Those who've given up drinking - share your experience

[K-Bizzle]

I know there are a few of you that have given it up.
Considering it myself but more leaning towards just keep strict limits in place instead.

Would like to hear the experiences of those who have done it, both good and bad.

[TurboPablo]

If you can maintain strict limits, then fine. Do it. I forfeited my ability to do that. If I was going to have 1, I was going to have 10. That said, five and a half years away and I don't miss anything about it. Most certainly because I was my own worst enemy with it. But also because I am infinitely healthier now. There is just no comparison. Physically, mentally, spiritually, financially, everything is better. Giving it up also made me realize that it was the main cause of the anxiety I always tried to drink away. But that's my experience. We're all different. It really all depends on you.

At the very least, consider this.... If you are asking yourself this question, it's worth taking a break. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Plus, it's not like you're actually leaving anything behind. It's fucking booze. It's not your friend.

[TurboPablo]

Also......


Since you love to work out and be a bro(as do I), the day I quit drinking I weighed 173lbs. Two weeks later, with no other changes, I weighed 157lbs.

Needles to say, I was fucking pounding them

[Ostinato Rubato]

My metabolism has very slightly shifted recently so I decided to get the jump on what will happen in the next 5-10 years and have given up alcohol and soda during the weekdays. I'm perfectly fine with this type of restriction at this point in my life. I'm on my second week.

[_ej_]

I tend to get drowsy and blackout pretty easily so my experience with being totally sober from July to November was pretty positive. I made a bit of an ass of myself at my sisters wedding and I don't remember most of it. That was one of the big drivers in me reducing my intake. The worst feeling in the world is waking up with large gaps in a night. I'm also 30 pounds lighter at this point but I also changed my diet and increased my workout so

I've been saving a ton of money too

I'm not great at moderating my drinking once I start so the 'strict limits' thing doesn't work great for me.

Downside is my wife and I had developed a routine of make different weird mixed drinks together on friday nights and I really miss that. Also I love the taste beer, wine and booze.

I still drink occasionally but I'm flirting with the idea of completely stopping.

[Pepi]

I was doing so well and then I thought pot would be a nice once-in-awhile touch. No thanks. This shit today will knock you on your ass. I'm back to drinking old beer. I drink around 7 12 oz a day

[ajaxlepinski]

Because, my g/f doesn't drink, I never have more then two drinks when we're hanging.
If I have more than two drinks, she becomes a bore and I start looking retarded, to her!
Bonus: since she doesn't drink, she's my designated driver

Since hitting 50, it only takes 3 drinks to get me hammered, making me a very cheap date.
Once or twice a year, I party with my bros but, these days, I really can't have more than 4 beverages without falling out.

Sometimes, I miss the BIG FUN; partying all night and bar hopping until the sun comes up.
I'm 100% certain that, if I had not met my g/f 14 years ago, I'd be dead by now.

[itchyfingers]

I schedule 2-3 big bike rides a year and as part of my training, I always quit drinking for 4 weeks leading up to each event. Here are a few things I've noticed during my breaks.

It's tough to be the guy not drinking at a social situation like a show, a wedding, day at the beach/lake/shore, a birthday/retirement/anniversary party where drinking is a socially accepted and expected norm.
Drunk people are not as much fun to be around when you are not drunk along with them.
You feel much better. Not just like, "hey it feels good to wake up and not be hungover" but all aspects of your life, it's simply healthier.
I saved money on dinner checks, bar bills, and Uber rides without booze.

I think its a good thing to do, just to have the mental fortitude and prove to yourself you can stick to something. However, I also love to drink tasty beers and whisky, I enjoy the buzz that different alcohols give me, and don't really a see a reason to make sobriety a permanent thing.

[fretless]

I was never a drinker , I did blow all my money on bass guitars though .

[sleewell]

smoke (or eat) weed erryday

[Ostinato Rubato]

I was doing so well and then I thought pot would be a nice once-in-awhile touch. No thanks. This shit today will knock you on your ass. I'm back to drinking old beer. I drink around 7 12 oz a day

Don't be a silly man. Just take one light puff, or eat a tiny piece of an edible. This shit today will knock you on your ass is only true if you're trying to do it like a modern day stoner.

I decided a couple months ago that I was going to go light so I take a puff or two a couple times a day.

[Sasquatch]

i gave up drinking and a whole lot of other things. you can do it and you'll feel much better. you may need something to give your body a boost of gaba, which is one of the main ways alcohol affects you. epsom salt baths and magnesium threonate will make your body produce more gaba. they help a lot. exercise, especially outdoors, is also big. you don't have to train like some rocky iv shit; just walking and being active, having fun is the way to go.

[GuitarBilly]

I gave up in late 2017. I was drinking a lot back then and decided to stop. Kimmi stopped at the same time and that helped a lot. I don't think our relationship would have survived if we kept drinking, heck I don't know if I would have survived tbh. Shit was crazy.

So yeah, much better now. I don't miss it at all and it wasn't hard to stop. It was more of a social habit than anything.

[K-Bizzle]

FWIW I've done 3+ months of sobriety multiples times in the past and have been participating in dry January since the 1st. This was a planned 3 months or so, not failure after 3.
I'm not an addict. Aside from Saturday/Sunday hangovers alcohol doesn't affect my life in a negative way often if ever.
I've just been feeling really great and things have been going well so I'm just considering how to proceed from here. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that my diet has been very on point, I've been training like an animal, and my sleep has never been better (thanks fitbit).

Thanks for the input so far guys.

[GuitarBilly]

Yeah I was kinda the same way... the problem is when you live in Vegas you have 3 Fridays followed by 4 Saturdays.
But yeah I only drank when I was out with friends...

[Chris Z]

Gave up drinking and smoking in 2012.

Don't miss any of it.

[Pepi]

I was doing so well and then I thought pot would be a nice once-in-awhile touch. No thanks. This shit today will knock you on your ass. I'm back to drinking old beer. I drink around 7 12 oz a day

Don't be a silly man. Just take one light puff, or eat a tiny piece of an edible. This shit today will knock you on your ass is only true if you're trying to do it like a modern day stoner.

I decided a couple months ago that I was going to go light so I take a puff or two a couple times a day.

I know that from many years of experience. I did a one-hitter and it wasted me. Made me real paranoid and caused me anxiety. Just don't like the Pot buzz nowadays It's probably because I know my wife isn't king on me doing it so I get paranoid from that. Hell, the guy that had the pot fell asleep in my recliner LOL

[clipless bumper]

I was doing so well and then I thought pot would be a nice once-in-awhile touch. No thanks. This shit today will knock you on your ass. I'm back to drinking old beer. I drink around 7 12 oz a day

Don't be a silly man. Just take one light puff, or eat a tiny piece of an edible. This shit today will knock you on your ass is only true if you're trying to do it like a modern day stoner.

I decided a couple months ago that I was going to go light so I take a puff or two a couple times a day.

I know that from many years of experience. I did a one-hitter and it wasted me. Made me real paranoid and caused me anxiety. Just don't like the Pot buzz nowadays It's probably because I know my wife isn't king on me doing it so I get paranoid from that. Hell, the guy that had the pot fell asleep in my recliner LOL

at least he was relaxed around your wife...........

[JerEvil]

I stopped drinking 5.5 years ago and couldn't;t be happier. I am at the point that the smell of alcohol actually makes me feel nauseated. I, like Pablo was "all in" if I even had 1. Was not a good scene. I literally did it cold turkey. Thankfully, I never had any kind of pull back to it. The few times me and the wife tried to have a drink Ilike on an Anniversary or something, I couldn't get past a few sips.

[BroSlinger]

I love drinking.
My wife doesn't really drink.

Just due to schedule and new baby, I haven't had a drink since Christmas day. I don't really feel very different.

I've gone a month here or there alcohol free. It's meh.

[Pepi]

I was doing so well and then I thought pot would be a nice once-in-awhile touch. No thanks. This shit today will knock you on your ass. I'm back to drinking old beer. I drink around 7 12 oz a day

Don't be a silly man. Just take one light puff, or eat a tiny piece of an edible. This shit today will knock you on your ass is only true if you're trying to do it like a modern day stoner.

I decided a couple months ago that I was going to go light so I take a puff or two a couple times a day.

I know that from many years of experience. I did a one-hitter and it wasted me. Made me real paranoid and caused me anxiety. Just don't like the Pot buzz nowadays It's probably because I know my wife isn't king on me doing it so I get paranoid from that. Hell, the guy that had the pot fell asleep in my recliner LOL

at least he was relaxed around your wife...........

Believe me ... he would not give a fuck anyway

[RyanDistortion]

I am a full blown alchy. Clean 7 years. My wife hardly drinks which helped me stay sober more than anything. I don't miss anything about drunk me. I do get tested on cruise ships, though, or resort type places where your stuck and everyone else is doing it. Haven't failed, yet. Don't plan on it.

If your quality of life could be better without it, stop and see how good it can be. Stay stopped if you prefer it. Really stop if you feel you can't stop lol

[Ostinato Rubato]

I was doing so well and then I thought pot would be a nice once-in-awhile touch. No thanks. This shit today will knock you on your ass. I'm back to drinking old beer. I drink around 7 12 oz a day

Don't be a silly man. Just take one light puff, or eat a tiny piece of an edible. This shit today will knock you on your ass is only true if you're trying to do it like a modern day stoner.

I decided a couple months ago that I was going to go light so I take a puff or two a couple times a day.

I know that from many years of experience. I did a one-hitter and it wasted me. Made me real paranoid and caused me anxiety. Just don't like the Pot buzz nowadays It's probably because I know my wife isn't king on me doing it so I get paranoid from that. Hell, the guy that had the pot fell asleep in my recliner LOL

at least he was relaxed around your wife...........

Believe me ... he would not give a fuck anyway

What did you do with the rest of the baggie? I mean... if you're not going to finish the score at least give it to someone who can make proper use.

[ZEEGLER]

It was horrible, and only lasted a few hours.

[Harvest]

I did dry January last year and it was fine. I was going to do it again this year - I got up last Friday and realized I hadn't talked to anybody in person beyond a "hi" or "yes, I found everything I need today" since December 29th. A former coworker/friend of mine had emailed the night before asking if a few people wanted to go out for a beer or two, so I went. Had 3 pints, came home and that was it. Last year I was habitually drinking for a lot of it, including at home alone. Mostly to distract myself from a job that I knew was ending, and that 98% of the coworkers I enjoyed were already gone (corporate merger and related layoffs due to not being the corporate head office anymore) so the work I was doing was boring and soulless too. I should definitely take it down a couple notches this year though. Hangovers have been getting worse and I've had more than one night where I had a couple then it was off to the races... I was never like that before. I would also need some new hobbies and a completely new social circle if I were to quit altogether. I don't know if I could just walk away from it... I very much enjoy a good beer or bourbon. Just need to draw the line somewhere I guess.