How Do You Stay Sober?

Go into DTs, get thrown in the hospital, and tell yourself you never want to do that shit ever again!

I decided to look at it more like a drinking opportunity.

I got two DUIs in six weeks during Covid. I was losing my mind after my friend died. I had already separated from my husband and then when my buddy died suddenly, the only Covid Pod friend I had, I lost my fucking mind. And my mother voted for Trump. Yeah I bottomed out and so the only way up is up.

R3 I feel for you. Covid was a bitch for everyone but some got hit way harder than others. I’m glad you’re out on the other side.

R3, what is your insurance like? (I don't mean that unkindly, just curious because ouch, eh?)

Also, R3, good for you for turning it around.

I got tired of feeling sick in the morning and of all the GI issues. I gave it up and found it was much easier to do than I expected it to be.

I realize it's not like that for everyone.

You have to really want to and accept it won’t be easy. Also, remember that not drinking won’t solve all the other problems. It is better to want it before your life falls apart. Most don’t and have to hit a hard fall. It will come if you don’t stop.

OP, take it from David:

I’m coming up on 39 years sober.

I stay sober because I want to.

Nice timing! Today happens to be my 40th AA “birthday.” I don’t go to meetings anymore but I did build my foundation there for the first 10 years or so. Now, I just don’t drink. It sounds idiotically simplistic but that’s what it comes down to.

I suffer through the bad times and feel good enough the rest of the time and have not one shred of doubt that everything would immediately become much, much worse if I did drink. So, I don’t.

After years of trying to stop, I found myself, at 40, in the hospital dying of acute liver failure.

Somehow I lived. And somehow I am totally fine today. No liver damage. Total luck of the draw. I should be dead or in need of a liver transplant.

Four years later, the thought of ever touching a drop had never entered my mind. I guess being that near death was what I finally needed.

(Oh, dying from drinking is torture. Not the least of which is your entire body itching and itching and itching with zero relief.)

I have drinky-poos for my gentleman callers 🎩 and myself to help set the mood. 🍹 🍸 🍻 🍷 🥂

Why shtay shober?

What good is shitting alone in a room? Come here the mushic play!

I quit about 6 years ago (advice of therapist). I hadn't planned on quitting forever, but after a while, there was no point in drinking, again.

Think about how many years or decades you've been drinking. How much money you've spent. How many dumb decisions you made while drunk.

When I quit, I had had a good, long run of drinking. It's not like you're 23 and someone says: "Hey, you have to stop drinking." I had had my good time drinking (and bad). It was enough.

r14 Those aren't really funny anymore, sweetie.

Semaglutide shots. Lost 95lbs too

I decided I preferred to be not drunk, and so I stopped buying and consuming alcohol.

You don’t.

I'm on day two after an election bender that lasted days. I actually feel better than I thought I would, seeing as how I was thowing up bile and shiting every 2 hours. I've been a regular drinker for over 20 years, hard stuff, 4-6 per night, every night.

Day 2 of what? Back to normal drinking?

I switched addictions- AA meetings and gym.

I didn’t want to be seen fucked up or hung over in either place, so it was easier to stay sober those first 180 days.

R20 are you dependent on alcohol?

I was up to a bottle of wine a night and kept vodka in the freezer to sip at it from a glass during the evening or knock back shots. I suddenly decided not to buy any of it and keep it out of the house. If I go out to dinner I make sure I think of the cocktail and glass of wine prices.

I miss the wine and vodka in the evening while listening to music or watching a movie but I have to remind myself how am I going to feel tomorrow morning. But alcohol is a great comforting friend where you never feel lonely. Of course being told by my mother it was making me look old helped.

Alcohol wasn’t the problem for me, but I stay away from it.

It took a while for me to get over what I did while drug addicted. The loss of a good friend and some family drama that may never quite heal over is enough to remind me that no matter how low I may be feeling drugs aren’t the answer.

My life was a tire fire for a bit and its taken me a while to forgive myself for some of the pain I caused others and myself. I never want to go back to that.

Day 2 of not drinking after years of abuse and a bender that made me question if I was going to have to go to the hospital. Ya, I'd say I have a problem.

R16 Ignore and block, dear. One supposes you are a barrel of laughs?

My dad drank and it killed him, eventually. I never had the desire to drink until we had a mountain landslide on our house while we were in it with our 3 young grandkids. That was 3 Years ago and the first thing I did was start drinking and upped my drug intake. It's been hell. I fight this every day and let myself go into withdrawal a few times, then give in to it again. YOU have to want help is the conclusion I've come to. Numbing myself and resistance to doing that is a battle every fucking day. I can't see myself going to rehab after rehab like my dad did. I look back on him now and think " daddy went through hell". He really did. I guess I'll end up in the hospital then maybe that'll be a wake up call, I don't know. I have to really want help, and so far I don't.

I gave up 9 years ago after an almighty bender. The cumulative shame and embarrassment of all my drinking antics hit home when I was sweating buckets in bed on a Thursday morning (when I should have been at work). In my case, the wounds had to be so deep that I'd never go back again- I finally came out the other end. I'm still full of regret, and without alcohol's numbing effects I feel everything that happens in life much more. But it is honest, and a more honest way to live and I'd never go back.

OP Asked HOW, not why do you stay sober.

The WHY factors into the HOW.

SAA is full of recovered alcoholics.

I hurt many people when I was a drunk. Today, after 26 years of sobriety, I think of all those people and how I altered their lives; it's a forceful reminder never to drink again.

R30 would give me a WHY to drink again with her toxicity!

I posted like a whiny bitch on the DL, OP.

You're on your way!

r28 blames climate change! lolz

At my very worst as a meth user years ago, I would shut down all access to my banking and ability to access money by mailing myself my bank cards, and made $20 stretch into Monday morning.. I also went to a LOT of CMA meetings, NYC has plenty, but you’ll really need to scope around to find one you like and be a bit wary as a newcomer, especially if you’re good looking because it’s where users look to score drugs.

The key with abstaining from drinking And drugs is DELAY, DELAY, DELAY. The urge does subside but keep yourself occupied with other things, and make sure your dance card is full of meetings and fellowship with other sober people over the weekend.

R36, not that you can read, but nowhere did I mention climate change. Go get someone who CAN read read back to you what I said.

lolz

Like ElderSage at r37, I attend recovery activities.

Now, my worst day sober and clear headed is better than whatever my then version of best days I spent drunk and high.

And, after I sobered-up, I went through some searingly painful, devastating events and I didn't take a drink.

Being alcohol, drug and gambling free makes serene, happy, joyful moments all the sweeter and more meaningful.

It's waiting for you, OP.

AA and my three year old

R34 Call your sponsor.

Alcoholics Anonymous. You don’t ever have to drink again.

Aw, Smitty.... if you want to stay sober, just frown when you sip.

[quote]How Do You Stay Sober?

Frequent alcoholic comas.

AA. I don't drink. I go to meetings. I talk to my sponsor. I read the big book.

HALT. Recognize your triggers and prepare:

H: Hungry. Have some good foods at home, maybe just a jar of peanut butter and some toast.

A: Angry. Shake it off. Go to therapy. Take a walk. Talk to a friend.

L: Lonely. Learn to deal with it. It's a part of life. Call a friend.

T: Tired. Get more sleep. Make sleep a priority. Take a shower. Call it a day.

I didn't consider drinking a problem. I considered it a blessing.

Simple, OP. I switched one addiction for another. My current addiction is twink bussy three times a day.

Tirzepatide and hypnosis.

I had very low expectations for the hypnosis, but it really helped. I used an app for my phone.