Alcohol is just a giant lie
 

When I quit drinking over 4 years ago, I quit because the increasing negative consequences could no longer be ignored. The blackouts were the final straw. They were increasing in duration and my behavior was often unethical, dangerous, and illegal. It was obvious that it was only a matter of time before I caused irreversible damage to myself and most likely others.

I had to quit because I wasn't willing to end up dead, in jail or divorced. Also, I certainly did not want to be the cause of someone else's death or serious trauma. I had two small kids who needed a good sober dad.

I was happy I was quilting because it would eliminate all of the above negative consequences. I was sad though as well. No more happy hours with co-workers, beers at the ball games, fun mixed drinks on tropical vacations. Why couldn't I just be a normal drinker? It sucked, I figured I'll just have to deal with a boring sober life because the alternative is worse.

After I quit, I am sure like most people, it was months and months of ups and downs. It took a long time, more than 6 months, to finally see the truth. Alcohol offers nothing. Beers don't make the ball game better, they make it worse. Alcohol doesn't enhance vacations, it ruins them. Everything about alcohol is a negative. When I Quit drinking I only gave up misery and I gained true happiness.

Months and months of ups and down is spot on.

Life itself is full of ups and downs. The difference is, we no longer drink over the downs. We have learned to handle these things in a more constructive manner. Drinking doesn't make the downs any better, it just exacerbates them. Once we recognize that, we have made a major first step toward recovery.

Congrats on 4 years! :c011:

Congrats on your 4 years!
🎊🎉🤓♥️

Great post! Congratulations on 4 years sober 🙏

Great post. Congrats on 4 years. Yes alcohol is a total lie

thanks for your post RD and congrats again on 4 years :)

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Thanks, Rd2, I can relate. Well done at 2 years sober.

“As an alcoholic, you will violate your standards quicker than you can lower them.” — Robin Williams

I needed to hear this today Ready 2 Quit. Thank you. Alcohol is a big liar. I’m smarter than alcohol. It’s powerful, but I can beat it with help.

Thank you for posting this, Rd2quit. Looking back, my initial months of sobriety were largely due to my commitment to my family/friends, responsibility to my profession, and a personal understanding that it would, ultimately, be the best for my mental and physical health. But I romanticized the "euphoria" and escape of substance use throughout that period and ended up tripping at the 9-month mark. It's very hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle when a part of you misses the substance and feels longing.

Thank goodness for my mistake.

It revealed to me, in a Road to Damascus kind of way, the LIE of alcohol so that the longing could be removed.

I know it happens differently for different people, but my personal experience has been a Night/Day difference of subconscious longing since that mental shift. Now I desire, from the moment I wake up, to be fully present and peaceful and of good use to myself and others. Substance abuse plays ZERO role in that life. It is, as you said, a lie.

I want TRUTH (even when its hard). I was designed to handle hard things. I was not designed to numb myself out to escape them.

Congrats on your 4 years! Keep on living the dream!

This is an awesome post TC!

Congratulations on seeing the light. Wishing you the best.

Congrats on four years sober and thanks for a wonderful post. :)

Rd - Loved the post - completely agree. Can't believe I was once afraid to let go of it.
Congrats on your 4 yrs. I'm so thankful we are free.

You told it like it is! Thank you for that, those are words which should resonate with anyone who is tempted to believe that drinking makes anything better - it doesn't;
Congratulations on your sober time and a great post.

Great post, Rd2quit. I'm so glad that you're sober and doing well.

I agree. :agree :amen

the anticipation of drinking is always better than the act itself. play the tape forward

"When I Quit drinking I only gave up misery and I gained true happiness. "

I am thankful that you said that. Also, it took me a while to even find joy in anything, that's probably because I gave myself brain damage. I'm so grateful to be able to enjoy life again, but it seems like a lot of "normal" people aren't even enjoying life even though they apparently aren't alcoholics. A lot of folks are really depressed these days. Good job on 4 years. You have years on me.

I LOVE this post. I want a bumper sticker that says, “Alcohol is a liar.”

Congrats on your 4 years!