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Sober February (3 Viewers)

Congrats to all of you that made it through.  February was a "light" month for me drinking.  Starting with zero booze for Super Bowl.  I think I probably had under 10 drinks the entire month.  

Poker night for me tonight.  Rather than driving, I'll take Lyft... juuuust in case I want to have more than a couple.  Guess I should probably Lyft regardless, huh?

We'll see how tonight goes, but I've been weaning myself off the sauce for a couple months now.  I don't necessarily get "hangovers", I just feel "blah" the next day.  And that doesn't fly with two active kids, aged 8 and 6.  No sir.

 
rockaction said:
Nah, I was dancing around (in my post) that I was looking for illicit substances to go with booze and a party, basically. 

Not a good deal nor a smart thought. Glad I beat it before anything happened. I thought better of it and I'm glad reason took over. Nice little defining moment there. 
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Understood.  :thumbup:  

 
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Local brew pub shows why Sober February works and March is Katie Bar The Door. They don't even mention March Madness or The Players

 
General Malaise said:
With some good luck, 40 of those will be spent sleeping.  So....89 waking hours only!

And really, 7 of those are working, so that's 35 working hours. 54 prime time drinking hours left!!!!
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You have done an awesome job and frankly, based on the fact you have made it this far, it is a near mortal lock!!

 
Long weekend with the little kids being complete ##### today.  Had a college planning seminar with my oldest, came home to a screaming madhouse, started making my chicken marinade which usually calls for beer, so I cracked one, poured half into the other ingredients and at the apex of a child's hideous scream, I gulped a big slug of an amber brew before dumping the rest in the sink.

So I cracked.  :(

27.5 days without a sip of beer before today's slip.  I will continue on the wagon through Friday but I will be unable to say i made it all the way without cheating.  

But man, that large gulp was glorious!

 
I want to add my congratulations to everyone who tried this. Thanks for all the posts. Whoever mentioned the dreaming... they were right on. As the time ticked by, I was becoming more and more aware of my dreams. Not quite back to my lucid dreaming days, but closer than I've been in a long long time. I don't think I would have connected the two until someone mentioned it up thread. 

I will say I took a detour through the local package store... saw all sorts of awesome looking double IPAs that I was jonesing to try. But I was happy to keep walking. Need to schedule a date night with the wifey and get to some of the new breweries in the area.

 
General Malaise said:
Long weekend with the little kids being complete ##### today.  Had a college planning seminar with my oldest, came home to a screaming madhouse, started making my chicken marinade which usually calls for beer, so I cracked one, poured half into the other ingredients and at the apex of a child's hideous scream, I gulped a big slug of an amber brew before dumping the rest in the sink.

So I cracked.  :(

27.5 days without a sip of beer before today's slip.  I will continue on the wagon through Friday but I will be unable to say i made it all the way without cheating.  

But man, that large gulp was glorious!
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Man, you made sober month...

27.5 rounds up.  

 
Still have two days left for twenty-eight days (Sober February) and four for thirty days, which is what I'm really shooting for (it's the more traditional sobriety measurement of time). I don't think that I can physically handle drinking right now, so it's a little easier for me than most. If I hit the sauce, back to the doctor. I can't do that to myself. 

So...onward and upward, one day at a time, one moment at a time...

 
Reading though this thread has inspired me to give it a go. I'm going to try a sober March. Like many of you I have dealt with fatty liver and elevated ALT, so this is a well needed break. 3 days in and I feel fine. the real test will be next week while they family is off for spring break. We'll see how this whole thing goes... 

 
IrishTwinkie said:
Oh! I was saving my congrats for the last one. I had in my head that GM was the last one over the finish line. Time to get a better notebook, my mental one isn't cutting it.

At this point, 2 days is easy. You got this.
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Ah, no sweat. Just updating, really. Glad you're over the hump, as it were!  

 
Oh boy. I did it. Officially Sober February from 6 A.M. on Feb. sixth until 8:00 A.M. on the sixth of March (and still going....).

I'm hardly as excited as I thought I'd be. For one, I'm sick. Like I have had a massive head cold for days now. I'm missing meetings, appts., etc. Kind of sucks.

Two, all this is doing is serving as a reminder that I couldn't or shouldn't drink anywhere near the levels I once did.

But I am a bit proud. Thanks again for running this, St. Louis Bob, and for those who went through it and updated the thread. I'd like to think that we all kept each other going in some small way.

-RA
 
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rockaction said:
Oh boy. I did it. Officially Sober February from 6 A.M. on Feb. sixth until 8:00 A.M. on the sixth of March (and still going....). 

I'm hardly as excited as I thought I'd be. For one, I'm sick. Like I have a massive head cold for days now. I'm missing meetings, appts., etc. Kind of sucks. 

Two, all this is doing is serving as a reminder that I couldn't or shouldn't drink anywhere near the levels I once did. 

But I am a bit proud. Thanks again for running this St. Louis Bob, and for those who went through it and updated the thread. I'd like to think that we all kept each other going in some small way.

-RA
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:hifive:

Proud of you, man.  Been doing some reading this month on alcoholism and problem drinking and trying to figure out what bucket I belong in.  Taking a break for 30 days was not hard for me; not physically and really not socially either.  An alcoholic - going by the clinical definition - can't do that easily.  The body is physically dependant on alcohol so giving it up is hard and often requires medical supervision.  

But problem drinking?  Yeah, I can fit a lot of those descriptors and I'm not very proud of that.  I have GOT to learn how to become a moderate drinker who doesn't over serve himself and cause problems.  Because I'm not ready to just quit forever.  Perhaps one day I will, but not today.  If I can't become a more disciplined drinker then I absolutely will need to consider cutting it out for good.  It's not worth it.  Physically it takes a toll and I don't want to depart the earth too early or in agony because I couldn't moderate myself when all the warning signs were present (and they are).  It takes a toll emotionally too.  Heavy drinking has caused me to think some really dark, troubling things over the years and those thoughts were completely vanished this past month.  My relationship with my wife has vastly improved too, so really, the net benefits of being off the sauce - even for just a brief amount of time - have been tangible. 

I do think I'm done with heavy IPAs unless I'm out to dinner or somebody hands me one at a party or something.  I won't buy them for the house anymore and I will look for an alternative if I'm at the bar.  Those things wreck my stomach and my digestion has been much improved without them.  They are tasty, but my god, at 7-8% ABV, I don't need them.  I'm also going to try to implement a curfew for alcohol.  No more night caps.  No more late night bourbon or scotch.  9pm, the tea kettle is on and I'm having my chai, ginger fire tea.  More exercise too.  I've logged probably 70-80 miles walking since Feb 4th, so I'm going to keep that up too and will hopefully start jogging again.  

Regardless of all that above and no matter where I am in life after Super Bowl LIII, I'm doing this again at a bare minimum.  It's been a huge plus in my life and it's been great to log in here and use this as a diary of sorts.  The support from you guys has been awesome too.  And while my man Rock is going to keep on keeping on, I'm down to 52 hours on my quest!  52 hours from right now, I'll be polishing off the at least some of beer that's been sitting in my man-cave fridge since Super Bowl Sunday.  

 

 
General Malaise said:
:hifive:

Proud of you, man.  Been doing some reading this month on alcoholism and problem drinking and trying to figure out what bucket I belong in.  Taking a break for 30 days was not hard for me; not physically and really not socially either.  An alcoholic - going by the clinical definition - can't do that easily.  The body is physically dependant on alcohol so giving it up is hard and often requires medical supervision.  

But problem drinking?  Yeah, I can fit a lot of those descriptors and I'm not very proud of that.  I have GOT to learn how to become a moderate drinker who doesn't over serve himself and cause problems.  Because I'm not ready to just quit forever.  Perhaps one day I will, but not today.  If I can't become a more disciplined drinker then I absolutely will need to consider cutting it out for good.  It's not worth it.  Physically it takes a toll and I don't want to depart the earth too early or in agony because I couldn't moderate myself when all the warning signs were present (and they are).  It takes a toll emotionally too.  Heavy drinking has caused me to think some really dark, troubling things over the years and those thoughts were completely vanished this past month.  My relationship with my wife has vastly improved too, so really, the net benefits of being off the sauce - even for just a brief amount of time - have been tangible. 

I do think I'm done with heavy IPAs unless I'm out to dinner or somebody hands me one at a party or something.  I won't buy them for the house anymore and I will look for an alternative if I'm at the bar.  Those things wreck my stomach and my digestion has been much improved without them.  They are tasty, but my god, at 7-8% ABV, I don't need them.  I'm also going to try to implement a curfew for alcohol.  No more night caps.  No more late night bourbon or scotch.  9pm, the tea kettle is on and I'm having my chai, ginger fire tea.  More exercise too.  I've logged probably 70-80 miles walking since Feb 4th, so I'm going to keep that up too and will hopefully start jogging again.  

Regardless of all that above and no matter where I am in life after Super Bowl LIII, I'm doing this again at a bare minimum.  It's been a huge plus in my life and it's been great to log in here and use this as a diary of sorts.  The support from you guys has been awesome too.  And while my man Rock is going to keep on keeping on, I'm down to 52 hours on my quest!  52 hours from right now, I'll be polishing off the at least some of beer that's been sitting in my man-cave fridge since Super Bowl Sunday.  

 
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:hifive:

Awww yeah, GB. I'm glad this has worked out well for you. I'm glad you'll be able to head off any future issues at the pass; it would be a shame if alcohol cut your quality of life short, whether that be physically or emotionally. 

Logging and and keeping a diary/journal was huge for me also. It takes away some of the self-denial that a problem drinker/alcoholic such as myself goes through. Those are stark words set to print, and they never erase. I'm fine with that.  

But it's good to hear that life changes are coming and I wish you the best regarding them. Don't hesitate to post in here or PM me -- any of you -- if stuff feels like it's getting away. I am not a counselor nor qualified to act in a clinical way, but if you need an ear, I'm here.  

 
:lmao:

I was one steering wheel turn away from going to the bar just now and ordering a beer as I kill an hour waiting on my son to get a filling at the dentis. Not even an hour after I wrote what i did.  Jesus...

Went to a coffee shop instead.  32 days.  Not 30.  Eye on the prize...

 
nirad3 said:
I haven't been participating, but have found that I'm just not enjoying drinking as much as I used to.

I went out Saturday, after having a couple vodka drinks at home, and only had 2 drinks at my watering hole.  Just felt like going home and watching TV in bed.... around 11pm-ish.

Going out Friday, playing some poker... we'll see how things pan out then.  I wouldn't be shocked if I called it an early night again.
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Get off my lawn!!

 
I did drink at our annual family and friends party after a month off. 

My issue has always been like GM when I go out for the night and am having a good time I will come home and pour 4 fingers of bourbon for a nightcap while reading or checking e-mail whatever.  Totally unnecessary...the same with the high alcohol content beers.

From here on in it will be only Miller, Bud or Coors lite for me. I am not a beer snob and enjoy lite beer..plus I don`t get nearly as drunk or hungover when I just drink lite beer only.

 
Da Guru said:
Get off my lawn!!
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Bah!  I ended up having a good 8-9 beers and some smokey-smokey that night.  Was up nicely in poker and then blew it.   :sadbanana:

Going out again this coming Friday.  Headed out to watch some hoops.  Will likely be home early though as I have my daughter's soccer game at 9am Saturday... gahhh...

 
Day 7 here... Has been pretty easy actually, no real cravings. I've also started back on a Keto diet. Have my yearly check up first week of April, so i'm really hoping all my levels are within range.

 
tuffnutt said:
Day 7 here... Has been pretty easy actually, no real cravings. I've also started back on a Keto diet. Have my yearly check up first week of April, so i'm really hoping all my levels are within range.
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Bolded: Nice. 

Italicized: Good luck. I do a weigh-in on the 11th of March. I hope I've lost some weight.  

 
Firing up a Sober September.  Tough with football starting, but it must be done!  February was such a long long time ago. 

 
General Malaise said:
Long weekend with the little kids being complete ##### today.  Had a college planning seminar with my oldest, came home to a screaming madhouse, started making my chicken marinade which usually calls for beer, so I cracked one, poured half into the other ingredients and at the apex of a child's hideous scream, I gulped a big slug of an amber brew before dumping the rest in the sink.

So I cracked.  :(

27.5 days without a sip of beer before today's slip.  I will continue on the wagon through Friday but I will be unable to say i made it all the way without cheating.  

But man, that large gulp was glorious!
Click to expand...
too bad it didn't call for a tequila marinate

 
Jaysus said:
I fully intend on finishing my sober February today: unless plans change, it will be my 28th day in 2019 without a drink. Thanks for the continued support GBs.
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Dammit. I still have thee weeks to go.

 
Arizona Ron said:
I committed to doing Sober October again this year.  I might start early though, it was a rough summer.  :banned: :headbang: :banned: :hangover:
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I’m in if some of you guys are. And I’ll gladly start now. A rough summer indeed. 

Who’s in for Sober Oktober?  Like Oktoberfest, it actually starts in September (ie now?). 

 
Well, I figure this is as good a place to put this as any.  My little (and only) sister entered an in-patient treatment facility today.  She's going to be gone a while, at least through the end of this month.  I'm proud of her for admitting she needs help and we will support her as best we can.  I do have concerns about the effectiveness of this (not to mention the cost) but that's not why we here.  There's some family counseling that we're being asked to attend, and I'll be there for her, as will my dad and probably my wife.  She's got two teen sons and an ex-husband (who has been nothing but supportive and I'm proud to still call him a friend) who will also be rooting her on the come out of this a better person.  

So in solidarity with her, I'm taking November off of booze with two small caveats.  1)  There's a costume party we're going to Saturday and we don't get invited to many parties, so we're going and many of the other guests are insufferable, so I'll likely numb my brain with beer and 2)  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year and I'm not about to give up my morning mimosas as I cook my bird and various side dishes.  To make up for the caveats, I will tack on 2 extra days in December.  

This thread was extremely helpful when I did this in Feb, so even if this turns into an empty vacuum chamber for my posts and ramblings, that's fine.  It'll help me stay accountable.  

 
General Malaise said:
Well, I figure this is as good a place to put this as any.  My little (and only) sister entered an in-patient treatment facility today.  She's going to be gone a while, at least through the end of this month.  I'm proud of her for admitting she needs help and we will support her as best we can.  I do have concerns about the effectiveness of this (not to mention the cost) but that's not why we here.  There's some family counseling that we're being asked to attend, and I'll be there for her, as will my dad and probably my wife.  She's got two teen sons and an ex-husband (who has been nothing but supportive and I'm proud to still call him a friend) who will also be rooting her on the come out of this a better person.  

So in solidarity with her, I'm taking November off of booze with two small caveats.  1)  There's a costume party we're going to Saturday and we don't get invited to many parties, so we're going and many of the other guests are insufferable, so I'll likely numb my brain with beer and 2)  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year and I'm not about to give up my morning mimosas as I cook my bird and various side dishes.  To make up for the caveats, I will tack on 2 extra days in December.  

This thread was extremely helpful when I did this in Feb, so even if this turns into an empty vacuum chamber for my posts and ramblings, that's fine.  It'll help me stay accountable.  
Click to expand...
Best of luck to your sister and family.

It sounds like she has a core group there for support...which is really important.  

 
General Malaise said:
Well, I figure this is as good a place to put this as any.  My little (and only) sister entered an in-patient treatment facility today.  She's going to be gone a while, at least through the end of this month.  I'm proud of her for admitting she needs help and we will support her as best we can.  I do have concerns about the effectiveness of this (not to mention the cost) but that's not why we here.  There's some family counseling that we're being asked to attend, and I'll be there for her, as will my dad and probably my wife.  She's got two teen sons and an ex-husband (who has been nothing but supportive and I'm proud to still call him a friend) who will also be rooting her on the come out of this a better person.  

So in solidarity with her, I'm taking November off of booze with two small caveats.  1)  There's a costume party we're going to Saturday and we don't get invited to many parties, so we're going and many of the other guests are insufferable, so I'll likely numb my brain with beer and 2)  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year and I'm not about to give up my morning mimosas as I cook my bird and various side dishes.  To make up for the caveats, I will tack on 2 extra days in December.  

This thread was extremely helpful when I did this in Feb, so even if this turns into an empty vacuum chamber for my posts and ramblings, that's fine.  It'll help me stay accountable.  
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Best of luck to your sister, GM.

 
Whelp, I made good use of my last weekend on the sauce.  Went to a party Saturday and got pretty loaded.  Then woke up early yesterday and had my first beer at 9am.  Wasn't may last.  :bag:

But that's that.  Stocked up on kombucha and club soda for the week.  Instructed the bartenders at my favorite watering hole that I'm cut off this month.  Club soda and lime only.  I told my family and friends so they can help keep me accountable.  

My sister emailed us on Saturday.   She spent her first two days in detox and blew a .295 when she got there.  She got drunk the morning she went into the treatment center and says she's been drinking 2-3 bottles of wine a day over the last few years.  She's also been gorging on junk food and fast food and put on a ton of weight.  No judging as I have my own weight issues, but I'm hoping she takes full advantage of this recovery and makes permanent healthy lifestyle choices.  

This has been General Malaise for YouTube Sober November

 
General Malaise said:
My sister emailed us on Saturday.   She spent her first two days in detox and blew a .295 when she got there.  She got drunk the morning she went into the treatment center and says she's been drinking 2-3 bottles of wine a day over the last few years.  She's also been gorging on junk food and fast food and put on a ton of weight.  No judging as I have my own weight issues, but I'm hoping she takes full advantage of this recovery and makes permanent healthy lifestyle choices.
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The first time I went into outpatient rehab, I had to get rides there and turn over my keys every day to the admin staff, who tested for booze. People do indeed do this. The very act of going means she knows she needs help, which is a huge step in it of its own. It may take a time or two (by this, I mean the whole rehab endeavor) for it to really settle in. The adjustment she is making is incredibly difficult from a physiological/biological point of view. I hadn't realized how my body was completely dependent and affected until I had been sober for half a year. It still is changing every day.

This won't be easy. That's a lot of wine for an average-sized woman. Speaking of which, she's killing junk food right now because of the loss of all the sugar and the nervous habit of always ingesting. It's normal.

Best of luck to her. I just figured I'd chime in because I can fully relate to going to the clinic totally drunk. It's not a sign of flippancy. It's a sign of pure dependence and the ownership of alcohol over your life.

Peace. 

 
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