So I’m trying to quit drinking and it’s feeling really tough. It’s become habitual for me to have at least a couple nips most days. It feels like I have to for relaxation or reward for a hard days work, there always seems to be some excuse. I can take a couple days off but I always end up drinking again. I don’t want to live like this anymore and would appreciate any support 
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I totally understand…. It’s your post but my feelings exactly…. It’s very hard so I try to reward myself with something more rewarding. I fall short sometimes but the point is to always get up.
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Thank you for your words of wisdom and support!! What do you find are good rewards to replace drinking?
I started treating myself with things that I would normally not.. For me it was massages, getting my nails done, hair done, restaurants, learning new recipes, picking up free online courses ( right now I’m learning sign language)
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Those all sound like great ideas! I always tell myself I want to get my hair done or go get a massage and just never do. And I feel like cooking would be a good distraction for both your hands and mind. I hope you’re enjoying your language journey! I’m currently learning German on Duolingo
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Yesssss… see your on the right path!!!! Just don’t beat yourself up about anything, the best thing you could do is reach out. You did so now it’s go and learn time …
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Your journey is yours and only you can conquer it because it’s Your Journey🙂
It’s tough but I’m two months in and SO worth it. Every now ans then I use Kava to help with anxiety. It’s a pyscoactive non addictive anti anxiety plant popular in the South Pacific. Do your own research and decide if you can handle it but it’s been a massive help for my anxiety since I ditched booze.
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Thank you so much! That really encourages me and reminds me that I am taking the first big step! I am ready to buckle down and begin my journey 
Good for you for making it to two months! That’s not a small
feat but you should be proud everyday! I will definitely do my research. I’m partial to marijuana myself
I can relate to the on and off nature with drinking. I can easily go 2-3 days without it; it's the consistency that is difficult. I am on day 11 and feel physically the best I've felt in months. One day at a time.
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Yes I always end up falling back but not this time. Good for you on day 11, I commend you!! And hearing how good you feel makes me hopeful
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You put everything I fell into the perfect context
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We are in this together
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If you should ever get to the point where you feel like you’ve tried everything you can think of, and nothing is working, then it’s time to try something completely different.
Once addiction has its hooks in you it is nearly impossible to get clean on your own. Joining a program of recovery and following in the footsteps of people who have found relief before you is what works best.
There are many such programs, listed all over this app. 12 step, SMART, The Luckiest Club, Dharma, Tempest, and the list goes on. The hard part, is that your addiction has a voice in your head too. It’s the one telling you that you don’t need help. That you’ve got it. That you’ll try harder next time. That something will be different.
Because your addiction thrives in isolation.
Your addiction is a disease, and the effective treatments all include connections with other addicts. Locking yourself away alone to treat alcoholism doesn’t work any better than it would to treat cancer. But we addicts are a stubborn bunch. So we try every single possible other way first. All of us think we are different. But eventually we see that we are all basically the same. We all drink to numb the same pains. The same fears. And we all think that the poison that is destroying us is some form of reward. The cause of our misery cannot also be the cure.
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Wow that was truly amazing. You said everything I have been feeling….I’ve felt the need to hide this from everyone and pretend like nothing is happening and I’m fine. But I know the truth is that I’m not. My brain keeps telling me I can just stop on my own and that I got this handled but I know the addiction wants to keep me isolated and weak so I continue to depend on it. I’ve been going through a lot the last couple years and I know drinking has been a coping method…just a nasty cycle that leads to further depression/anxiety that leads to more drinking. This app alone has done so much for me the last 15 hours and I appreciate all the support. I will definitely be looking into those groups. Which program did you find worked for you? Thank you so much for your powerful reply
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I am a 12 stepper. I have a sponsor. I work the steps. I go to meetings. I remind myself every day that my way didn’t work and that this way does. I realized that my reluctance towards the word god was just another way my addiction was sabotaging my recovery.
It’s not like flipping a switch and all of a sudden you’re well. It is a process that works but it requires faith in that process. The evidence is in the results, and that was really hard for me because I wanted to understand WHY it worked. And the opinion of 12 step programs is basically that the why is unimportant.
I’ve read a lot of books that explain the chemistry and the body response and whatnot. AA doesn’t dispute anything really. They just present a guide to a better life for those willing to follow it.
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Thank you for being so honest and providing guidance. Maybe the why is different for every person but all that matters is that it does work. I will definitely look into AA meetings near me
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I hear ya, Ashlee. I was on that cycle for five years. What finally helped was picking up books that appealed to me and we’re filled with information. My biggest recommendation is this naked mind. And remember, there is no one-size-fits-all here. Do what feels best to you. For me, it was educating myself about the poison we call booze. Wishing you all the very best life has to offer.
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Give AA a solid chance and effort. It works miracles
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