Alcohol really does stop working
 

I've heard it said in meetings before that alcohol stopped working. I never knew what they meant. I felt like alcohol always did what I needed but that came with consequences. Now, I'm a newcomer again but I've gotten so much out of previous sobriety that I don't need alcohol the way I used to. I thought drinking again would make me happy, make me feel included and at ease but it didn't. Just more puking, lying, drunk driving and now role modeling with a kid around. I needed to stop but couldn't seem to find the will. I wrote on here that I didn't have the will to quit. I started posting on here again even though I was still drinking. You guys gave me so much encouragement. And God pulled the trigger. Bad analogy but I mean that when I was willing God allowed me to follow his light. This sounds so corny. Think tinkerbell or something. I don't know exactly but there was a confluence of things I'll call God that brought me back to sobriety. And now, though it might not last, I have the gift of disinterest. I play the tape through and being sloppy drunk isn't anything I want. Love you all. Keep coming back.

Good for you. Yep it really does stop working. The science behind it is true and millions have lived to experience it's devastating effects. My last few benders were the same for me. I'm tired of looking at myself with shame and disgust. One day at a time. Every day gets a little brighter.

Never even realized it. It DOES stop working! And if I'm to be very honest, it stopped long ago.
It stopped being pleasurable some time after you get past the horrible poisonous taste...:headbange
Holly.🎋

It stopped working for me awhile ago, I would chug 6 in 30 minutes looking for a quick buzz...never came but of course I kept on chugging away until I threw up,blacked out,passed out,to go from sober to blackout with no buzz in between made me realize how dumb it was to even have one😊

Yup! Totally stopped working for me too. I kept chasing that elusive "feel good, happy go lucky" buzz. I could never get it. I got drunk from the neck down...from the neck up my head was on FIRE. I couldn't escape from myself anymore.

Excellent post, this struck me as extremely valuable "I have the gift of disinterest". I would take that gift and run with it as far as you can.

I'm not sure alcohol ever "worked" to begin with. It masked, it distorted, it lied, it destroyed, but it never actually did squat for me.

Actually no alcohol worked very good at getting me in much trouble.
Mountainman

You know alcohol numbed me to so many things in the past, and I liked it. I like going through life numb. Then it stopped making me numb and made me feel the immense anxiety it was numbing me to. That anxiety built up over many years of drinking. Then it all came to a head and it was horrible. I never want to feel that life again.

I am sober, and I love it. It stopped working and I am glad it did. If it was still making me numb I would still be drinking and missing out on life.

For instance, I recently had a day off because my kids had a day off and I had to watch them. BEFORE, I would be hung over and on the couch until lunch time, would make lunch and then nap while the kids napped. I would be pissed when they would wake up 2 hours later, because I felt that was not enough. Then I would start drinking because it was now the afternoon. Then I would be drunk soon after, and in bed shortly after dinner leaving the kids to my wife.

THIS TIME: woke up and ate breakfast with the kids. Did some morning coloring.crafts. Then took them out to meet their friends at an athletic club. I PLAYED with him instead of sitting on the side counting the minutes until the end. Then lunch, then nap, and instead of napping I got stuff done. They woke up and I wasnt pissed and we went outside and played some more. Other misc activities that afternoon. Then dinner, then bed time. The difference was I was active in their lives and I think having them experience that is changing the way they think of their dad. Before I was just there, yelling or getting mad. Now, I still get mad, that happens, but I am doing things with them. Its a difference and I like it.

That would have never happened had alcohol still been working to make me numb.

I don't know exactly when it stopped "working" for me but at some point my drinking changed from something that I wanted to do into something I needed to do.

I distinctly remember the first few beers of the day were to just get my heart rate back down and the lingering headache/hangover gone. I definitely wasn't drinking them to enjoy the "taste" either...they were quickly gulped down simply to get the alcohol in my body as fast as I could. Then after that it was pretty much all about maintaining a good enough BAC to keep my heart rate/palpitations down for the rest of the day/night until I passed out and started all over again the next day.

I understand EXACTLY what you are saying. You put my thoughts into words. I have the same gift this time, I hope and pray it never goes away. But I'm prepared if it does.

It stopped working for me when I needed it to make panic stop, or sweats. It was no longer enjoyable, I didn't want to drink but continued. Embarrassing really.