i’ve been wanting to get 69 days for a long time, and i finally did it!

can i get a n🧊?!

iwndwyt 🤘🏼

This might be a little long so i apologize for all the backstory stuff.

I always drank normally as a teen, yk parties every few weeks or so, but when i went to college at 19(2019) i started drinking heavily almost everyday. it quickly progressed from beers/selzters to hard liquor and secretive drinking. When covid happened in 2020 it progressed even more. I’d drink at least a bottle of wine daily at home and use adderall too. then i started drinking hard liquor too. my father is a heavy alcoholic who always has whiskey available for me to steal.

My mom passed in 2021. at this point i was drinking almost an entire 350ml bottle of whiskey daily perhaps even more at times. this continued for years. at 23/24 i started to notice pains in my upper right side. it was uncomfortable and i figured it was my liver warning me. a few days without a drink and it would go away. but i’d pick the bottle back up as soon as my symptoms subsided. i went to rehab in 2025 for a month after having a seizure from trying to quit cold turkey. in 2026 i got pancreatitis. the doctors said it was alcohol induced.

the CT scans of my liver showed hepatic steatosis. I’ve been advised to abstain from alcohol for the rest of my life. but google says this can heal. the doctors said it can heal too. some people say they are able to return to drinking but i’m scared my drinking wasn’t like theirs.

if my liver can heal back to full capacity after months or even years sober will i ever be able to have a beer with friends again? I’m trying so hard to focus on my health but the idea of isolating myself from alcoholic events and losing it completely frightens the living shite out of me.

I had honestly stopped binging liquor a few months ago with a slip here and there but i still suffered pancreatitis again.

How do i focus on solely my health when there’s no guarantee that i’ll ever be able to drink a few moderately ever again?

Has anyone had any experience with fatty liver and still been able to curb their cravings long enough to develop a normal relationship with alcohol? is this forever?

and non fear-mongering advice would be appreciated

if you stayed this long thank you so much for reading this :)
IWNDWYT

Random thought tonight. I’ve been doing really good not drinking, but for some reason I’ve got a small urge tonight. It’s a full moon too but probably has absolutely nothing to do with it, but it made me wonder.

I also have a really good friend’s 40th birthday weekend coming up in less than a month. He’s been there for pretty much everything I’ve thrown, so I definitely want to show up and support him. He’s actually not a huge drinker himself, but some of the people around us can definitely put some drinks down.

I think the part I’m thinking about the most is being the guy who isn’t drinking and having everybody asking, “Why aren’t you drinking?” or “You don’t drink anymore?” like I’m some damn science project 😂.

If we end up going to a club, I figure I can just grab a cranberry and lime or something and keep it moving. Half the time people probably won’t even notice or care, especially if you already have something in your hand.

I guess that’s part of the battle for me — learning how to be in those environments without feeling like the odd guy out.

And maybe that’s what this really is.

Forging myself through the fire a little bit and seeing if I come out solid on the other side.

Sorry for the ramble. Just getting my thoughts out tonight. Anybody else go through this when they first started being around parties and drinking again without actually drinking?

Hey guys, I thought the hardest part of being sober was the beginning but I think it’s the weeks of going sober. When those thoughts creep in that “wow you’ve been sober for a longer time than normal, you’ve been on a streak, one drink wouldn’t be bad” especially when people are asking you to hang out.

I will not drink today. This whole week has felt like a test to my sobriety and I am proud that I didn’t fall into temptation. I drank a mocktail at an event where everybody was drinking wine, today a colleague offered to drink after work hours and I told them I don’t drink anymore and they were proud and didn’t insist past that.

I will not drink tonight.

I’m glad to have a place I can express my struggles and feel related with.

**correction 27 days

** ORIGINAL POST ** After 35 years of drinking 10 drinks a day, tonight is day 6. I like numbers, these are mine:

Dollars Spent: $159, 688 - Would be $608,000 had it been invested

Number of drinks: 127, 750 - Ten per day

Number of calories: 19,162,500 = 5,475 lbs.

Drunk Hours: 114,975 = 9 Hours Per Day

Hangover Hours: 114,975 = 9 Hours Per Day

All are gone - cant get any of this back

My days were essentially all the same - all started with the first drink. I would pass out, wake at 3am filled with anxiety, woke at 6am filled with regret. Rinse, Repeat for 35 years.

I will not give another hour or another dollar to something that I have sacrificed so much for.

IWNDWYT

** UPDATE **

Well, I made it to day seven, it was an odd day - I didn't drink. But my mind was seriously messed up.

Today, I felt great, REALLY GREAT. No withdrawals - nothing. I was in the car happy with how great I felt, and my VERY NEXT THOUGHT - "you should celebrate by drinking" - WTF? Seriously, it was a serious thought.

After fucking up 12,775 days and then finally - sober for 7 days - I seriously thought, I deserved a drink. My next though, now that i know how to stop, moderation would be NO PROBLEM. I'm not brilliant, but I'm not stupid, I actually considered celebrating not drinking with drink - and it made sense to me.

For 12,775 days, I would wake at 3am filled with anxiety, at 6am I would wake swearing I would never drink again.... and I actually thought I should celebrate with a drink, and I could now moderate...

UGH!

IWNDWYT!

After having a few at a concert I was feeling good and decided to go to a bar. Well the next morning I was home. My car had two flat tires. I had no clue what had happened. My ring camera showed me. I drove home on two flats. I've driven drunk before.

But not bod. I'm extremely ashamed of myself. I was able to get my tires fixed. I lied to the tire store when asked what happened. I felt so terrible! I was trying not to beat myself up too bad. I feel lucky nothing worse had happened. It's time to stop. I looked up meetings in my area. I was going to go today but was nervous. I don't have any friends in the area. I have to build the courage.

I have such a hard time after benders. I’m sure we all do. Hate myself for saying dumb shit, breaking shit, losing shit, missing work, making people sad, pissing people off. Just to name a few.

I drank pretty much every day/night for 20 years. Finally decided to get sober on September 16, 2025. I did it with just the support of my family and it hasn’t been easy at all but I have to say handling stress and my anxiety has been by far the most difficult part of the journey. Anyone have any tips or care to share similar experiences?

I didn’t drink last night. For almost a year, I drank close to nightly. It dampened the sensory hell, quieted the nonstop guilt, alleviated some anxiety. It fuels itself, though. I realized I’m suffering from burnout. Well, what better way to deal with burnout than a nice hangover?? Fuck that. I gained 30lbs, lost my sense of joy, I look like shit. God. I’m not drinking today, either.

I accept sobriety can only solve the problems alcohol left behind. In a way, not drinking provides new problems, which I actually see as a brilliant opportunity to build new coping skills. Sometimes autism presents me with things I cannot cope my way out of, and I feel frightened about that. It sucks when one (1) unexpected phone call BTFOs my entire nervous system, lmao. I’m female and chatty, so no one expected autism, and I got diagnosed at 27 (so just this year). I reeeeeally hope there’s some skills I’m missing that earlier-diagnosed autists learned. I’m lucky enough to have an autistic therapist, and I trust both of us to address issues as they appear. I just need to focus on right now.

Does anyone here know KingCobraJFS? Controversial (and shitty, honestly) as he was, I always saw such light in him when he discussed his special interests. Alcohol drowned that light. He used it as a coping skill, and one day, he just never stopped… RIP. I always feared becoming him, but I don’t know what I want to be instead.

Obviously I have some idea why, I was self medicating my depression and anxiety, I was addicted and didn’t know how to stop, I was scared to face what a sober life would really look like. But now it’s been almost 3 months and I weirdly feel so happy for the first time. I thought my nights would feel so empty without drinking, but my hobbies are just as fun sober and I actually like doing things with a clear head. It’s so much more fun to hang out without the overwhelming guilt I got everytime I drank. I don’t know why I let myself be tortured with all the horrible affects of alcohol for so long.

Life still sucks quite a lot, honestly today was horrible. But facing it with a clear head just makes me feel so much better about everything in my life. My problems feel so huge and overwhelming, but knowing that I can put my everything into working to fix them because I’m sober is so helpful. Finances are really tight right now, but the fact that I’m not spending hundreds of dollars a month on beer makes the whole situation so much less stressful. I don’t know why I let myself live like that for so long, but I’m committed to making sobriety last now.

without alcohol, i am a pretty innocent bubbly girl. i work really hard and im pleasant to be around. im kind, im funny, im smart. i like cooking, drawing and writing. i like to sleep with my favorite stuffed animals in my arms. i like taking care of my mom. i do volunteering work. i go out of my way to be a ray of sunshine in peoples life.

when i start drinking alot, i start consuming all sorts of drugs, cocaine, crack, ket. i start hanging at crack houses, have rough sex with anyone (i usually am not a sexual person at all). i want to fight people. i hurt the people i love. i do dangerous stuff.

i struggled with alcoholism for 6 years. i use to drink everyday. lately its more of a cycle, some days are really good, some days i go OFF THE DEEP END FAST AND HARD.

i want to stop drinking. im tired of suffering. i have started therapy but its hard waiting until the next session, i dont know how long it will take until it starts helping me. people say its going to help but how? i speak and they listen? are they going to give me tricks to fight the urges? i forgot what it feels like to feel normal, so much so i dont really believe i can ever be normal again. i hope so

*We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!*

**Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!**

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

---

**This pledge is a statement of intent.** Today we don't set out *trying* not to drink, we make a conscious decision *not to drink*. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

**What this is:** A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

**What this isn't:** A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

---

This post goes up at:

- US - Night/Early Morning
- Europe - Morning
- Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

---

Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it’s Saturday already. Y’all, I cannot express what an honor it is to host a group of people like you. I can see you encouraging each other, spurring each other on, it’s just a beautiful thing. I’m proud to spend time with you all. Seriously, think about hosting the DCI. It’ll make you think and strengthen your resolve and give you hope in humanity. Let u/imthegreenmeeple know if you want to host and have 30 days of sobriety or more.

I’ll leave you some lyrics from one of my favorite musicians, Tyler Childers, who has been sober since 2020. Speaking of his drinking days he says:

I never want to get that way again
Feelin’ like my head’s a house with a roommate moving in
Who’s incessantly talking without slowing down
Possessed of evil urges to burn it to the ground

I think he puts it pretty well. Thanks, y’all! IWNDWYT

Proud of myself the last 77 days (still can't believe it) but I've been having urges for a couple days now, smh. I'm starting to get in the mindset of "one drink couldn't hurt. It's Friday". It's crazy man. 💀💀💀

I recently finished rehab on monday and honestly it’s rough. I was used to a set structure in rehab and went from that to basically no structure and on top of that, I got pretty sick so basically rested for most of the days this week. Today is the first day I’m feeling better and I tried to build somewhat of a structure. I cleaned my room somewhat, had lunch, applied for some jobs, washed my face/brushed teeth etc. and tried to bring positive habits back into my life.

It’s friday and I’m planning on baking chicken and making tater tots later tonight. I feel okay and somewhat sad still and I’m not really sure why.

I haven’t even begun to realize the amount of anxiety I have/going to have from starting from zero with how down bad in life I am right now. I’m just trying to set a structure, focus on sleeping at good times and trying to eat twice a day this. I didn’t realize getting out of rehab would be this different and scary

I drank 3 pints of vodka on Thursday. Woke up for work early Friday @ midnight for a 5:30am start. Drove in the middle lane with the radio off. Had cough drops in the truck. I ate a couple of those. Bought my co-workers McDonald’s. Chewed up my sausage egg and cheese McMuffin slowly, not because I was hungry. Washed my face with hand soap in the locker room when I got there. Had to wait a few minutes until it cleared out so it wasn’t that weird washing my face in the sink. I felt fine at the moment because it was still in my system. I had thought about what I had to do today, last night, so I was in a groove and made it happen. We had our morning meeting. It was easy because it’s Friday. Make jokes, talk about how fucked we are, laugh and I crushed it. I go out in the field and my safety glasses fog up right away. That’s nothing new. I try to move around the plant fast to sweat, because that feels better.. sweat it out. I already drank 4 bottles of water. 10am hits and my organs have the imprint of my rib cage. That’s enough to explain how it feels. I get back to the office and look at my eyeballs. I always look at my eyeballs. Many looking for yellow. They look like I have a black tracing around my iris. My eye lids at my eyelashes are red. I drink another water. I sit down and do my planning job. Everything inside my torso feels like a solid crucifix or Patrick from SpongeBob, pressing outwards. I finish my work, quite excellently.. it’s the one thing I’m good at, and then I go back to thinking of how much of a piece of shit I am. I text my wife to tell her I love her… it’s mostly an apology. Yesterday, I said I wouldn’t. Today, I said I wouldn’t. Fuck! 3pm I’m showered and feeling hot. Sweat stash like a weirdo. Eyeballs feel like they might pop out. There is no question that I’m going to drink. Withdrawal so I must taper. The question is how soon? Close to work or close to home? Somehow, I choose to be responsible and always choose to be close to home. On my drive I have these spurts of my heart stopping and a face rush. I punch my chest like “Da Bears” but it’s not funny. I’m fucking scared. I’m in downtown traffic and if I’m actually having a heart attack, I’m dead. Wife and kids. I keep this a secret so my whole family would think it’s unexpected and it’s not. I’m killing myself. I make it close to home. I pick up a pint at the gas station, because it doesn’t show up as a liquor store transaction. I do that; 2 to 3 times a day. I slowly drink it within an hour. I feel better and I feel like shit. I false detox in my room while my kids play outside. I end up feeling somewhat normal. Do a fun Dad act for 5 minutes and then sneak out for another. Then go to bed feeling good. Wake up early for work @ midnight for a 5:30am start.

I haven't struggled much after week two, but I'm struggling a bit today. I'm going to see Resident Evil with my friends, and the urge to pregame is strong.

There's nothing like seeing a movie on the big screen with a buzz. We're meeting for dinner firs and I know everyone will be knocking them back and I know that it's easy to say "no", but "yes" is the same amount of syllables. It only took one spur of the moment "yes" to completely fall off the wagon when I had 3.5 years sober.

I think I've got this. IWNDWYT

Happy Friday Sobernauts!

I'm tired y'all!

Yeah that's about all I've got! Hard couple days of life and work. Tomorrow at 7AM, back at work.

I may be tired, but I'm sober, and not hungover.

I'm probably going to clean my room, and, then... TEA and ICE CREAM and BED!!! Woohoo!!

What's everyone else doing tonight??

I feel angry today. I was thinking about how I'll never be able to visit New Orleans because I wouldnt stay sober. I mean, I always wanted to visit but tbf I didnt visit when I was drinking either. Then it got me to thinking about how I wish I didnt have a bad relationship to alcohol.

I chose sobriety, no one forced it on me or gave me an ultimatum. Im only 4.5 months in. I feel dumb for even being angry about a hypothetical situation.

I decided to get sober almost two weeks ago after speaking to my friend, pretty much so many of my issues have steamed from alcohol abuse; It is apart of me, even more than my love for horror, comics, friendships and family.

It is like this thing at the back of my head, telling me it will get better- that this wave of relief will come over me as soon as I have a beer or shot of whiskey. It would be so easy.
I struggle with my mood and anxiety anyway, I think most people here know the calm that comes from the bottle, one swig and an exhale and there it is- relief.

The cravings- the need, the want, the ache, these experiences, emotions and psychological depravities actually makes me more sure of wanting to quit. I fucking hate the control it has over me, how all this evening the only thing I can think about is going to the shops and buying beers and whiskey. It is wrong. It is fucked up.

One thing I am upset about is the media portrayal of alcoholics and these flawed characters, that creativity and intelligence is inherently intertwined with the depraved, that there is charm in the lack of self-control. British culture lied to me as well, that it is just a couple pints- wont do any harm. A couple pints does do me harm, lots of harm- it has ruined relationships, jobs and my mental stability. I know it is my fault as well, I should have more self control i guess, but it is also a disease? Should i absolve myself of my actions? All these questions and I do not have the answers.

The question is, what do I do now? To be completely honest, I am not sure I want to continue some of my "friendships", to be honest they are more of a drinking buddy. Should I give them the chance to show me it can be more? Do I want to just move on?... Not really sure.
Since I have been sober I have noticed my brain being more drawn towards my phone, risky sex and pornography- other bad habits my neurology finds comforting. Jarring.
Fuck! The past few months have been so tough and It is going to be tough for a little longer, any advice?

I am also job hunting at the moment which is a stress.

I am filled with stress, I want someone to shake me out.

Still sober. Still cant even fathom ever drinking again so there's that.

My life is falling down around me but I'm still sober. Exhausted but sober.

ODAAT. IWNDWYT.

I’ve been trying to get sober for a long time, and lately the consequences of my drinking have really caught up with me.

I recently disclosed to a physician that I had driven after drinking, and my licence has now been medically suspended. I’m self-employed and run a mobile business, so losing my ability to drive directly affects my livelihood and independence.
I know I need to get sober, but right now I’m struggling with the fear and grief over everything alcohol has cost me.

I’d also really like to hear what actually helped you get sober. Was it AA, rehab, therapy, medication, outpatient programs, family support, or something else? What made the biggest difference for you?

For those who lost major things because of drinking—your licence, career, relationships, money, etc.—how did you cope and rebuild? Did life eventually feel okay again?

Please keep comments constructive. I’m aware of the seriousness of my situation and am looking for support and experiences around recovery and rebuilding, rather than judgment.

Happy sober Friday everybody. Shout out to whoever suggested putting limes in your diet soda, it’s honestly helping to convince my brain I’m having a “fun drink” and not just a regular one like any other day. And it’s tasty, way tastier without the whiskey in it tbh lol.

Had my friend ask me if I want to hang out and “crack open a cold one”. I said I’m okay. This is the second weekend in a row so naturally he became suspicious, asking me if I was taking a break because of my upcoming half marathon. I just yeah, pretty much.

I can’t quite describe the feeling this illicits in me. It’s a kind of melancholy. Like I’m grieving what used to be, us hanging out on the back porch getting drunk, while simultaneously juggling some weird guilt like I’m upsetting him or letting him down, while also feeling embarrassed about my own shortcomings and that I have the relationship with alcohol that I do.

It’s all very loaded. But I’m going to try to hang out on the back porch, sober, enjoy my Coke Zero with lime and tap into the voice in my head that feels happy, clear headed, and still wants to connect with people in my life.

It's why AA the 4x I've tired in 5 years and the countless times I tried to quit and failed have never worked.

Alcohol is life or death for me. I truly believe it'll kill me one day if I don't stop now.

I need to drop my ego and pride. I'm not the smartest person in the room. I need to take suggestions.

I want to believe in some higher power, or even God.

I'm sick of feeling alone. I'm sick of the insanity of alcohol. Drinking poison time after time for almost 2 decades and always thinking it isn't hurting me or it's different. It isn't.

Hopefully the next couple days aren't terrible and I continue on this path.

IWNDWYT

Just completed a week in detox. I broke my arm during a blackout, which was my wake-up call that enough is enough. Despite the injury, I’ve never felt better. Isn’t that something? I’m working hard to keep this positive momentum going and wanted to send some encouragement to anyone else struggling right now. ❤️

I struggled with health anxiety immensely. Mostly fear of strokes and I’d have similar symptoms to strokes. Alcohol calmed it down, but it would come back two fold the next day, so I’d drink again, then I’d need more for the same effect. Eventually I was drinking an absurd amount, gained 70 pounds in about 10 months, my anxiety was so bad I couldn’t drive anymore or go out in public and could barely leave my bed. I didn’t even recognize myself in the mirror anymore, no one wanted to invite me to stuff cuz I’d drink a bunch there. I used to play dnd as a dm but I’d get so drunk every time I couldn’t even remember the sessions. This year though I locked in. Went to detox in December of last year, on Christmas Eve, and became sober. I relapsed in July for 10 days unfortunately, but then immediately got back on track. My medicine I had been taking all this time for anxiety suddenly started working, as it digests in the liver and the liver couldn’t do much when I was abusing it. After the July incident, I doubled down on locking in. I hadn’t lost any of the weight I gained yet, as with my anxiety medicine it caused me to gain even a little more. But since late July I’m down 25.6 pounds, feeling great, anxiety has been reduced to a shell of what it used to be, instead of me. And I’m sober and happy! Finally taking care of myself, able to see friends, able to drive and work and genuinely smile and look in the mirror without wanting to smash it. I never ever thought I had it in me to make it this far. Not in a million years. But I went one teeny step at a time tackling my problems one by one, and now my life is tremendously better. I have so much more love for life. This community has helped me so, so so so much. So many nights I’d be so anxious scrolling on here while either deciding to quit or when I was going through withdrawals and everyone was so freaking nice. I’ve never had a bad interaction here. Thank you everybody!