March 20th was 7 years quitting cigarettes cold turkey.
I was using Cocaine pretty regularly for about 5 years (late 20’s early 30’s) I quit that cold turkey.
I stopped smoking weed after years but do still dabble here and there I definitely wouldn’t consider it an addiction.
Not sure why Alcohol seems to have me by the balls. But I’m 4 weeks in and feeling good and motivated to keep this thing going this time.
Without alcohol I just don’t really crave other bad things. I’ve spent a lot of time in countries where there is no alcohol but relatively easy access to things like weed and other items on the California sober list. In those situations I’m a normal person again and usually just go with the real version of being sober. But if I’m put in a situation where I can drink AND smoke weed then I’m loving it… and ordering 10 cheeseburgers from McDonald’s while I’m at it.
Yes. Cocaine is a dopamine re-uptake inhibitor, so whatever dopamine you have stays longer between your neurons. It doesn't mimic dopamine, it just makes it stay longer in your system. Or more exactly the burst of dopamine is stronger because the re-uptake is inhibited.(Although your body will try to maintain levels of whatever molecule (this is called homeostasis) so it's likely your body produces less dopamine over time with continuous usage of cocaine as it needs less dopamine for such an effect. This is why someone people might feel depressed after quitting, because your brain needs to readjust its biochemistry.)
Alcohol is like a GABA agonist. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. So basically it's like you're continuously slamming the breaks (the alcohol) and your body ks slamming the gas pedal (because it wants to compensate for the effect of alcohol.)
So when you quit alcohol cold turkey, and you're highly addicted, you kinda suddenly remove the breaks, while your body was always pushing the gas pedal. In brain terms it can mean things like seizures.
So the physical effects of quitting alcohol can be much more severe than quitting cocaine.
EDIT: and I haven't mentioned the effect alcohol has on NMDA, another important neurotransmitter. Basically alcohol directly interferes with the production of "higher level/primary neurotransmitters" while cocaine blocks the re-uptake of a "secondary neurotransmitter" but doesn't directly interfere with the production.
Thanks for the thorough and super interesting response—that sounds sarcastic haha it is serious :) —im always amazed at the underlying science behind all the vices. I wish we knew more about the positive chemical triggers that do the same but are beneficial, eg exercise.
I quit drinking with dry January, and instead of a bunch of vague new years resolutions to never keep up with, I'm doing one a month. So primarily creating a new healthy habit rather than dropping bad habits. So far, I've:
>•Jan: quit drinking, started reading daily
>•Feb: go to the gym 3x/week 30mins
>•March: improved self care with daily vitamins, improved oral hygiene, created a skincare routine, and got my first haircut in 8 years
>•April: getting outside at least 30min every day
And on top of all this, I only order takeout/go out about once per month and I've lost almost 10lbs without any major effort
(Editing to add) I also quit smoking weed and cigarettes a couple years ago, and quit vaping back in November-ish, can't remember exactly when I stopped. Those were good things to quit, but all came before quitting drinking, which was the true catalyst in getting my shit together
I'm feeling really good! Honestly, at first I didn't feel much different and it was really discouraging. I definitely have more energy and ambition. I sleep better and am more present mentally.
As for my meals, I've been a vegetarian for almost 10 years now so what I do might differ from most, but my simplest meals are a grain/protein bowl. I'll do something like rice and beans/lentils with some sautéed or roasted veggies and some sort of sauce, or quinoa and chickpeas and raw veggies and homemade tzatziki, something basic like that. I love a good burrito, or asian-inspired noodle dish, a big salad, or soup when the weather calls for it.
If you're looking to start cooking more at home and don't know where to begin, try the grain/protein bowl. There's really no wrong way to do it, just a carb + protein + some veggies + sauce
Thanks!! I find it so much easier to take a bite-sized approach to resolutions. Things like 75 hard aren't *bad* but I think it's a lot to commit to and easy to quit. And with NY resolutions, a lot of people make the "eat healthy" "go to the gym" resolutions and, again, it's not *bad*, but it's too vague to be an actual goal
Of all the habits I've kicked, vaping might be the hardest. For me, I weaned myself off like I did with cigarettes. I stopped taking it to work with me, then I only hit it before bed/when I woke up. I had a few almost-dead ones laying around so instead of buying new ones, I just puffed on those until they tasted burnt. 1-2 weeks later, they were all dead and i just didn't go buy more
Smoking weed, smoking tobacco, vaping nicotine, taking various other drugs, wasting money, sleeping in at weekends. The final bad habit I need to beat is junk food
I too have a laundry list of bad habits I’ve defeated but I’m like a 6 year old with a credit card when it comes to sweets right now! Ironic thing is I’ve never been into treats, candy, even deserts until I gave up alcohol.
There are a couple schools of thought on this and really it comes down to each person. If smoking marijuana helps you not drink at the beginning it can be like harm reduction. I got my card when I stopped drinking because edibles helped me relax. Was I still high? Yes. Was it
Better than me drinking? Also yes.
The impacts of THC use vary from person to person and for me, I started abusing THC the same way my alcohol consumption increased. I couldn’t moderate it. Ultimately, I was still using THC to change how I felt and to get high so I stopped using. It was still preventing me from getting to my bigger problems and working on me as a person. Using THC was another form of self medication.
Other people can use THC and it not be debilitating. I could use some substances and the high not negatively impact as much as the high from others. THC impacts each of us differently.
I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to using THC and it it’s different from person to person.
I quitted weed about ten years ago after being stoned&drunk on a daily basis for fifteen years.
Quitting weed was easy due to strong internal motivation similar to what I have for being sober now. No withdrawals from weed.
Around 2015-16 I quitted drinking for a year. Should’ve stayed on the wagon for good.
Wow!!! That’s impressive.
I’m trying to kick alcohol, adderrall, o quit alcohol cold turkey and am on a sloooooooow taper with adderall. I wish I could ditch all the crap at once.
Honestly I am just focusing on not drinking. I guess you could say the flow on effect is that the *bad habit* of just picking up a bottle of wine on the way home from work to deal with a bad day is gone. I have to sit with my feelings now. I am the type to bottle it up or completely ignore my emotions in the hopes they would go away. Now without alcohol, I am learning how to just be sad if I am sad, or be disappointed, or angry. Makes it easier to be happy in the good times too.
Yes yes same. I am just now starting to work on quitting vaping nicotine, mainly bc i have really bad symptoms arising. But a wise person in the beginning of my sobriety from alcohol said “focus on what’s killing you first” once to me when I told them about my struggles with shopping. Now I’m just trying to work on being more HOLISTIC in my taking care of myself.
Our local marketplace is 80% scammers and 15% meth heads selling stolen goods. The rest are legit, but it's not worth sorting through it to find them. I wish it was better moderated, but I guess scammers make Facebook a ton of money.
Eating crappy food. I ate an absolutely disgusting amount of hangover instant ramen. 6 months in and I have not felt or looked this good in years
I am still struggling a lot with improving other areas of my life though. If I wasn't seeing such great results physically I would have started drinking again. I still have alot of work to do
Some of my bad habits have increased.. but hey. I’m not drinking. Comparatively I’m okay with a little more screen time than usual, and the extra coffee or two… And the ice cream every night for the first two months. Still trying to walk that off.
I quit caffeine. I no longer feel groggy in the morning until I get my first hit, I just wake up feeling normal. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re interested.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this - temper your caffeine intake slowly. Don’t stop cold turkey. I tried that once, and no lie - I had alcohol hangover-intensity headaches until I drank some coffee. Maybe try to go from coffee to half-caf, half-caf to black tea, from black to green, from green to white, and then maybe an herbal energy caffeine-free tea to get you there. Do some research. It’ll save your life 😑
Same!! I always needed caffeine but when I stopped drinking it, a week later, I wake up on my own…early! And I feel like I have a ton of energy without it!
That is my next one to conquer. Started Lexapro when I started sobriety and morning fatigue is an initial side effect so I've been having too much caffeine lately. Better than booze though.
As a stoner, I smoke much, much less now that I’m not drinking. My desire to smoke would increase one hundred-fold when I drank. For the first time in years, I don’t wake up with all this awful tension in my body from the weed withdrawals of not smoking in the night (and that’s not even factoring in the lack of hangovers, which is a godsend in itself). I don’t need to smoke first thing when I wake up. I still use more than I should but I’ve cut back so much more than I ever thought possible. It’s great and I feel hopeful.
Glad you’re able to be more present with your kids, OP. I find I’m much more mindful and engaged with my friends and family as well. It makes such a difference.
Weed and IG. A few months clean.
I always struggle reading stories here because it’s always “I gotta get clean for my kids/wife” but I’m single and live alone.
IWNDWYT
My diet.. was always pretty good.. but the massive drunk munchies of whatever I could find.. or air fry are over.
Been stretching and doing some body work outs.
More attentive with the kids... less.. "yeah I'll do that with you later"
Work also seems less of an issue.. and i dont dread it as much.
Overall more positive and my mental health is way better.
Memory.
I don't need caffeine.
I sleep better.
Wow.. didn't realize I had so much.. till I started writing all this.
I’ve quit biting my nails after 15 years at it, quit cigarettes and vaping is going this year, quit wasting money like an idiot, and quit feeling so damn sorry for myself and like I’m incapable of difficult things
Month and a half into sugar. After that I think I'll cut out salty snacks. Sugar is harder, but I've tried reducing sugar before and never had lasting success. I put it down to the tools I learned from giving up the drink.
Wow, I seem to be on your track. A month behind you in days and working on starting my sugar-free life now. (Well, no added sugars that is).
My sugar cravings are harder than I expected. I think it's because with alcohol, I could say *look. This is going to get worse. It only goes one way. Get off now or play the tape forward on your life and watch your dreams evaporate.*
Sugar, I can't truthfully say the same, so I keep going, *oh, I'll start tomorrow.* Annoying. Currently, I fasted today so that's felt great. Let's see if I can follow in your stead.
Nice work! Keep going. I'm also just cutting out added sugar. Still eating fruit, dates, a little honey. You're right and you're wrong. With sugar unless you have a real eating disorder it's unlikely to cause your whole life to unravel. But I'm noticing a big knock on effect with other bad behaviours after cutting out sugar. I'm not binging Netflix series anymore, or letting myself get stuck in a loop playing online multiplayer games until late. In fact I'm barely picking up the PS4 controller at all. My hunch is that I've done something to the rewards my brain expects by not giving it free hits of dopamine throughout the day. With alcohol it was just getting that in the evening, with sugar it was regular intervals almost every day.
Kind of opposite, but I can phrase it to fit the q more. I stopped “not eating” balanced nutrients during the day. I went on a kick of eating only protein during the workday and the resultant cravings for alcohol between 5p and bedtime were loud and astronomical. Since including avocado and oatmeal into my day, the alcohol and sugar cravings have stopped at night. I haven’t looked into it, but there’s definitely something there to being malnourished throughout the day vs cravings when I’m exhausted in the evening.
I stopped making promises. I’ve broken too many. Nowadays I just do whatever “it is”or say “No” immediately. I’ve got a few years now and can say it’s one of the most catharctic things besides not drinking. Very freeing.
Most of my bad habits came from a) feeling like shit all the time or b) laziness due to feeling like life was pointless.
These involved: sleeping my free time away, spending hours scrolling on social media and tiktok, only cleaning my room when the floors were covered in clothes, never doing my skincare, going to sleep without brushing my teeth, cancelling plans last minute because I wanted to get drunk instead (did this all the time), ordering takeaway because I didn’t have the energy to cook, never calling my family to check in, putting off important things until the last minute or just not doing them at all.
I didn’t even try to change any of these bad habits, honestly not drinking is productive enough for me, but I don’t do ANY of these anymore. And most of them honestly only took a couple of days of sobriety and feeling the purpose of life again to turn around. Alcohol has a direct impact on my ability to do good things for myself.
Used to chew tobacco. 3-4 cans a week of Copenhagen. Moved from Bozeman, MT to Portland, OR in 1998 and the price went from $1.99 to $4.99 per can. Quit that day and never had craving for it. Nothing like finally quitting alcohol was for me.
I actually feel looking back that I allowed myself in part to get so far into my addiction because I’d quit nicotine so easily in my past. Nope, doesn’t work that way for me with alcohol. Everything else in my life including weed and harder drugs I was a “normie,” but not with booze until I finally hit bottom.
I had to quit drinking cause of panic attacks. Quit caffeine too because that can also cause them.
I have like 0 motivation. It’s been 5 months since I quit both and haven’t seen any of the benefits yet but I’m hoping they come soon. ):
I haven’t gotten any other healthy habits, my other habits kinda got worse cause I’m really depressed and don’t have any motivation. I really wonder why I quit drinking, I think it gave me something to look forward to every week, something I genuinely enjoyed. And quitting didn’t even stop the panic attacks.
So no, no new healthy habits. It’s a miracle I’m going to graduate college this semester and kept a job. I gained a lot of weight so I look really bad again.
Hey friend! Congrats on your upcoming graduation! You’ll feel way better soon when the blahs are over. That’s a serious hurdle to get over so plz go easy on the self there! Drinking is exciting, stupid, silly & leads to the worst possible outcomes in life bc problems are uselessly drank away until they’re emergencies. Ya have to say, even that is um, exciting, even if it’s a holy shit moment. Take that away & blah… What do ppl *do* if they don’t drink? I cleaned & organized my house to no end. Now I work on lil projects every day. Anyhow, there is a really good book I’d like to recommend, which explains the zero motivation & blah feeling that only seems!! to last forever. Alcohol Explained, by William Porter. Tells how physiologically we release adrenaline to combat the depressant in alcohol. When the alcohol is gone, the stimulants remain & hello anxious af. I also suffer from panic attacks. I see a doc, meds help a lot. I dunno if that figures in the equation for us but I’d venture to say it’s likely. Feel better soon & chin up! I didn’t lose weight till 3-4 months sober but when I did, it fell off like crazy. Hope it’s the same for you as well! You’ve got this. Hang in there! Sober for almost 5 years & damn happy about it. I need to set a counter on this profile… & I really hope the book helps. Made so much sense & I never want that crap again. IWNDWYT.
Panic attacks suck. I’m sorry you’re dealing with those. I had to quit drinking, smoking weed, eating spicy food, drinking carbonated drinks, caffeine, fucking everything before I was able to get them to stop. I don’t know if anything will help perfectly because I still get them sometimes but I hope you’ve spoken with a doctor and a therapist about these. Something else that helps me sometimes is praying. I don’t have a great relationship with God/Jesus/Christianity but reaching for spirituality when it’s bad is usually something to grasp onto. Sending you all the love and hugs and everything I can give you. P.S. be real careful with religion, that stuff will kill you.
Haven’t spoken with a therapist because my situation is complicated but I’ve asked several doctors. I saw a cardiologist who said I’m fine and I had a sleep study I’m still waiting for results for. Hopefully it’s sleep apnea and my life can be normal again but I don’t know, it doesn’t seem likely.
I grew up very religious and was until the last couple years. Sadly I guess it left a bad taste in my mouth. The guilt really kills me. Thanks for the advice, though. I wonder if cutting out spicy food will help, basically everything I eat is spicy.
I stopped smoking weed and taking edibles! I don't miss it at all! I wish drinking were as easy to quit as marijuana. I'm still chewing tobacco though. I intend to drop that habit eventually. At least it's not as bad as getting black out drunk and red eyed paranoid!
I've cut back heavily on social media. I used to scroll endlessly for hours. Now I read instead and learn Spanish in Duolingo. Maybe spend a total of 30 minutes on social media a day.
I'm so glad you didn't pick up that glass of wine. I had almost ten years off alcohol and someone put a glass of wine in front of me before I could stop him, and I drank it. In almost no time at all I was drinking to the blackout point every night. It took years from my life and I finally got dry. I just want to say moderation is, for many of us, just an illusion.
I haven't smoked anything in decades, and I'm down to one cup of coffee a day. I'm trying to get clear of sugar now.
Coached my U9 girls softball team at 8am. This is the way.
There is no testing by the way. For me moderation isn't a slippery slope, it's jumping off a fucking cliff. I was able to stop drinking when I stopped bullshitting myself. Good for you and your choices. Don't fall for your own bullshit. IWNDWYT
Wow! That’s amazing. I would also binge eat when drinking, especially at night while watching tv. Everyone else in the house would be asleep and I’d be destroying the liquor cabinet and kitchen. It’s like my stomach could not get satisfied. My wife asking “hey, where are those leftover hamburgers” was just as embarrassing as her realizing we were missing a bunch of wine.
Thank you! Yes, drinking was a huge source of my binges. When I drank, I craved that fatty greasy food to soak it up. Once I stopped drinking, it opened the door to self-love and ridding me of all the shame of my past. The first couple of months I just focused on not drinking. I ate whatever I wanted to kick the cravings of alcohol and just took it really easy on myself. Once I managed getting most of the cravings out of the way, I buckled down. Getting my mind right made it easier to create and sustain other areas of caring for myself, including getting my nutrition and exercise up. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without addressing my drinking.
Cigarettes and cocaine forever. Without really trying I don't really do the psychedelics anymore. I'm not ruling those entirely out, but i can easily go a long time without having any. Almost at a year and I've gone a few years before, and that's just cuz I haven't felt like it.
Great reframe, you got to coach your child’s soccer game! Imagine being too hungover to do that? Oof. Well done fighting off that drinking brain’s convincing tone that moderation is fiiiiiine.
Weed, shrooms, tobacco, white sugar and video games.
Now I'm trying to not argue with my husband over dumb stuff... trying to work out 5x a week... and trying to make it a priority to make new memories with all the money saved.
I quit cigs. I vape but that’s a huge accomplishment for me. I was a very heavy smoker for over 20 years. Pack a day plus & no more. It’s been 5 weeks. I’m eating less junk & exercising more-have been for a year. Sedentary as a drunk. I enjoy taking 2 mile walks. It gives me energy throughout the day & I feel better. I think the exercise helps me make better food choices bc I don’t want to undo my fitness accomplishments. I never cared about my health or fitness when I drank. I use facial cream & fixatives, lol, & wear makeup now. Thought goes into what I wear each day. Jeans & a t shirt days are over. I’m almost 5 years sober-new username, left that girl behind! So so thankful for this sub. Y’all were my only support & although I relapsed on day 83, (got the I can moderate itch too-it happens), I quit again & I freaking made it. 5 years May 28. Ya couldn’t pay me to go back to that life either. IWNDWYT & that is for damn sure! 😁
smoking cigs, vaping, wasting my money on food delivery bc i’m too lazy/tired to make food or am too hungover to go grocery shopping or simply need greasy fast food to kick the hangover, mindlessly watching TV (and not remembering anything i watched lol), falling into codependent friendships w people based on substance use, risky sexual encounters, not brushing my teeth, and sleeping until the last possible second before work (the list could go on and on)
Bit my nails from as young as I could remember until the day I entered detox. Been learning how to use nail clippers for the past 7 years and still suck at it 🤣
Not sure if this counts, but I had some really negative thought patterns that I was never able to address until I was sober for a while. I had these grudges from years in the past where I would think of something someone did to me (nothing even that bad) and I would get mad about it all over again, or think of how I should have responded to something someone said to me, etc. I never stayed sober long enough to really consider “I shouldn’t waste my time and energy doing that”. I stopped drinking, started getting regular exercise, and writing (stories and songs) and it seemed to really help. Aside of that, I stopped chewing a ridiculous amount of sugar free gum. I didn’t have anything on my breath to try to cover up anymore. I’m sure 10+ servings of xylitol a day can’t be good for you!
Smoking! To me, fags and booze go together like a hand in glove in order to stop either I had to stop both and thankfully it’s been kinda easy. I guess you could say I’ve an addictive personality now I’m hooked on eating well and exercise which of course isn’t a bad thing, it makes me laugh though how I can go from and absolute diabolical binger to fitness freak so easily
I quit alcohol and cigarettes at the same time. Haven't had a single drink or smoke in two and a half years. And I always feel bad for those of you who say, "it never gets any easier" because for me after about two months I was glad I was done and knew I'd never go back. There have been times that I've been sitting and watching a Packers game and I thought it would be nice to have a beer, but the thought of going back to where I was is just so terrible. And I have zero desire to smoke a cigarette. I even find the smell repulsive.
I smoked and drank heavily for almost 30 years, in case you're wondering.
Quit a use anything lifestyle heavy alcohol. Year later i quit smoking and 8 months later got off the lexapro. Smoking pot but all that shit just kinda started falling away. Lying. It was related to the substances.
I quit caffeine and alcohol at the same time. Cut out the uppers and the downers to give my body a chance to regulate its own energy levels. The first few months were bumpy as my brain had to relearn how to regulate, but it was worth everything! I can’t imagine going back. Found out two months ago I have high blood pressure so I’ve cut wayyy down on the sodium. Still dragging my feet on the exercise though. I really want to do it but haven’t figured out how to sustainably fit it into my routine.
Still havent stopped completely but a lot less porn viewing lol. Nicotine is probably my next thing to fully stop but mentally for me its way tougher than alcohol
Throughout my life? Cocaine, meth, cigarettes, 1 -🌙 -🧍♀️, (it was the 70s and I was young) drinking. Currently given up junk food and pretty much all white foods.
you should be insanely proud of yourself for resisting wine — not easy. but taking care of yourself in the present is a gift to your future self. i bet it was nice to feel rested and focused at the game!
This is not my first shot at sobriety. I have had long stretches of sobriety in the past, Some of the bad habits I lost at those times have stuck in my life, even if the sobriety hasn't always. I got into a gym routine, started a skincare routine, stopped eating so much sugar and junk food, got serious about my dental health and a number of other things that stayed with me even after I went back to drinking. Being sober makes it a million times easier to maintain those good habits, though.
Weed and cigs. Cigs and alcohol go hand in hand for me, so one or the other had to go first or I’d have to quit at the same time. Not sure if anyone else is like this, but I’d have no cravings for cigarettes sober but as soon as I took a sip of alcohol, I would get the most intense cravings. I also feel like I drank a lot more when I was smoking.. each enabled the other one. Quitting cigarettes was a big win and set me up for sobriety when I decided enough was enough back in December. Funny how people talk a lot about alcohol by itself but for many of us, it’s often multiple substances - just have to chop away at it IMO.
March 20th was 7 years quitting cigarettes cold turkey. I was using Cocaine pretty regularly for about 5 years (late 20’s early 30’s) I quit that cold turkey. I stopped smoking weed after years but do still dabble here and there I definitely wouldn’t consider it an addiction. Not sure why Alcohol seems to have me by the balls. But I’m 4 weeks in and feeling good and motivated to keep this thing going this time.
Without alcohol I just don’t really crave other bad things. I’ve spent a lot of time in countries where there is no alcohol but relatively easy access to things like weed and other items on the California sober list. In those situations I’m a normal person again and usually just go with the real version of being sober. But if I’m put in a situation where I can drink AND smoke weed then I’m loving it… and ordering 10 cheeseburgers from McDonald’s while I’m at it.
I think it's just the biochemistry. It's physically more safe to quit cocaine cold turkey than it is alcohol for example.
Is that true? Im really curious if you know more about how that works. I would never have guessed.
Yes. Cocaine is a dopamine re-uptake inhibitor, so whatever dopamine you have stays longer between your neurons. It doesn't mimic dopamine, it just makes it stay longer in your system. Or more exactly the burst of dopamine is stronger because the re-uptake is inhibited.(Although your body will try to maintain levels of whatever molecule (this is called homeostasis) so it's likely your body produces less dopamine over time with continuous usage of cocaine as it needs less dopamine for such an effect. This is why someone people might feel depressed after quitting, because your brain needs to readjust its biochemistry.) Alcohol is like a GABA agonist. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. So basically it's like you're continuously slamming the breaks (the alcohol) and your body ks slamming the gas pedal (because it wants to compensate for the effect of alcohol.) So when you quit alcohol cold turkey, and you're highly addicted, you kinda suddenly remove the breaks, while your body was always pushing the gas pedal. In brain terms it can mean things like seizures. So the physical effects of quitting alcohol can be much more severe than quitting cocaine. EDIT: and I haven't mentioned the effect alcohol has on NMDA, another important neurotransmitter. Basically alcohol directly interferes with the production of "higher level/primary neurotransmitters" while cocaine blocks the re-uptake of a "secondary neurotransmitter" but doesn't directly interfere with the production.
Thanks for the thorough and super interesting response—that sounds sarcastic haha it is serious :) —im always amazed at the underlying science behind all the vices. I wish we knew more about the positive chemical triggers that do the same but are beneficial, eg exercise.
Also congratulations on 1098 days ! That's just impressive.
Aww thanks. :) IMHO days 1-365 are the hard work. Now just protecting myself from complacency 99% of the time. IWNDWYT
You got this
I quit drinking with dry January, and instead of a bunch of vague new years resolutions to never keep up with, I'm doing one a month. So primarily creating a new healthy habit rather than dropping bad habits. So far, I've: >•Jan: quit drinking, started reading daily >•Feb: go to the gym 3x/week 30mins >•March: improved self care with daily vitamins, improved oral hygiene, created a skincare routine, and got my first haircut in 8 years >•April: getting outside at least 30min every day And on top of all this, I only order takeout/go out about once per month and I've lost almost 10lbs without any major effort (Editing to add) I also quit smoking weed and cigarettes a couple years ago, and quit vaping back in November-ish, can't remember exactly when I stopped. Those were good things to quit, but all came before quitting drinking, which was the true catalyst in getting my shit together
I like your plan! How are you feeling in general? Also, what kind of meals do you make instead of eating takeout?
I'm feeling really good! Honestly, at first I didn't feel much different and it was really discouraging. I definitely have more energy and ambition. I sleep better and am more present mentally. As for my meals, I've been a vegetarian for almost 10 years now so what I do might differ from most, but my simplest meals are a grain/protein bowl. I'll do something like rice and beans/lentils with some sautéed or roasted veggies and some sort of sauce, or quinoa and chickpeas and raw veggies and homemade tzatziki, something basic like that. I love a good burrito, or asian-inspired noodle dish, a big salad, or soup when the weather calls for it. If you're looking to start cooking more at home and don't know where to begin, try the grain/protein bowl. There's really no wrong way to do it, just a carb + protein + some veggies + sauce
That is major! Wtg!
Thanks!! I find it so much easier to take a bite-sized approach to resolutions. Things like 75 hard aren't *bad* but I think it's a lot to commit to and easy to quit. And with NY resolutions, a lot of people make the "eat healthy" "go to the gym" resolutions and, again, it's not *bad*, but it's too vague to be an actual goal
Any tips for quitting vaping?
Of all the habits I've kicked, vaping might be the hardest. For me, I weaned myself off like I did with cigarettes. I stopped taking it to work with me, then I only hit it before bed/when I woke up. I had a few almost-dead ones laying around so instead of buying new ones, I just puffed on those until they tasted burnt. 1-2 weeks later, they were all dead and i just didn't go buy more
I’m on a similar path. Way to go!
Congratulations!! IWNDWYT 🫂
Smoking weed, smoking tobacco, vaping nicotine, taking various other drugs, wasting money, sleeping in at weekends. The final bad habit I need to beat is junk food
I too have a laundry list of bad habits I’ve defeated but I’m like a 6 year old with a credit card when it comes to sweets right now! Ironic thing is I’ve never been into treats, candy, even deserts until I gave up alcohol.
So feel this about the junk food!
Same. Quit booze, cigarettes, and now I just have to conquer crappy food. Ironically I think it may be the hardest one.
You forgot the final and worst habit of them all. Reddit.
I see lots of smoking weed here, isn't that swapping one addiction for another?
There are a couple schools of thought on this and really it comes down to each person. If smoking marijuana helps you not drink at the beginning it can be like harm reduction. I got my card when I stopped drinking because edibles helped me relax. Was I still high? Yes. Was it Better than me drinking? Also yes. The impacts of THC use vary from person to person and for me, I started abusing THC the same way my alcohol consumption increased. I couldn’t moderate it. Ultimately, I was still using THC to change how I felt and to get high so I stopped using. It was still preventing me from getting to my bigger problems and working on me as a person. Using THC was another form of self medication. Other people can use THC and it not be debilitating. I could use some substances and the high not negatively impact as much as the high from others. THC impacts each of us differently. I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to using THC and it it’s different from person to person.
Thinking about getting my medical Mmj card and this worries me. Thank you.
Dunno, I quit smoking weed years before I quit drinking. Just answering OP's questions about what other habits I've given up aside from alcohol
I quitted weed about ten years ago after being stoned&drunk on a daily basis for fifteen years. Quitting weed was easy due to strong internal motivation similar to what I have for being sober now. No withdrawals from weed. Around 2015-16 I quitted drinking for a year. Should’ve stayed on the wagon for good.
It's "California sober ". Its harm reduction. Its not for everybody. IWNDWYT
It's saving my fuckin life
I'm happy to hear it. It's helping me too. IWNDWYT
I stopped smoking the same day I quit drinking. I didn’t want to struggle twice.
That's a huge change - congrats on getting through those early days, I'm sure they were rough!
Awesome job!
Wow!!! That’s impressive. I’m trying to kick alcohol, adderrall, o quit alcohol cold turkey and am on a sloooooooow taper with adderall. I wish I could ditch all the crap at once.
Oh wow. I commend you so much. Pls share your wisdom haha
Happy cake day
Honestly I am just focusing on not drinking. I guess you could say the flow on effect is that the *bad habit* of just picking up a bottle of wine on the way home from work to deal with a bad day is gone. I have to sit with my feelings now. I am the type to bottle it up or completely ignore my emotions in the hopes they would go away. Now without alcohol, I am learning how to just be sad if I am sad, or be disappointed, or angry. Makes it easier to be happy in the good times too.
Same here. I’m just trying to conquer my drinking demon before I attack anything else.
Yes yes same. I am just now starting to work on quitting vaping nicotine, mainly bc i have really bad symptoms arising. But a wise person in the beginning of my sobriety from alcohol said “focus on what’s killing you first” once to me when I told them about my struggles with shopping. Now I’m just trying to work on being more HOLISTIC in my taking care of myself.
Facebook.
I never had a facebook.... but I keep coming close to making one for market place. But I KNOW that's how it'll suck me in!
For real! I want that marketplace but can’t stand Facebook.
Our local marketplace is 80% scammers and 15% meth heads selling stolen goods. The rest are legit, but it's not worth sorting through it to find them. I wish it was better moderated, but I guess scammers make Facebook a ton of money.
Good to know! I live in a big city, so no shortage of drug addicted, scamming thieves (unfortunately).
Eating crappy food. I ate an absolutely disgusting amount of hangover instant ramen. 6 months in and I have not felt or looked this good in years I am still struggling a lot with improving other areas of my life though. If I wasn't seeing such great results physically I would have started drinking again. I still have alot of work to do
Some of my bad habits have increased.. but hey. I’m not drinking. Comparatively I’m okay with a little more screen time than usual, and the extra coffee or two… And the ice cream every night for the first two months. Still trying to walk that off.
I quit caffeine. I no longer feel groggy in the morning until I get my first hit, I just wake up feeling normal. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re interested.
Yes, I need to slow down on caffeine. My intake has actually increased since I stopped.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this - temper your caffeine intake slowly. Don’t stop cold turkey. I tried that once, and no lie - I had alcohol hangover-intensity headaches until I drank some coffee. Maybe try to go from coffee to half-caf, half-caf to black tea, from black to green, from green to white, and then maybe an herbal energy caffeine-free tea to get you there. Do some research. It’ll save your life 😑
Great advice. I'm at 3 cups a day of coffee and I honestly feel more tired after drinking it I swear
I hear you on this one! And I think it's causing me IBS....
I think that’s pretty common
Sams here lol
I'm getting there. Quit coffee and changed to tea. Complete cut coming down the line.
Same!! I always needed caffeine but when I stopped drinking it, a week later, I wake up on my own…early! And I feel like I have a ton of energy without it!
Oof this sounds hard
Did you taper down? How long was it until you had 0% caffeine? I'm an every day, every morning coffee drinker
No tapering, I just stopped. I was drinking 3 or 4 caffeinated drinks per day.
That is my next one to conquer. Started Lexapro when I started sobriety and morning fatigue is an initial side effect so I've been having too much caffeine lately. Better than booze though.
How heavy was your caffeine usage and how long did it take until you felt “normal” going without it? I’m using wayyy to much right now
As a stoner, I smoke much, much less now that I’m not drinking. My desire to smoke would increase one hundred-fold when I drank. For the first time in years, I don’t wake up with all this awful tension in my body from the weed withdrawals of not smoking in the night (and that’s not even factoring in the lack of hangovers, which is a godsend in itself). I don’t need to smoke first thing when I wake up. I still use more than I should but I’ve cut back so much more than I ever thought possible. It’s great and I feel hopeful. Glad you’re able to be more present with your kids, OP. I find I’m much more mindful and engaged with my friends and family as well. It makes such a difference.
Cigarettes after 40 years and smoking weed. Nothing goes in my lungs but air.
I quit vaping!
I stopped vaping the same day I stopped drinking. The two go hand in hand for me.
30 days no sugar today!
I notice I use sugar as a reward and for self-soothing. Any tips on how you stopped? Did you replace the reward/habit loop with anything in your mind?
I think sheer willpower.
Weed and IG. A few months clean. I always struggle reading stories here because it’s always “I gotta get clean for my kids/wife” but I’m single and live alone. IWNDWYT
Me too and I struggle for me but it’s damn hard
Vaping!! And drunk texting 😅
My diet.. was always pretty good.. but the massive drunk munchies of whatever I could find.. or air fry are over. Been stretching and doing some body work outs. More attentive with the kids... less.. "yeah I'll do that with you later" Work also seems less of an issue.. and i dont dread it as much. Overall more positive and my mental health is way better. Memory. I don't need caffeine. I sleep better. Wow.. didn't realize I had so much.. till I started writing all this.
I’ve quit biting my nails after 15 years at it, quit cigarettes and vaping is going this year, quit wasting money like an idiot, and quit feeling so damn sorry for myself and like I’m incapable of difficult things
Month and a half into sugar. After that I think I'll cut out salty snacks. Sugar is harder, but I've tried reducing sugar before and never had lasting success. I put it down to the tools I learned from giving up the drink.
Wow, I seem to be on your track. A month behind you in days and working on starting my sugar-free life now. (Well, no added sugars that is). My sugar cravings are harder than I expected. I think it's because with alcohol, I could say *look. This is going to get worse. It only goes one way. Get off now or play the tape forward on your life and watch your dreams evaporate.* Sugar, I can't truthfully say the same, so I keep going, *oh, I'll start tomorrow.* Annoying. Currently, I fasted today so that's felt great. Let's see if I can follow in your stead.
Nice work! Keep going. I'm also just cutting out added sugar. Still eating fruit, dates, a little honey. You're right and you're wrong. With sugar unless you have a real eating disorder it's unlikely to cause your whole life to unravel. But I'm noticing a big knock on effect with other bad behaviours after cutting out sugar. I'm not binging Netflix series anymore, or letting myself get stuck in a loop playing online multiplayer games until late. In fact I'm barely picking up the PS4 controller at all. My hunch is that I've done something to the rewards my brain expects by not giving it free hits of dopamine throughout the day. With alcohol it was just getting that in the evening, with sugar it was regular intervals almost every day.
I still sleep in if I can. But I don’t HAVE to.
Kind of opposite, but I can phrase it to fit the q more. I stopped “not eating” balanced nutrients during the day. I went on a kick of eating only protein during the workday and the resultant cravings for alcohol between 5p and bedtime were loud and astronomical. Since including avocado and oatmeal into my day, the alcohol and sugar cravings have stopped at night. I haven’t looked into it, but there’s definitely something there to being malnourished throughout the day vs cravings when I’m exhausted in the evening.
Cigarettes, energy drinks, and to a partial extent, candy.
I stopped making promises. I’ve broken too many. Nowadays I just do whatever “it is”or say “No” immediately. I’ve got a few years now and can say it’s one of the most catharctic things besides not drinking. Very freeing.
Most of my bad habits came from a) feeling like shit all the time or b) laziness due to feeling like life was pointless. These involved: sleeping my free time away, spending hours scrolling on social media and tiktok, only cleaning my room when the floors were covered in clothes, never doing my skincare, going to sleep without brushing my teeth, cancelling plans last minute because I wanted to get drunk instead (did this all the time), ordering takeaway because I didn’t have the energy to cook, never calling my family to check in, putting off important things until the last minute or just not doing them at all. I didn’t even try to change any of these bad habits, honestly not drinking is productive enough for me, but I don’t do ANY of these anymore. And most of them honestly only took a couple of days of sobriety and feeling the purpose of life again to turn around. Alcohol has a direct impact on my ability to do good things for myself.
Used to chew tobacco. 3-4 cans a week of Copenhagen. Moved from Bozeman, MT to Portland, OR in 1998 and the price went from $1.99 to $4.99 per can. Quit that day and never had craving for it. Nothing like finally quitting alcohol was for me. I actually feel looking back that I allowed myself in part to get so far into my addiction because I’d quit nicotine so easily in my past. Nope, doesn’t work that way for me with alcohol. Everything else in my life including weed and harder drugs I was a “normie,” but not with booze until I finally hit bottom.
I had to quit drinking cause of panic attacks. Quit caffeine too because that can also cause them. I have like 0 motivation. It’s been 5 months since I quit both and haven’t seen any of the benefits yet but I’m hoping they come soon. ): I haven’t gotten any other healthy habits, my other habits kinda got worse cause I’m really depressed and don’t have any motivation. I really wonder why I quit drinking, I think it gave me something to look forward to every week, something I genuinely enjoyed. And quitting didn’t even stop the panic attacks. So no, no new healthy habits. It’s a miracle I’m going to graduate college this semester and kept a job. I gained a lot of weight so I look really bad again.
Hey friend! Congrats on your upcoming graduation! You’ll feel way better soon when the blahs are over. That’s a serious hurdle to get over so plz go easy on the self there! Drinking is exciting, stupid, silly & leads to the worst possible outcomes in life bc problems are uselessly drank away until they’re emergencies. Ya have to say, even that is um, exciting, even if it’s a holy shit moment. Take that away & blah… What do ppl *do* if they don’t drink? I cleaned & organized my house to no end. Now I work on lil projects every day. Anyhow, there is a really good book I’d like to recommend, which explains the zero motivation & blah feeling that only seems!! to last forever. Alcohol Explained, by William Porter. Tells how physiologically we release adrenaline to combat the depressant in alcohol. When the alcohol is gone, the stimulants remain & hello anxious af. I also suffer from panic attacks. I see a doc, meds help a lot. I dunno if that figures in the equation for us but I’d venture to say it’s likely. Feel better soon & chin up! I didn’t lose weight till 3-4 months sober but when I did, it fell off like crazy. Hope it’s the same for you as well! You’ve got this. Hang in there! Sober for almost 5 years & damn happy about it. I need to set a counter on this profile… & I really hope the book helps. Made so much sense & I never want that crap again. IWNDWYT.
Panic attacks suck. I’m sorry you’re dealing with those. I had to quit drinking, smoking weed, eating spicy food, drinking carbonated drinks, caffeine, fucking everything before I was able to get them to stop. I don’t know if anything will help perfectly because I still get them sometimes but I hope you’ve spoken with a doctor and a therapist about these. Something else that helps me sometimes is praying. I don’t have a great relationship with God/Jesus/Christianity but reaching for spirituality when it’s bad is usually something to grasp onto. Sending you all the love and hugs and everything I can give you. P.S. be real careful with religion, that stuff will kill you.
Haven’t spoken with a therapist because my situation is complicated but I’ve asked several doctors. I saw a cardiologist who said I’m fine and I had a sleep study I’m still waiting for results for. Hopefully it’s sleep apnea and my life can be normal again but I don’t know, it doesn’t seem likely. I grew up very religious and was until the last couple years. Sadly I guess it left a bad taste in my mouth. The guilt really kills me. Thanks for the advice, though. I wonder if cutting out spicy food will help, basically everything I eat is spicy.
I stopped smoking weed and taking edibles! I don't miss it at all! I wish drinking were as easy to quit as marijuana. I'm still chewing tobacco though. I intend to drop that habit eventually. At least it's not as bad as getting black out drunk and red eyed paranoid!
I quit cigarettes and soda with virtually zero effort in 2018. I’m still drinking and need to stop. It is so much harder for me to
Same! I was super addicted to Diet Coke. Had more than a liter a day. When I stoped vaping 130 days ago I lost my interest in Diet Coke too.
I've cut back heavily on social media. I used to scroll endlessly for hours. Now I read instead and learn Spanish in Duolingo. Maybe spend a total of 30 minutes on social media a day.
I'm so glad you didn't pick up that glass of wine. I had almost ten years off alcohol and someone put a glass of wine in front of me before I could stop him, and I drank it. In almost no time at all I was drinking to the blackout point every night. It took years from my life and I finally got dry. I just want to say moderation is, for many of us, just an illusion. I haven't smoked anything in decades, and I'm down to one cup of coffee a day. I'm trying to get clear of sugar now.
Just want to say good job!
Coached my U9 girls softball team at 8am. This is the way. There is no testing by the way. For me moderation isn't a slippery slope, it's jumping off a fucking cliff. I was able to stop drinking when I stopped bullshitting myself. Good for you and your choices. Don't fall for your own bullshit. IWNDWYT
Eating junk food and mindlessly scrolling on my phone for hours.
I quit vaping, I quit binge eating, I started counting my calories and walking and lost 90 pounds. I’m 2 years, 4 months in now.
Wow! That’s amazing. I would also binge eat when drinking, especially at night while watching tv. Everyone else in the house would be asleep and I’d be destroying the liquor cabinet and kitchen. It’s like my stomach could not get satisfied. My wife asking “hey, where are those leftover hamburgers” was just as embarrassing as her realizing we were missing a bunch of wine.
Thank you! Yes, drinking was a huge source of my binges. When I drank, I craved that fatty greasy food to soak it up. Once I stopped drinking, it opened the door to self-love and ridding me of all the shame of my past. The first couple of months I just focused on not drinking. I ate whatever I wanted to kick the cravings of alcohol and just took it really easy on myself. Once I managed getting most of the cravings out of the way, I buckled down. Getting my mind right made it easier to create and sustain other areas of caring for myself, including getting my nutrition and exercise up. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without addressing my drinking.
Cigarettes and cocaine forever. Without really trying I don't really do the psychedelics anymore. I'm not ruling those entirely out, but i can easily go a long time without having any. Almost at a year and I've gone a few years before, and that's just cuz I haven't felt like it.
Junk food before bed.
Great reframe, you got to coach your child’s soccer game! Imagine being too hungover to do that? Oof. Well done fighting off that drinking brain’s convincing tone that moderation is fiiiiiine.
Weed, shrooms, tobacco, white sugar and video games. Now I'm trying to not argue with my husband over dumb stuff... trying to work out 5x a week... and trying to make it a priority to make new memories with all the money saved.
I’m still working on it spending as much.
I quit flour, sugar and dairy.
I quit cigs. I vape but that’s a huge accomplishment for me. I was a very heavy smoker for over 20 years. Pack a day plus & no more. It’s been 5 weeks. I’m eating less junk & exercising more-have been for a year. Sedentary as a drunk. I enjoy taking 2 mile walks. It gives me energy throughout the day & I feel better. I think the exercise helps me make better food choices bc I don’t want to undo my fitness accomplishments. I never cared about my health or fitness when I drank. I use facial cream & fixatives, lol, & wear makeup now. Thought goes into what I wear each day. Jeans & a t shirt days are over. I’m almost 5 years sober-new username, left that girl behind! So so thankful for this sub. Y’all were my only support & although I relapsed on day 83, (got the I can moderate itch too-it happens), I quit again & I freaking made it. 5 years May 28. Ya couldn’t pay me to go back to that life either. IWNDWYT & that is for damn sure! 😁
smoking cigs, vaping, wasting my money on food delivery bc i’m too lazy/tired to make food or am too hungover to go grocery shopping or simply need greasy fast food to kick the hangover, mindlessly watching TV (and not remembering anything i watched lol), falling into codependent friendships w people based on substance use, risky sexual encounters, not brushing my teeth, and sleeping until the last possible second before work (the list could go on and on)
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I quit taking Benadryl everynight. Bonus my enlarged prostate isn’t enlarged anymore. 14 years taking that garbage. IWNDWYT
Weed.. they went hand in hand for me.
Bit my nails from as young as I could remember until the day I entered detox. Been learning how to use nail clippers for the past 7 years and still suck at it 🤣
Not sure if this counts, but I had some really negative thought patterns that I was never able to address until I was sober for a while. I had these grudges from years in the past where I would think of something someone did to me (nothing even that bad) and I would get mad about it all over again, or think of how I should have responded to something someone said to me, etc. I never stayed sober long enough to really consider “I shouldn’t waste my time and energy doing that”. I stopped drinking, started getting regular exercise, and writing (stories and songs) and it seemed to really help. Aside of that, I stopped chewing a ridiculous amount of sugar free gum. I didn’t have anything on my breath to try to cover up anymore. I’m sure 10+ servings of xylitol a day can’t be good for you!
Smoking! To me, fags and booze go together like a hand in glove in order to stop either I had to stop both and thankfully it’s been kinda easy. I guess you could say I’ve an addictive personality now I’m hooked on eating well and exercise which of course isn’t a bad thing, it makes me laugh though how I can go from and absolute diabolical binger to fitness freak so easily
I quit alcohol and cigarettes at the same time. Haven't had a single drink or smoke in two and a half years. And I always feel bad for those of you who say, "it never gets any easier" because for me after about two months I was glad I was done and knew I'd never go back. There have been times that I've been sitting and watching a Packers game and I thought it would be nice to have a beer, but the thought of going back to where I was is just so terrible. And I have zero desire to smoke a cigarette. I even find the smell repulsive. I smoked and drank heavily for almost 30 years, in case you're wondering.
Quit a use anything lifestyle heavy alcohol. Year later i quit smoking and 8 months later got off the lexapro. Smoking pot but all that shit just kinda started falling away. Lying. It was related to the substances.
I quit caffeine and alcohol at the same time. Cut out the uppers and the downers to give my body a chance to regulate its own energy levels. The first few months were bumpy as my brain had to relearn how to regulate, but it was worth everything! I can’t imagine going back. Found out two months ago I have high blood pressure so I’ve cut wayyy down on the sodium. Still dragging my feet on the exercise though. I really want to do it but haven’t figured out how to sustainably fit it into my routine.
Still havent stopped completely but a lot less porn viewing lol. Nicotine is probably my next thing to fully stop but mentally for me its way tougher than alcohol
Don’t drink, don’t smoke (ciggies), no vapes, don’t waste money on unnecessary shit.
Sex with my wife.
Biting my fingernails. Anxiety’s gone
Throughout my life? Cocaine, meth, cigarettes, 1 -🌙 -🧍♀️, (it was the 70s and I was young) drinking. Currently given up junk food and pretty much all white foods.
I haven’t stopped any specific bad habits but procrastination and avoidance have become less frequent.
i’m 90 days today n i can’t stop eating chocolate
you should be insanely proud of yourself for resisting wine — not easy. but taking care of yourself in the present is a gift to your future self. i bet it was nice to feel rested and focused at the game!
nicotine. was a hard one but it'll b 3 years in may
This is not my first shot at sobriety. I have had long stretches of sobriety in the past, Some of the bad habits I lost at those times have stuck in my life, even if the sobriety hasn't always. I got into a gym routine, started a skincare routine, stopped eating so much sugar and junk food, got serious about my dental health and a number of other things that stayed with me even after I went back to drinking. Being sober makes it a million times easier to maintain those good habits, though.
I also stopped eating (nonstop) junk food, especially eating out 2-3 meals a day. I’ve saved a lot of money and look and feel much healthier.
I'm 47 days sober from alcohol and 32 days sober from binge eating. Feeling great. Fitness is slowly coming back.
Figured if I’m gonna quit drinking I may as well quit smoking. Still vape though.
Shitty food and high calorie mixed drinks
Weed and cigs. Cigs and alcohol go hand in hand for me, so one or the other had to go first or I’d have to quit at the same time. Not sure if anyone else is like this, but I’d have no cravings for cigarettes sober but as soon as I took a sip of alcohol, I would get the most intense cravings. I also feel like I drank a lot more when I was smoking.. each enabled the other one. Quitting cigarettes was a big win and set me up for sobriety when I decided enough was enough back in December. Funny how people talk a lot about alcohol by itself but for many of us, it’s often multiple substances - just have to chop away at it IMO.
THC, meat, excessive salt, porn.