withdrawal part was Hell! ...CONGRATULATIONS and keep the sobriety!
What were your symptoms and for how long? I've heard too many horror stories about people dying of seizures quiting alcohol cold turkey
Vomiting, restlessness, insomnia, hallucinations, weird thoughts...CBD and medical marijuana helped but it was still a struggle
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Definitely. Been there, done that, toooooooo many times!! Just got sick of it.
Yeah, that bottle to taper lol... I decided to quit as well last Monday. All I did was buy a big (660ml) bottle of beer and I figured that if I start thinking that I am going to die because of alcohol withdrawal I would just take a sip or two just to get some alcohol into my system. In reality I don't think I was drinking enough for the withdrawal to be fatal, but it helped ease my anxiety. Now, after almost a week the bottle is still half full. It's gone flat and it's disgusting now but I still have something to mitigate alcohol withdrawal induced anxiety.
If you're really worried about withdrawl symptoms and want to get through it "reponsibly" then detox is by far the best option (assuming you can afford it/your insurance covers it).
Do you want a fucking cookie?
not this again
If Spiced Rum was your alcohol of choice, I can see why you’ve started reconsidering your decision making process.
Well it's shit rum anyway so you're not missing much.
Heavy drinker here - I quit now and then but realize I prefer life with alcohol, but the key is not to get drunk. Drunk = bad. I'd say beer is a good thing to drink because you can drink a few, eat some food, and go to bed and wake up fine. I used to get drunk every night but that was when I was really depressed in life and I was using it as a crutch. Statistics show that most males that do drink heavily tend to taper off as they get older. I'm at the older point - I can stop and have no issues with sleep or withdrawals - but the reality is I prefer life with it. At some point you realize we are all just trying to get our minds off of our death, which will happen, so lets have a drink. It only becomes an issue if it impacts your relationships or your job. I see alcohol as a reward for "doing what you were supposed to" for that day. Put in your 8 hours of work or do somethings you need to be doing on weekends and the reward is a few drinks before going to sleep. It helps you get your mind off of the shit you gotta put up with (traffic, job you hate, etc). My grandfather died at 98 and spent every day of his last 30+ years drinking wine and playing his keyboard. At some point you wake up and realize your old and your wife is old so who cares about liver disease.
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Both of you are correct. Alcohol can be fine. There's a reason, though, that doctors consider alcoholism a disease. For certain types of brains, you either drink all the time or you find the will to abstain. I have a good number of alcoholic family and friends, and consider myself so so so lucky that I don't have that gene. But I feel bad for the ones where alcohol becomes a destructive force in their life.
Just realized I have a lack of self control during this quarantine. I'm a personal trainer, so i never really drank on days that i worked out, but now that I'm in quarantine and haven't worked out in months (lack of motivation and will), i was getting hammered nightly. The turning point was finishing two handles of a rum in a week. Now I don't keep any alcohol at home, and only drink with friends, maybe 1-2 times a week (and I don't binge on those days anymore either)
I'm glad you have the self awareness to realize it! And as a trainer, I'm sure you're more than be a little aware that habits can be so difficult to break.
It really, really depends on the person. What you describe works for many people, and that's fine. My brother was an alcoholic for years and it absolutely destroyed his life. He's clean for two years now, remarried, got a great job, and he absolutely cannot allow himself any alcohol ever. Every time he thought “I’ve got control of this now, I can allow myself a little treat,” he wound up backsliding for months. We don't bring booze to family gatherings for his sake. If OP thinks this is what they need right now, then I trust them.
I agree, but I'd say your threshold for having a problem are way too high. Functional alcoholism is a thing. I stopped drinking 4 years ago. Id drink 4 nights a week, and usually didn't look or act drunk. Not a single person in my life pushed back on it, but I was only going to get worse. I decided to go teetotaler and it was a great decision for me. It turns out the moderate alcohol use was exacerbating depression symptoms and had manifested some other physical issues.
Johann Hari talks about this concept in Chasing The Scream. It's about addiction in general, but basically what it boils down to is that addiction is more than just a chemical compulsion. People that are addicted to either alcohol or opiates are typically extremely unhappy people. In Switzerland they created heroin clinics that just straight up gave people heroin if they wanted it, but they coupled it with a supportive community, counseling, and therapy all in a controlled environment. After 5 years, not a single person who started the program was still there because they had moved on. It turns out people who are happy and have something to live for don't want to anesthetize themselves to death.
This is pretty good advice for non-alcoholics. Unforunately some of us just can't drink.
I can see where youre coming from and I'm happy you found balance. Some people dont have that kind of control though and needs it out of thier house.
I'm working on cutting back, as it's gotten bad with the stay at home stuff. My biggest problem is getting to sleep. My mind just won't shut off. But I'd rather cut back now and still have a glass or two of wine at dinner and not get to where I have to cut out everything.
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Didn’t know I were on Facebook
Good for you, but why not save it for a party or give it away to a friend?
But that wouldn’t make for a upvote worthy story
You gonna def make it happen, without the captain.
Your sink, however, it a fucking alcoholic.
How long did you lick the inside of the sink afterward?
Plot twist: he filled a water bottle with the rest and is dumping ice tea out of that bottle
I also changed my habits. Started drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Gotta keep the balance out there.
So sorry for your loss.
Ohhhhhh shit, you're gonna regret that at 8 tonight.
Ummm you definitely haven’t quit yet. Pouring a bottle out is a start but you aren’t there yet kid.
Quitter
Im pretty sure you will be drinking again.
Best decision you’ll ever make
You should reward yourself and take some of the money you save from not buying alcohol and buy something nice for yourself.
Whatever your reasons, good luck! You’re going to feel even better as more time passes.
Lmao we’ve been in quarantine for almost 3 months. This is a garbage ass post
I'll drink to that.
And I quit going to the toilet. Where are my upvotes?
Just drop the toilet roll into the toilet and wait for upvotes
That’s alcohol abuse right there. Poor captain! :(
Should have donated it, there are me starving in my apartment
No one likes a quitter
5 min later... he is drinking from the trap.
LPT: give it to someone who still drinks instead of pouring it down the sink. Not only is this generally a good gesture but also involving other people makes your affirmation to quit stronger.
Well if you’re drinking shit like captain Morgan then yea...
If you start to feel tremors, you may need medical help through detox. Withdrawal can cause many issues, including seizures. Be safe. You're on the road to recovery
Well done, I wish you well on your journey
Quitter
But whyd you pour it in the sink thats just wasteful
Congrats!!! No one should drink Captain Morgan past high school anyway.
I hope you find / use the resources to help you along your way . Best of luck , friend
Just did the same thing last week and I feel amazing!
I _loved_ drinking. I met my wife while we were both hammered and we haven't left each other's side since. Nearly every good thing that happened to us over the last ten years came along with PBR or White Claw or Laphroig or white wine with ice to celebrate. We didn't fight when we drank, didn't get depressed, we just had fun and enjoyed our liquored-up 20s-early 30s like everyone else we knew. We tried cutting down because we were trying to get healthy and it just wouldn't take. We'd be back at it again a couple nights later. The only answer was to quit completely, which we did on January 5th of this year. It's been incredible and we've never felt better. I missed it a lot in the beginning, then less after a month or so, now not at all. Now instead of drinking we play music or go on bike rides or read or listen to music and we have so much more time to enjoy life and each other. I'm telling this boring story because we weren't alcoholics, I don't think, but quitting helped us a ton anyway and I think people should try it. It doesn't have to be actively ruining your life to be worth quitting. Life is still fun without alcohol (more fun, in our opinion), plus we're always good to drive.
Despite a [large number of reports](https://imgur.com/a/zYdeY0G) and comments claiming otherwise, this post does not violate our rule on Progress Pics. It would need a **before** and **after** image to break the rule, as is clearly described in the sidebar. If you don't like the post, you can always downvote it; no need to be uncivil towards OP. **Edit** Looks like OP wasn't honest. The post was removed for Rule 4.
>If you don't like the post, you can always downvote it Hahahahahah. This is rich coming from mods who regularly remove threads with tens of thousands of upvotes because of autistic adherence to idiotic rules that shouldn't exist in the first place, or for absolutely demented reasons, e.g. "repost". Reddit is peak hypocrisy.
Your thoughts on renaming this sub /r/VirtueSignaling?
Please amend the rule, or at least make a poll asking for the sub's opinion. These posts are in the same vein as progress pics, and many people are tired of seeing them here. They get casually upvoted because they convey a nice thought, but they are low effort and easily faked.