Post: #2276

(11-23-2018 09:04 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(11-15-2018 11:27 AM)77market Wrote:  I hopped on the Wagon October 15 at 00:00!

Quite a ride so far! Thanks for the invitation! I'm honored and humbled.

77market, thanks for the post. Delighted to see yet another poster whose first forum post is in this thread -- it's becoming a real tradition.

Please confirm that you are in for a full year as of October 15, 2018 and I will officially welcome you on board.

Thanks so much for your welcome note, Lizard of Oz!

With a grateful mind, body and soul I confirm that I commit to 1 year without any alcoholic drinks, that my wagon journey began October 15 at 00:00 CST, and I haven't had a sip of alcohol since.

It feels like the 'time' is 'moving' so much faster than when I was drinking 4-5-and even up to 6 Andygators a night, 4-5 nights a week... It hardly feels like it's been nearly 10% of a year!

Early in November I traveled to New Orleans with a friend for a conference. We were not even 1 hour drive out of town before he asked me to drive the rest of the way so he could get a 12 pack and start drinking. 2.5 hours and 8 or 9 beers later he needs to get more cold beer. The whole trip pretty much went like this and late one evening I ended up helping him avoid getting reeled in by a smooth operator street whore. He was unable to appreciate the food restaurant August because he was too hammered and I think he would have enjoyed McDonald's more. I've never been to New Orleans without at least some drinks, until now. No sweat.

Something started to happen to me that weekend, though. I was hit by a wave of emotions, mostly related to my divorce 1.5 years ago... I started to realize the degree to which I had been using alcohol to try to bury my pain over the failures in my relationship with my ex wife, + more.. Ouch. It does hurt. It's ok to walk through this sober. Good. Very good.

Yesterday. Unbelievable, sudden tragic loss of a close family member. I can't say much more about this other than what an awesome blessing is that I am turning to my closest friends and family for help and support instead of hiding from this in booze or drugs. This one makes our divorce look like a tea party. And I'm drinking tea tonight. No shit this thread changed my life and may well save lives. Thank you. Aq

Blessings
77

Post: #2277

77market, I am very much moved by your trust in the wagon and in this thread during a time of such emotional turmoil. Your trust is well placed -- you can indeed lean on the wagon and it will see you through this time. Drink seems to give you warmth, and for a moment it may -- but it leaves you with nothing in the cold light of morning. The wagon, instead, gives you clarity and in that clarity you will find in time sources of warmth that will last.

Welcome aboard as of October 15, 2018 and I look forward to hearing more from you in this thread as time goes on.

Post: #2278

I am on.

I have a lot of shit I need to accomplish over the next 12 months. In past several years have done a few sober stints of a month to 3 months, one time almost 6 months.

I will check in and post from time to time here.

Post: #2279

(11-25-2018 12:03 PM)RVF400 Wrote:  I am on.

I have a lot of shit I need to accomplish over the next 12 months. In past several years have done a few sober stints of a month to 3 months, one time almost 6 months.

I will check in and post from time to time here.

RVF400, thank you for the post. Can you confirm that you're in for a full year as of November 25, 2018?

Post: #2280

(11-25-2018 01:28 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 12:03 PM)RVF400 Wrote:  I am on.

I have a lot of shit I need to accomplish over the next 12 months. In past several years have done a few sober stints of a month to 3 months, one time almost 6 months.

I will check in and post from time to time here.

RVF400, thank you for the post. Can you confirm that you're in for a full year as of November 25, 2018?

Yes sir, as of the 25th. Will post every so often and keep myself honest!
Thank you.

Post: #2281

(11-26-2018 05:11 AM)RVF400 Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 01:28 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 12:03 PM)RVF400 Wrote:  I am on.

I have a lot of shit I need to accomplish over the next 12 months. In past several years have done a few sober stints of a month to 3 months, one time almost 6 months.

I will check in and post from time to time here.

RVF400, thank you for the post. Can you confirm that you're in for a full year as of November 25, 2018?

Yes sir, as of the 25th. Will post every so often and keep myself honest!
Thank you.

Thanks for confirming, and welcome aboard as of November 25, 2018. I hope to hear more from you here over time.

Post: #2282

(11-24-2018 11:27 PM)77market Wrote:  

(11-23-2018 09:04 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(11-15-2018 11:27 AM)77market Wrote:  I hopped on the Wagon October 15 at 00:00!

Quite a ride so far! Thanks for the invitation! I'm honored and humbled.

77market, thanks for the post. Delighted to see yet another poster whose first forum post is in this thread -- it's becoming a real tradition.

Please confirm that you are in for a full year as of October 15, 2018 and I will officially welcome you on board.

Thanks so much for your welcome note, Lizard of Oz!

With a grateful mind, body and soul I confirm that I commit to 1 year without any alcoholic drinks, that my wagon journey began October 15 at 00:00 CST, and I haven't had a sip of alcohol since.

It feels like the 'time' is 'moving' so much faster than when I was drinking 4-5-and even up to 6 Andygators a night, 4-5 nights a week... It hardly feels like it's been nearly 10% of a year!

Early in November I traveled to New Orleans with a friend for a conference. We were not even 1 hour drive out of town before he asked me to drive the rest of the way so he could get a 12 pack and start drinking. 2.5 hours and 8 or 9 beers later he needs to get more cold beer. The whole trip pretty much went like this and late one evening I ended up helping him avoid getting reeled in by a smooth operator street whore. He was unable to appreciate the food restaurant August because he was too hammered and I think he would have enjoyed McDonald's more. I've never been to New Orleans without at least some drinks, until now. No sweat.

Something started to happen to me that weekend, though. I was hit by a wave of emotions, mostly related to my divorce 1.5 years ago... I started to realize the degree to which I had been using alcohol to try to bury my pain over the failures in my relationship with my ex wife, + more.. Ouch. It does hurt. It's ok to walk through this sober. Good. Very good.

Yesterday. Unbelievable, sudden tragic loss of a close family member. I can't say much more about this other than what an awesome blessing is that I am turning to my closest friends and family for help and support instead of hiding from this in booze or drugs. This one makes our divorce look like a tea party. And I'm drinking tea tonight. No shit this thread changed my life and may well save lives. Thank you. Aq

Blessings
77

Sorry for you loss man.

I did the same after my divorce. I came out the other side and have been on the wagon over 2.5 years now.

Soon you’ll be achieving things you could only dream of before and these current and past troubles will be distant memories

Post: #2283

As my hangovers have become days in a purgatory with nausea, headache and depression, I haven't been drunk in 3 months and there is not even an urge to drink.
So far my life has become so much better, from weekend drinker to enjoying small things in life like good sleep, daygame where no bitch shields and white knights exist, and much more time to spend on working out and being active.

Like someone said on the first pages I can agree, the drunken adventure nights with friends are some of the best memories I too have. Sadly it's not worth it anymore. It may be difficult to consciously prevent yourself attaining more such experiences and memories, but what can you do. There's more to life than alcohol.

Post: #2284

(11-28-2018 03:34 PM)loremipsum Wrote:  As my hangovers have become days in a purgatory with nausea, headache and depression, I haven't been drunk in 3 months and there is not even an urge to drink.
So far my life has become so much better, from weekend drinker to enjoying small things in life like good sleep, daygame where no bitch shields and white knights exist, and much more time to spend on working out and being active.

Like someone said on the first pages I can agree, the drunken adventure nights with friends are some of the best memories I too have. Sadly it's not worth it anymore. It may be difficult to consciously prevent yourself attaining more such experiences and memories, but what can you do. There's more to life than alcohol.

There sure is.

You still get the adventures on the wagon. Often though they happen during the day and they are more real. Plus no hangover.

Post: #2285

(11-01-2015 03:46 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  Thank you for the post Sharkie. I wanted to make sure you were making a considered decision and now I know you are.

Welcome aboard as of November 2, 2015 and hope to hear more from you here over time.

Free for three. On board for fourth.

Post: #2286

(11-30-2018 10:31 PM)Wahawahwah Wrote:  

(11-01-2015 03:46 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  Thank you for the post Sharkie. I wanted to make sure you were making a considered decision and now I know you are.

Welcome aboard as of November 2, 2015 and hope to hear more from you here over time.

Free for three. On board for fourth.

Great to hear that, W. The years really start to add up in a serious way once you reach the trey and then keep going.

Welcome back aboard for year 4 as of November 2, 2018 and I look forward to hearing more from you here over time.

Post: #2287

Happy 5th birthday to the great wagon thread.

Post: #2288

I'm jumping back on the wagon beginning 2 December 2018.

Post: #2289

(12-01-2018 10:11 PM)Horus Wrote:  I'm jumping back on the wagon beginning 2 December 2018.

Horus, I'm very happy and relieved you're getting back on. It's the right decision and one that you will be thanking yourself for later.

As I'm sure you realize, since you did not reup when your first year ended this is a new one year wagon, rather than the second year of an ongoing one. But having just completed a first one year wagon will certainly make it easier for you this time around. Still, don't be surprised if there may be times in the months ahead when things get a little tricky. At this point, you know how to deal with that and you just need to remember to do so when the time comes.

Welcome aboard as of December 2, 2018 and I hope to hear more from you here as time goes on.

Post: #2290

(12-02-2018 04:07 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(12-01-2018 10:11 PM)Horus Wrote:  I'm jumping back on the wagon beginning 2 December 2018.

Horus, I'm very happy and relieved you're getting back on. It's the right decision and one that you will be thanking yourself for later.

As I'm sure you realize, since you did not reup when your first year ended this is a new one year wagon, rather than the second year of an ongoing one. But having just completed a first one year wagon will certainly make it easier for you this time around. Still, don't be surprised if there may be times in the months ahead when things get a little tricky. At this point, you know how to deal with that and you just need to remember to do so when the time comes.

Welcome aboard as of December 2, 2018 and I hope to hear more from you here as time goes on.

Thank you Lizard of Oz.

Indeed I realise that this is a brand new wagon. And while I looked forward to my first wagon with anxiety and even fear, I look forward to this one with excitement. Although it would have been nice to say that I'd carried on to my second year without a break as many others here have done, I made a conscious decision to break the wagon for a short time, with the intention of stepping back on, and I don't regret that decision. I didn't go too crazy - I had a total of three social beers and two solitary bottles of wine during my nine day break and I savoured every delicious moment of inebriation. But that was enough to convince me with absolute certainty that the wagon is the place I want and need to be.

Looking back, the benefits of the wagon are very difficult to define with clarity. It's not as easy as making a simple statement such as "I don't experience hangovers any more therefore I'm more productive," or "My sleep has improved therefore my mental wellbeing has improved," although both of these statements are indeed true. There's more to it that that.

If I could look ahead in time at the beginning of my first wagon and seen the improvements in my life at the end of one year, I would honestly have been pretty disappointed. I thought that at this time I would be shredded from the gym and better nutrition. I'm not, although I have lost weight, gained muscle and made progress at the gym. I thought I would have an entire shelf of books I had eagerly consumed during the hundreds of hours of extra free time. I don't, although I have found great enjoyment at the modest number of titles I would otherwise never have begun. I thought I would have made great progress in the the language I am learning. I've made nowhere near the progress I could have, but I've made a decent start. I thought I'd stick religiously to my financial plan and I'd be in a much better financial position. While my bank account is looking SIGNIFICANTLY healthier, I could have done a lot better. After reading about how the body can bounce back after years of abuse, I assumed that I'd be in excellent health. Well actually, I've nailed that one according to my doctor He's impressed.

So the assumptions I made about the benefits of the wagon were true in that there have been many concrete improvements in the direction I imagined (although not nearly to the extent). But there are other changes that are barely noticeable from day to day - subtle changes as Lizard of Oz would say - and not so easy to quantify.

Here's the thing. If I were to achieve all of the above goals by never skipping a gym day, preparing and sticking to a perfect meal plan, never allowing myself an ice cream, setting aside an hour each day to read books, setting aside another hour each day to study my language, and then add all my work responsibilities, my brain would have never had a moment's rest. And rest is what it it needed and still desperately needs. Because in the modern world we are constantly bombarded my a neverending barrage of responsibilities, information, appointments, ambitions, alarm clocks... And while none of these things are bad but rather necessary, our brains aren't designed to face all of this constantly during our every waking hour without at least some time for repose. Eventually our brains say "Enough, I'm out...... Oh, so you're unable to shut me down, to relax, to sleep? Not so easy after what you've put me through all day is it? Well there's an easy solution at the bottom of a wine glass - that will shut me down immediately"

My first few months on the wagon were sheer hell, not because it was difficult to refrain from a drink once I'd made the commitment (although the cravings returned with vigour about six months in), but because my mind was racing and I had no idea how to keep calm. Although at first sleep was surprisingly easy, after a while it became impossible. I tried guided meditation, but I could barely sit still for ten minutes.

And then something happened. I started to sleep. And by sleep I don't mean the process of going to bed and falling unconscious for a few hours and then waking up neither wanting to stay in bed nor get up to face the day. I mean the kind of deep restorative sleep where you calmly seek refuge in your bed, and then slowly re-emerge to the world with the delicious remnants of an incoherent dream, before composedly preparing for the day ahead.

My girlfriend told me I was much more patient with her than before. People around me at work and in my personal life seemed to enjoy my company more, and seemed to both seek me out more often for conversation and to be receptive to what I was saying. Perhaps I was becoming a nicer person. I began to take more care with work tasks. At the end of the work day, rather than leaving unfinished work at home time and running out the door, I would take time to put things in order for the next day.

There are lots of little things like this, subtle things, that I could list. Sleep was the big change. And these little changes would not have been possible without sleep. And quality sleep with not have been possible with alcohol. I'm not sure exactly how they are interconnected, but they are all part of a puzzle I'm only beginning to reassemble. And the changes come so slowly that they are barely noticeable unless you take time to reflect.

A few months ago, I was cleaning the inside of my oven. This is on the list of everyone's most hated chores and something nobody looks forward to doing. After an hour of painstakingly removing every inch of grime from every inaccessible corner of the oven, with no music or podcasts in the background, I began to realise that I was actually enjoying the task, and taking pleasure in the accomplishment of transforming the inside of the oven. This was surprising to me since this is usually the kind of task I can do for no more than ten minutes before quitting in frustration. This would NEVER have been possible a short time ago. And yet here I was, happily performing a menial task I usually pay some sucker to do. Perhaps I had discovered my own form of meditation? The best word I can describe for how a felt at that time is tranquility.

And as soon as I reintroduced a small amount of alcohol during my wagon break, that tranquility was shattered. In the very short time it has been back in my life, my sleep has been fitful and disturbed, I've been impatient with myself and others. Worst of all I'm experiencing an extremely unpleasant sense of emptiness and hopelessness deep in the pit of my stomach. It's astounding to me that such a short time off the wagon and such a small amount could produce this kind of reaction. Perhaps this is how I experienced life before the wagon - it was probably much worse.

===================

The last thing I would say for anyone considering the wagon, don't think about it too much and just do it. You'll probably fail. Dust yourself off and try again. There's a good chance you will fall a second time. Again, don't think too much about it and don't allow yourself to to become disheartened.

But the whole time you are thinking about it, attempting it, and when you're failing, read this thread. This thread is a truly astounding resource. It's amazing to me that a forum originally dedicated to banging chicks has produced something like this, an ever expanding compendium of wisdom, with incredible contributions from Lizard of Oz, Tokyo Joe, komatiite and many others. By comparison, have a look at some of the forums DEDICATED to this topic, and you'll see a never ending list of posts saying "OMG, my life sucks, I started drinking after 2 days, my life is soooo baaaaad," with a list of responses along the lines of "OMGeeee me tooooo,"..... Nothing remotely worth reading or involving yourself with.

Keep trying and KEEP READING. You'll understand a lot of it and you'll be able to connect it with your own experience. You'll roll your eyes at some of Lizard of Oz's advice, only to read it again a few months later and nod your head. But just read and keep trying. Because while you're going through this process, you're brain is processing everything in the background, so that eventually it will make sense and you'll know exactly what you have to do. Something will just click, and when it does you'll know exactly what I mean. It takes a little time.

Post: #2291

(12-03-2018 10:40 AM)Horus Wrote:  

(12-02-2018 04:07 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(12-01-2018 10:11 PM)Horus Wrote:  I'm jumping back on the wagon beginning 2 December 2018.

Horus, I'm very happy and relieved you're getting back on. It's the right decision and one that you will be thanking yourself for later.

As I'm sure you realize, since you did not reup when your first year ended this is a new one year wagon, rather than the second year of an ongoing one. But having just completed a first one year wagon will certainly make it easier for you this time around. Still, don't be surprised if there may be times in the months ahead when things get a little tricky. At this point, you know how to deal with that and you just need to remember to do so when the time comes.

Welcome aboard as of December 2, 2018 and I hope to hear more from you here as time goes on.

Thank you Lizard of Oz.

Indeed I realise that this is a brand new wagon. And while I looked forward to my first wagon with anxiety and even fear, I look forward to this one with excitement. Although it would have been nice to say that I'd carried on to my second year without a break as many others here have done, I made a conscious decision to break the wagon for a short time, with the intention of stepping back on, and I don't regret that decision. I didn't go too crazy - I had a total of three social beers and two solitary bottles of wine during my nine day break and I savoured every delicious moment of inebriation. But that was enough to convince me with absolute certainty that the wagon is the place I want and need to be.

Looking back, the benefits of the wagon are very difficult to define with clarity. It's not as easy as making a simple statement such as "I don't experience hangovers any more therefore I'm more productive," or "My sleep has improved therefore my mental wellbeing has improved," although both of these statements are indeed true. There's more to it that that.

If I could look ahead in time at the beginning of my first wagon and seen the improvements in my life at the end of one year, I would honestly have been pretty disappointed. I thought that at this time I would be shredded from the gym and better nutrition. I'm not, although I have lost weight, gained muscle and made progress at the gym. I thought I would have an entire shelf of books I had eagerly consumed during the hundreds of hours of extra free time. I don't, although I have found great enjoyment at the modest number of titles I would otherwise never have begun. I thought I would have made great progress in the the language I am learning. I've made nowhere near the progress I could have, but I've made a decent start. I thought I'd stick religiously to my financial plan and I'd be in a much better financial position. While my bank account is looking SIGNIFICANTLY healthier, I could have done a lot better. After reading about how the body can bounce back after years of abuse, I assumed that I'd be in excellent health. Well actually, I've nailed that one according to my doctor He's impressed.

So the assumptions I made about the benefits of the wagon were true in that there have been many concrete improvements in the direction I imagined (although not nearly to the extent). But there are other changes that are barely noticeable from day to day - subtle changes as Lizard of Oz would say - and not so easy to quantify.

Here's the thing. If I were to achieve all of the above goals by never skipping a gym day, preparing and sticking to a perfect meal plan, never allowing myself an ice cream, setting aside an hour each day to read books, setting aside another hour each day to study my language, and then add all my work responsibilities, my brain would have never had a moment's rest. And rest is what it it needed and still desperately needs. Because in the modern world we are constantly bombarded my a neverending barrage of responsibilities, information, appointments, ambitions, alarm clocks... And while none of these things are bad but rather necessary, our brains aren't designed to face all of this constantly during our every waking hour without at least some time for repose. Eventually our brains say "Enough, I'm out...... Oh, so you're unable to shut me down, to relax, to sleep? Not so easy after what you've put me through all day is it? Well there's an easy solution at the bottom of a wine glass - that will shut me down immediately"

My first few months on the wagon were sheer hell, not because it was difficult to refrain from a drink once I'd made the commitment (although the cravings returned with vigour about six months in), but because my mind was racing and I had no idea how to keep calm. Although at first sleep was surprisingly easy, after a while it became impossible. I tried guided meditation, but I could barely sit still for ten minutes.

And then something happened. I started to sleep. And by sleep I don't mean the process of going to bed and falling unconscious for a few hours and then waking up neither wanting to stay in bed nor get up to face the day. I mean the kind of deep restorative sleep where you calmly seek refuge in your bed, and then slowly re-emerge to the world with the delicious remnants of an incoherent dream, before composedly preparing for the day ahead.

My girlfriend told me I was much more patient with her than before. People around me at work and in my personal life seemed to enjoy my company more, and seemed to both seek me out more often for conversation and to be receptive to what I was saying. Perhaps I was becoming a nicer person. I began to take more care with work tasks. At the end of the work day, rather than leaving unfinished work at home time and running out the door, I would take time to put things in order for the next day.

There are lots of little things like this, subtle things, that I could list. Sleep was the big change. And these little changes would not have been possible without sleep. And quality sleep with not have been possible with alcohol. I'm not sure exactly how they are interconnected, but they are all part of a puzzle I'm only beginning to reassemble. And the changes come so slowly that they are barely noticeable unless you take time to reflect.

A few months ago, I was cleaning the inside of my oven. This is on the list of everyone's most hated chores and something nobody looks forward to doing. After an hour of painstakingly removing every inch of grime from every inaccessible corner of the oven, with no music or podcasts in the background, I began to realise that I was actually enjoying the task, and taking pleasure in the accomplishment of transforming the inside of the oven. This was surprising to me since this is usually the kind of task I can do for no more than ten minutes before quitting in frustration. This would NEVER have been possible a short time ago. And yet here I was, happily performing a menial task I usually pay some sucker to do. Perhaps I had discovered my own form of meditation? The best word I can describe for how a felt at that time is tranquility.

And as soon as I reintroduced a small amount of alcohol during my wagon break, that tranquility was shattered. In the very short time it has been back in my life, my sleep has been fitful and disturbed, I've been impatient with myself and others. Worst of all I'm experiencing an extremely unpleasant sense of emptiness and hopelessness deep in the pit of my stomach. It's astounding to me that such a short time off the wagon and such a small amount could produce this kind of reaction. Perhaps this is how I experienced life before the wagon - it was probably much worse.

===================

The last thing I would say for anyone considering the wagon, don't think about it too much and just do it. You'll probably fail. Dust yourself off and try again. There's a good chance you will fall a second time. Again, don't think too much about it and don't allow yourself to to become disheartened.

But the whole time you are thinking about it, attempting it, and when you're failing, read this thread. This thread is a truly astounding resource. It's amazing to me that a forum originally dedicated to banging chicks has produced something like this, an ever expanding compendium of wisdom, with incredible contributions from Lizard of Oz, Tokyo Joe, komatiite and many others. By comparison, have a look at some of the forums DEDICATED to this topic, and you'll see a never ending list of posts saying "OMG, my life sucks, I started drinking after 2 days, my life is soooo baaaaad," with a list of responses along the lines of "OMGeeee me tooooo,"..... Nothing remotely worth reading or involving yourself with.
eep trying and KEEP READING. You'll understand a lot of it and you'll be able to connect it with your own experience. You'll roll your eyes at some of Lizard of Oz's advice, only to read it again a few months later and nod your head. But just read and keep trying. Because while you're going through this process, you're brain is processing everything in the background, so that eventually it will make sense and you'll know exactly what you have to do. Something will just click, and when it does you'll know exactly what I mean. It takes a little time.

Thanks so much for this! I'm smiling inside and out and all the little cells in my body are happy we read your post this morning!

Post: #2292

You're more than welcome.

Post: #2293

Great thread. Didn't realize there were so many guys on the forum that were trying to get off the booze. A 92 page thread over five years is proof of that I guess. I've posted about it before on the forum, but I've definitely had my own issues with alcohol. Hell even at meetups I'd get pretty drunk sometimes. A couple people talked me into trying a cold turkey approach at least for a while to see how it goes. Did a search on drinking and found this thread. I don't know how long I'm going to stick to it and made no promises, but I've been cold turkey for about a month now, the longest I've gone in probably five years willingly.

It seems like a good challenge though. I'm definitely one of those guys that wants to travel more at some point. I'm realizing I might have to make a choice between alcohol and that, and I think it's pretty clear writing here which I want to choose. Like what was said earlier, I think the toughest times that will test this challenge are going to be at social gatherings centering around drinking. This can be anything from a holiday party to just a night out with the boys. I've cut everything out at the moment just to build up a discipline for it.

A couple guys I talked to here were actively trying sober approaching in bars/clubs. I don't think they're on this challenge, but more seeing it as beneficial for self improvement which I tend to agree with, because alcohol can be used as a social lubricant or crutch. Thinking about it, I went back and realized the girls I connected with the best were ones I didn't really need to drink with at all in the first couple of meetings. I've had girls in my past comment on my drinking with some concern. Recently an ex of mine reached out to my friend, who she hadn't talked to in a year to make sure I was alright. That was kind of my point in realizing I at least needed to step away and take a break. And what led up to that.

The biggest key I think is finding other things to do. It's about winter now and still the early stages of this challenge, so I've been more of a home body than usual. I'm not a natural home body and like to get out of the house, so finding things to fill my schedule has been difficult, but I'm going to try to make a bigger effort to do that despite it being the worst time of year to do so.

Post: #2294

Gents,

I'm climbing aboard the wagon.

I've had a few instances lately where drinking has absolutely wiped me out the next day, and on reflection, I wasn't performing my best even under the influence. I think I'll stick to coffee.

I don't think I'm a huge drinker anyway, but I might as well officially cut it out to save money, efficiency, and dignity.

Post: #2295

(12-01-2013 05:17 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  Just suck it up and live like a Mormon for a year for the manly hell of it and see what insane thing emerges on the other side.

(...)By the way. I have noticed that absolute, not-one-drink abstention from alcohol for a full year is stunningly difficult even for guys who consider themselves very disciplined or "up for any challenge."

Manly hell? The manly hell is the gaming game. I shouldn't be saying this here, but hey, even though I praise your bravery to leave alcohol, you still spew nonsense.

One should not even start drinking or smoking, but here in Satanic European Union, this is pretty much everyday stuff. "It is part of the mediterranean diet to have red wine", I heard my whole life. "In vino veritas", latin for "the truth is in the wine". Sure, sure. Drink up, gamers, good thing your seed is hopefully out of my race pool.

Post: #2296

Two month quick update:

So grateful to be here!

Clarity is still dawning... How bright will the light become?

There's a burning bright energy that's present even when I've felt shitty (I have some kind of cold).

I've gotten my house clean and it took most of the two months. Moving on and I'll keep up with an update from time to time!

Post: #2297

Jumped on the wagon 17th Sept.

I waited until now to post as I'd previously tried to start a wagon a few times over the years but hadn't made it past 3 months.

This thread has been instrumental in reframing how I viewed not drinking. Also in helping me understand how to handle social situations without it.

Thanks to all the posters and LOZ.

Post: #2298

(12-17-2018 06:44 AM)felixio3232 Wrote:  Jumped on the wagon 17th Sept.

I waited until now to post as I'd previously tried to start a wagon a few times over the years but hadn't made it past 3 months.

This thread has been instrumental in reframing how I viewed not drinking. Also in helping me understand how to handle social situations without it.

Thanks to all the posters and LOZ.

I believe that three months is an important milestone. At this stage, the wagon becomes a routine, intrinsic part of your day to day life. It's the point where there's enough distance from your old habits where you begin to feel somewhat comfortable living life without booze, and you also begin to experience some of the major benefits of the wagon. It's also the point some tricky thoughts begin to enter the brain, and if you're not vigilant you may find yourself rationalising "just one drink." Remember that every time you succeed in dismissing an urge, your fame of mind grows a little more resilient. Each tiny success results in a tiny strengthening of your mental frame of mind, and these tiny gains add up to significant gains over time. If you plough on through to the six month mark, you will be equipped with the mental fortitude to comfortably navigate the second half of the wagon.

Congratulations on making it to three months. The best is yet to come.

Post: #2299

428 days without a drink as of tonight.. moving towards dreams that always seemed just out of reach when I was drinking. The grass is greener fellas

Post: #2300

Came for the game talk but just found this thread. I stopped drinking 4 months ago and life has been amazing since.

I have more energy, my mental mood is generally more optimistic and my training gains are the biggest I've ever had in life.

Biggest problem is when on a date, it often stops things. When I say I'm going to have a water, often the girl will choose the "healthier option too" and it's hard to progress.

Has anyone had that problem?