Ask HN: How did you stop drinking? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#171

Post by xupybd » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 7:56 AM UTC

>Any tips on cutting out something completely and how to get out of just hating yourself when you fail?

Hating yourself doesn't help. I find quitting an addiction requires a good self image. Bad days are on the path to getting free. Remember you can pick yourself up when you fall over. It's all part of the process.

"For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again."

You are doing it. You are on the path to getting free of this. You can do this. Keep going, don't get discouraged.

If you can get help I advise going after it. Someone in your corner will really help. You might not consider yourself an alcoholic, but an alcoholic support group has the tools to help.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#172

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 7:57 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#173

Post by dools » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 7:58 AM UTC

Switch to light beer, and then start alternating light beer with non-alcoholic beer, then have two non-alcoholic beers for every one light beer, and then just drink only non-alcoholic beer. Then drink sparkling water from a can. Then drink sparkling water from a bottle. Then just drink water.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#174

Post by mradek » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 7:58 AM UTC

cassonmars wrote: post #91

I used to put away a liter of vodka a night. I kept it up for years, accumulating a solid decade of heavy drinking. I was miserable. It was souring my relationship. The stress from work, personal life, and declining mental state of course made me feel even more compelled to drink. I was becoming a shell of my former self, and my dreams were becoming strictly that. I had a confluence of events that changed my course:…

Very nice. Thanks for sharing and all the best!!

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#175

Post by franze » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 7:59 AM UTC

Don't just stop, substitute it with something else that gives you a good feeling.

I choose Yoga.

Some others I knew choose sauna, running, fitnessstudio, sex, painting, ...

Substitute one habit with another one. Dont hit yourself to hard if you fail from time to time. But keep on it.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#176

Post by kioleanu » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 8:01 AM UTC

SkyPuncher wrote: post #59

I've cut back by switching to non-alcohol beer. I've found that I enjoy the taste of beer, but I don't enjoy how shitty alcohol makes me feel. NA beer tends to solve that for me. Lots of good options coming out. * Just the Hazy by Sam Adams is top tier. * Athletic brewing is solely NA beer - lots of different varieties. * Heineken 0.0 is great * O'Douls amber is surprisingly passable as well I suspect the options wil…

For Germany: the NA beer from Wunderbraue tastes amazingly good

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#177

Post by soledades » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 8:02 AM UTC

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Some dude said "no don't worry about any of that higher power shit, your higher power can just be a doorknob"

3. ???

4. Profit

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#178

Post by rancid_mcstale » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 8:02 AM UTC

Establish a habit that trumps drinking.

I started playing the piano a few years ago - generally practise in the evening. I read somewhere that recall is affected by alcohol, so have to avoid alcohol until later.

This keeps me from having a glass of wine or a gin and tonic in the early evening. By the time I've finished playing it's often a bit too late to bother.

I've never been an alcoholic, but without this mild deterrent I would probably have at least one drink most nights.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#179

Post by sieste » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 8:03 AM UTC

The mild sedative effect of beer is partly due to the hops. You can get a similar effect from alcohol free beer ... or hop tea. I've had some fuggle hops left over from home brewing and turned them into tea, with a bit of lemon and honey it makes a delicious "downer" with a similar drowsy feeling like after a beer.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#180

Post by khazhoux » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 8:04 AM UTC

hardware2win wrote: post #153

marginalia_nu wrote: post #149

I've found it easy to stop a great deal of such behaviors by examining not what they promise to deliver, but what they actually brought. I.e. don't look forward, look backward when making decisions. Alcohol promises a great time. Alcohol delivers a hangover and regrets. Junk food promises a great time. Junk food delivers poor health and regrets. Going to the gym promises hardship and struggle. It delivers health. I'v…

>Alcohol promises a great time. Alcohol delivers a hangover and regrets. One beer? Also Alco often delivers crazy social interactions that may be very desired >Reading a book promises struggling and boredom. It delivers wisdom and inspiration. I've never once regretted it. I wish, a lot of books that ive read were mostly waste of time e.g dragon book

> One beer?

Actually, yes. If you are someone who only drinks one beer, then your low tolerance means even that single drink will leave you leaving crummy afterwards. Not a full-on "oh dear god please don't mention eggs around me" crummy, but just groggy, headache-y, and so on.

This is me. I only ever drank maybe a glass of wine or one beer every couple of months, and finally realized it was easier just dropping down to effectively zero.

> I wish, a lot of books that ive read were mostly waste of time

Hear, hear! People fetishize books way too much. Most are, indeed, crap.