Quitting Alcohol

[snowdog104]

Quitting (reducing) sugar has been way harder than captain and coke. I have 4 kids from almost 9 to almost 2. When you try to avoid candy (and alcohol) is really when you notice how prevalent it is.

19 months since rum. 1 day since ice cream. Good fruit is hard to come by in the winter in my rural northern Wisconsin area. Obesity and/or alcoholism is the standard here.

Keep grinding fellas.


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[nevadabugle]

Putting a place holder here, so I can start watching this thread.

The reasons are likely obvious...

 

[COJoe]

The problem I do have not drinking is a terrible sweet tooth has developed. I crave ice cream, candy, anything sweet in the evenings.

I used to crave and eat ice cream at least a couple if not every day of the week. I went animal based eating in November of 2024 and now I don't crave ice cream much at all. If I eat it, I'm satisfied for months or longer. We have a Culvers down the street that my wife likes so that's usually are fix for months or more. For sweets, I eat dates with butter on them and I use raw, unfiltered local honey. It doesn't affect your gliscemic (spelling?) index as much as processed sugars do and it has allergy benefits as well. Stay strong evryone and connected during these holidays. Your rewards going forward are better than your cravings now.

 

[nevadabugle]

Let me ask you guys something. I am not a day drinker at all, but will have a bourbon or three in the evenings before bed every night. I've been trying to cut back the number of nights each week that I have a drink (currently every night). The issue I have is that I can not go to sleep. If I don't have a drink my mind races with work, family stuff, the next days to do list. I lay awake for 2 hours before I fall asleep and then its fitful sleep.

How do some of you who have quit the juice, get to a place where you can fall asleep without it?

 

[Telford29]

Let me ask you guys something. I am not a day drinker at all, but will have a bourbon or three in the evenings before bed every night. I've been trying to cut back the number of nights each week that I have a drink (currently every night). The issue I have is that I can not go to sleep. If I don't have a drink my mind races with work, family stuff, the next days to do list. I lay awake for 2 hours before I fall asleep and then its fitful sleep.

How do some of you who have quit the juice, get to a place where you can fall asleep without it?

For me it just takes time. My drinking habits sound like yours to a T. I have been on and off the wagon for a couple years now. Every time that I quit drinking, it seems to take about a week to get back to good deep sleep. When you finally experience it, it’s awesome.

 

[Fred@Exterra]

Let me ask you guys something. I am not a day drinker at all, but will have a bourbon or three in the evenings before bed every night. I've been trying to cut back the number of nights each week that I have a drink (currently every night). The issue I have is that I can not go to sleep. If I don't have a drink my mind races with work, family stuff, the next days to do list. I lay awake for 2 hours before I fall asleep and then its fitful sleep.

How do some of you who have quit the juice, get to a place where you can fall asleep without it?

In my experience, a couple to wind down in the evening so I could sleep turned into 5 into 7 into starting earlier in the day…

Going to sleep sober was hard. I learned to practice a form of meditation that clears my mind & creates thoughts/images that are similar to a REM dream state. It seems like I read about it as a technique taught in the military. I am generally able to fall asleep in a reasonable amount of time.

I also read the meditation techniques by Ekhardt Tolle in the Power of Now. This helped me be more present & less depressed about the past or anxious about the future.


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[ODB]

In my experience, a couple to wind down in the evening so I could sleep turned into 5 into 7 into starting earlier in the day…

Going to sleep sober was hard. I learned to practice a form of meditation that clears my mind & creates thoughts/images that are similar to a REM dream state. It seems like I read about it as a technique taught in the military. I am generally able to fall asleep in a reasonable amount of time.

I also read the meditation techniques by Ekhardt Tolle in the Power of Now. This helped me be more present & less depressed about the past or anxious about the future.


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Something I have heard and try to keep in mind is the concept of doing the next right/best thing. When you are prompted to make a decision - no matter what it is - what is the next best decision to make. It helps me not focus on the larger, seemingly insurmountable problems, but the smaller, controllable ones. When it comes to booze - the next right/best decision will be to order/drink anything but... When you apply this widely, you realize that the state of your life is largely made up by a series of decisions - the better decisions you make, they better things are. Of course there are always outside influences, but also how we react to those matters a great deal.

Keep it up! Great to see this most positive post on Rokslide back to the top!

 

[nevadabugle]

Something I have heard and try to keep in mind is the concept of doing the next right/best thing. When you are prompted to make a decision - no matter what it is - what is the next best decision to make. It helps me not focus on the larger, seemingly insurmountable problems, but the smaller, controllable ones. When it comes to booze - the next right/best decision will be to order/drink anything but... When you apply this widely, you realize that the state of your life is largely made up by a series of decisions - the better decisions you make, they better things are. Of course there are always outside influences, but also how we react to those matters a great deal.

Keep it up! Great to see this most positive post on Rokslide back to the top!

There is alot of truth in what you say here. I feel very lucky in my career (doing exactly what I dreamed of 25 years ago). And I didn't get here because I am amazing at my job or super smart. I got here because at each fork in the road I simply chose the fork that was closer to what I wanted to be doing. None of the forks were exactly what I wanted. But they each moved me in the direction of where I wanted to end up.

I suppose with alcohol its the same. Its just that the forks in the road are much smaller and come daily.

This was more helpful than you can imagine. Thank you brother.

 

[waspocrew]

I don't have much to add to this thread other than this: keep it up! You guys are doing great.

My dad passed away from alcoholic cirrhosis just over 4 years ago (age 65). I miss him a ton and I'm sad my young kids never really got the chance to know him.

Take it one day at a time. Your friends, family, and fellow Roksliders are all rooting for you!

 

[Will_m]

Let me ask you guys something. I am not a day drinker at all, but will have a bourbon or three in the evenings before bed every night. I've been trying to cut back the number of nights each week that I have a drink (currently every night). The issue I have is that I can not go to sleep. If I don't have a drink my mind races with work, family stuff, the next days to do list. I lay awake for 2 hours before I fall asleep and then its fitful sleep.

How do some of you who have quit the juice, get to a place where you can fall asleep without it?

That’s wild. Alcohol absolutely wrecks my sleep and makes it impossible most of the time to even get to sleep unless I’m just completely housed.

You might turn into Superman if you actually get some legitimate sleep without the booze.

 

[Nevwild]

Let me ask you guys something. I am not a day drinker at all, but will have a bourbon or three in the evenings before bed every night. I've been trying to cut back the number of nights each week that I have a drink (currently every night). The issue I have is that I can not go to sleep. If I don't have a drink my mind races with work, family stuff, the next days to do list. I lay awake for 2 hours before I fall asleep and then its fitful sleep.

How do some of you who have quit the juice, get to a place where you can fall asleep without it?

a heavy workout earlier in the day is a big help. If the mind is racing, go find a pen and paper and write everything down. Put it where you will see it on the morning. Close those loops. Combine those two, and

 

[nevadabugle]

That’s wild. Alcohol absolutely wrecks my sleep and makes it impossible most of the time to even get to sleep unless I’m just completely housed.

You might turn into Superman if you actually get some legitimate sleep without the booze.

Funny how it affects us all differently. If I have a bourbon or two before bed, my head hits the pillow and its lights out. No bourbon, I toss and turn, with mind racing.

 

[OregonSteeler]

Funny how it affects us all differently. If I have a bourbon or two before bed, my head hits the pillow and its lights out. No bourbon, I toss and turn, with mind racing.

Try reading a book. A physical book is best but Kindle works too. Just stay off the phone as to not get distracted. A good book takes my mind off the day and I'm ready to sleep after a couple pages.

 

[nevadabugle]

Losing

a heavy workout earlier in the day is a big help. If the mind is racing, go find a pen and paper and write everything down. Put it where you will see it on the morning. Close those loops. Combine those two, and

I wish I felt like I had the time for the workout. Im in good shape (always watch my diet), but could definitely benefit from it. But I leave for work at 430am, get gome at 600pm. Have time to eat, visit with the family about their day and off to bed. Rinse and repeat.

The notepad is a good idea that I could likely fit in while visiting.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I don’t have the issues with alcohol consumption, but I do have the mind-racing issues. My cure for that is to put on a recorded book or the QB School channel on YouTube (don’t watch it, just listen). My book of choice is Rudyard Kipling’s Kim, read by Sam Dastor. Any well-read book with which you are familiar, should work for this role.

 

[Nevwild]

I wish I felt like I had the time for the workout. Im in good shape (always watch my diet), but could definitely benefit from it. But I leave for work at 430am, get gome at 600pm. Have time to eat, visit with the family about their day and off to bed. Rinse and repeat.

The notepad is a good idea that I could likely fit in while visiting.

Eleven minutes of cardio is all you need. If you’re not drinking that is the replacement both in effect and in time.

 

[BishBeCool]

Quitting drinking can be benefitial in all categories you mentioned. is there any benefit to areas you mentioned by continuing to drink? is it enhancing your physical shape, recovery or endurance? as for mind set... I speak from example it just put me into a different mindset. today I rather be clear and present.

alcohol can cause inflammation, water retention and can lower test. one drink has been shown to possibly effect sleep for up to four days. sleep is pretty important bro for all things...mind, ,mood, recovery etc..the list can go on and on. plenty of info out there now. just a few talking points.

best way to quit is to be tired of it. tired of the day after, tired of the hard earned money gone, tired of the trouble and time wasted. trade that time at the bar for time in the gym or reading or doing anything to be "better" and the ROI comes back 10 fold.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Let me ask you guys something. I am not a day drinker at all, but will have a bourbon or three in the evenings before bed every night. I've been trying to cut back the number of nights each week that I have a drink (currently every night). The issue I have is that I can not go to sleep. If I don't have a drink my mind races with work, family stuff, the next days to do list. I lay awake for 2 hours before I fall asleep and then its fitful sleep.

How do some of you who have quit the juice, get to a place where you can fall asleep without it?

I spent 13 straight years traveling internationally-constantly jumping time zones. I was convinced I needed alcohol to attempt to sleep. I was a functioning zombie. If I could go back the first thing I would do would be go to a doctor and get a prescription to calm down the racing thoughts and take the edge off of being hyper vigilant and then needing rest at intermittent windows. It could be lunesta or ambien, or a different class of rx altogether. Then I would drop the alcohol, because I now know REAL sleep is 3-4 days away being alcohol free.
While alcohol helps you GET to sleep, as it did me, it didn't last but a few hours and was not true rest. When you finally get to that 4th or 5th day and wake up feeling like a superhuman, energized new person, it helps push the drinks away knowing your going to have to start over.
At least it helped for me. Stay at it!

 

[ben h]

If I could go back the first thing I would do would be go to a doctor and get a prescription to calm down the racing thoughts

I did go to a Dr for this and Trazodone worked wonders for me. In my case this was literally a life saver to get on medication for this instead of self medicating with alcohol to "wind down" and get to sleep.

 

[CRJR45]

Let me ask you guys something. I am not a day drinker at all, but will have a bourbon or three in the evenings before bed every night. I've been trying to cut back the number of nights each week that I have a drink (currently every night). The issue I have is that I can not go to sleep. If I don't have a drink my mind races with work, family stuff, the next days to do list. I lay awake for 2 hours before I fall asleep and then its fitful sleep.

How do some of you who have quit the juice, get to a place where you can fall asleep without it?

I still struggle to sleep sometimes . There ways to train your mind to shut off . A friend , Rooster , would picture the the curtain of the movie theatre closing , slowly , and calm his breathing as it did , and fall asleep before it did .
My EXBIL would picture himself fly fishing in the river , striving for the perfect cast , and he has never fished in real life , but it works for him .
Neither worked for me . I tried hypnosis , all kinds of stuff , nothing .