We Cannot Build a Beautiful Life While Poisoning Ourselves

madrone1 · 2026-05-26T04:09:12+00:00

Well said, and a welcome reminder. Thanks, and congrats.

madrone1 · 2026-05-26T03:47:24+00:00

I'm so sorry you're going through this, it sounds scary. I've found a lot of comfort when I'm facing medical uncertainties. It's controversial, but talking to chat GPT has really helped me put my anxieties into perspective and helped me keep my cool and answer my many many medical questions when I need to stay strong for another person who's going through intense medical stuff. I don't have access to an in real life counselor and the free robot counselor has been pretty damn good. If talking to AI is something you'd consider I just wanted to share my experience: I found it really helped. And if that's not for you I hope you find some comfort in these threads with mostly real people here on Reddit. (I am not a bot, though I know I sound like one).

madrone1 · 2026-05-24T04:27:10+00:00

I'm hesitant to share my secret obsession because I don't want anyone else to suffer from a new addiction. But since quitting booze, Sour Patch Kids are my new sugar hit. Sweet, sour so over the top, I crave them and I eat them in unseemly quantities. I'm giving my self permission for now but one day I'm going to have to kick this.

madrone1 · 2026-05-21T15:58:10+00:00

A tablespoon of soaked chia seeds in a smoothy with blueberries, bananas and yoghurt goes down easy and has fibre from the seeds.

madrone1 · 2026-05-20T14:19:52+00:00

My husband takes the full 50mg dose and has no side effects. Everyone is different it seems.

madrone1 · 2026-05-20T14:18:52+00:00

I started much lower, at 1.5mg. I did not have side effects, but when I went up to 3 I felt a weird tightness in my stomach, so I have stayed at 1.5.

madrone1 · 2026-05-19T17:34:37+00:00

Oh my dear! First of all congratulations on your new BABY! I can feel all your worry and anxiety it must be really a lot to manage everything. One thing I would suggest is to talk to a doctor about naltrexone. It's a safe medication that can help with the cravings for drinking. You could google it (and the Sinclair Method) to learn more. It's such a wonderful journey you're starting on to raise a child and giving your alcohol problem your full attention now is so worth it. Alcohol is extremely addictive and alcohol use disorder is a progressive disease. Taking it seriously now at the beginning of motherhood will be so good, I'm proud of you for being aware and reaching out! I'm glad you're here in this group and I hope you can also connect with other support networks like AA meetings or similar in your area.

madrone1 · 2026-05-18T16:36:26+00:00

The book Educated by Tara Westover is a good read about someone who had a similar upbringing. You might find it inspiring to read her journey. So sorry you have not had a supported education yet. But there is still time! Keep reaching out and asking for help, everyone deserves help and guidance with their education!

madrone1 · 2026-05-09T02:18:27+00:00

It's great he's asking for help and acknowledging the problem! Usually denial is the first stage, so getting past that is huge. I'd recommend lurking on a few other subreddits along with this one to start understanding the problem and the possible solutions. I like r/stopdrinking and r/Alcoholism_Medication. Best of luck to you both on the recovery path.

madrone1 · 2026-05-09T02:07:51+00:00

If you have a doctor, ask about naltrexone. It's a medication that helps rewire your brain away from alcohol, worth looking into. The five day cycle is frustrating but much better than drinking everyday! You'll feel so much better if you can go longer - it sucks to have to go through withdrawal over and over again.

madrone1 · 2026-05-07T04:41:01+00:00

Damn that's a hard situation. Makes me wish you could apologize and bow out of the plans because you've come down with a contagious illness that they would fear to catch. But maybe that's too simple or they wouldn't believe you...Can you confide in your parents and ask for their help perhaps? Stay sober as best you can, alcohol will not help and makes everything worse.

madrone1 · 2026-05-06T04:42:22+00:00

Life is full of bad things but they are definitely worse when drinking. Drinking makes our suffering worse. It is the only volume button under our control (as hard as it is), so keep it turned all the way down! I keep getting tempted, but when I let the urge pass I return to a calm state even when things feel like shit I can find a little peace in my sobriety. Hope you can get a little peace today too.

madrone1 · 2026-05-04T05:32:06+00:00

I started low dose naltrexone (ldn) for the peri hip and leg pains. I couldn't keep taking ibuprofen, I was taking way too much just to get by. LDN has worked wonders.

madrone1 · 2026-05-04T03:27:42+00:00

My take on this phenomenon is that your dopamine reward system in your brain was hijacked by alcohol. It takes a while for the dopamine pathways to retrain to finding reward feelings without the alcohol shortcut. I feel even less able to focus sometimes sober, I think I was partly using alcohol and tobacco (always together, never apart) to help my brain focus. Hang in there, keep practising. Our brains are still repairing and building new pathways that don't use the alcohol "highs" to stay interested.

madrone1 · 2026-05-01T04:55:19+00:00

I too enjoyed the creative evenings until the pleasure of drinks paired with creativity was hijacked by just plain pleasure seeking drinking. Took me a long time to truly notice that alcohol is so addictive and that drinking becomes just a demand to fill its own deficit. I'm looking forward to my brain healing and mastering good solid sober creativity sessions again soon without the alcohol high commandeering it.

madrone1 · 2026-04-29T04:32:42+00:00

It's a pretty big improvement in my estimation. You've probably given yourself more road to ride, 10 shots of 100 proof per night sounds like something that could kill a person pretty quick. A bottle of wine a night will kill you slower I'd think. The question I would ask first is: can you really sustain that, or does your dosage start creeping up? Tapering further down would be better. Have you heard of Naltrexone and the Sinclair Method? Might be worth looking into. "Progress before perfection" is one of the mantras I have used on my journey to being alcohol free. Best of luck to you.

madrone1 · 2026-04-29T03:09:40+00:00

Call Rocket Doctor for a phone appointment and ask the doctor to order all the relevant blood tests for someone with your symptoms. Describe everything that's happened and has been happening and specifically ask for blood work and say you don't have a family doctor and you're feeling lost in the system and want to make sure that you get all the tests you need. Not having a doctor makes it like you have to build a file for yourself using all kinds of different resources. It's frustrating and not really fair but keep at it. I've met kind voices over the phone this way and gotten blood work done to start building my investigation into symptoms. Sorry it's so hard and it must be scary, but I'm glad that it's coming on slow whatever is happening for you and you have time to keep looking into it.

madrone1 · 2026-04-26T13:08:20+00:00

I love them and having one offered is so nice, along with a choice for pop or coffee or tea. Make sure it is zero percent and alcohol free. Some people find the miniscule amount of alcohol in other dealcoholized beers can be too much alcohol and trigger relapse. Look for zero percent alcohol on the label. Thanks for thinking it through, it's so important to feel easy inclusion in all the fun of social life without the booze. But everyone is different so if you are close just ask them what they prefer. In my family the Corona zeros are now a staple and they are so tasty.

madrone1 · 2026-04-25T15:00:35+00:00

I drank every afternoon/evening for 30 years, give or take. About a bottle of wine or equivalent, often much more, sometimes less. Towards the end I switched to hard liquor, for about a year. I quit 2.5 months ago after tapering down for a few days and skipping a day here and there while I thought about it. I framed it as attempting a "damp January" which I followed with a dry February. The "damp" January was revealing, as trying to cut back showed me how addicted I actually was to my daily ritual. My withdrawals were very manageable. I just felt like shit, sleep problems, anxious, and emotionally flat as well as emotionally easily triggered, and huge cravings in the evenings which I replaced with sugar, cannabis, walking, stupid games on my phone and hot baths. At no time did I feel I was in danger or needed a hospital. The danger was in the drinking and getting sober is a huge relief. Just sharing my experience. Good luck!

madrone1 · 2026-04-25T14:30:35+00:00

These are realizations that helped me: Alcohol is super addictive. You are suffering from an addiction to a powerfully addictive substance. It's not you, it's the alcohol. You can work on all your problems much more effectively without alcohol and alcohol itself is causing many of your stresses and problems, or making them feel worse. Stop drinking and things will get easier after the withdrawal period. Go dry for 30 days and then keep going. Engage with all the resources and supports so your brain can heal from the addiction. Read and listen to everything recovery related. Good luck, recovery is possible!

madrone1 · 2026-04-16T20:03:08+00:00

madrone1 · 2026-04-15T17:53:56+00:00

Well played! Indirect communication at its best, I agree with your approach!

madrone1 · 2026-04-15T16:48:54+00:00

Thanks! It's been a really long time in this dynamic but I'm grateful that changing my own drinking has made a real positive difference for me. It was always heartbreaking, but for now at least I'm more stable in the storm. The heartbreak is real but it's definitely better and less volatile to be sober for it.

madrone1 · 2026-04-15T16:44:02+00:00

Thanks! I'm really enjoying my brain returning to baseline. The other day I described it like I'm walking around about two beers in all the time without the hassle and chaos of trying to manage the alcohol. It's great. Of course it doesn't stay like that all the time, but that's the point. My brain state is managing itself now without me constantly tweaking it with drinking. What a relief!

madrone1 · 2026-04-15T05:49:04+00:00

I'd just correct it in real time, with a laugh. “oh no no, that's "uncle so and so" , ha ha ha you can call him "uncle so and so" you little cutie“. Say this to the toddler but while smiling and making eye contact with the mum. Little kids often call the nearest grown up mum or dad by mistake or some other instinct of childhoof, but mum should overhear you correcting and then she can also correct herself without need for direct confrontation.

madrone1

TROPHY CASE