SnwFlower

5 /12 Months in...

• I sleep and rest well every single night
• No more jitters
• Itchy facial rashes are completely gone
• Hair is smooth again, and growing thicker
• My weight loss and fitness efforts finally became affective (lost nearly 20 lbs and have muscles again)
• Facial bloat is gone
• Healthy color is back in my face
• Whites of my eyes are clear and white again
• Wake up refreshed and early every single morning (haven't had the desire to sleep in once since going sober)
• I have lots of energy again

Junegirl

This is a great thread! Nonsensical-good for you *and* your spouse/partner.

For me:

My skin isn't dry anymore
My eyes look bright, not bloodshot
My face isn't bloated
I have more energy
Anxiety is gone!!

Junegirl

SnwFlower

PS - Oops, I meant to type "5 1/2" months in,...not "5 /12".

Mountainmanbob

Lightning Bug

My hands have stopped shaking when I write longhand.

SnwFlower

That's awesome Mountainmanbob! I've also noticed that my eyesight has improved! That was a pleasant shocker to me too.

workoholic

Anxiety reduced and my hands are steady again.
Sleep is only so-so but it has never been good since university and onward.
Tired but clearheaded.
Conscience is much better!

sarahaha

8 days sober! I have lost 5 pounds somehow! I have a ton of energy and have been waking up 2-3 hours earlier than I normally was. I'm eating regularly and have a normal appetite back. And mentally, my head feels clearer and more focused and I've had some good, happy moments.

Also noticing that I'm REALLY craving sugar, like fruit juices and things like that. I'm trying to drink water but on some days all I can think about is getting something sugary! Has anyone else experienced this after quitting alcohol?

safeandsound

YES! I have experienced that every time I quit. But I figure almost anything is better than drinking two bottles of wine a night! Alcohol converts to sugar, so it makes sense we crave it. I figure I will give myself a break for now because I'm doing something tremendously, tremendously difficult. There will be time later to adjust to healthy eating habits. I'm just focusing on not drinking (one week today).

Grungehead

B/P is down
HR is down
Sleep better
Eat better (used to drink my meals)
No more shakes
Less anxiety
Less depression
More energy
Vision is better
Headaches are gone
Digestive system much better

Lyoness

I quit opiates, not alcohol, but as a lifelong sugar junkie I can relate. My sugar cravings have gone through the roof! Sugar gives an endorphin rush so it makes some sense to me. I've been chewing tons of sugarfree gum to help satisfy some of the cravings. (Still letting Ben and Jerry satisfy some of them too. )

Notmyrealname

Losing weight (haven't weighed myself but I noticed my face is becoming more angular when I smile, instead of having rounded fatface)

Back to running, four miles a day everyday. Lifting every other day (kind of a hybrid 5x5 program). Much better sleeping patterns as I'm not waking up dehydrated as hell at 3am anymore. Tan from consistent running, starting to get buffed out, and getting teeth whitened as I care more about my appearance now, it doesn't seem like such a lost cause anymore.

Drinking was awful for me, at one point I had ballooned to over 270lbs. My long term projects are running and weightlifting right now, I hope to get back down under 200lbs within the year.. 245 now (in my defense I am pretty tall .. ) When I get skinny again I am buying new, stylish attire or at least that's the plan!

Fun topic, thanks for starting thread

Sonrisa12

Many positives - I listed them all in a previous post just to remind myself of all the good things that come to me by not drinking. I listed one positive for alcohol - the buzz. Just that one. You know what? I'm missing it less and less each day that passes.

I had someone say.. well, if you feel so good after 26 days - then you don't have a problem. Huh.

My answer? NO. I had a problem. I don't have a problem now, because I don't drink. I removed the drink, therefore you don't see the problem. If I started again - said problem would come back full force. Believe me - it ain't pretty.

Took me a long time to figure out that gem. but its the truth.

stevie88

When I was drinking I never ate and was very very underweight....Now I eat 5 times a day,smash the gym at least 3 times per week....Have gained 28 pounds weight and hardly any of it is fat....Eyes look better...Don't get breathless on dog walks...Don't need as much sleep which is good as I work 80/90 hours a week....And I have so much more energy to play with my kids.....Oh and the best one of all.....No more hangovers.

Bruce292

I went in for a physical a few weeks ago. I've been sober almost 4 months (alcohol and an array of drugs). The doctor took my blood pressure, frowned and said "Oh My!". For the first time in decades my blood pressure was "normal". Blood work came back much better as well. I used to hate all of those tests because they threatened my "lifestyle" (or lack of one). Now it's just one more thing not to worry about.

Also sleep better, don't get winded climbing stairs, my hands don't shake in the morning, I've lost 10+ pounds, I have energy, etc., etc., etc.

Is everything perfect. No. I'm 50+ years old. But all in all things are much better.

Grateful Heart

This is the most beautiful blessing of all. No more blackouts

Grateful Heart

Always remember this, Sonrisa.

Lyoness

We talked about opiates, among other things, in my counseling group tonight and it made me realize something that had been happening but I wasn't consciously aware of yet.

While using opiates every little bump into anything, every little scratch, anything that most people wouldn't notice or feel really HURT, a lot. Now that is not happening. My fingers don't hurt if I try to pry something open. My arm doesn't hurt if I bump into the door. So many things.

This is something I'd just gotten used to on opiates, and hated, but figured that it was part of my pain issues and would never go away. How amazing and awesome that it mostly has!

Ali123

I may have missed this in these threads, but how are people's tongues now that they're sober? I've always had and still worry about the state of my tongue, It looks very unhealthy and would like to know if this will change if I stay sober long enough. I do worry if this is the external part of my GI Tract, what on earth do my insides look like?

Mountainmanbob

drink a lot of water and stay sober

you may also wish to buy a tongue cleaner - wife uses hers often

kind of like a stainless steel scraping tool (available at most drug stores)

all should look better with some healthy sober healing time



back to the thread

I used to wake up with these strange bumps on my head and body

haven't seen any for a long time now

it's a nice look with no bumps or blood


Mountainman