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I quit drinking

blackdog82 said:
Monday for me marks one month! Definitely longest I've gone in decades.

Things still going ok, this weekend was a little rough, wife and I went to a concert where I certainly would have been double fisting the beer line all night. Was odd with everyone else drinking for sure. I've been having this bored feeling.... keeping super busy with work and exercising more, but I used to kill a lot of time in the winter drinking with buddies and tinkering.

Wasn't feeling quite this way first couple weeks, but last couple have been giving that bored or maybe thought I'm boring or no fun vibe. Makes me "reminisce" about if I was drinking something would be more fun.

Read some of the older posts tonight and sounds like some of you guys beat the same feelings. Wife says I'm more fun sober because she doesn't have to worry about me doing stupid shit or embarrassing her....lol!

My buddies still drinking the same and I've only hung with them for short periods since quitting... they are not the most supportive....and I'm sure I wouldn't have been if roles were flipped.
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Blackdog -
The boring feeling/no fun vibe has been one of the worst parts of going dry for me. (I'm 2 yrs + in to the good life). It seems the 99% of all adult social life around my rural parts involved beer/drinks. Anytime I feel it too much I do a few things:

1. Look at and review all the positives of not drinking. Losing some weight, healthier habits I formed (riding my bike more), not sucking on a bottle of beer like a baby on a pacifier, not driving under the influence, better sleep, what I have accomplished, the list goes on!

2. Get busy - walking, biking, shop projects

3. I don't judge or push my decision on others that do drink, but I feel for them, and appreciate that I have made the decision to move on in my life.

4. I might come to this thread or watch a youtube video that helps reinforce my decision was right to quit.

Hang in there!
 
blackdog82 said:
Monday for me marks one month! Definitely longest I've gone in decades.

Things still going ok, this weekend was a little rough, wife and I went to a concert where I certainly would have been double fisting the beer line all night. Was odd with everyone else drinking for sure. I've been having this bored feeling.... keeping super busy with work and exercising more, but I used to kill a lot of time in the winter drinking with buddies and tinkering.

Wasn't feeling quite this way first couple weeks, but last couple have been giving that bored or maybe thought I'm boring or no fun vibe. Makes me "reminisce" about if I was drinking something would be more fun.

Read some of the older posts tonight and sounds like some of you guys beat the same feelings. Wife says I'm more fun sober because she doesn't have to worry about me doing stupid shit or embarrassing her....lol!

My buddies still drinking the same and I've only hung with them for short periods since quitting... they are not the most supportive....and I'm sure I wouldn't have been if roles were flipped.
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If all you did during winter was drink beer to pass time you have time and money for something new. Model cars. RC cars. Cooking new things. Computer programming. Ham radio. Fixing stuff that hasn’t been fixed. Reading. It’s about time to start feeling better every day and have it feel normal to feel normal.

If your buddies care about you not drinking they aren’t your buddies. Fuck those guys.
If you can’t hang out with them without drinking then don’t go. No one from my homebrew club misses me. They didn’t even ask why I stopped showing up when I stopped showing up. Perhaps you’re no fun. Find something you find fun. Sometimes it’s fun to have fun.
 
46flattie said:
Blackdog -
The boring feeling/no fun vibe has been one of the worst parts of going dry for me. (I'm 2 yrs + in to the good life). It seems the 99% of all adult social life around my rural parts involved beer/drinks. Anytime I feel it too much I do a few things:

1. Look at and review all the positives of not drinking. Losing some weight, healthier habits I formed (riding my bike more), not sucking on a bottle of beer like a baby on a pacifier, not driving under the influence, better sleep, what I have accomplished, the list goes on!

2. Get busy - walking, biking, shop projects

3. I don't judge or push my decision on others that do drink, but I feel for them, and appreciate that I have made the decision to move on in my life.

4. I might come to this thread or watch a youtube video that helps reinforce my decision was right to quit.

Hang in there!
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Thanks man. I think it is just the realization of doing stuff and not being drunk. Drunk the time would fly by(probably because I don't remember it).
Appreciate all the points, keeping going for me it comes to one weekend at a time. Boring feeling is worst on the weekend evenings, but realizing I spent most of the weekends drunk by afternoon no matter what I was doing is a big part of it and my buddies and couples the wife I hang out with still doing the same.
 
blackdog82 said:
Thanks man. I think it is just the realization of doing stuff and not being drunk. Drunk the time would fly by(probably because I don't remember it).
Appreciate all the points, keeping going for me it comes to one weekend at a time. Boring feeling is worst on the weekend evenings, but realizing I spent most of the weekends drunk by afternoon no matter what I was doing is a big part of it and my buddies and couples the wife I hang out with still doing the same.
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Start the day early and get stuff done. You’ll be tired instead of bored. Organizing the toolbox is a good one. Spring cleaning is another one. Maybe spruce up the interior of the cars and make it showroom shiny.


Whatever you do DON’T take up running. Fuck running. Running fucking sucks.
 
RunningProblem said:
If all you did during winter was drink beer to pass time you have time and money for something new. Model cars. RC cars. Cooking new things. Computer programming. Ham radio. Fixing stuff that hasn’t been fixed. Reading. It’s about time to start feeling better every day and have it feel normal to feel normal.

If your buddies care about you not drinking they aren’t your buddies. Fuck those guys.
If you can’t hang out with them without drinking then don’t go. No one from my homebrew club misses me. They didn’t even ask why I stopped showing up when I stopped showing up. Perhaps you’re no fun. Find something you find fun. Sometimes it’s fun to have fun.
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Thanks, definitely have more money and time. Been doing some hobbies, home projects and more reading (just wrapping up the Comfort Crisis right now, pretty decent book). Boredom worst on those weekend nights(I know first world problems). Time change should help I think, keep busier outside later.

I can definitely start to see which buddies are going to last versus not. Some still pushing booze, some just fine and some in between. I'm not pushing quiting on them.

Definitely feels like have to re-define fun. I enjoy a lot of active type activities and enjoyed them sober and still enjoying them, but evenings was more hanging in shop or going to local sports bars with buddies and wife's friends, gotta figure out how to replace that "fun". Not really fun at all sober for me now.
 
RunningProblem said:
Start the day early and get stuff done. You’ll be tired instead of bored. Organizing the toolbox is a good one. Spring cleaning is another one. Maybe spruce up the interior of the cars and make it showroom shiny.


Whatever you do DON’T take up running. Fuck running. Running fucking sucks.
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Thanks! Toolbox is perfectly organized, that was on last weekends agenda! Need to work on building out loft in shop next, that would help a ton. Definitely been up earlier and busy, finding I don't need near as much sleep though sober.

Ha! I prefer to ruck vs run. Been doing 5 miles couple times a week with 45lb pack. Helps me for my outdoor summer fall hobbies and beats running. Running always gets the ACL I tore years ago acting up.
 
blackdog82 said:
Appreciate all the points, keeping going for me it comes to one weekend at a time. Boring feeling is worst on the weekend evenings, but realizing I spent most of the weekends drunk by afternoon no matter what I was doing is a big part of it and my buddies and couples the wife I hang out with still doing the same.
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It's tough to find something else to do when all your used to is drinking and being shitfaced.

I have a couple of suggestions that I've watched help guys on here.

1) Come in here and just read what others have gone through

2) There is or was a phone list of guys to call and talk to about wanting to drink. They are where you are and know exactly what you're going through.

3) AA, there are quite a few of us that go to meetings and hang out with other drunks. I have found no matter where I am there is always a meeting or at least another drunk that understands I can talk with.

4) If none of the above interest you then when you are bored just find something else to do. Take a walk, read a book, do something with your family, work on your rig, anything except thinking about drinking.

If you're interested in talking with me I'd be happy to give you my number.

I wish you the best of luck in staying sober.
 
blackdog82 since you’re not spending time on the couch drinking beer you can spend more time doing hobbies on the weekend. Stay out another hour so you’re not bored. Go see a movie. Swing by some random store and look at shit you don’t need. If you’re into hunting then go spend time spotting critters either for yourself or your buddies. Everyone loves an elk hunting location with great elk info.
 
64Trvlr said:
It's tough to find something else to do when all your used to is drinking and being shitfaced.

I have a couple of suggestions that I've watched help guys on here.

1) Come in here and just read what others have gone through

2) There is or was a phone list of guys to call and talk to about wanting to drink. They are where you are and know exactly what you're going through.

3) AA, there are quite a few of us that go to meetings and hang out with other drunks. I have found no matter where I am there is always a meeting or at least another drunk that understands I can talk with.

4) If none of the above interest you then when you are bored just find something else to do. Take a walk, read a book, do something with your family, work on your rig, anything except thinking about drinking.

If you're interested in talking with me I'd be happy to give you my number.

I wish you the best of luck in staying sober.
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Thanks for the input. Going to put more focus on staying busy, especially weekends. It is just feeling odd to me to not be having a beer or 12 while enjoying weekend hobbies or after. I'll PM you and thanks for the call offer.
 
RunningProblem said:
blackdog82 since you’re not spending time on the couch drinking beer you can spend more time doing hobbies on the weekend. Stay out another hour so you’re not bored. Go see a movie. Swing by some random store and look at shit you don’t need. If you’re into hunting then go spend time spotting critters either for yourself or your buddies. Everyone loves an elk hunting location with great elk info.
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Actually feel like I'm spending more time on couch now then when I was drinking....at least on weekend evenings. Used to be either out to sports bar or dinners or working on projects in shop with buddies. Now kind of avoiding those things as triggers. Getting some more of my own projects done. Thanks for the thoughts! Definitely looking forward to more hunting and scouting come fall. Never really let alcohol get in the way there, but did definitely drink it up at base camp.
 
blackdog82 said:
(just wrapping up the Comfort Crisis right now, pretty decent book).
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Funny you should mention that....I did too. Lots of interesting ideas in there and I agree with most - due to my job, lifestyle, etc. I think I already benefit from a lot of them.

Another book that is specifically focused on drinking is "how to control your drinking" by Allen Carr. It's really about quitting drinking. It was easy for me to relate to as the progression of my drinking was pretty much spot on to what he explains in the book. I think it helped me, at least it made me understand how I got to where I was and where I was headed if I did not make a change. Lucky for me, I caught myself before hitting rock bottom.
 
46flattie said:
Funny you should mention that....I did too. Lots of interesting ideas in there and I agree with most - due to my job, lifestyle, etc. I think I already benefit from a lot of them.

Another book that is specifically focused on drinking is "how to control your drinking" by Allen Carr. It's really about quitting drinking. It was easy for me to relate to as the progression of my drinking was pretty much spot on to what he explains in the book. I think it helped me, at least it made me understand how I got to where I was and where I was headed if I did not make a change. Lucky for me, I caught myself before hitting rock bottom.
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Thanks! Looks like lots of different books from Alan Carr with similar name. I just had the sequel to Comfort Crisis delivered today, Scarcity Brain. Supposed to be more about overall addiction in society.

I like to think I caught myself before rock bottom too. Got lot worse last few years and not able to know when to stop. Could have easily been lots of trouble, but think I was just lucky.
 
blackdog82 said:
I like to think I caught myself before rock bottom too. Got lot worse last few years and not able to know when to stop. Could have easily been lots of trouble, but think I was just lucky.
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Probably the big difference between catching ourselves before rock bottom and hitting rock bottom is your last sentence. We just got lucky on the trouble part.

But hey, we've all made a decision at whatever point we were at - to make things better, and that's huge!

This is a great place for support!
 
Cameronswmp9 said:
Saturday was 8 months, missed the update here because it felt like any other day. Haven't really even thought about quitting, but have focused on water intake, going completely the other way...
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Congrats! Well done, I'm looking forward to 8 months!
 
I promise that I'm not trying to turn this into a motorcycle thread, maybe...

20240316_130639.jpg


I post this picture because if I were still drinking I wouldn't have the desire or motivation to go ride. It was a glorious 7 hour ride.

Peace and wheelies, fuckers! :flipoff2:
 
Motorcycle Matt said:
I promise that I'm not trying to turn this into a motorcycle thread, maybe...

20240316_130639.jpg


I post this picture because if I were still drinking I wouldn't have the desire or motivation to go ride. It was a glorious 7 hour ride.

Peace and wheelies, fuckers! :flipoff2:
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Awesome, I did 30 miles in the desert with my son on bikes yesterday too!
 
Motorcycle Matt said:
I promise that I'm not trying to turn this into a motorcycle thread, maybe...

20240316_130639.jpg


I post this picture because if I were still drinking I wouldn't have the desire or motivation to go ride. It was a glorious 7 hour ride.

Peace and wheelies, fuckers! :flipoff2:
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It’s easy to go riding when you’re not drinking beer on the couch, or recovering from Friday and Saturday night.

Now order up some fresh decals and maybe buy a new chain and gear set if you plan on riding more.
 
Henderson police officer arrested for DUI following academy graduation

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - A newly graduated Henderson Police officer was arrested for DUI Friday night, the department said.

HPD said Chasen Bradford, 34, was a probationary police officer and was arrested for misdemeanor DUI in the late evening hours on Friday.

According to HPD Chief Hollie Chadwick, Bradford was one of 14 officers who graduated the police academy on Thursday.
Bradford was hired Sept. 25, 2023 and HPD said he is no longer employed by the department. Police said the investigation remains open.

Anyone with information in this case is urged to call the Henderson Police Department at 702-267-4911, 3-1-1, or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or visit Crime Stoppers website.
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www.kolotv.com

Henderson police officer arrested for DUI following academy graduation

A newly graduated Henderson Police officer was arrested for DUI Friday night, the department said.
www.kolotv.com www.kolotv.com
 
64Trvlr said:
It doesn't sound like he's doing ok.
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It looks like I’m doing okay.

. I just heard people looking for booze and remembered a guy who quit drinking last year for lent. He went right back to who he was. I’d done it before. I remember going hard after not drinking for 40 or more days, and the following day, I’m sure folks will wake up tomorrow, or felt exhausted at dinner time because they’d drank too much after being excited to drink because they’d proven to themselves they don’t have a problem. I told my wife “ they’re old enough to know better. I don’t miss those days. Not one bit. I do much better on 5 hours of sleep now than I did then.”

I’m sure you’ve seen bill cosbey’s comedy about drinking and folks who head out intending to drink until they get drunk “because I deserve this. I’ve earned it.”
 
RunningProblem said:
It looks like I’m doing okay.

I’m sure you’ve seen bill cosbey’s comedy about drinking and folks who head out intending to drink until they get drunk “because I deserve this. I’ve earned it.”
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I'm glad to hear that you are doing ok.

Nope never saw Bill Cosby do any routine about drinking.
 
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