spike303

after being a major alcoholic for the last 20 yrs, i finally got sick of being in the gross drinking rut. i finally cut down to 4-6 beers a night for about 2 yrs until finally i just stoped.
its only been 65 days now and im feeling great, the urge to drink comes on strong every now and then but for the most part the compulsive NEED for a drink is gone.
the thing with me is- i dont want anything to do with A.A.
for me the longer i go without drinking, the less i think about it.
i miss all my drinking budddys and the bar that was my home for so long
i miss the drunken fun and sometimes naughty adventures...
Sober people say "you can have just as much fun sober"
but with this i disagree, alcohol really does make some situations more fun
but the 3-4 hrs of fun that night would not be worth the next 20 hrs being sick and miserable until i drank again.
as i get older the hangovers get worse and worse, its just not worth it anymore.
im not bloated anymore and ive lost 15 lbs, i can see a bright future if i just keep doing what im doing. staying sober and taking care of myself day by day.

Louise82

Welcome Spike and well done on 65 days sober!

There are recovery options other than AA such as SMART and LifeRing and other alternative recovery groups. Then there's Rational Recovery (RR) and Addictive Voice Recognition Technique (AVRT) where you don't even go to meetings.

I actually find I'm having more fun sober. Nowadays, when I experience joy, laughter, happiness - it's all genuine rather than chemically manufactured. I now find fun in most random things because I've discovered that the fun was inside me all along and not inside a bottle. Heck, a few weeks ago I spent about 10 minutes laughing over a verse in the bible - now that was random, yet fun!

spike303

thank you, ya laughter is healthy-its like a good workout for your insides

FeelingGreat

Hi Spike, although I think AA is effective or even miraculous for some people, it's not for everyone. I have never been to an AA meeting, or any other sort of recovery program. I credit SR with keeping me sober after the initial year.
I agree socialising is more fun with a couple of drinks, but it's not worth it for me because it would get me back into the habit of drinking too much.

Dee74

Hi Spike - it might seem like forever but I think 65 days is still pretty early in the game - I was still pining for my old life because I was still pretty much living it, just without booze.

You really can have as much fun sober - but you need to build a new sober life, make some new friends, and get to know who sober you is first. That takes a little time.

I'm speaking with 7 years or so behind me now...I had to make changes in order for me to change.

it won't take 7 years but it will take a little longer than 65 days for you to grow into a new life

you're not alone tho - there's tons of support here - welcome

D

instant

Define fun.

Drunk fun could be irresponsible recklessness, or interpersonal lewdness etc

Life is now fuller and richer, and it is still improving the more i work on it

Mountainmanbob

congratulations

from

Mountainman

KateL

Well done on your 65 days xxxx

tootsl1

Brilliant going on reaching 65 days, I'm sure your body is thanking you! At that point I was still feeling like I had given away a part of myself, but now at nearly 11 months I am having fun! I feel you need to look back and think about what you used to enjoy that wasn't booze related, and try to think of things you have never tried before but would like to. Your future without alcohol will be what you make of it, so music, books, films, a makeover, whatever takes your fancy. Today Spike, the world is your mollusc, enjoy!

least

Congrats on your sober time. You'll find lots of support here.

GotGrace

Hi Spike! Welcome!

spike303

thank you all for the support.
i wish you all success, ill try to visit the site often as i am enjoying it so far.
tonight after work i stopped by the bar to visit some friends(mostley the bartender who is also sober) as i sipped on a sam adams non alcoholic beer i looked around the bar and saw the place in a different way- everybody looked kind of sick. in a weird zombie sorta way.
maybe they were like this before-truth is i was probley just like them.in fact i know i was.
after my drink was gone i decided the bar just isnt very much fun and drunk people are annoying. the thing i did like about the experience was when i left,got in my car and stone sober drove off. no looking out for cops and taking side streets the entire way home.

Joshua14

Spike303, your story is inspiring. Thank you for sharing and congradulations on 65 days.

Mountainmanbob

I'm amazed how many here are down on AA ???
no one has to go - that's for sure

keep doing what you are doing
you are not drinking and that's a good thing

keeping the plug in the jug -- that's what we do

Mountainman

heath480

Welcome to SR spike,congratulations on 65 days sober.

FreeOwl

I'm in AA... and currently going through the written work my sponsor gave me for step one.

Funny enough, a lot of the "Fun" I had while drinking is stuff I've been reflecting on and writing down. DUIs, Hit-and-runs, vandalism, stealing, flying off the handle, acting like a jackass, wrecking relationships, having affairs.....

"fun"

Last night I had a wonderful home cooked meal with my lady and her son. We watched some comedy on TV. Cuddled a bit. Went to bed. Had some really fantastic intimate time together..... went to sleep.

This morning I got up clear-headed at 5am.

This fun is sure a lot more fun!

HenryKrinkle

Welcome Spike! Glad you found SR.

It sounds like you've already started experiencing some of the benefits of quitting. That's great! I don't have that bloated feeling anymore either and I've lost 15 lbs. too. Feels great! Keep it going.