No Drinking Thread (1 Year Challenge)

Teedub

Teedub

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This thead is a continuation of the one Lizard of Oz began on RVF, which I will quote below:

I've been reading cardguy's binge drinking thread and certain comments there and in other threads inspired me to suggest this 1 year drinking wagon challenge for 2014.

Why do a 1 year drinking wagon?

It is a great way to take stock of your life and get a reset. And it's also an amazing challenge to discipline that incites creativity, change, and new directions. Last but not least, throwing away the crutch of alcohol will force improvements in your raw game skills.

Guys often warn about the damage inflicted by porn, but drinking is far more devastating to a man's psyche than porn. Very often guys will look for any and all reasons for the decline in their libido, and blame it on "aging", when in truth they need look no further than the sauce.

Yes, there are those who can do fine with drinking for many years. But this is a genetic gift and it is rare. And even for those dudes, drinking will almost always catch up with them by their late 30s / early 40s at the latest.

And by "catching up" I don't necessarily mean the obvious things like bad hangovers or blackouts. Sooner or later almost all drinkers will start to feel a strange flavorlessness, a subtle sense of deadness, creep into their spirits. And they'll blame it on anything but drink...

As I wrote in an earlier post, one of the most subtly devastating ways in which drinking diminishes men is the boredom that drinkers start to feel with everyday life. And I know from the experience of myself and others close to me that it takes months -- sometimes as long as 6-9 months -- before you begin to recapture the feeling of a natural thankfulness for the everyday and the relishing of simple things from the middle of life that drinking so insidiously blurs. This is why a 1 year wagon is the way to go.

The wagon must be absolute -- your honor is staked on not having a single drop of alcohol, for any reason, for the full 365 days. And do yourself a favor and do not substitute weed or any other drug. 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.

I feel a good day to start the wagon is January 3rd -- the first Friday of 2014. New Year's Day is a terrible cliche, and January 2nd might just be the night to get that last weekday drunk in. Plan on having the last hair of the dog sometime on the evening of the 3rd. And then just let it go.

It is fascinating to observe the changes that come along with this one year. Take the challenge and find out for yourself.

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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." A friend of mine who is a cocky motherfucker and one of the toughest guys I know simply couldn't do it -- he broke at the 5 month mark and said it was the toughest thing he had ever attempted.
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After doing a couple of cycles of stopping for a month or two then going hard for a few months, I finally stopped for good in August 2020. My life has improved significantly (I can't stress that enough) in multiple areas since then, as a direct result I suspect. This thread was one of the catalysts for considering stopping, a few years before I finally did, so I thought it really should continue on here. Looking forward to hearing people's stories.
 
Alcohol is one of those things that I've personally never understood.

Getting drunk to the point of inability to control oneself does not resonate with me, nor did it truly ever. To have a drink in a social setting I have never had a problem with, but the extent that seemingly everyone takes drinking makes me believe this is the slipperiest of slopes.

There was this article even today in the CBC (I know how little pull they have, but still): https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/alcohol-high-risk-1.6996304

Where half of all Canadians over the age of 15 drink more than recommended.
 
I am on month 8. I started this to lose weight. I was 100 kgs. Now I'm 87. I said I will only drink again when I'm 78 kgs. I don't know if I have experienced what this guy feels, but I definitely have saved money. The hangovers not being there are a huge plus. It feels good to have the whole weekend open to do stuff rather than be hungover and in bed.
 
Alcohol is basically liquid estrogen and it leads to accumulation of visceral fat. It's good to try and avoid it.

I was raised rather sheltered in a Roman Catholic household, so I tried a beer for the first time when I was already an adult, just to see what I was missing out on. Beer literally just tastes and smells like pineapple juice gone bad. I really don't understand the appeal.
 
Unending Powerhouse Match said:
Alcohol is basically liquid estrogen and it leads to accumulation of visceral fat. It's good to try and avoid it.

I was raised rather sheltered in a Roman Catholic household, so I tried a beer for the first time when I was already an adult, just to see what I was missing out on. Beer literally just tastes and smells like pineapple juice gone bad. I really don't understand the appeal.
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I always thought beer really smelled like skunks, but I later learned that really only applies to bad quality beer. Good quality beer just smells a little bit like skunks. Still, ask anyone who grew up around the breweries in Milwaukee, about how that smelled.

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After 11 years and 7 months (!) of teetotal sobriety, I relapsed two weeks ago (following a family crisis situation) - I drank two bottles of beer and got intoxicated. (at home).
The "comedown" was frightening, leading even to suicidal thoughts for a few hours.
For physical alcohol dependency you need medical help.
For "psychological dependency" or " problem drinking" (Which I had at some point - since alcohol was an occasional copying mechanism) - self-help and Alcoholics Anonymous online support are helpful - but to be able to stay sober for longer periods (preferably for the rest of your life) spiritual help is also needed.
 
cognitive dissonance 73 said:
After 11 years and 7 months (!) of teetotal sobriety, I relapsed two weeks ago (following a family crisis situation) - I drank two bottles of beer and got intoxicated. (at home).
The "comedown" was frightening, leading even to suicidal thoughts for a few hours.
For physical alcohol dependency you need medical help.
For "psychological dependency" or " problem drinking" (Which I had at some point - since alcohol was an occasional copying mechanism) - self-help and Alcoholics Anonymous online support are helpful - but to be able to stay sober for longer periods (preferably for the rest of your life) spiritual help is also needed.
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Damn, hope you're feeling better man. Reach out by PM if you need to speak about any issues.
 
Sometimes I wonder if people who happens to be weak minded tend to get addicted to anything. Be it food or alcohol.

I drink vodka few times per year. Wine few times per month, specially with food (a glass). Beer maybe a few times during summer with friends.

People say I look 15 years younger. I think it’s because I drink alcohol rarely. Also don’t smoke.
 
I did the challenge in 2019 and was very proud of myself for completing it. Unfortunately, I'm back to my old, unhealthy habits again. Which seems insane because every aspect of life improves without alcohol -- feel better, look better, more productive, everything. Maybe I'll do it again in 2024.

I recall this book was recommended in the RVF thread and it did help me despite everything it suggested seeming extremely obvious upon first reading:

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Joost said:
Sometimes I wonder if people who happens to be weak minded tend to get addicted to anything. Be it food or alcohol.

I drink vodka few times per year. Wine few times per month, specially with food (a glass). Beer maybe a few times during summer with friends.

People say I look 15 years younger. I think it’s because I drink alcohol rarely. Also don’t smoke.
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I'm an alcoholic; though I'm ten months' sober, now. It runs in my family, on both sides in fact, and two of my alcoholic uncles are very successful lawyers. I believe I have a propensity for alcohol addiction which began almost the moment I took my first drink.

I will hopefully never drink again and I'm enjoying my sobriety.
 
Alcohol addiction seems to be at least in part genetic. Native Americans are a great example of this, as they had no built-up genetic tolerance, they were extremely prone to alcoholism. I also associate the Irish and Russians with being prone to alcoholism. Not so much the Italian or French, where drinking is more cultural as part of meals.
 
I've had to learn the hard way several times to finally stop drinking, but it's ended up being a blessing in disguise. Even for people that don't abuse it, think of all the saved money, health benefits, higher testosterone, mental clarity, true friendships not relying on alcohol, etc. The list of benefits is almost endless. Also think about how enjoyable life was as a kid before you even thought about alcohol. That mindset doesn't have to end. There's a reason most people hate the taste of alcohol at first and have to train themselves to like it.

I have way more fun in social situations without alcohol than I ever did with it. The confidence and happiness of a clear mind is life changing. Weekends/mornings are always relaxing and peaceful too.
 
I stopped drinking on my birthday in 2022. I’d been a more than casual drinker for over a decade leading up to that, but it only got worse during the (((pandemic))). With everything shut down, and nothing to do in my myopic, godless worldview, there just didn’t seem to be any reason to not open up a beer or pour myself some vodka the moment my last meeting of the day ended. Obviously, nothing good came of this, but that didn’t stop me.

I needed to actually read and listen to some legitimate sources discussing the damage alcohol does to you, in order to stop drinking. I was never a severe alcoholic, to the extent that I permanently ruined any relationships, lost work, or seriously hurt myself or others due to getting drunk, and quitting was fairly easy for me, but I still credit Jesus in allowing me to change my lifestyle in this way.

Once you stop drinking, and stick with it for some time, you realize how much better your life is. You think more clearly, feel better, sleep better, are more considerate to others in your life. There really are no downsides to eliminating alcohol. I considered it a way to loosen up in social situations, but it’s a crutch. I haven’t met anyone who cares that I avoid alcohol.

Nowadays when I drink alcohol, I just don’t get anything from it. I’m grateful for this. I know that many people aren’t so fortunate, and I feel and will pray for them.
 
^Yeah the loosening up in social situations is the only argument that is somewhat legitimate with alcohol. But the key is to accept that some social situations might be awkward, and that over time you don't need alcohol to be loose and confident. This becomes easier as you get older too, and using alcohol to be loose is only hurting development.

I've also met very few people that care if you're not drinking. Many even admire it. The more I see people relying on alcohol, the more I realize how weak minded it all is. And I used to be even worse than that.
 
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