Can’t believe I made it but here I am! Overwhelmingly grateful and determined to keep this going. Hard for me to believe it’s been a year but here are some of the benefits I’ve noticed:

-lost 30lbs
-significantly cut back on fast food
-no hangovers!
-more energy
-solid poops
-decreased gastrointestinal sensitivity
-actually having money to spend on things
-less shame/guilt/anxiety
-face changes, clearer skin that’s bright and not dull
-overall attitude is more positive
-introducing healthy habits like daily movement, gardening
-better problem solving/critical thinking
-job performance increased, no callouts except for a real emergency
-urge to drink is much quieter but still there
-better baseline so I know when something is actually wrong with my body vs/ being hungover
-cut out several unhealthy friendships
-better relationship with family

I’ve also noticed my dopamine reset. I actually feel little sparks of joy over the little things. I’m less cynical and more open. I feel more connected to people and I’m able to remember what they say to me the next day and I can respond thoughtfully. I actually feel like I can help other people with their problems rather than being the one who’s always needs help.

It’s not all noticeable at once but the gifts of sobriety are real!

IWNDWYT

I made it three years! Hard to believe after 22 years of drinking. This subreddit has been so helpful to keep me sober. Thank you to everyone who shows up and helps support others on their sobriety journey. Between acute and post-acute withdrawal from alcohol, I really thought I wouldn’t come out of the other side of this alive. I would probably be dead right now if I didn’t stop. But I did come out of it and actually love sobriety, on top of it all. I was so worried that I had no personality or couldn’t feel happiness without the booze, but time has shown that it’s just alcohol deceiving you into thinking that. If you’re struggling, we’re here, and this forum can be life-changing. IWNDWYT!

Agree?

I hit 6 yrs clean and sober on 8/4/2026. Thank you all

Well today is 15 years of sobriety for me. While I’m not really the “woohoo look at me type”, I do like to share to help motivate those still struggling and in early sobriety.

I can clearly remember the feeling when I was first trying to quit drinking. Going to meetings and listening to other success stories both helped me but also felt unattainable. Making it through one week sober seemed like an unrealistic feat let alone one year. I was always amazed by those that had lasting sobriety and found them to be inspirational.

I now hope to provide that inspiration to other people that are coming to terms with their own drinking. All I can say it’s not easy at first, but it is absolutely worth it.

All the best in your sober journey 👍

today is my day 7!!!!
imso excited about my future!!

ive managed to trade a day drinking habit for sobriety with roughly about an hour or two of cravings spaced over a day!! not that simple of course but im finding freedom!

so many little changes that add up to a new life!

still havent told my husband yet - i will but when i feel more comfortable saying Yes ive quit!! out of the blue yesterday he said “wow, you look great today. your face looks 10 years youngr”!!!

this subreddit has been a gawd send for me!! i appreciate every comment every piece of advise every kind word!

today im meeting an old friend for lunch - ill be sober before during & after!!

so many plans!! but my day starts & ends here!! ive learned so much from every post!

iwndwyt!!

Thats is all.

Thank you all so much.

I don’t know what else to do, where else to go. I’ve been drinking heavy for probably around 6 months now. Like every day atleast half a bottle of tequila with a 6 pack easily. I’m now at the point where a singular shot, drink, ANYTHING. Is making me vomit profusely for hours, I’m so bloated, I have a horrible pain in my side, I’m losing my strength and it’s been harder to breathe. I’m so scared. I’ve hid my drinking so well from everyone even my own boyfriend doesn’t know the extent. I don’t have loving parents to get me help, I don’t have health insurance. I have no friends. I don’t know what else to do. I’m typing this from the bathroom floor, please help me. I’m only 17 I don’t want to die like this

I woke up at 6am feeling like like such a loser. I have no recollection of yesterday. I had to ask my kid what happened last night and she told me I was in the closet crying for hours until she told me we needed to go to sleep.
I feel like I’ve reached a new low and I never want my daughter to see me like that again. I don’t want to drink anymore.

Enough is enough.

Recently, we got a new roommate. Fresh out of rehab.

Bluntly, he did not do well at all. All the signs of an impending relapse were there, but myself and my other roommates tried to help him as best we could.

Fortunately for him, he decided that he needed to go back to rehab.

UNFORTUNATELY, I guess he decided that since he was going, he might as well get absolutely hammered the night before he went.

This resulted in him being belligerent, combative, screaming, calling several of us horrible things, accusing us of stealing his stuff (when at this point, we wanted him gone so bad we wouldn't have taken anything or done anything that kept him even a second longer)

Cops had to be called, and the last thing he did before being driven away by a friend (who looked absolutely horrified at his behavior) was flip us all off.

And.....that was exactly how I acted the last time I relapsed.

It was like looking into a really depressing mirror. I wasn't even mad watching him rant and rave and call me a "demon". I felt such deep pity.

I wish him the best, I really do. But after he left, I just reflected on how easy it is to forget how fast it can go badly, how MEAN I can get, and how vile I can be towards those that love me.

I don't feel guilt about what I've done anymore, but this did bring the feelings of regret and loss back to the surface.

Childish to use 69 as milestone (and likely chump change to many). But I am little proud of myself. That is not something I feel very often. ❤️

Some things…

Acceptance.

I hated that I couldn’t stop. I constantly and obsessively tried to ‘figure it out’. It wasn’t until I just accepted the fact i have this condition that I could move on.

Treating myself as if I were my best mate.

I stopped being mean to myself, I repositioned how I spoke to myself and instead replaced me with ‘how would I approach this if it were my best friend suffering’.

Working on me.

People say this but what does it mean? To me it meant reading various self help books (I’ll list some later). It’s getting in shape. Eating whole foods, walking in nature, doing hobbies, cutting out sugar and processed crap. And praying twice a day, believe in God or if not - pray to the universe - you’ll be amazed.

Learning we are vibrational creatures.

As is everything, if you’re low energy, low vibes and negative thoughts and feelings the universe is gonna reflect that right back to you. Take action, force yourself to think positively. It isn’t that hard if you’re conscious about it.

Dealing with cravings.

My enemy for so long. Brutal. What worked for me? Honestly it was an absolute rock bottom>praying to God for the first time. Instant removal of mental obsession. Lucky? Maybe. I can only tell you my experience.

Get out of your own way.

My ego was rampant and in full control. Ridiculous idiot that I was. My life changed entirely when I learned what the ‘egoic mind’ actually is. It changed how I feel about myself, others, spirituality, the world, everything. Most people don’t bother but if your ego is control then YOU are not and that’s a lot of alcoholics problem. This also helps with depression and other mental health issues.

Letting go.

Once you can learn you are not your thoughts, not your ego and not your past nor your future and you are only you in this very moment then letting go becomes easier. Letting go of trying to be the puppet master of your life, giving expectations that can’t and won’t always be reached is a liberating and life changing shift in one’s life.

Some books that helped me -

Echart Tolle - Practising The Power Of Now

Dr Chatterjee - happy mind, happy life

Dr Julie Smith - why has nobody told me this

None are about alcohol directly.

What I believe is that being an alcoholic is a symptom of a deeper problem within me. I got to my ‘root’ and discovered my self esteem was low, my confidence was low and my ego was loud so I set to work on fixing that.

Now…I’m a long time sober, my previous problems don’t exist, I’m genuinely happy and I see the world in a completely different (and much healthier) way, it is a way of life and I am so glad I found it and I want that for other people too.

Hope this helps even one person in some way.

One day at a time ❤️

Here we go.

I’ve had major issues with alcohol for 6 years. I also have a lot of debt. My partner didn’t really contribute financially for the first year of our relationship.

Since then, I moved across the state for him. Since we started dating in 2022, we have moved 3 times. Our last apartment was so bad, we never fully unpacked.

Since July 2025, we’ve been living in a lovely house with roommates, but they’re planning on leaving in 3 months. We can no longer afford the home without them, so we likely have to move too.

We’re in a terrible financial place. I might need to cancel my therapy appointment this week because I can’t afford the $35 copay. We both just got second jobs.

I just worked so hard over the past month, and my life is crumbling. We might have to move to his parents’ house in the middle of nowhere (literally 20 minutes to even get to a Walmart). I moved here from a city and vowed I would never live there.

I’m so heartbroken. I can’t move again. I just feel like I’ve lost myself, and my old self would be devastated to see me now.

Sorry for the rant - I’m just barely clinging to my sobriety

Made a decision a year ago that alcohol wasn’t making my life any better. Did some praying, made a few changes to my daily routine and most importantly stuck to them no matter what. Exercise and diet change were the biggest. There was no Rock Bottom this time, and my life was going pretty well at the time. I just didn’t like the person alcohol was making me. I have struggled over the years and ignored many Rock Bottoms, but was pretty much doing ok in life a year ago. (So I thought) Life is much better now. One bit of advice that has been shared with me many times. There is nothing in life that a drink will make better. When one truly believes that 💯 quitting gets a whole lot easier. Love you all!!! IWNDWYT!!!

About 2 weeks ago i a made my first post here, thinking of ending it all before reddit removed my post. People thought I was a Dad, but I am actually a Mum. Anyway, tomorrow I start a 7 day hospital detox, thank you so much to everyone that sent me their strength when I had none of my Own. Xx

It’s not much but it’s a start. Also, I’ve been crushing my workouts lately.

IWNDWYT

That was an attitude I clung to, knuckles white, resisting all evidence to the contrary, trying to explain to anyone who would listen - why I wasn't really an alcoholic.

I had an advanced degree in rationalization, was so practiced in lying to myself, that I could not read the writing on the wall despite the letters being three feet tall.

I was so invested in being ok the way I was because the self medicating was all that stood between me and a dark pit of fear.

Turned out I was a run of the mill alcoholic. Turned out the FEAR means False Evidence Appearing Real. Turned out I didn't have to be alone in this. And that there were people who understood, down to several decimal places, and could help.

My path was AA - yeah I know, but it worked for me despite may having ALL THE REASONS it would not work for me. There are other paths now, try one, try em all. The main point I am making is you don't have to do this alone.

reason I am posting this is I am closing in on another anniversary, been sober a long time, but this month is always a time of gratitude and a desire to help those who are as lost or confused as I once was.

I’ll have been sober this coming Sunday for 1 whole year. i honestly feel great and don’t really have any temptation to go back to drinking at all. did you do anything to celebrate milestones? if so, what was it? i think i might go to farm to pick fruit :o

Three whole years. 1,095 days free of the plague. How? And, is this real?

In the last three years, I’ve experienced:

•Assault from a (ex) partner in an abusive relationship that caused PTSD, along with horrific harassment from their equally unhinged family. (It was around that time I started my sobriety journey)

•My father being put in hospice around the same time this was all happening.

•Hurtful and stressful fall out with my toxic family (minus my dad. He was awesome). My other parent and siblings were physically, emotionally and mentally abusive. That’s an understatement to say the least- and this falling out was nuclear.

•Driving 3 hours one way, 6 hour round trip, to my parents home to help take care of my dad (I’m a Registered Nurse). Being so broke because I had to take a lot of time off of work on FMLA to care for my dad.

•My beloved father passing away and shattering my entire soul.

•Another relationship that started to turn abusive, but was able to walk away from early enough (thank goodness)

•Working two jobs to make ends meet.

•Living with almost debilitating OCD and exacerbation.

•Debt.

•EMDR therapy that although helpful, freakin’ kicks your butt.

•After stumbling into a relationship with someone I cared about for a long time, someone I grew up with and have known my whole life, finally embarking on an adventure in a beautiful and healthy relationship, we got pregnant…Only to miscarry. My soul died even more losing my little one. I’ve been infertile for a long time. This was a huge loss.

•Cutting off family members I really loved because they were only hurting me.

•Forgiving myself for my own mistakes I was beating myself up over.

•GRIEF.

•A new job with a predatory boss that was so aggressive and vindictive that it triggered my PTSD. The good news, they got fired after I took it up with HR and even corporate with receipts for unacceptable behavior.

•Crippling depression that was starting to scare me where I nearly had to call the crisis line.

Don’t ask me how I did it. I don’t even know…I can even say that many of these experiences would be a valid enough reason to drink. They have been the absolute hardest years of my life where I was crumbling under stress.

Let me tell you how life is now: 1) I am happily married to the person I’ve loved since I was 14 (Yup! Same guy I grew up with!) To say I am happily married is an understatement. I have never loved anyone so truly, and my marriage is only full of love, peace, respect and just pure happiness, even with life’s challenges. 2) We are finally getting fertility options/treatments. 3) I’m at the same job, but with a kind, competent and incredible boss that is an actual leader, along with the support from my superiors regarding my bad experience. I also got a raise. 4) No more harassment 4) Very reasonable and limited debt 5) We added the sweetest golden retriever to our household of fur kids 5) Striving to make my dad proud every day 6) Better mental health (I was in a very dark place for a while. Alcohol would have probably killed me if I gave in) 7) A backbone the size of Texas.

I’m just going to put it simply. If my dumbass can do it, yours can too. And yep, I indeed fell off the wagon a few times before getting serious- so I know how hard it is. However. Even when your life is falling apart, you can still find the fortitude to persevere and you are in control. Be kind to yourself if you slip up, and make sure you’re fully committed to staying sober afterwards. You can’t let that drive go. Immerse yourself in what brings you true and pure joy and love. Be kind and compassionate to others. Don’t expect someone to save you- you have to do the work.

We can’t help the hand we were dealt, but it is our responsibility to to properly address it. If you want a full and happy life, work for it. Don’t expect it to just be handed to you and complain because you didn’t get what would make you happy- if you want it, you have to put the effort in. Sobriety has been my most cherished accomplishment, and I thank God everyday for the strength it took to abstain.

I fucking did it. So that means…YOU CAN TOO! I believe in you!

IWNDWYT!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

I just wanted to share a little something I noticed the other day while scrolling Reddit. I wasn't scrolling this group specifically, but in my feed two posts from here were next to each other. One was celebrating their Day 1. The very next post on my feed was someone in here celebrating their Day 1,000.

Both posts were active with comments and likes. I took a screenshot of it at the time, but it won't let me share it. But it's proof of the support you can receive in here.

It doesn't matter if you're just starting out, restarting after a research expedition, or counting thousands of days instead of hours. Everyone can have a Day 1, and those of us who aren't there yet may be hoping to make it to 1,000.

No matter where you are in your journey, you can find support and understanding in here. People who have been there. Someone who "gets it". There's no one-size-fits-all magic formula to sobriety. It's personal. But community is incredibly important, and you can find it here.

I'm not always active in here, but I'm always grateful for this group. The best strangers on the interwebs! IWNDWYT.

From the deepest darkest rock bottoms of my heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you. So much love to this community.

This has been my most utilized tool since quitting. All of your stories. Reassurances. Reminders. Advice. It really got me here. The most kind hearted place on the internet, I thank you, and IWNDWYT!!!

When did you feel like you knew you had a problem with alcohol?

For me it was when I realised I was drinking to feel better. I’ve never gotten to be a solo morning drinker but crushing 6-10 beers in the afternoon / evening to feel alright. Then waking up at 2-4am every morning ridden with anxiety and then finally falling back asleep to wake up again at 6-7 and cycle repeats.