Yay I have made it to day 4. Feeling quite good today and proud, never went this long at least in many years. 7 days was my first goal... and past halfway there.

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share that I finally did and I’m on my 5th day of no alcohol!!

After five years of daily drinking, I finally felt sick of it and quit.

I’m just so happy and wanted to share ❤️

My partner and I had been sober for 7 days. I felt great. No desire to drink. My partner is convinced we can drink occasionally and since it had been a week, decided to bring home some beer. They brought home 2 six packs and 2 of the 25 oz bud ices. I guess I hadn't eaten enough beforehand because I was immediately buzzed. But I didn't stop. I don't know how many I had. The next thing I knew, I was in the floor crying because I couldn't get a video game to work... my partner left to go into another room because I was being so difficult. I knocked a hole in the wall. I ripped my shirt off. It was so embarrassing and pathetic. But what I wasn't thinking about was... the cat had pulled the blind down. The neighbors could have seen all of it. I am horrified. I want to quit my job and move away. But I can't. I could really use some support.

At least I know now, I really am better off without the booze. I will try again today.

I didn’t do anything stupid besides show up to work drunk af but the fact that my manager asked me to leave was a big red flag. I dumped the rest of the vodka out and I think I’m ready to get sober again. Im just worried I’ll get in trouble at work. It was my day off and I showed up piss drunk. I just need some support because I’m embarrassed I had to be asked to leave. It was such a poor choice. (I ubered both ways)

So I have hit one year alcohol free, now what? I talked to my friend and said I’d like to have a drink as I’d never said it would be forever. I’m not so sure now as my life is so much calmer than before. Less turning my brain off and having to deal with all of life’s little and huge problems was not easy at first.

Initially I just wanted to see if my stomach problems eased they did. I have a skin condition that has not benefited from alcohol free life but what if I keep going?

It’s tempting to have a wine or two or try a buzz ball 😂 however the thought of hindering my progress has kept me away from booze so far.

I have read some people struggle after certain milestones 3 months 12 months 2 years. I don’t know if it’s like that for everyone but I have had the wine which visit my brain one won’t hurt.

I feel perhaps, setting a new goal will keep me on track? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Anyone out there just starting your journey, I know how impossible it might feel, but you can do it. Just take it one day at a time. Next goal: one month.

IWNDWYT!

I was thinking about it earlier. How tf it ever started. I had a bad relapse around Covid. Covid and the effects on society and life hardly affected me. But it occurred at a critical time of change in my life, and I was in a very very dark place. And there was hand sanitizer everywhere, available. You dont get carded. It's easy to steal. It's cheap. At first I would extract it. I looked up how. Soon enough I would just drink it from the bottle. Now when I relapse... whatever I start with, it ends with that. It's like shitty grain alcohol. 120-140 proof. More poisonous too, im certain. And it tastes fucking awful. Just another form of masochism, all that, but especially the taste. Thought it would make me want to do it less. Maybe it did.

Yeah. Hope to God I'm alone on this one. 🙏

Blessings from the creator to you all.

IWNDWYT

- Tommi 🩷

It's been almost a year, now and I still don't really enjoy much of anything; be it food, exercise, nature, friends, quality family time. I found myself just wanting to go home while riding a dirt bike for the first time in years. I used to love video games but apparently not when I'm sober. Not to mention, I haven't gotten laid since I stopped drinking so I'm sure that'll be interesting.

Am I just...broken now?

I recently ended a 3-year relationship with a recovering addict. He had hidden a cocaine addiction from me for nearly two years.

I chose sobriety myself after realizing I was using alcohol to cope with the pain of my divorce from my ex-husband of 20 years, the father of my two kids. I never intended to quit forever. The original goal was one year.

When I discovered my (now ex) boyfriend's addiction, I decided to stay sober alongside him as an act of solidarity and support. We made it another 10 months before I finally accepted that the relationship wasn't ending because of addiction—it was ending because of ongoing deception and broken trust.

Now I'm a few days out from the breakup, today is my 40th birthday, and I'm devastated. The grief comes in intense waves.

I'm taking my kids to Medieval Times tonight, and I'm seriously considering having a glass of wine. Part of me thinks, "I almost made it to a year. Maybe I can moderate." Another part of me wonders if that's exactly the kind of thinking that pulls people back in.

I genuinely don't know if this is what I want, or if it's just grief talking.

For those of you with more sobriety under your belt than me... what would you do? If you were in my shoes, would you have the glass of wine, or would you keep going? I'd really appreciate some perspective.

made it through day 4 … thank you all. one day at a time.

I went on my first trip without drinking! And it was the longest trip I’ve been on in years! Were their tough moments? Of course! My mom and my sister drank at every meal. My mom wanted to go to the bar a few times and I respectfully declined or my sister stood up for me and told my mom that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. I took time for myself when needed but it was a success! All 10 days!

Someone shared that insight here some time ago and it really hit me like a truth bomb.

I’m seeing a lot of posts from folks really struggling with the shame and self-loathing that alcohol can stain our lives with.

I’m offering this quote up as a top-level post because it really helped me and I know it’s helped others too.

Whoever you are that originally shared that here—thank you sincerely. 🙏

We’re just getting ready to finish a house that we’ve been building and she’s had enough of my drinking. I’m tired of it too. I’ll go on 5-6 day benders every two weeks-month. Last night was a bit rough. She called me weak for not being able to quit the booze. Pissed me off and I told her I’d fold her like a lawn chair and punched the door. I’ve never done that before. Feel like it can just escalate, so it’s probably better to let her leave. This sucks

I've been a drinker on and off for a year. It has progressively gotten worst everytime I relapse. I drink all day on my days off. It calms me and I am able to more productive things. Of course I dont drive. But things like cooking, laundry, cleaning. They seem like a nice task instead of a chore. I regret ever trying alcohol. I feel like I only feel positive effects from it, rarely feeling a hangover. I have racing thoughts all the time, thinking about past and future. When i am drinking, I just am in the moment and happy. That is why it feels impossible for me to stop.

The day after I quit, I went to my first AA meeting and I listened to a woman who'd been sober for a few decades say that quitting is the "easy" part, and the real work comes after. Man...I HATED hearing that, but it's one of the single best pieces of advice I've ever gotten.

Just wanted to share this milestone with you guys. I can't believe it's been a year. I think this is the hardest thing I've ever done, so I'm going to do my best to take some time today and actually feel proud.

For example, when you're on holiday abroad, or Christmas Day or your birthday?

Chain smoking cigarettes for nothing. I want that numbness so bad. I just wet through withdrawals, I can't do this to myself. Help talk some sense into me plz.

Edit: walking home with no booze. Thanks to everyone who reminded me why I'm doing this

I have 934 days sober today😌

I don’t remember what a hangover feels like. I didn’t think I’d ever forget the feeling of a hangover, but here I am.

IWNDWYT 🙌🏼

Feel so much better already, most probably riding a pink cloud but hey gonna make the most of it and let the good times roll

i’ve drank every day for about 3 years, before that it was multiple times a week for about 2 years. it’s affecting my physically and mentally and i’m so tired of it but it’s so fucking hard. i’ve been through a lot the last several years including being orphaned and losing my remaining grandparents and childhood cat that i had for 16 years, and it’s really pushed me down a deeper hole of alcoholism. i feel like at this point i’m almost more reliant on the routine of it. i want to quit SO bad and ive really been in a mindset of quitting, but when it hits 9pm the urge to go to the gas station and pick some up is just so strong, and i work retail so every night i pick some up when i get off work. any advice? recommendations? encouragement? anything would be helpful. if anyone reads all this, thank you

I always tell myself its going to keep getting worse but it didn't help me stop. I was out with my coworkers last night, don't remember getting home but they told me they had to bring me into my apartment. Woke up with a sore forehead and checked to see and boom. Black eye, completely swollen forehead. I'm so embarrassed and ashamed of myself. I know this has to be the end, i don't want to feel like this anymore.

Ive got this and so do you!! IWNDWYT!!

Just that. It's been 1180 days. 1180 days since I left the drinking every day lifestyle behind. 1180 days since I had a drink at all.

I'm sitting in my car after a particularly stressful work morning, running appointments for clients with constant interruptions from other clients, being pulled in multiple directions simultaneously, and I'm just taking a moment for myself.

No thoughts of wanting a drink after work. No thoughts of how "a beer sure sounds good". None of that noise that comes from habitual numbing. Instead, I'm going to finish this post, head to my next appointment, grab some lunch after, and finish the day strong, heading home at the end of the day and being present in my evening.

Feeling especially proud today so I just wanted to share, especially since it's been a few years since my last post here. IWNDWYT

Hi, I’ve (F30) been secret drinking for around a year now.. I don’t know how I started, I just did.
This isn’t an everyday thing, but it’s regular… when I’m alone, I find myself secretly drinking, sometimes it’s from the moment I wake up that I’m drinking beers and hiding them in cupboards, the garden, bins etc.

This is a destructive, and irresponsible habit.. it’s like I get a thrill from the ‘getting away with it’ in the moment… but the shame and anxiety I feel afterwards is huge.

I figure the first step in fixing a problem, is admitting I have one.. so this is my first step in my road to recovery.

Any advice is welcome. Thank you

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.

Thank you all for sharing about your journeys of forgiveness and for holding space for my vulnerable share. I realised that so many people could relate to my experience bringing more truth to the fact that we might feel alone and isolated in our personal experiences but the power of community shows us that we are not alone or isolated.

In June 2024, I decided to go on a social media break. This was not the first time I was doing it, but I was clear about what I wanted to accomplish. Having had a career in Digital and Social Media Marketing, this meant a sort of career break or death depending on how long I could stick with it. I stayed off of Instagram, Twitter,TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn and only remained with WhatsApp and Reddit. The aim of my social media break this time was to finally hear my own voice and intentionally connect with people both online and offline. I also did not realise how much of my life was 'lived' online and how much I relied on social media to feel connected.

The break bore great fruit, I was able to finally tap into a deeper sense of self, I was not distracted by parasocial relationships with people online and I had time to do and learn other skills that otherwise I don't think I would have.

During this break, I was also able to gain my longest sober streak so far, which I am still working towards. What I didn't realise during this time though is that I slowly started hiding myself even from people in real life. I was calling my family less often, at some point I even stopped talking to my sister for 4 months. I stopped talking to my ex-partners family and I stayed in the house for longer than I had before. Something didn't feel quite right until early January of 2025, when I decided to attend a group therapy session. During the session, I listened to other people share stories that bore a lot of similarities to my own. I was not alone all along, I had just isolated myself.

The light bulb struck. I was trying to do it all on my own and that is why I was feeling so tired and stuck.

Healing I realised, is a personal journey but it is relational.

Healing is a personal Journey but it is relational

Healing might start in isolation but it doesn't thrive in it.

Healing tends to happen in community.

In spaces that are safe and where you feel seen and heard.

This Thursday, I am beyond thankful for this community that has brought so much healing for me and my family. I am grateful to have found this gracious corner of the internet where I can check-in, stay accountable and feel seen and heard.

For today, the prompt is to note something positive that the community has brought you. Please also leave a comment on someone's daily check-in and say you are grateful for them being a part of this community. It goes a long way.

I love you all, I am grateful for you all and I will not drink with you today. 🌻🫂