emptycan

Hey all! Let me start off by giving you some stats. I'm 28 and I've been drinking roughly 12 beers or a little more a day for the past ten years. It has caused me some DUI trouble, which in turn affected my ability to start my car in the morning due to the interlock, so it's been messing up work too. I've been very adamant about not being forced into quitting drinking just because I operated a car while I was drunk. I found ways to get around treatment and still drink, and it's not hard to do when you're an evening drinker - I was never the shaky type. Anyways, I thought I'd never get pulled over, and I didn't expect the punishment to be so devastating if I did. I haven't driven intoxicated in over five years.

So here I am now, done with all of the requirements but I still have this damn thing in my car. Like all of us, I love to drink. I am pondering quitting for my health and so I can be more reliable as far as driving goes. So, I guess I'm just sayin "hi". If you have any advice let me know. I was never into AA much, btw.

whathaveidone84

ive quit 6 weeks this sunday and i feel way better man....no hangovers rocks like seriously good, saved a ton of money and feel way healthier - the only down is this damn fatigue i have no idea when it will go away someone will know.....thanks

least

Welcome! I got to the point where I didn't like to drink anymore, but had to drink to keep from getting into withdrawals. I gave it up for good over six years ago and don't miss it one bit.

My life is so much better sober. Less complicated, for sure.

emptycan

I do feel like **** everyday until I drink, that's bothering me to. I used to be cool until like 7 or 8 no problem. Now a lot of days I skip coffee and go right to beer. Then I'm trapped in my house. Why can't they just let us drive bumper cars? lol. I've considered getting a bike but I hear they can screw you over on those as well. It's looking like the only easy way is to just drop the booze altogether. Now that I'm not being forced into it, I think it'll be easier.

Dee74

Hi emptycan

I understand the ambivalence I sense in your post...my drinking almost killed me...But I still wasn't sure i wanted to quit when i got here.

Reading these posts, and hearing my story again and again in them, convinced me that I was just like these people and it was time to end the toxic relationship I had with alcohol, and try a new way of life.

I've never regretted it. I hope you'll make the same decision

D

teatreeoil007

Letting go of one thing usually means embracing another... Drop the booze and find out-it's not just about driving drunk or not.. Life is so much better when we don't allow a depressent to cross our blood brain barrier...

emptycan

I never really learned to live without it. I never had a chance, I was binge drinking in highschool, and when I started making my own money it just slapped into everyday. Now I'm just trying to figure out what I really like or want. Before my main goal was to make enough to support myself and drink in a decent environment without people pestering me about it.

teatreeoil007

Alcohol masks what you really and truly like/want/need.

teatreeoil007

It's also been known to mask pain and mask our true feelings.

emptycan

Now here I am, it's 2:10am and I'm considering staying awake until 6am so I can get a beer. I didn't have enough to fall asleep tonight. It's all just ****** and I'm tired of it.

teatreeoil007

It also robs you of restorative, rejuvenating sleep.

emptycan

It's the stress I can't stand. There's nothing to be stressed about but when I don't have a beer in me, I go into some kind of mild panic mode.

teatreeoil007

Sounds like you struggle with anxiety perhaps... Have you been seen by a doc or therapist?

MovingForward1

Hi empty can, glad you're posting. Not to be a downer, but these feelings you talk about, not sleeping, needing a morning drink, etc. it only gets worse, never better. If you read the stories and posts on here you'll see so many of us that were at your stage, kept drinking, and it just gets uglier. Please take this into account, it's worth it to stop now.

Hope you stick around.

emptycan

You're right, and I probably would have considered really quitting a long time ago but I have so much resentment for being forced into treatment classes, ect. It's not the right way to deal with us. I understand the interlock though, but that should be the only thing I had to do.

emptycan

I haven't but I'm pretty sure I have anxiety, Tea. It's always been there, and when I had my first beer it all cleared up. I remember moving the lawn for a beer here and there.

kinzoku

Giving sobriety a shot never hurt anyone.

Paix Amour

Im no expert but it appears to me your drinking is unmanageable. You are out of control. You need to want to stop drinking.

Do you want to stop?

emptycan

I might need to be medicated to stay away from it. I had a pretty rough upbringing to put it lightly. My mother had/has addiction and mental health issues.

teatreeoil007

Maybe you need some good therapy, effective meds that target the problem instead of using beer to treat anxiety? A trip to a good doc would be a starting point.