Quitting Alcohol

[Kilboars]

Same here. Fills the void for me with Athletic and Sam Adam’s being my favorite ones.

I’ll give the standard disclaimer to be careful as it can be a trigger for some, but for me it works great.


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Yes. Not sure why I like coming home from a crazy day and saying “I need a beer” then grab a non alcohol one.

I still fell like I’m chilling with a cold beer but I’m not getting buzzed and throwing away the rest of the evening.

What’s crazy is their not cheap.


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[strousek]

Did you quit alcohol and nicotine at the same time? Because that sounds like a certain death wish! I’ve found that with alcohol I only really have the urge to drink in social situations, or on a Friday afternoon when I get home from work.

And nicotine, I only think about Copenhagen roughly every waking second of every day


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No I did not stop them at the same time as I agree with you that sounds about miserable.

I started chewing and smoking cigarettes in high school like most. I have always been active in backpacking and hiking so I only smoked when I drank but chewed a couple cans a week. When I started dating my now wife I quit smoking all together. When she became pregnant with our first child I decided to stop chewing.

My father passed from cancer when I was 19, he was 52, which I helped use years later as a motivator to stop chewing. I didn't want to leave my family so early from this Earth as my father unfortunately had to. The problem was to cope with losing my father I relied heavily on alcohol.

If anyone needs a good song to listen to and help get you through I would suggest "Mine Again" by Zach Bryan.

 

[Kilboars]

If you can find the mix pack of brew dog it is good stuff. Elvis AF is pretty tasty and refreshing.
I like these for when I'm with friends or camping. I drink bubbly water and stuff like that too to keep it mixed up.

Yes. I just finished a 12 pack of them from Whole Foods.
Fantastic


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[schmalzy]

Did you quit alcohol and nicotine at the same time? Because that sounds like a certain death wish! I’ve found that with alcohol I only really have the urge to drink in social situations, or on a Friday afternoon when I get home from work.

And nicotine, I only think about Copenhagen roughly every waking second of every day


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Wasn’t directed me at but I’ll share my experience. I quit drinking in July of 21 and just quit nicotine about 3 weeks ago. From my experience, I’d strongly suggest tackle one at a time. But don’t put off nicotine forever. It’s damn nice to be free of it. And immediate savings. I starting dipping at 16 so damn near 20 years.

I’ll say quoting nicotine was a lot easier since quitting drinking (compared to half as attempts in the past) just because I had some Confidence in myself.

I look back at how much $$$ I drank and chewed and i don’t think I’d be too far from a stone sheep hunt.


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[Skullwhite_designs]

Was never a heavy drinker by any means but when I cut it out all together it was a life changer.

 

[Skullwhite_designs]

I think they gave proven a beer can have a hydrating effect, It’s been proven a glass of red wine can help with heart disease. There are a few other benefits but it’s not worth arguing.

These statements have been regurgitated over and over and are completely false. Real doctors and scientists who don't get paid by big pharma and conduct their own independent research with zero influence from outside sources show that zero drinks a day is the recommended amount of alcohol to be considered healthy. Zero. It's literally poison. Not wine not beer none. Check out Huberman or Dr. Attia if you need to hear the stats for yourself. There are no benefits to alcohol. Period

 

[Rob5589]

These statements have been regurgitated over and over and are completely false. Real doctors and scientists who don't get paid by big pharma and conduct their own independent research with zero influence from outside sources show that zero drinks a day is the recommended amount of alcohol to be considered healthy. Zero. It's literally poison. Not wine not beer none. Check out Huberman or Dr. Attia if you need to hear the stats for yourself. There are no benefits to alcohol. Period

Huberman's podcasts on alcohol and mary jane are very eye opening.

 

[LFC911]

Yes. Not sure why I like coming home from a crazy day and saying “I need a beer” then grab a non alcohol one.

I still fell like I’m chilling with a cold beer but I’m not getting buzzed and throwing away the rest of the evening.

What’s crazy is their not cheap.


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I just tried some Old Milwaukee N/A and it surprisingly wasn't too bad and it is less than $10/12 pack...also drink a hefty amount of Bubly as i also quit drinking diet coke.

 

[kevin.dunn]

The longer you stay sober, the better your life becomes. That's a fact. Alcohol has lasting effects and destroys focus and productivity. I have been sober for 3 years now and it's the best period of my life. Wish you luck!

 

[birdhunter17]

I quit during hunting season the last couple years and have noticed a huge improvement in soreness on multiple day hunts.

 

[ODB]

I just tried some Old Milwaukee N/A and it surprisingly wasn't too bad and it is less than $10/12 pack...also drink a hefty amount of Bubly as i also quit drinking diet coke.

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We got one of those drinkmate carbonaters. When we do the trade in on the canisters the cost is 1/3 of the cheapest soda water we can get. My wife just got some of the bubly flavor and it tastes great. Usually I just use plain water though.

I was weened on Coke because my grandfather was a VP there - we never had to buy it. Turns out it was just the fizz I liked so don’t drink soda anymore either.

 

[ODB]

Huberman's podcasts on alcohol and mary jane are very eye opening.

Man just listened to the one on alcohol. That’s a really good and sobering(!) podcast. Very practical, non-preachy, and approachable information. Highly recommend.

 

[OregonSteeler]

ALMOST fell off the wagon yesterday. It wasn't a wedding, camp trip, old friend visiting, or any significant event. It was during dinner with my wife. I poured her a glass of wine like asked and I just stood there looking at that glass thinking "why"? I didn't stop drinking because I was abusing alcohol, got a DUI, or a bad drunk. I stopped to become a better person. I stopped for my health, I stopped for me.

It was the closest I've came to breaking down and giving in. Looking back I'm sooo glad I didn't.

Every day is different. Most are easy, some are hard, and every once in a while there's a scare. One day at a time, one step at a time.

Thank you for everyones support and glad I have this thread to "vent". I don't have anyone else that understands what I'm trying to do and achieve.

 

[Customweld]

Man just listened to the one on alcohol. That’s a really good and sobering(!) podcast. Very practical, non-preachy, and approachable information. Highly recommend.

That podcast is what pushed me into action. I've revisited it a few times in the last couple of months. I've said it before, but alcohol is pushed so hard to us. A guy doesn't even realize it until you stop.

 

[hunt1up]

This past weekend we had my sister-in-law, her husband, and young kid staying at our house. So we hosted cookouts two days in a row for her mom and dads families. I bought supplies for the party including some beer. I bought a few decent craft beers since a few of them like those.

Well my sister-in-law invited a college friend and her husband whom I’d never met. The husband was a real piece of work but I was hospitable. I noticed him making himself comfortable and saw him take several of the good beers from the fridge. In my head I got mad, “Hey, those are the good beers!” Then I remembered that I wasn’t going to be drinking them anyway! I laughed to myself and still think the guy was a douche. But I guess I DID tell him to make himself at home.

 

[74Bronco]

I didn't stop drinking because I was abusing alcohol, got a DUI, or a bad drunk. I stopped to become a better person. I stopped for my health, I stopped for me.

I'm in a similar spot. Everyone asks when I will go back, like I'm on suspension or something. Had a big get together last weekend, where I would usually be good and primed, The further down the rabbit hole some went, easier for me to say no. Next morning around coffee, two of them said I may have the right idea. haha. The nice sunrise and bright sun did not cause a splitting headache to get worse.
On another note, the clarity is helping me to make other healthy choices.. I am going to make my sobriety date, the date I quit other things going forward. pop, sweets, whatever. I have tried to much at once before, great for a week, then I crash and have a bag of licorice and 2 pops for a snack.. and a handful of tums.
Thanks for everyone continuing this thread, countless lives have been changed for the better. Keep it up, day by day.

 

[Finch]

Coming up on a month with no alcohol this Friday. This may be the longest I've ever gone without a beer since I started drinking at 21. I'm 38 now. I'm not saying I'll never have another beer but I needed to take a step back and evaluate some things. I was drinking four (sometimes five) 16 oz Miller Lite's after work everyday there for a while. Nothing terribly excessive in my mind but not normal either I'd say. I blamed it on stress at work but I've been getting by just fine this past month without it.

I looked into NA beer to scratch the itch but some of that contains a little bit of alcohol and I felt like that might be cheating and/or a trigger to start back up again. Like others have said, it's pricey too. I have been drinking the hell out of lime Bubly's though. I do feel better and also feel like I am sharper mentally.

I'll be attending a "celebration of life" this Friday for a good friend of mine's brother. This will be my 1 month mark. He just passed away at 50 from cirrhosis of the liver. He was actually on the liver transplant list and had a donor but he was too sick to make it through the procedure so they couldn't do it.

 

[LFC911]

2 months today for me and counting...I have been around others drinking and have no urges to regress. @Finch there are some 0.0 beers out there like Heineken but i can understand your reservation and reasoning. Keep up the great work! Thanks again to the OP for starting this thread and getting us all on the straight and narrow.

 

[dtrkyman]

Keep it up.

 

[Claypa]

Never had a drop and don’t plan to but I have a massive amount of respect for all of you that have made the decision to quit and are sticking to it.