So, I wanna work on a list of reminders/reasons I can read if I feel a relapse coming to prevent it.
Help me out please folks. I’d like to put your reasons on my list also and make them my own.
Thank you in advance!
To not black out, to not have hangovers, to have a better handle of my emotions, to not destroy my organs, to not relapse on other drugs.
That’s why I don’t drink.
Alcohol wants me divorced and homeless. Estranged and alone. And sooner or later, alcohol wants me dead
Because if I go back out I will die. It’s that simple. My disease has progressed to the point that death is pretty much the only thing left if I drink or use again.
I stopped drinking…
To make the most of every day
To get a handle on my home life
To be more present with my kids & show them alcohol doesn’t have to be involved in everything/anything
To achieve my fitness goals
To achieve any goal really (but I have a few big ones)
To never be held back by my hangover ever again
To save money, my health, my life
To never drink and drive again
To appreciate life again
To find other interests besides a buzz
To never regret the night before
To be the best version of myself possible basically.
Or at least to be able to even try.
Loved all your reasons.
Here is some of my list…
No hangovers ever!!
Treating husband with respect and no drunk fighting
Self respect gets a major boost
No more internal conflict about drinking and if/how can I cut down or stop
Restful restorative uninterrupted sleep!!!
Major pride in myself and all that I have and can accomplish
A sense of peace and calm every day
No more embarrassment and shame because of my behavior
Forgiving myself for past mistakes and terrible judgement
No wondering what I did or how I hurt husband or others while drunk
No treating people I love, including myself, poorly while drunk
No drunk driving and possibly hurting self or others or jail
No upset stomach from drinking
No anxiety and near constant agitation when hungover
No dark suicidal thoughts
No shame around neighbors if I was loud and yelling or loud music
No blackouts ever
No overwhelming shame at my behavior
No oversharing with strangers while drunk or making plans I will need to cancel
Not having to check my phone in the middle of the night to delete social media posts - no drunk texting/emails/posts/calls
Not be bloated and puffy and look haggard
Clear skin and eyes
Major pride in myself and a boost in self esteem
No hangovers ever again
No more excuses or lies
Peace of mind
That internal conflict!!! Thank God that has been relieved.
Really every single one of these is a gift. And it’s crazy we can literally have them all with NOT drinking…or at least they will come much easier. Life is still work-but we all know that.
The shame in the morning wondering what you did last night and depressed cause you can’t get off the sofa to go out and do something cause your rough
Not being a serf in King Alcohol’s fiefdom is all I need. Not living for just ME, makes me a happier person.
As I have mentioned countless times on this forum, because doing without alcohol is not DEPRIVING yourself of anything, but rather FREEING yourself from years of BS and propaganda from alcohol (or tobacco or whatever) companies, and even from often well-meaning friends and family members.
Another good reason is because alcohol, just like gasoline, would kill you if you drank it STRAIGHT. Even a relatively big guy like me would die from drinking 250 mL of PURE alcohol (or gasoline, or drain cleaner, or any one of a variety of other poisons).
However, drinking 250 mL of PURE water, or apple juice or orange juice or all kinds of other things (even soft drinks like Coca-Cola) would not be fatal in the slightest!
You could even drink 250 mL of salt water without any ill effects… except perhaps for wanting to throw up.
So on one side of the equation, you have alcohol / gasoline / drain cleaner, and on the other side, you have water / juice / soft drinks.
The choice doesn’t seem too difficult when you look at it in those terms.
I love you all. Thank you for helping me make my list.
My brain!!! Also future kids and health in old age so I can spend all the money I saved from not drinking on fun stuff.