Has anyone else quit drinking alcohol completely?

i scared the *kitten* outta myself when i blacked out one time--and didn't drink again for 4 yrs. after that i realized i wasn't an alcoholic after all and started drinking socially again, with no real problems--other than hangover.

these days my body is so sensitive and my health so important to me that even a slight hangover 1x week is more detriment than i want to deal with. whatever 'benefit' i get from alcohol is no longer worth this price.

plus the effects of alcohol take me away from myself. i'd rather learn to be present with myself in every moment. i'm ready for that now.

quit 14 months ago (june 3/13) ...was 35 lb heavier (still working off the last 25 over the next few months).

...decided after doing alot of research/reading blogs that many people have a ''complicated relationship'' with booze
(and I was, for sure!, one of them)...it's not like AA would like it to be: your an alchie or you're not.

so this finally made me realize: why the hell do I want to have
a 'complicated relationship' with something that is, fundamentally, an expensive
drug, a depressant? it's not like it is my lover or a job where 'complicated relationship' can cause enough headache
on its own and yet still be somewhat legit...but to have such with a drug just lit up a light in my head.

time to stop numbing down issues that food/booze would cover up.

..the first few weeks were tough (and I often used still use the
imagery of a hissing snake that wants to bite me and entangle me again, should I ever have another drink).
..and I worked PT fine dining many yrs (post secondary), so sure knew my wines/beer well.

it'san all or nothing approach for me: i think that going back to trying to have 'just one or two drinks' would soon become
a slippery slope to me: one drink of wine or beer would lead to 2 or 3...and the nights having such
would become not 1 or 2 per week but 3 or 4....then the booze stimulates my appetite
to ordering greasy, fat sodium and starchy foods, all late at night when I'm not burning anything at all.
...so up would rocket my weight again.

...consequently my weight ballooned (and i have enough issues with my weight)...
who wants to go hiking or do something active when you're pissed
and getting the buzz? nada.

so to click on the same 'pleasure' centre of my brain, i sub'd booze with hiking in the forest or being by the ocean listening to my tunes....luckily i live in vancouver bc where lovely areas abound.

**i'm now trying to use this achievement (but will always have my dukes up and not get cocky) as an incentive to dive deep
to continue to get the weight off...like giving up booze for 14 months, esp given how much I was drinking (2-4 or 5 bottles of wine/week) IS a huge achievement...i gotta' tap into that resource to pump me up and spur me onwards when I get weak food wise.

My husband and I quit because it seemed like it was getting to be a problem. When I went out of town and came home to find out he'd bought some and drank by himself while I was gone it really concerned me and when we talked about it he admitted it concerned him too. So we stopped. I have an app on my phone that keeps track of days sober and since I'm a nerd like that it helps me (I'm at 1370 for MFP so the counting thing helps me.)

The other thing for us was replacing the evening drink with something else. We now have a cup of tea or a glass of iced tea or some other non-alcoholic drink that isn't full of empty calories. I know I feel better physically and I definitely feel better about our future. My dad was an alcoholic and my husband's family has several addicts so both of us could easily fall into that trap. I like rum and coke but not enough to screw up my life over it.

Good luck on your journey and I think we've made a good decision in deciding enough was enough.

For me its been one tall can of beer daily for the past few months. At the end of the day it feels good

aside from the odd sip of champagne at celebrations (weddings, graduation parties, etc), i've not drank since january 4, 2013. i quit using drugs in 2001. i kept drinking because, of course, alcohol wasn't my problem, it wasn't my substance of choice. i got clean without twelve steps but have been considering going to a meeting. recovery is a lifelong commitment and i still struggle more often than i care to admit. i finally realized one day that there was nothing positive that alcohol brought into my life, so why should i let it have power over me?

anyone else who's in recovery, working a program, or wants to build a sober support network - add me

Nope! I just spend those calories more wisely AKA not slamming a bunch of bro-lights, and instead getting a 6 pack of random craft beers and taking my time to enjoy it.

Love the tea idea - will try that tonight!

My husband and I quit because it seemed like it was getting to be a problem. When I went out of town and came home to find out he'd bought some and drank by himself while I was gone it really concerned me and when we talked about it he admitted it concerned him too. So we stopped. I have an app on my phone that keeps track of days sober and since I'm a nerd like that it helps me (I'm at 1370 for MFP so the counting thing helps me.)

The other thing for us was replacing the evening drink with something else. We now have a cup of tea or a glass of iced tea or some other non-alcoholic drink that isn't full of empty calories. I know I feel better physically and I definitely feel better about our future. My dad was an alcoholic and my husband's family has several addicts so both of us could easily fall into that trap. I like rum and coke but not enough to screw up my life over it.

Good luck on your journey and I think we've made a good decision in deciding enough was enough.

YOU SOUND LIKE ME,I AM 59 AND QUIT DRINKING A WEEK AGO,ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE,I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I TRIED TO QUIT,IF YOUR A HEAVY DRINKER AT 38 YOU WILL HAVE MANY HEALTH ISSUES WHEN YOU REACH MY AGE.TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS,I STARTED DRINKING AT 16 BY THE TIME I HIT 40 I WAS DIVORCED WITH 4 KIDS,THE DRINKING ONLY GETS WORSE,YOU WILL DO THE BEST THING IN YOUR LIFE IF YOU CAN QUIT NOW BEFORE ITS TO LATE,GOOD LUCK,AL.

I quit drinking about five weeks ago. It has really helped me stay more on top of my nutrition and fitness goals.

Pretty much I gave up when I was 19. I'm almost 25 now, and yeah I just don't think I need it to have a good time. I also didn't like the person I was becoming with it. I may have a drink about 1-2 times a year at social things, but this year I haven't. I think I'm better off in health, safety, and financial aspects...I also don't mind driving my friends home so I know that everyone is okay, and I get to go to sleep in my own bed.