Am I not ready to quit?? Am I doomed?? :(
Guest
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 4,580
Originally Posted by Lucrezia 
I want to quit. But, I also don't know how I would survive without drinking (ironic, I know).
Want to quit...
but no idea how to blaze the trail of sobriety.
That's why we are here...
Thankfully there are a lot of people here who are doing a fine job on that trail.
I myself haven't quite figured it out yet.
Welcome.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: San Diego
Posts: 4,451
Awesome, choice, Lucrezia. It's a leap of faith, I know, but you are going to be glad you took it!!! 
Sounds like you have a lot of reasons to quit, with drinking's cons already beating the pros by almost 2 to 1. I'm glad you aren't going to wait until it's 3 or 4 to 1, because at a certain point, those numbers tend to only move in one direction.
As for your assessment of not drinking... honestly, I think you can safely tear up your pros and cons list. Because the good news is it's going to be whole lot better than you think!
When I was drinking, I envisioned a life without alcohol as one filled with tedium and stress. How boring, I thought. And how frustrating, without booze to soften life's rough edges. Guess what? It's all hogwash. Life is soooo much more enjoyable without alcohol. Good times are better—and more real, somehow, which makes them so much more satisfying. Hard times still suck, but they're more manageable now. I don't wallow in difficulty; I deal with it. And in a way that's satisfying, too. Freedom, self-respect, a sense of contentment, being able to just breathe and revel in the moment—the benefits of not drinking are so much more profound than I ever imagined.
I think maybe that's addiction's final, most powerful trick: to make it seem that, no matter how bad drinking has become, sobriety would be worse. You're going to be so glad you didn't wait. It's hard at first, but so, so, so very worth it. Think about it: Have you ever heard of anyone who regretted quitting?
Good for you!
Sounds like you have a lot of reasons to quit, with drinking's cons already beating the pros by almost 2 to 1. I'm glad you aren't going to wait until it's 3 or 4 to 1, because at a certain point, those numbers tend to only move in one direction.
As for your assessment of not drinking... honestly, I think you can safely tear up your pros and cons list. Because the good news is it's going to be whole lot better than you think!
When I was drinking, I envisioned a life without alcohol as one filled with tedium and stress. How boring, I thought. And how frustrating, without booze to soften life's rough edges. Guess what? It's all hogwash. Life is soooo much more enjoyable without alcohol. Good times are better—and more real, somehow, which makes them so much more satisfying. Hard times still suck, but they're more manageable now. I don't wallow in difficulty; I deal with it. And in a way that's satisfying, too. Freedom, self-respect, a sense of contentment, being able to just breathe and revel in the moment—the benefits of not drinking are so much more profound than I ever imagined.
I think maybe that's addiction's final, most powerful trick: to make it seem that, no matter how bad drinking has become, sobriety would be worse. You're going to be so glad you didn't wait. It's hard at first, but so, so, so very worth it. Think about it: Have you ever heard of anyone who regretted quitting?
Good for you!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 1,701
I do not think anyone "only wants to quit." If they did it would be easy.
What makes it hard is that at the start we all want to quit AND want to continue.
It is a tough place. You want to drink but its not so much fun anymore because you want to stop. You want to stop but cannot get over that you want to drink. Drinking does not feel good. Not drinking does not feel good.
It gets better. But I think you just have to accept that you are in a tough, uncomfortable, not-so-happy place. Since neither drinking nor not-drinking will relieve your discomfort, why not go with the alternative that promises a better future?
And you have to trust that it will get better for you, just like it got better for everyone else who stopped.
Everyone here has been through it. And all of us are glad that we stuck it out.
What makes it hard is that at the start we all want to quit AND want to continue.
It is a tough place. You want to drink but its not so much fun anymore because you want to stop. You want to stop but cannot get over that you want to drink. Drinking does not feel good. Not drinking does not feel good.
It gets better. But I think you just have to accept that you are in a tough, uncomfortable, not-so-happy place. Since neither drinking nor not-drinking will relieve your discomfort, why not go with the alternative that promises a better future?
And you have to trust that it will get better for you, just like it got better for everyone else who stopped.
Everyone here has been through it. And all of us are glad that we stuck it out.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PA
Posts: 12,000
I knew I needed to quit. I didn't want to quit. I was fine getting drunk all the time. It took a life changing event for me to realize it was over for me. Thank goodness too. If it hadn't happened I'd be drunk right now. And tomorrow and the next day. I would have dropped a couple hundy on beer alone for this weekend. And I would have finished it all. My body is still aching after almost 5 months sober. I didn't even realize what I was doing to myself - a slow but sure death it seems.
Be glad you can make this decision now before your world comes crashing down.
Be glad you can make this decision now before your world comes crashing down.
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