Comments on: How to Quit Drinking Alcohol

By: Zach

Zach — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:50:53 +0000

I quit drinking because of my diet and workout program. The momentum from going out sober countless nights has carried over, and I am still happily sober. I didn’t realize how much productivity I waste when I get drunk all the time. It took me being sober for a month to realize that I truly enjoy life more without alcohol. I still put myself in situations where people are drinking (nightclubs, parties, etc…) but I choose not to participate.

Initially, I was not confident enough to deal with the social pressure. I would say “I’m driving” or “I don’t feel well.” Eventually, I got more comfortable with my new lifestyle and told everyone “I’m not drinking.” When asked why, I respond with “for my diet” or “I know how to have fun without alcohol.”

It gets dropped at that point. What frustrated me the most was my closest friends were upset that I quit drinking. Logically, you would assume they would support my decision, but they could not accept the new reality. Alas, I told them to F’ing deal with it, and all is good!

Love the blog mate. I’m inspired to improve mine and hopefully help out as many people as you do. I’m approaching the self-development niche and looking to add a spiritual spin on it. I am extremely open minded, so my demographic will be every person on this planet…regardless of their faith!

Peace bro

By: Chaz

Chaz — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:23:25 +0000

Hi all,

Its like AA on this page lol.

But seriously I have been having 2 months off drink now, slowly slipping back in to my old ways but fighting hard!

I used to drink at least everyday 4-5 pints week nights and weekends upper end of 13-14 pints. I found myself slipping down into different roads to try and extend the excitement of getting ‘trashed’.

I have had a couple of hard days at work in the last week that resolved in me having a pint to recover but at least not 5-6 like I would have before (which I found to make the problem worse). I was on the verge of quitting my job through not being able to cope with stress and depression but without alcohol I am perfectly happy at work and actually cant remember why I was so fed up before, very strange feeling.

I am also weight/cardio training 4 times a week and getting back into my boxing and martial arts to help improve my sober confidence as well as health and fitness.

Just thought I would share happy that I am not the only person trying to get T-Total …

Regards,

By: CJ

CJ — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:33:54 +0000

Thank you. I’m not an alcoholic.. yet. This really helped me.

By: Santos

Santos — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:45:48 +0000

Drinking has caused me a number of major issues in my life. Like many I started drinking as a social outlet on weekends. I looked forward to the end of the week so I can buy a 12-24 pack and drink to relas and enjoy. I associated alcohol with a good time and when I wanted to enjoy anything dancing,gathering with friends, etc, alcohol was part of it. For me alcohol started to control me whenever I had it, i never needed a drink during the week but i started noticing that I became a weekend alcoholic, I could not go a weekend , a vacation , or any party without it. This created problems with my wife , it eventually spilled over to drinking and driving. Four DWI’s later, I look back and ask why ? I became dependant on it and made me think I was superman even to think I could drive, I was obviously wrong. The lesson here is that yes we live in a society where every other commercial is about alcohol, there are bars at every turn, and it seems like it’s ok. Many can control themselves with it but if you think you have a problem the advise here is excellent and may help you to prevent the great turmoil that alcohol has caused in my life. Thank you for this I am sure it will help a lot of people, alcohol is a legal drug do not be fooled.

By: john

john — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:19:08 +0000

My thing is I make really dumb decisions when I’ve had too many.
I always blow it with my wife, cab drivers, people in the bar, etc.
I don’t know if I can just drink a couple, I think I should probably quit all together.

John

By: Jasi

Jasi — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:41:29 +0000

I agree. I used to drink with our friends to celebrate weekends. Time passed and we grew up, graduated, got jobs, married, but the weekends were the same. Then we decided to have children. Pregnant, I wouldn’t drink, but since we gathered at each others houses, I still came along.

Drunk people are not as charming when you’re not drinking also.

That combined with the ill effects (hangovers), possible links to cancer and high cost have kept me far from alcohol ever since. It’s a good thing. I like the change.

By: jeannie

jeannie — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:08:22 +0000

Glenn – a dark brown bottle in a dark bar looks like a dark brown bottle with something in it. And no one is really examining it very closely, honestly.
Sarah, yeah, I did drink the beer first. Between that post and now I’ve very nearly stopped drinking alcohol altogether though, because of this article which I just happened on doing fitness research (http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/alcohol.htm). I’ve been on a quest to get my body fat to lean mass ratio to an optimal point and I had no idea that alcohol has such a bad effect on that beyond the calories involved. (Having said that, last night I had sake with sushi. But now when I do that I write off a 24 hour period for that larger goal.)
Any soda in a bar looks like a mixed drink, but I don’t drink soda. Now I don’t mind just telling people I’d rather have water.

By: Glen

Glen — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:59:13 +0000

Thanks for the great comment Sarah.

For some alcoholic looking drinks you could try:

– Red bull (could be vokda red bull if people ask)
– Coke (can never tell what is mixed with it)

If you don’t mind the barman knowing, just ask for some red / purple fruit juice in a wine glass

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:23:20 +0000

I’ve been struggling with this lately. I absolutely flounder when people ask why I don’t drink, and then I have a hard time being relaxed until my confidence is in the shitter. It’s a vicious cycle.

Anyway, I found this article really very helpful, and just wanted to say thank you!

Dan I totally hear you on the alienation thing. I’m really outgoing normally, but as people around me get drunk, they get looser and I start to feel uptight. Weird!

Jeannie, I like that idea w/ the beer bottle and might try it. Presumably you have to finish the beer first though, so wondering if I could sneakily pour it out somewhere instead, haha!

Any other suggestions for “Alcohol-looking” drinks?

I feel encouraged… Thanks guys.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:42:57 +0000

For me its a combination of the increased social confidence, forgetting your worries for an evening and the increased enjoyment of an otherwise probably fairly boring night out. I really enjoy getting ridiculously drunk at the weekends, I nearly always regret it, and as has been mentioned its very expensive (taking food and taxis and club entrance fees into account). I also feel that on some level it seems wrong to poison yourself so that you can enjoy life – better to try and sort yourself out so you enjoy things without the drunken haze – thats why I want to quit.

The biggest barrier for me is the fact that all my friends enjoy getting excessively drunk. They hate it when somebody isn’t drinking. I’m no different, for some reason you always want your sober friends to be as wasted as you. I think it makes you feel better about what you are doing to yourself and you feel you might be judged negatively later on by their superior sober mind. I think its important not to take the moral high ground if you don’t drink on a night out and your friends are feeling rough and embarrassed the next day.

I generally experience bordom and alienation when being in a bar when everyone is drunk, and I am not. Quitting drinking in a society where excessive drinking is the norm comes with huge social costs, but I think for me the costs of drinking are starting to outweigh those of being a ‘boring sober bastard’.

Thanks for writing about this topic, you raise the issue and possible solutions very clearly, I’m gonna try out some of the solutions you’ve suggested.