HappyBlue

I stopped due to health concerns. I have been a heavy drinker for 21 years with not much sobriety in those years besides a year here and there. I have an 18 month old nephew that I want to see grow up. I have wonderful parents and I don't want to put them through seeing me waste away and die. I have a great dog that is my best friend and I don't want to leave him alone in this world. For these things and more I'm working on a sober life.

Kraszy

Gradual for me as well. Told myself I'd ease off the gas when I turned 30. I'll be 33 in Jan and drink more than ever.

Last year, I was legitimately worried that a strained abdominal muscle was cirrhosis. I've put on 70 lbs in the last ten years - used to be in the military, tip top shape. I now carry around the weight of every drop of alcohol that's touched my lips.

Every time we'd go to the grocery store, my kids, 8 and 6 years old, would tell me not to forget to stop at the beer store. How sick is that? Just awful.

strategery

I think the major driving force was I turned 38. I drank for 15 years. Seems like way too long and it's only getting worse. I know where alcoholism leads, pancreatitis, alcoholic neuropathy, alcohol cardiomyopathy, hepatic encephalopathy....do I really want to go through that? No.
Additionally, I have a family member that has alcoholism. While I haven't been able to see what it's done to him, I hear about it secondhand and really do not want to be him. On the other hand, I have known people that have been successful with AA and lead successful lives. So I've seen the good and bad of not taking alcoholism seriously.
I spent the early part of my adulthood sober and know what it's like. I know I don't need alcohol to have fun. Somehow I've spent the past 15 years trying to convince myself otherwise.
I know my husband was getting increasingly annoyed with my drinking and I've been getting increasingly embarrassed about it, so that has also been a factor.
Lastly, I am in the process of transitioning my career, but most of them require hair samples to determine if you have drug/alcohol issues. I really do not want to potentially be hired and then find out they say no due to alcohol being an issue.

Bailey3

I drank to excess my entire adult life with occasional blackouts. I had periods of sobriety but, looking back I was always planning my next binge. Usually the binge lasted for weeks if not months and, they got progressively worse.

The last few months were horrible. I blacked out on a daily basis. My internal organs were swollen and painful. Didn't care if I lived or died. I do remember either texting or emailing AA for help in a drunken stupor once and, actually getting responses. However, I kept on drinking.

Finally early one morning I found myself in the bathroom and, realized I don't want to die. I especially don't want die because of alcohol and, I want my life back A few hours later I found this website and, hopefully my drinking days are done.

MamaHope

For me it was hiding a bottle for the first time, that and my horrendous weight gain. I also wanted to curb my ever growing depressions and drink was just making it worse. I'm 9 days sober today and feeling great, but still a little uncertain about the future.

Ultramarathoner

I went to the Emergency Room for an issue that I thought was alcohol related.

Turned out the issue was totally unrelated to alcohol and my blood work was good. But, I had made a promise to my wife and 10 year old son before going to the hospital that I was going to quit drinking since I wanted to be more healthy.

I kept my promise.

Findingtheway

For me it was waking up in the hospital 27 days ago. And having NO IDEA how i got there. Turns out i blacked out on a subway platform and 911 was called.

An ambulance ride i don't remember later...And i was coming too in the hospital...My family came to pick me up and bring me home.

Sadness/Terror in my Father's Eyes. Don't EVER want to inflict that pain again.

And i will...IF i pick up a drink again.

And this is AFTER I've been to rehab twice in the past 2 years.

I'm sober 27 days now. I'm an active member of AA. The obsession to drink i honestly believe has been lifted from me that night.

People talk of rock bottom....I think i found mine. And since it has STOPPED the obsession/crazy thoughts...For me it was a good thing.

Anyways. That's ME

anattaboy

It just made me physically ill to drink in the end after 35 yrs. of on/off drinking. Itching, blurry eyesight , pain in both lower quads, no eating, morning IBS that went on into afternoon, 4 hrs. sleep a nite tops, horrible outbursts at family, poor hygiene. I was scared I was dying of end stage liver failure. I'm not, thankfully but the memory of how I felt is very fresh so I've yet to be tempted at 4+ months.

luvmygirls

Originally Posted by Marcher13
I was becoming an unhealthy self-absorbed pathetic middle aged woman so I decided to put a stop to it. I've been living a healthy full outward looking life for almost 20 months now.

Wow, this is me. Powerful.

DoloresHaze

I'm only on Day 2 and i pray i don't let myself down.

Like many others said, my last straw was my obsession over my health. It was easy to ignore my drinking problem when I felt fine. Besides the normal hangover after waaaayyy overdoing it, I'd bounce back and be ready to drink again.

But now that i'm 32, it's different. over the past 2 years or so i have been OBSESSED with my health, and in a constant state of anxiety. have you ever seen What About Bob? That's me.

So, anyway I'm having some issues i'm worried about. i'm sick of feeling like i'm running toward death. i want to feel alive.

least

I just got sick and tired of waking up feeling horrible and hating myself. I'm coming up on five years in December and haven't felt this good in ages.

jt1234

Five years is awesome

Rence

I realized I was doomed by alcohol. I came to the belief that I would never be able to stop drinking. I had been struggling bad for the past 5 years. Somehow I got mad and frustrated and my mind opened up and I was willing to do whatever it takes. I think I finally got frustrated enough to fight. I tried to quit many times, but this time feels different.

Lusher

I stopped due to health concerns too.

I had suffered from fatigue and lack of energy for a few weeks, which was unusual, as I am a very active person. I decided to see my primary care physician and later learned that my liver enzymes were extremely elevated. I was told how this could lead to permanent liver damage if I continued.

Soon after I stopped, my energy level was back to normal, and six months after that, so were my liver enzymes.

After years of excessive drinking, along with this 'eye-opener' of a health scare, I decided that enough is enough.

MelindaFlowers

I draw very heavily every night for eight years. My tolerance kept going up so I kept having to drink more and more to get a buzz. I couldn't continue because:

The daily hangovers became nuclear.

Diagnosed with inflammation of the liver.

I decided that I did not want to die of liver failure in my mid-thirties. Yep, would have been "one of those." 32 now.