This is a variation of a list I wrote myself on the day I decided to quit. I wrote this as motivation to stay focused on recovery when the inevitable "maybe you're not really an alcoholic" voice cropped up.
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Things I won't miss:
The guilt of knowing i drank more than almost anyone i know
Wanting to drink daily
Drinking before eating in the morning on really bad days...that is NO way to treat my body
Hiding how much alcohol i buy
Going to different stores to buy alcohol so i won't be recognized by clerks
Feeling guilty when buying alcohol
Sneaking out bottles or boxes of alcohol
Sneaking in bottles or boxes of alcohol
Taking the chance and driving after drinking...happened only a couple of times but still
Waking up and my first thought being whether there's enough alcohol left in the house
Waking up wondering what was the earliest time i could have my first drink and still pretend i didn't have a problem
Wondering and worrying whether others knew about my drinking
Bracing myself for get togethers with friends and family by downing several drinks before hand
Not remembering what i've done or said sometimes after i've been drinking
Waking up bloated in the mornings and having other alcohol related health problems (heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure)
Needing more and more alcohol to get the same effect
Throwing up around my kids and others when i was drunk...again, only a couple of times but ewwww!
Avoiding hugging/kissing loved ones because i didn't want them to smell alcohol on my breath
Being haunted by the dawning realization that despite all of my self-denial, my day-to-day actions (as outlined above) clearly revealed i was alcoholic
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