Quitting Alcohol

I’m going almost 3 weeks now without drinking any alcohol, and honestly I’m at a point where I don’t feel like going back. And why should I? It destroys your liver, ages you faster and let’s not mention how now studies are saying it shrinks the size of your brain (not sure how accurate that is). I used to buy into the hype that a glass of wine a day was healthy and then it was recently discovered that claim was made on faulty research. And let’s not forget how expensive it is too and how it can also get you in trouble with the law.

I was never a super heavy drinker. I hate hard liquor and I don’t like getting drunk, but I was drinking every day and even a glass or two every day and maybe 3-4 on weekends is still way too much. I even tried to just abstain during the week and only drink on the weekends but that was way more difficult than just outright quitting.

Quitting drinking can be very difficult for a lot of people because of various reasons. I don’t think alcohol is as addictive as cigarettes and nicotine (I don’t know because I’ve never smoked) but I think peer pressure makes it difficult. My dad likes to have a few beers when we’re going out to dinner and I will as well, and I went to college and grew up with a generation that made getting shitfaced drunk the cool thing to do. It’s also very difficult when every social/networking event is centered around drinking and a lot of my friends or girls I’ve dated want to go out and hit up bars on the weekend. I’ve been able to quit drinking a few times only to be reeled back in somehow. Luckily now it’s easier to quit because drinking and going to bars/clubs is becoming less and less popular.

I’m personally concerned about health, weight and digestion issues I was having while drinking as well as having less energy during the day but since I stopped I’m feeling way better and hoping to keep at it.

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Comments

  • [Deleted User]WriterGF (deleted user)

    I was never a big drinker, but I had to give it up entirely back in 2010 because of my diabetes. I can't even have low carb stuff, because alcohol and Metformin don't mix well.

  • I've never had a problem with alcohol, so I'm not going to say that I know how you feel or any other trite statements. But I've known a couple folks who had lifelong battles with alcohol, and can say that you're going to have good days, and you're going to have some bad days.

    Let the good days lift you up even higher. When you do have a bad day, let it roll off you, dust yourself off, and go have another good day. Find a few someones who you can talk to when you're having a bad day.

    I know it's tough, but if you want this change to be permanent, then you CAN do it.

  • @disneysamurai 🙌 yes!!! Stay hydrated, Drink lots of water at the gym 🏋️‍♀️ Congratulations 🎉 As Jubal said, “ You CAN do it!” Stay Strong 💪 You’ve got this! Yay! 😃

  • Congrats! I had to quit due to potential liver damage, and I’m rocking day 52! Also cold turkey nicotine - it’s just as bad.

    There will never be a beer that is worth my long term health. Good for you, keep on going!

  • @NikkiFM Yay! 😃 Congratulations! 🎉

  • @disneysamurai Congrats, that’s huge! 🎉 I really resonate with your post. I quit 5 years ago, and I can relate to so much of what you said. For me, one big realization was that drinking had kind of become my go-to activity. Once I swapped it out with other ways of connecting and having fun, it got so much easier. Things like authentic relating games and martial arts gave me a social outlet without the hangovers. I love seeing more people choosing this path. It feels so good to step off that cycle.

  • edited October 2025

    I have an unopened 6 pk of grape Smirnoff in my frig from probably 6 years ago. I used it to get to sleep on weekends, but now I just use cuddle buddies!! 🤗

  • Congratulations on making that choice for your health. Keep it up! I pretty much never drink now that I have been on the keto diet for the last year. It's great to see people making healthy choices.

    I've wondered about bars/clubs becoming less popular. Is that true? I am less interested in drinking as I get older, but I wasn't sure about the rest of society.

    I like the shift away from alcohol, but I worry that it will be replaced by people just sitting at home watching TV or being on their phone. More isolation and less connection with other people. Do we need some sort of replacement? Perhaps coffee shops staying open late and offering live music and other social gatherings. I would love to see a Kombucha bar. Do people have to have alcohol to get together and have a good time? I like many aspects of bars, that you can just show up and don't need to make plans with friends and meet at someone's house. It would be great to have these same benefits without the alcohol, but I don't know if there is the demand for it. Maybe it's just me and a minority of other people.

  • 🥳🙌🏼👏🏻

  • Thanks for the supporting comments everyone!

    [quote]I've wondered about bars/clubs becoming less popular. Is that true? I am less interested in drinking as I get older, but I wasn't sure about the rest of society.[/quote]

    Not sure how things are across the board, but based on hearsay and what I’ve seen myself, I would say yes. A lot of bars and clubs have closed down in just the Orlando area. The casual bars where people just go to have a couple drinks, I mainly just see boomers and Gen X’ers and maybe millennials in their 40s hang out at. Gen Z’ers drink way less than older generations and the ones that drink, most just drink at home.

  • @disneysamurai compared to most cities, fewer bars in Orlando means there is hardly any bars left. I mean, I think people from Boston retire in Orlando to escape bars.

    But I agree, fewer people drink now days but more are California sober.

  • Grats to those who've quit!

    The insidious thing is how an idle activity can become so habitual! I used to drink every weekend, without even questioning it. "Friday nights = drinks!" Now I reserve it for strictly special occasions and my life is far better that way.

  • @disneysamurai
    Congratulations on your progress giving it up! I didn’t have my first alcoholic drink until I turned 40 and my doctor recommended that I start drinking 1-2 glasses of wine per day. That seemed excessive but I did start drinking about 3 glasses of wine per WEEK for around 3 years before realizing his advice was BS.

    @MonkeyNeedsAHug - if that article is correct, I am going to live forever (or at least I won’t die from health issues 👍).

  • edited October 2025

    @JohnR1972 I don’t do hard medical research and I don’t know how much of the research on alcohol is legit or skewed. I mean I know a lot of people shun alcohol for religious reasons or in favor of alternatives like marijuana but it seems like more and more of the consensus these days including from the Surgeon General is you shouldn’t drink, ever. I do want to see how my blood work is next time I go to the doctor and if my cholesterol levels significantly improve.

  • edited October 2025

    I know a lot of people shun alcohol for religious reasons or in favor of alternatives like marijuana

    👍👍👍👍

    @disneysamurai Lol! I know a lot of alcoholics who have done that "switching from booze to weed thing" including my late ex-husband. How he'd boast about "blah blah years of him being sober" during the time we were married. Lol! And I was BELIEVING IT (at the time🤣) so I didn't think anything of it until AFTER we were divorced another acquaintance (who is also an alcoholic 😆) WOKE ME UP (to the bs 👀) with this statement:

    "Listen to yourself, YOU said that your ex-husband was SOBER for xzy amount of years...But he still smokes weed! My Dear pay attention, he was NEVER SOBER! He just wasn't drinking booze! Okay, do you understand!"

    Lol! 🤣🤣🤣

    As a sober person who has never had any addictions to alcohol or illegal substances of any kind, I can be very dumb and blind to people and things that I shouldn't be...Smh🙈🙀

    I am constantly trying to improve THAT PART of myself daily, as much as I possibly can now. 😊👍

  • edited October 2025

    @disneysamurai awesome work. Great job.

    As for smoking being harder. It varies by person I would say. My ex wife was part of a Allanon group. Her previous husband and bf were both addicted drinkers.

    I went more than a few meeting with her. She was very social at her club. I heard a lot of horror stories. One person didn’t realize they had problems until they were getting ready to pack a suitcase to go somewhere and they put three almost empty bottles of NyQuil in their suitcase because they knew it had alcohol.

    I have witnessed it varies by person and situation.

    I consider my self a food addict. Tell me that’s one of the hardest because you can’t go cold turkey you have to eat.

    You can replace drinking with smoking or such. I’ve seen a lot of AA members pick up smoking. They pick up a different addiction to replace the one they had sometimes it seems. A lot of them would smoke and drink lots of coffee.

  • Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, the same as cigarettes. That's not to say alcohol is more carcinogenic than cigarettes. But it's been proven to the same degree to cause it.

  • @Katota unfortunately, I can relate to your story! Addiction is a horrible disease and it f's up the whole family. So happy for you that you got out!

  • @Bear fortunately I never had it that bad where I had to sneak in alcohol to places. I also hate cigarette and marijuana smoke so there’s no way I would go and smoke. Who you hang out with matters a lot, and I’m glad I’m starting to associate more with people who don’t drink even at social outings.

  • Kicking habits makes life worth it. Kicking the struggle congrats

  • On my 21 year - my advice? Week to week my friend.

  • Today marks 448 days Sober for me.

  • Congratulations. I've been sober for 37 years. It was a struggle but I am so happy I am.
    I believe i would have had severe health not to mention financial ones.
    My former spouse encouraged me but our marriage ended anyway.
    I have remarried and have a great life.
    I encourage you to embrace your sobriety.

  • Good shit man. It's amazing how certain life events (esp sudden ones) can change our paths. Almost as if the Universe told us: "bitch, this is what happens when you choose to wait for the silent ticking bomb to go off" lol. I enjoyed alcohol and caffeine in my 20's. Went sober in my 30's due to a horrible vacation drunk night out solo and then straight out of left field health issues. Feeling pretty good in my 40's.

  • Congrats 🎊🎉🎈! I very rarely drink alcohol and you will find it is EMPOWERING! Such feel good energy. And no more hangovers… you’ll love it 😍!

  • I never drank much before 2020. during 2021 found a few things I liked and went pretty hard on it for al.ost Ike 2 years. now I have diabetes. technically I can get away with it if I skip my 2nd dose of metformin but ive lost so much weight.
    it really is a huge money sink

  • congrats to everyone on their sobriety 💜

  • You got this. I'm heading towards 40 yrs sober. It is, occasionally, still a struggle. Take it one day at a time my friend.

  • So I tried non-alcoholic wine last night and….it’s disgusting. Or at least it doesn’t taste anything like wine if that’s what you were expecting. Tastes more like grape juice, which I’m not a fan of. Non-alcoholic beer on the other hand is actually pretty good and I’m glad more bars are serving it.

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