jason from volo wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 5:35 pm

Mason wrote: Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:34 pm Quickly did the math and I've been 17 days without a drink. Back as it used to be, which will be very good for me.

Awesome, keep it going.

Day 2 and so far, so good. Tomorrow will be a little more challenging as there is a "going back to the office" outing after work. I fully intend to not drink at that.

You can do it man!

my second CALENDAR year without booze in the books

PASTA wrote: Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:00 am my second CALENDAR year without booze in the books

Great work there lad.

whoops, dp (twss)

Re: non-alcoholic beers: good luck to anyone who tries this method. It's about as fool-proof as mainlining water and snorting baking soda. One way or another you're going to get sick of it, which in the worst case (and most likely) scenario means you'll go back to the real stuff.

Re: vaping, I am sure glad I stopped smoking before that shit was ubiquitous. Whenever I see a man-baby with his electric smoke-bottle I cringe like a muthafucka. How anyone can call themselves an adult while huffing Jolly Rancher farts is beyond me.

Re: smoking cigarettes while recovering from other addictions: data suggests that addicts have a better chance of staying clean/sober if they quit tobacco at or around the same time as other substances. It's all about making healthy choices, accepting the real consequences of our behavior, being good to our bodies etc. And the addictive mindset is the same around any of these substances, so there is a significant cognitive dissonance when we tell ourselves that alcohol is no good but cigs are ok. It's all addiction and it's all toxic. Yes the immediate effects of a smoke is different than a drink, but the long term health effects eventually begin to coincide.

While this post might seem critical or cynical, I do hope everyone here can achieve and maintain your goals. Overcoming addiction is like breaking out of prison, and once you get used to it it feels fantastic.

In case anyone wants to know where I get off talking shit, I am a substance abuse counselor with a Master's degree and 11+ years alcohol and tobacco-free. AMA.

I quit smoking maybe 10 years ago. I had my last cheat/drunk/social cigarette 5 years ago. I've resigned myself to the idea that the cravings will never be totally gone. A few times a week when I've overeaten, or am feeling a bit stressed, that peculiar thirst for a smoke itches the back of my mind a little more over the minutes, until I stop and realize, "Oh dang. I want a cigarette right now. Weird."

The behavioral leap to actually buy cigarettes and smoke one of them, or ask someone for one at this point seems much greater than that little persistent want so I'm in a safe space.

This is all paltry compared to getting sober, but it makes me wonder if addiction of any kind means a life of coexisting with a certain nagging feeling even when you've gotten to a good place.

I sometimes think if I make it to 75, I'm going to pick up smoking again.

losthighway wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:06 pm...it makes me wonder if addiction of any kind means a life of coexisting with a certain nagging feeling even when you've gotten to a good place.

I'd say that you just described not just sober life but life itself, or at least a successful one. We are always coexisting with feelings that seem to go against our morals and values, at least if we are self-aware. Our impulse control prevents us from driving into oncoming traffic, and addicts tend to have underdeveloped impulse control. But the more we exercise it, the stronger it gets (which is why smoking can be anathema to recovery from other substances). We can strengthen our will muscle in ways that are less challenging than a cold turkey drug/booze kick, which will prepare us for the moment we're ready to quit.

jason from volo wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 8:04 pm Reading back this thread, I feel like a schmuck posting here after I try to quit again after a previous failure.

All’s I know is that my previous therapist’s approach: stick with small goals: didn’t fucking work for me. Found myself right back to square one rather quickly.

I was able to go a month without a drink (stopping completely) in December. I consider that progress.

Trying to do something and not getting it right the first time doesn't make anyone a schmuck. If it's what is best for you, keep trying until you figure out what works.

Last weekend I had a couple moments where I gave serious thought to fucking up. I hit ten years last year. It can happen to anyone, any time, and all that really matters is just doing the best you can on any given day.

jason from volo wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:13 amThe latest craft beer NAs are pretty tasty and mimic the real thing pretty well.

That's what I'm concerned with! I'd rather drink the shittiest tasting near-beer to maintain an aversion to the real thing. But if it keeps you from drinking alcohol then I'm not going to tell you you're wrong. I just wonder how long that can last before it turns into a slip'n'slide. There are so many delicious beverages out there that DON'T taste like the thing that is ruining our lives. Whether you relapse or not, it's undeniably an unconscious trigger. Recovery is about outsmarting the addicted part of our brains, and near-beer merely tricks our taste buds. Anyway, good luck!