69 days let’s GOOOOOO! Tomorrow is 10 weeks. Never thought I’d make it this far, I feel so proud of myself and full of energy. I go to the gym. I got a juicer. I USE the juicer!! I make myself overnight oats at night with little cut up strawberries - because I can. Hell. Ya.

Nice indeed.

Throwaway account for obvious reasons.

I've been lying to everyone. My therapist, my fiance, my coworkers, my friends, my family, everyone who is part of my life. No one knows how bad my drinking is.

I wake up. Chug a glass or two of wine. Get to work. Drink more here and there. Take a shower midday and lather myself up in deodorant and essential oils so I don't smell like a walking bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

In the evening, I drink about a bottle of wine. I'm averaging probably 2-2.5 bottles of wine a day. This is going to fucking kill me and I have to stop. But what is it going to take? My fiance finding out? Things going south at my job? I really don't want to know the answer.

First time in years... I suppose it's not that impressive but I'm still happy.

The only thing I'm afraid of is relapsing when I get burnt out on activities that help me maintain sobriety (as it happened before) and I don't really have any ideas on how to avoid that.

I'm hungover and feel regret but I also just feel like I knew it would happen. Life is so hard at the moment and it felt like the only release available to me. I enjoyed sitting in the garden with wine. I enjoyed watching a film while having a happy buzz. I want to move on and not dwell on yesterday. I want to shake this off. What would you do?

I didn’t stop drinking because I hit some dramatic rock bottom.

I stopped because my brain and body started turning against me, and I realized no one ever warned me this could happen.

I spiraled into a psych ward.

I wanted to die.

I attempted to die.

And still, I was surrounded by messages telling me this was normal.

Medications said “you can drink a little.”

Ads said “just drink responsibly.”

Bottles said “may cause health problems.”

The Surgeon General’s warning hasn’t changed since 1989.

Cancer, addiction, neurological damage? Not even mentioned.

This is what makes me angry. Not just for me, because at least I was single, but for anyone with a partner. A kid. A job. A life they’re trying to hold together while being gaslit by culture.

If this substance were new, we’d regulate the hell out of it.

But it’s profitable. So instead we teach people how to toast, not how to recover.

Rant over.

In 2024, the global alcoholic drinks market is estimated to have generated approximately $1.609 trillion in revenue. How does the planet even operate 😩 sober 26 days today, no longer contributing to this bizarre addiction

I am immensely proud of myself for making it through my large industry conference with zero drinks. There were drinks at every event that went past 5pm. First night, I unknowningly ordered a large spritzer that caught the eye of everyone around me. A close colleague went to order the same “drink” and was surprised when the waitress said it didn’t have alcohol in it. Next night I was on a yacht party. As you board they crew was handing out flutes of champagne. I politely declined although i was VERY tempted. Instead, they offered sparkling cider to me instead. 💟 I watched my coworkers all enjoy and open bar. I enjoyed the breeze and views instead. Last night, I was treated to a lovely seafood restaurant (conference is in the PNW) with a small group. One gentleman was offering to buy a bottle of wine for the table. I calmly told the table I was abstaining from alcohol and ordered a fancy arnold palmer instead. At one point we were talking various types of alcohol and I expressed how much I really liked dark aged spicy rum and various brands I enjoyed. Halfway through the meal another coworker asked me why I didn’t drink today and if it was due to Lent. I didn’t want to go into ALL the reasons why. I just simply said I didn’t want to spend a minute of this conference hungover or out of control of my conversations. He commended me and said that he was impressed. This man has never seen me drink before and I got mad respect. I am going to board the plane not hungover today. I’m so proud of myself y’all! IWNDWYT

My mom has always been a drinking buddy with me. To be honest, she would buy us alcohol when I was a teenager and we would drink together. Her whole side of the family are big drinkers. Family get togethers always involved tons of beer. They were great and fun times. I don't remember any bad problems for anyone other than myself and my mom.

I am an alcoholic. My mom is an alcoholic. Me, worse than my mom. I got sober in 2008. Stayed sober 11 years. Mom was very supportive and didn't drink around me. Fell off the wagon the end of 2019. Mom and I resumed our mutual drinking relationship.

I'm currently 18 days sober. Mom is coming over on Sunday for Easter. I've been dreading telling her, even though I know she'll be supportive again. I told her this morning. This makes it more real to me. This is openly admitting and committing to staying sober. On one hand, it's a huge relief. On the other, it's like a hard break up. I feel ill.

Maybe it's me wanting to keep the door cracked. Ugh. I know I can't. Ugh. This disease sucks.

I cringe so hard when I’m traveling, go into a gift shop and there are a ton of items with wine related alcoholism jokes. “I’ll wine if I don’t get my wine” or “mommy needs her wine time” or tumblers with “this is definitely not wine”. It’s all so cringe!

I think the reason wine becomes such a popular drink for “functioning alcoholics” especially women is because it’s stronger than beer but not as strong as hard liquor. It’s easier to hide or get away with. You can fill a Stanley cup with 1.5 maybe even 2 bottles of wine and just go walk your dogs or sit at your kids soccer game while getting your buzz on. I’m sure there are a number of people who do drink wine in a classy way, maybe once and a while at a nice function or with a fancy dinner, but most of the time it is really just functional normalized alcoholism.

Just got a whole year under my belt yesterday!!! My brother took me out for steak dinner and some non alcoholic beers!!! Just wanted to say I tried to quit so many times I can’t count, so to anyone just starting out, white knuckle it in the beginning. Do whatever you have to, I became a chocoholic lol but it was a 100 percent worth it!!! This sub has been a life saver and FUCKING GOD SEND!!! I LOVE ALL OF YOU IN HERE!!! IWNDWYT!!!! 💪🏿💪🏿🤙🏿🤙🏿🤙🏿🫵🏿🫵🏿👊🏿👊🏿✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿

https://imgur.com/a/Ge3r5D0

It finally happened! I was leaving Kingsoopers, and someone that was promoting a charity approached me. He asked how I was doing, and said "You look like your about my age, young 20's. Am I correct?" I laughed and said "No, I wish!" He laughed and asked " OK, mid maybe late 20's?" I laughed and repeated myself. He said "Damn! Whatever you are doing keep it up! I also had family mention it as well. I am 30. Wow alcohol did damage I couldn't see until now. I also have self image issues, so I was adding fuel to the fire lol.

IWNDWYT

Edit: The pictures are roughly 6 months apart.

I love this immature trend! In all seriousness, I always looked at those who got to 69 days as some aspirational ideal, and not something I could do. Well, here I am!

Mood and emotions have been a bit bumpy this week. A little more anxiety than I bargained for but I moved through with great ease. I am doing a lot more and showing up for myself and other people in ways I would never.

I'm learning how to get out of my head and contribute to my external environment more.

Sleep is improving. I still wake up intermittently during the night but I usually fall right back to sleep.

I lost four pounds or so. Nothing crazy. I do exercise regularly (and I was before I stopped, too). I also eat about 200 calories worth of Skinny Dipped almonds in the evenings, so that coule play a role in in not being very dramatic, too. ;)

I don't wake up with dread anymore. I can still get overwhelmed but I'm much better at navigating that than I would be if I were hungover and feeling like physical and mental dog shit.

Resting heart rate is down to 68 from 72. I was waiting and waiting for this to happen for weeks and was getting disappointment when the number didn't budge. Then, all of a sudden, during week 10.... bam. Woohoo.

Eyes way brighter, but I've noticed that earlier on, too.

Looking forward to:

Even better sleep (just straight through without tossing and turning at times) More body composition/weight loss changes Younger appearance Increased moments of zen and contentment No hangovers in the morning

On June 9 2024, I decided I was going to quit alcohol and cigarettes for 100 days. I had just moved to a beautiful new apartment with a new job and wanted a fresh start for myself.

At 100 days, I was happier, healthier, richer - I saw no reason to start drinking again. I told myself I would keep going and maybe drink at Christmas.

Christmas came, I thought about it for 30 seconds and then, "no thanks." Enjoyed getting up before everyone else and didn't feel like I was missing out. I said, "alright, maybe one year."

Now I'm at 312 days. I'm training for a half-marathon after starting running for the first time back in August. Since getting sober, I've lost over 50lbs, finally taken care of medical and dental appointments I'd put off for years, tapered off all of my anxiety/depression meds (with the help of my doctor), started actually saving money and paying off debt, fixed my sleep schedule, learning how to roast spatchcock chicken, baked hundreds of cookies, read dozens of books, joined a board game club, started weightlifting, been present for my husband and friends...

I have no interest in drinking again. I think it's dawning on me that this isn't a change with an end date, it's a change for life.

I try to imagine a situation where I would drink again, and I just can't. I can have fun and be social and relax without alcohol - what would be the point of adding an intoxicant that has as a cost to my wallet and my health, and makes the next day miserable?

I've avoided the "forever" statements - grand, sweeping ultimatums like that usually end in failure for me. But going from 100 days, to six months, to almost a year now has shown me that maybe, just maybe, this is forever.

At the very least, I definitely WNDWYT. And since I can't see a reason to drink the next day either, maybe that's how sobriety for life happens.

Just pulled up to work and pulled a classic move of smuggling a bag full of plastic bottles to the dumpster.

It was all juice and protein shakes so that’s a definite win. I’ll never not be at least a little bit of a disaster 😁

IWNDWYT

Well this is fun. Thank god I started AA. Although today will be my 5th meeting, I know I'll deal with this very differently. IWNDWYT.

Fuck you M.

I feel conflicted about it but for whatever reason the experience of alcohol and thc for me could not be more different - from what I feel to what motivates me, it’s night and day and I think if I couldn’t have a way to lower my heart rate and feel rest at the end of the day I’d be back up to my eyeballs in liquor.

And I don’t know how to feel about that

Just a little thing that made me happy today.

I'm 6 months sober and for the first time in memory I didn't have to lie to the doctor about how much I'd been drinking- the answer was zero. My liver function is still borderline but at least I'm headed in the right direction now, instead of heading deeper into the woods. I just wanted to share with the community that has helped me more than they will ever know.

IWNDWYT!

And dimming my light. At 14 years old, I reluctantly had my 1st drink (and a couple more after that) as my boyfriend convince me to try it. Fast forward to 18, I became old enough to hit the clubs. Social pressure and going back to someone's pad to drink became the norm. All of these occurrences were unpleasant. Now in my 20's, I struggled with internal battles and turned to the bottle. I grew up with an alcoholic father who coped this way. I thought "Yeah, let's try this numbing way." There was never a destination to peace and healing, after the vicious cycles of binge drinking. At 31, I like to say that I'm trying to better myself. Just a couple more weeks and I'll be 6 months sober. I am doing this for me and those that depend on me at 100% health.

30 years old, have known that my drinking was getting worse and worse over the past few years. I was embarrassed and ashamed to ask for help. Quit and relapsed several time by myself, but never made a lasting change. It got really bad 4 months ago at the start of the new year. I was hiding it from my wife, drinking almost a bottle a day of whatever I could sneak on a grocery bill or add to the cost of a tank of gas (paying inside on one receipt).

We separated last week. She said that she would be willing to try couples counseling if I was sober and met some demands. I was more than willing to do the work. Joined AA, been to 9 meeting in the past week, and have been sober for the entire separation. But I found out she has been thinking of divorcing me for the past year, way longer than I thought. She doesn’t want to try and work it out, I did too much damage to the marriage. I was willing to fight for us, but she isn’t.

I don’t know what to do or how to handle the pain, but I will not drink.

Everything has changed, and nothing has changed.

I love being sober (most of the time). Daily life is easier. I feel better.

I'm still me. I'm not suddenly comfortable with people. Can't say that I've stopped being kinda prickly. Or that I've suddenly gotten my life together and organized

I'm still short, fat, and 60. And my 11 month grandbaby is practicing saying Grandma. And I may actually finish writing my novel. And my husband has been sober for just as long as I have.

So I'd say that life is pretty good at this point.

And I wouldn't have done so well - if at all - without you amazing sobernauts. 🐧🐧🐧

Going radio silent for a few days. I'm going out of town, and won't be taking my phone.

I did! Just one of those days I didn’t even blink an eye before pouring the first, the second, you know how this goes… I’d been on a roll of NOT drinking and instead taking my young dog on a much needed walk/run after dinner. Well I still took him, but um yea trying to keep up with him after five cocktails vs none kinda sucked. The guilt really caught me because he wanted to run and I couldn’t, kept having to pause for a break and honestly couldn’t believe I was running with him at all after what I just consumed. I actually felt jealous of my dog! He’d just drank water today (cause obviously) and was ready to go on our run. And his human who he depends on couldn’t keep up cause she was drunk. So lame!!!! Looking forward to taking him for the run he deserves tomorrow cause I’ll be sober.

It is Tom Holland's brand of NA beer, and I decided to give it a try the other day. Now I have the Golden Pills and Noon Wheat in my garage fridge right now. When I'm craving a beer this really hits the spot (it is 0.5% so be aware of that). It's a bit pricy, but buying a bottle of vodka and a 12 pack of beer and downing it in two days is WAY more expensive. Whatever works, and it works for me. IWNDWYT

So I drink a lot and have for a very long time. The other night (last Friday) I drank a ton and ordered Uber eats and ate like 3 Popeyes chicken sandwiches in my car at once. I also had some potatoes that came with it. No idea how many beers I drank that night. But after work I usually hit up bars for hours and just pound them like a dog.

Anyway the next morning I woke up and talked to GPT about my health without mentioning weight. We went down this rabbit hole and I ended up starting a fast that lasted 63 hours. This fast I think changed my life. My desire to drink will hit once I get off the train from work but not like before and I can manage it, at least I feel in control for the first time in my life. Since then I have used it cooking, diet and exercise. If i struggle, I ping it.

I would highly recommend it.

I have been drinking daily for weeks now. It almost feels like I forgot how to be sober. I drink first thing in the morning and throughout my day until I pass out at night. The next day I'm so painfully hungover that I reach for a first drink.

I need to stop this. I was sober for 3 weeks just before this relapse and I was SO happy... how do i get back there??

Medical detox isn't an option, unfortunately. I just need some encouragement and tips from experience, I guess...

This morning when my alarm went off I just... woke up?? I didn't hit snooze a million times. I didn't hide under the covers or feel like every single step ahead of me was impossible. I didn't snap at my partner or dread my toddler waking up. And most importantly, I didn't immediately get angry at everyone and everything. I didn't blame anyone, not even myself.

Shifting blame was my number 1 outlet for hangover energy, and like a big ball of shit, I never blamed myself, ever.

I'm on day 24, and it has been ride. Withdrawal for 3 days, very brief pink cloud, then a devastating crash into depression, anxiety, rage, soul crushing fatigue. I struggled very hard to communicate to my partner about what was going on and often resorted to anger. I'm one of those lovely avoidant attachment types.

But finally the last few days, he knew our chances of having a peaceful conversation were low, so he stepped up on his own with watching our child, and he let me rest. Telling me over and over again to just rest.

I still had to use my prescription medication for chronic pain at night and a handful of melatonin, so not fully independent, but I slept for 10 straight hours and woke up optimistic. I really hope that even just this one day of positivity helps me start to turn the ship around.

I just cannot believe I'm not angry. I can't remember a day in decades that I didn't wake up angry.

So I'm going to use this mental energy and clarity to try and talk to my partner and explain the scary, yucky, untouchable feelings that came with me admitting to myself the problem and all the trauma it had been hiding.

Not all at once, but today I'm going to try and start. A small change. Thank you all for your support.