The 500 - halfway to quadruple digits.
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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The 500 - halfway to quadruple digits.
Hi folks. Today marks me day 500 without a drop of alcohol. This converts to 16.5 months. Recently I've regained a lot of what was lost. Inspiration and most importantly personality. Recovery itself appears effortless. The idea of drinking is no longer appealing and it has become a solid way of life.
I've noticed that out of many things that helped with recovery, perhaps the most significant has been, after all, stopping all caffeine use. Some say that is another thing and addiction, but I see caffeine and alcohol very closely linked together. Caffeine may indeed then be the original physiological reason I turned to alcohol in the first place. It is complex, but not that complex. In fact I see caffeine-addicts with pity at this day.
All in all... It's been a lot of work, especially the first 6 months, the first year too. I've used SR as my primary resource for knowledge, experience and support to deal with my alcohol addiction. That's all i've needed too. And it has worked well. Good luck to anyone still struggling with this. It'll get better.
I've noticed that out of many things that helped with recovery, perhaps the most significant has been, after all, stopping all caffeine use. Some say that is another thing and addiction, but I see caffeine and alcohol very closely linked together. Caffeine may indeed then be the original physiological reason I turned to alcohol in the first place. It is complex, but not that complex. In fact I see caffeine-addicts with pity at this day.
All in all... It's been a lot of work, especially the first 6 months, the first year too. I've used SR as my primary resource for knowledge, experience and support to deal with my alcohol addiction. That's all i've needed too. And it has worked well. Good luck to anyone still struggling with this. It'll get better.
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Join Date: Oct 2014
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Good on you! 500 days is amazing to hear. Very motivating to those of us that have a long way to go to get to 500.
I don't know if/how caffeine is linked to alcohol, but I am happy that you think so, cause I gave it up also, along with cigarettes and anything else I considered to be an addiction.
(Actually I didn't give it up completely...I went from drinking 1-2 liters of coffee a day to now maybe having one if I am out somewhere and it gets offered to me - kind of like someone who doesn't have an alcohol problem having one glass of wine on Christmas day.)
I don't know if/how caffeine is linked to alcohol, but I am happy that you think so, cause I gave it up also, along with cigarettes and anything else I considered to be an addiction.
(Actually I didn't give it up completely...I went from drinking 1-2 liters of coffee a day to now maybe having one if I am out somewhere and it gets offered to me - kind of like someone who doesn't have an alcohol problem having one glass of wine on Christmas day.)
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Welshman living in Cork, Ireland
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ThanksUnixBer, it's so good to hear success stories. You attribute much of it to SR, so all the more reason for me to "hang around" here for a while longer. To quadruple digits and beyond!
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Join Date: Jan 2014
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Well done!!
And on a morning I had intended NOT to have that first cup of coffee but am sitting here with a half-caf.... I am interested in your comments about caffeine.
I am finding it such a hard addiction to drop. I just know that it is working against my anxieties and energy levels and mild depression.... Yet I am really struggling to kick it.
Yesterday I had less than normal and as a result woke with a headache. I am physically addicted as well as mentally. How did you kick it?
And on a morning I had intended NOT to have that first cup of coffee but am sitting here with a half-caf.... I am interested in your comments about caffeine.
I am finding it such a hard addiction to drop. I just know that it is working against my anxieties and energy levels and mild depression.... Yet I am really struggling to kick it.
Yesterday I had less than normal and as a result woke with a headache. I am physically addicted as well as mentally. How did you kick it?
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 638
Thanks.
First of all. Caffeine releases dopamine, as other addictive drugs do. Secondly, it causes very subtle and nasty withdrawal reaction and chain. I'd say the withdrawal made me loony and depressed and I didn't know why. Alcohol seemed to help the depression.
I went with a 1-week taper moving to black tea... in the last days I tried to time my tea when I felt onsetting wd symptoms a sip or two to level them out. I drank my last cup during the night before I started completely caffeine-free time.
Basically I feel I was a nuthouse for the first month, still gradually improving, some days better some days totally out of it. It was eerie and weird, I won't lie. At about day 33 I noticed I'm normalizing. Drinking lots of water seems to help or lots of caffeine-free drinks such as herbal teas. I even had paranoia and hallucinations during that month that can't be discerned from reality or easily noticed. It's all about the stress hormones. Anyway good luck to that.
Originally Posted by Changel 
I don't know if/how caffeine is linked to alcohol, but I am happy that you think so, cause I gave it up also, along with cigarettes and anything else I considered to be an addiction.
Originally Posted by FreeOwl;
Yesterday I had less than normal and as a result woke with a headache. I am physically addicted as well as mentally. How did you kick it?
Basically I feel I was a nuthouse for the first month, still gradually improving, some days better some days totally out of it. It was eerie and weird, I won't lie. At about day 33 I noticed I'm normalizing. Drinking lots of water seems to help or lots of caffeine-free drinks such as herbal teas. I even had paranoia and hallucinations during that month that can't be discerned from reality or easily noticed. It's all about the stress hormones. Anyway good luck to that.
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,439
Way to go on 500 days alcohol free Unix!!!
Although I quit caffeine too, I have somehow ended up back on it. Although I do try to limit to no more than 3 cups of coffee a day now. But I noticed that I have been having a lot of anxiety lately and think I need to cut back further or quit entirely again.
Anyway, enough about me, congrats again!!
Although I quit caffeine too, I have somehow ended up back on it. Although I do try to limit to no more than 3 cups of coffee a day now. But I noticed that I have been having a lot of anxiety lately and think I need to cut back further or quit entirely again.
Anyway, enough about me, congrats again!!
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 8,637
the 'many benefits' argument is part of what keeps me stuck into my addiction of caffeine.
I think everyone is different and I have felt for a very long time that my overuse of caffeine over the years has done something negative to my body's balance. I think the 'benefits' are a lot like the benefits they talk about of alcohol. In very limited amounts, there is benefit. But overdo it for a long, chronic period of time, and I think it negatively impacts your brain, nervous system and physiology.
For me, it has a clear link to anxiety. Overactive sweating. Overactive stress response to everyday occurrences. Heart rate issues. Sleep issues. Hormonal / adrenal issues. I find lots of potential support for this theory - but then also lots of anecdotal and scientific support that "caffeine is beneficial". So I remain stuck in this cycle; feeling deep down that it is working against me. But addicted and so indecisive about getting rid of it for good. It's hooked me just like alcohol or cocaine or pot did. I can see myself behaving addictively with it. I get cravings for it. I get physical withdrawals from it. I have terrible mood responses and anxiety responses to it and with it.
Regardless what the research shows or what articles may say - I can sense through my inner knowing that caffeine is not helping me. I need to break that cycle.
I think everyone is different and I have felt for a very long time that my overuse of caffeine over the years has done something negative to my body's balance. I think the 'benefits' are a lot like the benefits they talk about of alcohol. In very limited amounts, there is benefit. But overdo it for a long, chronic period of time, and I think it negatively impacts your brain, nervous system and physiology.
For me, it has a clear link to anxiety. Overactive sweating. Overactive stress response to everyday occurrences. Heart rate issues. Sleep issues. Hormonal / adrenal issues. I find lots of potential support for this theory - but then also lots of anecdotal and scientific support that "caffeine is beneficial". So I remain stuck in this cycle; feeling deep down that it is working against me. But addicted and so indecisive about getting rid of it for good. It's hooked me just like alcohol or cocaine or pot did. I can see myself behaving addictively with it. I get cravings for it. I get physical withdrawals from it. I have terrible mood responses and anxiety responses to it and with it.
Regardless what the research shows or what articles may say - I can sense through my inner knowing that caffeine is not helping me. I need to break that cycle.
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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It happens easily with caffeine that you end up using it again. I already did two streaks caffeine free, and actually noticed benefits each time. Maybe it's the advertised and promoted benefits that do it. Maybe it's a kind of doubt. After all, 90% of people use it. It's very easy to doubt it since there are "good news" about caffeine everywhere you go. It doesn't mean that it is the truth though, which sadly I find it really isn't. - sometimes you just have to open the hatch and check the engines, instead of doing what the majority does, which is just keep driving without tuneups since nobody opens the hatch. Nobody cares. You get the point. 
For now I can state that I always had black eyelids and poor dream recall with caffeine. Now there's only 20% left of the blackness and strangely I remember all of my dreams, or fractions of them every morning. There is clearly more inspiration and I've had flashbacks and memories from strange situtations of the past... this I've taken up as a sign of restoring personality from the effects of caffeine.
Going with the masses isn't always wise. If 90% of the population was deluded, would you want to be deluded like them? What's the point? I'd rather know the truth. Anyway thanks for all the replies.
For now I can state that I always had black eyelids and poor dream recall with caffeine. Now there's only 20% left of the blackness and strangely I remember all of my dreams, or fractions of them every morning. There is clearly more inspiration and I've had flashbacks and memories from strange situtations of the past... this I've taken up as a sign of restoring personality from the effects of caffeine.
Going with the masses isn't always wise. If 90% of the population was deluded, would you want to be deluded like them? What's the point? I'd rather know the truth. Anyway thanks for all the replies.
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