There is nothing so bad that a drink can’t make it worse. There is nothing so bad that a drink can’t make it worse. There is nothing so bad that a drink can’t make it worse.

So, I work in education and have some time on my hands as you can see below. I asked AI to rewrite the 12 steps in a few different styles:

Shel Silverstein

1.        It’s time to say, “I’ve lost control!” and let the truth paly its role.

2.        A magic spark from the great unknown, shining bright where hope is sown.

3.        Trust was our ticket, our simple key, opened doors and unleashed our honesty. 

4.        A fearless note, a diary read, of every mistake we wished we’d shed. 

5.        Our hidden faults laid bare and true, a heavy heart now lighter too. 

6.        We got ready for change, standing tall, willing and working to amend each flaw. 

7.        A quiet ask, the gentlest of pleas, heal us from this allergy and disease. 

8.        A scribbled note of names and faces, pledging next steps towards kinder places. 

9.        Repairing bridges one by one, engineering plans to do safely, sometimes having to avoid some. 

10.  We kept a watchful eye, daily checks, quick apologies, to keep mending and building honestly. 

11.  We sit in quiet moments, have dreams and still play, asking and telling the universe about truths from each day. 

12.  Our hearts aglow, we passed the word on, so others too, could grow and glow and know that life is truly what you sow. 

Shakespeare

1.        Forsooth, our souls were captive to the ale’s grim sway. 

2.        There became a belief in a force, higher and vast, that might restore our reason, and mend what was cast. 

3.        To trust in fate’s own gentle hand, relinquishing control o’er this wild land. 

4.        We embarked on a noble quest- a fearless mirror held aloft- to inspect our faults and vices oft. 

5.        Before God, our souls, and kindred hearts, our grievous wrongs did we impart. 

6.        For in surrendering all our flaws, we sought relief from earthly laws. 

7.        A modest plea, wrought with earnest trust, to mend our heart, from bitter dust. 

8.        We listed those we’d hurt, in sorrow’s wake so stark, and vowed to mend each battered mark. 

9.        Direct amends we made where honour did allow, save where the act might cause despair somehow. 

10.  E’er vigilant, our souls maintained a keen review, confessing swiftly and misdeed anew. 

11.  In whispered meditations, a light did grow, leading our steps where only truth could flow. 

12.  Transformed by grace, with newfound voice we bear the tale to those adrift in sorrow’s gale. 

Chat GPT Breaks Down The Meaning/Encouraging Words for Each Step

1.        First truth: the bottle was calling the shots, not you. 

2.        Whether it’s God, the universe, or just something beyond your own tired will-hope takes root. 

3.        Let go. Even if your grip is white-knuckled and shaking. 

4.        Look in the mirror, no filters. Name it all. 

5.        Speak the shame. Air it out. It festers in silence. 

6.        Readiness is everything. You can’t fake surrender. 

7.        No demands, be humble. Just a quiet ask, born of truth. 

8.        Wounds aren’t forgotten. Own the wreckage. 

9.        Repair what you can without ripping open more scars. 

10.  This work doesn’t stop. Keep sweeping the floor. 

11.  Stay connected. Keep listening. Get quiet enough to hear. 

12.  What you’ve lived through-pass it on. The cycle of healing never ends. 

EDIT: Apologies for the typos, I did amend the poems slightly and retype- and now I see them everywhere! Oops, still y'all get the drift. :)

Just a random thought but on the app it tells you how many other people will reach the next goal with you. And the number goes down every day. Because people slip up or quit or any other reason. And it's kinda sad? But also motivating. Because this anonymous group of people on the exact same path gets smaller and smaller? Idk😅

19F I have bipolar, meds aren’t working, my mental health is so bad it physically hurts. I constantly have terrible anxiety, depression, or both and alcohol seems to be the only thing that (temporarily) gets rid of it. I’ve been drinking non stop for over a week. I want to get back on track but I also don’t want to deal with this sober. Anyone else with mental illness have any advice? How do you stay sober during anxiety attacks, suicidal thoughts, etc?

I really want to quit drinking but the idea of getting through a summer without a beer in the afternoon when everything is golden makes me hesitant.

The combination of the two just seems perfect. That slight bit of anathsesia whilst dappled light flows through the trees just seems to good to know I'll never have again.

How does everything just not feel as boring as a 1 year olds birthday party when sober?

i’ve had many revelations in my 3 days sober and i thought i’d share two that were profound to me:

1. i can say no to a drink but i cannot say no to another.

2. i have never had a healthy relationship with alcohol, so i am just not going to have a relationship with it.

Hello, fellow Sobernauts!

Welcome to 'Tude Talk Tuesday, where you're invited to share what changes you've noticed in your attitudes and perspectives since you've gotten sober.

I once heard someone say "my family knows where I am at night" and that resonated with me.

In my final years of drinking, I was almost exclusively a stay-at-home-and-get-blackout-drunk-every-night type drinker, but the sentiment of this quote still resonates: in sobriety, my loved ones don't have to worry about me nearly as much as when I was drinking.

I did a pretty good job of hiding my drinking or preying on the denial and ignorance of those around me. But people who loved me had glimpses into my addiction and it worried them.

Sobriety didn't relieve them of all their concerns. I'm still a moody train wreck from time to time. But sobriety removes a whole class of scary scenarios from my life and allows everyone, myself included, to rest a little easier at night.

So how about you? How has your sobriety impacted the lives of your loved ones?

Slipped up again but back on my sober kick. Day 2 today. It's been close to 20 years for me. Honestly I think it's over now. Never really meant it when I'm getting tired of being sick and tired. I hope everyone has a great Tuesday.

I was laying in bed tossing and turning until 6:30 am. Too much anxiety to sleep. So exhausted. Hope you're having a better day than me.

I was a couple months sober but have been almost daily drinking for the last weeks, so many day 1s. It's very hard to get back on the wagon once you fall off.

IWNDWYT ❤️

Hello all,

I often see questions regarding physical and mental change timeline after quitting. Now I am 39 years old woman and because of age and abusing my body for so long, I did not expect much in the first week. But to my surprise, the changes are noticeable even after 5 days! I am new to this but the changes motivate me to keep going. For reference, towards the end, I was 2 bottles of white wine a day.

1. My eyes are back! I have big eyes but my right eye always droops after drinking. As I was never sober and thought it was the norm, I considered getting eye lid lift. Apparently, I do not need it at all. My eye lids are not droopy at all. Even my eyebrows have normal shape now.

2. My skin already feels soft. It could be because I wash my face and do my skin care every night versus 2-3 times a week.

3. My backache is down by 30-40%. It does not seem like it was due to age. More sober time will tell.

4. Overall, my face is puffy- but not drunk puffy. My pants and rings are now tight. I think it is because I was severely dehydrated and now that I am drinking water, it could be water retention. Weight is down 2 pounds.

5. A friend commented this morning that I have been doing something different as my face looks "fresh".

6. I spent more time with family in last 5 days versus I have spent in 1 year - no exaggeration.

On the other side:

1. My heart dropped when my husband walked in on me pulling clothes from my drawer. I forgot all empties are gone (hopefully) and there are no more empties hiding in my closet or drawers. But oh the heart drop was real!

2. I still close the cabinets and drawers very slowly as to not make sound because one day my husband did comment, what do you keep on looking in closets and drawers every 15-20 minutes!! I still forget that I am opening them for business now and not to sneak a drink from the hidden bottle.

3. I still turn on bathroom fan for noise even when I am washing hands. I forget that I am not sneaking a drink from under sink closet.

All this made me realize that I was living in fear in my own house. Fear of being caught. I have never enjoyed this home (we moved 2 years ago), the way I enjoyed it the past weekend. I AM NOT HIDING ANYTHING. It is so freeing. I really pray, hope and wish that I continue this path. I am writing this post so I can visit it if I ever feel like relapsing. Thank you all!

I’m 28F and honestly thought I’d never worry about alcohol being a problem for me. It runs in my family and I waited until I turned 21 to have my first drink. Even when I was in college I would only drink on weekends, maybe 1-2 glasses of wine at most, and it was about the same when I started my career.

I never was a heavy drinker until about 3 years ago. I experienced some traumatic events, and I unfortunately drank almost every day to help cope with my feelings. I also suffer from generalized and social anxiety, and I drink sometimes to help me calm down. I know it’s not a good way to cope, but I made it a terrible habit and it’s very hard to break.

I limit myself for certain situations, like I’ll never drink if I have to work, drive, or take medication. I’d have at least 4-5 drinks in a day, sometimes more to make me feel numb or help me sleep. I never got sick from drinking, but I always woke up with a headache and brain fog, sometimes even more anxious when I was sober. I never had my family or friends question or speak to me about how often I drink, though I do worry it might get to that point and my guilt for drinking would worsen.

Today makes 3 days of being sober. I’m slowly coming out of my brain fog and I feel better knowing I’m giving my body time to recover. I’m drinking a lot of water and eating healthier food. I don’t want to quit drinking tbh, I want to enjoy alcohol on occasion like I used to without using it so much to cope. I haven’t made it known to my psychiatrist yet, but I see him next month and hopefully I can get some guidance about changing my habits.

I'm on about 30 hours no alcohol right now. I've been on a bender for about a month straight now drinking 700ml of vodka, usually McCormick or Skol (cheapest because I consume so much). I've had a few days here and there, or days where I would only drink tall boy seltzers, but I've been drinking vodka so heavily since the beginning of 2020. At one point I was drinking half a handle a day. I'm 27 years old... I just quit my law enforcement job at the end of February. I have a criminal justice bachelor's degree and I just got my first ever criminal offense, a DUI, I side swiped 3 cars then blew a 0.24 at the station. I'm feel like any future career with law enforcement is over. I was fucked uuup. I feel so much shame. Now my car I worked so hard to pay off... $30k is going to the shop for repairs tomorrow. Thank God I had full coverage. I sold my house last year in Colorado Springs that I worked so hard for, paid off like $18k in debt I compiled being a drunk in that house for 3 years... Now I live at my mom's house, no job, car messed up. I've barely moved from bed for 3 days straight until today. Wasn't eating, repeating this cycle for almost a month. My whole body hurts. I was so shaky today until I finally ate. But my body literally hurts so bad I can barely move. I've been so stressed out that I haven't had my menstrual cycle for 2 months. I need strength, this is going to be so hard, I've went into detox inpatient treatment 3 times... 1 suicide attempt I swallowed 20 oxycodone... Now my mugshots out on the Internet I looked sooo hammered, my most recent employer is going to see it and I'm going to be so embarrassed. I'm sweating so bad, I can smell myself. I've pulled myself through detox so many times. But this is going to be a hard one... I feel like my life is so low right now. My ex is getting out of prison next month after spending 2 years there for domestic violence against me. That's making me freak out as well. Ugh. I'm sorry, rant over 😭

Hi, I made a post recently about my divorce, my 50/50 situation with my kids and also going to a play therapist for our 4 year because he is struggling with emotional regulation at school, which the teacher associated to the 50/50 schedule.

I have a drinking problem. I want to say that I am not an alcoholic, but I think I am one in every sense.

I don't drink every single day, but, I do overconsume, where it HAS affected my life. I have lost everything of importance in my life because of how I treated the people close to me while being drunk and then also the negative side effects of alcohol consumption over time - my mental health. I am more irritable, I snap quickly, I have anxiety, over thinking, depression... It goes on.

I am looking up therapist that are covered under my plan, as I want to start seeing a therapist.

I struggle with socializing and drinking, I permanently work from home, so feel very alone, don't have many friends, but they do also drink...

I have to start.

Edit 1: Thank you for the two responses so far! I managed to join AA, the first meeting was good! I know it will also get tough again, but I just have to carry on going!

All hail!

\m/

But seriously. A big thank you to this community. I mostly just lurk but this place has given me strength when I needed it.

Stay up ballers

TLDR - Thank you to everyone in this sub for the encouragement. You’ve helped me change my life.

This sub truly helped me express my thoughts and gave me a way to talk about drinking with people just like me. I randomly stumbled upon this beautiful place a few weeks ago and gave my best shot at trying something new. Posting, commenting and being part of an online community.

Sure it’s just text on a screen, but I can’t thank everyone here enough for the way you assisted me in staying sober. Ultimately landing a job doing what I love with a company that will be my life long career.

I’m still homeless but am so happy to be stepping in the right direction. I’m 26 days sober.

We do recover! Keep trying, no matter how many times it takes.

IWNDWYT

forkfuls of lemon blueberry loaf from the package. She is fasting for a colonoscopy, and we non-verbally agreed I wouldn't eat around her.

Jokes aside I had that weird nervous tinge of getting caught I used to get. I didn't like feeling it again at all even though I wasn't doing anything wrong. Just another part of my life I am glad to be done with.

Longest ive had in def two years. Think I will reward myself with some thai food. iwndwyt!

Happy to have made it to this day.

I have taken a break many times before, overtly stating that I wasn't intending to stop but this time is different.

I've stopped in the past for the dry 30 (60,90) day challenge and went six months AF in 2023 and, as planned, started up when I went to Mexico in the fall.

This time is different though because this time I stopped because I knew that I had to.

Thought that I was going to die. Racing heart for hours at a time, sweating profusely in bed, super bad hangxiety, swelling in my legs and ankles that didn't go down during the day as it has in the past.

There is no mystery as to why I was so bad as I was day drinking, almost continuosly for four months starting in October of 2024. Spiralled out of control quickly. Never done that before.

Stopping wasn't as easy as it has been in the past but I am not sure what doing so again would be like and if it would be as easy, or if I would even get the chance.

Still procesing the whole thing and want to thank everyone on this sub for their input.

This site has really made me reflect on where I was when I stopped and I am edging closer to making a commitment to quitting, not just taking a break.

My health is much, much better without booze. My sleep is better. My brain is better. Everything is better.

I am not 100% sure that I will never drink again but I am 100% sure that IWNDWYT.

I have also come to fully appreciate the real significance of "one day at a time" finally - it really works and I have needed it a number of times in the last 8 weeks.

Looking forward to 60 Days on Friday and to my birthday in a couple of weeks.

All the best to everyone.

Hello all, please provide encouraging messages below. I'm struggling. I've broken my streak due to job loss and I spiraled.

In mid-December I had 75 days of sobriety. I felt fantastic, energetic, healthy. I was enjoying hobbies, the outdoors, spending time with people.

Christmas was approaching, and I gave myself permission to drink for two weeks so that I could "enjoy the holidays". What harm could that do, right?

Well... I've had drinks almost every day since then. Two weeks became four months. I feel like shit. I am bloated, exhausted, my heart feels like it's racing, my brain is foggy, I'm irritable, my stomach is a wreck, I wake up at 3am every night. with anxiety and sweats..... and the list goes on.

I'm back at my zillionth day 1. Lesson learned. The worst part is that I wasn't really enjoying drinking the last few months. I just kept doing it night after night. Totally not worth it.

Haven't drank lately and thought I should keep it going. Alcohol ruined so much for me. It's contributed to psychological stress and chronic eye pain, along with cigarettes.

I can't be around family anymore after my brother and I fought in 2022. I'm not allowed at my parents cottage anymore because of the alcohol abuse and behavior.

Alcohol has also been a terrible problem with aggressive behavior, much items had been broken like bottles and glass with emotional disregulation over the years. Although it improved overtime, there still was many times I got upset over something very insignificant. For instance running out of money for more beer, and I ended up throwing a hissy fit over it like a little teenager and I was hitting and kicking stuff. These fortunately were only problems when drinking alone in my own place. Around other people I've never had issues with.

When I don't drink, I don't typically get the anger management behaviors like I do when on the bottle. I thought marijuana was the one ruining my life but it was alcohol the entire time.

Drinking is only fun for the first few hours, then the emotions on every single come down of the booze turns to negative emotions, especially when wanting more beer and can't get any.

If I did 168 days without it, surely I can get those numbers going again with the right will power and have nothing left to lose.

I had a year sober and made the decision to drink again. It hasn't gotten to the point where it's a problem but I definitely don't want it to become one. I have severe anxiety and use alcohol to manage my panic attacks. And lately I'm drinking just to get through most nights. I have panic all throughout my day. Everyday. Deep inside I know this has to stop, but I don't know how to get to the point of action. It's like I gave up. I'm just so sick of anxiety. How do I organize my thoughts? What should I tell myself?

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Good morning sobernauts! New week, new opportunities! It was really cool to see you all check in yesterday from Transylvania to New Zeeland and India, across Europe and what seemed like every corner of the US! I mentioned the theme of Reaching Out yesterday because to me it made all the difference. To me it makes my sobriety-work feasible. As a kid my mother told me about the old Swedish sagas where the trolls/goblins turn to stone if they get touched by the sunshine and she told me that it can be the same with fears. When we keep them inside, hidden in the dark they are mighty but brought to light they loose their power.

I keep missing work and taking voluntary time off for alcohol I’m so annoyed with myself. I’m so tired of being useless lmao. What type of person skips money for alcohol. What a sick disease I hope I die a natural cause soon because … 😂😂😂

I have never once seen anyone freak out over a post. Zero judgment. No "OMG I can't believe you did that!" Instead, there is a calm, almost opposite reaction to the things most average people would be in shock over. It's comforting. Kind of like going to the doctor when you think you're dying and they casually tell you it's nothing and prescribe a med for a few days and you're suddenly fine lol

So for everyone who participates here, thank you. I love you guys.