I'm going to stay 100% sober every day for the rest of my life

[ruger9]

My life got a whole lot simpler when I quit trying to just use a reasonable amount and took all of that stuff off the table completely.
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I've always wondered about this. I am not an alcoholic, I don't have to drink every day, I don't binge drink, I don't get drunk anymore, and I only get buzzed about 50% of the time, and that's only when I'm drinking wine on an empty stomach as I prepare dinner.

But I love my wine. I don't drink much else: 2C coffee every morning. The occasional fountain Pepsi/Coke on a weekend, and... water. That's it. I drink ALOT of water. So when dinner time comes, I DO enjoy 2 glasses of wine with it. And I would do it 7 days a week, if my body could handle it (I don't have any health "problems", but alcohol every day simply isn't good for your liver. It just isn't.)

So... "reasonable" seems reasonable to me... unless one IS an alcoholic, whatever the definition of that is nowadays... my definition is, "when it changes your behavior, and/or affects your life in a negative way, OR if you HAVE to have it every single day" (and I am none of those things).

 

[burntfrijoles]

Best wishes and get help if you need it.

 

[985plowboy]

Outstanding!
I made the same vow 3MAY11.
I’ve said it plenty around here, it sucked for the first couple years.
You’re going to have to change your life to reflect not indulging in your old habits. You’ll have to disassociate yourself from friends, activities, past times, locations etc…

You say you need to live your life in a new way.
Understand, it’s inherent that to do so you must lose parts of how you lived the old way.
It will be hard at first.
It gets better, then it gets best.
You can do it.
I swear it’s worth it.

 

[985plowboy]

You don't have to be buzz free for the rest of your life, just till bedtime each day.

Careful with this advice please.
I myself couldn’t have followed it.
There are probably other folks who can’t either.
I’m an all or nothing kind of guy with alcohol.
My only choice is nothing.

 

[Fretting out]

I once saw a zippo that said “quitters aren’t winners”

Anyway it’s just a joke

Rooting for you

 

[Hags]

 

[StevesBoogie]

I am proud of you and would love to join you. I am 404 days sober as of today. PM me if you'd like, no pressure.

At the risk of violating this forum's rules ..... reddit.com offers, in my opinion, the greatest online support forum you can find. /stopdrinking is the subreddit. Everything from advice, to honesty, to empathy, to encouragement ... it's all there.

Either way, I've learned that it's a great day to be alive when an individual can acknowledge something and change themselves for the better.

 

[bigbean]

Recognize that we are all on a journey. I wish you a clear and easy path on yours. If you stumble stand up and begin again.

 

[johnny k]

funny you just write that i let slide my bc rich while intoxicated and snapped the neck of. Those guitars are flimsy.

 

[StoneH]

I quit drinking about a year before a heart valve replacement. I casually asked the doctor what if I were still drinking. He said, "You'd be turned down for the operation and die within months".

Dodged a bullet . . . Eight extra years of really fun life so far.

 

[Little Red Tele]

Anyone else determined to stay 100% sober every day for the rest of their lives?

I will never again indulge in any intoxicant ever again, forever. No more ganja, no more alcohol of any type.. nothing, ever again.

Its been 3 weeks since I last indulged in the green stuff, and 2 weeks since I had my last drink of alcohol...

I miss my glass of red wine in the evenings.. but it is critical for several health reasons that I NEVER partake in any of this stuff ever again, never!

So far so good but I know there will be some rough times. I'm going to miss it when I go camping, I'm going to miss the margaritas when I go out to eat Mexican food.. I'm going to miss the beer and wine when hanging out with friends.

I've done more than I should have in the past, and survived, but it is critical that I stay 100% sober every day from now on, no matter what.

Anyone else feel the same?

Good luck ya'll...

Good for you. I understand and support your decision.

If I may, I'd like to share that I also quit all alcohol earlier this Spring. It's hard in Colorado where it seems everyone is looking to be high on something all the time, but it's doable. I quit because I could no longer trust that the thoughts I had when I was buzzed were based on reality, and those thoughts lingered after the buzz went away, as did the decisions I made from those thoughts. If that makes sense. Better to deal with reality all the time.

 

[Grodad]

Anyone else determined to stay 100% sober every day for the rest of their lives?

I will never again indulge in any intoxicant ever again, forever. No more ganja, no more alcohol of any type.. nothing, ever again.

Its been 3 weeks since I last indulged in the green stuff, and 2 weeks since I had my last drink of alcohol...

I miss my glass of red wine in the evenings.. but it is critical for several health reasons that I NEVER partake in any of this stuff ever again, never!

So far so good but I know there will be some rough times. I'm going to miss it when I go camping, I'm going to miss the margaritas when I go out to eat Mexican food.. I'm going to miss the beer and wine when hanging out with friends.

I've done more than I should have in the past, and survived, ;

Not made a pledge for the rest of my life but just decided I would take a break for a few weeks. That was back in April and now it's August have had nothing. I don't think about it too much to be honest and has been a lot easier than I thought it was. I have no urge to start again which I find quite at peace with. Figured being late forties is a good time to slow down for me!

 

[blowtorch]

I could pretty much do that with no effort, I think.
Not bragging. I just ...it's not my thing anymore.
I go six months without a drink without even realizing it, often (and drugs have never been my deal)

 

[bluzkat]

Big Bend,

You got this.

 

[no doz]

i stopped drinking cold turkey when i started touring heavily, been completely sober for somewhere around a decade now. the benefit that sobriety has had for my mental and physical wellbeing feels truly infinite. all the time, energy, and money that would have been thrown into the void over the years has gotten reinvested into things that make me happy and improve my life in a tangible way

congrats to everyone here who is on the path of sobriety, peace to anyone here who is struggling

 

[telleutelleme]

I know you will succeed!
John

 

[Tone Quest]

Awesome decision . Your body will thank you .

 

[Big_Bend]

Thank you so much everybody!!! This community is incredible. I am so grateful for the prayers and words of encouragement and the offers for me to reach out if I need help, all so very much appreciated! And hearing from others who are also on this sobriety journey, some of you who have been on it for many many years. That is amazing! If others can, I should be able to do it too.

I do like the "one day at a time" mantra. Definitely the way to go.

I have had some recent serious health setbacks.. deep challenges at work.. unbelievable stress.. My doctor said I needed to quit everything, and so far so good these last few weeks. I also want to be an inspiration to my two sons, in case they are ever in a similar position someday, knowing that if dad can go sober, they can too.

Its been over 40 years since I started smoking the chronic, pretty much every day since then.. I am grateful to have the chance to hopefully spend the next 40 years without ever doing anything like that ever again.

One day at a time.. thanks again ya'll!!

Peace

 

[Rocky058]

11-05-1990

Quitting isn't the problem.

Staying quit is.

When I wanted to learn tennis, I found people who knew tennis and they taught me how.
When I wanted to learn golf, I found people who knew golf and they they taught me how.

Same with sobriety.

All the best, and keep us posted.

R.

 

[Greggorios]

I really appreciate your inspired enthusiasm, and as an alcoholic - drug addict in recovery for the last 37 years one day at a time consecutively, I find it easy to not drink or use just for today.
I wake up, and don't use today. That's what works for me .
Never drinking or using aging is a long long long long time, which is more than I could ever bear the thought of .
But not drinking and using just for today assures me that I will recognize the person that I wake up with in the morning.

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+1, @Big_Bend wishing you all the best with your decision. I will echo @ping-ping-clicka post above regarding "one day at a time consecutively". I know from my own experience that doing it in bite size, daily pieces works for me. Whatever works for you is what matters. We're rooting for you man.