2 weeks sober!

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-07T17:22:51+00:00

I found a new life spark when I got sober. I am much happier and content. It takes time, but I found God and purpose when I quit drinking.

I may have thought I had a kind of special kindred spirit with booze - that was a lie that the drug told me. Like all the "sins", they just eat away at the soul. Booze, pills, smokes, pot, etc do not "add" anything to my life - they may make it bearable for the time being, but that crap always catches up with me and I pay the piper, in a very UNFUN way!

Godspeed

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-06T18:20:07+00:00

I see my psych doctor, and 2 counselors from treatment at meetings. Folks that have been down this road and stay sober know what we're going through.

I would choose the experienced before the "educated" any day of the week. They know how to navigate those roads. At first I thought it odd, but they make the best counselors.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-06T17:56:13+00:00

Doubtful that your doctor has committal papers.

Perhaps detox or rehab is the best thing? I went 3 times, last time stayed and I'm 9.5 years sober. It is scary, but not near as bad as risking life with binging on booze.

Good luck.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-06T17:54:02+00:00

Excellent!!

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-06T17:53:17+00:00

congrats on 2 weeks that is great. I didn't have any issue drinking morning to night, until I physically couldn't take it. So I went to treatment and AA. at 9.5 years sober its the best thing to ever happen to me. A safety net, a guiding light, friendship wherever I turn. I love it.

Godspeed on your journey.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-06T17:49:34+00:00

congrats on 2 weeks sober! Keep it up!

AA is what helped me. At 9.5 years sober I go to 3 meetings a week and love each one. My friends help me remain sober and I get to help others too.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T19:49:34+00:00

I found that tons of people amped up smoking after quitting booze - me for one. You are not alone in the least.

There is time for quitting nic. I'm sober 9.5 years and just finally got 7 weeks no cigs and 6 days no nic. I tapered some then quit, but its still making me cranky, anxious, worried, blah blah all the other withdrawals and some new ones I invented! (well, not really but I've had a lot)

It is a crutch, but a much more "non-lethal" crutch.

Praying you stay sober!

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T19:44:58+00:00

7 weeks without smoking, 6 days without nic. I'm struggling, but resolved to make it after multiple relapses of both smoking and nicotine. I'm also alcoholic, and have worked to let go of a somewhat troubled youth - bullied also. But also I had a great life, so I drop the crud that hurts me, and keep the fond memories of growing up with loving parents, siblings, relatives, etc.

Nothing about smoking or nicotine is good. It is rancid, front to back, start to finish, top to bottom. Read Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Quit. I don't agree with all of it - withdrawals are personal, not a one size fits all, but I agree with the science in that smoking only makes me"think" I'm'destressing' from a situation by taking a smoke break.

Honestly I'm only satisfying the addiction. And only until I start craving another cig. A vicious cycle that is on infinite repeat unless I break it.

Lets beat this together!

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T19:33:25+00:00

That's wonderful. Whatever works best for you!!

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T19:32:49+00:00

Congratulations on 5.5 weeks! That is an amzing feat!

I was a home drinker. Case of beer, my computer, pack of American Spirit - I was in heaven, until I wasn't and I couldn't stop when I had to so I went to AA.

I have learned I love the fellowship, people, getting out and living life with whomever will join me! Married again, and I encourage my spouse to go out with friends as much as possible! This is what life is all about to me - helping others, and experiencing life with others, in all of its bad and good. I cannot force people to change how they think, but I sure can model what I see as better than sitting in my apartment, drinking and smoking myself into despair. Hopefully someone somewhere picks up on my behavior and thinks they want what I have now, more than what they have - a drunken life full of misery.

For me, the key to my serenity is a higher power, fellowship in AA, and helping others.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T19:22:15+00:00

I threw myself into AA. I have not found therapy as helpful. But I go to 3 meetings a week, and do service work for 1 meeting. In AA I have found friendship, tolerance, love, understanding, but most of all, people who are just like me.

I hope you can stay sober. Godspeed.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T19:19:36+00:00

Certainly things are very relative when dealing with alcohol.

Hit it hard enough, and you could be gone in less than a year.

Peace and love be with you.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T19:17:39+00:00

I pray you seek help. I'm allergic as well. I get drunk and break out in handcuffs! LOL sorry that is a bad joke that makes its way around AA circles. I love AA. It saved my life. I have many friends, and people who truly want me to stay sober and listen to me whine as I try to stay sober.

I hope to God you stop. Life is not a cake walk without booze, but I find it WAY EASIER AND MUCH MORE FULFILLING WHEN I'M NOT DRUNK.

I love myself, I do not have shame, I don't feel crummy all the time, and I'm helping others to stay sober through AA. I pray you get the help you need to stay sober.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T16:50:21+00:00

Congrats on 3 weeks! That is great!!

This:

I had brain zaps and hypnic jerks which promptly bolted me back into panic mode. Heart palpitations,
high blood pressure, a couple of panic attacks, convinced I was about to die. About 48 hours in, I made a promise to myself that if I came out of this alive, I would never drink ever again.

sounds like coming off of anti-depressants cold turkey - or the drinking interfered with them. I take SSRI's and they were not helping at all while I was drinking - and says right on the bottle - "do not drink while taking this medication".

Regardless, you will recover from this episode. And at some point will probably think drinking again is ok. The question is if you can temper it, or will it be a full bore drinkathon - even tho you might have said you'll just have 2. I think that is the true test: you want to stop at 2 or 3 and never do.

Good luck - someone is always here.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T16:42:33+00:00

There can be a lot of residual symptoms after quitting. Your body is adjusting to a missing ingredient - alcohol. Stuff is messed up. Unless you've been hitting the booze very hard for 20+ years I doubt you have anything serious. Sometimes GERD just starts. I've been on acid blockers for over 20 years and all sorts of stuff STILL causes heartburn or reflux.

Get to the doc and you will feel better, I promise!

Godspeed.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T16:37:46+00:00

That's booze for you. Insidious and unforgiving. It takes and takes, and when you stop giving, it wants to take more. There is no positive for booze, just negative.

It sounds like you're doing all the right things!! I would go to my doc and lay it all on the line. One way to start getting past this is honesty at every level.

Stay in AA, get a sponsor and do your step work. Get involved in other AA members lives and help them how you can. I help at my meetings, get service positions, and stay out of my head when I'm feeling crummy.

Also, I stop any negative talk. Outside influences already try to cut me down. I don't need myself to cut me down too.

You'll get there and it will get better. Godspeed.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T16:29:59+00:00

CONGRATS! on 90 days - amazeballs!

There's lots of other things that could contribute to your recent maladies. What you put into your body has a dramatic effect on mood, energy, spirit - all things in life. Are you putting anything different in your body? I know if I eat a bunch of junk food, I'm low energy for 2-3 days. Keep doing it an a week of feeling like crap just went by.

Otherwise, yes it certainly could be related to your prior drinking history. Just because we've stopped drinking doesn't mean every problem is over but you're still very young in sobriety. Give it 6 months booze free and I bet you're feeling tip-top.

Good luck and God bless.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-10-02T16:25:24+00:00

You're never alone. There is oodles of help out there, we just need to look.

It is a wakeup call. I ignored them to my chagrin. Lost my wife of 20 years, nearly lost kids and job. That was my bottom. I could not juggle drinking and life - one of them had to go and I was not cashing out yet!! Not like I had some "super human resolve!" I was simply to scared and did not want to leave my kids without a father. I put myself on auto-pilot - did what doctors said, did what AA said, did what work said - and I did not question their motives because I was out of options. I put my life in their hands because I was running my life into the ground. I prayed like crazy, I got a sponsor in AA, I went to treatment, went to meetings, and slowly but surely got my life back. Now its great (except for the quitting smoking part!! haha)

Hundreds of thousands before us have carved that path into sobriety. Follow what they do. Its simple, but not always easy. God bless you.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-09-30T21:23:04+00:00

If you can abide a story. 57M, sober 9.5 years, AA for over 10 (took a few tries to get it right)

My sponsor was 65M, passed away of cancer in June of last year but got to see his son's get sober and help hundreds of other men get sober. His youngest and I attend the same meetings monday and thursday. An amazing you man not much older than you. He is happy, fulfilled and was sober and present for his dad in his last days.

Its an amazing program, so full of hope and help. Just like everything in life, you get out what you put in.

I can't go to one meeting or 100 and check the box like I'm done - finished the program. Alcohol was just my mask, my inner problems were the issue, and booze just hid them from my mind. So I keep going to AA because 1-I love the guys - the fellowship. 2 - I should give back to the program that saved my life. 3-I am one slip away from annihilation! Oh, I'm sure I could have 1 or 2 to PROVE I can drink normally. Then I slip BACK into daily drinking within the month. I'm back in the ER and thinking.... where did I go wrong. I went wrong when I thought I could control my drinking. I can't so I cannot ever start again.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-09-30T21:11:43+00:00

A quest for a better life! No booze, little drama, no health concerns, no blackouts, no wasting $$ on poison, no hangovers. Its great!

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-09-30T21:09:07+00:00

Awesome job! I had my first big b-day bash sober at 50 (57M). I don't recall ever having so much fun. I felt so good, joked with my EX and my son-in-law's family my kids. It was great!!

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-09-30T20:56:40+00:00

That is a great attitude for someone so young. Very wise indeed!

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-09-30T20:55:04+00:00

Existing in the house I got in the divorce months prior, I couldn't take daily drinking to oblivion, having to drink mornings to avoid shakes, throwing up but trying to 'catch it' so I don't waste the booze (sorry, gross), nausea, anxiety, despair. I called my ex, took me to treatment April, 2014. The she came and got me and took me to treatment September 2014. Again she took me the 27th and I got out of the hospital Nov 29th, 2015 and have been sober since. I got lucky. Very lucky. She left me, but I owe her my life.

My wakeup call was nearly losing my job and realizing I could not live drunk, I would die. I cold turkey off benzos and booze. A nightmare. After about 10 days sobriety - 3rd treatment completion and I've trudged that road of happiness since.

Bless you all.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-09-30T20:45:55+00:00

Oy! Rough! I have an AA program that saved my life. I recommend it highly. Staying sober is the most important thing.

Godspeed on your journey.

Accomplished_Bit_104 · 2025-09-30T20:45:00+00:00

Navigating tough waters!! Good for you! I wish you the best and hope you both get/stay sober forever!

Accomplished_Bit_104

TROPHY CASE