Has anyone here given up drinking? How did you do it ? What helped and didn't help? Also how old and what drove you to do it?
I'm 24 and binge on weekends and it fucks my gains up big time I fucking hate myself after but keep doing it and find it hard as fuck to stop largely because my entire friend group only binge drink. So basically last weekend I got super wasted and fucked my bosses secretary and vomited all over my toliet so needless to say I think I need to quit or risk fucking my work/life up. Not to mention all the gains I miss from packing on empty cals
>>36944496
I quit after I started getting blackouts of several hours and finding out from friends the next day I'd done some ridiculous stuff. Apart from the obvious bad effects on gains. There is also the risk of real danger from alcohol poisoning itself as well as irresponsible behaviour (climbing stuff you shouldn't climb, going through traffic etc.).
I quit alcohol almost completely by just stopping drinking it but also changing my friends and changing my party lifestyle becoming more serious about my study and career. I don't have a lot of free days so I already avoid drinking naturally because j don't want to be hungover if I have plans. Also realising just how much of a gains goblin alcohol really is did a lot for me, after I quit drinking I made way better progression.
>>36944533
That's exactly the space I want to get into where I'm just to busy to drink. I have a good job and can't afford to fuck it up but the pressure can be really intense. I'm good most of the time but but in have these horrendous nights where I blackout and have no fuckong clue what happened. What sort of stuff do you do? I'm thinking about finding some evening Friday or Saturday shit as well as early Sunday morning stuff. I want to find some new friends who aren't all about partying but i don't know how I've had these friends since high school.
When I started lifting I would go on weekends, but on fridays/saturdays I'd also go out. Resulting in me having a hangover next day, and skipping the gym desu. One day I just realized I wasn't gonna make any gains with this bullshit, and decided to just quit drinking.
Easiest thing I've ever done. First couple of weeks I'd still have 1-2 beers on fridays/saturdays, but eventually I just completely quit. Haven't had an alcohol for about 6 months now.
The instant gratification just isn't worth it. Sure, I feel good for a few hours, but I pay for it the next day. I don't even get hangovers, I get an overwhelming sense of shame and anxiety.
Just gotta remember what's important: not giving in to my fleeting desires and focusing on improving myself. Getting stronger, smarter, faster, better. To evolve; that's my purpose. That's what truly makes me happy.
I quit after being hit by a car while riding my bike home blacked-out. Unfortunately one of the best ways to give it up is spend less time with people who binge drink and make new friends.
I quit at 26, after I realized that alcohol makes me do a lot of negative things I'd otherwise never do and I got a growing desire to remain in control of myself.
I'll still go out with my mates, but I drink WAY less than I used to. Like, what I do is I am actually mindful of the effects alcohol has on me. I'll have a few drinks, but that's it. No need to go over the top. And if I get tired/bored without it then fuck it; I'll just go home.
>used to drink heavily to be able to sleep due to terrible shift patterns.
>stupid amounts of caffeine to wake myself back up
>social drinking on top of that
>have sent myself blind with alcohol poisoning in the past
>friends call me "borderline alcoholic"
>friend started to have liver problems, started pissing blood at 23
>friend of a friend dies of alcohol poisoning
>sleep deprivation and cocktail of booze and stims cause me to collapse on the job
>massive palpitation that felt like being kicked in the inside of my chest
>commit to change
>cut down alcohol almost entirely overnight
>only drink heavily a few times a year
>change shift patterns, less money, but no longer spending triple figures on booze.
>much harder to cut out caffeine
It's now 7 years later, I now dislike getting drunk, and despite having a good selection of spirits in my kitchen, I rarely drink, and haven't had a drink at all so far this year.
The trick to stopping anything, in my experience at least, is to never use the word "quit"
Just say you're taking a break from it.
Soon the break is a work week, then a week, then a month, then two ect.
Soon you catch your own momentum and the mentality shifts to "I wonder how long I can keep this going?" and it becomes a challenge defined by how much you've accomplished already.
So keep the goal loose until you've got some footing already. Then it just gets easier.
>>36944810
This is what I'm trying to do now. My plan is to do 30 days with nothing otherwise I'm going to put myself into counselling. Hopefully if that's successful I can do another 30 or at least have broken habits and stalled friendships long enough to reset and do the moderation thing. I'm beginning to think moderation is a meme though
>>36944496
Holy shit, sauce?
>>36944829
I'd say even having a time limit of 30 is too much definition.
Just go day by day.
"I'm just taking a break"
"I'll find something else to do tonight"
Adding a time boundary just makes it feel like deprivation, which will make you want it more.
Drinking doesn't even make me feel good anymore, the first 4 or 5 drinks are usually fine and dandy but any more than that and I just feel disoriented and shitty. I can't say for sure what caused this but it's happened everytime after recovering from an amphetamine addiction, so that might have something to do with it.
Can't complain though, if I still enjoyed getting drunk it probably would've gotten in the way of my gym progress anyway.
I drink because my life is pointless and hollow. Being drunk is a beautiful distraction from that fact, why would I ever stop?
>26
>gave up alcohol in Decembre of 2014
>probably the only decision I made in life that I'm still fully convinced of
More and more friends got addicted to alcohol and I realized how much it ruins people's lives.
Have someone record you and cringe
>>36945082
Yea I noticed that when I quit drinking. Everyone around me was more of an alcoholic.They always justified their habits but you slowly see them get a little older a little stupider a little fatter and a little drunker each year. Its a slow poison.
you just have to quit. you have to realize it's more pain than pleasure.
i quit drinking because the hangovers were getting god awful. i'm not talking about the usual headaches/stomach aches, no. i'm talking my hangovers would turn me into an anxiety ridden mess. i could barely function the next day. my hand-eye coordination was completely off and my mind felt like i was trapped in another world.
shit scared the fuck out of me. i don't drink anymore.
>>36945124
Yes. Dumber and dumber, slowly and steady. No hobbies, no sports. They get older and the only non-work thing they spend time on is drinking beer with others after work.
And you suddenly realize how dull and unmotivated they have become.
>>36944496
OP.. I just quit. I'm 30 days sober. I used to binge drink with friends, but I always drank the most and always did stupid regretful horrible things. I was a monster and I hated it. Rock bottom for me was not getting invited to a really good friends wedding because open bar.. I can't handle myself when I drink and I couldn't take compromising anymore friendships as a result because those are fucking precious.
You have to cut ties with people that pressure you into drinking. If you get cravings, go to the gym. Eat ice cream. Do anything else.
Waking up every morning fresh is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
Best of luck my man.
>>36945142
Fuck this is so where im at. I get horrible anxiety and am depressed for days afterwards. I feel hollow and empty and then I start thinking like what happens if I make it and make a lot of money then what do I do with my time and money my whole concept of celebration and what to do with my time is skewed. I wish I never started desu. I am on day 4 of my 30 day journey so far I pray I can make it through alcohol terrifies me.
>>36944496
>How did you do it ?
Just stopped.
>What helped and didn't help?
It helped that I get really bad liver pain when I drink.
>Also how old
Mid to end 20s.
>and what drove you to do it?
The liver pain.
>>36945180
Same reason I quit years ago. Realised I acted like a wanker at both my brothers weddings. Not full autist, but enough that I regret it.
I still get wrecked once a year though. On a camping trip with just a few close mates. I consider it damage mitigation
>>36944496
read the sticky
>>36944496
>what didn't help
Preachy alcoholic know-it-alls
>what did help
Tapering, kava and going to bed early
>>36945180
Fuck yea good stuff man I hope I can make it to your stage. Im planning out my weekends and taking every precaution to avoid drinking for the first 30 days.
Then cutting ties and replacing people I think lots of planning is going to be key to keeping my success going.
>>36944840
Kaiji
it's really good
