thedoctorrrrr
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I decided to go sober 3 weeks ago. Not because I have an addiction to alcohol, or an alcohol abuse problem, but because I needed a break from it, after an alcohol-heavy month of April. I just couldn’t handle the hangovers anymore, which happened even after just 2 glasses of wine. I also have 2 small kids, which makes being tipsy or hangover not fun or easy to deal with at all.
This message is meant to tell you guys about the super positive effects I noticed after quitting for just a few weeks.
- Low blood pressure : I usually have high blood pressure, and now it’s perfectly normal.
- Higher energy: I’m usually a low energy person, I often need a nap after lunch. Not anymore !
- Better sleep: this one goes without saying
- No more knee pain: gone! I was dealing with a bad knee for years.
- Better exercice performances : i run like a teenager ! Lol
- No anxiety and better mood (I’m already on antidepressant for depression and anxiety)
Waking up with no hangover everyday feels amazing. I already had a dream where I was drinking alcohol and felt so relieved when I woke up !
I was planning on going sober for a month or two. But all these amazing changes make me wonder if I should just quit for good ? I don’t really miss drinking. Yesterday I had a really good alcohol free beer and that hit the spot pretty well. Why annihilate all those great changes ?
I would love to hear about your experiences with going sober !
Here’s a great podcast I listened to, to educate myself a little on the effects of alcohol on humans : https://youtu.be/DkS1pkKpILY
#sober #sobriety
Edit #1: it’s been a whole month now! Still sober. I went to multiple social gatherings and even though I was very tempted one time, I still chose my sobriety. Feeling great but a bit stressed out from work.
nosaucesbutapplesauces
Nice! I plan to go sober next month. Have been down to 2 beers a day (from 6-7 for too many months) for about a week, plan on going to 1 the last 4 days of this month. Bad sleep and handwriting isn’t great, but needs to change. Have a few friends on board with me!
mississipeeswampsucker
I have 37 years, my brother 27 years, went from living under a bridge to living in a house on the hill. 1 was to many and 100 not enough. Hang in there.
kaeldra
Way to go @op ! If you are taking antidepressants you really shouldn't be drinking with them Anyway which might be why the effects are so dramatic. I quit drinking years ago and I only very mildly miss it
thedoctorrrrr
Wow. I feel super dumb haha I didn’t even make that connection! You’re right, it’s probably very much linked to my meds.
jkwgn
Congratulations! 6yrs here. Catch a meeting. Not like the movies. Find one you like. One day at a time. Good Luck!
LarvaLamp
If you guys want a good, I mean really good, non-alcoholic beer, try Clausthauler.
thedoctorrrrr
Amazing, I’ll try soon hopefully! There a 100% alcohol free “liquor store” opening in my city tomorrow, I’ll go see if they have it
Gnorknik
My best friend has three weeks tomorrow. Gets out of treatment next week. If you feel better, stick with it. Alcohol issues can sneak up on you quickly. He went from drinking to get to sleep at night to having withdrawals at 9 am within a year. This is his third try in 8 months to get sober. I threw out all of my alcohol in January after watching him. It’s not worth it.
thedoctorrrrr
Wow. I feel for your friend, and I hope they will be able to quit forever. Alcohol is so not worth it, especially as we age, the drawbacks are too much
Gnorknik
Yeah. I hope this time sticks. It’s a tough road.
ClownishAntics
If not drinking feels better than drinking, then I genuinely can't see any reason to not continue this. I mean that's a lot of short term benefits, and the long term ones haven't even kicked in yet.
thedoctorrrrr
Exactly ! I didn’t expect to feel this good. I actually expected to miss alcohol after years of “mindless” and social drinking
Quixus
Good for you, and generally the previous commenter is right. However you stated that two glasses of wine gave you a hangover. This might be indicative of another medical condition, that only got a temporary fix with the quitting. Especially if it hasn't been this way before, you should go check that out.
InHarajuku
As someone who has never had alcohol in their life this is so interesting. Think I will continue not doing so. Best of luck!
masterfalconer
I’m coming up on a month myself! What’s your NA beer of choice? My new favorite is Athletic Brewing.
thedoctorrrrr
I haven’t really explored all of my options yet, and I feel excited about it! The one I drank 3 days ago was a German brand called “pils bitburger” and it was impressively similar to a good beer. I also like kombucha for its fizzyness! There’s a 100% alcohol free “liquor store” opening in my city tomorrow, very excited to check it out !
MerryXMan
I’ve recently gone through a similar transformation, no dependent Lucy or abuse, but decided to stop drinking at home, and only have one or two when out. I agree the impact on the joints is amazing.
thedoctorrrrr
It really is astounding. And a little worry. It seems like alcohol affects everything in the body, and it just gets worse with age
DarkartistSTY
Some miss it and some don’t. It’s different for everyone, I’ve been over year for me. Some days I do and most days I don’t. Making a change for the better is always good and benefits are awesome. Bet your family noticed too and love it. Knowing you had a problem and acknowledging it is a great first step. Regulating it and controlling it is gunna take work. Keep it up! :)
OmenJones
I've been sober for... 20 years? Yeah, I still don't love it, but it had to happen.
akspartankiiier
I’m at 110+ days. Why did you quit?
73Challenger318
That's awesome, I'm over 13 years now. Don't miss it now but like you it had to happen.
thedoctorrrrr
Bravo!
thedoctorrrrr
Wow 20 years is impressive, especially if there’s addiction involved. Kudos to you !
MyRespectableAlterEgo
I was on heroin for 7 years and trust me when I say taking regular breaks from substances is smart and healthy. Keep it up.
thedoctorrrrr
Merci!
OmenJones
Hey, I'm to the easy part now. If you ever need to talk as you keep on, feel free to PM me. The first while is the hardest.
thedoctorrrrr
Merci, it’s really means a lot.
GuestChrist
I just decided to quit for awhile, see how it goes . Over 20 years ago never went back except for the occasional toast. I happily stick with moderate use of cannabis which I've always enjoyed. Nobody is helpless or powerless.
thedoctorrrrr
Crazy how “a while” became 20 years ! Bravo!
WhiteFreeze11
Congratulations!!! I’m currently 22 days in with zero alcohol and loving it, Heavy drinker (14-20 cans a night) If you’re not already check out /stopdrinking subreddit. Here’s to the next month
thedoctorrrrr
I didn’t think of Reddit! I’ll check it out. Bravo to you, let’s hope we can come back to this comment in a year and still be sober
THESEVENSGUY
41 now the older I get the worse I feel from alcohol. I am starting to just enjoy 1 then that’s it. The feeling of being drunk has lost its appeal. And if it’s flavour you want the options available for alcohol free beer is amazing. Or just your favourite mixed drink with out the alcohol is great. Glad to hear about your lifestyle adjustment.
Geoglady
This. This.
thedoctorrrrr
I’m 36 and I feel the same, the older I got the worst it became. Hangovers that last literally 3 days, just awful !
thedoctorrrrr
There a alcohol free “liquor store” opening in my town this week. Talk about serendipity !
dirkmcdirk
Ok, I get the flavor thing a bit, but I love the alcohol burn...how do I replace that?
tgroveca
Shot of hot sauce? I joke, but I personally enjoy the burn of a strong carbonated water, I know it doesn't give the warmth of hard alcohol, but the sensation is a bit similar.
thedoctorrrrr
I don’t think you can honestly. Search for another kind of burn maybe, a positive one? Burn your muscles in gym?
bangbangbangbangbangbangbangban
2 glasses of wine? Bruhhhhh drink some waterrrrrrr
thedoctorrrrr
I know it’s no much at all and I was drinking water but STILL was hangover. I’m a 150 pounds lightweight haha
MichaelScarnSecretAgentAgency
My wife and I have been sober for going on two years. It’s amazing how good it feels. Our physical health has never been better, our relationship is the strongest it’s ever been. Every aspect in my life is better after giving up drinking. Even my eyesight improved by 1 point.
thedoctorrrrr
The eyesight thing is crazy!!
MichaelScarnSecretAgentAgency
Right??!!!
piratejimthedagger
The sleep. The amazing sleep that comes with sobriety is such a mood booster. ( You might have a few bad nights to begin with if you're alcohol dependant, but that will improve)
thedoctorrrrr
Yeah good sleep is so fundamental and you really end up lacking in this area if you drink several times a week. Can’t believe I never even questioned it before !
tmphillips11
Yep. That has blown me away.
Psychobeanz
My mental health has improved immensely since I quit drinking. I used to drink myself into a blackout every night to cope with my issues, and now I'll smoke a little weed and snuggle into my bed.
thedoctorrrrr
Mental health has improved so much for me too, it’s incredible. Weed isn’t legal in France unfortunately
Clymenus000
I promised a relative of mine I would never start drinking or smoking. I'm lucky that I made that promise. Addiction apparently runs in my family and it hasn't turned out well for some of my other relatives. Stay sober! I think it's worth it!! Good job, OP.
thedoctorrrrr
I’m starting to think it’s worth it too. I’m so surprised by my reaction honestly, I thought I would find it hard to stop. That relative of yours if an angel, and you’re a person of your word, bravo to you
arimatic
Great job bud. I'm 3 years into a relapse but things will hopefully get better for me too.
SquiggleSquaggleSqwoo
I ingest cannabis basically all day every day and I need to see this. I miss sober me. I know other people do too.
thedoctorrrrr
Weed isn’t legal in France and luckily so because I think I would love it haha. No hangovers, feeling chill, it has its appeal! But I’m discovering that sobriety if really giving your body and your mind a chance to simply be, in their natural state. And it’s a great feeling. Can you go to an AA adjacent group for weed?
astrangehop
Hey, it's less than destructive, but that can be an addition too! Maybe to start, think about what you are avoiding with your substance use, and also what you've been missing.
thedoctorrrrr
The psychological aspect is super important I agree. I’m lucky that I only drink for the taste and the social situation.
pandajack
Knee pain gone, really? I didn't know this was a thing. It's not from lack of kneeling to pray to the porcelain God is it?
thedoctorrrrr
Hahaha that’s hilarious. No I rarely got sick luckily.
Germhole
Just past my 2 year no booze mark... plenty of medical MJ, but no booze, lost a bunch of weight in that first year coupled with walking.
HistoricallyAroused
Nearly up to a year now; very similar situation, I lost a ton of weight since quitting and I only go for walks.
Germhole
I sorta bottomed out almost with the weight loss, went from 235'ish down to 170, have put a little back on in the 180s now, healthy range for my height, I tell myself some is muscle, I still see the gut when I look down and probably always will (abdominal exercises and cardio I know)
DeepThought42
248 days sober and I love this feeling. No hangovers, no worries about what I did and cannot remember, lots less regrets. I feel great! Stick with it !
thedoctorrrrr
Exactly! No more pain killers before bed and upon waking up… only to feel bad all day long anyway. What motivated you to quit? Also, what’s your new drink of choice in social situations?
DeepThought42
My last drink was 6 martinis and a serious blackout. Woke up with a serious feeling I had used up all my free ride tickets and was concerned I would lose everything so I quit drinking.
DeepThought42
New choice drink in social situations is Fresca, iced tea, lemonade. Works great! As long as you have a glass in your hand, people will stop offering drinks to you.
thedoctorrrrr
I’ll give it a try! I drink sparkling water with ice and lime every night now, I love it
2too
Congrats!! The benefits are definitely real. It does get a little trickier the longer you go from my own experience. The first month or two you’re still in the salad days where you actually notice the transformations. Around month three I plateaued and mentally started struggling. My next breakthrough didn’t come until almost a year in and was hard fought to get to. Very much worth it though. A since of clarity I’d never had set in and I’m not letting it go for anything.
Gnorknik
That timing fits my best friend. He relapsed at about the two month mark this time. Three weeks into treatment now, though.
2too
I truly hope it works out for him. Dealing with the underlying issues that caused the excessive drinking in the first place is a huge step that treatment can help someone better understand. I too was unsuccessful many times around the two or three month mark but my own mental gymnastics led me right back in. The last two decades of my life would have been far easier if I had sought out help.
Gnorknik
Thank you. I really hope so. He has major depressive disorder, worse than anyone I’ve ever known. That contributes a lot. Also living alone without a job/anywhere to go every day. New meds for the former, working on changing the latter. He might move in with me when he has 90 days.
2too
Sounds like he’s making the right decisions to get past this and has a good friend to help him along the way. That counts for a lot. Make sure to take care of yourself too.
Gnorknik
I go to AlAnon every week, and am working on my issues, too.
thedoctorrrrr
Amazing ! The podcast I recommended at the end of my post says it takes 2-6 months for your body to recover from alcohol consumption. For me so far, the tricky part is people thinking I’m pregnant haha
2too
Interesting. As a male I never got the pregnancy rumors but by avoiding alcohol I was also avoiding a lot of social situations that revolved around around alcohol which lead to a lot of my friends assuming I didn’t want to be around them any more. For me it ended up being a complete lifestyle change which is what took a while to get accustomed to.
thedoctorrrrr
Yeah… I totally see it happening. On my end I don’t think I’ll initiate nights out as much as I used too. So I’ll probably invite people less than usual, which they might interpret badly.
SonOfChicken
Or like inviting friends around for dinner but you don't drink with them. It's a different vibe than it used to be.
thedoctorrrrr
You’re right. I’ll focus on cooking great food instead haha
BaddyOneShoe
I'm 9 months off booze. I miss it a lot.
thisissomuchpressure
Heard. Day 3 and I can’t imagine.
jskskj8888
I lie to myself every day saying I don't miss it. Hoping I'll eventually start believing it. Been over a year and still miss it sometimes. Good luck to you.
thedoctorrrrr
A year is impressive. It shows a strong mind, bravo!
in70x
It will fade eventually usually takes about two years though
PrincessWasabi
What’s one way your life has changed without it, either good or bad
BaddyOneShoe
I've lost some weight. That's about it. I never get hung over, so there was no downside to be honest.
PrincessWasabi
Well that’s positive to be honest, but even harder to attain without a clear downside. What made you want to quit then?
BaddyOneShoe
No, no, no. Not a story of some sort of superhuman will power triumph. I could NOT quit for 20 years because I was so functional as an alcoholic. I would wipe out a 12 pack of beer (or equivalent) every night. I finally gave myself an intestinal ulcer last fall. It was the kick in the ass I needed to get serious about quitting. I'm proud of myself for sticking with quitting, but without the health issue, I think I would still be trapped.
thedoctorrrrr
Honestly if I didn’t get hungover ever I probably wouldn’t have stopped. So I can’t imagine how strong of a mind you have ! Bravo!
RussianBlueJay
I miss booze for its flavour. Red Wine, Tequila, Gin, Bourbon, Whiskys, fancy ass 20$ cocktails that require fancy ass French liqueurs. Making my own simple syrups. I miss that a lot. I'm a daily drinker, evening hours only. I'm taking a break, 2.5 weeks so far. Sleep improved - I dont wake-up at night to take a piss. Still nap in the afternoons. Knees and legs hurt from running, with or without booze ,need to strech. I'm always high energy so - now i'm just bored in the evenings. Mood is same.
thedoctorrrrr
Go see an osteopath for your knee! It might be an hip-knee-foot alignment issue. The flavour is my favorite part too, but it doesn’t outweigh the bad effects
RussianBlueJay
I do have insoles for my hip. Messed it up decades ago without knowing, doing summer landscape works. I think my pains are from over running. Ill do 3-4 days run, one break day and again 3. Averaging 35-40K a week. I just need to take it.eas
berthabiggun
No alcohol for 2.5 years and my blood pressure insomnia only got worse:(
thedoctorrrrr
What? This is the polar opposite of my experience. Did you go see a doctor for your blood pressure?
racknoz
Being sober is more stressful
mezzidriel
Good on you! I've been off alcohol for nine years now, nearly ten, and I haven't once had the urge to go back. The hangovers were never worth it.
thedoctorrrrr
The hangovers really are the main reason I don’t miss drinking. Can I ask why you qui?
mezzidriel
I didn't like the person that I became when I was drunk, and the feeling of being out of control. Blacked out enough times that I just decided I didn't want to do that anymore.
thedoctorrrrr
Very smart move my friend !
mezzidriel
I think so! No regrets. Thank you. :)