Hi everyone.
I want to commit fully and finally and give up the booze.
In the past 10 years the longest I stopped was for a month just once. I occasionally manage one day without but also cave back on day two.
I’m unfortunately a heavy drinker. And can’t have just one.
How have you all gone in preparing yourself to stop and start this journey?
I’ve done AA and hated it, I just didn’t get anything out of it.
I just want to give myself the best chance and preparation this time.
Hi @Hotdog, welcome! 
I was like you for the longest time - knowing that I need to stop but living a life largely filled with alcohol with the odd attempt at sobriety in between. For me, what was missing was a sense of urgency:
“Why stop on …day instead of seeing the week out? May as well stop next month by now. Next year is a big birthday, good time to quit.”
Failing all of the deadlines above, obviously, cause there were always more urgent things.
Most people get their urgency/emergency from finding themselves at rock bottom and knowing in their heart of hearts that they cannot go any lower without serious damage to their health, life and loved ones.
What’s your sense of urgency from rock bottom? Why do you need to stop and need to stop now? Once you have figured that out for yourself, it’s time to make a plan because flying by the seat of our pants and/or white-knuckling it has led most attempts to failure. You can read about making a plan here:
We’re all here for you, 24/7, just a message away!
Welcome J
With my knowledge of addiction, through my lovely children who are both miracles of recovery. 12 step programs. This sober forum helps me tremendously in my sobriety.
Gratitude is my strongest tool. I’ve retrained my brain right over here on this wonderful thread Daily Gratitude, The Air Of Recovery #8 🪷
After a couple of years I needed more for my sobriety and I now go to AA.
Keep an open mind and stick with the winners.
Dan started a great thread too.
Dans link
I wish you well.
I always appreciate your thoughts Dirk!
My experience was i went to AA and for me it worked has done for the last 38 years , plenty of other programs out there wish you well keep us posted on your recovery
I need help from other people: I need to learn from people who have walked a recovery path before me and who have built up some sober time. I can’t recover “my way”, because living according to “my way” is what got me in this mess 
I find those people in recovery groups and on Talking Sober. There’s a wide range of recovery groups listed here (along with many books and podcasts): Resources for our recovery
I need to take action. I need to say “I want this”, then I need to go to a meeting, and in between meetings I need to make calls to people in recovery, to check in. Addiction is isolation; recovery is connection.
I need to do healthy self-care: eat healthy food and don’t neglect it (don’t let myself get hungry); deal with my anger in healthy ways (usually by talking with a person in recovery for advice, then following that advice), don’t isolate myself, and get enough sleep (I’ve become a big fan of naps).