LadyBlue0527

I've seen the question posed many times by someone who is thinking about quitting after "X" (x being the plan for their last drink) as to if quitting that way works.

All the prior times that I tried to quit it was after I had stated that the coming weekend would be my last and then it was over. There was always one more time. This time I have succeeded thus far and when I made the decision it wasn't planned. I definitely knew it was coming but there was no date in mind. I just woke up one morning after a drinking night where nothing out of the usual had occurred and made up my mind. No more plan to do it after "X". It was right now.

I thought it would be an interesting poll to see how many planned and were successful (thus far).

DoubleDragons

I like this question. I just had this spontaneous, strong, intuitive feeling that I really needed to quit. While quitting drinking is something that I had pondered on and off for years, this is the first time I felt the urge to quit so strongly and urgently. There had been no major drunk event nor had anyone asked me to quit. So, when I had my last drink, I did not know that it would be my last drink (almost 4 months ago). Ironically, my first sober day (it was Sunday.) did coincide with my beloved, now deceased grandmother's birthday, so maybe she had a little something to do with it from beyond . . . . .

RevivingOphelia

I didn't plan it with one last drink/drunk.

I had been reading here and contemplating the fact that I had a problem for about six months.

One day, after work, I went to a pub and ordered a nice glass of white wine. I would frequently do this and get some more work done with wine in me, and then ALWAYS stop to buy more wine for home.

I had about three sips. I wasn't enjoying the taste. I looked at the glass, and I frustratingly thought about how much more it's going to take for me to get the buzz I needed. I was so tired of it. I paid up my bill and went home.

I had no idea that would be the last time. I just felt kinda defeated and done.

KateL

After a binge and during an horrific self-detox xxxx

Kaneda8888

I had been trying unsuccessfully for a long while. Then had a rather amazing moment of clarity one night and haven't picked up since.

afloatsober

Very strange one this.
All the hundreds of times i planned stopping i stopped but could not stay stopped. 6-9 months was my longest but always felt strung out and vulnerable.
Last time i was so heartsick, and the booze had run out, and i was too ill to get more. I stopped but not by choice really.
I do believe i just 'gave up' if that makes any sense and kinda felt that i was done with that old life and there was simply no turning back...
And so it has been.
G

KateL

That is so like my experience xxx

IreLander

I am sorry to say I did plan my last drink...the day after I got my DUI I knew I wasnt going to be able to handle it, so I drank...how sick is that? Should be on day 7, instead im on day 6. But the past has nothing to do with where I'm going now though.

Cheydinhal

I'm with DoubleDragons - I had thought about quitting for years and wondered at what it would be like to never drink again and I had researched AA meetings for the past several years but never went. Then last week I was at the gym in the morning and my mind thought about the meeting I had looked up three weeks prior that was happening at noon that day near my house and a light bulb went off and I thought "today's the day to go to the meeting" and I couldn't think past that. I was so nervous, all I wanted to do was drink before I went to the meeting. But when I got there, I felt like I was home and the decision was a beautiful thing. I'm happy to be sober.

Olive1

I did not know my last drink was going to be my last drink.

I think if I had been able to plan my last drink I might likely still be planning it.

adee

Yes and no. I planned every day to quit drinking. Every damn day. The day I finally did I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror at 4:30 a.m. after throwing up and didn't recognize myself. It was a startling moment of clarity that I still can't explain properly, but in that moment, I knew absolutely that I was alcohol was killing me - and not just my body, but my spirit. I knew that I had utterly lost myself and my only hope was to quit. It was two days before new years eve which would have been a great planned last drink, but I was just, finally, DONE.

It hasn't even been 30 days yet, but this feels very different than any other time I've quit. Time will tell.

LadyBlue0527

Please know that there's no wrong or right answer here. I just think it's interesting to see how it worked out for everyone. Either way if you ended up sober and were able to stick with it that's the key and is the most important.

letustrythis123

I had a pretty scary fall season in that I kept saying to myself that this was the last pint or half pint or drunken day. And then I'd have one more excuse to do it again because of this stressor, this person pissed me off, this project was big and stressful, on and on. I became scared because I've always had very strong will power. When I say I will do something I follow through. With smoking, I simply quit. Was never addicted. I can still pick up a smoke and be done with it after that day. I thought I was the same way with alcohol but in the fall I began to doubt this for the first time. Even in my drunkenness, I knew I was living a poor quality of life. It's almost like alcohol eventually takes you to the point where you have an awakening. Gone were the days when it gave me spike of energy or numbness. The numbness thing would happen at night but day drinking really turned the lightbulb on for me. I realized that the buzz cannot be sustained without totally disrupting your life. You are always looking to maintain it, going to store, agonizing over how much poison you are putting in your body, watching the bottle sink lower and lower and knowing you are killing yourself. You are tired, take naps to kill time between buzzes, wake up groggy, start again.

I had hit bottom but thankfully nothing terrible had happened with my job or family. I just hated that cycle. The only time I was "happy' was when I was drunk and it took a lot of booze and planning and guilt to maintain that. My last morning drinking, I went out to the gas station and got a bottle of while wine and a half point and got loaded. While drunk, I told myself it was my last. I had a little wine left over to send me off to bed. It was two fridays ago. Vodka hangover always had me wanting more. Wine did not have that effect.

I woke up, with no booze in the house and said to myself that today was the day. Haven't looked back. Have been stronger because of these boards and the stories. I was never physically addicted which was a good thing, I haven't had any cravings either but I'm done. That was no way to live especially at the end.

BradJustBrad

Planned - midnight of the New Year!

2bhappier

I've quit so many times! Some times after a planned date, other times when I woke up hungover. I think I was on this board over and over again being unable to quit. I hope this time is for good but I try not to think about it too much because I get overwhelmed.

fini

i had planned to quit (again!) after an upcoming holiday, since of course being on a holiday had to include drinking. never occured to me that it wouldn't. but after that, for sure i'd quit.
then, a week or so before the departure, there was that moment of clarity, different clarity from ever before, and i haven't had a drink since.
that was many many sober holidays ago

Oceanlady

While driving home from my camp 5 months ago and having a little headache from the night before I just decided to quit???I had tried a couple of years ago and lasted 9 days..then decided to keep count daily of number of drinks, staying to two glasses of wine..by buying extra large fish Bowl glasses and filling them to the brim, I could just drink two...this didn't last long till two didn't do the job and three felt better or I just gave up the count!
Yesterday I hit 5 months and so proud of myself for doing it!

ScottFromWI

I didn't plan a last drink, i woke up one morning after a pretty heaving holiday season of drinking almost all day and just new that I needed to stop, now. There was no magical vision or anything like that, I just finally decided that the time was now.

Banquo

I'm sure if I had planned my last drink I would still be planning it now! My last drink came after a horrible detoxification from the worst weekend possible. Spending a lot of money to get a taxi on the middle of the night to get whisky was the very end. The next day I just decided no more.

Still not sure how I got that moment of clarity but thankfully I did. That was June 25, 2013

Nonsensical

I quit dozens of times on my AV's terms - which included the last hurrah that really wasn't.

This time I quit on my terms and Mr. AV doesn't get a say in the matter.