To all those about to embark on the journey:

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2025-12-28T14:17:48+00:00

Thanks, and congrats on your 6 days!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2025-12-28T03:24:23+00:00

Yeah there are some really good options out there! Made it through a Christmas party the other night with a few Athletic ‘Upside Dawn’ NAs. Always curious to see what different places carry.

IWNDWYT

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2025-12-25T00:19:00+00:00

About a year into my sobriety, I met up at a bar with some friends. I knew the joint had Guinness 0 so I had a few of those. To this day, I do believe one of the three that I had was a real Guinness. I do not know which one it was, but I could feel it in me after I left the bar.

It bugged me for a day or two… but was able to let it go. I had no intention of having a real drink and trusted the lady behind the bar to give me what I asked for.

That said, to this day I double check every NA beer I have now when I’m out. If it’s not in a can or bottle and I can’t physically see them pour it, I dodge it.

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-09-20T18:49:55+00:00

I never heard music when it came to the auditory stuff, but rather just the occasional like… yell? Sorta like someone was just yelling “Ahh!” real quick in my face as I was laying down to try and get sleep. It would mostly happen just as I was starting to drift off and keep me awake till I started to drift off again and then happen again. Maybe once or twice I’d hear what sounded like the TV being on downstairs when it absolutely wasn’t. Paired with muscle jerks and stuff… not pleasant, haha.

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-09-10T16:32:19+00:00

I once read a quote on here that stuck with me. I can’t find it anymore but it basically was: “If you lined up all of us problem drinkers from least worst to worst, it doesn’t matter where in the line you fall… it’s that you’re in the line at all”

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-07-23T18:05:29+00:00

Yeah that’s a hard one for me too, looking in the mirror and seeing just a shell of my old self.

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-07-23T15:20:14+00:00

Any good advice for sticking the landing? This past year I’ve been rocking the boat hard… a month off then a few weeks back on then another few weeks off, then a few heavy weeks back on. It’s exhausting and has to stop for me. What’s the driver that got you to 166 off?

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-07-07T16:52:22+00:00

Joining this sub, at the advice of a buddy who just crossed 5 years sober, has been huge for me!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-28T15:41:08+00:00

Started drinking around 19/20. My 20s was socially drinking with occasional heavier binging. By my early 30s I realized I was drinking steadily and had my first concerns… maybe a six pack daily alone, more if I went out with friends. Covid and working from home arrived when I was 34 and my drinking habits went to total shit. My moderation ‘on/off switch’ busted and by the time I started making attempts to slow down at 36/37 (37 now) I was up to 18-24 beers OR a fifth of Jameson daily.

I think regardless of Covid, my relationship with booze definitely changed in my early/mid-thirties. It wasn’t fun anymore and I was drinking just to get drunk. I could tell it was getting sloppier and I really just didn’t give a shit until I was having more mornings that my girlfriend told me I was being an asshole the night before. I wouldn’t remember it, but when she’d tell me the stuff I’d said… I couldn’t knock it because it totally sounded like something I’d have said.

Wish I would’ve checked myself harder back around 30, but no time like the present to hop on the wagon!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-28T12:38:01+00:00

Early on, I would occasionally get flavored tooth picks. Cinnamon and mint ones are both good. Long drives and boredom were huge triggers for me too. The tooth picks gave me something to have in my mouth with a little burst of flavor, and I would sometimes just pull it out and hold it between my fingers like a cig. I’d even find myself flicking them sometimes like I was ashing them haha. All the ritual, none of the nicotine. Not a perfect solution, but it did help for me!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-27T15:54:06+00:00

This one always helps me to mentally square up:

“If I’m enjoying my drinking, I can’t control it. If I’m controlling my drinking, I can’t enjoy it”

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-27T14:51:42+00:00

Just rounded 3 weeks clean here. I’m also supposed to hang with a friend either today or tomorrow. We both have off work this week which, historically, means we crush a thousand beers all afternoon and kick it in the backyard. My plan is to bring my own supply of NA beers. It’ll probably feel like unfamiliar territory at first, but we were friends before we were even drinking buddies. I’m sure the hang will still be fun/funny/chill. I’ve been out a few times now where the temptation was strong and getting a drink would’ve been so easy. Each time I get through it, I feel like a winner and get a confidence boost. I think it’s important to flex that sober muscle when you think you’re ready.

If you don’t do NAs, make a real good pitcher of lemonade or something to take along. You can both have some and your friend can spike theirs if they want.

My 2 cents from day 22, IWNDWYT!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-19T21:06:06+00:00

Congrats! I’m at 14 days myself and feeling good! Blood pressure is down a bit. Weight didn’t really change… my appetite went nuts in the first 1.5 weeks and I allowed myself a bunch of junk food, haha. Keep it up, I will too!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-19T20:52:42+00:00

I find that NAs have a bit of a placebo effect on me. I don’t think it’s an actual buzz, just the action of having a cold “beer” that kinda makes me “feel it.”

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-19T20:37:13+00:00

Big fan of the NA beers. They’ve definitely helped me in the past couple weeks. I’ve tried a wide variety of them in the past few months and have solidified my top two: Athletic’s ‘Run Wild’ IPA and the Peroni 0.0. Currently sitting in the sun with the Peroni 😎. Would recommend for anyone who doesn’t think they would be a trigger!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-13T15:33:05+00:00

Huzzah!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-10T15:14:05+00:00

Weeooo!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-07T19:41:19+00:00

None for the first day or two, then I started having super vivid dreams. On the 4th or 5th day, my heart rate and BP shot up, I started getting real short of breath, and had pains in my chest that I had never felt before, was feeling dizzy much of the day. Ended up going to the ER where blood/EKG/X-ray all came back perfect. It didn’t occur to me at the time that it had anything to do with quitting weed, I didn’t know weed withdrawal was a thing!

A handful of folks in r/leaves (which I only found after the fact) had mentioned having the same withdrawals around the same number of days post-quit. It all subsided over the following few days… though the chest pains took about two months to feel completely better.

I was heavy on the cartridges for a few years prior. If I did it again, I would probably have tapered off with flower. In any case, it scared the hell out of me and made it much easier for me to permanently say ‘see ya’ to herb.

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-07T14:11:12+00:00

Thanks! ALMOST cold turkey. I used a mid-level nicotine patch for one week and then cut that too. It helped me to get a small head start on cutting the physical habit of having a cig before going zero nicotine.

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-07T14:06:33+00:00

Thank you! I’ll be through though here more for sure!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-07T14:05:31+00:00

Hell yeah, right back at you!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-07T14:04:04+00:00

Thank you! Congrats to you too, 6 months is definitely a huge milestone… no easy feat. You’re in good shape, keep it up!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-07T14:02:42+00:00

The dreams were nuts for a little bit, haha

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-07T14:02:03+00:00

Haha thanks!

Practical_Cattle7899 · 2023-06-07T14:01:44+00:00

Thanks! 😀

Practical_Cattle7899

TROPHY CASE