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u/plantkiller2 19h ago
Life is better sober in ways you can't imagine yet. You won't know until you try. Stay strong and keep your mind open. Remember that each thought like those is a trick alcohol is playing on you.
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u/Itchy_Valuable_4428 14h ago
Alcohol makes you believe that but when you stop drinking for long enough you realize how much better being sober actually feels
3
u/LongjumpingPilot8578 10h ago
This is not scientific so I wish someone would do a study, but some of the happiest, optimistic people I know are all sober. They love to do stuff like go outdoors, go to parties, socialize etc. Alcohol makes people think that a life without it would be gray and drab, when in fact it’s the exact opposite. The sober life is full of colors, and beautifully vibrant.
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u/Secure_Ad_6734 18h ago
First, I had to want to abstain and value my sobriety - I don't put a lot of effort into something I don't value.
I found that support meetings helped to get me out of that funk. A weekly commitment got me out the door.
Slowly, I found other interests like volunteer work and genealogy.
1
u/Omega_Shaman 15h ago
Do you identify as someone with alcohol use disorder or alcoholism?
1
u/Hopnosis 14h ago
The real question is the severity of either or. If it’s use disorder and it’s severe then it’s alcoholism.
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u/Shoddy_Cause9389 11h ago
When you can find nothing in your life that brings you joy other than alcohol, the dragon is chasing you. Get some hobbies. Try doing something without alcohol.
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u/SauerkrautHedonists 11h ago
Your post REALLY resonates with me. And probably why I continued to drink for as long as I did. If it was an un-fun task, alcohol made it better. If it was already fun, alcohol made it MORE fun. Alcohol was my deserved stress reliever at home alone after work and added that extra pizazz to any get together. Re-learning to live life without alcohol has literally been one day at a time, one event at a time, one moment at a time, and pulling up the reigns when it gets too uncomfortable. Like I made it through Christmas without alcohol (where everyone else was drinking) but I’ve decided not to partake in NYE celebrations. The choice feels like wrapping my arms around myself in a big hug.
I’m starting to feel the mental and physical effects of abstaining in a truly significant way 2.5 months in, and man, people are not lying. It feels pretty insane. I don’t think I could’ve made it this far though if my circumstances weren’t right mentally. Just interested enough to keep coming here and reading posts, reading the literature people have recommended, like this naked mind and the unexpected joy of being sober, and feeling the right amount of sick and fucking tired of wanting to control or limit my drinking for years now, to no effect. Total abstinence is a first-time trial, and I think it’s going to be the way for me. It just feels too good to go back to what I was doing.
Anyway, thank you for your post. It really helped me think about my relationship with alcohol, what it was, and what I’m trying to build now. 💖
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u/Hopnosis 14h ago
Dude it’s the worst. I was sober for 11 days. I want to blame Christmas or my parents dying or my brother being homeless but in truth it’s boredom. Being bored is the mind killer. Alcohol prevents me from feeling bored. I drink like I’m calling a friend over to spend time with me.