I know it’s a stupid thing to do, but it’s the only way I think. It’s my third time trying to quit drinking, and every time I tried I relapsed hard because I just can’t stop once I’ve started. There is a birthday party coming up on Saturday and I’m kinda scared about it. Has anyone tried quitting cold turkey before? What are your stories?
Good question, @Moe_L, but not one that any of us can answer. For me personally, yes, I quit a 2+ bottles of wine habit cold turkey without any physical withdrawal symptoms other than deregulated digestive tract and trouble sleeping.
It all depends, really, on how much your daily consumption is, how long you have been at that consumption level and how healthy you are in general. When in doubt, speak to a medical professional and get their advice/support please!
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I quit that way. If you’re a person that has the shakes during alcohol withdrawals you should certainly have medical help. I drank a lot of water, ate well, worked out,
and spent a ton of time taking in sobriety related content. Attending events that have alcohol in early sobriety isn’t a good idea if you can avoid them.
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Good morning, thank you all for the good advice!
@Dirk I’ve observed similar symptoms by now, could barely sleep this night and had some strange bowel movements today. My consumption was 5-10 beers daily and on weekends about a bottle of liquor on top. I think I just have to wait and see how my body reacts in the following days.
@Dan531 I haven’t observed any shakes yet, but it’s the first time being sober in months or even years due to waking up with alcohol still in my system and getting right back at it before even leaving for work. But I have to say that I am a bit more fidgety than usual, so maybe you’re right. I will definitely consult my doctor about it after work and take the appropriate steps for my current situation.
Thank you both, I really hope you’ll have a great day ahead! 
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I don’t think there is a way to quit other than cold turkey, unless you mean cut down then stop?
I tried the cut down thing and it was a lie to myself everytime.
I stayed on the app for a couple of years, deleting it, re-downloading it, and a few attempts I got to 2 weeks sober. I then went to my doctors for a healthy check up to tell him my plan and I also read a book called This Naked Mind. These two things helped cement my sobriety in place.
Choosing to go sober was different this time though… my health had been deteriorating and being only 31 with a 2nd child on the way I wasn’t going to miss out on seeing my kids grow up.
Also, one of the strangest things that made me realise I was drinking too much was my decline in reflexes… I realised it as everytime I drove and stopped at traffic lights, the car next to me would beat me off the mark when the lights went green. Even little old ladies!! Even if I didn’t have a hangover!
200+ days sober now and my reflexes are back, my health is better than ever and I am achieving more than I ever thought I could.
We’re here for you!
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@Moe_L It’s dangerous. But you’re doing it. In general medical assistance is highly recommended. And have some medication against withdrawal symptoms. Librium or calium. Prescribed by a medical professional so the right dose can be given for the right amount of time. In a safe monitored environment like the detox facility I work as a nurse.
But I know not everyone can get that. Advisable then is to cut down by 10% max a day. Again to be as safe as possible. The main danger is getting withdrawal seizures which can be potentially life threatening, especially when you’re on your own. And which can occur after quitting abruptly, also when you quit before without serious consequences. Please take care. There certainly other ways of quitting than cold turkey!
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How are you doing today? Check in and let us know what is going on.
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Well, I tried cutting down my intake several times, but relapsed every time. I just can’t control myself as soon as I have my first beverage, so I have to try it cold turkey this time or I will relapse again.
Thanks for the book recommendation, I will look into it ASAP!
Regarding the health deteriorating, I too have realized that by now and I’m not that much younger than you are. I think it’s scary how much I’ve worn my body down by now and I’m very embarrassed about it too. I also realized the thing about bad reflexes a few months ago, I even almost hurt myself at work due to this.
I’m very proud of you for your 200+ sober days tho! I’m on my fourth day now and I’m already feel the difference, especially on my way to work without a hangover. It’s a little hard to stay strong to be honest, mostly because drinking is deeply rooted in the German culture and all my friends drink, but I’ve told everyone what I’m going through and they are very supportive and even remember each other to get something non-alcoholic for me whenever somebody gets to buy another round of drinks.
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate you all so much! Have a great day friend 
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Yeah, I’ve already talked to my doctor about all this and he also talked to me about the risks I’m taking.
Thing is, I already tried cutting down and relapsed every time even when I wasn’t drinking as much as lately. I just can’t control the urge to get drunk, it’s an escape mechanism for me. Normally I’m against medication for most things, won’t even take painkillers, but I’ve told my doctor that I will try it as soon as the withdrawal symptoms are getting worse. Luckily, I’m not on my own. My roommate is checking up on me daily and has agreed to accompany me when I leave the house for a walk whenever she can. I also talked with my boss at work and he has given me only small and simple things to do, he also checks in on me hourly and asks if I’m okay with continuing or if I feel the need to go home or have any complications.
I see your worries, it’s a very bad thing to do, but all the times I didn’t do it like that I have relapsed within a week tops. I can assure you that I am not alone in this and that all the people in my life are looking after me, maybe that’ll calm your worries a little bit.
Thank you nonetheless for the kind reply and tips, I very much appreciate it! I hope you’re doing well today too!
I’m doing a little better, thank you for asking!
Today I feel a strange brain fog, has taken me a longer time than usual to type this as well as the previous two replies because I just can’t come up with the correct English translation for simple words like withdrawal, but my translator has my back haha.
I also feel a little fidgety today. Not sure if that’s a lower form of the shakes or if I’m just having more energy because I woke up not hungover. It’s day four now and I’m having the rest of the week off, so maybe I’ll take this jolt of energy to finally start cleaning up my apartment and go for a walk.
How are you doing today?
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I am well thank you. A few days from 8 months sober and really happy with the positives in my life. You hang in there and I promise you will start feeling the benefits of sobriety.
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I also chose to quit cold turkey for a handful of reasons and it was probably a terrible idea, but I managed to get through it.
I’m at a little over 4 months without a drop of alcohol and all I can say is that although I know it’s hard, especially when you’re surrounded by drinking culture, keep going!
You’ve got this. Keep checking in here daily if it’ll help. It does for me. 
I threw a Halloween party at the beginning of the month and I was also very nervous about it because I bought booze to serve to my guests since they aren’t on a sober journey and I was worried it might trigger me to cave, but it didn’t and it was so nice throwing and attending a party that I was completely present at and didn’t have to suffer days of sickness from a hangover afterwards.
It was also eye opening to see the way people willfully want to take shots of poison, opening their mouths like they’ve just been conditioned to be addicts and nothing more.
I don’t say that from a place of judgment because I’ve spent years in that extremely limiting lifestyle, but more of a new found awareness.
My tips would be to respect your need for space away from events, places and people where you might feel tempted to drink. At least for now.
It especially helped me in the first month to watch videos on sobriety whenever I was feeling tempted. Some of those videos and conversations can be a harsh yet necessary reality check when it comes to the lies sold to us about alcohol.
Keep us posted about Saturday! Again, I’d suggest checking in here for some encouragement and accountability. You won’t regret NOT drinking that day. 
Wow, four months is a very long time. I’m so happy for you!!
I get that feeling you had when buying and serving booze to be honest. I’ve bought one of those 3L (about 0.3gal) bottles of Jägermeister as a gift for the party on Saturday and immediately gave it to my roommate to keep it away from me until then. She’s invited too, so I won’t get my hands on it in any way and also she promised to stay by my side and take care of me.
I also get that feeling you had about others drinking. Yesterday I was sitting with my buddies at our usual location and one of them was really drunk and almost had a fight in the end. It made me reflect a lot, not because I get aggressive when drunk but I also had many situations there where I misbehaved and/or made a fool out of myself.
I already am taking a lot of time to myself, just finished cleaning my kitchen and feel kinda proud of myself for doing a way better job at it than usual. I’ve also excused me for all meetups with the boys except for Saturday, because it’s the birthday of one of my closest friends and we all been looking forward to it. He’s absolutely fine with me staying sober and gave me a heads up about other substances which will be present. No worries, I’ve already gotten clean of those and don’t intend to relapse or shift addictions now that I’m on this journey, so all seems good.
I will definitely post an update at Sunday in here! I’m already checking in multiple times a day for all new posts you guys make and reading a lot of them or sometimes just look at my sobriety counter because it feels good to see the time going up. Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate the support!
Please take care and have a wonderful day! 
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You are doing great
Being young and to go against the grain of society’s norms is difficult but worth it.
I really recommend you stay away from venues where alcohol is present, and steer clear of non-alcoholic beers etc. I drank alot more Coca cola and ate more lollies. I put on 4 kilograms of weight in the first 6 months but then started to lose that and am now weighing less than I was when I was drinking (just).
Be kind to yourself. Don’t unnecessary pressure on yourself to show up to every social event. Be a little selfish. Your health and sobriety is the most important thing of your life.
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Moe - You do not have to go to that party! If it is a threat to your sobriety, then this is a chance for you to declare that your sobriety is more important than anything else. Without sobriety, what have you got? Nothing of value.
Remember, making an excuse and not attending is always an option. Always.
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Heya, thanks for your kind words!
I understand your worries. I know that the urge to drink is sometimes a strong sensation and that attending parties or social gatherings with alcohol present isn’t very wise. But, to calm your worries a little, I’ve just woke up after staying at the birthday party until 4am and I am feeling so great. I didn’t drink any alcohol and had a blast, it was totally worth the risk of going. It was a small party; only my emotional support roommate and three of my closest friends and everyone accepted me staying sober and even gratulated me for going this way. It feels great to wake up not hungover and being able to recall everything that has happened, my only issues now are my legs are hurting because I’ve danced a lot haha.
I’m so glad I have made that decision. It’s my first week sober by now and I couldn’t be happier!
Thank you all for the great support, I hope you are doing well too
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Good morning, thanks for checking in on me!
Don’t worry, I did not drink at all yesterday and it feels great. I wouldn’t have gone if I didn’t knew that it was a small get together of my closest friends where everyone is supporting me and my decision to quit drinking. I’ve dranken a lot of water and some coke and I haven’t even gotten the urge to drink, not even when serving whine to my roommate.
I have and will take a lot of time to myself and already am canceling plans where I am unsure about the people and such, but yesterday I made an exception and it was totally worth it. Also, I have to disagree with your mentioning about me having nothing besides my sobriety. Because I have friends, awesome one at that, who support me whatever I’m going through and will take care of me no matter what and I couldn’t be happier about it.
Anyway, I hope you have a nice Sunday and that you are doing well. Take care of yourself and have a great day! 
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Hello again!
So it’s currently 12pm and I’m in the process of fully waking up. I have had a blast yesterday, it was an amazing time and I’m feeling so good about myself! I haven’t dranken anything and neither gotten the urge to, not even when serving whine to my roommate (although I never really liked whine). It feels amazing not to wake up hungover and being able to recall the whole night, also I’m officially one week sober today! The three friends (whom I consider family) who were celebrating with us have taken good care of me and didn’t even tried to give me anything containing alcohol and I’m so glad to have them in my life. My roommate was kinda drunk yesterday, which surprisingly made it even easier for me not to drink because I knew I have to bring her home safe and sound. I am very proud of myself, haven’t had that feeling in a very long time…
All in all, I am feeling astonishingly awesome!
Thanks to all of you for your support and kind words, I appreciate you very much and am happy to be part of this wonderful community 
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Well done, Moe! 
You should be feeling so incredibly proud of yourself. I’m proud of you too.
I find that it gets easier the more I do social things that I’d normally have drank at and make a conscious choice not to partake in cocktails instead.
I went to a couple of crowded events this weekend and the old version of me definitely would’ve felt the need to drink in order to deal with the social anxiety and it’s just what people do at these things.
But look at us breaking self destructive habits and learning how to have fun without the poison.
I’m happy you’ve checked in and updated us! It’s wonderful and inspiring news to begin this beautiful Sunday with.
Have an amazing day sober. 
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Thank you so much!
I’m proud of you too, you’re doing an amazing job. Do you often struggle with social anxiety? How do you deal with it now that you’re not drinking? I used to struggle with that too but drank to get over it and now I’m a bit worried how to meet new people without drinking in order to be even able to talk to them.
Also, of course I came back for an update. You checked in on me and asked for it, I would’ve given one when I got back home but I was so tired from dancing all night haha.
I wish you nothing but the best for today as well as the upcoming week, stay strong
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