falko89

At the moment drink is the only thing I look forward to in the week, which is probably why I struggle to kick my weekend binging, Having my drink at the weekend gives me something to look forward to working all week in a job I hate, I know most of my co-workers are the same, they drink regularly at the weekends for the same reasons as myself. Its easy to say quit the job, find another etc etc but its not that easy.

What I struggle with is the fact remove the drink what the hell have I got to look forward to? Minimum wage doesn't pay enough to go anywhere or do anything at the weekends. I need to quit drinking as its been going on to long 20 years now and the hangover are getting worse, but feel life will be **** without it. HELP

2bhappier

For me life is ABSOLUTELY better when I am not drinking. No question. But alcohol is a very nasty thing in my life and only serves to bring me down. I had similar feelings about removing alcohol but when I do manage to stay away from it life is so much better. You might find you have more money when you eliminate alcohol from your life. At least in my case, I spent way too much money on the stuff.

CAPTAINZING2000

Doesn't sound like it's great for you with it.
Alcohol was making me miserable at the end of my drinking and I still had some illusion I was having fun. The drinking was no longer fun it was only fogging my brain.
I've done numerous things sober and have a memory from it to last a lifetime.
All the drinking was doing at the end was keeping me to broke to do anything else.

Anna

Yes, I believe it is.

Why don't you use the money you spend on drinking to go to movies, buy music, take day-trips on the weekend, have dinner out at a nice restaurant? I hope you decide to stop drinking.

ReadyAtLast

You can do anything you want to without the chains of alcohol. I know I had no idea that so many people DIDN'T drink or that there were activities that could be done without drinking. It's only when I stopped that a whole world opened up for me.Drinking wasn't liberating or enjoyable-it chained me to a one dimensional,boring life where I tried nothing else.

There's lots to do that is free.Walk, run,read,library,listen to music,watch dvds,see friends,go to AA,volunteer

Even join a club, yoga,gym,cinema surely cost a hell of a lot less than you're spedning on booze

AuntieSoso

For me the answer is yes. I used to wonder how anyone could live without alcohol. I did not understand people who didn't drink . . . not because they were in recovery, but just because they didn't like it or had no taste for it or whatever. WTF was wrong with those people, I thought. I couldn't see myself living without it, didn't want to live without it, didn't know how to live without it.

And now I do live without it. And life is better. And I don't spend so much money at the grocery store. And I sleep well. And I don't drink and drive. And I'm engaged in my life.

So for me, the answer is yes.

Knat84

"I still had some illusion I was having fun."

That is a perfect way to put it. It really is an illusion. It is evil-incarnate and it makes you, your mind and body feel that you can't be 'normal' without it.

Mags1

Hi Falko, definitely better for me. Not tied to booze in an evening and weekends I can really live now.

Don't misunderstand me, it was a rocky road, one less travelled but worth the obstacles a million times than booze made me feel.

Try not to think of your vast future ahead while you still crave alcohol. Just do it slowly, baby steps.

Knat84

These folks aren't kidding when they say you will save some money.

I know what it's like, guy. I know that it's the only thing that you feel drives you. Booze was almost a comfort pillow, however, it was smothering me at the same time.

Is life really better without alcohol? Not at first. He** no. It's freaking misery. You hate to be around people (especially those who drink or who you used to drink with), and you feel like you are going crazy. I, when going sober, wanted to punch holes through walls! I was like "WTH?! I can't do this! I can't do this!!" But, I really had no choice... (pregnant).
However, the WHOLE time I was pregnant, I already knew what drink I was going to have after I had baby .."Pineapple Cilantro Patron Margarita". When something magically happened when I hit 8 1/2 mos. of pregnancy, I realized that the happiest I'd ever been. The BEST I had ever felt in my life was during my pregnancy. (Not the first 5 mos., however, I suffered from withdrawals and felt like I was going MAD.)

Life will be **** without it, at first. But, like I say again and again, you have to go through hell to get to that wonderful 'other side'.

MUCH luck to you. Stay strong.

Amajorityofone

Friend-

The answer to your question is, of course. The only place success comes before hard work is in the dictionary. Realize this, and you will gain strength. Here is an excerpt from my sober journal. This is the kind of life you can have, too.

January 8th, 2013-

5:26am

I’m up and ready to GO!

6:08pm…

Starting to feel the effect of what has been a very long, but extremely productive, day.

The day started like most of my work days, listening to “Great is thy faithfulness”, from here I focused solely on spending some quiet time reading my devotional, then my bible ( today I read proverbs-17).

By 6:15am I have already unloaded the dishwasher, started another load of laundry and am in my bathroom painting to some Earth Wind and Fire.

By 7;25am, having painted for the last hour, I’ve already cleaned the paint pan, made my bed, had breakfast, showered, shaved, prepped my gym bag, along with my tax forms and have woken William up for school.

By 8:12am, I’ve made William’s lunch, sent him off to school and am now at L.A. Fitness doing laps in the pool. (This got cut short so I decided to do a brisk 2 mile walk instead before 14 pull ups, 200 sit ups, 40 pushups and numerous weight machines targeting my back and shoulders. )

By 10:15am I’m at Lowe’s Hardware store getting supplies.

Noon- Having gotten what I needed from lowe’s, changed the furnace filter, showered, (again) and changed, now I am at Castleton mall getting ready to get a hair cut & wash.

4pm- Having mailed my state taxes and worked with William for an hour on his homework, he and I are now on our way to the Monon center to play some one on one indoor basketball.

6:29pm-

Now I am about to fold some clothes and then, make dinner.

Tonight, Salmon, green beans and potatoes. YUM!

8:51pm

I never knew that the correct spelling for chi wah wah was Chihuahua until tonight. Just goes to show that you learn something new everyday.

Man, I am beat!

Laundry is all washed, dried, folded, and put away, dinner has been made and I just finished reading William a bedtime story…”the hound from the pound”.. AH-Roooooooooo!

This has been such a tremendous day. Gonna try and stay up to watch the remainder of the Pacers/Heat NBA game but its not looking good. Right now, I am just dog tired. Which feels absolutely exquisite after a day like, today.

God is good, God is great, God is wonderful.

Amen ☺

9:37pm-
Final entry.

Pacers 87- Miami 77
YAY!

The trash has been taken out, the dishes are currently soaking in the kitchen sink, all of the lights are now off, the 7am alarm has been set and next to me sits my customary glass of chocolate milk.

Right now, I find it difficult to believe that I watched a grand total of, at best, 30 minutes of television today. And even that was appointment based programming.

The late, great, John Wooden once said “make everyday your masterpiece.” More and more of my days are starting to feel this way. Full of life, full of production, filled with motion.

Nonsensical

I used to think that way, too. Or, at least I thought I did, until I realized that was my addiction doing my thinking for me.

My life is much better now that I stopped listening to that liar telling me nonsensical drivel like "your life will be **** without alcohol".

Best of Luck on Your Journey.

jeeves

If alcohol is/was your sole source of happiness, that would certainty indicate a problem. Drinking is fun, yes but rarely if ever is it the deciding factor in someone's happiness. With alcoholics it is almost a ubiquitous 'yes' that life is better, the again people with or without a drinking problem report being happier when they are legally able to buy alcohol.

Randummy

This is a good question. I have worked temp and contract jobs for a long time now after uni and I do, in general, feel very disheartened about the roles I have taken and the things I've done whilst addicted. However, I think alcohol needs to be replaced with something healthy. For example, I know that if I'm not going to come home and sink two bottles of wine, I need to do something else instead. Sitting there twiddling my thumbs is not going to make me feel happy with sobriety!
I don't know what your situation is with your health and everything, but the longest period of time I went without drinking was when I cut back, cut back, cut back and then stopped for a year. I didn't just stop altogether initially. I cut it out during the week, then I only drank on Saturday nights, then only on a weekend night *if* I was going out to dinner or something, then I just stopped. It felt pretty easy and it was only hard initially to form different habits.
I think life is better now in that I feel good most days, but it does require dedication to find other ways to fill up your time, for sure. The only time I really miss having a drink at the moment is when I go out to dinner and everyone is having red wine, I feel like I'm missing out. But I know that someone having one glass of wine at dinner would be too much for me as I wouldn't be able to stop!

Spongebob

I can't tell you it has gotten better but it did stop getting worse. No more nights in jail, no more lost wallet, phone or car, no more court dates. I am still dealing with a lot of "wreckage from my past" at 2 1/2 years sober but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. On second thought, yes, it is better. Good luck to you.

Joe Nerv

If it weren't, I'd be drinking. I'm not an idiot. Nor do I think the rest of the sober people here are.

Knat84

Some might say "how the heck do you lose a car?" ...Oh, boy... ha. Been there! Done that!!

Imabuleva

Alcohol makes me sick... physically and mentally. When I was actively drinking, it was something to look forward to. But while I was looking forward to it, I was in agony. I am tired of the roller coaster and I am feeling better with each passing sober day.

Granted, sometimes I'm bored or just feel like meh... but that's no excuse to restart the cycle of hell.

aasharon90

You asked if life is really better without alcohol.

When I entered recovery back in 1990, I really
didn't know the answer to that question because
I didn't have 23 yrs experience of being sober
as I do now.

I started off in a 28 day rehab which gave me
a great head start in my recovery learning to
live life without alcohol a day at a time. I was
given knowledge and tools to use towards my
life incorporating them in my everyday affairs.

I sat thru a many a meetings, listening and
absorbing other members ESH - experiences,
strengths and hopes of what their life was and
is like before, during and after alcohol or drugs.

Everyone that I heard from were on different
levels of sobriety, meaning, all the way from
slipping and returning with the desire to stop
drinking, to 1 day sober, to a week, month, yr.,
multiple yrs and each one gave me something
important to my own recovery.

Hope was extremely important, because I
wanted to remain sober no matter what. And
yes, I did and yes I have as Ive grown and changed
into a healthier, happier, honest person I can
be to the best of my own ability.

I am glad I have had many in recovery to follow
because without them and without you who are
just beginning recovery, it would have no meaning
or purpose in my life.

KateL

Life for me is 100 times better without alcohol xxx

tomsteve

"Minimum wage doesn't pay enough to go anywhere or do anything at the weekends."

welp, it was enough to afford to drink on weekends, so now you can save that money to do something and go somewhere.