How many first days did you have? I keep getting closer to making this my first day sober but fail in the last hours. I feel like something bad might happen if I don’t have a drink or I need to finish that last bottle. I stayed up past my normal bedtime the other night trying not to drink and didnt but then slammed a big chug out of the bottle right before I went to bed, WTF.
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It’s easier to stay sober if you don’t have alcohol easily available. It might make you sad or angry, but pour out whatever you have left. If there is another drinker in your home, maybe they will support your efforts.
Try AA meetings at the time you expect to weaken. They are available online 24 hours a day. Maybe go to a meeting and then go to sleep. When you get one day down, the next day will be smoother.
Blessings on your house 
as you begin your sobriety.
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Thank you. I’ve thought about this. I just need to pour the stuff down the drain, My wife doesn’t drink and my kids are out and grown so I don’t have anyone to blame but myself. At first I thought I had to drink all this my bourbon collection was worth 10s of thousands of dollars. but now I’m down to a few bottles of junk because I was like I’m not quitting drinking with all this top shelf bourbon lol ugh It’s all excuses. Thank you again encouragement like yours really makes me want this I want to do better.
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I had literally hundreds of first days, before I finally got it together enough to rack up some solid sober time.
TS made all the difference for me, so I am hoping you will find it helpful too. You are definitely not alone. Getting rid of the stuff will be a great first step. Wishing you all the best!!
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This is some excellent advice. It’s the most positive step you can take right now. Joining meetings, chatting on TS, or with someone supportive helps with long term sobriety.
It seems like you have been heavily binge drinking spirits most days for some time. Withdrawal from this can be sickening and dangerous. I recommend planning with and monitoring by a medical professional to keep you safe during this period.
For now, be kind to yourself. Plenty of us have experienced these sorts of challenges on our sober journey. You are making the best decision for a new and better life. You’ve got this!
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I had so many relapses that I lost count.
I was fired from 4 jobs due to my alcoholism, in a span of 5 years when my alcoholism took a nose dive for the worse and I didn’t want to be in society without it. I destroyed relationships and isolated myself for years. So many times that I wanted to quit but didn’t. The longest that I made it in sobriety before I was on this stretch, was 2 months. To lose that progress was terrible. I felt so hopeless, sooo many times and thought I was doomed. My hangovers got so bad that I felt like could have a seizure or stroke out at any moment. Laying in bed unable to sleep off the massive anxiety, taking deep and strange breaths, with the feeling of impending doom… I was certain my death was inevitible.
Finally after that scare, I am now 11 months sober, and I did it without any program. Just faith in Jesus and myself and I made it out. If I can do it, with how hopeless I felt… I believe anyone can do it.
If a program is what you need, then try it. I’m not very sociable so I knew it was up to me alone.
I’ll pray for you and hope you can get the strength to beat that nasty addiction!
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Good luck to yourself ad well .
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Yeah if you are a severe alcoholic for a long enough time the withdrawals can cause seizures and death.
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When I got sober, I was required by the courts to not have alcohol in my home, so it was all gone. Around 14 months sober, I was cleaning in the cellar, and found a pint bottle, nearly empty, that I had tossed behind the furnace maybe as much as 6 years earlier. It was covered in spiderwebs and dust and who knows what all. I opened it to pour it out because I knew if I just tossed it out unopened it would haunt me until they took the trash away the next week. Even then, with over a year sober and maybe two swallows left in the bottle and the bottle a biohazard zone, when I uncapped it, I smelled it and had the thought to hold it up over my open mouth and flip it over real quick so I could drink that shot and a half without putting my mouth on the bottle.
It was just a crazy thought and I poured it on the ground. But the thought came, and if I’d been at all shaky, who knows? Booze can kill me in a variety of interesting ways. Botulism was not one I wanted to find out about, at least not that day. My AA training carried me through, and I called someone straight away after the incident so that it did not hold any sway over me.
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I had a bunch of first days as well. But I couldn’t quit drinking on my own. I was sick every morning & couldn’t function if I didn’t drink soon as I wake up. One day I woke up and said I was going to rehab but I was gonna drink today before I do. I checked in on 12/19/2023, at first I was upset once I got there like why did I do this? Missed Christmas and New Year with my kids and family. But By far best decision I ever made. I did a medical detox and stayed in rehab. I’d done this a couple times of checking myself in but never finishing, I would get pissed off and leave ASA or AMA. But this time I finished! I said all of that to say, you’ll make the right decision when you see fit, or you’re at rock bottom and just really need something to change. Maybe you should check into rehab and get that push you may need to get started, and also to help with detox…Idk how some people may take this, but don’t beat yourself up—I’m sure you’ve been drinking for years, maybe decades, you didn’t just become a heavy drinker overnight. So don’t expect yourself just quit overnight. You can do this though, I wish you the best.
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First days are exhausting, it’s the mental build up to it and then getting through day 1, you were so close you should of gone to bed early to just tick it off as done.
Agree with everyone having alcohol in the house sounds like you are making things alot harder than they need to be.
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I had three first days after I finally decided to stop drinking. I dabbled with some sober nights and even longer stretches but once I set my intention I had three first days and learned from each of them.
My first failed day 1 I decided to test my moderation. I drank one beer out of the fridge and decided to stop after that. Then I drank everything in the fridge.
My second failed day 1 I bought a bottle of wine as a gift for someone. Then I drank it and went out to get more.
I’m on my third day one and so far my streak is unbroken at just over two years. Don’t keep alcohol in the house if it tempts you. Don’t question if you can have just one, and accept the title of alcoholic.
I could choose to break my resolve at any moment and go right back into that disappointing chaos so everyday I work on my recovery. Welcome. Keep trying.
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Man I had many first days and many other times where I had excuses to not have a first day.
Had first days where I was drinking by midday. Had a week here or a week there.
This last time round I came to the realisation that there may not be a next time for me to quit drinking. I may pick up and then never get sober.
I’ve never had dangerous withdrawals, fuckn unpleasant but not dangerous. If you’re scared of the withdrawls see a doctor for a management plan but don’t use it as a pass to never stop drinking.
The withdrawls MAY be bad for you if it goes that way. But sure as anything drinking WILL kill us eventually if we keep going at it
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Only had one day that was the day i walked into a AA Meeting never looked back . i had the desire and was willing to make the Effort ,change of mindset new sober friends good program sponsor phone numbers all available at a meeting wish you well
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