Happy Valentines Day all! <3

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we’re here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge! I’m pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you’re new to c/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you’re like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you’ve been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn’t matter if you’re still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, let’s not drink alcohol!

    • @CheesyGordita
      link
      English
      31 year ago

      Oh man, which time I quit? Lol. Let’s see though, in general the first couple days after a nasty binge, I would experience elevated resting heart rate, super easy to get winded, fatigue, tough time getting to sleep, inability to sleep for more than a couple hours at a time, random nausea, sometimes heart palpitations, brain fog, maybe some vomiting, off and on cold sweats and what I would like to call internal tremors where it feels like I’m shaking but my hands are steady.

      Last time was the worst binge I’ve had and after a week straight of getting black out everyday on a couple liters of vodka a day, I ended going to the hospital to get some drugs to help me with the withdrawals. It was an insane and horrible feeling finally “coming to” saying where the fuck did this last week go and learning from my wife I not only almost died from alcohol poisoning, but I was trapped from the withdrawal symptoms. I tried cold turkey and I went four days straight with about 2 hours of sleep total. I was about to start hallucinating, I could feel it coming but I didn’t quite get there. Along with all the other symptoms I was also getting some serious anxiety and panic, I felt myself losing it and it felt like I was legit going crazy until my wife got me some vodka and after a few shots my system calmed down and I almost felt normal. It was at that point I knew I was trapped and wouldn’t be able to taper down as quick as I needed with the holidays ending and me going back to work and I decided I finally needed help so I went to the hospital. 0/10 not recommended, not my proudest time in my life…

      • Night Monkey
        link
        fedilink
        English
        31 year ago

        Holy shit man that’s crazy.

        I’m not close to being that bad, but I am trying to stop for a while and it’s hard. The sleep thing is kinda messing with me a little

        • @CheesyGordita
          link
          English
          41 year ago

          Good, don’t get that bad. I didn’t used to be either. It’s crazy how slowly and yet how quickly this shit can sneak up on you. Take care of yourself, and usually the sleep sorts itself out after about a week for me. Light exercise in the evening like going for a walk, turning down the lights, getting off your phone, and nice warm shower helps my system calm down and sleep easier. If all else fails, give it time. Fucking time, the answer is always time, as much as I hate it. lol

          • ZerlynaOPM
            link
            English
            21 year ago

            Wow it was crazy busy at work today for me, what a great thread today!!!

      • LoraxEleven
        link
        English
        21 year ago

        That’s too fuckin familiar, man. Fuck…

      • ZerlynaOPM
        link
        English
        2
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        OMG yes the cold sweats. I went to the ER once because I was sweating and had chills for over 24 hours. Looking back I was detoxing and didn’t know it. They apparently didn’t either. :(. Took me a few times to realize it.

        • @CheesyGordita
          link
          English
          11 year ago

          Yeah, those fucking cold sweats. I washed my sheets so many times, was tempted to get a cheap mattress protector at one point, haha. <- sad laugh

    • @CheesyGordita
      link
      English
      31 year ago

      Oh, and for the longer effect withdrawals. They seem to be less noticeable for me, but depression, increased need for sleep (probably paying off that sleep debt), still not feeling super sharp, either noticeably increased or decreased appetite, and little spikes of anxiety. But I also might just have some mental stuff I need to work on with a therapist as well. But I do notice that like the first couple days after I stop drinking, I feel worse in general, then a week after I almost feel weirdly good for a bit, then around week 1.5 to 2 I feel down and crappy for a few days (kindof a funk, then I even out.

      Week 1 is dangerous for me because I’m feeling great and think I have it figured out so a few drinks on the weekend sounds nice and I surely won’t slip into a reckless binge like before…. lol. Week 1.5-2.5 is dangerous for me because it’s easy for me to slip back into drinking to deal with the funk and negativity I’m feeling. At a month it’s dangerous because I’ve forgotten most of the negative shit I went thru and maybe my wife is wanting a nice night cap and “I’m a changed man that can finally drink in moderation”.

      Sorry, probably a ton more than what you were asking for but I find talking/writing about it cathartic and helps keep me going and I guess you happened to be my journal for the day, lol.

      • Night Monkey
        link
        fedilink
        English
        31 year ago

        No this kinda hits with me also. I’ve struggled with the same thing as you as far as trying to stay sober.

        • @CheesyGordita
          link
          English
          21 year ago

          Crazy the similarities huh? Wouldn’t have believed it myself if I didn’t see the same shit happening with my wife. She was just a bit further behind me on that path of alcohol abuse so when she started noticing this stuff I started channeling my inner Marty McFly from back to the future, “hey! I know this one! I’ve seen it before”. lol