Flea

Do people with more noble reasons for quitting have a higher success rate? I ask this because mine is mostly vanity.

I would say 70% to lose weight as I've gained 50lbs since I started drinking beer 4 years ago.... 20% health in that I just don't feel good sometimes, especially in the mornings. 10% for relationships.... My relationships don't seem to be impacted too much but it would be a total lie to say the drinking never caused friction.... Which brings me to something else......

I'm very, very scared. I have often times said over the past couple of years that the reason my boyfriend of 10 years and I are still together is because I drink followed by a hahahaha hahaha. Only, I'm really not joking when I say it.... I think sober me will tolerate a lot less bs and one of us will be sent packing.

doggonecarl

People drink themselves to death. If living isn't a noble enough reason to quit, I don't know what it.

So, for me, I think success has less to do with the reason you quit and more to do with the committment to stay quit, once you've quit, regardless of the reason.

I understand you being scared. Change is scary. And more will change with sobriety than just your weight.

Good luck.

soberhawk

Flea,

You are kind of saying that you might have difficulty accept your life if sober.

I find it a very noble goal to see how once life feels when sober.

You are not being very demanding towards life by saying you drink to become more tollerant?

jazzfish

I quit because drinking caused problems in my life and I was seemingly unable to stop or control my drinking to the point that I avoided the problems. If you quit for vanity reasons, then you are not an alcoholic. If you can't quit regardless of reason, you might want to examine you relationship to alcohol.

Many of us drank to hide from our internal standards, which would often continue dropping to whatever level allowed us to continue drinking.

Legs21

While my reasons for quitting is primarily my health and relationships, it also involves my weight.
I am VERY conscious of my weight and have always struggled with it. I am slightly overweight and in my field of work this drives me absolutely mad. I am supposed to help people maintain a healthy weight,and who am I to talk?

I say relationships -- but unfortunately, at this point, I think my relationships have struggled more since I quit drinking. My friends can socially drink. I don't think I can. I am hoping I get some celestial guidance and this turns around soon!

Whether the reason is vanity or something more "noble" - it doesn't matter. You are making a positive change in your life, and best of luck to you!!

Flea

No, I'm not kind of saying that. I was speaking of ONE relationship.... My life is
definitely more than that one relationship. You know, family, friends, work, hobbies, adventures..... So on.... These things will be fine, probably more enjoyable sober.

I was saying this one person tends to rub me the wrong way and by drinking I have been able to avoid dealing with the problem.

terry9

I think everybody stops for their own reasons and there are lots and lots and lots !! BUT the outcome can only ever be positive !!! AND there will always be lots of positives that you never even imagined--- its amazing being sober and slimmer and happier and clear headed and being in control and able to pick people up in the car at 7 minutes past 10 at night and enjoy looking at your skin when putting your make up on and love getting up early early in the morning remembering who you rang up last night and ---- oh and------ and ---- and ----- !!!!! xxxxxxxxxxx and of course you don't upset other people or yourself any more! even if it is just about your weight ! I lost 5 stone when I stopped drinking copious amounts of cider every night !!!!!! and I do enjoy slimline tonic now because I know the outcome of every day and Im happy xxx

Nuudawn

[QUOTE=Flea;4112068... I think sober me will tolerate a lot less bs and one of us will be sent packing.[/QUOTE]

Yup..I fear you're onto something....BUT you have no idea what the surprises of sobriety entail. Sometimes what you think is completely off base and you may discover the new person you are is able to get to know the new person you may discover lying beside you. Believe me... it happens : )

JettBoy

I personally know fear never kept me sober,but I'm thinking any reason is a good one. Proper motivation I'm told is being sick and tired of being sick and tired! I think anything that gets you to take a good hard look at your actions is good enough. I overdosed a year and a half ago and one month after rehab I was using the same drug I o' d on..whatever the reason I'd say its a good one..good luck to you on your journey may you have much success!!!!

visch1

Hi. Much of the public puts a high social acceptance on drinking as it's so much of the American publics "Arrived image" that marketing has installed in our misguided thinking. Many think we can go back to the old times of having fun, but were we having that much?
Then we used it to escape our feelings including being comfortable in our own skin and that escape worked less and less until we also needed it for the previous and the physical craving became very apparent. I finally put it down because I was scared of continuing because I was shown what happens to people who consume as much as I was. An alcoholics death IS horrendous, my wife is a Hospice nurse and I've seen it happen to good people who just couldn't stop. BE WELL

GracieLou

I did not quit for a reason. I don’t think I was honestly looking for, or working to, a specific end or result.

I have lost weight, 26 pounds, which is a bonus but was not my reason.

My kids are grow and have their own lives so I did not quit for them.

I have no significant other, so no strained home life due to my drinking and I did not decide to quit for someone else. I have had all that in the past and drank myself into being by myself so I could drink the way I always wanted to.

I had no friends nagging me, I only had one drinking buddy, I drank myself away from all of my friends.

I had no problems at work. My work is fairly easy and stress free. I have called off at times because I felt like crap but it did not really effect my job, we have a set number of paid sick days.

I had no expectations. I was just existing day in and day out. To be honest I did not go looking for sobriety it is like it came looking for me. I can’t explain the moment of clarity I had other than to say it was like I woke up from a very vivid dream. I just felt it was over. It was done, finally.

So, for me, the fight was not to quit, it is to stay sober. I can give you a big list of reasons why I want to do that!

soberhawk

Sorry Flea,

I was reading to much into what you wrote.

You undoubtedly get more motivated there bigger problems alcohol is causing on there other hand many would probably have preferred to stop before it was causing so big problems.

I do see your dilemma.

Eleni58

The main reason I quit was because alcohol was turning me into a prisoner. I couldn't and wouldn't go anywhere or do anything because of the need to sit here alone and drink and drink. I also quit because of my declining health and my belly was getting fatter and fatter. Since I quit 2 weeks ago, I have lost 7-8 pounds and I am now free to leave the house at night time and go where I want and do what I want. Another huge bonus that I didn't expect is improved relationships with my boyfriend and family. Emancipation from alcohol is just a liberating, awesome feeling!

alphaomega

Because it no longer worked.

And damn, if I didn't try to make it.

It's like all of a sudden, you no longer have an escape hatch and you simply have to deal with life on life's terms.

And in retrospect, I have missed out on sooooo much because the crutch didn't force me to learn how walk on my own two feet again.

Dollyangel17

Because I want to LIVE! And not just in the sense that alcohol won't cause me to die young, but also to REALLY LIVE my life! I wasn't living, I was "existing", and not very happily.

That's it in a nutshell for me.

Flea

Very encouraging. Thank you all so much!!

kadidee

Hi Flea. I've also gained a lot of weight in the past few years from drinking, and that is how I discovered this site back in January. I had googled 'will I lose weight if I stop drinking' and one link brought me to the forum section of SR. I read all of that thread and then started poking around.

I have known for some time that alcohol was making my life hectic on many levels, but was so in denial that I was grasping onto anything to 'make' me want to quit. Anyway, I kept drinking, but also started visiting this site and reading, and so much resonated. Today is day 8 of not drinking for me, and I feel really good (I drank daily for many years up until this past June, then managed to go 2-3 days here and there without it. But this is the longest I've ever gone, and I am very thankful for the SR community).

I tried to attach the link to that thread here, but since I'm a newcomer with less than 15 posts, it won't let me.

Peace.