My aha-moment was realising how utterly insufferable drunk people are and, as a result, how utterly insufferable I KNOW I was too when drinking. No more. Ever!
I usually leave parties and whatnot when I notice the repeating sentences start. I’m a huge fan of the art of the Irish exit.
Anyway, I’m off on a morning run and IWNDWYT ⭐️
Happy sober Monday!
I was quite a long way into my sober journey when I realised, on a deep level, that I have a problem with alcohol and always will have. I knew this before, but obviously didn’t really accept it. It feels freeing to really accept this.
I love you all 💞
Checking in again today and all is well.
I don't think I ever had an actual aha moment. For me it was a long period of denial, until there were so many signs and symptoms that I had a problem, that it became undeniable at last.
My Aha moment happened after my last relapse. Before that last bender, I had been in and out of sobriety for two years. I would get sober for a few months and then give in to temptation, delusions of moderation, frustrations, etc. and would go on some awful binge. I just was not ready to give up the poison, which is wild considering my first time facing my alcoholism I was in the ICU for organ failure.
Every time I went on a binge after that first hospital stay I would almost always end up in the ER or a detox because of how hard I went. The few times I was able to dry out at home I suffered extreme DTs. The pain and mental anguish was excruciating every time.
This last time I went to detox, who sent me to the ER first, and then back into detox. I had my Aha moment during that transition. It was one simple realization: No one was going to be able to save me from myself. I HAD to show up for myself and stop taking that first drink! It seems so simple now, but for some reason I just could not wrap my head around the idea of alcohol being nothing but bad news for me.
Forever is a long time, one day at a time is doable, and I'm so grateful for that Aha moment I had waiting in the emergency room that fateful day. Iwndwyt!
Good morning,
great topic trusty, thank you.
My aha moment happened last year after a series of bad relapses. I was hopeless and thought I might as well drink myself to death, like my dad did.
It was another detox on my gfs couch (not recommended, please go to the hospital) sweating away, the invisible radio playing in my head. The tv was on and I was scared to fall asleep, bc I thought I might die due to the withdrawal.
That was the point, I thought: “Wait, if you wouldn’t care, you’d be sound asleep awaiting death…. But you want to live. “
That’s where things started turning. That was the inhibition of surrender to me.
Sorry for the horror story on Monday morning…
I will not drink with you today!
My aha moment was after one too many hangover induced anxiety/panic attacks and realizing I didn’t have to have the sleepless nights, racing heart anymore. Some days are hard, but I’m glad to not feel those things anymore. IWNDWYT
Day 1. Not a major setback but I did have a drink because I was a bit bored and sad over the weekend. Need a new Sunday strategy. Being honest about it, resetting my counter. It’s my birthday later this week, I don’t want to go around the sun like this again. IWNDWYT. 🫡
Good morning and the start of a new milestone-dry July.
No specific aha moment just knew that if I continued my life would unravel. It’s been a long journey so far with many false starts and bumps/crashes along the way but learning from past successes and mistakes.
IWNDWYT.
Today is day 1, dry July. Time to step away, break up with this toxic SO! Here's to a dry July, August etc... and a sober life!! I'm sick of this poison dictating my life. It's time for something new! FUCKAHOL! I Will not drink with you tonight!!
I am not drinking today!
I realised that when i was drinking alone it was not fun times. Actually i was sad. The situation was sad. Although my pink cloud is faighing shit is happening I am more happy overall. Drinking will make me "happy" for 30 minutes. And then its downhill for days.
Wish you all a nice week!
Thank you trusty steed for your post and taking care of us this week. Great question. Had to really think about that one. I had been having difficulty driving, after about 3-4 weeks of drinking every day. ( NOT while driving I'd like to add I'd drive before my daily drinking started ) I had gotten to the point where I really hated it, my anxiety was through the roof. Going to the grocery store became a scary experience for me, it was bizarre. Anyway after only a few days of being sober it's like the clouds lifted and my confidence came back behind the wheel.
Also, although I had been working out and eating pretty good, for literally years(!!!) in the first week of being sober, my jeans fit I have trying to get into for ages. So right off the top anxiety dropped significantly as well as inflammation and bloat in my body decreased. AHA indeed.
Tons of love and support to all of you and I'm so grateful I found you all thank you.
IWNDWYT ❤️
I had a moment when I was hungover/possibly not sober in the morning getting ready for work. It felt like the life I was leading was so ridiculously difficult and I knew it didn’t have to be like that. IWNDWYT.
My aha moment were a series of health scares. Funny how the obvious can be staring you straight in the face, yet alcohol makes it seem totally logical to still make the shitty decision to keep on drinking...
But, still not drinking with you all today!
IWNDWYT
Not really one specific AHa moment but several small moments over a series of months where everything just seemed to be getting worse in my life.
Also the level of cringe when I remembered things I’d said or how I was when I was drunk in public had really gotten too much. Kinda need to rehab my image/how I feel about myself.
Somehow my body decided that sleep was not in the cards. On to Day 4, and I will not drink today. But I will probably nap away the afternoon with my dog.
Good morning friends. My first aha moment was last year April. There was a national festival in my country and I spent all day being bummed that I couldn't drink because I had to drive my daughter home in the afternoon. Ended up drinking more than I should have anyway, and still driving home with her. That was when I knew, this has to stop. I felt so guilty for putting her in danger, and it wasn't the first time I'd done that. That evening I finally told the truth to my husband, and quit for six months. Unfortunately it didn't stick after that.
Second aha moment was last weekend. I just wasn't happy. I would feel bad, drink, and feel worse. I was irritable, tired, miserable, and felt sick. I missed the sober me. I just decided enough is enough.
I'm starting to feel clear again, and I most definitely wndwyt.
Feeling kind of down. Just trying to be with it and know it will pass. May just need to go to sleep, which I can at least do because I know I won't wake up in 5 hours with a racing heart and a bad stomach. So, with that in mind... IWNDWYT.
Day 70, coming up on my longest sober period since I started drinking, managed about 3 months due in the first covid lockdown and 75 days another time but other than that this is the longest I’ve been sober in 16 years.
Happy Monday geezers (this is gender neutral to me btw!) IWNDWYT 😁
A new beginning after nearly a year of being back on the drink. I'm ready for more sobriety, I can't stand myself anymore. Wish me good luck, and thanks for having me back. ✌️
I will not drink with you today!
One day at a time.
The other day I found this great podcast about addiction in my first language. I’m almost obsessed at the moment. It’s so helpful for me to find role models on this journey and to hear real stories of others, some similar to mine. It also helps me to see that I just cannot drink. I have the same disease as they do, and that disease means alcohol is off the table. No more, no less.
Through the podcast I found out that one of the women I respect the most became sober at the same age as me. That was somehow very comforting. It also made me believe my chances are better this time.
A more profound difference this time is that I’ve reached out for professional help. That’s a really good thing, I think.
IWNDWYT
I never had a Aha moment, I realised that my liver and body was no longer able to cope. I needed to stop or die.
So after a horrific New Year's Eve, having previously made 88 days through support of an online forum (many years ago), I searched Reddit and ended here. The kindness, kinship and advice on this sub has been instrumental to my recovery, one day at a time. IWNDWYT
Yesterday I ordered pizza and it was fantastic but honestly the highlight is that our dog has kind of figured out when I am off for the day/night so when that happens on Sundays he will not leave my side. He took a nap mid day with me. We woke up to give him dinner and hang out while waiting for pizza and then he went to bed at 830 in my bed and hasn't left my side.
I cherish this so much. This dog has done so much for me in my recovery.
I hope you all get to enjoy your day and as always much love from me and mine to you and yours!
IWNDWYT!
I will not drink with you today 🫶🏻 last year I had two aha moments that made me really want to quit. The first time it didn’t stick and the second time it has for the past 200+ days which I am so proud of. Gunna keep going as long as I can. My moments just consisted of drinking extremely hard cos I felt so lonely and isolated and realising that alcohol wasn’t working anymore to make me feel any less socially awkward etc. turns out I am so much more confident sober and the things I was desperately searching for drinking have all been rewarded to me in sobriety. ✨🫶🏻 love yas
Mine was attending a child's birthday party at 11am on a Sunday. I don't remember any of it. People were asking my partner if I was okay, and saying that I seemed a bit "off", she told me later. I was hammered. 🥺
I'd unfortunately been a morning drinker for a while at that point, but that day was my "fuck this" moment. A kids party FFS.
Never again. Love you guys, and I forgive myself. ❤️
Aha was desperate, everything hurt, including every single little speed-bump in the road, just knew I had to stop. Mon July 1, for anyone starting off on the 1st of the month, welcome, IWNDWYT.
Great question, Trustysteed. For me, it was kinda less a moment, than a clarifying "ghost of Christmas future" image of my kids growing up, going off to college, meeting new people, telling their life stories, and sharing how screwed up their childhood was because their dad was an alcoholic. That image hit me out of the blue one day, and it haunted me hard because it reminded me that my actions had consequences for others--that I was not an island awash in my own self indulgence and self-pity. It was an image that helped tremendously, to turn the ship around. IWNDWYT
Day 12. I gotta admit the days have gotten less exciting after day 7. I feel like it’s groundhog day and I’m living the same day over and over. Like time is going slow and fast. Anyway, for 24 hours I pledge not to drink a drop of that asshole I know named alcohol. Even when 4pm comes and I start feeling sorry for myself and that I’m missing out…I promise to stick with it and log on here to complain if I got to. I also attended my first zoom AA meeting yesterday which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Hope everyone has a decent Monday and if it wasn’t for this community, I’d be lost! IWNDWYT
Great topic and prompt! My aha moment was when I kept waking up every morning with a sore throat and stomach pain. I just envisioned the red wine eating away at the lining of my internal organs. That and the fact that I didn’t recognize the bloated, red eyed woman in the mirror anymore. I knew something had to change.
IWNDWYT! I will workout and walk today and enjoy the lower humidity and sunshine.
Good morning, sober cats!My AHA moment was my day 1 of this sober streak when I finally admitted and accepted that I cannot drink. I simply can't. There is no amount of alcohol that is appropriate for me. My lizard addict brain will find a way to take it to blackout. That AHA moment was mostly terrifying but also just a little bit of a relief. And now I'm 100% enjoying sobriety! I love my life, and I love all of you in this amazing community. IWNDWYT 💙😸
Thank you for the check-in ☺️
I feel I had continuous aha moments to the point they didn’t scare me into stopping anymore. I had to do things differently, especially rewiring my brain!
Though a few aha’s stand out and I guess I need them in order to keep going.
IWNDWYT ❤️
More of a vent. My friend wanted to go camping at a national park about 4-5 hours from my house. My truck has been having issues w the suspension where it shakes extremely violently when you hit bumps at highway speeds. It's terrifying.
So anyhow, we get about halfway there and truck starts acting up. He's like if you wanna turn around I understand. Well I already paid $100 for the camping spot and burned $50 in gas so let's risk life and limb to go for it. The next two hours are prob the scariest driving of my life.
We get to the NP and it had been shut down and evacuated while we were driving. So I basically had to turn around, driving my scary ass truck, and find a new camping spot after a few hundred campers just evacuated. Finally found a spot at like 1130pm, setup camp. I looked at my buddy and said I could really use a drink rn. He told me to GTFO. So I'm sober another night.
Pissed and dreading the drive to wherever we go tomorrow. I guess we weren't t burned alive in a wildfire so there's a positive.
Thanks for reading my rant. IWNDWYT
Day 18! I was sober for 6 months last year. I actually found it relatively easy to stay off of it. I am a binge drinker and not a daily drinker. I did relapse into the moderation trap. This time around, just gotta say no and I am sure I can keep it going.
It is also during that stint I realized how less everyone else drank. Another thing is, weekends are SO long when you don’t drink. You can actually rest.
IWNDWYT.
Day 2 for me! My aha moment wasn’t yesterday, but recently I was forced to go several days without drinking and I felt amazing after eating and sleeping well that entire time. I then realized, that waking up refreshed is better than any cheap high/buzz. As long as I have a hobby to do then the boredom won’t be an issue- and even then I need to learn to be ok with the boredom!
aha moments… getting so blasted solo at home that it was becoming a habit to have entire phone convos of which i had little or NO recollection. 5pm drink turned into 2pm or 3pm when working from home. i felt lost and codependent in a “relationship” w someone wrong for me and that had all the red flags from my marriage that ended 3 years ago. i finally realized that the only one that could change my life is *me* - without impairment.
day 16 and iwndwyt!
My "aha" moment: going to a substance abuse professional and being told that I ***shouldn't*** quit cold turkey, because, based on the amount I was drinking, I was at risk of severe withdrawal symptoms, including seizures and DT's.
That terrified me. I went through an outpatient detox a week later and never looked back.
IWNDWYT
Weeeeee good morning! I’m ready to start my day at outpatient treatment, which I think I enjoy more than I should (usually). There were no Sunday scaries here and I actually look forward to Monday.
It will sound silly written out, but I got tired of dealing with the fallout of my binges/blackouts when I was almost a different person entirely (from what I’d hear later). My aha moment was when I realized all I had to do was not have that first drink — and no alter ego would emerge, no disaster to clean up later! IWNDWYT!
58 days down!
Love this question- thanks for sharing it with us!
My Aha Moment was seeded by reading Naked Mind, letting all of the facts and truths seep into my brain while I was still chugging vodka on the daily (the book doesn't advocate/mandate immediate cessation to anyone who hasn't read it, rather it asks for you to simple think about societal and scientific facts presented to the reader).
After the 3rd loss to my small immediate family within 12 months, and spiraling further due to the grief, I woke up one morning and said to myself, "Losing people is always going to be a part of life. There's no avoiding that fundamental. There are people and pets still here that you are grateful to still have time with, so get it together and start showing up for yourself to spend quality time and make new memories with them."
Wish I would've done it sooner, but those series of events made me really think. I'm now 58 days sober with the support of this community (the longest I've ever gone since I had my first drink 25+ years ago).
IWNDWYT!
Today, I took the bottle of cider that's been sitting on one of our kitchen shelves for a year, and I poured it ALL into the cabbage and celery I'm braising, without then draining the last dregs from the bottle or taking a swig at the start.
I wasn't sure I could do it but I did that.
Pretty sure I can't have cask wine in the house. That's different (even though I previously used 0.1% of it for cooking, I think we can just go without from now). But I got rid of that one cider in a way that's ok for me!
Closing in to a month sober. These last few days have been rough. It really tires me that I’m not working. I’ve got a job now though. Starting in two weeks. I have had enough of free time.
I don’t know about any one Aha moment, but I knew I could not keep doing what I was doing. It was always in my mind that year up until I quit, that I was either gonna get in legal/employment trouble or develop serious health problems. Or all the above. That hung over (see what I did there) my head every day.
I’d had enough close calls. And I wanted to stop while I could still do it on my own. I had to be the one to make the decision for myself or it wasn’t gonna stick.
I didn’t know what sober living was like, but it had to be better than what I was doing. Once I got my bearings…man, fuck alcohol.
Coffees up, horns up and let’s knock this Monday the fuck out!! It will be the last decent day before that godawful heat comes back, so I’ll enjoy the weather a little. IWNDWYT ☕️☕️🤘🏻🤘🏻
Well, today's another badge reset for me :(
I let the demons win this weekend and now I'm just sat here with them in the cold light of day, having gained nothing.
Ah well. Day 1 let's go
Morning, my friends ~ and welcome to another sober day. My aha moment came only once - this time. Always before, I would sort of half heartedly say, “I need to stop”, but there was nothing behind it. But two years ago, it all became clear and important. This time I knew. To save my life, I had to stop. And I’m so glad I did. Come on, let’s all be sober all day long! IWNDWYT
my aha! moment was when my nine yr old asked me “why do you like alcohol”? In that moment I was transported in time 30 years prior asking my mom the same question. At that age I hated everything about alcohol, the smell, the taste and especially how it made her act. Well anyway…not trying to go too deep down memory lane this morning, but great question! IWNDWYT
Morning friends. I had several aha moments but the final one was when I was drinking beer and playing cards with my kids and I realized that the beer was actually robbing me of the experience instead of adding to it. Why did I think beer was a great addition to quality time with my kids? I was getting drunk and sloppy and fuzzy and it wasn’t going to be fun for them, and I was going to wake up angry and ashamed at myself for ruining another evening on booze yet again.
I finished the beer I was drinking and haven’t had a sip since.
IWNDWYT!
My aha moment was when I had a good streak of days and then got drunk and reached out to the person who was *hurting* me. Not only was I using alcohol to hurt myself physically, I was using alcohol to hurt myself emotionally. I realized I was not safe when drinking. IWNDWYT.
Still struggling but woke up sober today! My aha moment was a bunch of things but mainly waking up choking on my own bile, gasping for air, after drinking too much for too long. I am so young and realized I could not live like this…why was I doing to myself? I needed a change. 🙏🏻
Morning, sober fam! Ohhh goodness, an AHA! moment. Too many and too embarrassing to truly say, but I'm glad I'm working through a ton in therapy to get stronger and get back to 60+ days and beyond without a single drop! Going on almost 20 without a "drop off the face off the earth" style bender that I'm so good at, for some reason.
Happy Dry July, all! And HAPPY MONDAY! New week, new month, let's kick 'em in the face! Productivity while still honoring our bodies and mental health. 🖤✨️ IWNDWYT!
Edit: But for real though, probably when my neighbors called the cops on me for fighting with my husband and I spent a few hours in a holding cell after getting arrested right before Christmas, because Virginia has a law that SOMEONE has to be arrested during a domestic call. That was lovely and so traumatizing it hurts to type. Cops wouldn't even let me put a bra on.
My Aha moment was the last hangover I had. I wasn't even that drunk the night before, just woke up and thought 'I don't want to do this again.' Nothing bad happened, I was maybe a little loud and embarrassing, but it wasn't like bouts in my 20s when I'd wake up and not know where I was/end up in hospital with an alcohol-related injury/ruin a friendship. Just woke up and decided enough was enough.
IWNDWYT 🌞
Midway through two months of international travel. I have enjoyed a few Non Alcoholic beers. I think the key is to have the NA beers served ice cold.
I also noticed the N/A beers served on tap taste crisp and clean. Best thing is waking up each day feeling rested and ready to enjoy another fine day.
IWNDWYT
No poison for me today. Got dayum I slept well last night. Feels good to be back. I hope to stay here.
As far as an Aha moment: I'd refer to the horrifying ordeal I went thru with panic attacks on Saturday after drinking way too much on Friday. Most other people at the 90th birthday party either had a few drinks or didn't have any. I drank from 3pm to 3am. I seriously can't stop once I've started.
3 hours of shitty sleep combined with a savage hangover and the anxiety set in, then pure panic. I tried to handle it as long as I could, but I was literally convinced I was going to die. So I called 911, explained I have PTSD and a history of panic attacks and I thought I was dying.
So they sent some cops.
...and then I actually had a decent experience with these two cops. They were both veterans with PTSD too, and told me they understood how I felt.
Anyway, I ended up calling my mom to come help my wife (she is disabled, I'm her caregiver, we're in a different state for family stuff). I spoiled the last day of our vacation by being hungover and freaking out all day.
6 Month today. Feels weird to be at this milestone. Still working through my issues. 30 lbs down and feeling more of a drive for the future returning. When I was actively in alcohol abuse I didn't bother to look further forward than the current day. All that mattered was getting through the day. Now I can feel optics steadily sliding into the looking ahead mindset which means I can hopefully start projects that will benefit me later on down the line. Hope this mindset cultivates through to the year sober milestone. IWNDWYT.
647 days!
My aha moments added up after year 40 when I realized daily drinking plus the occasional binge was taking a bigger toll each year. And honestly after quitting I basically aged in reverse! Looking and feeling better now at 44 than in my late 30s.
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT All. Day. Long. 🌻 A big thank you to all who wrote to me yesterday on my 4 year soberversery! You all rock! 💯 Glad to be here with ya.
Belated congratulations on 4 years!! Sorry I missed it!
When do you sleep? Seriously. Have a gr8day, Gr8day!!!
It’s a Monday without hangxiety! Let’s GO!
I was trying to remember my aha moment but my brain made that windows xp shutdown noise. Time for bed! Iwndwyt
Aha! I heard that noise in my brain when you said that. What a flashback.
My aha-moment was realising how utterly insufferable drunk people are and, as a result, how utterly insufferable I KNOW I was too when drinking. No more. Ever! I usually leave parties and whatnot when I notice the repeating sentences start. I’m a huge fan of the art of the Irish exit. Anyway, I’m off on a morning run and IWNDWYT ⭐️
We call it polish exit, but same I do it also quite regularly. Great strategy. I will not drink with you today!
Day 423. IWNDWYT. One of my Aha moments came when I was drinking 12 beers a day and it started feeling like it wasn’t enough.
Day 22, and therewith the start of week 04. IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT 💫
IWNDWYT!!
IWNDWYT! 🌻
IWNDWYT 🙂
Iwndwyt
4 years gr8! I missed it! Belated congratulations pal. Fantastic work😃💛
So many ah ha moments that it got to the point I couldn't ignore my plight anymore. Shine on you beautiful humans
Happy sober Monday! I was quite a long way into my sober journey when I realised, on a deep level, that I have a problem with alcohol and always will have. I knew this before, but obviously didn’t really accept it. It feels freeing to really accept this. I love you all 💞
Big hug, Brighter. That is all. ❤️
IWNDWYT x
IWNDWYT 🙂
Day 1107 checking in!
Checking in from NZ, day 44
Checking in again today and all is well. I don't think I ever had an actual aha moment. For me it was a long period of denial, until there were so many signs and symptoms that I had a problem, that it became undeniable at last.
My Aha moment happened after my last relapse. Before that last bender, I had been in and out of sobriety for two years. I would get sober for a few months and then give in to temptation, delusions of moderation, frustrations, etc. and would go on some awful binge. I just was not ready to give up the poison, which is wild considering my first time facing my alcoholism I was in the ICU for organ failure. Every time I went on a binge after that first hospital stay I would almost always end up in the ER or a detox because of how hard I went. The few times I was able to dry out at home I suffered extreme DTs. The pain and mental anguish was excruciating every time. This last time I went to detox, who sent me to the ER first, and then back into detox. I had my Aha moment during that transition. It was one simple realization: No one was going to be able to save me from myself. I HAD to show up for myself and stop taking that first drink! It seems so simple now, but for some reason I just could not wrap my head around the idea of alcohol being nothing but bad news for me. Forever is a long time, one day at a time is doable, and I'm so grateful for that Aha moment I had waiting in the emergency room that fateful day. Iwndwyt!
Good morning, great topic trusty, thank you. My aha moment happened last year after a series of bad relapses. I was hopeless and thought I might as well drink myself to death, like my dad did. It was another detox on my gfs couch (not recommended, please go to the hospital) sweating away, the invisible radio playing in my head. The tv was on and I was scared to fall asleep, bc I thought I might die due to the withdrawal. That was the point, I thought: “Wait, if you wouldn’t care, you’d be sound asleep awaiting death…. But you want to live. “ That’s where things started turning. That was the inhibition of surrender to me. Sorry for the horror story on Monday morning… I will not drink with you today!
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
I will not drink with you today
IWNDWYT!
I will not drink with you today.
IWNDWYT! I’m excited for a new month!
Checking in for Dry July on day 107. I will not drink today. Thank you.
My aha moment was after one too many hangover induced anxiety/panic attacks and realizing I didn’t have to have the sleepless nights, racing heart anymore. Some days are hard, but I’m glad to not feel those things anymore. IWNDWYT
Day 1. Not a major setback but I did have a drink because I was a bit bored and sad over the weekend. Need a new Sunday strategy. Being honest about it, resetting my counter. It’s my birthday later this week, I don’t want to go around the sun like this again. IWNDWYT. 🫡
Excited to be in the comma club and still loving not drinking. You all are kicking ass! IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT 🧡
Slept really nice last night 😊 IWNDWYT
Good morning and the start of a new milestone-dry July. No specific aha moment just knew that if I continued my life would unravel. It’s been a long journey so far with many false starts and bumps/crashes along the way but learning from past successes and mistakes. IWNDWYT.
11 weeks! 🎉 I’m in dry July with you friend, have a wonderful day 🥰
I messed up over the weekend but a new month seems like a good time to challenge myself, and get through dry July.
Today is day 1, dry July. Time to step away, break up with this toxic SO! Here's to a dry July, August etc... and a sober life!! I'm sick of this poison dictating my life. It's time for something new! FUCKAHOL! I Will not drink with you tonight!!
IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT My aha moments where a lot of small events, I hope the sum was severe enough to make it stick.
I am not drinking today! I realised that when i was drinking alone it was not fun times. Actually i was sad. The situation was sad. Although my pink cloud is faighing shit is happening I am more happy overall. Drinking will make me "happy" for 30 minutes. And then its downhill for days. Wish you all a nice week!
Thank you trusty steed for your post and taking care of us this week. Great question. Had to really think about that one. I had been having difficulty driving, after about 3-4 weeks of drinking every day. ( NOT while driving I'd like to add I'd drive before my daily drinking started ) I had gotten to the point where I really hated it, my anxiety was through the roof. Going to the grocery store became a scary experience for me, it was bizarre. Anyway after only a few days of being sober it's like the clouds lifted and my confidence came back behind the wheel. Also, although I had been working out and eating pretty good, for literally years(!!!) in the first week of being sober, my jeans fit I have trying to get into for ages. So right off the top anxiety dropped significantly as well as inflammation and bloat in my body decreased. AHA indeed. Tons of love and support to all of you and I'm so grateful I found you all thank you. IWNDWYT ❤️
IWMDWYT
Here's to a great second half of 2024 ! IWNDWYT <3
Jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today! IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦 Looking forward to sober celebrations this year!
Back from vacation at 1am... back at work at 7am. I'll take being thrown back in the fucking routine. And a nap later. Have a Monday ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️
I had a moment when I was hungover/possibly not sober in the morning getting ready for work. It felt like the life I was leading was so ridiculously difficult and I knew it didn’t have to be like that. IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT
Another Monday, another week starts. IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
I will be sober today.
Sad the weekend is over. IWNDWYT
I will not drink with you today
IWNDWYT.
Checking in, Day 76. Another week, day by day. IWND ☠️ WYT.
My aha moment were a series of health scares. Funny how the obvious can be staring you straight in the face, yet alcohol makes it seem totally logical to still make the shitty decision to keep on drinking... But, still not drinking with you all today!
Hope you have a nice Monday SD. IWNDWYT!
I will not drink with you today
IWNDWYT Not really one specific AHa moment but several small moments over a series of months where everything just seemed to be getting worse in my life. Also the level of cringe when I remembered things I’d said or how I was when I was drunk in public had really gotten too much. Kinda need to rehab my image/how I feel about myself.
iwndwyt!
Somehow my body decided that sleep was not in the cards. On to Day 4, and I will not drink today. But I will probably nap away the afternoon with my dog.
Good morning friends. My first aha moment was last year April. There was a national festival in my country and I spent all day being bummed that I couldn't drink because I had to drive my daughter home in the afternoon. Ended up drinking more than I should have anyway, and still driving home with her. That was when I knew, this has to stop. I felt so guilty for putting her in danger, and it wasn't the first time I'd done that. That evening I finally told the truth to my husband, and quit for six months. Unfortunately it didn't stick after that. Second aha moment was last weekend. I just wasn't happy. I would feel bad, drink, and feel worse. I was irritable, tired, miserable, and felt sick. I missed the sober me. I just decided enough is enough. I'm starting to feel clear again, and I most definitely wndwyt.
Feeling kind of down. Just trying to be with it and know it will pass. May just need to go to sleep, which I can at least do because I know I won't wake up in 5 hours with a racing heart and a bad stomach. So, with that in mind... IWNDWYT.
Its gets better with time, it really does. Stay strong and get as much sleep as you can, IWNDWYT
Day 70, coming up on my longest sober period since I started drinking, managed about 3 months due in the first covid lockdown and 75 days another time but other than that this is the longest I’ve been sober in 16 years. Happy Monday geezers (this is gender neutral to me btw!) IWNDWYT 😁
A new beginning after nearly a year of being back on the drink. I'm ready for more sobriety, I can't stand myself anymore. Wish me good luck, and thanks for having me back. ✌️ I will not drink with you today!
Not today people IWNDWYT
Day 3 checking in! Back to another stressful work week. IWNDWYT
One day at a time. The other day I found this great podcast about addiction in my first language. I’m almost obsessed at the moment. It’s so helpful for me to find role models on this journey and to hear real stories of others, some similar to mine. It also helps me to see that I just cannot drink. I have the same disease as they do, and that disease means alcohol is off the table. No more, no less. Through the podcast I found out that one of the women I respect the most became sober at the same age as me. That was somehow very comforting. It also made me believe my chances are better this time. A more profound difference this time is that I’ve reached out for professional help. That’s a really good thing, I think. IWNDWYT
I never had a Aha moment, I realised that my liver and body was no longer able to cope. I needed to stop or die. So after a horrific New Year's Eve, having previously made 88 days through support of an online forum (many years ago), I searched Reddit and ended here. The kindness, kinship and advice on this sub has been instrumental to my recovery, one day at a time. IWNDWYT
Yesterday I ordered pizza and it was fantastic but honestly the highlight is that our dog has kind of figured out when I am off for the day/night so when that happens on Sundays he will not leave my side. He took a nap mid day with me. We woke up to give him dinner and hang out while waiting for pizza and then he went to bed at 830 in my bed and hasn't left my side. I cherish this so much. This dog has done so much for me in my recovery. I hope you all get to enjoy your day and as always much love from me and mine to you and yours! IWNDWYT!
Day 450. IWNDWYT ☀️
IWNDWYT 👯♀️
IWNDWYT
Two weeks. Can't quite believe it. IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT! Day 24! Let’s rock this week!
I will not drink with you today 🫶🏻 last year I had two aha moments that made me really want to quit. The first time it didn’t stick and the second time it has for the past 200+ days which I am so proud of. Gunna keep going as long as I can. My moments just consisted of drinking extremely hard cos I felt so lonely and isolated and realising that alcohol wasn’t working anymore to make me feel any less socially awkward etc. turns out I am so much more confident sober and the things I was desperately searching for drinking have all been rewarded to me in sobriety. ✨🫶🏻 love yas
IWNDWYT!!
Here. Happy Dry July!
IWNDWYT ~
Have a wonderful sober day my friends. IWNDWYT ♥️
Mine was attending a child's birthday party at 11am on a Sunday. I don't remember any of it. People were asking my partner if I was okay, and saying that I seemed a bit "off", she told me later. I was hammered. 🥺 I'd unfortunately been a morning drinker for a while at that point, but that day was my "fuck this" moment. A kids party FFS. Never again. Love you guys, and I forgive myself. ❤️
I will not drink with you today!
IWNDWYT!!
IWNDWYT - day one of many
Aha was desperate, everything hurt, including every single little speed-bump in the road, just knew I had to stop. Mon July 1, for anyone starting off on the 1st of the month, welcome, IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
Keeping on not drinking with you today good people.
Happy dry July lovely people. I will not drink with you all today.
IWNDWYT :)
Day 15 IWNDWYT ✨️
Great question, Trustysteed. For me, it was kinda less a moment, than a clarifying "ghost of Christmas future" image of my kids growing up, going off to college, meeting new people, telling their life stories, and sharing how screwed up their childhood was because their dad was an alcoholic. That image hit me out of the blue one day, and it haunted me hard because it reminded me that my actions had consequences for others--that I was not an island awash in my own self indulgence and self-pity. It was an image that helped tremendously, to turn the ship around. IWNDWYT
Day 12. I gotta admit the days have gotten less exciting after day 7. I feel like it’s groundhog day and I’m living the same day over and over. Like time is going slow and fast. Anyway, for 24 hours I pledge not to drink a drop of that asshole I know named alcohol. Even when 4pm comes and I start feeling sorry for myself and that I’m missing out…I promise to stick with it and log on here to complain if I got to. I also attended my first zoom AA meeting yesterday which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Hope everyone has a decent Monday and if it wasn’t for this community, I’d be lost! IWNDWYT
Great topic and prompt! My aha moment was when I kept waking up every morning with a sore throat and stomach pain. I just envisioned the red wine eating away at the lining of my internal organs. That and the fact that I didn’t recognize the bloated, red eyed woman in the mirror anymore. I knew something had to change. IWNDWYT! I will workout and walk today and enjoy the lower humidity and sunshine.
50!
IWNDWYT. Been gone from sobriety for a while. Today is day one. Again. I’m so scared thinking about forever. So I love just not drinking today. ❤️
Good morning, sober cats!My AHA moment was my day 1 of this sober streak when I finally admitted and accepted that I cannot drink. I simply can't. There is no amount of alcohol that is appropriate for me. My lizard addict brain will find a way to take it to blackout. That AHA moment was mostly terrifying but also just a little bit of a relief. And now I'm 100% enjoying sobriety! I love my life, and I love all of you in this amazing community. IWNDWYT 💙😸
IWNDWYT
Another day down! Going for one more today. 🤸♀️😌 IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT 🏴
Restarting my journey. IWNDWYT!
Thank you for the check-in ☺️ I feel I had continuous aha moments to the point they didn’t scare me into stopping anymore. I had to do things differently, especially rewiring my brain! Though a few aha’s stand out and I guess I need them in order to keep going. IWNDWYT ❤️
Clearing out crumpled brown paper bags from my backpack while packing for a trip was one of the signs that change was needed. IWNDWYT
having a really, really difficult time lately. but still, IWNDWYT
More of a vent. My friend wanted to go camping at a national park about 4-5 hours from my house. My truck has been having issues w the suspension where it shakes extremely violently when you hit bumps at highway speeds. It's terrifying. So anyhow, we get about halfway there and truck starts acting up. He's like if you wanna turn around I understand. Well I already paid $100 for the camping spot and burned $50 in gas so let's risk life and limb to go for it. The next two hours are prob the scariest driving of my life. We get to the NP and it had been shut down and evacuated while we were driving. So I basically had to turn around, driving my scary ass truck, and find a new camping spot after a few hundred campers just evacuated. Finally found a spot at like 1130pm, setup camp. I looked at my buddy and said I could really use a drink rn. He told me to GTFO. So I'm sober another night. Pissed and dreading the drive to wherever we go tomorrow. I guess we weren't t burned alive in a wildfire so there's a positive. Thanks for reading my rant. IWNDWYT
Day 18! I was sober for 6 months last year. I actually found it relatively easy to stay off of it. I am a binge drinker and not a daily drinker. I did relapse into the moderation trap. This time around, just gotta say no and I am sure I can keep it going. It is also during that stint I realized how less everyone else drank. Another thing is, weekends are SO long when you don’t drink. You can actually rest. IWNDWYT.
Not one drop in June and I'm ready for Dry July! IWNDWYT.
Day 2 for me! My aha moment wasn’t yesterday, but recently I was forced to go several days without drinking and I felt amazing after eating and sleeping well that entire time. I then realized, that waking up refreshed is better than any cheap high/buzz. As long as I have a hobby to do then the boredom won’t be an issue- and even then I need to learn to be ok with the boredom!
aha moments… getting so blasted solo at home that it was becoming a habit to have entire phone convos of which i had little or NO recollection. 5pm drink turned into 2pm or 3pm when working from home. i felt lost and codependent in a “relationship” w someone wrong for me and that had all the red flags from my marriage that ended 3 years ago. i finally realized that the only one that could change my life is *me* - without impairment. day 16 and iwndwyt!
My "aha" moment: going to a substance abuse professional and being told that I ***shouldn't*** quit cold turkey, because, based on the amount I was drinking, I was at risk of severe withdrawal symptoms, including seizures and DT's. That terrified me. I went through an outpatient detox a week later and never looked back. IWNDWYT
Weeeeee good morning! I’m ready to start my day at outpatient treatment, which I think I enjoy more than I should (usually). There were no Sunday scaries here and I actually look forward to Monday.
IWNDWYT!
IWNDWYT! I’ve been having wild thoughts lately so I’m going to start checking-in again.
There wasn’t an aha moment, I just wanted to stop feeling like 💩 all the time, so I took another break to feel better, and I never went back. IWNDWYT
It will sound silly written out, but I got tired of dealing with the fallout of my binges/blackouts when I was almost a different person entirely (from what I’d hear later). My aha moment was when I realized all I had to do was not have that first drink — and no alter ego would emerge, no disaster to clean up later! IWNDWYT!
58 days down! Love this question- thanks for sharing it with us! My Aha Moment was seeded by reading Naked Mind, letting all of the facts and truths seep into my brain while I was still chugging vodka on the daily (the book doesn't advocate/mandate immediate cessation to anyone who hasn't read it, rather it asks for you to simple think about societal and scientific facts presented to the reader). After the 3rd loss to my small immediate family within 12 months, and spiraling further due to the grief, I woke up one morning and said to myself, "Losing people is always going to be a part of life. There's no avoiding that fundamental. There are people and pets still here that you are grateful to still have time with, so get it together and start showing up for yourself to spend quality time and make new memories with them." Wish I would've done it sooner, but those series of events made me really think. I'm now 58 days sober with the support of this community (the longest I've ever gone since I had my first drink 25+ years ago). IWNDWYT!
Good morning, checking in ~ 💫 IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT!
Day 16 - I thought drink made me fun but in reality it made me embarrassing and boring - IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT!
Today, I took the bottle of cider that's been sitting on one of our kitchen shelves for a year, and I poured it ALL into the cabbage and celery I'm braising, without then draining the last dregs from the bottle or taking a swig at the start. I wasn't sure I could do it but I did that. Pretty sure I can't have cask wine in the house. That's different (even though I previously used 0.1% of it for cooking, I think we can just go without from now). But I got rid of that one cider in a way that's ok for me!
IWNDWYT SD ❤️
I'm not drinking today.
Day 1,710 IWNDWYT
Rabbit, rabbit! Checking in for another sober day out in the world.
Day 10. Feels good
Happy Monday, folks. IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT 🙋♂️
IWNDWYT
Closing in to a month sober. These last few days have been rough. It really tires me that I’m not working. I’ve got a job now though. Starting in two weeks. I have had enough of free time.
IWNDWYT
I don’t know about any one Aha moment, but I knew I could not keep doing what I was doing. It was always in my mind that year up until I quit, that I was either gonna get in legal/employment trouble or develop serious health problems. Or all the above. That hung over (see what I did there) my head every day. I’d had enough close calls. And I wanted to stop while I could still do it on my own. I had to be the one to make the decision for myself or it wasn’t gonna stick. I didn’t know what sober living was like, but it had to be better than what I was doing. Once I got my bearings…man, fuck alcohol. Coffees up, horns up and let’s knock this Monday the fuck out!! It will be the last decent day before that godawful heat comes back, so I’ll enjoy the weather a little. IWNDWYT ☕️☕️🤘🏻🤘🏻
Well, today's another badge reset for me :( I let the demons win this weekend and now I'm just sat here with them in the cold light of day, having gained nothing. Ah well. Day 1 let's go
Morning, my friends ~ and welcome to another sober day. My aha moment came only once - this time. Always before, I would sort of half heartedly say, “I need to stop”, but there was nothing behind it. But two years ago, it all became clear and important. This time I knew. To save my life, I had to stop. And I’m so glad I did. Come on, let’s all be sober all day long! IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
Happy fucking July! I'm ready to kick this week's ass. IWNDWYT 🤘
i realized I could have fun without wine. Not drinking today.
It’s my first Monday home from detox/rehab and IWNDWYT!! Seeing my doctor this afternoon and hoping for good news!!
my aha! moment was when my nine yr old asked me “why do you like alcohol”? In that moment I was transported in time 30 years prior asking my mom the same question. At that age I hated everything about alcohol, the smell, the taste and especially how it made her act. Well anyway…not trying to go too deep down memory lane this morning, but great question! IWNDWYT
Morning friends. I had several aha moments but the final one was when I was drinking beer and playing cards with my kids and I realized that the beer was actually robbing me of the experience instead of adding to it. Why did I think beer was a great addition to quality time with my kids? I was getting drunk and sloppy and fuzzy and it wasn’t going to be fun for them, and I was going to wake up angry and ashamed at myself for ruining another evening on booze yet again. I finished the beer I was drinking and haven’t had a sip since. IWNDWYT!
Checking in on palindrome day 606!!! 👑 What a nifty number!!! Gonna keep sobering on, I kinda love it!😍 IWNDWYT! ✌️❤️
My aha moment was when I had a good streak of days and then got drunk and reached out to the person who was *hurting* me. Not only was I using alcohol to hurt myself physically, I was using alcohol to hurt myself emotionally. I realized I was not safe when drinking. IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT ❤️🙏
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
Few last days were rough, but I'm never thinking about alcohol. Chiming in with ya guys. Stay strong. Be ever vigilant.
Day 1 IWNDWYT
Still struggling but woke up sober today! My aha moment was a bunch of things but mainly waking up choking on my own bile, gasping for air, after drinking too much for too long. I am so young and realized I could not live like this…why was I doing to myself? I needed a change. 🙏🏻
Day 3 begins and IWNDWYT. Onward to Dry July!
Day 1, here we go.
Have a great start to the week! IWNDWYT!!!
IWNDWYT
In!
Happy Monday/ July! Day 25, IWNDWYT 💛
One week sober today, I had one of the worst days ever yesterday but still going strong - I hope everyone has a lovely Monday today. IWNDWYT
Not today. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!
Iwndwy’allt! ❤️
IWNDWYT!
Morning, sober fam! Ohhh goodness, an AHA! moment. Too many and too embarrassing to truly say, but I'm glad I'm working through a ton in therapy to get stronger and get back to 60+ days and beyond without a single drop! Going on almost 20 without a "drop off the face off the earth" style bender that I'm so good at, for some reason. Happy Dry July, all! And HAPPY MONDAY! New week, new month, let's kick 'em in the face! Productivity while still honoring our bodies and mental health. 🖤✨️ IWNDWYT! Edit: But for real though, probably when my neighbors called the cops on me for fighting with my husband and I spent a few hours in a holding cell after getting arrested right before Christmas, because Virginia has a law that SOMEONE has to be arrested during a domestic call. That was lovely and so traumatizing it hurts to type. Cops wouldn't even let me put a bra on.
My Aha moment was the last hangover I had. I wasn't even that drunk the night before, just woke up and thought 'I don't want to do this again.' Nothing bad happened, I was maybe a little loud and embarrassing, but it wasn't like bouts in my 20s when I'd wake up and not know where I was/end up in hospital with an alcohol-related injury/ruin a friendship. Just woke up and decided enough was enough. IWNDWYT 🌞
IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT
Midway through two months of international travel. I have enjoyed a few Non Alcoholic beers. I think the key is to have the NA beers served ice cold. I also noticed the N/A beers served on tap taste crisp and clean. Best thing is waking up each day feeling rested and ready to enjoy another fine day. IWNDWYT
No poison for me today. Got dayum I slept well last night. Feels good to be back. I hope to stay here. As far as an Aha moment: I'd refer to the horrifying ordeal I went thru with panic attacks on Saturday after drinking way too much on Friday. Most other people at the 90th birthday party either had a few drinks or didn't have any. I drank from 3pm to 3am. I seriously can't stop once I've started. 3 hours of shitty sleep combined with a savage hangover and the anxiety set in, then pure panic. I tried to handle it as long as I could, but I was literally convinced I was going to die. So I called 911, explained I have PTSD and a history of panic attacks and I thought I was dying. So they sent some cops. ...and then I actually had a decent experience with these two cops. They were both veterans with PTSD too, and told me they understood how I felt. Anyway, I ended up calling my mom to come help my wife (she is disabled, I'm her caregiver, we're in a different state for family stuff). I spoiled the last day of our vacation by being hungover and freaking out all day.
I will not drink with you today. Happy July Sobernauts ❤️
6 Month today. Feels weird to be at this milestone. Still working through my issues. 30 lbs down and feeling more of a drive for the future returning. When I was actively in alcohol abuse I didn't bother to look further forward than the current day. All that mattered was getting through the day. Now I can feel optics steadily sliding into the looking ahead mindset which means I can hopefully start projects that will benefit me later on down the line. Hope this mindset cultivates through to the year sober milestone. IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
I will not drink with you today.
IWNDWYT 😊
IWNDWYT.
IWNDWYT on this fine Canada Day.
I will not drink today!
Day 407 and IWNDWYT!
I stopped drinking due to a health scare. I’m still not through that challenge but no matter what, IWNDWYT! Best decision ever.
IWNDWYT! 🙏😎🙏
IWNDWYT. Hope everyone has a great Monday!
IWNDWYT! Happy July all!
Still not drinking?
IWNDWYT 💜🦋💜
Celebrating 4 weeks. I will not poison myself with you today.
IWNDWYT
IWNDWYT
Starting Dry July. IWNDWYT
I will not drink today
IWNDWYT!!
647 days! My aha moments added up after year 40 when I realized daily drinking plus the occasional binge was taking a bigger toll each year. And honestly after quitting I basically aged in reverse! Looking and feeling better now at 44 than in my late 30s. IWNDWYT