re: Anyone here ever quit drinking?

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So you're a functional alcoholic?

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I don't care if I am or not. I can go a week without drinking and I am fine. My friends and I do sober November every year and don't drink during that month. I have no withdrawals or side effects. If that means I am an alcoholic and functional, I'm fine with that.

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drink anywhere from 60-90 beers a week. I get a full blood test every year, and my liver enzymes are perfect. In fact, every year I keep thinking one of the metrics is going to be worse than the prior year. Never happens, and I have had this blood test every year since 2013. In fact, if I compare to 2013 levels, they are all still good.

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Knew a guy who drank Milwaukees best from the time he woke up till he went to bed every day and kept a 6 pack by the bed in case he woke up middle of the night. He died of old age at 89

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Maybe I'm just dumb, but I never fully appreciated the impact alcohol was having on all aspects of my life until I quit.

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You lose the sense of what normal is concerning your body and it’s functions for sure. I quit 3 yrs ago. 4-6 beers pd on average, which ranged from 4-6 to 24 bpd. Jesus.

"Boy, isn't this the truth. Most of my "friends" have stopped reaching out to me to do things since I don't drink anymore.

I'm 8 weeks without alcohol now. It was time. I drank nearly every day, but it could range from a single beer to almost a fifth of bourbon.

Here's what I've noticed:

- I'm not tired any more. I'm awake and alert all day long and don't have this feeling of being sleepy or tired during the day.

- I've lost weight. Not only am I losing weight since I'm not drinking those empty calories, but I'm also making better food choices.

- My skin is clearer. My face isn't as puffy. My girlfriend keeps commenting that I look healthier.

- No more hangovers. Even though I thought I wasn't hungover, I was a little hungover. It feels good to not have something holding me back.

Looking back, alcohol definitely played a part in the way my marriage ended. It wasn't everything, but it certainly made things worse/harder. And I was about to lose the best relationship I've ever had due to alcohol. My kids (both grown, no pics) are happy about it and wish I had quit sooner. So do I.

Do I miss alcohol? Yes and no. I don't miss the effects, but I do miss the taste of a good Old Fashioned or hoppy double IPA. I miss that more than I do the buzz. But I know that I can't go back. Ever. Could I have a drink and be OK? Yes. But I never know when that drink will turn into 10 drinks, and I can't ever go back to being that person. So that means I will always need to be at 0 drinks."



This! January 15 will be 4 years sober. I'm 54 and in the best shape physically, mentally, and spiritually of my life. I can't change my past, but I definitely changed my future.

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I will probably still drink socially because I don't have a problem there; what I really want to quit is the drinking alone on a nightly basis.

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The first will always lead to the second if you're drinking as much as you say you were.

Again, I say this from experience. There's a reason why it's classified as a progressive disease.

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No hangovers is the best thing
ever

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I wouldn’t know how to operate without a hangover.

Didn’t get sick but i romanticized about it and then the urge has gone away. Coming up on four years in February. Health has improved. Weight loss and increased energy.

It is tough not going to lie but worth it. Don’t miss the hangovers at all. Bottle of vodka every night. AA and step work.

Nope I'm not a quitter.

I had a quart of Blue Bell for breakfast and the rest before bedtime. I lost 10 lbs in the first 3 months.

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I was drinking around a 12 pack plus 4 or 5 shots a night

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every time there’s a going sober thread someone posts something like this and my jaw hits the floor. I can’t comprehend drinking that much once much less every day. How do you stay conscious?