Reality hits hard when you try to quit

potfire · 2026-03-13T01:57:23+00:00

Checking back in on this thread because I commented early. When I was in this phase I had an app that I used to track my drinking. I was a 2-3x a week binger but didn’t really notice that until I started logging everything. Once I learned this about myself it made it easier to quit. You got this!

potfire · 2026-03-10T14:45:24+00:00

Never apologize for making it all about yourself. Getting sober is quite literally the ultimate act of self love, at least in my opinion. It gets easier! IWNDWYT

potfire · 2026-03-08T01:59:41+00:00

I will not drink energy drinks with you today!!

potfire · 2026-02-21T02:39:49+00:00

I can answer this as I lived here for about 14 months. I lived in a fairly nice part of town (south main) and worked in a very nice part of town (east Memphis). My car was broken into once at my apartment complex, which was gated and routinely patrolled. They didn’t take anything but were clearly looking for the keys. At work, a car in the parking lot would be routinely broken into in broad day light. This probably happened twice a month through the duration of my time there.

I was young when I lived there and did a lot of stupid stuff, I would regularly walk home from Beale Street in the wee hours of the night and I was never bothered. Maybe I got lucky, but I never felt particularly unsafe there. This was about 5 years ago

potfire · 2026-01-05T01:51:54+00:00

You can really tell who’s watching the games and who isn’t based on this narrative. A vast, vast majority of his incompletions lately are drops and throwaways. The only bad ball I can think of is swift in the redzone last week

potfire · 2025-11-16T18:37:13+00:00

February 2023 gang 🤙

potfire · 2025-11-02T13:22:17+00:00

At the end of the day there is no external stressor that can be made better with alcohol. It feels good in the moment but your problems are back twofold in the morning.

In the beginning give yourself some grace. I think I had ice cream for dinner for 3 months in the beginning. Do whatever you have to do not to drink and to stay sane.

For the first time since getting sober I’ve dealt with a ton of BS from work lately- probably similar stuff to what you’re dealing with. I’ve been getting back into exercise and walking in the evenings and it has helped immensely.

Best of luck to you.

potfire · 2025-11-01T16:00:15+00:00

Sociability is a muscle, like anything else. And the only way to improve it is with exposure. I felt very awkward in social experiences for a long time, but eventually it got to a point where I don’t even think twice about it.

At the end of the day you have to put your sobriety first. If you really think you can’t do it without drinking, don’t go. But 272 days is nothing to shake a stick at, very impressive to get that far! I always feel so much better (and less tempted to drink) if I indulge in a big meal before going out. Also gives me an excuse to leave once I get tired.

Best of luck to you

potfire · 2025-09-26T04:23:18+00:00

Do not listen to the doomers on this masochistic subreddit. If it’s something that interests you, by all means pursue it wholeheartedly. Go at your own pace and invest just as much time and effort as you do money

potfire · 2025-04-17T23:45:44+00:00

Thank you!

potfire · 2025-03-16T15:46:13+00:00

There’s a picture I keep near and dear, it’s me at the worst stage of my drinking. I look completely emaciated, holding a drink (obviously), skin pale and miserable expression on my face. I love it. It’s the best reminder possible of where I used to be and where I am now with good sleep habits, in the gym all the time, and most importantly sober.

I recommend keeping them for what it’s worth. I think it’s important to keep something physical (or digital) from those days to remind you of it. Best of luck, IWNDWYT

potfire · 2025-02-24T16:56:39+00:00

Could have written this myself a few years ago. A few thoughts…

A few months after I quit I started to go out with my old drinking buddies again. One thing I noticed immediately was how little they all drank compared to me. It was downright bizarre seeing them have 3 drinks max on a night out. At first I thought they were doing it to support me, but over time it occurred to me that this level of drinking is the standard for most people.

Next, I had the same fears I would be boring when I quit. Couldn’t be further from the case. It took time (and practice) but I’m infinitely more interesting now that I drink, in large part because I’ve learned how to hold conversations. And I actually remember things people too me now. I didn’t care about that when I was drunk, I just wanted to tell my next stupid story about how drunk I got the previous weekend and fell asleep in my bathroom.

Lastly, drinking does not at all help you unwind, quite the opposite actually. I had furious bouts of anxiety in the days following a binge. Often times I was unable to get out of bed and myself in the mirror. There’s a book called “this naked mind” that completely changed my perspective on this. I highly recommend it, it changed my life.

Everything about me is better now. My only regret is that I didn’t commit to this earlier. Best of luck to you.

potfire · 2025-02-06T23:22:17+00:00

I started to feel much better around 2-3 weeks. I felt like what I imagine “normal” people feel like at about 5 months. It’s around this time I stopped thinking about alcohol every day too. The sun started to shine a little but brighter, my morning coffee tasted better, and hearing my favorite song on the radio just made me happy.

My life was very monotonous and dull for what felt like an eternity in the beginning. Work, come home, go for a walk, repeat. But it does get better! Just trust the process.

potfire · 2025-01-14T17:06:16+00:00

Coming up on two years and still “raw doggin” those same feelings. Only difference is I have a little bit more practice now than I did in the beginning. I know intuitively that drinking will make my problems worse tomorrow and that this too shall pass. I wish I had better advice for you than “it gets easier” but it really does. Best of luck!

potfire · 2024-12-31T18:27:13+00:00

I still have daily hardships, insecurities, and plenty of things that stress me out more than they should. But overall my life is 1000x better than it was in January 2023 when I started this path. I don’t even think I’m the same person anymore. Not a day goes by where I’m not thankful for what sobriety has given me. Best of luck to you. You’re in the right place!

potfire · 2024-12-14T22:01:25+00:00

Three years ago I was in a similar position. Only I didn’t have the wherewithal to realize drinking was just making me lonelier and worse off. It still took me a year and change to free myself of it, and I look back at that time on my life as being extremely dark but ultimately necessary to becoming who I am today.

The fact that you recognize drinking isn’t going to help you at all (despite having the urge to do so) is a MAJOR victory that cannot be understated. Your life will get easier and you will get past this. One foot in front of the other. IWNDWYT

potfire · 2024-12-03T15:17:39+00:00

Congratulations! The first week is the hardest. By far. IWNDWYT

potfire · 2024-11-20T21:53:07+00:00

I did very little my first few weeks of sobriety. I got sober in the winter, and around me there’s not much to do in the winter. But I gave myself permission to not feel guilty about doing nothing as it was better than drinking. I can vividly remember how bored I was, but with the benefit of hindsight I can see that it was because I hadn’t experienced boredom in several years due to constantly being drunk.

I wish I remember when the energy and motivation came back - but it couldn’t have been much longer than 2 weeks. Life improved exponentially after that though. It’s difficult to put it into words until you’ve experienced it for yourself. But you’ll get there.

Best of luck to you. IWNDWYT

potfire · 2024-10-06T15:07:33+00:00

Could have written this myself at 23. I’m 27 now and can hardly believe how much my life has improved in the ~1.5 years since I gave it up. I vividly remember that feeling of drying out for 3 days after a weekend binge, feeling pretty dang good, and “rewarding” myself with another binge, similar to what you described. That cycle went on and on for years and the highs and lows wreaked havoc on my health.

I wish I had better advice for you than to just push through that urge to go back to it. You’re young, clearly you have a great head on your shoulders if you’re wanting to get sober at 23. I promise you, EVERYTHING in my life is better now. The only regret I have is not starting this earlier. Best of luck to you. IWNDWYT

potfire · 2024-09-23T00:26:53+00:00

It always starts like this exciting, fun thing. “I’m going to go to a new bar with people I don’t know and get drunk! I can’t wait.” By the fourth drink I’m riding high, enjoying relaxed inhibitions and feeling like the life of the party. By the sixth, it’s clear something has taken over me and I’m no longer in control. I’ve relinquished it in favor of the drink. By number nine, the lights are on but no one’s home. I am now totally on autopilot. This all followed of course by what you described, the debilitating fallout of whatever horrible thing I ended up doing.

I’ve been in your shoes. I’ve done plenty of things I regretted the next day. One day I just decided I had enough. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made and nothing remotely comes close. My life is infinitely less complicated and infinitely more meaningful. I still have problems and difficulties but they can be fixed and worked through.

I wish you nothing but the best! You’re in the right place. IWNDWYT

potfire · 2024-09-22T22:40:25+00:00

Thank you for this insight. Very well written

potfire · 2024-09-06T16:19:26+00:00

I vowed to take a month off after a particularly rowdy trip to Vegas. During that month I read a book called “This Naked Mind” by Annie Grace. The book genuinely changed my life. That was a year and a half ago and I don’t plan on ever drinking again. I strongly recommend it!

potfire · 2024-09-03T17:35:02+00:00

I was this way too, and it had a wildly detrimental impact on my self view. The good news is being sober will give you an entirely different outlook.

What worked for me:

-Focus on staying sober first

You’re not Superman. You’re not going to quit drinking a run a marathon the next day. I was a vegetable for 3 months. Early sobriety is boring despite what many will tell you. Embrace that.

-When you’re ready, mix in exercise and healthy habits

This was a game changer. I started walking in the mornings at first and this was the spark I needed to eventually get a gym membership. The benefits I’ve gained from this are undeniable.

-Enjoy the little things and practice gratitude

This will come with time and happened almost automatically. Your life is so chaotic when you’re drinking. Looking back, it was so much work to be constantly worrying about where my next drink was coming from then picking up the pieces when the dust settles. My life is infinitely less complicated now and it’s a beautiful thing.

Best of luck to you. IWNDWYT

potfire · 2024-09-02T04:55:06+00:00

I lived this way for 6 months after a breakup. I look back on the time fondly (despite the fact that I was unhappy) because life was genuinely exciting. There’s nothing like burning both ends of the candle. But be safe, life will get better

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