JT0626

My lightbulb moment was when I was having a conversation with my boss (I love my boss). We were talking about her son in law & how he & my husband have a very similar childhood (aka rough childhoods). My boss was telling me how her son in law was raised by his grandmother because his mother married an alcoholic & then she became an alcoholic. That was such an eye opener for me!

It got me to thinking how I wasn't a drinker until I got with my husband. Then it got me to thinking how negatively this can affect my daughter. Hearing that story from my boss literally broke my heart because all I could think about was my daughter, I love her to no end.

What was your light bulb moment?

SaviorNomad

I downed a 6-er of beer and yelled at my girlfriend over Skype. I made my girlfriend cry. We never so much as squabble in regular life.
Before that point, I had kept my drinking away from her. After that, I couldn't think to drink again without thinking about how my actions hurt her.
Since quitting, I've found that I've hurt a number of others through my drinking as well... In addition to myself

least

I didn't really have one single moment. It was a culmination of all the bad ways I'd been feeling and how desperate I was to feel good about myself.

I was just sick and tired of always being sick and tired.

JT0626

I understand that all too well. Hugs....and thanks for sharing.

luvmygirls

I think it was a cumulative effect for me, too. I've known I needed to quit for a LONG time. However, I had a drinking binge over the course of several days (is that a bender?) in August where I was just out of control, drinking wine at all hours and even during my sober times, feeling so low and terrible.

Findingtheway

Waking up in the hospital. Totally bewildered and aggressive.

Finding out the next morning i blacked out on the subway platform and 911 was called. Someone was looking out for me that night because it sure as hell wasn't me.

That was 35 days ago. I haven't had a drop since. Nor will it EVER touch my lips again in my lifetime.

My higher power sent me a message that night...And i don't think he was very pleased with me.

soberclover

While I for sure had a list of bad things happen towards the end of my drinking; finding myself in the intensive care unit in the hospital with a major head injury from a fall I must have taken while in a blackout was the final event. I will have two years at the end of this month.

Soberpotamus

My light bulb moment was the moment I realized I COULD quit. That I could do it right then, that day, that moment. That I wouldn't ever have to pick up another drink. That things could be different.

aliencat

Breaking my arm during a blackout, not being able to work for 10 weeks while healing, owing the hospital $5,000 and lying to everyone about what happened because I was too ashamed to admit that I had a problem.

It wasn't the first bone I'd broken as a result of my drinking, but I'm doing my best to make sure it's the last.

Crazy thing is: Lying to everyone and keeping the truth as a dark secret was a bigger wake-up call than the broken bone. I never want to feel that guilt, shame, embarrassment, and disappointment again. The physical pain was only a reflection & manifestation of the inner pain I've been feeling for a long time. I'm grateful for the broken bone - it was the catalyst I desperately needed.


Great thread, JT. Thank you.

JT0626

Great responses so far! I just want you all to know that I am drawing inspiration from each & every one of you.

Ms Marie

Definitely a cumulative thing for me. Also being sick of being sick.

The main thing for me was my kids. I'm a widow and my kids need me. If I'm drinking I'm not available for them. I've been checked out for years. I hate what I've done to them, hopefully moving forward I will be better.

thank you for this question.

anattaboy

What Jennie said and that was shortly after reading of RR and AVRT in the Secular Forums. Oh, and I was pretty physically sick from the booze.

wheresthefun

As many stated, it was cumulative, but in particulare the daily withdrawals AND towards the very end I was hardly eating, that made me realize I must stop drinking - one way or the other. BUT, MY crucial "light bulb" moment came the second day after I became a non-drinker, when I realized my life could and would be perfectly fine without ever drinking alcohol again. Three plus years later...

NJKitty

The final straw for me was when I got drunk and blacked out in front of one of my daughter's friend's parents. I apologized to the parents immediately afterward. I feared they would never let her come to my house again, unsupervised. That was in June, 2013. The little girl spent the night last night, but it did take some time. I never want my daughter to be embarrassed of me, or loose a friend, or her reputation because of me.

JanieJ

Cumulative, but three main reasons:

Developing Pancreatitis

A role model for my beautiful grandkids, instead of a drunken, smelly old woman

And my son, who I haven't mentioned until now -he is also an alcoholic, and I want to show him it can be done.

I'm so sick of it all being about me- it's time I made amends by giving what I can.

LBrain

being escorted by armed security officers to outside the gate

Barnumb

Seeing some of my friends heavy drinking parents die both early and sudden of alcohol related illnesses.

Turning 40 had a big effect on my realization of my own mortality.

Getting to the point of hiding booze so my drinking looked less offensive.

Nowsthetime

Arghhhhh... This one is hard to admit bluntly.

I got blackout drunk on my daughter's 3rd bday party. I was ok when I put her to bed but after it was on. My inlaws were here and I was kind of an ass infront of them and everyone else. They still don't think what is did was so bad, but to me it was too much. I don't want to be that. So I passed out on the couch and vomited on my sleep, woke up at 3am covered in vomit. Got up, cleaned it up and flipped the cushion... It was SO GROSS! Of course I had the hangover from hell.

Wait, it's not over... The next week I tried to moderate and ended up blacking out and don't remember the cab ride home. I was alone. Soooooo scary.

To this day I get a yuck feeling thinking about these things.

I haven't thrown up since I quit. I also don't gag brushing my teeth. So much better!

Thomasthetank

I just woke up.

It's the strangest thing. I woke up at around 4am as I usually would and went gasping to the bathroom for water, once again, fairly standard stuff. I looked into my bloodshot eyes and a voice somewhere inside me asked if this was how I was going to die. I decided it wasn't.

Why that night I'll never know.

courage2

Finding out that two old lovers and people I drank with had killed themselves -- I found out about both on the same day although they'd each been dead already for years. I realized on that day that I was heading to be the third in the set. It was still a couple of months before I seriously tried to quit, but that was when I knew my problem was going to kill me.