Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!

[mm1970]

Wow. You guys are great. Thank you so much for the advice.

@mspym - I think using the Coronavirus & self quarantine as an explanation is a great idea (when the time comes). I will continue to mull over how exactly I can word the explanation. I have also been wrestling with admitting alcohol severely negatively impacts my mental health. I have been in some pretty dark places while hungover. Perhaps they will understand more if I "pull back the curtains".

@wenchsenior - as @Malkynn notes, people, especially younger people, react negatively towards the "I am getting healthier" explanation. Why? They are confronted with the fact that something they enjoy doing (drinking alcohol) has NO health benefits whatsoever. It forces them to examine why they continue to drink. Most folks do not want to do that. They find it uncomfortable. As sort of a defensive mechanism, they can become hostile and bullying. I know this because I have experienced it (I am young). I am 29 and my friends socialize by brewery hopping, wine tasting, etc. The whole social scene is predicated on alcohol - this is why it has been so difficult for me to stop the past few years; I go weeks without drinking, meet up with friends I haven't seen in awhile, and get BOMBED.

Day 37 for me today. Be well, guys.

It's not just the young people either, though I can see that.

I live in wine country.  I have friends in the business.  I love wine, and I belong to two local wineries.

I really want to support my friend's business right now (wine tours), which is, obviously, not running.  Will this company, that's 15-20 years old and fantastic, survive?  I hope so.

But I did one of their wine tours once.  It was lovely but it was TOO MUCH.  It was FOUR wine tastings (four different wineries). Which, yeah, you sip and spit eventually.  It's just a whole day (8 hours).

I'm of the "enjoy a glass, or 1.5 glasses" with friends kind of person.  I've even learned at our neighborhood potluck - if I want to make sure that I don't take wine home, I have to open the bottle before I go - so that people drink it first.

Anyway, I feel great right now.  I think my last glass was 3/18.  I do have 7-8 bottles in the house.  Saving those for when our potlucks are sanctioned again.

ETA: Malkynn is spot on for the middle aged parents comment

[CrustyBadger]

I stopped drinking 2 summers ago, and only had serious cravings or a hard time the first few months after I quit, I think.

Every once in a while, in response to a specific trigger, I'd have a brief craving, but it was totally manageable.

But the past few weeks I have had a bunch of cravings, in response to stress I guess, and the unpredictability of our situation now with COVID and social distancing, and everything in life just getting that much harder (managing school, work, shopping, health care for everyone in my family).

More nights than not I find myself thinking how much I'd like a drink.

I'm VERY grateful that I am NOT drinking anymore.  (Our town is organizing all sorts of businesses that do home delivery, and lots of them are delivering alcohol.  There's no shortage of easy access for me.  But I don't want it.). Nothing about my situation and life right now would be made better by me drinking alcohol; I know this. 

But the cravings are really coming more frequently now than ever before in the past 18-20 months.

[Metalcat]

^

I can't understate how incredibly happy I am to not be drinking through this. I know I've already said that, but I know myself, and I know that the urge to drink would just be constant right now. It's not that I think that I would drink a ton, but that the lack of structure and constant wonkiness of the situation are the perfect trigger for thinking "a drink would be great right now"

Because I'm not drinking, when those thoughts come up, the answer is a simple and quick "no".

If I were still a regular drinker though...ugh...I would have to actually make a decision every single time. It would be exhausting.

Btw, 100 days today!

[wenchsenior]

^

I can't understate how incredibly happy I am to not be drinking through this. I know I've already said that, but I know myself, and I know that the urge to drink would just be constant right now. It's not that I think that I would drink a ton, but that the lack of structure and constant wonkiness of the situation are the perfect trigger for thinking "a drink would be great right now"

Because I'm not drinking, when those thoughts come up, the answer is a simple and quick "no".

If I were still a regular drinker though...ugh...I would have to actually make a decision every single time. It would be exhausting.

Btw, 100 days today!

Excellent!

:applause:waves flag:

[mm1970]

^

I can't understate how incredibly happy I am to not be drinking through this. I know I've already said that, but I know myself, and I know that the urge to drink would just be constant right now. It's not that I think that I would drink a ton, but that the lack of structure and constant wonkiness of the situation are the perfect trigger for thinking "a drink would be great right now"

Because I'm not drinking, when those thoughts come up, the answer is a simple and quick "no".

If I were still a regular drinker though...ugh...I would have to actually make a decision every single time. It would be exhausting.

Btw, 100 days today!

Excellent!

And I feel the same.  I have wine, it would be great to have a glass, but nope. 

Today, when I needed to destress in between conf calls and getting my 7 yo to do homework, I sat down with him and colored.

[paulkots]

Reached my goal of not drinking from Jan 1st to April 1st. With the lockdown going on, local breweries are offering killer deals on beer, they also offer free delivery within 10 miles radius. I thought about getting some beers but decided against it, I did have 2 beers that my neighbor offered me last Saturday but I am back to not drinking. The deals are killing me though, Wicked Weed beer used to be $48-$64 for a 24 pack, they are selling them for $20-$35 now.

It helps that my job is considered essential so I am not sitting around the house.

[Dee]

I'm in for now. Until at least June 15. I decided about two weeks ago when I got a call for a follow-up appointment with a nutritionist following a pre-diabetes diagnosis. By then, I'd been drinking more than I cared to admit to a nutritionist so I decided to just cut it out entirely so that when I have my appointment, alcohol will not be an issue. I'm not sure what I'll do after the appointment in terms of whether to stay entirely dry for longer or easing into moderate, occasional drinking but if it's the latter, I'll have to be very clear with myself about when and how much so that I'm not being whimsical and just having drinks whenever I fancy...because that quickly spirals into too much drinking.

[CrustyBadger]

But the past few weeks I have had a bunch of cravings, in response to stress I guess, and the unpredictability of our situation now with COVID and social distancing, and everything in life just getting that much harder (managing school, work, shopping, health care for everyone in my family).

More nights than not I find myself thinking how much I'd like a drink.

It's been a month since I wrote the above and I am finding the cravings still as much as they were then.

I like the idea of coloring to relieve stress.  I have started knitting, but it doesn't do much for me.

I suppose there's always exercise too... probably should have turned to that first thing!

[mspym]

But the past few weeks I have had a bunch of cravings, in response to stress I guess, and the unpredictability of our situation now with COVID and social distancing, and everything in life just getting that much harder (managing school, work, shopping, health care for everyone in my family).

More nights than not I find myself thinking how much I'd like a drink.

It's been a month since I wrote the above and I am finding the cravings still as much as they were then.

I like the idea of coloring to relieve stress.  I have started knitting, but it doesn't do much for me.

I suppose there's always exercise too... probably should have turned to that first thing!

CB - the best thing I found was substitution. What I was looking for was something to mark the transition between work and not-work, and I am finding that even more necessary these days 😂😭
I have a *nice* non-alcoholic drink in a *fancy* glass, maybe with a fresh sprig of mint or a slice of lemon, something to make it feel a bit more like an event, and then I drink that while frittering some time before shifting mode to Home Tasks.

[wenchsenior]

But the past few weeks I have had a bunch of cravings, in response to stress I guess, and the unpredictability of our situation now with COVID and social distancing, and everything in life just getting that much harder (managing school, work, shopping, health care for everyone in my family).

More nights than not I find myself thinking how much I'd like a drink.

It's been a month since I wrote the above and I am finding the cravings still as much as they were then.

I like the idea of coloring to relieve stress.  I have started knitting, but it doesn't do much for me.

I suppose there's always exercise too... probably should have turned to that first thing!

CB - the best thing I found was substitution. What I was looking for was something to mark the transition between work and not-work, and I am finding that even more necessary these days
I have a *nice* non-alcoholic drink in a *fancy* glass, maybe with a fresh sprig of mint or a slice of lemon, something to make it feel a bit more like an event, and then I drink that while frittering some time before shifting mode to Home Tasks.

Agree with the substitution thing and making a clear ritual to delineate 'chill out time'.  CB, I can relate...it's well over a year since I gave up my longstanding  nightly cocktail hour(s) habit, but almost 20 years of that and the brain wiring is pretty fixed.  The occasional drink when I'm out on vacation doesn't seem to trigger that wiring (I had a couple beers on a trip in early March without any overall change in my desire to drink), and I don't have cravings on a typical night at home. But there's a particular combo of stress and low blood sugar that is certain to bring them on.  And although I have been pretty low-stress overall during the pandemic quarantine, I think I must have quite a bit of subconscious stress seeping out....I'm sleeping more lightly, and my cravings are a bit more frequent. It's not a big deal, they pass pretty quickly. But they are irritating in the moment.

[BikeFanatic]

I have 8.5 months under my belt. I do not have cravings anymore, but occasionally I do feel tempted to drink usually in reaction to stress. I like to check out YouTube videos on addiction and recovery that helps or substitute a big bowl of popcorn.

[CrustyBadger]

thanks @wenchsenior  and @mspym !

Yeah it is just frustrating that it's been almost 2 years since my last drink of alcohol -- not even in cooking -- at these cravings are suddenly coming back after months of zero cravings.

I guess it's a good idea to go back to the substitutes I used in the early months when I did have cravings  For me, it is good to have mineral water (the fizzy kind) mixed with a little fruit juice for a burst of flavor.   Otherwise, a cup of tea with honey seems to help as well.

ALso it helps to identify what specific emotion is causing the stress craving.  It is very clear in my case, I crave alcohol when I feel family members are making competing demands on me that I cannot meet -- can't make both family members happy at the same time basically.  It helps to just take a deep breath at these moments, and identify what is going on and why it is making me feel stressed out. 

[OurTown]

3 years, 9 months, 13 days, according to my day counter.  Interestingly enough, I have now crossed a threshold where my sobriety time is greater than my estimated countdown to FI! 

[mm1970]

But the past few weeks I have had a bunch of cravings, in response to stress I guess, and the unpredictability of our situation now with COVID and social distancing, and everything in life just getting that much harder (managing school, work, shopping, health care for everyone in my family).

More nights than not I find myself thinking how much I'd like a drink.

It's been a month since I wrote the above and I am finding the cravings still as much as they were then.

I like the idea of coloring to relieve stress.  I have started knitting, but it doesn't do much for me.

I suppose there's always exercise too... probably should have turned to that first thing!

CB - the best thing I found was substitution. What I was looking for was something to mark the transition between work and not-work, and I am finding that even more necessary these days
I have a *nice* non-alcoholic drink in a *fancy* glass, maybe with a fresh sprig of mint or a slice of lemon, something to make it feel a bit more like an event, and then I drink that while frittering some time before shifting mode to Home Tasks.

Agree with the substitution thing and making a clear ritual to delineate 'chill out time'.  CB, I can relate...it's well over a year since I gave up my longstanding  nightly cocktail hour(s) habit, but almost 20 years of that and the brain wiring is pretty fixed.  The occasional drink when I'm out on vacation doesn't seem to trigger that wiring (I had a couple beers on a trip in early March without any overall change in my desire to drink), and I don't have cravings on a typical night at home. But there's a particular combo of stress and low blood sugar that is certain to bring them on.  And although I have been pretty low-stress overall during the pandemic quarantine, I think I must have quite a bit of subconscious stress seeping out....I'm sleeping more lightly, and my cravings are a bit more frequent. It's not a big deal, they pass pretty quickly. But they are irritating in the moment.

Same.  I've hit the wine a bit too much the last month (2 bottles in a month).  I haven't had any time off work since Christmas, though, so I'm super stressed with work and distance learning a 7 yo.

What usually works for me is my soda stream, and making it fancy.  I drink water all day long, but when I shut down the laptop, I switch to soda water, sometimes with lemon or lime in it.  Maybe some fruit slices.  It's nice.

[mspym]

3 years, 9 months, 13 days, according to my day counter.  Interestingly enough, I have now crossed a threshold where my sobriety time is greater than my estimated countdown to FI!

Wow that is great! ✨🎉🎇
I am coming up to the 3 yr mark and it's 4 yrs to FI so now I want to work out the crossover date

[BikeFanatic]

"3 years, 9 months, 13 days, according to my day counter.  Interestingly enough, I have now crossed a threshold where my sobriety time is greater than my estimated countdown to FI! "

Congratulations on the sobriety almost 4 years, wow,  and the final count down to FI.  I am maybe Retired a year early due to covid we shall see, would like to work another year, keeping busy keeps me from thinking about drinking,

[CrustyBadger]

I just bought a new pair of running shoes and a case of fizzy water to help me battle these cravings for alcohol and reduce stress.  I need to get more exercise every day, I think; but my feet hurt so much when I run.

[mspym]

I just bought a new pair of running shoes and a case of fizzy water to help me battle these cravings for alcohol and reduce stress.  I need to get more exercise every day, I think; but my feet hurt so much when I run.

Woohoo for deciding to take action!

If your feet are hurting when you run, you might want to book an appointment with a podiatrist. Orthotics or the correct shoe for your feet are super critical to stop the footpain
:)

[Cassie]

Just got my blood work results which were not good. I never drank until 15 years ago. Day 2 of sobriety and I already feel better. I am reading the book for the second time. I am buying flavored carbonated water for my night time drink.

[Metalcat]

Just got my blood work results which were not good. I never drank until 15 years ago. Day 2 of sobriety and I already feel better. I am reading the book for the second time. I am buying flavored carbonated water for my night time drink.

Welcome to the club!

Over 7 months with no alcohol for me, and it's unreal the difference. A few of my more vain friends have quit drinking just because they are envious of what it's done for my skin. Many have assumed I've had cosmetic work done.

If that's the kind of improvement that can be seen in my face, I can't fathom how good the change has been for my organs.

[BikeFanatic]

You can do it Cassie, I think I am on this thread twice, my first time I went 6-7 months this time is is 11 months and soon a year!
I actually felt another uptick in energy after 11 months ( and at 3 weeks, 3 months  and six months) I assume it is my liver healing? I also know that sleeping does improve and that could also be responsible for my increased energy.

[mspym]

I just hit 3 years a couple of weeks ago.
@Cassie luckily, bodies can be pretty good at healing themselves. All my blood work is great now.
@BikeFanatic it's your liver AND your brain healing. There are spurts of new neural growth associated with giving up alcohol as your body heals.

[Metalcat]

I just hit 3 years a couple of weeks ago.
@Cassie luckily, bodies can be pretty good at healing themselves. All my blood work is great now.
@BikeFanatic it's your liver AND your brain healing. There are spurts of new neural growth associated with giving up alcohol as your body heals.

It's everything really.
I didn't realize how bad alcohol was until in the med school part of my education, studying each organ, one by one for a few years, and alcohol and cigarettes were the top two factors for every single organ.

Alcohol damages every tissue it touches, and it's in your blood so it touches e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g

[Serendip]

So interesting to read through the comments--you all are inspiring!

I am 7 days into a booze-free August as I realized I was having a daily beer/gin (sometimes two) for the past few MONTHS (covid, summer, stress)  and that it was a habit that I wanted to break. Felt it was contributing to head fogginess, low energy, weight gain, etc..

I am currently reading Sober Curious and I really am liking her approach/train-of-thought. I don't feel ready to commit to not ever drinking again but really interesting in shifting my relationship with alcohol. It's been an on-again, off-again affair for my entire adult life.

My SO is still having his daily beer but I bought some fizzy water, rose kombucha & flavoured treats to help me not miss my 5pm ritual so much :)

[nobody]

At some point in my life, I developed some sort of allergy, possibly to ethanol; breaking out in hives and other affects are not fun.  So now I use it as an excuse to not drink in social situations, especially when someone is persistent and a simple "no" is not working.  Feel free to use it to get out of drinking situations.  ;)  Needless to say, much cheaper and healthier.

[wenchsenior]

So interesting to read through the comments--you all are inspiring!

I am 7 days into a booze-free August as I realized I was having a daily beer/gin (sometimes two) for the past few MONTHS (covid, summer, stress)  and that it was a habit that I wanted to break. Felt it was contributing to head fogginess, low energy, weight gain, etc..

I am currently reading Sober Curious and I really am liking her approach/train-of-thought. I don't feel ready to commit to not ever drinking again but really interesting in shifting my relationship with alcohol. It's been an on-again, off-again affair for my entire adult life.

My SO is still having his daily beer but I bought some fizzy water, rose kombucha & flavoured treats to help me not miss my 5pm ritual so much :)

I recently read that book as well and really liked it.  I was prepped to give it the total side-eye b/c of all the astrology, new-agey, pseudoscience crap she seems to surround the rest of her life with, but her approach to sobriety was so positive and healthy-seeming and I found myself profoundly moved by the last chapter.   Her approach to drinking is so similar to what's been working for me after decades of psychological dependence and chronic use.  It was fun to read that perspective.

[wenchsenior]

Heads-up.... for those of you who are interested in the non-alcoholic versions of standard drinks (NA wine, beer, spirits), I just tried Monday NA gin (skeptically), and it turned out to be a really good facsimile if you are wanting that sour/tart/herbally taste profile.  It's too expensive for me to be making a NA G&T every day, but definitely a pleasure to have on hand.

https://www.thezeroproof.com/home/monday-gin-review

[Metalcat]

Heads-up.... for those of you who are interested in the non-alcoholic versions of standard drinks (NA wine, beer, spirits), I just tried Monday NA gin (skeptically), and it turned out to be a really good facsimile if you are wanting that sour/tart/herbally taste profile.  It's too expensive for me to be making a NA G&T every day, but definitely a pleasure to have on hand.

https://www.thezeroproof.com/home/monday-gin-review

DH is also a big fan of Seedlip

[Serendip]

I recently read that book as well and really liked it.  I was prepped to give it the total side-eye b/c of all the astrology, new-agey, pseudoscience crap she seems to surround the rest of her life with, but her approach to sobriety was so positive and healthy-seeming and I found myself profoundly moved by the last chapter.   Her approach to drinking is so similar to what's been working for me after decades of psychological dependence and chronic use.  It was fun to read that perspective.

@wenchsenior  I didn't know anything about the author and don't have any interest in her other book (from the sounds of it) but this was an audiobook suggestion from the library and so far, so good!

[Cassie]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! I will also read the other book. I have been thinking that at 65 I need to be in the best shape possible especially if I am unlucky enough to get the virus. I spent the night at my best friend’s house like I do every week and after we talked she is thinking about getting sober. She said that part of her doesn’t want to quit. That’s where I was 3 years ago and failed after 2 weeks. This time is different for me. I want to quit. She drank wine all night and I wasn’t tempted but today is only day 3.

[StarBright]

Just got my blood work results which were not good. I never drank until 15 years ago. Day 2 of sobriety and I already feel better. I am reading the book for the second time. I am buying flavored carbonated water for my night time drink.

Welcome to the club!

Over 7 months with no alcohol for me, and it's unreal the difference. A few of my more vain friends have quit drinking just because they are envious of what it's done for my skin. Many have assumed I've had cosmetic work done.

If that's the kind of improvement that can be seen in my face, I can't fathom how good the change has been for my organs.

This post has given me some food for thought. As I'm coming closer to my 40s I've started thinking about my skin more -  I'm like super-pink Irish and I'm afraid I'm trending to red and freckled as I age.

I think we have a fairly healthy relationship with alcohol in our house - but the thought of wonderful skin . . . .Priceless? :)

[Cassie]

I had a super busy and stressful day as my husband had surgery today. I have never felt better. I feel happy and capable of handling everything. I came home and had a few raspberry flavored sparkling water and it was great.  I also joined the online group associated with the book.

[mspym]

I had a super busy and stressful day as my husband had surgery today. I have never felt better. I feel happy and capable of handling everything. I came home and had a few raspberry flavored sparkling water and it was great.  I also joined the online group associated with the book.

That's awesome Cassie!

[Cassie]

Thanks Mspym!  I noticed that my mood is definitely improving too. I have always been positive and upbeat in the past but I know that hasn’t been the case for awhile. I am having trouble falling asleep until pretty late but I am retired so flowing with it and sleeping later.

[CrustyBadger]

Good work, Cassie!

Sending everyone positive vibes.

[Cassie]

Day 7 and I still feel good. We got together with another couple tonight and I brought my sparkling water and they drank wine. I was totally fine and not envious at all. I think my mind has finally gotten the message.

[Stubblestache]

I'd like to join this thread.
I'm a pretty heavy drinker (would be considered a very heavy drinker by non drinkers...) and I like to take two non consecutive months off drinking every year just for a bit of a reset.

Last year I took three months off, felt great. OH and I are two days without drink so far, going to try and make it to mid-October at least.

Cheers!

[BikeFanatic]

Stubble, did you take 3 months off in a row?
Welcome, any time off booze has measurable effects, even 30 days changes you some. Let us know how it goes and good luck.

[Cassie]

Day 11 and I feel awesome. I am never going back. I read all 3 of her books and joined the closed group on Facebook.

[BikeFanatic]

Hi Cassie all 3 of her books?

[Cassie]

TNM, the one where people tell their personal experiences and the alcohol experiment. I found them all on amazon.

[BikeFanatic]

OK, This Naked Mind and the Alcohol experiment are by Annie Grace. Thank you, I did read TNM and enjoyed it.

I also listen to people on you tube that have given up drinking for motivation. Good job Cassie.

[Cassie]

The 3rd book is this naked life which is the stories. Reading the stories was eye opening as to how some people’s lives had really been ruined.

[CrustyBadger]

Hi Crusty,

I think you should try to commit to a 30 day No Alcohol fast to see how you feel.

You know, on second thought, I think you are right.    Immediately after reading your comment, I got a little angry and later that night, had a beer in defiance.   "No one is going to suggest to me I shouldn't drink!"   I saw at the time how irrational that was.

And I am realizing that if I just have a drink every couple of days, I am still experiencing all the unpleasant effects every couple of days now instead of every day.  It's like going through withdrawal over and over and over.

I just signed up for Anne Grace's Alcohol Experiment and am going to give it an honest try.   

Thanks @BikeFanatic for the push!

Just checking in two years after this post to say that since this time, I haven't had a drop of alcohol. 

Best decision I ever made.  Annie Grace's online Alcohol Experiment definitely helped me through that first month.  After that, I did have cravings every so often, but was able to work through them.

[Metalcat]

Hi Crusty,

I think you should try to commit to a 30 day No Alcohol fast to see how you feel.

You know, on second thought, I think you are right.    Immediately after reading your comment, I got a little angry and later that night, had a beer in defiance.   "No one is going to suggest to me I shouldn't drink!"   I saw at the time how irrational that was.

And I am realizing that if I just have a drink every couple of days, I am still experiencing all the unpleasant effects every couple of days now instead of every day.  It's like going through withdrawal over and over and over.

I just signed up for Anne Grace's Alcohol Experiment and am going to give it an honest try.   

Thanks @BikeFanatic for the push!

Just checking in two years after this post to say that since this time, I haven't had a drop of alcohol. 

Best decision I ever made.  Annie Grace's online Alcohol Experiment definitely helped me through that first month.  After that, I did have cravings every so often, but was able to work through them.

That's awesome. Do you find after two years the cravings are gone? I've read through something Annie posted that research indicates that the brain is pretty much readapted after two years.

I'm almost 8 months now and last night was my first hard craving in a long time. I have literally no interest in alcohol at all, so it was so unsettling and felt like an alien consciousness taking over my brain briefly.

It was a wedding, I was already super psychologically raw from my own business dealings the day before, there were some weird feelings and dynamics in the room about the marriage, one of the guests was loud and drunk, and with less than 10 people, there was no escaping anyone.

Then people made a big deal of how sad it is that I can't drink because of my medication, and the host went on and on about all of the award winning reds he bought and thought I would enjoy because we're both red wine aficionados. Ugh.

Mercifully for me, as I've mentioned before, alcohol now tastes like gasoline to me. So I had a sip of champagne for the toast and found it so revolting that any semblance of craving disappeared.

[Stubblestache]

Stubble, did you take 3 months off in a row?
Welcome, any time off booze has measurable effects, even 30 days changes you some. Let us know how it goes and good luck.

Yeah did three months in a row, longest I've gone without for more than 10 years. Joined a long term sober friend of mine at some AA meetings. If anyone wants the low down on AA meetings please give me a shout. I'm definitely not an AA convert completely but they've got some excellent and useful things to help people who struggle with not drinking, plus everyone I met there was an absolute sweetheart through and through.

I'm not a drink in the morning type person and I've never lost jobs, relationships, houses etc because of drinking, but I'd never be able to honestly say that my relationship to alcohol isn't problematic.

Three months was great, had a visible 6 pack for the first time since I was a teenager, I was packing stuff into my days. It really was good. Feel like an idiot for getting pulled back in if I'm honest.

Still, onwards and upwards :)

[Stubblestache]

Hi Crusty,

I think you should try to commit to a 30 day No Alcohol fast to see how you feel.

You know, on second thought, I think you are right.    Immediately after reading your comment, I got a little angry and later that night, had a beer in defiance.   "No one is going to suggest to me I shouldn't drink!"   I saw at the time how irrational that was.

And I am realizing that if I just have a drink every couple of days, I am still experiencing all the unpleasant effects every couple of days now instead of every day.  It's like going through withdrawal over and over and over.

I just signed up for Anne Grace's Alcohol Experiment and am going to give it an honest try.   

Thanks @BikeFanatic for the push!

Just checking in two years after this post to say that since this time, I haven't had a drop of alcohol. 

Best decision I ever made.  Annie Grace's online Alcohol Experiment definitely helped me through that first month.  After that, I did have cravings every so often, but was able to work through them.

Ooof two years, congratulations! that is amazing, especially in light of the post of yourself that you quoted. Any resources other than Annie Grace you can recommend? I'm big on podcasts when walking the dog if you have any?

[BikeFanatic]

Podcast I listen to on YouTube is talk sober, some interesting insights AA style. . Recovery elevator is another.

[Cassie]

Badger congrats!  I spent most of my life as a non drinker and I only started 15 years ago. It was a big mistake. 12 days now with no desire and I have never felt so good.

[mspym]

@Malcat I quit Annie Grace style, not AA and I have no cravings any more. (just hit 3 years) I think it was around 9-12 months that I got a few odd ones, mostly when I was in loud crowded situations where I felt obliged to stay and it made me realise how much I had used booze to numb myself to endure things. It got better once I became better at leaving when I didn't want to be there any more. And now my friend sthat I used to drink with are used to me just not drinking so there's no more pressure from them. Which helps.

@Stubblestache welcome and hi. The Home podcast is pretty good, and sobriety in different forms gets discussed reasonably often on Marc Marion's WTF podcast. Amazing how many people have an addiction in one form or another, whether it's booze, drugs, food.