DogtownBlues

I am a daily drinker, I usually put away 10-12 drinks a day consisting of wine and hard liquor.

My life is pretty banged up (divorce, legal problems, debt) and I've not been able, or really willing, to do much of anything about it for years now.

I thought maybe quitting drinking would help. Other people in my life have said I have a drinking problem. Maybe I do. Maybe if I quit I could get a handle on the disaster my life has been for the last twenty years. I really don't know.

My fear is I'm giving something I really love (booze) and getting no benefit from that.

So, I stopped three days ago. I've had no DTs, no headaches, sleep like a champ, not fidgety. I'm bored, though. Can't watch TV sober.

So when should I expect to see some benefit from doing this? It's frustrating that literally nothing has changed.

PurpleKnight

It doesn't sound like you were getting much from drinking either, I was pretty "functioning" when it came to my drinking but it was holding me back.

3 Days is very early days . . . it's gonna take time, 20yrs can't be repaired in a matter of days, it took us years to get us to this point, it's gonna take some time to get out!!

There's decades of Sobriety here on SR that state that Sobriety is a great foundation to build a life upon, but as the saying goes Rome wasn't built in a day!!

Hang in there, there will be light at the end of the tunnel!!

doggonecarl

Depends. Are you doing anything besides abstaining from drinking? Sometimes the "problems" from drinking are solved by sobriety. But if you are an alcoholic, more work--recovery work--is required.

Either way, three days is early. But expect to feel better, especially physically, soon. Hang in there.

Hawkeye13

One thing you'll save is money.
How much did you save in three days? In thirty?
What about 30 days worth of booze X 12?
Bet that adds up to a pretty good chunk of money
you won't literally be pizing away

That'll help with your debt.
The physical improvement takes more than three days, however
But with time you can expect no hangover, no shakes, no ugly bathroom episodes
from too much booze.
You'll begin to sleep normally and deeply.
You won't make an ass of yourself when drunk and do things
you don't remember.

Lots to look forward to really--three days is a great start
but just the beginning of the journey

JD4010

I was a heavy, but functional drinker too. I'm on day 4 and I've already noticed 3 things--I'm sharper mentally, my hands aren't shaking as much, and my appetite for food has increased. I'm also getting out of bed earlier in the morning, which is a big plus.

least

I started noticing improvements after about a month sober. Don't be impatient, it takes time for your body and brain to get back to normal functioning. Give it time. It will get better.

tomsteve

you probably drank and had all the wreckage happen in more than 3 days ("I've not been able, or really willing, to do much of anything about it for years now".).

yer gonna have to give it T.I.M.E.= Things I Must Earn.
however
things have already improved for you:
I've had no DTs, no headaches, sleep like a champ, not fidgety.

getting sober and having life improve requires footwork.
sittin in the garage all day aint gonna make ya a car.

give it time and put in the footwork. it will be well worth it.

cardoon

I loved to drink. When I quit I had to learn to love the boredom at first. I realized the only reason I watched tv was because I was drunk and that I didn't really like to watch tv sober. Then I started to find stuff to do to distract from drinking. What happened is I started to take care of things that I had left undone for years. And boy do I feel better now. A contentment that is much more fulfilling than being drunk. This sight had help me a lot. Keep reading and I recommend the secular connections forum.

Dee74

Longer than 3 days DB.

Think about it - sounds like you drank for years... it going to take a little time for mind and body to heal...and it going to take ya little time for you to get your life the way you want it.

Like others have said, it usually involves more changes beyond simply not drinking.

I had some complication with my detox but I felt 'normal' again at about 3 months. The building a new life part - I felt I was seeing real changes there progressively but definitely after a year.

the early recovery phase was pretty hard but that got easier too, The first 30 days were pretty hard going for me, but I used the supoport here and things got better after that.

your mileage may vary of course

All that may seem long, but considering I drank for 20 years and ended up an all day everyday drinker I think I got a pretty sweet deal

D

SoberinSyracuse

That's so awesome that you quit with no nasty withdrawals. What a huge blessing, dose of luck, or whatever you wanna call it.

Before declaring you aren't reaping any benefits, tally up your costs of drinking. For three days, you have not incurred additional drinking costs. I'd say that's a bennie.

Brace for boredom. That will get better as you gradually find new interests. Be patient and keep in mind that part of what causes boredom in early sobriety is that our pleasure neurotransmitters are fried and need time to repair. Nonetheless, try some new things. TV is boring to anybody! I prefer youtube. Is there anything else you once enjoyed? Try it out. Might not feel the same. Just remind yourself that you're as happy as you can be right now.

You'll be happier as you go forward, and you won't be much happier going back. Stay the course.

Fly N Buy

Sobriety will change everything - some of it's even good. Life isn't a Disney World ride, but I figured I had gone through the turnstyles enough.


"My life is pretty banged up divorce, legal problems, debt ....." This list can get longer, there lots more that can be added Here's a few -

Heart attack from years of heavy drinking
Dui's / jail injuring myself or others
Lose finger in a door while drunk ( won't comment futher - it happens)
Terror, bewilderment, frustration and dispair......etc, etc, etc.......

These things may not have happened yet = you're eligible too!!

Sobriety isn't for everyone. Only for those who have reached a point of they are sick and tired of being drunk. Tired of shame, guilt and remorse. Tired of continuing to sit in the muck and drag others into with us. Tired of not remembering what happened last night - who did I text or call. Where the hell is my car.....and my pants? Why is there ketchup on the ceiling? Oh no, is that ketchup????? My god I'm hung over.......is that puke in my bed or pizza - oh, it's both.........

Any of these things happen in last 3 days? Any sound vaguely familiar in last 20 years or so????

Maybe you are getting some benefit already........

chrcarlson

I'll bet your not hungover. Benefit unless you like hangovers.

I took my last drink 25 days ago so I can only speak to that.

I'm still in a hole but I've stopped digging.
After about a week my mind was sharper. Near one month it still feels a little fuzzy.
I started looking a hell of a lot better in about two weeks-I'm 53.
I haven't spent any $$ on booze.
Drove some drunks home from a party and was Hoping to get pulled over for the first time in my life. Didn't happen .
I got bored after a few days and went to the gym. Been there 3 times since-a new record. I'm going tomorrow-I'm a little sore from the last time.
I'm still bored but have an open mind and am looking for activities. I know eventually I will find some. Hell, other than drinking I don't really know what I like to do. I'm kinda exciting to find out.

I am more than hopeful I can cleanup the wreckage I've made of my life if I don't dull my mind, body and spirit with alcohol. I have met Many worse than me that have. It took me 30 years to get here. I'm going to need some time to fix it.

ubntubnt

hi Dogtown Blues

So, other people have said you have a drinking problem.

What do you think? Do you think you are an alcoholic?

Your life is a mess and you were drinking a lot, daily. I can see that you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by quitting for a month and then see how you feel about it.

Just remember one thing though - for a normal drinker quitting for a month would be no big deal. For you though it will prove to be extremely difficult. All those questions you ask about quitting not being worth it and all the angles you will try to play to get to have another drink is actually your addiction working on you. Grinding you down. Try this - don't drink for a month and listen to all the times your addiction tries to get you to drink. My guess, is that at the end of a month (if you make it) you will have much clearer view on whether you are an alcoholic or not but thats for you to decide.

WaveTossed

I got sober over 30 years ago. And reading your post made it seem like I got sober yesterday. What I remember is no longer feeling the shame and guilt about my dishonesty over my drinking problem. I went to an AA meeting, but it had to be an "open" AA meeting because I didn't think I was really an alcoholic. It was a small, informal discussion meeting and they went around a circle of people. When it came to me, I babbled out, "I think I might have a drinking problem." I thought that they would tell me, "no, you're crazy and insane, you don't have a drinking problem." Instead, they told me, "if you think you have a drinking problem, then you have a drinking problem. People who don't have drinking problems don't obsess over whether they have a drinking problem." The next night, I went to a closed AA meeting. I said, "I'm an alcoholic."

As for what happened afterward, I had never had a job that lasted over a few months. I spent a lot of time unemployed when I was drinking. I owed a lot of money. I had the shakes when I stopped. I went to a doctor and he told me, "you're having withdrawal symptoms." At AA, they told me to go to 90 meetings in 90 days and it will get better. If they had told me to stand on my head, I would have done so, that's how horrible I had felt when I came in. I ended up going to a recovery house for 8 months.

It takes time. But today, I wouldn't trade the worst day I have had sober for the best day I had when drunk. The AA program, the 12 Steps are amazing, at least for me. The Steps are more than about not drinking, they are about learning how to live. It took some time, but I worked at a good career for several years and recently retired from my job. Today, I can look up at the sky and see how beautiful it is. I couldn't do that when I was drinking.

leviathan

I hope you hang in there for a couple months at least. - benefits will be obvious then.
If that sounds remotely difficult, you probably have "the problem".

At three days I had two benefits: no hangover and the shakey pride of three days. Sure did feel like losing at that point. Looking back from three months though, was eye-opening. I was surprised at the crap i once put up with for my drinking hobby. What a sham!

Hang in there, buddy. It's worth it. Promise.

ubntubnt

Wow, amazing inspirational post. Thanks very much for posting that WT.

MelindaFlowers

I found not having a hangover every day was a big bonus.

Ornithology

Dogtown, there are countless benefits to not drinking, both mental and physical, that you will realize in the first few days, weeks, and months. But you mention legal problems and debt and a life that is off the rails, and I'm guessing you will benefit from some of the stuff that doesn't kick-in until you have been sober for a couple of years. The malaise or ennui that keeps you from addressing some of the larger issues in your life eventually goes away and you begin to see improvements in areas of your life that you had previously written off.
I stopped drinking over two years ago and continually see new benefits to my sobriety and improvements in areas of my life that I didn't imagine possible.
You need to give this thing more than a few days. That's simply your addictive voice trying to convince you it's okay to start drinking again.

Hawkeye13

So how are you doing on Day 4 Dogtown?

Soberwolf

Welcome,

Stopping drinking was one of the best decisions I've ever made