With Christmas stuff on the shelves already and knowing that it's fast approaching my anxiety rises so badly.. This time of year fills me with dread anyway, but the last couple of years that I have stayed sober for months prior to Christmas Eve I have then caved and drank when everybody comes over with alcohol. I do not want to do that this year.. I'm scared I will though. I wish I could avoid Christmas entirely, it really stresses me out 😔

How did u get over the not being able to sleep with out drinking?

I’ve been sober for over nine years now. I love coming to this community and seeing the phenomenal support for each other. Thank you for being there for me and each other. Love you guys!

I have seen a few posts about taking a break from drinking (usually for a month) in order to reset drinking habits. The goal seems to be starting over as a controlled or moderate drinker.

FWIW I have taken such breaks a few times by giving up alcohol for Lent.

I started off drinking less afterwards but it quickly escalated. There I was right back where I began.

I drank heavily for 12 years. I've been sober for almost 15 years (will be in February). I lived with regret for the time that I lost. My life was more or less a blur for the longest time.

As time as marched on I've realized that things just had to play out as they did. I often think if I didn't do what I did then I wouldn't be where I am now.

Where I am now is I'm a homeowner with a great job and a wonderful family. When it comes down to it I'm living a life that I could have never dreamed of.

I post this because I see so many of you who are early in your journey forward. We are all different. You may not have the same feelings as I have had, but know that the roads ahead are the best roads you will ever travel. Stay the course. The best is yet to come.

I will not drink with you today.

I am so ashamed writing this, but also relieved, I am really trying this time, got a new amazing app with good craving managements and distractions, and I am at 4 days and 23 hours at the moment. However, my day was a little too much and one final text sent me over the edge. I went to the convenience store but my states liquor hours stopped me from being able to buy and for that I am thankful, I am being forced to deal with what is going on in a better manner.

I will not drink with you today.

Today marks 8 months sober! 🤯

Tonight I won a big award for my work and I got to give a speech in front of a massive crowd. I did it all… sober.

I did it surrounded by good people and I actually really enjoyed myself. Not only that, I will actually remember the night for years to come.

8 months ago I was in a terrible place. I had been trying to quit for so long and nothing seemed to work. After a series of events, It finally clicked and I feel free. My life isn’t easier but it’s so much better.

It’s filled with presence, hope, and ambition.

A few years ago I watched a movie on Canadian Netflix about a guy who goes to rehab. He meets a coke addict in there and they're not supposed to date but they fall on love anyway. At one point they take him to the dentist to get new teeth and he's informed thst it's gonna hurt like he'll because as an addict he can't use anesthesia. The final scene had him go onto a bar he used to frequent, order a tall glass of hard liquor, contemplate it for a bit, then leave. And there's a Tom Waits song playing in the background.

Does anyone know what this movie is? I remember liking it and I would like to watch it again.

I turned 45 today and didn't drink. I'm surprised because alcohol has always been a big part of my birthday celebrations. It definitely felt strange not to drink but I made it. Is anyone else enjoying thru first sober birthday? How is it going?

Hello Fellow Sobernauts!

Last week saw a just a handful of shares:

• /u/Odd-Accountant-5839 was staying sober as a bartender
• /u/spontaneousketchup hit day 2
• /u/AffectionateMotor833 hit day 6
• /u/karkell27 was hangover free
• /u/greenemo420 stayed sober while supporting a friend at a show

If you feel like sharing, go ahead and drop your share in the comments and I'll link to it in next Saturday's post. Feel free to share whatever, and however much, of your story as you want. Please keep in mind the community guidelines for posts. You might want to follow this loose structure:

• Some background on your drinking
• Why you sought to get sober
• How your life has been in sobriety

Also, feel free to make an actual post and tag it "Saturday Share" and I'll be sure to include it in next week's round up.

IWNDWYT

Of course I have an explanation for it (something that revolved around feeling sorry for myself) it is just not a good enough excuse. I drank a bottle of wine in less than an hour and fell asleep. But woke up a million times during the night because I felt like crap, and still do. How could I forget what drinking really feels like? How did I trick myself into thinking that it would make me feel better? I feel so ashamed but also reminded why I can’t drink.

For context, I work in bar kitchen that turns into a club on Fri/Sat. Kitchen was especially slow so FOH guy asked me if I wanted a shot so I'd be less bored... I said no thank you without a second thought. Small victory but it makes me believe that there is a chance for me yet. Iwndwyt

I am now 7 whole years off the poison! SD was the thing that did the trick after hundreds of false starts! The sub is now over half a million people bigger than when I joined, and I thank you one and all!

Anyone have any success using any apps that support sobriety?

I can’t keep doing this to myself. I owe this to my family, my dog and everyone who has ever beloved in me.

Pledging not to drink today.

hey guys! tomorrow will mark 1 week of sobriety for me. this is all pretty fresh for me and i somehow chose one of the most challenging weeks to begin avoiding alcohol. i’ve done a good job so far resisting the urge, but i’m worried about tomorrow night. my coworker is hosting a huge halloween party, almost all of my friends/coworkers will be there getting fucked up, she has themed shots and cocktails planned. it’s my favorite holiday which i anticipate will make this even harder for me, seeing everyone having fun and drinking. if anyone has any tips/motivation/advice i would greatly appreciate it!! wish me luck please

I've quit drinking and am nearing the six month mark. Been feeling wonderful and full of faith and just want you all to know I'm available for a discussion when needed. I'm not necessarily a person who likes to be prescriptive about such matters, but sometimes it helps to have a voice of someone who can show you there's always hope. Sending love.

Hitting the pillow sober tonight. I have felt amazing all week. I hope I can keep going. Thanks for the inspiration 🙏

Just back here to reminisce. I will not be drinking but it’s started to cross my mind. I’m so happy to be healthier and eating better, looking better

and I would never trade my health and happiness over work - but i’ve now become a dud at work. I do good at my job but so much of my job for the last 10 years is interaction with others. By that I mean, I work remote but you are expected to go out with your “team” for dinners..it’s not mandatory, but clearly looked down upon if you don’t involve yourself

I’ve become so much more like who I used to be and I love it. I have always been introverted and worked hard in silence. Well, the person these people once knew used to go out and party every night. I had (false) confidence and it attracted them to hand me a dream job.

During the pandemic my drinking plummeted even deeper. I was with coworkers every night out drinking right before it started. I would make myself feel better because I had a coworker who would also go 0-100 or nothing each night. So it gave me the excuse to go out and have a good time every night - as long as I was helping babysit this wasted guy I gave it as an excuse so long as I wasn’t late to work myself.

Fast forward to after the pandemic and sobriety. I’m more me I feel but now my job and coworkers think something is really wrong with me. im reclusive..all I want to do is get my to-go dinner and go back to my hotel room, watch a movie and sleep

I guess it’s not okay in between the lines to do this. Everyone thinks I dislike them, or that I act strange when I can’t tell them all that it’s because you guys go to the bar and get hammered every night. it’s a waste of time

But back to the good stuff. I have a family prouder of me, i have a dog who gets walked sometimes twice a day instead of one drunken episode of a walk with my vodka. I don’t send texts i’m scared about reading the next day. I can control my anger more and think about the process before reacting. I still have anxiety attacks daily but I am able to get them to go away faster. With all the bad memories i have so many old good memories coming back

I’m so glad and sad at the same time. Not sad about drinking, but sad that the guy they hired 8 years ago freelance wasnt the actual guy. It has become the opposite, it’s like the guy who got loaded every night is more in line with this job than the one just trying to do well and get it done….

13 days. 13 days man!! The longest I’ve ever gone without being inebriated for 9 years.

I can’t lie. And I WONT lie.

I drank tonight. I am very upset, but, it could have been so much worse. I’m so sorry. I owe some of you a promise that I couldn’t keep, today of all days.

I’m so sorry. I’ll work on being better.

I’m just a wreck. I’m not okay. I try to be, for you and for my friends, but I’m not okay.

Love ya tho

I tried to drink, took a shot, immediately threw up. I used to drink all the time and took off time to get my head straight and now nothing will go down. Kinda crazy how you couldn’t drag me out of a bar a couple months ago now I’m throwing up immediately. I don’t know what happened but I prayed for a time where something would pull me from drinking…this is it. My body said “we don’t need a break we need to be done”. Thankful my body said no but my brain should’ve said no too. More work ahead but I’m glad tonight I’m not fucking up.

I LOVE to drink at night, but I was drinking every day and A LOT and it was taking a toll on my life. This is day 2 of being sober and it's 10 pm and I am so, so craving it right now. Will that go away after a few days? Months? Any tips to get past the intense cravings?

I was a late starter to drinking, around age 27 or 28. I take a lot of pride in my diet and fitness routine, but I can’t make my why stronger than wanting to get buzzed night after night. I’m really, really good and saying ok, today’s the day I stop, and I may even make it twelve days, or thirty, but the. I always break it with one drink which becomes just a few drinks and then it’s just a few drinks for fourteen days in a row and I’m back to feeling like shit again wanting to stop. I don’t get blackout drunk, and often I don’t even drink the whole bottle of wine in one night. But it’s always a couple of drinks. Always. I’m so sick of myself. I just don’t know how to stick to not drinking. This is a somewhat new problem for me, and I just don’t want to spiral into a full blown alcoholic, but, I can’t seem to walk away from it. I don’t want to. Help

Those of y’all that have successfully quit drinking over the long term. How did you go from knowing you needed to quit to actually taking action? Meetings? Meds? Personal decision?

I haven’t had a drink in 32 days. My original goal was to stay sober for a month and assess everything then. I had recently decided that I thought I could practice moderation.

On my way home from work I stopped for gas and saw so many signs for alcohol. Without thinking, it felt like I made the choice to buy something. It wasn’t even a debate in my mind, like my sober days have been. I felt gross about the thought almost instantly and realized that I’m not as in control as I want to be.

I pumped my gas without going inside and finished driving home. I’m not sure how long my goal is at this point, but I think it’s safe to say I’m not ready to entertain moderation.

IWNDWYT

Hi there , I had 40 days and I slipped up , I’d really appreciate some kind words

I was doing so good at the beginning of the year. Hit a few months sober and felt great. I tried to start drinking in moderation and ended up just slowly becoming more and more and mostly to numb anxiety, and it only makes it worse. I drank a lot last night and now I am in bed trying to sleep and I am absolutely riddled with anxiety. The feeling of being on the edge of a panic attack. I need to be sober for my body and mind. I don’t really know the point in posting this I just feel like I’m trying to calm myself down.

Hello. Day two so whatever my badge says I need to update.

Anyway I just went back and finally realized man am I totally hung up on the word sober. Sobriety. Sober living. For some reason I still can't shake this imagery I have associated to it. Maybe it is to close to the word somber for me.

Have you had this hang up and... Were you able to get through it? How?

Alcohol free is fine for some reason. But.. Even after two stints of rehab this year this is one area I remain blocked. Sometimes it makes me feel suffocated. I know this isn't the 12 step program but just to use an example I'm not expecting to never hear the word and like in that book that word is basically everywhere. I get so offended and pissed off at the word sober.

Uggghh. Anyway I'd love your thoughts on this and on if you have dealt with this and if you were able to work through it.

In the meantime also, my little support network is okay with using some different language in the short term when they want to inquire. Since I'm not supposed to be doing this alone...

If you know other languages what is sober in your language? Asking instead of going to Google translate to stop isolating and try to start guiding myself towards connecting with people little steps at a time.

Thank you for reading I am going to bed however will be able to get back tomorrow once I get my dinner into the oven.

IWNDWYT

Does this get better? I'm not super social on the norm, but fuck, I dislike everybody lately. I enjoy my kiddo and that's about it right now. I would like everyone to just leave me alone.

Appreciate y'all, hope its a good friday. I'll not be drinking with you all tonight.

I am 108 days sober and my cravings for anything sweet are still so strong! I even wake in the middle of the night wanting to inhale 6 chocolate bars. Will this eventually pass? How long did it take you to get back to a normal baseline during sobriety?