The Milwaukee Brewers completed the sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium the other night..
The Brewers retreated to their clubhouse for the obligatory celebration consisting of champagne and beer flying all over the clubhouse etc.. PARTY!!!
Brewers manager Pat Murphy was invited back onto the field by the Fox broadcast team for an interview..
as he sat down with them he apparently off-camera said something to the effect that the clubhouse was so loud he couldn't hear anything..
a guy on the broadcast team, gesturing to the thermos container Murphy had brought with him and put on the table in front of him responded, "..after this drink you REALLY won't be able to hear us!"..
gestures again to the thermos and asks, "..what's in there Pat?"..
and Murphy says, "..uh, it's carbonated water.. I haven't drank, um, 1984.. is the last time I touched alcohol.."
the broadcast team obviously unaware that Murphy lived a sober life, presumed he was getting loaded in the clubhouse after the sweep clincher, because, well, when we win we celebrate right?.. and celebrating means getting drunk right?.. etc..
anyway Pat Murphy turned the tables in a polite dignified way, and the broadcast team, a little embarrassed I think, quickly then switched gears and moved on with the interview..
anyway I thought of all the kids who might be watching..
pretty cool.. hey kids, it's perfectly ok to play and win and celebrate without getting hammered..

Today I celebrate 11 years sober from alcohol!! Ahhh, the gratitude is oozing!
before I got sober, my life was a fucking wreck. My goal of drinking was to black out every time since it was the closest thing to dying without actually dying. I was so young when I started drinking heavily (just 15!) and spent the next 3 years in constant chaos. I was lonely & hurting with a pain I didn’t even understand how to process. I went to rehab for 30 days & relapsed shortly after I got out. I realized the rehab stint was for everyone else & not for me. Well, when I relapsed… I’m not sure what clicked but something did. I didn’t even finish the beer in my hand (shocking!) & decided in that moment, sitting on that curb outside, I never wanted to drink again.

I went to AA meetings literally all day for the first month. I’m talking I got dropped off at 8am & picked up at 10pm. I didn’t want to fail so I committed as hard as I could. Fast forward 11 years later & im engaged, I have two amazing tiny humans who changed my life for the better, I’m about to graduate with my masters degree in clinical mental health counseling with a 3.93 GPA & pursue a career as a therapist, and I’m happy. Even when life is low (and we know life be lifeing right?) I’m happy that I can experience it sober. My worst days sober are still better than my best days belligerently hammered. Feeling gratitude today. Thanks all 🤍

edit: wow! Thank you guys so much. I did not expect all this love, but it really means alot. I’m rooting for everyone in their healing journey!

Big milestone for me. Used to drink a bottle of 375 ml bacardi everyday. I can see improvements in my face, wish it was more! Hopefully I get more encouraged along the way!

IWDWYTD!

I have to say its Finland. We have 400 000 people struggling with alcohol out of a population of 5,6 million but still non-drinkers are frowned upon in social events. People who dont drink need to constantly explain why they dont drink to others.

Hello!

Just putting this out in the world. It's been three weeks since I haven't had a drink. It's been a life altering experience. I'm 41. I've been drinking for more than two decades, either regularly or binging. I could easily polish off a bottle of vodka a night. I loved it. I loved being drunk and happy, not worrying, relaxing and having fun. I learned to be completely functional. Until I couldn't anymore.

I always knew I needed to stop. I cut down to just the weekends, but then the weekends turned to weekdays. To everyday again. So three weeks ago I decided to stop, mainly to see if I could do it. I've stopped many things before, cocaine, ecstasy, cigarettes and marijuana, even caffeine. So I made the commitment.

So, what has changed? Well, weightloss, 15lbs. Saving money, a stupid amount of money. My routine has significantly improved. I'm enjoying my hobbies more, I haven't consecutively cooked meals everyday in an awful long time. I'm talking down the bone using my culinary skills cooking.

What am I still struggling with? Well, I can't say that I don't still crave a drink. Because I do. My sleep has been slightly improving (I'm diagnosed with insomnia, so that's part of the reason I drank, to sleep) but it's not regular. My mental health is still here, but louder. My past, I keep thinking about how I've wasted so much time being drunk, blacking out and treating people like garbage or make very poor decisions. Handling other people whilst drunk. Being social.

What am I happy about? I'm becoming wwaayy more self aware. My complection is radiant. I love waking up and saying "Good Morning" to people. I'm journaling, being more active with my pup, cleaning my house and finally feeling like my life is on the right track. I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

If you read all of this, I thank you. This subreddit has been a great inspiration and incredibly supportive. Also, if any lurkers are reading. If I can do it, you can do it. You have a community of us here to help you. IWNDWYT 🫂💗

Felt quite tempted today. It's the first day of a two week break, and normally I'd be celebrating by getting drunk. But not today. Played some videogames, did some writing, kept quiet because my wife was asleep after working a night shift. Nice and simple.

IWNDWYT

Something I never thought would be possible, but a third of a year completed.

I found this subreddit incredibly hard to read whilst I was in addiction and drinking because the home truths were hard to admit.

Life is beautiful without the constant control of alcohol engulfing my brain.

IWNDWYT!

By quit drinking.. I save approx $14 every single day. This adds up fast. Leaving me with around $434 extra each month. A little over $5200 a year.. And more than $26 000 saved over a five year period. And that is probably a conservative estmate.. When this comes on the top of a clear mind and a less bloated body. It is a good motivation. Thank you sobriety!

I am an alcoholic. I have drank heavily for the last 2 years. I have recently started waking up with SEVERE panic attacks every time I drink. Last night the panic attacks started WHILE I was drinking. Now obviously, this is my sign to stop drinking and I will be. I went four days last week without drinking because of the first day of panic attacks after alcohol, but I thought I could try it again and nope.

I guess my question is has anyone else gone through this?

Having previously had a few rough benders involving vodka and other spirits I was determined to stay off spirits. I had a period of time where I was home alone for a week so I told myself no spirits only beers. And not just any beer light beer. Specifically bud light cans at 440ml a can and 1.5 units per can I figured the sheer volume it would take to replicate a bottle of spirit would mean I would give up far before I got too drunk.

I ordered a box of 18 figuring I would drink six at most before bed. Instead I finished the whole 18 pack and then drunkenly ordered another 18 pack finishing all but 4 from the second box. 32 cans of bud light. 48 units of alcohol. 14 LITRES of beer. Almost 4 GALLONS of bud light. In ten hours.

I don’t even know how I managed to drink so much. I didn’t even think it was humanly possible. I checked to see if maybe I threw out or spilled any of it. No. All cans crumpled in my bedroom.

Needless to say I went through the worst hangover/withdrawal of my life. Far worse than any I had with spirits. This was a while ago and scared me out of wanting to touch anything.

I thought I was safe with light beer. But the alcoholic mind knows no bounds when it comes to drinking. In a weird way I’m glad this happened because not only does the horrible withdrawal stick with me, it goes to show NOTHING with alcohol is safe for me to consume.

Please somebody tell me they’ve drunk this much before or more, I feel like some monster. While I am 6’4 I am only around 160lbs so I don’t even know how I was able to consume so much. Granted I was pouring two at a time into a glass and chugging them but still. IWNDWYT

My daughter told me the other day that she was glad I was back and that she missed me. I got done with inpatient 46 days ago, she wasn’t talking about me being physically home.

Having experienced the rewards of sobriety does not make you immune to falling all the way down that slippery slope if you dare to dangle a leg. On a foolish whim last night, I drank with my wife and our friends over billiards. As the effects of the poison began to wax over me, I tried to hang on to my mind and experience it clinically, observing myself fall. I ended up having a good night, but it was in spite of myself sabotage as opposed to because of drink, and I was very aware of the self-induced limitations, let's say.

Of course this morning I'm sick and bedridden and that sinister liar whispers, "a drink would ease this."

Not falling for it again!

I'm back at day one. But that ain't the point.

The point is this: To be aware of all of my moments, the glory, the pain, the boredom, and the flow is LIFE! I should like not to exit it again until that last permanent unconsciousness.

I am gonna be.

Iwndwyt.

After 5 months of not drinking, everything finally got so good. I finally got a place of my own, I had a full time job with tons of overtime. I felt like I could handle it. When I finally picked up the bottle again I completely blacked out for 2 weeks straight. I called out of work and the crazy part is that they were willing to work with me as long as I kept checking in. I was too drunk to remember. My husband tells me that he tried to get me to go back to work and I flat out said no, that I shouldn’t have to work. We ran out of money, right before rent was due so now we’re scrambling to make ends meet. Bless his heart he tells me that everything will be okay because I always bounce back but obviously I can’t ever touch the shit again. I fucking cut off all of my hair and don’t remember it. I even tried to stop cold turkey and for the first time had visual and audible hallucinations. The thing I remember most vividly about that experience was how the voices were so fucking mean and vile. I just remember walking around my house trying to stay awake because I knew the nightmares were coming and I wasn’t used to them like I was when I drank for 4 years straight. My mind couldn’t handle it. So I stayed awake and eventually when I went to sleep I felt my heartbeat slow down and woke up coughing and gagging. I literally felt my pulse rising as I regained consciousness. I’ve hit rock bottom. Again. And this time I have everything to lose. The only thing keeping me going is my amazing husband. He’s been here pretty much throughout the worst of everything I’ve been through in my adult life. And I deeply feel like I don’t deserve him. But he tells me it’s just a disease. He knows it’s not me. The anxiety of all of this is eating me alive. I feel like I’ve officially fried my brain and I can’t get out of this. I’m sorry for the rant I just wanted some place to vent. This is extremely eye opening. Nothing like I’ve ever known before. This is it. It has to stop.

I’ve written before about my husband having an affair. This year has been a painful struggle and he’s been less forthcoming and understanding of my pain. It has been a real struggle to stay sober but I’ve managed! Kept up my hiking and relationships and photography which has helped.

Today after months of poor communication and him not giving me any info only telling me what it wasn’t never what it was, he’s going to tell me everything. I’m so anxious.
Ive needed this group more than I’ve checked in, and that hasn’t helped.
He told me he can’t remember but thinks they met on this sub years ago. I don’t actually believe him, but it’s made it an uncomfortable place for me.

I hope I hear the whole truth and he’s not going to be hostile towards me and my pain or blame me. That aside, I am worried about my sobriety during getting some honesty and hopefully accountability from him.

This has really taken so much out of me. Alcohol would only take what’s left. I don’t know how I’ll handle the info or how he presents it but I know I do it without alcohol. Wish me luck IWNDWYT❤️

13 weeks sober. My body is a temple.

Feeling lonely and left out. It’s a game day in my city and things are buzzing with party energy. I honestly miss it and I just want to be a part of it. Hoping for some encouragement to stay sober today.

Roommate called in a 5150 on me after I was unresponsive 8 days ago. Got put in a white room in the hospital with a bed and tiny tv and told to just lay down but without real stimulation I was squirming around, laying my bare face on the cold floor, pacing, squatting, anything BUT laying down.

After 4 days of absolute Hell I was shipped to the psych ward in a different facility. While there I cannot believe the amount of insane shit and crazy people I saw, wrote most of it down to pass the time, even made doodles of the characters I witnessed and I plan on writing some kind of book about my experience.

It sucked. Nobody was provided deodorant, no nail clippers or way to trim my beard, we had to write using flexible pens, no shoestrings, toilet was bare metal-to-ass... I had to beg for new underwear and proper clothes instead of scrubs that constantly ripped at the crotch and I somehow managed to get shoes that were just small enough to fit in instead of grippy socks.

I was constantly stepping on eggshells; it was genuinely adult preschool, I have so many stories from only 4 days and there are people that've been there for months or multiple times. I did get to make a really cool bead bracelet though! Still wearing it right now, it felt stupid in the beginning but it was nice to feel like a child for 30 minutes.

Fuck alcohol, I am done, the trauma from this last week has finally done it.

Went to a birthday party last night with some good friends. They kept offering me drinks - I said no all night and I thought it was easy enough, until one of them literally put her cocktail in my hand and said “that’s a treat for you!” It got REAL AWK when I gave it back to her. I worried I’d made it weird but a kind friend rescued me to tell her “she’s driving!” Y’all I was so grateful … when I got home I collapsed into tears - I didn’t realize how much work it had been to keep it together. Happy sober Saturday during Sober October friends ❤️ you’re doing a lot of invisible work and you’re not alone

As of today, it has been five years since I quit drinking

Ten years ago, I thought I couldn't quit. It wasn't until my health started to fail in a significant way that I knew things had to change.

Thank you to this community for being my main support network over the years. I wouldn't have succeeded without you.

The good since I quit:

1. My memory has largely recovered.

2. I have lost significant weight and puffiness.

3. No more gout flare-ups.

4. My emotions have largely returned. I can find enough enjoyment in activities and music to make it worth my time. I no longer need a beer buzz to feel super happy or sad.

5. I am significantly healthier in general.

6. 'Will there be alcohol?' is no longer the question that determines when and what I do each day.

7. I found new hobbies to replace the ones lost when I quit drinking.

8. I will likely make it to retirement and may have a normal-length life.

9. I no longer wake up with anxiety after sleeping 3-5 hours every night.

10. I am saving so much money by not buying beer every day or two and having alcohol be 25-50% of my restaurant expenses.

11. I haven't embarrassed myself due to being sloppy or a jerk while drinking since I quit.

The bad since I quit drinking:

1. I lost some friends I enjoyed hanging out with. Our interests don't overlap in the same way they used to. In general, I don't socialize as much as I used to.

2. I really miss beer sometimes.

3. I know there is long-term organ and memory damage. It will never be the same as if I never drank. 20 years of drinking will likely contribute to my death.

4. Life feels less exciting, although still okay—nothing like the first year, when everything in life seemed bland and gray.

IWNDWYT.

My boyfriend, his daughter and I drove the long distance to six flags on Thursday evening in preparation for a day full of fun and thrills for Friday (yesterday). While we were getting ready Friday morning, our power went out in the hotel. Ok, this is ok. I was finished getting ready so it wasn’t too bad.

At some point during the day my boyfriend had to return to the hotel to grab something - which meant his daughter and I were left unattended at a park that serves alcohol all over. Ok, cool, maybe I can sneak one beer or cider, she won’t know what it is and I can get a soda and food after to cover up the smell.

I fought so hard to curb that craving - ended up getting a Coke Zero with my chicken sandwich and got to soberly watch his daughter eat fried frog legs for her lunch (brave girl!!). I was so proud of her and me for facing our fears!!

Then we went back to the hotel. The power was still out and wouldn’t be until the next day (today, the day we were leaving). Ok, it’s fine, we will find a new hotel nearby and get a refund for ours. Every hotel nearby(that didn’t have bed bugs listed on yelp) was sold out. We ended up finding a hotel over 1.5 hours away - ok that’s cool, we will just drive there after the haunted event it’s fine.

When we got back to six flags the energy was bumping. There was a DJ in the marvel area, people holding their spooky themed booze drinks meandering around the park. My boyfriend’s daughter (and not so secretly him) didn’t want to go on the haunted houses so I did them alone… which meant that we were separated. My phone wasn’t going through to him - my anxiety was setting in. We had a whole park between us. How would he have known if I had a drink or two or three? But then I played the tape forward. We would be getting to our new hotel at midnight or 1 am, and my booze would be wearing off and I’d fall into a not so deep sleep to recover the 13 miles we had walked for the day. I’d then be groggy in the morning for our remaining 4 hours home. I’d feel guilty for sneaking drinks and would buy a tall can or two and a buzz ball or two and drink them that night. And then the cycle would repeat to numb my shame.

Instead, I woke up with sore feet, a sore back, but 7 days sober. I get to be present on our drive while we listen to spooky podcasts (kid friendly) or play trivia or DJ with his daughter. Instead, I have a great memory of an adventure filled 2 days. If I’ve got this, you’ve got this.

IWNDWYT.

Hello all, fist time posting. I've recently quit drinking at the start of October with the help of Alan carr's stop drinking book, this is the longest I've been sober in about 12 years. I had a habit of getting drunk enough every night that I would easily fall asleep when I laid in bed.

Now that I'm sober I can't sleep. If I lay in bed I lay there awake until the sun comes up and end up getting an hour or two of sleep before I have to start the day. Quick naps have been essential as I am miserable. I try melatonin which helps me initially fall asleep but I'm wide awake a couple hours later and toss and turn until I fall asleep and have to wake up an hour or two later for work, etc. I have tried sleeping pills (antihistamine) which kind of work but I wake up many times during the night and then feel hung over the next day.

What methods have you all had to learn how to become normal sleepers again? It's been so tempting to just grab a drink to ease me into sleep but I don't want to start drinking again. Sorry for the long post.

Tldr: been drunk every night for over a decade. Now sober and don't know how to fall asleep. Help

It's only day 6 and I've made it to day 5 or 6 several times recently, but Friday nights were always when I would fail. Spent yesterday evening with an old friend who doesn't really drink anymore and was glad to see that we do actually still enjoy each other's company. He had largely quit hanging out with me because all I ever wanted to do on the weekends was drink. Had a little itch to go to my local brewery when I got home last night about 7:30 but I fought it and found a distraction and ended up in bed before 10. It's a small win but not drinking on a Friday has felt like an insurmountable obstacle for months, feels good to be up, showered, and just about ready to go run some errands before 8 on a Saturday morning. I haven't been productive on a weekend in a very long time

Hi everyone. 18 days sober today. This point is always a bit of a danger zone for me, in part I think because the initial sheen of sobriety has worn off. For me there are nagging doubts "Why are you doing this?" and "You can drink moderately." Devil on the shoulder. Gotta stick it out; alcohol is a lie. Wishing you well.