Wilde10

Stop because and despite my alcoholic lenses I do not like the sight of alcoholism. I do not like what it makes to people. I have seen it from outside. I can still see it. It makes me sick when my father in law is drowling at the sight of alcohol (although he normally only drinks a brandy every night, but give him a chance and he will just get very drunk.... like me)

I want to see my kids growing up. I want them to be proud of me as I am proud of them. I like taking the bikes in the WE and chase them in the park. I do not want them to believe that fun is associated to alcohol but to many other things.

I want my skin to look brighter. I do not want the panick attacks.... We are not hypochondriac the alcoholics, we do not have irrational fears about our health. It is true that we are putting our bodies under extreme pressure, so we have very reasonable fears. I do not want the fear. Fed up of being scared.

Chops

Jail or stop for a bit due to pre-trial probation for a DUI, I had no intention of stopping permanently. Had one foot in the grave but did not care. But for some reason jail seemed like not the best way to spend my summer. Judge ordered me to AA for 3 months with drug/alcohol testing until the case was disposed of, had been in AA before so no big deal, "I can wait this out" I said.

AA got me and it's been 2 years and a month. How did that happen?

susanlauren

In the middle of a weekend binge (and an alcoholic haze), I had the thought as clear as clear could be: "Oh my God, I am becoming my father." My father was alcoholic and he drank himself to death. I believe that thought was from my Higher Power. That was the end of the binge, and that was the end of my drinking. I have been sober 2 years and 2 months. SusanLauren

candyheiress

I totally destroyed this past Fathers Day for my husband and 2 year old daughter. I have started to realize the effects it is having on her as well. She does not deserve to live the life I did with a mother that failed her and was never there. I want to be a better mother than that and give her the love and attention she deserves.

Missymae737

Being that my disease of alcoholism had put me in jail the weekend of Mothers day in 2007, had been in and out of rehab for years, I had lost all material possesions, most important lost the respect and love of my children...
The only place alcoholism has not taken me is death...

That is why I stopped. I must say my life is different today....I have been sober nearly two years...I am still struggling to get back to a comfortable way of living, still working on getting my license back, but at least my children are back in my life...

Today there is meaning to my life...

getr345

To the OP question, in a nutshell: An acknowledgment of how bad things had gotten in my life because of drugs & alcohol and a fear of how much worse they would get if I did not quit drugs & alcohol and begin the process of recovery from 20 plus years of hard partying, addiction, and escapism.

Kerbcrawler

Thanks,to quote American girl,these posts are so honest and brave...
thanks to this place,its a pleasure to meet such people, and share all this..

newagain

What a humbling thread. these post are full of so much power. congratulations everyone. SR Rules.

Grace2

The harsh realisation that I would have taken my car and driven the two little people home, the two people that mean more to me than all the world, and the shameful fact that I didn't learn from the first time I almost did this, but had to go and do it again. Thankfully my other half arrived home before I left (both times). This experience has made me lose what little bit of self respect I had left. How can I look at those beautiful, trusting, little faces knowing what I could have done. How can I ever, ever forgive myself for even thinking of doing such a thing. I dont want to wake up anymore with that horrible guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach, I don't want to wake up wandering what I've said and who's feelings I've hurt. I dont want to wake up in the night with my heart pounding and I dont want to drive to work on auto pilot. I want to be a person that can be trusted, I want to be a good nan, I want my Grandchildren to remember me for the fun times, not the times I crashed out drunk! I want my partner to be proud of me and what's more I want to be proud of myself. God, I could go on forever with this!

tallcactus

Couldn't of said it any better, thanks Kjell.

hendershot

Mine is simple--it stopped working. Alcohol no longer did what I wanted it to.

least

I just hated myself and my life the way it was. I was so desperate to be a better person/mother/daughter/sister that I tried - once again - and this time succeeded. I'm so much happier sober! What a treat! And I no longer hate myself.

wildart

I stopped because:

a) I realized how many years I'd been alone, sitting in my apartment using booze to cushion myself from the pain of human contact

b) I had quit smoking for the most part, but still smoked when I drank, and my doctor told me I was in the beginning stages of emphyzema. I knew if I was going to quit smoking, I had to quit drinking too, and one didn't seem as much fun without the other

c) I found that when I drank, I was angry at everything and everyone, and long days of depression and anger are no fun

d) like Sandra Bullock's character said in 28 Days, "I have enough stories. I would like a life."

Brucel

I stood at the kitchen table with my wife, son ,and youngest daughter on the phone. My wife told me that either I do somthing about this problem or she was leaving.I was tired of losing things, important things, to this "problem". I had been trying AA for 18 years off and on just to get outa trouble and had stopped drinking and using a thousand times. My problem wasn't stopping, I just couldn't stop starting. I needed a spiritual solution and wouldn't accept your version of it. I was lost. Something happened and somehow( today I believe it was God's Grace) I became willing and ceased fighting everything and everyone. I was done. When I came back from a rehab in florida I followed your suggestions and it started to work. I told you the truth and you didn't run. I still follow my sponsor's suggestions and a select group of people I found in AA and I do service work to follow the 12th step and my life today is NOTHING compared to the pain and suffering I lived in not 6 years ago. Recovery is simple, it's just not easy. God Bless

Stang

I was just tired of living like a drunk!

notnormal

Because I was done.

wichitaks

haha this is what I do, Im good sunday through friday but saturday by 3pm Im wasted and then back on the wagon sunday. Except this time Im at 11 days

Fubarcdn

I stopped drinking when my wife gave me an ultimatum to stop going out6 and drinking and partying all night or I had to get out. That was a year and a half ago.
I still comply to the conditions of my ultimatum as my marriage is more important than partying.

MeAndOnlyMe

That is all.

jazzz

I'd had enough pain. It started as fun but suddenly I was alone and the party was over. I was drinking cos I HAD to.

Social Anxiety, that was sooo much worse when hungover or dry. Blacking out almost every time and doing and saying things I'd never do sober. Driving in a black out on several occasions. Not showing up to play concert.

Depression. Muscle twitching. ANXIETY. Hallucinations, I think..wasn't sure if I was dreaming or awake. Insomnia. Horrible dreams, nerves shattered.

Why, oh why, must we keep on doing these things do ourselves??

Glad I stopped! Almost 11 months sober with AA