My brother asked me what quitting drinking was like.

[bif]

I told him. Pick you favorite thing to eat in the whole world. Chocolate. Pizza. Cookies. Whatever. Now, imagine you can never eat it for the rest of your life. Ever. Not even a tiny taste. That's what it was like for me. I simply enjoyed the buzz. But it took over and I couldn't spend an evening without drinking. So my family did an intervention on me (which I have mixed feelings about) and I've been sober for six years. And it took the longest time before I quit thinking about drinking. Now I rarely think about how I enjoyed the buzz. Mainly I think about how shitty I felt the next day. And how much my family hated being around me when I was drunk.

There. I got that off my chest. Thanks for listening, er, reading.

[Ocelot II]

1. So, do you think Pete Hegseth will instantly stop drinking if he gets the DoD job?

[Walleye]

3. Right, and will he stop raping? The man obviously hates women.

[Evolve Dammit]

8. No he looooves women. Just like the Orange Pussy Grabber. I will protect you whether you like it or not.

[Leghorn21]

29. ...

[underpants]

4. Republicans have a long history of just being able to quit

W just stopped drinking and coking on his birthday
Cindy McCain just stopped with the pills (that sent one of her assistants to jail) one day
Rush Limbaugh just stopped his massive consumption of OxyContin one day.

[Lucky Luciano]

10. Rush Limbaugh has in fact stopped his oxy intake.

[underpants]

13. 😎

[ChazInAz]

14. I'm SO glad.

[Pinback]

21. He's pushing daisies instead of lies now. (nt)

[ShazzieB]

19. Or so they say. 😉

And as far as I know, we have only their word for it. Hmmmm.... 🤔

But seriously, yeah, I know what you mean about Republicans, and I am veeeeeeeery skeptical of such claims. I can see how somebody like Limbaugh would think it sounds macho and heroic to claim they walked away from an addiction just like that, but in my experience, a person can't just turn off a serious addiction like flipping a light switch. If that was the case, a lot of rehab centers would be out of business, or rather, would never have been in business, in the first place.

[underpants]

25. Exactly

Rush couldn’t have been taking that many. He certainly couldn’t just stop if he was taking 1/3 of the amount he was supposedly taking. I think he was being used to move the drug whether he knew about it or not.

[Mike 03]

30. Didn't know that about Cindy McCain

Interesting. Good for her for dealing with her addiction!

[3Hotdogs]

6. What yiz are ignoring, Pete probably has Jesus on his side to help him through what would be a difficult time for

the rest of us.

Democrats can't expect much help from Jesus. They just don't understand.

[whfinlay]

20. Hegseth is a flawed man and a drunk.

No he is a drunk and in denial, he will keep drinking and raping because he thinks he is entitled. Lots of former service personnel have drinking issues, don't put them in charge.

[BubbaJoe]

22. No I do not think so

Vowing to stop drinking for a job, wife, girlfriend, marriage, ... never works for long. You have to quit for yourself regardless of job, wife, girlfriend, marriage, ...
You get to a point where you need to do it for you. I was at either going full street person living under a bridge/die or make a change in my life and live. At that point you are not doing it for anybody else but yourself. To thine own self be true as they say.

[Journeyman]

46. I believe Hegseth when he says he won't drink anymore if installed at the DoD . . .

but will he drink any less?

[Walleye]

2. I know what you mean, I quit drinking 30 years ago and the first few years were very tough. I never think about it now

[bif]

9. I thought about it every day for almost 5 years

Then something just happened at the 5 year mark. Now I rarely think about booze. Sometimes on a weekend night I think about how I enjoyed drinking while cooking. But that's pretty rare.

[boonecreek]

5. I quit smoking in '87.

For several years afterward not a day went by
without me thinking how great a cigarette would
taste. After meals was the worst but eventually
the craving went away. Also what helped me
through the first several days was Altoids.
The strong mint flavor served as a substitute
for the tobacco and my breath was a lot better.
When I see how much cigarettes cost these days
I'm so glad I was able to stick it out.

[Swede]

40. I worked with a guy that quit decades ago

And after a good meal, he craves a cigarette. "Still?" "Yes."

Nicotine is an evil thing.

[boonecreek]

41. Is it ever!

I'm just glad I was able to quit when I did.
I might have been dead by now or in the
throes of dementia.

[Journeyman]

47. I quit smoking 39 years ago, two years before I quit drinking . . .

Without a doubt, cigarettes have been the hardest thing to quit using.

I still find myself craving a smoke, especially when I walk by a smoker and catch a whiff. I'm either immensely tempted or utterly repulsed. There is no middle ground. Either way, I immediately remove myself from the temptation. Yet, I can be in a bar, or sitting next to someone who's enjoying a beer, and never once think of partaking. But cigarettes? The allure is ever present, all these years later.


And yes, I quit smoking two years before I quit drinking, which is a very dangerous thing to do, for you can get drunk and forget you quit.

[Sun-Moon]

7. Congratulations on your sobriety

It is hard to recover from addiction. I hope you feel proud of your accomplishment!

[Lucky Luciano]

11. Don't think I could stop.

I like having a beer or glass of wine with my dinner every day. Sometimes I have two.

[Elessar Zappa]

12. Congrats!

I’m addicted to food, I think. I fail every time I try and reduce consumption. I love meat, deep fried things mostly.

[iscooterliberally]

15. I quit alcohol after Labor Day 2023.

I do love some beer, and the buzz was always nice. I didn't have an intervention, but I once had to do that with my father when I was 18. He never did recover and died at 69. I guess that was my pre-intervention. Anyway, I just switched to alcohol free beer and it was not that hard for me. I know some of the alcohol free beers have trace amounts, but I'm OK with that. I mostly quit because I started to feel like shit and I realized I was basically incapacitated from it. I don't need alcohol to have fun. I'm not sure where I got the notion that I needed it, but it's completely unnecessary. Good luck to you with your recovery!

[COL Mustard]

36. After a while the alcohol-free versions of beer and wine taste better than the real stuff.

I've switched to non-alcoholic brews and dealcoholized wines (with an occasional real one) and have found after just a few months that I like the fake stuff better than the real stuff because it tastes different. Also, I know I can drink an entire bottle of dealcoholized wine and not feel bad the next day.

[Devilsun]

16. I quit 500 days ago.

I feel pretty similar to you.

[orangecrush]

17. 10 years for me

I don't miss poisoning myself at all.

[FakeNoose]

18. My father was an alcoholic and he never tried to quit, as far as I know

Alcohol ruined his family relationships, and eventually his health. But he prided himself on the fact that he "went to work" every day, so that made it all OK somehow. Sadly my Dad missed so much of his grandkids growing up, he never had hobbies or friends, and I can't ever remember him reading a book. Alcohol (and cigarettes) took away most of his life.

You are so much better off, and I hope you realize that.

[WmChris]

23. Freedom

I experienced freedom from alcohol and drugs on 3/13/1982 quit smoking 1 year later. My sponsor suggested I get my alcohol problem under control before addressing the nicotine. Treatment and AA worked for me and I've been clean and sober since. I still attend 3 meetings a week and the promises in the Big Book are regularly achieved. I learned that when someone is ready to listen you can't say anything wrong and if they are not ready you can't say anything right. My new addiction is serenity. 😉

[Iggo]

24. Sucks at first, then it's great forever.

[viva la]

26. I don't even like the buzz.... I just like the taste.

I wish there was good non-alcohol wine.
So I just bought some expensive root beer! I love root beer. So I think I'm just going to substitute. I like to have a drink while I'm scrapbooking and watching Food Network in the evening, and I think root beer might satisfy the need for a strong taste.

You've done great-- 6 years sober. It sounds like it helps that you can now remember mostly the hangover part!

[COL Mustard]

37. There are a ton of different non-alcohol wines (dealcoholized actually)

Ariel chardonnay is one of the best I've found and I really like it. Sightlines makes a nice pinot Grigio. Both have trace amounts of alcohol (less than 0.5%) and I know that is an issue for some folks, but if it's not an issue for you I recommend either of those.

[viva la]

38. I'll try those. I'm a red drinker, and most of the reds I've had are thin....

White might be more refreshing.

[COL Mustard]

42. I haven't tried any of the reds...

But the winemakers are responding to demand, so those should be improving too. I get a zillion of those ads in my FB feed now. If I think of it I'll send some your way.

[COL Mustard]

43. Here's a couple...

I haven't tried them...but if you do I hope you enjoy them!

https://sipyours.com/products/yours-non-alcoholic-wine-award-winning-california-chardonnay?utm_medium=paid&utm_id=120204676018020314&utm_content=120213220087810314&utm_term=120204676018050314&utm_campaign=120204676018020314&fbclid=IwY2xjawHBcSdleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqxVJaq6NKgEd5S8YC0U3p1mLKwJbb_QGunfmL7MhovTvswe85iUrZ9iq74Jj3vgv3GvX_aem_CM8bp3D8Q-Ib8vYZlnE3nQ

https://drinkproxies.com/pages/5-reasons-why?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=KLN+%7C+TOF+%7C+US+%7C+Conversion+%7C+ASC%2B+%7C+Scaling&utm_term=KLN+%7C+TOF+%7C+US+%7C+Conversion+%7C+ASC%2B+%7C+Scaling+%7C+ROAS&utm_content=iU%3AIMG%3EiSty%3ALifestyle%3EiSZN%3AEVG%3EiPD%3ABigRed%3EiPC%3ARed%3EiTHM%3AMadeInCanada_simple-text-overlay%3EiVar%3Av2-MadeInCanada-BigRed%3EiCPY%3ALF-Trying-To-Cut-Back%3EiLP%3A5-Reasons-LP&fbadid=120212289855180464&utm_id=120211648104850464&fbclid=IwY2xjawHBceJleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqxRw1uYAsAEdbvmgOFn6VVQFDsPtWEqQkaAyum5asl3VOlkA7qDPu12BrQeEBty7hV0p_aem_98ZSV3s1mhUSs9HgPhxb7w

[viva la]

44. Thanks-- I'll try the Cabs!

There's a $10 off coupon.

[Mr.Bill]

27. I quit six months ago. My situation was a bit different.

I fell and banged my head on the concrete. My grandson said it sounded exactly the same as if you dropped a bowling ball in his driveway. I dont remember much for a week after that. I spent 19 days in a hospital total. Funny thing is I hadn't drank fo 24 hours before the accident. Anyway, since I came within an inch or so from killing myself, I took it as a sign to quit drinking. I really have no craving for it at all. If I went trough withdrawal, I suppose it happened during that week I can't remember.

[rzemanfl]

28. In treatment in 1985 they said, "eventually all you will miss

is wine with a meal." Thirty-nine plus years later that has proven true.

Congratulations.

[walkingman]

31. My story - I drank quite a bit when I worked (not on the job)

it was not unusual for me to have 3-4 drinks an afternoon after getting home from work. I was a regional manager which consisted of 10 states (including Texas - which has a lot of large cities) and traveled almost weekly. This meant a lot of meet and greet/dinners, service anniversaries, etc. and that meant drinks after hours at the hotel bar.

I retired early (52) and continued to drink until I was 60. I then quit. I actually quit with the use of marijuana - when I craved a drink I would smoke. After about 6 months I stopped the daily smoking simply because I got tired of it. I stayed totally sober for the next 8 years.

Then I got cancer - two kinds. The first I had immunotherapy for 3 years and then got NHL and had the traditional chemo/radiation treatment. I am in remission 8 and 5 years from each. After "ringing the bell" I decided to have a drink a day. I discussed with my Oncologists. He/She said don't drink them all in one day. I now (for the last 4 years) have 1 drink, which I measure 1.5oz(jigger) and a coke. I have never deviated from that. I get a good "buzz" from just that one drink and actually don't see how I ever drank so much.

I know that no amount of alcohol is good for you, but I am now 74 and figured, what the heck, I don't have a lot of years left if I am honest, so I thought "Why not".

I know that this doesn't work for everyone and by no means recommend it to anyone - it is just me.

It makes me think that maybe some people have more of a tendency to become addicted than others? I really have no idea but I know that during my work life I sent a lot of people to rehab for alcohol dependency and to be honest not many were able to stay sober. It caused some loss of employment and major family issues. ☮

[wolfie001]

32. I'm a wee bit suspect about the "glass of bourbon every morning" boasting from a 110-year old

I think it's just plain luck and genetics. Cheers and enjoy your life!

[BidenRocks]

33. Motivation to quit.

Look at your bank statement. I was spending way too much just to kill time. 69 and retired.
I've done this before but it was a judge put me in AA and classes.
My liver functions gave me up.
31 days. Let's see how fast a liver can heal. I have another blood test in 2 weeks.
Be careful with the sweets. Your body misses the sugar in the alcohol.

Good luck. Smoking was harder for me.

[Rhiannon12866]

34. Good for you and thank you for sharing your journey

I went to my first AA meeting and met my sponsor at my second meeting 16 years ago last month. Hard to believe now that it's been this long. I don't know if I could have done it without my sponsor, she inspired me and though they say that's not a good idea, she became my friend, I looked up to her and her experience like I looked up to my Nana (grandmother). So it's been 15 years for me last April 30th. And I couldn't have done it alone.

And I still go to meetings, just like those I still look up to. I've had three home groups which has been rough, one fell apart after 35 years, one shut down during the pandemic and the third just shut down due to lack of attendance. So I've returned to one close by with a lot of long timers which certainly helps. There's a very nice older gentleman who will be celebrating 51 years on the 15th of this month. That is something to aspire to.

[mopinko]

35. do u find u have more time?

a good friend of mine had a terrible problem. his wife gave him an ultimatum.
the last time i saw him he said the thing that amazed him the most was how much time he had to do the things he wanted to do. he’s a potter and a sah dad. he had bins and bins of pots he made while drunk stacked up in his dad’s bsmt that he’s embarrassed to even look at.
now he teaches pottery at a cc, and has his own studio. it helps that the kids r pretty grown now, but still…

[k55f5r]

39. In my experience with alcoholism (personal experience)

I am certain that no matter how many interventions, early morning hangover resolutions, and 12 step programs no one quits drinking until THEY want to.

[Deuxcents]

45. I quit drinking for my 75th birthday..knocking on 78 and I feel so much better

My friends still drink n I’m not invited to some goings on but I know I feel a whole lot better than they do. I also noticed my skin looks healthier..especially my face. Wanted to celebrate our victory on Election Day but that didn’t happen so..I do need to cut back on the dark chocolate, tho..one pleasure for another but in moderation, as they say. Not yet ..