Delizadee

I quit because I bounced off the bottom for a couple years. Really hard, low bottom.
Lost my home, lost most of my stuff, lost my family, stuck in the courts over the last, and repeatedly tried to take my own life.

It doesn't seem like a big deal until you start waking up with the shakes and can only get through the days by drinking off the withdrawals.
Like sticking your finger in the crack of the dam and hoping that's enough to hold it together... for as long as possible.

OpenTuning

Towards the end of my 35 year drinking career I was moderating. Which involved a huge amount of work, and wasn't always successful. But what actually led me to stop was taking a 6 week break after catching a virus and wanting to be sure I was better before playing my first ever gig with a band I started up, having recently taken up playing guitar. After we finished playing I ordered a beer, and felt a bit disappointed with myself as I drank it. I started googling stuff, found SR, and 3 weeks later I quit for good, over two years ago now. Best decision I ever made. My only regret is I didn't do it decades earlier. So no, you do not need to hit a rock bottom before you can improve your life.

LadyBlue0527

I had exhausted all efforts to prove I could drink safely. It took me quite a few times to learn that every time I pick back up it's not a matter of if something bad is going to happen, it's a matter of when.

So grateful I never have to worry about what the next bad thing will be.

Karphil

I guess I fall under the "lover" category of the three L's. My husband relapsed into a drug addiction that he thought was under control 8 months into our marriage. In an effort to help him I attended AA meetings with him, read everything I could on addiction, and went to the family program at his rehab center. I started to realize that everything I was hearing about addiction applied to my drinking. I didn't lose my job, I wasn't having any health problems, I didn't drink and drive, I've never been arrested. I just sat at home and drank...every single night....until I blacked out. I've been sober for 21 days, and the longer I'm sober the more I can see how my drinking was a problem. All the minor injuries I've had over the years, all the mornings of waking up not remembering who I talked to or what I did the night before, all the subtle comments from family and friends who were concerned about how much I was drinking suddenly don't seem so "normal" anymore.

JoeCree

I first tried to quit alone using SR.. it lasted about 15 months.
Currently im on ~20 months and using only SR again. I have much more resolve this time around, and am completely at peace with the decision. My wife and friends all know I "quit" drinking, but none of them truly understands the battle of addiction and how hard this journey is.

fini

yes, i understand.
my concept of what "quitting alone" means is one of quitting without support from others in any form. hence my prior comment.
when joining and participating on a recovery forum, i am not quitting alone.
in my own case, i tried quitting alone many times, and could not.
Joining with others, mostly on the internet, was a huge change for me.

Wholesome

I'd had big dramatic, traumatic experiences happen to me because of drinking that made me try to quit, but the quit never lasted very long. I don't think fear is the best motivator, the fear fades and the AV sets in telling you, it was a one off, next time don't drink so much, it was situational, you can handle it blah blah blah.

This time I was just ready. I was just so tired of dragging this problem around with me. I stopped trying to quit and decided that it was over, no more tries, I was going to do it.

ChiefBromden

Although I did damage nerves in my legs/feet, that's not why I quit. I quit because what looked like freedom and rebellion quickly turned into slavery.

The second, but equally important part, is that I was no longer able to take a normal dump like normal people. You can laugh, but that made me feel horrible.

None of the 3 L's were into play at that point - yet, but I knew it would be next.

Not in time - the neuropathy will never go away - but not really a "finding my bottom" situation either.

Nikkabean326

I was about to write the same thing. Sick and tired of being sick and tired. I just finally recognized the ridiculousness of it all.

MidnightRider

I quit for several reasons.
I consider myself lucky that I did..... Prior to anything terrible happening.

1) Sick and tired of being sick and tired

2) Waking up terrified that I was gonna die!

3) Lost the joy of life

Sober now and slowly "coming back" to life!

tomsteve

one time long ago, my sons mom came over to have a talk with me about how my drinking was effecting my sons relationship with me. it was the first civil conversation we had ever had.
i agreed with everything she was sayin. when she got done i said,"hey, i gotta head up tot he store for a 12 pack. need anything?"
and i progressed further into alcoholism.

through the years i had people telling me what my drinking was doing to me.
through the years many people walked away from me.
through the years i saw people around me die from both drugs and alcohol. sometimes admitting that could be me and sometimes in denial and saying that wont happen to me.
i was even responsible for the death of another human while drunk.
and still drank for about 13 more years after that.

"Why did you quit?"
the pain of getting drunk exceeded the pain of reality and i was given the gift of desperation. i was out of denial and hated who and what i was.
however
i didnt quit. i did that before. never stayed quit for long.
this time i stopped and have stayed stopped.

some people "get it" early into alcoholism. some dont. its a fact that can be hard for me to accept at times.

NoahJ

1. Onset of Neuropathy.
2. Realization that I would need to morning drink to fight withdrawal.
3. Discovery of how alcoholics' livers process actually alcohol differently.

Zombie79

I quit because it was wrecking my health and my finances.
I was drinking at least two bottles of wine nightly, or a bottle of spirits. Constantly waking up tired, sick. I needed to stop hurting myself

Bunny211

I was lying on my couch bleeding to death from alcoholism at 30 years old.

tekink

I quit because I was harming my liver and my dr. told my I'd kill myself before too long if I kept it up.

Venecia

I quit alone.

I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, as others have noted. And I knew that while I had dodged serious consequences, that wouldn't last forever. And I wanted a chance at a healthy life.

After two months, I realized what a serious hold addiction had on me and I was teetering. Fortunately, I remembered "that web site" that I had visited a few months earlier. This time, I joined.

SR provided the support and tools I needed to continue living in the solution. Next month, it'll be four years. I'm grateful beyond words.

notgonnastoptry

Wow.

I'm really surprised and in awe of the people who did it before trauma entered their lives. I was not able to do it because the consequences never seemed dire. I didn't have law, didn't care too much about love, and for me, it was life/liver.

congrats on quitting before you reached rock bottom.

BrendaChenowyth

The older I get, my relapses are marked by more internal struggles than external ones. I'm not going out partying, I'm drinking privately and telling colleagues I don't drink at all. I'm not gonna get court ordered AA because of a DUI. I'm sober now because I having health issues that interfered with my life. Nobody else knew it was alcohol related so it just doesn't seem like a "rock bottom" kind of thing.

It isn't really about the event, in my opinion, it's about no longer being able to tolerate living this way.

Kachal

L for Lover over here. I thought I was hiding it better than I was. But how well can someone who's first daily drink is at 730am really hide anything? He confronted me about it (he found some empty vodka bottles I had not hidden so well or forgotten to dispose of) and I have never seen him afraid like that. He was afraid for me, my health, our future, but mostly he was afraid *of* me. Of how I would react to him even bringing it up. I saw in an instant that he had been tip toeing around me for years and my heart broke. I stopped.

readyt0change

The thought probably came as early as 21 but this summer I was drinking the most I've ever had, going to the bar 3 times a week on average.

Slowed down at the end of July but still drank and smoked thru august to october.

My last night I had a moment of clarity heading home on the streetcar. I had the spins, puked, (wasn't even that wasted but the joints got to me) and never in my life have I wanted to be sober. That moment was straw that broke the camels back it seems. Many many nights of disappointment heading back on the subway wondering why the **** am I doing this to myself? What's the point?


Woke up the morning of October 23 and I've been sober since.

Drugs and alcohol have been the main priority for the past 7 years and it's done nothing but harm to me and my family. I quit for my health and because it's limited me so much in my life. Who am I kidding? it's ruined my life until now. I was such a promising student in high school, when I didn't smoke or drink (my mom kept me on a tight leash.)

25 years old and I could barely keep a job with my habits. My dad is right when he says the substances affect me more than most. My addiction is by far my biggest weakness.

61 days this morning and I'm thankful. Have some money in the bank, will move out and leave my abusive mother and build a life for myself. I will change my life.