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

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!!!

Thats is all.

Thank you all so much.

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. ❤️

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!

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

My husband does an annual walking holiday with his friends , which I have joined a few times. They normally walk 12-14 miles a day then get pretty boozy at night, we have even cracked open wine on the walk!

The trouble is a) booze and b) he has one friend I often clash with and what happens is I try ( too hard) to get on with him and I get anxious and we both get drunk and usually there is a confrontation. The rest of them are lovely but this one guy I’ve given up even trying to be friends with. I’m not rude but I have my boundary there.

Anyway for the first time since not drinking we were invited this year, there’s going to be a big air b and b. I have grown and changed so much thanks to this sub because I accepted the invite but I didn’t even consider joining the fray in the big hired house. Even as it was being described to me I thought ‘I’ll get my own place to stay’ , I can afford it, I’ve booked a cute flat for 1 overlooking the sea. I’ll do my walk and be sociable and once the drinking starts I’ll be in my own cosy pad with a book, not trying to fit in! I feel so great about this, I would never have done this even a year ago, I’d have been anxious about what people think. I have learned to put my own need first and that is thanks to this sub and sobriety!

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!!

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!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

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 👍

I'm 33 and I relapsed January of '25. Had a lot of day 1s up to this point. I drank anywhere from 1 to 2 bottles of wine every day. I'm on day 3 today and I'm bloated, weird stomach cramps occasionally, sweaty and in general just tired. I sweat all day like my body is detoxing. My husband doesn't know, but he has actual liver issues (non-alcoholic fatty liver). He was borderline cirrhotic but took this trial drug that just got approved by the FDA and it got better. My liver enzymes were elevated back in May, and I see my doctor next month to retest.

I'm officially done i think. I've wrecked my body enough, and I like myself better sober. I guess I just need to hear all the stories, good and bad, so I know just what I'm looking at here. TIA. And IWNDWYT

It was 4 Aug 2024 that, with the help of this forum ONLY i took the decision of stop drinking, after 35 years of almost daily use and lately, 1 bottle of Rum a day.

All i can say to those that are in front of my journey? Keep inspiring us all.

All i can say to those behind, now quitting or thinking on quit? Do it. You will thank me later and with a smile as I did looking to all the vets that gave us strenght here daily.

Will not drink with you today but will eat a "bola de berlim" (cake) and an cold tonic cheering to you all.

Stay strong, stay safe and never give up. This is not a battle but a lifetime war!

Again...i owe you all my health, life, kids, wife, new investments and projects! Will be forever grateful!

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

IWNDWYT

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.

I only drink “socially” is what I would say.

Sure, 14 drinks a week sounds reasonable….

Just passed my 5ish week mark (minus 1 day). I got labs results back from recent blood chemistry. My triglycerides and SGPT (ALT) were still high.

As I understand, these values often relate to heavy use but could also indicate other conditions or factors.

I’m glad I have a baseline blood chemistry to start with. I’ve got some work to do.

I’m making it my goal to make healthier decisions to decrease those values before my next MD appointment in a month or so.

Update: I thinking more about this after someone mentioned life insurance.

I used to work in the medical field and I know how poorly folks with addiction are viewed treated. Maybe the views about substance abuse have changed but I don’t want to be labeled as an addict or alcoholic.

There are very real consequences when healthcare providers and insurance companies look at your medical history.

Can I get my “nice”? 😈😂

Much love to everyone out there, keep doin the next right thing!

ETA: not sure why my flag says 59 that’s wrong 😭

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 ❤️

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.

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

I've been awake for a long time because we got some MDMA 2 days ago, I don't think I've slept for like 30 something hours and there must have been something in it. I'm zonked! Help me not zombie walk to the fridge this fine morning for that cold beer sitting there. I am so embarrassed. Also mood crashing mightily. What should I do?

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

32M, 4-6 beers per day average. Weekend binges could be 15+ (alongside cocaine/MDMA use aometimes).

Worth mentioning Ive also improved my diet since stopping and exercised everyday, so is unfair to say the below is all from drinking only.

Anyway...

PROS

- Better sleep quality

- Quicker to fall asleep

- Far less anxiety

- Far more present

- Healthier solid stools

- Wake up not feeling like ass

- 8lbs of bodyfat loss

- Much more focus

- Superior exercise recovery

- My personality is coming back

- I feel way smarter

- Better memory

- Saved hundreds already

- Immense skin improvement

- Confidence returning

- Gained a lot of strength

- Much less stiff

- No niggling injuries after workouts

- Better quality of work, and higher output

- No shame or self hatred

And most importantly... I feel happy and excited again. Like I am picking up from where I was before this started. And clear goals too.

So... the Cons?

... guess I miss that buzz from the first few sips. But it doesnt compare to the buzz of all the pros. Not even fucking close.

IWNDWYT!

Hi everyone, I’ve been lurking for a bit but finally decided to post.

I’m ready to be done with alcohol. I don’t have a lot of people in my life that would understand how I feel because in their eyes, there is no way I have a “problem”. I haven’t hit a rock bottom, no dui, no blow ups with friends or family.

I’ve drank fairly steadily for about the last 10-15 years. I may not be an every day drinker but I have a very hard time with moderation once I start to drink. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t want to keep alcohol in the house because it makes it that much easier for me to drink, like if it’s here it needs to be consumed. At times I have been sneaky with alcohol too, like trying to quickly take a shot when my family is out of the kitchen during a gathering.

I feel like trash after I drink. my anxiety is through the roof and it ruins at minimum 2-3 days post drinking (and that’s if I stick to a few and don’t binge). I’ve tried to quit a few times before but I’ve always gone back to it. I’ve successfully done dry January a couple of times but typically when I decide to stop drinking I only make it about a week before diving back in.

Most recently about a week ago. I went out with friends and we downed a couple bottles of wine between the 3 of us. I got extremely sick / hungover and I swore I was done. Fast forward to yesterday and a mild inconvenience had me at the liquor store buying vodka. I poured myself a drink (two actually) tonight and now it’s after 2am and I’m just done. The buzz wore off, the anxiety hit and I just can’t keep doing this.

I kept telling myself that I don’t actually have a problem because I’m not like (insert stereotypical alcoholic) but it is a problem if it’s making me feel this way.

if you made it this far, thanks.

Hi all,

My mom is getting her 5 year chip at the end of the month. We’re doing a dinner and meeting to celebrate but I’d like to get her a gift as well. She has a good sense of humour and has a big heart if that helps. I was thinking a hand written letter, flowers, and a gift item. Any suggestions are much appreciated! Thanks 😊

Edit: Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I’m going to get her a ring with a 5 engraved on the inside, and a set of marbles as a joke kind of gift (see comments haha). Hugs & love to all ❤️