1. "I've never been much of drinker..." In response to Reply # 0
not like everyday...
I have an alcoholic uncle that always stayed with us. he drinks 40s daily. he's the kind that drinks until he's comatose. Our house almost caught fire a few times too.
anyway. when he's sober, he doesn't talk much and like to read the paper and stuff. it's when I simp on him, lol. "nigga, must be broke today". When he's drunk, he's a joy to be around. in and out of rehab...some times, we be like, "imma stay in a whole year this time" . we never believe it tho..
not liken you to know drunk - it's just want came across my mind.
12. "frequency and hitting a wall" In response to Reply # 11
sure it was a glass or two of wine everyday
and then i would do some partying with folks once a week, some drinks, some shots but never sloppy
im just drying out to...
see what my body does (will i trim up? i workout already but I'm only kind-of-ok with the results, I want more gains, more cutting, etc)
see what my brain does (will i sharpen up? this is one that I've always secretly wondered, is having alcohol slowing me down from hitting high highs?)
see how my emotional balance changes (will I balance out? meaning, will i gain some insights into self?)
see how my finances will be impacted (consistently drinking consistently chips away at the wallet. will i end up having a stronger budget even though I may drink more at home than at the bar?)
5. "My brother just went 30 days without and he feels great" In response to Reply # 0
I am thinking about trying a 30 day hiatus form alcohol as well. BUt there always seems to be a reason to drink. I go to a lot of shows so I like to have my buzz on. I drink like 4 days a week way to much. I need to clense
--------------------------------------- My Sig - Nig!! Hip Hop is a perfect verse over a dope beat!!
6. "I'm doing it this month at least" In response to Reply # 0
Alcoholism runs in the family and given the right circumstances I can (and probably have) put away a 5th in a day. That's not exactly typical but my drinking has gone up more than I like, so I've got to make some changes. Being functional isn't quite enough.
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
8. "I did and after a while you won't even miss it." In response to Reply # 0
I did it as a bet ( it was supposed to be a week), and I easily won. But then it felt so easy, I just kept going, and it extended to a month, then a few, and before you knew it, a couple of years had gone by. I felt better, and I can honestly say it was well worth it.
The worst part about it was going to clubs and house parties. I didn't feel the urge to drink, but it's kind of annoying being the sober person in a room full of drunk people. EVERY conversation is silly. You don't realize that until you're the one not drinking.
10. "nobody'll care. Trust me." In response to Reply # 9
>the only thing is that I become way too damned in my feelings >when I dance sober. that likka helps with lowering inhibitions >
the other folks are so festive, they won't even notice.
> >otherwise, yeah, I actually like being around people who are >having a few - i end up catching a buzz just by being near >that energy
the downside is you wind up being the errand boy because you're sober. If somebody gets sick, or incapacitated, guess who takes them home or helps get them where they need to be? AND you're generally the voice of reason when shit goes sideways ( drunk friends always wind up arguing over silly stuff). But again, it's all worth it.
15. "how much and often were you drinking?" In response to Reply # 0
everyday? 'cause if that's the case, one week is actually pretty damn good, and can feel like one month.
never full dry for me. i think the longest i've gone this decade without a single drink (beer, booze) is 10 days.
my issue isn't the workouts/body image as much as it is how publicly irritable/short-tempered i am when i've gone multiple days wet. don't matter if its 12-pack of modelo over the weekend watching the game, or a couple cocktails on a tuesday.
so i started taking days off and moderating... and meditating. it's tough 'cause having a having a drink is so much a part of after-work/happy-hour culture, especially when you work/commute/live in a metro area with a million bars.
29. "RE: thanks and everyday. " In response to Reply # 16
>it actually slowed down once I got married > >before it was everyday heavy > >now its about 5 days a week > > >i just got tired of feeling cloudy. > >years ago when I would try to go dry a day felt like forever
yeah, it's the cloudy part and trying to *function* in the office the next day that made me ease up. even if i have a few in the evening, i always try to be sober by the time i hit the pillow. sleep is everythang.
i still know dudes in their mid/late 40's who hit it hard at their locals at night and still get up for work the next day. wash and repeat. had to distance myself from that crew several years ago.
>this first week was pretty pleasant actually. its the boredom >that gets to me.
27. "I can agree on the sweet tooth thing" In response to Reply # 17
My soda intake has gone up a bit and I find I need some kind of candy on deck (laffy taffy seems to be the thing this week). After dinner dessert has picked up a bit as well
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
18. "I feel like I'm in this boat with weed." In response to Reply # 0 Tue Feb-21-17 03:39 PM by dustin
Since new years, I've made a conscious effort to cut back on beer. I put on at least 15lbs last year due to poor diet and increased alcohol, so my first attack is on beer. I would drink a bottle on the train home from work and then probably another when I get home, so around 2-3 drinks a night easy. I've found that if I cut out beer I don't really replace it with liquor, so I am drinking less.
But I honestly think I'd struggle if I tried to stop smoking. I've tried it before and the hardest part is just keeping occupied. I would need to stop drinking as well because for me they usually go together. I'm worried about being noticeably irritable. I smoke every day, first thing after work.
20. "I usually do dry Januarys. " In response to Reply # 0
The good feeling usually only kicks in after two weeks. More energy but I do get a bit neurotic and irritable.
I have considered stopping for good because I am something of a bing drinker. I don't drink daily but I can easily drink once a week in a fashion that has me swearing off liquor on a weekly basis.
********** "Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
21. "i've had maybe a pint or two in the last 6 months." In response to Reply # 0 Tue Feb-21-17 06:09 PM by Madvillain 626
that was more of a "a beer would pair well with this meal" than any real desire to drink
I've been trying to keep the herb use to a minimum while cutting back on the kratom. A lil speciosa, a cup of kava and vaped weed is just heavenly at night.
You tried some good kava? It can definitely help with alcohol cravings and gives a nice euphoric buzz on it's own
------------------------------- If life is stupendous one cannot also demand that it should be easy. - Robert Musil
23. "south pacific plant that calms, reduces anxiety" In response to Reply # 22
relieves stress, promotes relaxation, etc.
It has a reverse tolerance (the more often you intake, the stronger it gets), thus a lot of people drink some weak yogi kava tea or health store kava powder once and then discard it because they don't feel pronounced effects. If you prepare it correctly the kava produces euphoria and real anxiety relief
You can get the powdered root and hand knead it in a strainer bag for 10 minutes (you can use a blender as well but this is the recommended technique to get the kavalactones out) or buy some good mironized kava and stir a teaspoon or two into some milk.
Its not addictive at all, unlike kratom or weed I can easily stop for months at a time with no cravings. Nice to have when I have it tho. Main drawbacks I've noticed are a bit of drowsiness in the morning if I sip too much strong kava late at night, and once in a while the kava will produce some fuckin nuclear farts lol
26. "that's exactly how it was for me." In response to Reply # 25
> >I was a heavy binge drinker, but decided to take a break after >a rough week and some memory issues. > >Now I'll have a beer/wine or two to be social but I have no >desire to get twisted. > >Feel like my mind is clearer and I don't waste as much money I >drink more coffee and tea now though. > >It's been almost two years now.
30. "i decided that alcohol was doing more harm than good ~11 years ago" In response to Reply # 0
and tapered off. haven't had a drink since. i don't miss it
i had a serious drinking problem for ~6 years. peak use was over a 5th per day during the week and more on the weekends. essentially i got tired of everything associated with drinking. being drunk wasn't actually helping anything (it was just temporarily obfuscating my depression and anxiety) and the hangovers were nightmarish. the people i was socializing with at the time were always drinking and doing awful drunk people stuff
i do remember having a lot of trouble learning to sleep while sober but i've always had insomnia. you may have a different experience. you eventually get over the "boredom" of not drinking as you get further into sobriety. "one day at a time" is cliche but it's apt. you get better at not wanting it every day until you just don't think about it anymore. my experience with quitting wasn't particularly difficult but i was 100% commited to quitting. if you're on the fence about it then it may be a little harder
31. "when my wife got sober i stopped drinking at home" In response to Reply # 0
or around her. so while i have a drink every now and again, i hardly drink anymore. while before i was having a drink or two just about every night. really isn't that hard. there are times when I really want a beer or something, but mostly it's no big deal.
___________________________________ "WASP of the year: even if he isn�t a WASP, Oakley. Sailing? Check. In a yacht club? Check. Used the term �summer� as a verb instead of a noun? You betcha!" -thejerseytornado
34. "To be honest....." In response to Reply # 0 Tue Feb-28-17 09:13 PM by denny
the biggest benefits by going dry are off-set by continued herb and kratom use. And kratom is highly addictive btw. If you start doing it everyday...you're gonna have to experience withdrawals to get off it and they fucking suck.
For me, the biggest benefit (outside of addiction-related issues) is the sleep. But herb is horrible for sleeping (and so is kratom)...so you're not really gonna see a big difference unless you get completely sober. Herb blocks you from dreaming and REM sleep. If you quit everything you'll have nightmares for a while but they'll go away eventually and then you'll sleep like you did before you ever messed with drugs/booze and it's shockingly awesome. I came to realize that ALL drugs and booze absolutely reek havoc on your sleep and I never realized the extent of that til I got sober. Also...how important it is to dream. But you have to be patient. The first month of being completely sober sucks. I couldn't sleep for more than an hour at a time for weeks. By the time you've hit 20 to 30 days of no prolonged sleep...it feels like it will never get better. But it DOES!
I don't miss alcohol too much. I miss opiates ALOT. I have some herb in a cupboard in case I want to relapse on opiates REALLY badly. Smoking a little herb is my harm reduction relapse last resort if the opiates call out to me (around once every 3 months) Wish I would have never started doing opiates in the first place.
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79616 posts
Tue Feb-28-17 09:39 PM
35. "This isn't true for me... I sleep GOOD and dream GOOD with weed" In response to Reply # 34
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
36. "Have you quit it before?" In response to Reply # 35 Tue Feb-28-17 10:55 PM by denny
The first week for me....those dreams were so bad I'd have to take a walk outside just to calm down. But I quit alcohol at the same time so it's hard to know what symptoms were for what substance. It was researching the net that made me attribute the dreams to the herb because it's such a common experience with studies done.
In anycase...it's not like I KNEW I wasn't dreaming or having poor sleep for 25 years. It all becomes normalized. It wasn't til I quit everything that I realized how much my sleep was effected. And then like 2 months sober...I started having feelings and memories of way back when I was 11...before I ever took drugs/booze. I realized that I had totally lost a clarity and I had basically spent 25 years in a subtle haze I didn't even know I was in.
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
General Discussion
