Alcohol Quitting Drinking Questions

[danosaurous22]

I've quit drinking before, last time for a year then two years on and now I've been alcohol free for like two months after a long two years of drinking almost all the time. Just beer so I barely had any withdrawal when I went cold turkey but still tough to deal with the absence of it. I also quit smoking just to keep myself separate from that type of lifestyle. It's very tempting to just get a 6 pack of beer some nights to show myself this is still something I can do in moderation, and even more tempting to go out when cool people I know want to go for a drink. I want to experiment with keeping it around for social situations or a few drinks some nights when I'm feeling troubled or celebratory or something that feels like it warrants a little escape but I was curious how you guys have dealt with these feelings, does appeasing these feelings ever work or does it just lead you back to being drunk and sick and having to quit with it fresh in your mind again?

As a sidenote coke is the one thing I can't kick. I don't use it every night but I feel like I was able to quit beer and cigs so quick because I still keep coke on the back burner of my brain, as though I've almost tricked my brain into being OK with no more booze and cigs by plying it with the possibility of doing coke instead of them when I can get it. I know that doesn't make much sense but that's how my brain works with this stuff, lots of mind games and carrot and stick to get through it. Coke is obviously still dangerous but unlike booze and cigs it isn't something I do all of the time when I'm into them which in some ways makes it feel a lesser evil even though the crashes and psychological effects of a binge might be stronger.

 

[placebonaut]

I have an alcohol problem, I stopped drinking for a few months, didn't miss it, had 1 beer, and now I'm back to drinking like an idiot, all the hard work undone.

not sure how bad your problem is with it but avoid it if you can.

I find Alcohol free beer to be a truly epic replacement though, it's really come along in the past few year and really scratches the itch when I fancy a cold 1.

 

[danosaurous22]

That means a lot to me to hear right now. I always end up imagining the aftermath of breaking down and going for a drink and the disappointment would be pretty bad and the worst case scenario is just getting sucked back into it and having to go through quitting all over again so that keeps me on the path I'm on. The "peace of mind" it gives me almost feels worth all of the shame and health problems and general risk it threatens me with though. There's something to that life on the run from my problems that almost feels like I'm more relaxed and peaceful than when I'm sober. I can handle the physical and mental downsides if it means making my brain quiet down and not dwell on the day so much and just wake up and move on after a night of drinking. But I need to just keep sober from drinking a little while longer to better think about this stuff.

Quitting drinking on its own isn't nearly as bad as quitting cigarettes too though. A month without drinking felt way shorter than a few days without cigarettes for some reason this time. I appreciate that reply a lot though it kept me from going and getting a drink last night.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

I've quit drinking before, last time for a year then two years on and now I've been alcohol free for like two months after a long two years of drinking almost all the time. Just beer so I barely had any withdrawal when I went cold turkey but still tough to deal with the absence of it. I also quit smoking just to keep myself separate from that type of lifestyle. It's very tempting to just get a 6 pack of beer some nights to show myself this is still something I can do in moderation, and even more tempting to go out when cool people I know want to go for a drink. I want to experiment with keeping it around for social situations or a few drinks some nights when I'm feeling troubled or celebratory or something that feels like it warrants a little escape but I was curious how you guys have dealt with these feelings, does appeasing these feelings ever work or does it just lead you back to being drunk and sick and having to quit with it fresh in your mind again?

As a sidenote coke is the one thing I can't kick. I don't use it every night but I feel like I was able to quit beer and cigs so quick because I still keep coke on the back burner of my brain, as though I've almost tricked my brain into being OK with no more booze and cigs by plying it with the possibility of doing coke instead of them when I can get it. I know that doesn't make much sense but that's how my brain works with this stuff, lots of mind games and carrot and stick to get through it. Coke is obviously still dangerous but unlike booze and cigs it isn't something I do all of the time when I'm into them which in some ways makes it feel a lesser evil even though the crashes and psychological effects of a binge might be stronger.

Just a warning to NEVER cold turkey alcohol unless in a hospital. Severe alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. And not, like, anecdotally or rarely. My soulmate died of alcohol withdrawal. The fatality rate of people who cold turkey alcohol without medical intervetion is 35%. Literally your chances of dying or more than 1 in 3.

Also, you will seizure. I have hypoxic brain injury from a 4.5 minute seizure (I didn't breathe during it) and also 2 herniated discs and poorly healed spinal fractures from the same seizure. I also, cracked my orbital socket, dislocated my shoulder, fractured my wrist and broke six ribs.
Oh and one seizure (my first, actually, and only after 12 hours without alcohol) I was falling so my head was gonna smash into the corner of the coffee table...I only missed 'cause my dad was in the room and fast enough to shove me so that I fell in the other direction.

 

[paranoid android]

I wish i could quit cigs. Never had a problem with drinking but i smoke like 2 packs a day. Hader to quit then fentanyl in my opinion atleast