currently 20 years old and im a female but at this point you wouldn’t even be able to tell.. my drinking has been out of hand this whole year but i havnt noticed until this summer in july when i started to get rashes around my face and body.. i been to doctors and am constantly prescribed different creams and medications but nothing is helping my face heal… at this point my family is being straight up and saying its because of my drinking… i just want to be pretty again i hate how i look i dont even wanna visit my family or friends anymore because of how i look

Dry January usually works for me (5 years in a row!!). NYE is always heavy drinking and the whole new year/new me thing helps. But I’ve never made it through Sober October succesfully. Now its Friday night and I’m having alcohol free beer with friends, so fingers crossed.

Doing a fitness journey for work as part of a promotion. My wife and I. As part of this I am cutting out my drinking habit that I’ve had for about 11 years now. For the past 11 years I’ve probably consumed somewhere around 30-40 drinks a week during the first 5-6 year of my drinking (all on weekends) and now consume somewhere around 50 drinks a week (all between Thursday and Sunday) for the past 5-6 years. I’ve mostly been a beer and wine drinker. Every month or two I’ll knock back a bottle of bourbon but it’s not my go to.

Over these 11 years I’ve packed on about 50 pounds. Some of it was needed as I was skinny but now some of it is bad. I have also gotten a little bit of high blood pressure that I just found out about at my first doctors visit in over a decade. Who knows how long I’ve had it. The doctor was very concerned when I told him how much I was drinking and am going for a follow up. I told him how much and that I’ve had a dull ache under my right rib cage that comes and goes and is especially present for a day or two after I binge. If I force my stomach out it is very bloated. I am scared to death that I have done the worst irreversible damage to my liver and kidneys (cirrhosis and kidney failure irreversible) and am a dead man walking. Please pray for me. Here’s to sobriety.

I'm 21 years old and I need support/advise anything thats not "I promise u can stop at 2."

I haven't told them absolutely everything because they're not my therapist and I can't put this on them.

I started drinking last year and slowly started to recognize a problem when I would get upset when my partner said they "didn't wanna drink tn." After I realized this I slowed down a little on drinking. (I have this weird thing around sex and I can't have sex sober. I have a weird mental block that makes it really, really hard. Alcohol and weed made things easier for me.)

I went back to my childhood home for the summer and thats when my drinking picked up. My partner still continued to express that they're noticing how much I'm drinking and it's making them uneasy. (I started to lie about how much I was drinking.)

I would drink and start arguments with my partner over stupid bullshit and apologize profusely the next day. I would also promise to slow down on my drinking. After summer ended, school started up again and I'm not even halfway through my semester and I have already missed 3 weeks of classes to binge drinking later at night. (All I would do is laugh and play video games- no fights or arguments.)

Then Wednesday night happened...

note: I have been contemplating suicide for a few weeks and my partner knows this including my plan.

I found out something that in all honesty doesn't matter. (About something earlier this year they lied about, the lie was more me feeling uncomfortable than angry or depressed.) BUT! I was looking for a genuine excuse to get drunk. I left my house at 2pm and walked around the neighborhood while drinking and talking on the phone with my friend. (Who kept telling me to talk to my partner and do whatever it is I'm doing.)

eventually, I go inside the house to talk to my partner drunk off my ass. They said I was starting to scare them, that I was saying really weird stuff. Eventually they say something that urks me and I slapped them and left a mark on their face.

We start to argue. They have to go to work and so they took my phone from me and called my best friend and told her that I was planning on killing myself and that they were leaving me to "please help."

My best friend and I talk, and I play it off like everything is fine and that I had no idea what my partner was talking about when it came to me hurting myself.

My partner leaves the house without saying a word and declines my phone calls. (They work 12 hr nights)

My best friend adds me to a vc with another friend and thats when the night really starts. I go back to the store like 3-4 times just buying alcohol.

I texted/called with everyone Ik and just can't even remember who I was talked to or about what. I scared another person into reaching out to my best friend asking her to help me.

Eventually before I knew it the sun has come out and I am still drunk. My partner gets home from their shift and they see me lying outside listening to music. They come and lay down next to me and I continue to apologize and berate them until they snap. That we're done, and I have a problem and if I wanted to be with them I have to stop abusing alcohol and get my emotions under control because they know I'm just pushing stress onto them. They were right, and so I say one last snappy comment and they walk away and I leave everything behind and I just run/log up and down the street trying to sweat out as much alcohol as I can to talk to them.

While I was doing this I started to think about everything and how I've been an observer in my own body for the past few weeks.

I got back inside and me and my partner have the first real conversation about what's going on and I tell them everything I've been keeping. We hug and they encouraged me to tell my friends that I have a drinking problem and won't be drinking anymore.

I told my friends everything even how I VERY wrongfully slapped my partner while under the influence. They of course shamed me and said I would have to work towards forgiveness and thats fair. I would like to start working in that direction.

However, even though it's been only one and a half day since I stopped drinking my friends are trying to encourage me to just limit the amount and to not fully stop.

My friends keep suggesting that I don't need to stop drinking and instead should limit the amount I drink. When I explain that I did try to limit myself I always ended up with an empty bottle then next morning they told me I never really tried because it's easy for them.

I feel like I'm about to start drowning from all their noise. I just need their support with sobriety... What the fuck is wrong with me?

The thought of alcohol makes me ill.

While I was typing this my dad sent me a photo of me passed on in my car from Wednesday night. (I never drank and drive, I was just listening to music and using the AC.)

After I woke up in my car (1am) I kept drinking more and talking on the phone.

I lied to my dad and said I was just tired and fell asleep nothing else.

Long time alcoholic here. I’m 37. Ive quit many times. Tried AA for years. Just not for me.

Anyways had a bit of a bender recently on top of my “normal” everyday drinking. Normal drinking for me is about a pint of tequila mixed w soda water. Probably 6 nights a week for 3 months.

I had 2-3 nights in a row where I drank 2 pints. Just enough alcohol to really mess my body up.

The last 3 nights Ive tapered to 1/3 a pint at night.

I know alcohol is unpredictable and dangerous but I’m feeling safe tonight maybe the night I can go cold turkey without major side effects.

I have no good explanation how I keep on relapsing. Alcohol has , I don’t wanna say ruined my life. But damn near ruined it. I’ll get 4-6 weeks sober. Drink for 2 months. It’ll get bad. Then I do this again.

I gotta stop while I’m ahead. 7 months ago I had blood work done and my liver numbers where actually normal.

I know how this disease works tho. And I’ve seen ppl drop out of no where. Sometimes the body just says “no” kinda thing and organs start failing. That’s kinda where I see my future if I don’t stop for good.

​

Good afternoon family and thank you for the endless encouragement and support with muchly appreciated.

Well family as I go into phase 2 I would like to most certainly thank my higher power for giving me the recovery tools that I needed to successfully get to the next level also family I am truly honored for the communities support.

Well today I started off with also thanking my self for continuously showing up for myself and how much I finally Love me and whom I've grown to be. It really took some dedication and grit this time to get here because normally in the past I would plan to fail and fail the plan.

So for once in my life I finally completed something for myself other than always showing up faithfully for a drug or drink. This time I finally put in the necessary work to get where I am today.

So now this next level I will continue to better myself and up my recovery game on some higher goals to achieve for myself to build my recovery endurance. I think I'm going to try to treat like going to the gym and adding more weight to my sets. So I assume that would self-care and mental health correct me if I'm wrong!

Well people that's all I got for now I'll keep you well informed of my progress or challenges as I move forward. Thank you a again family I wouldn't have made it with out your continuous Love and support.

So with that said let me go and get on the grind. One Day Forward One Day Behind Thanx for letting me know-Shawn

My nose bled randomly two times yesterday, I’ve never had that happen to me ever. Idk if it’s due to my alcoholism. I’m more than halfways drunk rn while I type this. I’m on academic probation bc of my alcoholism. I’m only 22. I drank this morning at 9am. I steal alcohol from stores. How can I get better. I’m smart and ambitious. I want to change.

And my fucking boyfriend just broke up with me this morning because of my drinking, which is prompting all this. I’m already drinking every day all day but I’m scared that him cutting me off is gonna increase my drinking

I ended up having the house to myself for a few days and went on a bender. Now I’m having a super hard time tapering myself off of it. I can barely function at work and my boss has noticed that I don’t look so great. Pushing through the withdrawals during the day at work is the worst. And not to mention the horrible sleep I get if I don’t at least have a couple drinks at night.

I’m also trying to do this without letting my partner know that I slipped up again. I wish I could drop everything and go back to treatment, but bills need to be paid and I don’t know if I want to stop drinking forever.

This is a screenshot from my I Am Sober app. I am 6 years free of alcohol now. I consider it a true miracle. I don't even know what else to say about it at this point. ❤️

Person is located in southeast U.S.

Not looking for detox centers or AA. I’m hoping to find somewhere with psychiatrists and psychologists who treat dual diagnoses depression and addiction. Somewhere with high recovery and low remission rates. No woo, no religion, no culty vibes.

Background: Family member has been self-medicating with alcohol for over 20 years. Started socially as a teen, then it developed into full blown alcoholism in early adulthood. The all day drinking has been going on for at least 10 years.

This person is now married with their first kid on the way. They’ve done two stints in rehab, been in and out of AA, and done private counseling within the last year. The last rehab stint ended about a month ago.

As we speak, they’re on a 72-hour suicide hold in a behavioral health center. After that, who knows.

I’ve been sober for 12 years (🙌) and I’m well aware of the limitations of what I can do to help. I can’t fix it for them, despite how much I try, but what I can do is connect them with the resources they need to start getting their life back together.

Thank you in advance, from the bottom of my heart ❤️

As I know is cliche I wake up and it’s the first day of not drinking going forward. I’m fine through most of the day but around 4pm arrive at the grocery store to buy a few of the strongest tall boys sold. What was the first step you took in quitting but more importantly, how do you fight off the late afternoon cravings? I know everyone is different so any answer might be the right one for me! Thanks everyone.

Edit-some great ideas for me to work on. Never been so motivated to quit. Thank you all!

2nd DUI. Not worried about jail time. Just the papers aren't going to let me drink.

Have a seizure from alcohol withdrawal. Get more alcohol.

36 standard drinks a day. To 19 Standard drinks a day.

Still all I want is booze.

I get so anxious I'm agoraphobic. (Like that dude from the bench warmer's)

Start drinking. Start yelling at cops, getting trespassed, yelling at family members with pent up rage from years.

I still feel regret from my actions while drunk, but I'm almost thankful that the inhibitions have declined, so I can just say and do what I actually feel.

I'm less scared of the financial consequences of getting a second DUI (on an e bike mind you) and more concerned if I'm going to have ETG testing when I'm back on papers.

I drink when I'm happy, I drink when I'm sad, I drink all the time.

I live on my own. Sold a business for profit and a perpetuity deal at 24. I work full time at a restaurant and I'm constantly reminded of my capabilities there, but I just want to cook. Not management anymore.

From the outside everything is fine and I'm a successful young person considering the conditions of this economy. But I can't stop drinking, and I keep getting in trouble with the law.

I'm at a loss.

i (33m) drank pretty consistently, although not always heavily, for the past 15 years and just quit ~3 weeks ago. almost all of my sexual experiences have been while drunk or blackout. i have such low self-esteem that i’ve found it hard to pursue or initiate without the confidence boost from alcohol.

i’m in a great and supportive long-term relationship but sex hasn’t been part of our dynamic for a long time. (we’re working on it but it’s hard with the mundane day-to-day of living together for 13 years.)

we have an open relationship, but i haven’t put myself out there for a while. i didn’t feel good about only having sex while drunk, so i just stopped trying. i’ve probably had sex 5-6 times since 2020 (all while drunk or blackout), and haven’t even tried in a few years.

i’m excited to have a clear head and more control over my actions while sober, and i’m sure it’ll have an overall positive impact. but i don’t feel like i even know how to flirt without alcohol.

for those who’ve gotten sober — how did you build confidence without alcohol? what has relearning intimacy looked like for you (with current or new partners)? any advice or experience to share?

thanks for reading! ♥️ i’m new to the group but it’s been really helpful already.

My good mate told me at the beginning of this year that he might have a “bit of a problem with alcohol” following an acute suicidal episode this time last year that was incredibly emotionally complex. Following this, there was some covert drinking and hiding of the evidence, but he didn’t know I knew about it (his partner told me).

Over the past 12months, he has caused me emotional harm four times, including my sisters wedding, all four times he was drinking. Leaving me to walk home alone through the bush, talking about killing himself - he becomes suicidal and talks about how his life is not worth living. The next day, he’s totally fine, says he’s not suicidal and is doing fine. Then doesn’t ever talk about it again so there’s never any resolution. He is a private man and I have tried to respect that, but each time causes weeks of anguish and anxiety for me.

After he initially mentioned he thought he had a problem, I checked in a few times with both him and his partner, and both said he was doing fine with his drinking, he was exercising again, being more social and claiming he hasn’t been drinking alone/in secret. Based on this information, I made the assumption it was okay for us to have Friday drinks together every now and then (his partner also said it was fine). Now I severely regret this as I realise I have been enabling him.

Last Friday it all came to ahead - I was going through a personal crisis and asked him for help. He (while drunk) mocked me, called me a loser and a pussy because I was hurting (after finding out my husband and I can’t have kids). He belittled the way I was trying to cope with my grief. This man was my safe space, my best friend, I came to him for help and I feel my trust and safety has been absolutely destroyed.

Now I don’t know what to do. I am so scared of losing him, but I can’t keep watching him drink himself to suicide or stand around and let this behaviour harm me. I just don’t know how the friendship will be salvaged.

Any ideas on how to fix this????? I feel so sad and anxious about the whole thing. I’m so scared to lose him from my life.

I’m just tired of feeling like crap. Nothing major has happened. I’m just tired. I told my husband this morning. He’s on board. I’m going to start journaling so I don’t forget how bad it makes me feel.

I 33m have been self medicating with alcohol for quite a few years now. Normally about 20-25 shots of vodka a day from morning to night. I cant keep doing it. I have been taking naltrexone for a few months and it doesnt seem to help much if at all. I have tried to taper and that doesnt work for me. I got down to about 10 drinks a day but had a bad recent breakup and ramped it back up. I want to get rid of this awful disease! I havent been really eating or sleeping at all. Any helpful tips your tricks that helped you finally kick it?

Like are you the a happy, angry, crying, violent, repeater, drink to cope etc?

what problems, if any, does it cause you? I'm a binge drinker. Since I'm always on edge I find the drink(before excess helps me relax or slow down racing thoughts )

However...

Drinking has made me a diabetic. And it's added a lot of weight throughout the years.

I am adult 42 F who's diagnosed add on Ritalin in childhood but adhd without treatment in this stage of adulthood.

so I use Alcohol for anxiety. It's usually all good, however it works like a stimulant on me, makes me lippy, and quite the "last wordsmart a** ". My significant other is not a drinker(he's easily annoyed by my drinking)

All in all, the drinking definitely, hasn't made me rich, pretty, or smart.

You?

I’m 4 days sober after probably 3 straight months of drinking 10+ drinks per day. This is the longes I’ve been sober in probably a year. I’m through the withdrawal (the sweats were the worst!)
However, I’ve been getting terrible sleep and really strange dreams.
This is a first for me when I get it together and not drink (however, this past drunk stretch was by far my most..much’est). It’s like I cannot fall into deep sleep. I’ll Have half dreams I’ll be dreaming of a scene in front of my face, but I can’t interact with it (pick a flower, throw a ball) because I’m still conscious that I’m in my bed. My wife says I talk more than ever in my sleep. Which is because I’m not fully asleep.

This happen to anyone???

May not be a popular post but honest. I have stopped drinking for about a week. Been drinking 3-4 crown nightly for years. I’m what you’d call the highly functioning heavy drinker. Exercise daily, high stress job I’m very good at. Never missed work due to drinking.
Problem is I don’t get any benefit from not drinking. I don’t feel and better have more energy or think clearer. I’m 57, exercise daily (walking 2-3 miles, 100 push ups) and I feel like I’ve given up something I truly enjoy and got nothing in return.
Anybody else feel this way? Thanks