In the end everything gets much easier when you don't allow yourself to even consider drinking. If its an option in your mind there is a good chance it will happen under the right circumstances.

I can't tell you how much mentally healthier I am after I stopped even after getting promoted to a much higher stress job. What started off as not drinking for a month is about to be 5 months for both my wife and I. After 2 months we talked about most of our fights revolved around alcohol. Since then zero fights.

I am really looking forward to the positives that will come out of this...including the no fights thing.

384 days in and I'm still waiting on the positives...

Hoosegow said:

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384 days in and I'm still waiting on the positives...

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After going to rehab and hearing people's stories, I can't help but think everyday I wake up is a positive.

What are a few examples of the positives you seek?

Maybe I need to take it to the AA thread. I'm sorry you feel like you do but I can't believe you cannot find any positives in being alcohol free. I don't buy it.

Here are mine. 72 days in. I'm 20 lbs down. Sometimes I get lazy or hurt too much but I no longer have hangovers to torpedo my workouts. Did deadlifts yesterday for the first time in a long while. Also did a 5k walking and some running on the treadmill.

Being sober and not drunk kinda sucks because I can't run from my problems even at home but I now see clearly. Sometimes that is more painful. I have work to do to get where I need to be at home and at work.

I saw my GF drink way too much and she was slurring her words in front of her 15 year old son. He was disgusted and told me she was "hammered.." Usually I'd be passed out or worse slurring too. But I was able to deal with the situation and when she was sober I could tell her what happened. She was appalled she was that drunk and has changed her drinking habits to cut down on hard liquor. I'm having a positive influence on her.

You might lookup a YouTube video on gratitude and meditation. I don't believe in the hokey stuff about Buddhism but mindfulness and meditation have really helped me.

As I said I still have work to do and will listen to all suggestions.

ITS NOT HOKEY

If you appreciate mindfulness and meditation, give Recovery Dharma a try. If you are looking for a meeting in your area or online download The Phoenix app. Tons of sober events all over the country.

Four Noble Truths and the corresponding commitments:
1. There is suffering.
We commit to understanding the truth of suffering.
2. There is a cause of suffering.
We commit to understanding that craving leads to suffering.
3. There is an end to suffering.
We commit to understanding and experiencing that less craving leads to less suffering.
4. There is a path that leads to the end of suffering.
We commit to cultivating the path.

I go to two AA meetings a week and one Dharma meeting a week.



The Buddha taught that by living ethically, practicing meditation, and developing wisdom and compassion, we can end the suffering that is created by resisting, running from, and misunderstanding reality.
We have found that these practices and principles can end the suffering of addiction. The Eightfold Path helps us find our way in recovery and consists of the following:

[ol]

Wise Understanding

Wise Intention

Wise Speech

Wise Action

Wise Livelihood

Wise Effort

Wise Mindfulness

Wise Concentration

[/ol]

Great stuff. Thank you. I'll check it out!

By hokey, I only meant nirvana, karma, reincarnation, etc. I ve been listening to dharma talks for years. Just got this book and it's awesome. I had it on Kindle but I bought it in paperback to try to get my GF to read it.

Is this the Phoenix app?

Yessir!

Best of all, all the events are free. Both in person and online.

From free guitar lessons, rock climbing, sports, Recovery meetings and mindfulness classes, etc.

Solid way to meet people that want to enjoy life sober.

Now, I'm not saying you can never hangout with people who drink again but for those in the early stages of recovery, you have to change up your "people, places and things".

Those beers are solid na

we should get a NA beer review thread...lotta options out there, some great and some still suck.

I.e. Corona NA with a lime squeezed in the bottle tastes damn near like the real equivalent. On the flip side, Dos Equis NA with salt & lime flavor is trash

Drinking just as many or more calories than an actual beer doesn't appeal to me, esp as mentioned many NA's tend to suck.

I've replaces booze with black coffee.....in moderation of course.

jetch17 said:

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Drinking just as many or more calories than an actual beer doesn't appeal to me, esp as mentioned many NA's tend to suck.

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I mostly agree with this. Hop waters are typically my preferred alternative. Sometimes a NA beer hits the spot though. Athletic seems to be the most consistent. NA Guinness tastes the closest to the real thing.

NA Heineken
NA Blue Moon.
Guinness.

They cannot have more calories than the original because the original has alcohol and that has a stupid amount of calories because of the ethanol

So what you're saying is, you will keep it rolling through February too?!

Aggie Therapist said:

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I've replaces booze with black coffee.....in moderation of course.

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I need to moderate. I've crushed a stupid amount of Nespresso since I sobered up.

Duly noted on calories, I suppose I mostly avoid NAs when not drinking as not to be tempted more, plus I'd rather have a heavier flavored brew over a Heineken or Corona piss water- def dig the saint Arnold & lagunitas hop waters

Guiness 0 is great

Most of the "European" 0.0's are good. Corona's NA is pretty good also. Heineken 0.0 is usually my go to IF I have one, which isn't very often. My wife bought me a 6-Pack for football and it lasted two years. An NA has no effect on that kind of pain, placebo or not.

As far as calories, I think Michelob Ultra has a 0.0 that is 30 calories or something like that. You take the alcohol out, and that is removing calories.

Decided to go crazy with a full calorie sprite tonight for my kids birthday

Hopped off the wagon for a couple snow days. Back on today to finish off the month. The sleep quality is really remarkable when on the wagon. Looking forward to a good sleep tonight.

Add a splash of cranberry juice to that and it's even better.

Also, I recommend a soda stream. Sometimes I don't make a flavored soda but just make the carbonated water. I have a Waterford crystal cocktail bar glass and a fancy ice tray that makes clear cubes. I put a lime wedge on it. I should mention that one of my favorite drinks before was a Vodka, soda, lime.

It helps me to have a fancy "cocktail" if people are over around cocktail hour and they are drinking beer/wine/cocktails. But I sometimes have them when it's just me and of course you can flavor it how you want.

The sodas are good too.

I have also bought these "mocktails." I also have a Moscow Mule copper mug that I can pour their MM mocktail in.

Pahdz said:

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we should get a NA beer review thread...lotta options out there, some great and some still suck.

I.e. Corona NA with a lime squeezed in the bottle tastes damn near like the real equivalent. On the flip side, Dos Equis NA with salt & lime flavor is trash

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Ask and ye shall receive:
https://texags.com/forums/67/topics/3524481/replies/69548747#69548747