The recent months have been some of the worst of my life. Received my second dui and in my home state they make it very hard to live after your second dui. I’m disappointed , embarrassed and extremely sad. I want to quit drinking but I wonder how possible that is. I have a career that I love if anything I need to quit to keep my job. But it doesn’t feel like it’s possible… at all. I’ve been through rehab once before and relapsed right after I left. I think about drinking as soon as I am off work as i “believe” it is a stress reliever. Anyways I’m starting my journey today. Had my last drink last night at 12am
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Ever had to push a stalled car to the side of the road? Yes it’s hard, at first. You dig & push and drive the legs, and the car starts to move. You keep pushing, even harder, and it’s moving a little faster. Soon it’s moving pretty good, and you still have to push, but not so hard, and soon it’s where you want it to be.
That’s what quitting drinking is like. You need to dig, and drive, and push…in the beginning. Keep pushing as you start to move faster, and soon, just a little constant pressure, and you keep moving along.
Welcome. I hope you stay. It sounds like you have a lot of reasons to get to pushing. So get to pushing.
Keep getting better at getting better, each and every day.
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The analogy is perfect! Thank you it is definitely time
And there’s lots of support here. You’ll notice we discuss all kinds of things. Lots of different people, from different places, leading different lives…but one thing we all have in common is our desire to live clean and sober lives.
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There is a book called This Naked Mind, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it? It’s all about changing the way you perceive alcohol and seeing it for what it really is. There is an Allen Carr book that does a similar thing and I’m sure there are many others!
This thread might be useful to you too:
Of course giving up alcohol isn’t easy, it’s an addictive substance, but there are plenty of people here who are proof that it’s possible. Search, read, reach out when you need to. Welcome! 
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Great advice, thank you
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Thank you so much! Definitely going to pick up those books… I often think like “what about my wedding?” I’m gonna want a drink. But I guess I have to decide now that isn’t even an option
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Yes I need to get excited about it because right now I’m living in fear that I’m not gonna be successful because I just can’t picture my life without drinking at the moment but know it is necessary if I don’t want to continue down this spiral. Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions they help a lot. On my way to an aa meeting as we speak!
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I agree with @Mephistopheles . Once I was able to see alcohol as a complete negative for me it has changed my whole outlook on drinking. Being sober is no longer a punishment. I would suggest a book by Allen Carr “The easy way to quit drinking” or The Naked Mind.
Also please consider AA. From reading these blogs for the past 2 1/2 months I would say the majority of long term sober participants on this forum go to AA regularly.
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When is your wedding?
You know what when I first stopped drinking I had a those kind of thoughts too. I was really terrified of the future - how will I deal with this situation or that situation. I didn’t drink every day but alcohol was such an important part of my life.
Something I learned here is that I don’t have to think about the future - who knows what will happen next week let alone next year! There are so many variables outside of our control. I only have to not drink today. If you need to not drink this minute or even this second that’s fine too.
Now 4.5 months later it’s getting easier. Not every day is magical or anything but like @LyLyC says if you look at it as an opportunity to do things differently and better then that’s what it becomes. The 
thoughts still pop up from time to time - oh you’re doing pretty well, just one won’t hurt… But I recognise them for what they are and play my tape to the end. For me a few drinks might mean half an hour of fun but that inevitably turns into poor decisions, blackouts, tears, followed by a day or two of feeling terrible as I try and work out what I’ve said or done.
I don’t know if you do any meditation but that is another thing I would recommend. I started before I stopped drinking, I believe that’s one of the things that put me in the headspace to stop. Now it is helping me to navigate my days and find a way of thinking about and dealing with my emotions without reaching for a bottle.
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I feel you… my family drinks, my friends drink. Ots what we do on holidays, on weekends, hell, just because its 5pm, or just because its 12:30pm and it’s a good day to day drink… it’s hard… I still have problems with it… I reset my clock today… it wasnt a bad say, it wasnt even a terrible day, just a day that felt like we needed to get some beers, and then some shots… it’s hard… I used to work for a company once upon a time that told me the most important thing I’ve ever heard is a safety meeting… to change yourself, you have to change your culture, to change your culture you have to change your habits, to change your habits, you have to do one thing, literally one thing different than you did the day before. People can change, it just takes time and effort and just doing one small thing different every day.
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So true! Changing habits has been the most difficult thing for me! Changing habits means changing friends and finding new things to do for fun or to cope so that is my current goal. Change one thing at a time. On day two and feeling hopeful! Thanks for your kind words
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It’s crazy my mom said the same thing to me last night. Why are you thinking so far ahead, live for right now. Thanks for the reminder
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I’m not even in a relationship lol but when I think about staying sober that is one thing I think about
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Those thoughts are just your brain playing tricks on you. Trying to get you to drink now.
I know that everyone says take it one day at a time but one thing that helped me in the beginning was to promise myself I would not drink for 100 days. At the end of the 100 days I can asses the situation and decide. If drinking is so much better than being sober then I could go back to drinking.
I noticed that after about 30 days that not drinking was the route for me to go and as I get farther along more signs point to staying sober.
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