ynmamflm

Do you have a desire not to drink? Have you ever made a New Years resolution to Quit drinking? How many times? Ya, well me too. So what now? Am I a failure? Well maybe. But I have a desire to not drink again so here I go. Who is with me? I will be back here in a couple weeks. If you need help, so do I. let's do this together.

BarbieKen

I was going to get help last year too. I told my family I'd go into treatment January 2nd. I wanted one last time to celebrate THE Holidays the way I always had, with alcohol. Something in my life changed for me, I didn't know what...but I found myself seeking help on November 12 instead. I've heard it said that sometimes us alcoholics get a bit of clarity in our thinking. The door cracked open for me....and I voluntarily walked through. I was scared, but I just knew I had truly had enough!! Maybe your door is cracking open for you? :

doggonecarl

Waiting to quit may be part of the problem. Don't wait for 2014. Quit today.

Threshold

I agree with the posts above mine. If quitting is the right thing to do, then today is the day to do it.

Putting it off means we still believe that there are times and occasions that we should drink on...like today, tomorrow and another week or two. We are still playing mind games with ourselves and maybe some people close to us.

Making the last drink a momentous occasion is a way of glorifying drinking, does that make sense?

KateL

It that's how you need to do it, then do it your way. At least you have a plan which is more than a lot of people. x

MIRecovery

1.1.14 Is a great day to quit. The big question is how. Why have you failed before and how are you going to make sure you do not make the same mistakes. Recovery is about change. What changes are you going to make?

afloatsober

Lol.
If i had waited till New Year i would have been pushing up daffodils in 2014.
G

PhaseTwo

You need a better reason to quit than a New Years resolution. People try to lose weight with those every year and stop going to the gym after a week. No better time than now you'll be done with the worst of it by Christmas.

EndGameNYC

I don't see any advantage in waiting till New Year's to end your suffering and begin living your life.

Sudz No More

If you are committed to trying with a start date of a New Year's Resolution then I say go for it. I would however agree with what most here are saying.

When I decided I was ready to quit I was ready, sure it took me a few years of trying until I got it right but before that I had moments when I used the ole' resolution thing too. I would get to the weekend after New Years and then all bets would be off. I eventually made a New Years Resolution that I have rarely broken. To never make a resolution again.

By all means though, having a meaningful day can help you to stick to it so go for it and good luck. We'll be here for all the moral support we can give so come back often.

MaxxPower

lol!

+1 bud

Better to laugh it off..not to be rude or anything, but ill save the new years resolutions for my 8 year old nephew this year.

I'm in a whole new ball game..since last year.

New Year's resolutions just sound ''cute'' to me now.

Don't wait..just start now if your serious this time.

Jabbadabutt

If you are ready to quit....then quit today. I put it off too many times for far too long.
I attempted to quit on new years several times throughout my life until I FINALLY was ready -- that was 3 years ago. My only regret was not quitting it sooner.

LadyinBC

Waiting to quit did nothing for me. I always had a reason not to quit when the day came. I would always come up with one more reason to go on a bender.

Johno1967

I made a new years resolution every year for 25 years to stop drinking, eat healthier, get fitter, be a better person and treat myself and others with respect and start reaching my goals instead of talking about them.
None of that happened until at age 46, some 15 months ago, I admitted to myself, to others and my HP that I'm an alcoholic and then started thinking and acting in a way that demonstrated my sobriety is the most important gift granted to me on a daily basis and entirely conditional on the maintenance of my spiritual condition. Today all those other things I have as a direct consequence of making that choice and turning my problems over.
I don't rate New Years Resolutions, they set ourselves up for failure and disappointment. If you want sobriety, take it today, its there if you want it.

jdooner

If you are like me, an alcoholic/addict, life depends on sobriety and recovery. I personally would want to make a life decision with a program with better odds. According to Forbes, 92% of New Years Resolutions Fail. When you combine that to the low statistics of recovering from Alcohol abuse the odds must be below 1% or 99% of failure.

Just 8% of People Achieve Their New Year's Resolutions. Here's How They Do It. - Forbes

For me, I too thought I would go out with a bang and there was always one more event that I "needed" to drink for. Turns out though that I really did not. What I needed to do was get sober, so when this came together for me on an Air France flight with a vodka and diet Sprite, I just accepted it was my last. That was 8/26/13.

BTW - There was a girl, I was friends with here on SR that also was adamant about quitting after an event - she is no longer around. Best of luck but I hope you reconsider - the Holidays can be tough and lots of bad stuff that can alter your entire life can occur in the next three weeks.

EndGameNYC

Thanks, jdooner, for posting the link. I wonder whether or not anyone who took the time to read the article was surprised by the results?

Studies such as the one you've referenced often suffer from a type "self-selection bias." In other words, there are likely significant differences between people who make New Year's resolutions and those who don't which, in turn, can affect the results.

In this case, people who don't make New Year's resolutions likely don't have a need to make sweeping changes on a milestone date and/or don't wait for a catastrophic event to make such changes; the ways in which they live their lives generally prepares them for inevitable life crises. Or, as per the article, they set modest and achievable goals that don't include losing thirty pounds, quitting smoking or stop drinking after years of heavy use. There's also less of a sense within this group that "everyone breaks New Year's resolutions anyway, so it's no big deal if I don't follow through."

More likely is that they're in the habit of making minor adjustments along the way in their lives, and don't find it necessary to reset the clock on one day each year. It's also possible that people who do make New Year's resolution are not characterized by embracing and then following through on making necessary adjustments in their lives as a matter of course, and believe themselves incapable of making major changes unless and until a major event occurs -- in part, because making minor adjustments is largely not in their repertoire. For many of us, this "major event" is either losing or being on the brink of losing everything. But this study did not investigate differences between the two groups.

The ability to make routine adjustments in living and for dealing with the ebb and flow of everyday life is provided for in the AA Big Book Twelve Steps, and participation in AA further provides for a reliable support system that's available when crisis strikes.

Moral of the story: If change is needed, today is the best day to do it.

Mountainmanbob

I wish you and all others who give the sober life a good try on New Years
the very best
it's a great idea to start the New Year as a new better me (us)
for me the drink has not been a problem for years now
but
as this New Year approaches
I wish to concentrate on being a more loving and understanding person
patience -- wow -- I also need to be working on that

Mountainman Bob

jdooner

.

ynmamflm

Thanks to all. I just wanted to know what people thought. For me, I did pick a time to start a new beginning. I know not everyone gets to do that and I respect that. I think I needed this motivation and the good thing is is that my wife and family supported me and are there for me everyday. I know this is a blessing cause not everyone has this kind of support. thanks to everyone for your post. They help out so much.