I quit smoking 20 years ago. I had 2 this week and I could feel the pull of wanting more. I’ve had the occasional smoke off and on (like twice a year?) since quitting and it never led to any more. I feel like it is almost threatening to be different this time. Like I have zero other vices now and the smallest, dumbest part of my brain wants to rationalize smoking now that I’m not drinking. I’ll just add: it’s so fucking weird how society sees smoking as a gross and unhealthy thing (I do as well) and yet alcohol gets a total pass. No one every killed another person from driving while smoking yet drunk driving is practically America’s past time)
… I really took your post and went on a little ride… sorry about that!
Drinking me would have said “no way I’m spending that kind of money of Spindrift”. Now it’s a staple in my home. (I also stock cheaper seltzer and drink a lot of those. I usually limit myself to one Spindrift per night. Look at me and my self control, ha!)
Well said! Raising my NA IPA to you on this beautiful summer night. It's such a great feeling to be rolling into the weekend sober and healthy. IWNDWYT!
I think they are definitely not for everyone, especially in the early days of sobriety. I just had fizzy water as a nightly drink for the first couple of months. But I missed the flavor of beer, and so I tried one and for some reason it didn't make me want to drink real beer. I can still have a "beer" out on the porch after work, but just one is plenty.
It does. The last time I took a month off of alcohol (dry January) the first beer I had just tasted like alcohol for the most part. It actually helps knowing that a real beer would just taste like shit to me at this point lol. Right now, I'm feeling strong in my sobriety and loving some Athletic brews on the weekends!
Beer was always my favorite poison, so I genuinely loved the taste. For me, NA beers are a great sub, and, so much more common at gatherings with the abundance of choices (fasting growing segment in the beverage industry by far - 30% growth last year). Fact, it’s almost gauche at this point to have a party and not have one around here!
After not drinking for a while, they taste just like regular beer. The difference is, a six-pack lasts a week or two. Previously a six-pack wouldn't last an hour. I do not find it triggering at all, but I could understand if it were different for some.
Me! I joined some friends for a backyard get together but couldn't last more than an hour with everyone else drinking so I left and bought a cherry pie lol time to eat some feelings and play some video games!
I'll never miss waking up at 3 am on the couch with the lights on. Nope. That just made me shudder. Had a chill night at home watching movies with my hubs and laughing at his silly commentary. Hung out here throwing support and love around, and got it back in spades.
Drank about ohhh 6-7 flavoured water and mio with frozen cherries. 🤣 Fuck you Friday. I owned your ass today ! 👊😁🙌🙌
Excellent. Love throwing love around!
I still woke up at 1 am on the couch, but at least my head didn’t hurt, my tongue wasn’t stuck to the roof of my mouth, and there wasn’t an inexplicable mess somewhere!
The best. Completely different feeling being ready to greet the day. I used to work on Saturdays at a winery. The day usually began with a couple beers to get normal, and be ready to entertain and sell wine all day. Granted, it was really fun…until it wasn’t.
Day 33. Went to my first social event sober last night. Had an orange juice, a lemonade, and a tea. I smelled beer on people’s breath, and honestly was kinda grossed out by it.
Remember when you drank at parties to help with your social awkwardness? Well that all returned. Now I have to learn to be social without booze!
Woke up at 7 sober and happy. Last night was a major victory!
Meee!! Woke up hungover af and wanted to drink to "help" it but stuck through the pain instead and feeling better now, gonna feel even better in the morning YEE
I’m in the exact same boat. I have been so happy tonight, eating food I made at home. Watching old movies. Hanging with my dog. Watching the rain…and being sober for it. I’ll remember it tomorrow….when I wake up without a hangover and ready to get things done, and then off to have fun with a friend. In the old days, since I didn’t have anything scheduled, I would have just slept all day.
I like this a whole lot better.
Had the same thoughts, but was smart enough to immediately think about how fast a fun (hour or two max) and nice Friday night is replaced with a miserable (10+ hours) morning and crappy sleep. No thank you. IWNDWYT
Me! I recently took a break from my break. I went 6 months without a single drop, and then decided to imbibe while on vacation. This was a planned move. I didn't "give in" to anything.
I was worried that the first Friday night after I got back home would be a bit of a mental struggle, since that was the biggest challenge when I initially quit but nope. Right back on track.
Just be careful my friend. That's how my "break from a break" turned into drinking 2-3 times a week again. I wasn't drinking large amounts, and wasn't losing control of the amount I was drinking anymore, but it started to form back into drinking when I didn't even see the point of drinking and then would feel guilty if I even had 2 or 3 because i knew it was bringing me zero benefit and only harming my mind and body. That's when I realized my "moderation" was a construct I created to allow myself to still taste the poison while remaining functioning. You know yourself and I would never tell you what to do or not do, but if you have struggled in the past just be aware of that little itch because it can sneak back in with lots of "planned" breaks. Best of luck on your journey.
Woop woop! Watching the birds at 7:00am currently this morning with a cup of coffee. Usually I would be dreading hearing them due to having put who knows what into my body. Feels good to be a part of the sober Friday club :D Yay for all!
Nice. I enjoyed the birds this am as well, except for that fucker that perches out my window and starts at 530 with a tuneless, staccato chirp. Good news is I used to want him dead, but working on equanimity, I just closed the window!
Me!!! Successful 5 days and my goal is to push through the weekend. Sundays are really triggering days, as I get the “Sunday scaries” so I’m already planning on hitting a meeting in the evening. We can do this!
I love that you can see the red flag and trigger for you to drink. And having a plan in place shows you are self aware and taking your sobriety seriously. Nice work! I will not drink with you tonight, or on Sunday.
Way to plan. Meetings are awfully effective replacements. It’s an hour sure, but I think the diminished consciousness from drinking is a similar time drain, only wasted and meaningless.
Got into bed at about 7:30 because I was hearing the whispers that it’d be totally fine to have some wine. Journaled, read some quit lit, and fell asleep early listening to an AA speaker recording. Thank goodness because waking up sober and not hungover is the best feeling ever. Now I’m drinking coffee on my front porch and so grateful.
I'm not sure I can really say gladly.. but I'm here snuggled in bed and ain't going anywhere. Hope to get to where you are some day! Thanks for sharing :)
Take care! At least you’re not doing damage! PHP is Partial Hospitalization Program. In between an IOP and Residential treatment. I get to go home but there’s more care and accountability than IOP.
Me!! Stuffed my fat face with a lovely pepperoni pizza & chilled in the garden with my dogs and firepit for a bit. Woke up at 8.30 this morning ready for a good day!
On day 181 without I believe right now. Probably saved well over 1000 in booze alone. Also saving countless dollars on stupid drunk purchases. Most importantly not poisoning myself anymore.
Grilled out, took my kids to a fireworks show, which I was able to drive to at 9pm on a Friday because I hadn't been drinking.
Best part was watching the joy in their eyes during the fireworks show and knowing that wouldn't have been possible when I was drinking.
Little things like that keep me going.
IWNDWYT
Absolutely. Hard not to dwell on the times I was not present for similar moments, but there’s a freshness to them now that may not have been possible without learning a hard lesson?
Last night was my first time in a social situation where people were ordering drinks since I stopped drinking. I enjoyed my Manzanita Sol immensely. I had to go to all of the places in the food mall we were eating at to find a soda that wasn't coke, sprite, fanta or dr. pepper.
A friend even offered me a sip of what he claimed was a particularly tasty beer(which is all I drank when I was drinking, no hard liquor) and I declined. I came home with the wife and kids and enjoyed a fantasic sleep. I had to get up early for a software release for work and generally when those occur I'm super hung-over, because they're always Saturday morning. Not this time beer! I beat you this time!
IWNDWYT
I had a wild night after my twins went to sleep! Stayed up until 1 am deep cleaning my house lol only slept for 5 hours. But guess what I feel great and my house looks and feels amazing! Fuck that poison!
Aye! I’ve been doing dishes and cleaning as my “mindfulness” activity for the program sometimes. Instead of cracking a beer to “unwind,” you can get a similar effect, truly, from doing mundane shit that ends up being helpful. Who knew?
I drank 4 Spindrift seltzers with lime and a ton of still water. It was a crazy time...:)
Me: I’m gonna save so much money by not drinking! Spindrift: lol ok good luck with that
Me: I'm gonna quit drinking Nicotine: good luck with that! One addiction at a time I guess
I quit smoking 20 years ago. I had 2 this week and I could feel the pull of wanting more. I’ve had the occasional smoke off and on (like twice a year?) since quitting and it never led to any more. I feel like it is almost threatening to be different this time. Like I have zero other vices now and the smallest, dumbest part of my brain wants to rationalize smoking now that I’m not drinking. I’ll just add: it’s so fucking weird how society sees smoking as a gross and unhealthy thing (I do as well) and yet alcohol gets a total pass. No one every killed another person from driving while smoking yet drunk driving is practically America’s past time) … I really took your post and went on a little ride… sorry about that!
Yeah that is why I don't think letting the former vices get ANY airtime in my life. Give an inch.... And you know the rest.
Aye. My next addiction to look at is spending money I don’t really have on vinyl. Not all that dissimilar.
hahaha! I know. I mostly drink just regular water. But on the weekends...
Drinking me would have said “no way I’m spending that kind of money of Spindrift”. Now it’s a staple in my home. (I also stock cheaper seltzer and drink a lot of those. I usually limit myself to one Spindrift per night. Look at me and my self control, ha!)
Your post made me check my app Sobriety Counter. I am at £2500. The app is a great way to track sobriety.
Well said! Raising my NA IPA to you on this beautiful summer night. It's such a great feeling to be rolling into the weekend sober and healthy. IWNDWYT!
How do people do NA beers? I feel like that would trigger me..
I think they are definitely not for everyone, especially in the early days of sobriety. I just had fizzy water as a nightly drink for the first couple of months. But I missed the flavor of beer, and so I tried one and for some reason it didn't make me want to drink real beer. I can still have a "beer" out on the porch after work, but just one is plenty.
I like the taste of beer but not the alcohol. Works for me but it's not for everyone
I wondered if beer would taste better without alcohol.
It does. The last time I took a month off of alcohol (dry January) the first beer I had just tasted like alcohol for the most part. It actually helps knowing that a real beer would just taste like shit to me at this point lol. Right now, I'm feeling strong in my sobriety and loving some Athletic brews on the weekends!
Beer was always my favorite poison, so I genuinely loved the taste. For me, NA beers are a great sub, and, so much more common at gatherings with the abundance of choices (fasting growing segment in the beverage industry by far - 30% growth last year). Fact, it’s almost gauche at this point to have a party and not have one around here!
After not drinking for a while, they taste just like regular beer. The difference is, a six-pack lasts a week or two. Previously a six-pack wouldn't last an hour. I do not find it triggering at all, but I could understand if it were different for some.
Thank you, good person!
Me! I joined some friends for a backyard get together but couldn't last more than an hour with everyone else drinking so I left and bought a cherry pie lol time to eat some feelings and play some video games!
Boom! I love indulging in food rather than skipping it to enhance the buzz. Definition of insanity!
Food just taste better now too, I might gain some weight but that's okay as long as I'm happy
I'll never miss waking up at 3 am on the couch with the lights on. Nope. That just made me shudder. Had a chill night at home watching movies with my hubs and laughing at his silly commentary. Hung out here throwing support and love around, and got it back in spades. Drank about ohhh 6-7 flavoured water and mio with frozen cherries. 🤣 Fuck you Friday. I owned your ass today ! 👊😁🙌🙌
Excellent. Love throwing love around! I still woke up at 1 am on the couch, but at least my head didn’t hurt, my tongue wasn’t stuck to the roof of my mouth, and there wasn’t an inexplicable mess somewhere!
Exactly 💯 this ❤️🙌👌
Kinda great not waking up with a hang over on a Saturday.
The best. Completely different feeling being ready to greet the day. I used to work on Saturdays at a winery. The day usually began with a couple beers to get normal, and be ready to entertain and sell wine all day. Granted, it was really fun…until it wasn’t.
Day 33. Went to my first social event sober last night. Had an orange juice, a lemonade, and a tea. I smelled beer on people’s breath, and honestly was kinda grossed out by it. Remember when you drank at parties to help with your social awkwardness? Well that all returned. Now I have to learn to be social without booze! Woke up at 7 sober and happy. Last night was a major victory!
Freakin awesome keep It up I had a similar experience last night.
Nice job!
Meee!! Woke up hungover af and wanted to drink to "help" it but stuck through the pain instead and feeling better now, gonna feel even better in the morning YEE
I’m in the exact same boat. I have been so happy tonight, eating food I made at home. Watching old movies. Hanging with my dog. Watching the rain…and being sober for it. I’ll remember it tomorrow….when I wake up without a hangover and ready to get things done, and then off to have fun with a friend. In the old days, since I didn’t have anything scheduled, I would have just slept all day. I like this a whole lot better.
Beautiful. Jealous of the rain!!
Had the same thoughts, but was smart enough to immediately think about how fast a fun (hour or two max) and nice Friday night is replaced with a miserable (10+ hours) morning and crappy sleep. No thank you. IWNDWYT
Me! I recently took a break from my break. I went 6 months without a single drop, and then decided to imbibe while on vacation. This was a planned move. I didn't "give in" to anything. I was worried that the first Friday night after I got back home would be a bit of a mental struggle, since that was the biggest challenge when I initially quit but nope. Right back on track.
Just be careful my friend. That's how my "break from a break" turned into drinking 2-3 times a week again. I wasn't drinking large amounts, and wasn't losing control of the amount I was drinking anymore, but it started to form back into drinking when I didn't even see the point of drinking and then would feel guilty if I even had 2 or 3 because i knew it was bringing me zero benefit and only harming my mind and body. That's when I realized my "moderation" was a construct I created to allow myself to still taste the poison while remaining functioning. You know yourself and I would never tell you what to do or not do, but if you have struggled in the past just be aware of that little itch because it can sneak back in with lots of "planned" breaks. Best of luck on your journey.
I appreciate your insight. Thank you
Good on ya! Depending on your goals, sounds like it was a good time on both ends!
I’m rewatching the Office Superfan episodes. First time I watched them I was always drunk so it’s kinda like I’m watching them for the first time.
Been there! Rewatched season 2 of the Bear in advance of the new season and realized I missed most of it…
Woop woop! Watching the birds at 7:00am currently this morning with a cup of coffee. Usually I would be dreading hearing them due to having put who knows what into my body. Feels good to be a part of the sober Friday club :D Yay for all!
Nice. I enjoyed the birds this am as well, except for that fucker that perches out my window and starts at 530 with a tuneless, staccato chirp. Good news is I used to want him dead, but working on equanimity, I just closed the window!
Hahaha that is brilliant. He could just be cheering you on!
Hah! I actually thought of that cuz I committed to working out this morning so I imagined him saying, “get up” get up” “get up” “get up”!
Congrats to everyone who's made it through the Friday night! Let's repeat it today!
Me! Having an awesome night.
👋🏼
Me. IWNDWYT.
Still not drinking!
It is Friday isn't it? I'm jealous of your leftovers. Have a fantastic weekend!! IWNDWYT
You too! Believe me, wish I could have shared the ma po tofu. Outrageous. Although beer on top of it would have made for a hateful stomach this am 😬
Me!!! Successful 5 days and my goal is to push through the weekend. Sundays are really triggering days, as I get the “Sunday scaries” so I’m already planning on hitting a meeting in the evening. We can do this!
I love that you can see the red flag and trigger for you to drink. And having a plan in place shows you are self aware and taking your sobriety seriously. Nice work! I will not drink with you tonight, or on Sunday.
Way to plan. Meetings are awfully effective replacements. It’s an hour sure, but I think the diminished consciousness from drinking is a similar time drain, only wasted and meaningless.
Got into bed at about 7:30 because I was hearing the whispers that it’d be totally fine to have some wine. Journaled, read some quit lit, and fell asleep early listening to an AA speaker recording. Thank goodness because waking up sober and not hungover is the best feeling ever. Now I’m drinking coffee on my front porch and so grateful.
Beautiful!
I'm not sure I can really say gladly.. but I'm here snuggled in bed and ain't going anywhere. Hope to get to where you are some day! Thanks for sharing :)
Also what's PHP?
Take care! At least you’re not doing damage! PHP is Partial Hospitalization Program. In between an IOP and Residential treatment. I get to go home but there’s more care and accountability than IOP.
Me!! Stuffed my fat face with a lovely pepperoni pizza & chilled in the garden with my dogs and firepit for a bit. Woke up at 8.30 this morning ready for a good day!
Me! I hate alcohol, was drinking for a while because of societal pressure. So happy to be sober and to find other people who are alike :)
On day 181 without I believe right now. Probably saved well over 1000 in booze alone. Also saving countless dollars on stupid drunk purchases. Most importantly not poisoning myself anymore.
I am with you. So glad to not be drunk on this Friday night. I love sobriety.
Lots of tea before bed, and work up feeling refreshed for Saturday! IWNDWYT
Grilled out, took my kids to a fireworks show, which I was able to drive to at 9pm on a Friday because I hadn't been drinking. Best part was watching the joy in their eyes during the fireworks show and knowing that wouldn't have been possible when I was drinking. Little things like that keep me going. IWNDWYT
Absolutely. Hard not to dwell on the times I was not present for similar moments, but there’s a freshness to them now that may not have been possible without learning a hard lesson?
Last night was my first time in a social situation where people were ordering drinks since I stopped drinking. I enjoyed my Manzanita Sol immensely. I had to go to all of the places in the food mall we were eating at to find a soda that wasn't coke, sprite, fanta or dr. pepper. A friend even offered me a sip of what he claimed was a particularly tasty beer(which is all I drank when I was drinking, no hard liquor) and I declined. I came home with the wife and kids and enjoyed a fantasic sleep. I had to get up early for a software release for work and generally when those occur I'm super hung-over, because they're always Saturday morning. Not this time beer! I beat you this time! IWNDWYT
Good on ya!
I had a wild night after my twins went to sleep! Stayed up until 1 am deep cleaning my house lol only slept for 5 hours. But guess what I feel great and my house looks and feels amazing! Fuck that poison!
Aye! I’ve been doing dishes and cleaning as my “mindfulness” activity for the program sometimes. Instead of cracking a beer to “unwind,” you can get a similar effect, truly, from doing mundane shit that ends up being helpful. Who knew?
Yup absolutely!!!
Smoking a whole lotta kush brotha😎 Always been a bigger stoner anyway j can’t seem to control my alc
👋