jm78

I quit drinking last night, and I am interested if anyone also who has quit can tell me the general effects. I was a beer drinker, never much into the "hard liquor." How does a recovering person stay away from friends that drink heavily? My life has deteriorated greatly and I have wrecked a job and relationships because of alcohol. I don't ever want to drink again. Thank you and God bless.

Anna

Hi and Welcome!

I am so glad that you have decided to live a sober life!

smacked

To stay sober, I had to change my life not just my beverage choice. That included ridding myself of toxic people (drinking and using buddies..they didn't care anyways), places and things.

As for detox its always advisable to see a doctor. The alcohol in beer is the same as in wine is the same as in liquor...etc. everyone goes through withdrawal differently, seems it often doesn't matter what was drunk, how much etc.

What is your recovery plan?

Welcome!

PS. I love Fraggle Rock!!!

Dee74

hi jm

I drank beer too - doesn't matter that it's not 'hard liquor' - I still wrecked my life and nearly killed myself on it.

When I got sober, I didn't so much leave the gang as they left me - drinking buddies have no time for sober folks.

I have several real friends tho who understood the importance of me getting (and staying) sober and they're still with me

I've made lots of new sober friends here too - and real life support groups like AA are good for that too.

I hope this is the start of a life change for you jm - welcome
D

artsoul

Hi jm! Good for you for deciding to take your life back! I made the same decision about a month ago and I'm so glad I did. No one can really know the extent of any withdrawals you might have, so that's why it's recommended that you see a doctor for help. I was fortunate because I didn't have the shakes or nausea, but I did have alot of anxiety. Doctors can give you something to help with that and make it easier to get through it.

I know it's hard to imagine not drinking, especially around friends who still do. But the first order of business (in my opinion) is to get sober before you tackle the rest of your life. You'll feel alot stronger and more positive once you have alcohol out of your system. You don't have to make a whole lot of changes overnight, so be patient with yourself and do what's best for you.

Glad you're here. Keep posting!!!

jm78

Thanks to everyone that posted. I don't have to work for the next 2 days so I am going to just relax and try to keep my mind off of drinking. I will be on here a LOT.

Anna: Thank you for the warm welcome!

Smacked: I am not going to be going out for a while, especially with people that encourage drinking. Unfortunately some of my "friends" only want to hang out if it involves boozing. Also, I like Fraggle Rock too, grew up watching it.

Dee: I haven't joined AA yet, but plan on going to a meeting soon. I have already checked out their website and fortunately there are quite a few meetings here in AZ.

Artsoul: I will take your advice and get sober first, before worrying about how to handle difficult friends, and also family members that encourage that behavior. Thank you!

least

Seeing a doctor for a safe and more comfortable detox is a good idea. There is also a 'sticky' post at the top of the Alcoholism forum about "quitting, what to expect, what we did" with some of our experiences at going thru withdrawal.

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...at-we-did.html


It takes a lot of effort and changes to live a sober life but it's so worth it. Welcome to SR!

ElegantlyWasted

" How does a recovering person stay away from friends that drink heavily?"

Fill that void with something new! Hang out here aa, avoid the drinking buddies for a while. I have a hunch they may net be as fun to Han with once you have been dry for a while. Take up a sport, exercise art etc... If it doesn't feel right at first, stick with it it will happen. Doing dome deeper stuff such as the 12 steps and some quality cbt should greatly benefit you as well. Most importantly don't drink. Just my experience comming through with what I wrote. Hope it helps. Terminal uniqueness and boredom/anxiety should ultimately melt away. Beat of Luck!

artsoul

That's exactly what I did, jm! I spent almost two solid days reading and posting here. I loaded up on vitamins (especially B), water, good juice and yummy food and sat in bed with my laptop. I was scared, but each day got better and a little easier. I'm telling ya - sobriety is addicting!