5 day’s into a 28 day sobriety stint…

[MC Moot]

Trying to clean up my habits a little bit this year…I had the sweats last night…I’m hoping this will pass as the body cleans itself up…as well I’ve been having very vivid, bad ,reoccurring dreams…also I’ve been having a fierce wave of nausea right around 3p.m,consistently…I don’t know how long I can expect this continue…but the dreams are horrible…one day at a time as they say, I suspect…anyone else drying up/out?...how you feeling/doing?..wanna pull 28 with me?

[Videodrome]

sounds just like this one time i tried to stop eating chocolate. thankfully, my puppet collection got me through. dark times.

[MC Moot]

^for you puppets,for me I'm taking some attivan tonight and changing the sheets...

[Videodrome]

all jokes aside, i dont even have the willpower to go 5 days off of anything. keep it up.

[Bob]

occasionally i'll get it in my head that i'm going to try to go for a week or two without drinking but i never make it for more than 3 days. i don't get the sweats or the shakes or anything, i just feel like drinking more than i feel like not

[MC Moot]

I only get the shakes after a really hard nights session...but the sweats alway's come on the 3rd day of sobriety...what encouraged me to have a go this time,was calendaring how many drinks a week I've been consuming after the Doc suggested it back in November...and I need to shed 20 lbs I've gained since surgery...:eek:

[insertnamehere]

i really need to calm down on the substance abuse. i dont drink on a daily basis, but when i drink i go all out. after one particular weekend in november i got the shakes really bad at work. after that i managed to take a couple of weeks off

aaaannnddddd ive gotten to where i smoke everyday. i like to blame that on the fact that its break though and i dont have anything better to do with myself. i'll most likely chill out on the smoke once classes start back up. and i really like combining the two even though it usually ends up with me passed out on the floor.

its acceptable as long as im in college, right?

[rirv]

I'm working my way through a bottle of wine as we speak.

[Dorothy Wood]

haven't been drinking as much as I used to, and only smoke 0-2 cigarettes a day, but I've been smoking a hell of a lot more weed.

get it out of your system, dude! your liver will smile.

[insertnamehere]

i will say ive been drinking a lot less since ive been smoking a lot more

im a little concerned because this is my last semester and im going to have to start applying to jobs and whatnot and taking drug tests i imaigne. blargh.

[saz]

(y)

I've been smoking a hell of a lot more weed.

[kaiser soze]

Much Luck!

You can do it!

Many of us have quit something or another on these boards, you can too!

[Bob]

for example i've beat my sex addiction

[ms.peachy]

LOL @ Bob. I love you, Bob. Never leave us.

Moot I am also doing a booze-free January. Give my poor old liver a little holiday, and figured it was a simple way to cut a whole bunch of empty calories out of my diet. So far it's been OK, have not noticed anything too 'different' about my life other than in the evenings, when I feel like opening up a bottle of wine, I, um, don't.

Besides not drinking, are you doing anything else to flush out your system? Have you been drinking plenty of water? I've been trying to drink lots of green tea - getting into this very Chinese habit of carrying around a cup of twigs and leaves with me wherever I go and topping it up with hot water throughout the day. I sure have been peeing a lot.

[trailerprincess]

I am also trying not to drink (unless I am out socialising - which never happens) in January. I got into a habit of having a glass of wine in the evenings and as Ms Peachy said it's just empty calories. So far, it's not been a problem.

[MC Moot]

Besides not drinking, are you doing anything else to flush out your system? Have you been drinking plenty of water? I've been trying to drink lots of green tea - getting into this very Chinese habit of carrying around a cup of twigs and leaves with me wherever I go and topping it up with hot water throughout the day. I sure have been peeing a lot.

Cut down to one coffee in the morning and then green tea if I feel the need for something warm later…also in the evenings I’m drinking cranberry juice with lime and San Pellegrino, kind of has the effervescent substitute thing going on for it…at this juncture I’m missing the herb more than the drink…as I substitute one for the other at times…and now I’m without either…sat down to watch a movie last night and all I could think about was the bag in my medicine cabinet…twigs and leaves!

[HEIRESS]

I'm trying to eat mostly soup for the next few weeks.
sure most of the recipes include butter and cream but also tons of veggies too, ah well.

I'm also taking this cleansing tea: Wholy Tea (http://www.wholytea.com/instructions.html)

[Randetica]

I'm trying to eat mostly soup for the next few weeks.
sure most of the recipes include butter and cream but also tons of veggies too, ah well.

I'm also taking this cleansing tea: Wholy Tea (http://www.wholytea.com/instructions.html)

cool, im on my third cleansing day and i always get a mad headache from it

[MC Moot]

Heiress,are you making the soups?...next time you’re at your local health food store you should look for these soups… (http://www.pacificfoods.com/our-foods/creamy-soups)sooooo good...(y)

[trailerprincess]

I think I might crack, albeit with a calorie friendly vodka. With all the snow, I could almost be in Moscow and when in Moscow, do as the Muscovites do.


I can pretty much justify anything....:o

[MC Moot]

^ I can so relate to that...look it's snow!...look it's a chinook!...look it's another day!...look the Rhino has micro brewed pints on for $3 bucks starting at 3pm!...let's celebrate!...;)

[yeahwho]

As a preface;

I sobered up after years of drinking ( I'm the real deal with alcohol, I've never been a social or casual drinker) and being hopelessly addicted to all mind altering drugs.

Taking into account my life was destroyed by these substances I can offer you a few tricks I've used to get through withdrawals.

First off HALT... you can start your 24 hours w/o a drink at any period of the day.

H - do not get too hungry
A - do not get too angry
L - do not get too lonely
T - do not get too tired

For the better part of a year my body felt like a dried up sponge that needed it's booze... somedays are better than others but mostly I was completely off the wall, early on I dismissed everything they taught me in treatment and listened to old winos at AA halls here in Seattle.

They told me things like if you ever get a craving for a drink take some honey and let it slowly dissolve in your mouth, eat a major meal, treat yourself to a nice warm sit down in a AA hall as opposed to freezing my ass sitting down outside the bars and flophouses.

Easy does it on everything, accept the fact that you threw the party and now you must accept the consequences of withdrawal. Even though my mind and body were screaming for a drink I sat it out, I fucking did not cave in and I did go crazy sober.

I know you can stay sober for one day, no matter what. I know you can because I know I did beyond insurmountable odds. I know it can be done and it takes more than just yourself. The fact that you've posted here tells me your going to do this today.

With the risk of sounding even more hokey than above I will impart upon you this, even if you've already heard it a million times repetition is what you need when cravings take over.

tomorrow is a promissory note, yesterday is a canceled check, today is cash on hand... spend it wisely.

(sobriety is simple as fuck, complicated people such as myself and millions of other hopeless drunks usually have to get simple enough to understand that)

[MC Moot]

^solid...for me 12 step programs have never been applicable due to the fact I refuse to believe that I do not have control or I am powerless with regards to my abuse...I am accountable for my situation…also the Christian philosophy on which AA was founded doesn’t necessarily jive with me, abandoning oneself to a higher power kind of notion…I’ve been to meetings to support both clients and a friend and I didn’t find them particularly constructive…when they were done I wanted a drink much more than when I went in…but they say you have to shop around to find a group that suits you…good on you,yeahwho…(y)

[yeahwho]

There are as many ways to get and stay sober as there are people, it's all cool.

AA isn't for everybody. It works for me because I've reached a certain aspect of humility in my drinking that lets me listen to others ideas on how to stop. It's cool, you would be surprised at how diverse the people are who do go to AA. It's not a religion nor a political movement, it is the finest form of working anarchy on the planet earth. I challenge anyone to prove otherwise.

Keeping an open mind and willingness by myself is impossible, Christianity and concepts of religion are abundant in AA but they are not a requirement to be there. None of the hundreds of friends I've met in AA really subscribe to the Judeo-Christian edict.

I don't drink today no matter what happens. Having multiple years of sobriety or just a few days doesn't matter. It is better to be just a few feet out of hell than to be 1000 miles away running into it.

[jabumbo]

I think I might crack, albeit with a calorie friendly vodka. With all the snow, I could almost be in Moscow and when in Moscow, do as the Muscovites do.



in soviet russia, once a bottle of vodka is opened on the table, you are not allowed to leave until said bottle is empty.

[roosta]

i'm on a dry January too....with a possible plan to extend to my birthday in March.

on day 7, tis grand. first weekend in January will always be easy, no one really wants to go out etc. etc. See how it goes when people begin to get the thirst again.

Its grand so far, im pretty certain i'll do it. Been meaning to cut down on my drink for some time now, and this is a little tester. I've done 2 or 3 weeks before without a tipple.

Doing it completely dry too. Bottle of Corona in the fridge asking to be drunk at dinner, but not gonna. Not that'll send me on a bender, but i'm a bit of a stickler for doing these things proper. If it's gonna be a dry January it will be.

[MC Moot]

Bottle of Corona in the fridge asking to be drunk at dinner, but not gonna. Not that'll send me on a bender, but i'm a bit of a stickler for doing these things proper. If it's gonna be a dry January it will be.

I think a cold bottle of beer in my fridge would be a little tempting right about now especially with nachos and guac...mmmmmmm...I was actually considering throwing a blanket over the wine rack when I started...see no vino,drink no vino...:o

[Ty Webb]

good luck to ya moot

[HEIRESS]

Heiress,are you making the soups?...next time you’re at your local health food store you should look for these soups… (http://www.pacificfoods.com/our-foods/creamy-soups)sooooo good...(y)


I sure am!

last night it was roasted carrot and brie soup

tonight was coconut yam. so good.

butternut squash is on the horizon.

I think this weekend ill hit up the butcher and get a grab bag of bits & bones so I can roast them and make a proper beef stock. Then i am going to take a stab at making home-made pho (http://s2.hubimg.com/u/47457_f520.jpg).

[trailerprincess]

in soviet russia, once a bottle of vodka is opened on the table, you are not allowed to leave until said bottle is empty.

:eek: I poured one (glass) about 6pm (vodka & bitter lemon) and that lasted until 10.30pm. I am sloooooow drinker sometimes!

[Bob]

well vodka goes bad once you open it, you have to finish the bottle

[Kid Presentable]

It's not a religion nor a political movement, it is the finest form of working anarchy on the planet earth. I challenge anyone to prove otherwise.

With all the twats flocking out to the streets to get shitfaced for the sake of getting shitfaced, I would agree. I've been off the turps for a week. Haven't had a week off it in many years, and the majority of my drinking is done alone, so I'm feeling good. Been swimming and shit. It's nice, and it probably won't last but I'll try.

[ericlee]

Good luck moot, it isn't the easiest to do.

I have dried out for nearly 8 months while in the mid-east but only due to the fact that it was illegal there. I then found ways to make it and people to buy it from but I won't complain about the sober period at all. I felt more active and healthy.

I don't find myself having a problem with booze. I never drink on a Monday or Tuesday as a rule I have set for myself. I'll drink on a wednesday but only a sixer-if that. Thursday, a sixer as well but it's not every wed and Thursday. Fridays and Saturdays are my drinkin days and I'll drink a twelve pack those nights.

I like to stay at home and drink, yeah, it's considered to be an alcoholic if you drink alone but I prefer not to spend a butt load of money at the bar. I keep occupied when drinking, I'm not like a slob and do nothing while doing so.

I still smoke weed on occasion but that will have to halt because I have applied for a few jobs which require drug tests if I get called. That for me will be the hardest part. I'm curretly arguing with myself as to delete my guy's name from my contacts or not because I don't have his number memorized.

[roosta]

I'd kinda like a beer tonight, truth be told.

But, i'm gonna do January without a drop. Just because I said I would.

[MC Moot]

I went and saw Mudhoney sat night…first show sans drink or drug in recent memory…interesting how much more you observe/recall…

[yeahwho]

I went and saw Mudhoney sat night…first show sans drink or drug in recent memory…interesting how much more you observe/recall…

Mudhoney(y) yes indeed. That's a fine elixir for the booze cravins'.

[abbott]

I want to quit drinking alltogether. My last day was dec 24th. and so far I have not missed it at all. In fact I strated working out at 4pm because that is when I typically start happy hour. I am also going to bed by 10:30. I guess I am getting old, but I think I have learned that drinking is bullshit.

Wishing you the best re not drinking.

As for the weed, its against the law so surly I would never.

[yeahwho]

As for the weed, its against the law so surly I would never.

That stuff is ill eagle

[roosta]

i'm on 5 weeks now, I think that's the longest dry spell since I started drinkin' !

I'll probably push it to at least 6 weeks, then see. I might go for 8, the weekend after then being a bit of a road-trip/joint birthday weekend in the West with a posse. That'd be a good time to return to the shores of drunkenness.

I tried out some non-alcoholic beer during the month, pretty nice, but couldn't drink too many in a night, very sweet.

[hardnox71]

I haven't tasted alcohol since August of 2008 (except when I went to Holy Communion once and blood of Christ turned out to be wine instead of Welch's, but I don't think that counts.)

Back when I was drinking I thought I would never stop. I LOVED drinking and hanging out with friends and getting drunk. I thought it was fun and alot of it was fun, I'm not gonna lie.

What I don't miss are the bar fights and the ice cold holding cells in the police station and wondering how the hell I got home last night and where the hell is all my money and why is my hand all bandaged up? I don't miss walking into bars just to be thrown out for something I did weeks earlier that I can't even remember. And, for the life of me, I don't miss the hangovers. Oh my God, how I do not miss those.

Moot, I hope you are still going strong. It get's better, man. Much better.

[paul jones]

I haven't had a beer since early December and I'm done with it now.

[MC Moot]

This morning I have discovered hangovers hurt much more after a prolonged period of abstinence...yes,they do...

[easy 3]

Sorry to hear about the hangover -well done if you made it through the 28 days though!:)(y)

I haven't had anything to drink for 4 days during 2010 so far. Last night, some other night and 2 days in a row at some point.

I'm not really planning on stopping drinking or anything, I'm just monitoring it with the plan to reducing the general frequency.

[mickill]

I sort of voluntarily decided I was going to abstain from alcohol for the first three months of this year. It was going fine until I accidentally had a couple of beers when we went out for thai food the other day. Strangely, I'd barely noticed that I hadn't been drinking for over a month up until that point. Before that night, I think I'd actually even forgotten I was avoiding drinking at all. But this was more a case of habitually ordering beer whenever I have thai food than me craving it. I think that making an effort to prepare healthier meals at home this year has played some part in my indifference.

[ms.peachy]

I made it through most of January, then gave in on the 24th. Because it was either have a nice glass of wine, or commit infanticide. We'd taken my daughter to Disney on Ice and then we were to go to a birthday party after. After the Disney show she had a complete screaming meltdown, the kind only a toddler can have. It went on for hours. Literally, hours.

[Bob]

i'm giving this sobriety thing a shot myself - ever since i started studying for the bar exam i've found myself drinking whiskey and beer every single night with limited exceptions. i've half assedly tried to cut back in the past but this time i think i'm serious; i finished off the last of my booze on sunday and i've resolved to not buy anymore for myself. yesterday was day one; kinda sucked, but it could've sucked more. falling asleep was harder than i would've liked (waking up too, but i've always sucked at that)

i'm not entirely sure what my goal is here - i'm definitely not quitting entirely, i still plan to drink as much as i like in social settings but i'm tired of drinking alone. i don't know when exactly but that's surely going to do irreparable damage to my liver or kidneys or heart or something at some point and i need to stop before i cross the line (if i haven't already). i guess i'm just planning to go for as long as i can

it gets very hard once the sun goes down though. i need a hobby that keeps me busy at night

[paul jones]

i need a hobby that keeps me busy at night

internet

[ericlee]

I completely gave up pot. For 3 years straight, my weekend consisted of buying a bag and a 12 pack and I would stay stoned during the whole weekend till I had to work.

We're getting a house for sure this time, we just put 50k down on it and the closing date is in April so, weed was definitely one of the things I had to cut to save money.

Booze, I still limit it for the weekends. I don't see any problems with it and for the main, the wife is ok with it. I do stay at home and drink just for the fact that we need to save money.