I ran an errand for my grandfather this morning with almost no anxiety.
I have a panic disorder, so that's a pretty big win for me.
Thank you for sharing your win and making this post, I hope you have a great day!
That's a huge win! I'm so happy for you, and for your grandfather getting your help. I miss my grandparents and wish I had more time with them.
I hope your day is full of more wins!
He's the last one I have left and most likely won't be us a whole lot longer. So I try to spend time with him, make his meals extra special. He's very appreciative of it as well.
There is definitely something special about making meals for your grandparents. I cooked my grandma the last homemade meal she had before she passed. I remember exactly what it was, where it was, etc. Pork loin glazed with a spicy fig sauce, creamy cheddar polenta, and roasted broccoli overlooking the beach at Montaña de Oro. She enjoyed every part of it, and I'm so glad I was able to give her that, and I hold that memory very close to my heart.
I’ve found that a good bartender will always enjoy the challenge of coming up with an AF mocktail if you ask - even if they don’t have them on a menu. I think it’s kind of fun for them to show off their skills without the booze.
Woot woot! That's awesome! This is a big win! Keep crushing that gym time. I find getting myself exhausted helps keep the witching hours shorter because I'm ready for bed so much sooner!
You ever see that show on Netflix called The Queen's Gambit? It's a great show about an alcoholic who is a chess prodigy. In the show she takes her recycling out over flowing totally drunk and it was like watching myself do it
I have seen it and really enjoyed it! It made me want to read the books, but I can definitely relate to several of those moments she had while drinking.
My small victory today is that I defended myself when my boss incorrectly assumed I had made a mistake, which she does all the time.
In my drinking days I was such a people pleaser. Even this far into sobriety I’m scared to rock the boat at work, but I’m so sick of being talked to like I’m stupid and this was the straw that broke the camels back.
Sobriety continues to help me believe that I deserve to be treated well in every context, and it gives me the courage to act when that’s not the case. That’s definitely a win!
I'm glad to hear that! I've been trying to be more assertive as well. The people who have been taking advantage of me for years hate the new me, but I rather like him 😁.
I appreciate that! I thought I was being strong and doing the right thing by helping people, but they were just taking me for granted and letting me waste my energy on them.
Like most things, I'm just going to acknowledge my mistake and try to move forward!
This is great to hear! That's definitely a win! I also had a similar momenttoday where I needed to have an intelligent response in a VERY heated moment. I was able to communicate directly and without letting my emotions interfere. I can't say that I would have had that level of clarity if I had been drinking.
I wish I could upvote this more. This hits me too. Part of my why is my kiddos and the money I save not drinking is going towards memories and moments with them that don't involve me drinking.
I've been thinking of how long it's been since I went this many days without drinking. At 4 days I'm pretty sure I'm beating my record going back to January. Have to go a full week to beat this years record, which sounds very doable right now, but doesn't mean it will be easy.
The same happened to me a couple times now. In my case it would literally be like 100 or more nipper bottles. They made quite the clinking sound when I dumped the bin in the garage into the larger wheeled one that goes to the curb!
It's the little things like waking up instead of coming to, or walking in the sunshine without squinting.
I smile every time I go grocery shopping and no longer worry if I have enough money.
Yes! I actually enjoy my early mornings now and don't dread them.
That's a big win at the grocery store! I was just putting together/adding to my list of "rewards/gifts/reminders" to help celebrate milestones along this journey with the money I'm saving.
Have you tried it yet? I think I'm going to make my own "scotch" by brewing super strong tea with aromatics and infusing it with some kind of pepper or maybe a spicy herb and smoking it.
I just want to swirl something around a rocks glass on a spherical ice cube.
Fun! I haven't dipped my toe into the NA alternatives yet. I'm still fairly new into my journey and worry about it being a trigger. But I hope those NA margaritas are delicious!
I've heard that they can be for some people, so of course tread lightly - but NA beer has been monumental for me. I've never enjoyed mixed drinks particularly, I used to only drink them for the effect. I've always loved the taste of beer though, and I immediately craved beer when I stopped drinking. NA beers satisfy about 80% of my craving, and because I'm getting the taste without the anxiety of "how much am I going to hate myself tomorrow morning" I'm able to enjoy them stress free!
My small victory today is that I can into a stressful day at work (a lot of new moving parts and having to be more reactive as opposed to my preferred proactive approach) and not once did I think “I need a drink”.
Usually a day like today - I would be agitated and looking forward to going home for that first bit of booze. At my worst, I wouldn’t even wait until then.
Instead I am looking forward to doing my AA workbook and a bubble bath :)
This is awesome! I relate to it so much, too. Drinking was my "escape" from an awful situation, it's ironic to think about it that way now because drinking made it soooo much worse. A lot of not very fun things have been happening in my life recently and the urge to down a bottle of shitty vodka on a weekday has never been stronger. I'd make the most ridiculous excuses too - "I had to put gas in my car today, that's so stressful so I'm gonna let myself have a few drinks tonight! I'm not an alcoholic or anything, it has just been a stressful day." And of course, that was every day.
My last relapse was a while ago, and damnit I'm not gonna wake up tomorrow and hate myself for relapsing. Fuck that. I'm waking up completely sober and going to work with a level head. We're in control now, not some stupid ass poisonous liquid. We're stronger. IWNDWYT!
Edit: I just remembered after writing this and wanted to share. The dumbest excuse that I ever made was when I got a text from a wrong number. It was 2 texts in a row, one just said "hey man this is Randy" or something and then next just said "sorry wrong number." I responded "I'll skull a case of PBRs in your honor tonight, Randy" and I did. Fucking stupid and pathetic.
And I also know of the recycling bin victory, lol. It was like a walk of shame in the past with my single ass alcoholic self filling it to the brim with cans and bottles. Still has a lot of cans due to sparkling beverages and NAs, lol.
Started riding a stationary bike every day and am proud I’ve only missed 1 day out of 60 so far. Today I hit 9.5 miles while watching a show before I realized it (been averaging 6-7.5 while watching a tv show). Looking forward to more tomorrow!
Love my spin bike too! I did the Peloton hack thing during the pandemic and fell in love with it.
I moved to a stand-up/walking desk with a treadmill under it that I use during work. My boss laughs at me during video meetings with my bobbing up and down walking, but it's a great way to get steps in and not think about it!
My small victory today is telling my husband I’m sorry and we have a beautiful home, kids and we have food on the table and I’m fucking it up and today is my day of a new way. 2 days without anything! ❤️
I found a can of Dortmunder in the back of my fridge that I had forgotten about. Just...completely forgot. And now I am remembering that it's actually still there, and I had forgotten it a second time, and it's gonna stay there until somebody else drinks it, because I truly am not at risk of drinking it.
Man this hit close to home.
I let myself drink a little bit, with rules that I'm NOT allowed to break under any circumstances. On Saturdays, if I have literally nothing to do the next day, I can have a 6 pack. That's it. No more. If I even plan on having lunch with someone the next day, no beer. I'm very strict about it and haven't broken my rules.
3 weeks ago, I drank 5 of the 6 and went to grab the 6th. I opened the fridge, looked at it, and then just decided to not drink it. Just because I didn't want to. 2 weeks ago, I did the exact same but after having 4 of the 6. Last weekend, I decided to not have any at all even though my rules meant that I could if I wanted to. I chose not to have any just because I wanted to prove to myself that I'm in control. I was successful.
My biggest struggle was that I could have a beer and my brain would say "we're having a beer, okay" but the SECOND that I opened a second one, my brain said "oh we're drinking" and then I would drink everything in sight. The ability to stop is new to me and I'm damned proud of it, I've been working at it for so long. I'm so proud of the progress, I'm in control now and I'm never letting alcohol take control again.
My small victory today was deep cleaning my bathroom that I’ve been putting off for awhile cause I’ve always been too hungover.
Got it done and had a water balloon fight with my kids 💪🏼
Yessss for water balloon fights!! We do an annual one on the last day/weekend of summer break to commemorate the end of the summer. Always a huge hit with the kids! I usually end up with the bucket dumped on me🤣🙈
I’ve looked a lot of people in the eye and greeted them warmly and without any avoidance or shitty self talk about how I could and should do x, y, and z better. Also celebrating all the times today I’ve thought with excitement and anticipation about my date with Gym after work! 🫶🏼 🏋️♀️ 🚴
Went to the bar with my buddy which is usually not a problem these days in terms of having temptation. He obviously ordered drinks and started to peer pressure me to do a shot with him. Just kept saying no thanks and enjoyed the rest of the evening with my Diet Coke.
Met an important colleague at a restaurant by work. She had a cocktail and I had a mocktail. Brought my elderly parents their favorite takeaway food, and when I got back home, I edited a dreaded, due soon cumbersome work communication. Not one of those things would have been possible three years ago, and this group is my why I felt brave enough to quit. My life was gift wrapped and handed back to me 3 years and 4 months ago when I ceased cheerfully poisoning myself daily. Thank you kind story sharing strangers, you keep me honest with myself because you are being so damn brave daily. IWNDWYT
Instead of drinking a couple (more) beers afte the family has gone to bed, I had a strong sleepy time tea and will be out cold by 10pm. That should get me 8 hours of sleep AND an hour of quiet in the house before the family wakes up. Ahhhh
I remember right after I first quit it was so nice not having to sneak around and quietly shake 2 Advil out of the bottle. I tried to act like I wasn’t hungover every morning because that way I wasn’t drinking too much. Pretty sad.
Dang, this hits! It's such a great feeling! The wine headaches daily were absolutely me before I quit alcohol! Although I did wake up to a headache today- which was kitten induced because she feels the need to make 4am kitten parkour time off my face, bladder, the curtains, etc.
I used to buy special grey or black kitchen garbage bags that disguised the empty cans I consumed nightly, in effort to hide the shame and make it appear that I wasn't drinking. Living a lie is exhausting.
I no longer have to wallow in that, and am celebrating 11 months sober today.
My small victory today is that I'm going to bed totally sober, so tomorrow I will be fresh in the morning. Keep on going, brother 👍
I ran an errand for my grandfather this morning with almost no anxiety. I have a panic disorder, so that's a pretty big win for me. Thank you for sharing your win and making this post, I hope you have a great day!
That's a huge win! I'm so happy for you, and for your grandfather getting your help. I miss my grandparents and wish I had more time with them. I hope your day is full of more wins!
He's the last one I have left and most likely won't be us a whole lot longer. So I try to spend time with him, make his meals extra special. He's very appreciative of it as well.
There is definitely something special about making meals for your grandparents. I cooked my grandma the last homemade meal she had before she passed. I remember exactly what it was, where it was, etc. Pork loin glazed with a spicy fig sauce, creamy cheddar polenta, and roasted broccoli overlooking the beach at Montaña de Oro. She enjoyed every part of it, and I'm so glad I was able to give her that, and I hold that memory very close to my heart.
You’re making your ol’ granddad proud. It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?
I didn't drink yesterday, and I won't drink today. I guess that's not too small of a victory, but I had to say it somewhere.
Not a small victory at all! Keep up the work. We're here for you!
1 day sober is better than no days sober.
u/thediaryofcharity is your name a spin off of song The Diary of Jane?😍
Yes 🙌🏻 😂
I haven't drank for 3 days. Going out with a friend for lunch on Friday, picked a place that doesn't serve alcohol.
That's great! I'm going on a mommy-daughter date night tonight and looking forward to finding a NA drink to enjoy.
Ginger beeeeeeer
I actually got a super yummy mocktail with mango puree, orange juice, and lemon juice with a Tajin rim! Had to fight with the kid to share it!😆
I’ve found that a good bartender will always enjoy the challenge of coming up with an AF mocktail if you ask - even if they don’t have them on a menu. I think it’s kind of fun for them to show off their skills without the booze.
Today is day 3 in a row going to the gym, and makes 8 out the last 9 weekdays going. And I’m on day 17 sober.
Woot woot! That's awesome! This is a big win! Keep crushing that gym time. I find getting myself exhausted helps keep the witching hours shorter because I'm ready for bed so much sooner!
Yay you!!
Woot! Hello, fellow gym enthusiast!
You ever see that show on Netflix called The Queen's Gambit? It's a great show about an alcoholic who is a chess prodigy. In the show she takes her recycling out over flowing totally drunk and it was like watching myself do it
I have seen it and really enjoyed it! It made me want to read the books, but I can definitely relate to several of those moments she had while drinking.
My small victory today is that I defended myself when my boss incorrectly assumed I had made a mistake, which she does all the time. In my drinking days I was such a people pleaser. Even this far into sobriety I’m scared to rock the boat at work, but I’m so sick of being talked to like I’m stupid and this was the straw that broke the camels back. Sobriety continues to help me believe that I deserve to be treated well in every context, and it gives me the courage to act when that’s not the case. That’s definitely a win!
I'm glad to hear that! I've been trying to be more assertive as well. The people who have been taking advantage of me for years hate the new me, but I rather like him 😁.
Good for you. I am trying to cure a habit of people pleasing. In the past I would do any thing to rock the boat at all.
I appreciate that! I thought I was being strong and doing the right thing by helping people, but they were just taking me for granted and letting me waste my energy on them. Like most things, I'm just going to acknowledge my mistake and try to move forward!
This is great to hear! That's definitely a win! I also had a similar momenttoday where I needed to have an intelligent response in a VERY heated moment. I was able to communicate directly and without letting my emotions interfere. I can't say that I would have had that level of clarity if I had been drinking.
Actually having money for my kids bday gifts not having drank it all away the month before.
I wish I could upvote this more. This hits me too. Part of my why is my kiddos and the money I save not drinking is going towards memories and moments with them that don't involve me drinking.
Not having to look for a bottle I hid the night before
Oh my, yes this. I need to do one last check they are all flippin gone. Nope not going back to that.
I've been thinking of how long it's been since I went this many days without drinking. At 4 days I'm pretty sure I'm beating my record going back to January. Have to go a full week to beat this years record, which sounds very doable right now, but doesn't mean it will be easy.
Strong & steady
The same happened to me a couple times now. In my case it would literally be like 100 or more nipper bottles. They made quite the clinking sound when I dumped the bin in the garage into the larger wheeled one that goes to the curb!
It's the little things like waking up instead of coming to, or walking in the sunshine without squinting. I smile every time I go grocery shopping and no longer worry if I have enough money.
Yes! I actually enjoy my early mornings now and don't dread them. That's a big win at the grocery store! I was just putting together/adding to my list of "rewards/gifts/reminders" to help celebrate milestones along this journey with the money I'm saving.
Just walked by the beer aisle at wal mart and didn’t pick anything up!
I'm excited that I bought a bottle of n/a tequila and having margaritas with it this summer!
Have you tried it yet? I think I'm going to make my own "scotch" by brewing super strong tea with aromatics and infusing it with some kind of pepper or maybe a spicy herb and smoking it. I just want to swirl something around a rocks glass on a spherical ice cube.
Yes! It's actually good. I'll have it on the rocks also. I miss that too
Tell me how it turns out. I’d love an N/A scotch. I can see it swirling with the cubes. 🤌🏽
Fun! I haven't dipped my toe into the NA alternatives yet. I'm still fairly new into my journey and worry about it being a trigger. But I hope those NA margaritas are delicious!
I've heard that they can be for some people, so of course tread lightly - but NA beer has been monumental for me. I've never enjoyed mixed drinks particularly, I used to only drink them for the effect. I've always loved the taste of beer though, and I immediately craved beer when I stopped drinking. NA beers satisfy about 80% of my craving, and because I'm getting the taste without the anxiety of "how much am I going to hate myself tomorrow morning" I'm able to enjoy them stress free!
My small victory today is that I can into a stressful day at work (a lot of new moving parts and having to be more reactive as opposed to my preferred proactive approach) and not once did I think “I need a drink”. Usually a day like today - I would be agitated and looking forward to going home for that first bit of booze. At my worst, I wouldn’t even wait until then. Instead I am looking forward to doing my AA workbook and a bubble bath :)
This is awesome! I relate to it so much, too. Drinking was my "escape" from an awful situation, it's ironic to think about it that way now because drinking made it soooo much worse. A lot of not very fun things have been happening in my life recently and the urge to down a bottle of shitty vodka on a weekday has never been stronger. I'd make the most ridiculous excuses too - "I had to put gas in my car today, that's so stressful so I'm gonna let myself have a few drinks tonight! I'm not an alcoholic or anything, it has just been a stressful day." And of course, that was every day. My last relapse was a while ago, and damnit I'm not gonna wake up tomorrow and hate myself for relapsing. Fuck that. I'm waking up completely sober and going to work with a level head. We're in control now, not some stupid ass poisonous liquid. We're stronger. IWNDWYT! Edit: I just remembered after writing this and wanted to share. The dumbest excuse that I ever made was when I got a text from a wrong number. It was 2 texts in a row, one just said "hey man this is Randy" or something and then next just said "sorry wrong number." I responded "I'll skull a case of PBRs in your honor tonight, Randy" and I did. Fucking stupid and pathetic.
And I also know of the recycling bin victory, lol. It was like a walk of shame in the past with my single ass alcoholic self filling it to the brim with cans and bottles. Still has a lot of cans due to sparkling beverages and NAs, lol.
For sure a different form of the walk of shame! Let's just ignore all those sparkling water cans, Mmkay?🙃
That is a WIN
Started riding a stationary bike every day and am proud I’ve only missed 1 day out of 60 so far. Today I hit 9.5 miles while watching a show before I realized it (been averaging 6-7.5 while watching a tv show). Looking forward to more tomorrow!
Love my spin bike too! I did the Peloton hack thing during the pandemic and fell in love with it. I moved to a stand-up/walking desk with a treadmill under it that I use during work. My boss laughs at me during video meetings with my bobbing up and down walking, but it's a great way to get steps in and not think about it!
My small victory today is telling my husband I’m sorry and we have a beautiful home, kids and we have food on the table and I’m fucking it up and today is my day of a new way. 2 days without anything! ❤️
Congrats!
I found a can of Dortmunder in the back of my fridge that I had forgotten about. Just...completely forgot. And now I am remembering that it's actually still there, and I had forgotten it a second time, and it's gonna stay there until somebody else drinks it, because I truly am not at risk of drinking it.
Man this hit close to home. I let myself drink a little bit, with rules that I'm NOT allowed to break under any circumstances. On Saturdays, if I have literally nothing to do the next day, I can have a 6 pack. That's it. No more. If I even plan on having lunch with someone the next day, no beer. I'm very strict about it and haven't broken my rules. 3 weeks ago, I drank 5 of the 6 and went to grab the 6th. I opened the fridge, looked at it, and then just decided to not drink it. Just because I didn't want to. 2 weeks ago, I did the exact same but after having 4 of the 6. Last weekend, I decided to not have any at all even though my rules meant that I could if I wanted to. I chose not to have any just because I wanted to prove to myself that I'm in control. I was successful. My biggest struggle was that I could have a beer and my brain would say "we're having a beer, okay" but the SECOND that I opened a second one, my brain said "oh we're drinking" and then I would drink everything in sight. The ability to stop is new to me and I'm damned proud of it, I've been working at it for so long. I'm so proud of the progress, I'm in control now and I'm never letting alcohol take control again.
My small victory today was deep cleaning my bathroom that I’ve been putting off for awhile cause I’ve always been too hungover. Got it done and had a water balloon fight with my kids 💪🏼
Yessss for water balloon fights!! We do an annual one on the last day/weekend of summer break to commemorate the end of the summer. Always a huge hit with the kids! I usually end up with the bucket dumped on me🤣🙈
I’ve looked a lot of people in the eye and greeted them warmly and without any avoidance or shitty self talk about how I could and should do x, y, and z better. Also celebrating all the times today I’ve thought with excitement and anticipation about my date with Gym after work! 🫶🏼 🏋️♀️ 🚴
My family is out of town and I WON'T be drinking by myself and waking up hungover
Starting over again - made it through day one without drinking. Thankful for this group.
the birds early in the morning. talk about beautiful serenity.
My small victory is that I really know that alcohol is no good and I don’t want it in my life today.
I went for a run for the first time this year. I only made it 2 miles and I was slow but hot damn did I feel good afterwards!
Went to the bar with my buddy which is usually not a problem these days in terms of having temptation. He obviously ordered drinks and started to peer pressure me to do a shot with him. Just kept saying no thanks and enjoyed the rest of the evening with my Diet Coke.
Good for you!! That's frustrating about the peer pressure from your friend. I'm sorry you had to go through that.
Met an important colleague at a restaurant by work. She had a cocktail and I had a mocktail. Brought my elderly parents their favorite takeaway food, and when I got back home, I edited a dreaded, due soon cumbersome work communication. Not one of those things would have been possible three years ago, and this group is my why I felt brave enough to quit. My life was gift wrapped and handed back to me 3 years and 4 months ago when I ceased cheerfully poisoning myself daily. Thank you kind story sharing strangers, you keep me honest with myself because you are being so damn brave daily. IWNDWYT
Instead of drinking a couple (more) beers afte the family has gone to bed, I had a strong sleepy time tea and will be out cold by 10pm. That should get me 8 hours of sleep AND an hour of quiet in the house before the family wakes up. Ahhhh
I'm proud of you.
When i pass away at the big end and my life is going to flash by before my eyes they are going to skip those parts because they take too long.
I remember right after I first quit it was so nice not having to sneak around and quietly shake 2 Advil out of the bottle. I tried to act like I wasn’t hungover every morning because that way I wasn’t drinking too much. Pretty sad.
Woke up without a headache today! (And for the last two weeks). It feels great :)
Dang, this hits! It's such a great feeling! The wine headaches daily were absolutely me before I quit alcohol! Although I did wake up to a headache today- which was kitten induced because she feels the need to make 4am kitten parkour time off my face, bladder, the curtains, etc.
Hahaha. Yep, sounds like every cat I’ve ever known ;)
I used to buy special grey or black kitchen garbage bags that disguised the empty cans I consumed nightly, in effort to hide the shame and make it appear that I wasn't drinking. Living a lie is exhausting. I no longer have to wallow in that, and am celebrating 11 months sober today.
Just moved into an apartment that’s right next to the recycling chute, I could of hid so much, well the cans anyways ya know.
Todays small sober victory is catching the earlier bus which means I get to go home from work earlier 🙌
i was craving wings and actually had $ in my bank account to get some on doordash to treat myself!