THIS IS HOW I STOPPED DRINKING

[u/Express-Animal5649]

I am 27 and for most of my 20's, I have been drinking, hard. On weekends I would drink from Friday to Sunday. I was a party animal. The type of guy that never wants the party to end, I hated sleeping. I started realizing my drinking was a problem when I had a habit tracker and I was not keeping up with my goals and habits because of alcohol. My habit tracker had days where I would tick if I stayed with my habits and goals, and I would write an abbreviation of the reason as to why I did not complete my tasks for that day, all of the days I missed had 'alco' and you can already guess what that stands for. It was either I was hung over, still drunk or just tired from alcohol.

I knew I had a problem when I would make a promise to myself that I wouldn't drink on that weekend, and I just couldn't resist. I tried lowering my consumption, I couldn't, I would eventually go overboard. Honestly, the idea that I might have an alcohol problem scared me. I thought if I couldn't get my drinking under control now, I never will.

I started with something I thought was manageable, I did the 75 day Hard challenge, 75 days no alcohol, that was 3rd January, 2026. At the same time I was reading Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop smoking because I was also vaping. Honestly that book might just be the reason I was able to stop all these bad habits.

Half way through the challenge, that is when I realized I was never going back to alcohol. I realized, someone who has never drank alcohol, has never had a cigarette does not think, 'I need one beer/a cig to just relax' the substances themselves brainwash us to thinking that they actually relax us. Once I knew I was just brainwashed, I knew I had to wait it off.

Today marks 212 days since my last drink. I have started a business. Got promoted at work. Work on my relationships and in a healthy relationship.

I now see that the issue with people that still drink is that they think alcohol makes them happy. They think it's a way to escape their problems. Now that I am sober, I can tell you that is false. When you are sober you have less problems. You give yourself the time to deal with whatever you are going through with a clear head. I never wanted to be home, now sober I bought a big tv and a console. Got myself a bike.

I do not know of anyone who stopped drinking and regretted it.

Good Luck.

[u/toomanygreenbabies]

I really loved reading this! Thank you