Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

Do you have any good resources for learning these practical tools you mention?

Don't hate yourself. If you can go a few weeks at a time that's good. Better than me. You are certainly better off for that. Blowing off is not all bad. Maybe feeling shit for a couple of days is a price worth paying for decompressing once a month? I'm not advocating that I would love to stop but at the same time... I also like it and it's part of my culture. Do your best, limit yourself, feel good for your achievements not bad about the failures

My wife doesn’t drink, very few of my friends drink, so it was easy for me to quit day to day.

When I find myself in a situation where everyone is drinking, like at a meet up or a conference or something, it’s still hard to say no though.

For me the social pull to drink has always been pretty strong.

Drinking is a bit special in the addiction category. I've listened to my partner explain to me her struggles with drinking. I'll do my best to recount what she's said, with some paraphrasing.

Drinking is a cyclical activity, chemical wise. You get anxiety so to escape the anxiety you drink, the first few drinks you feel great - because the anxiety is gone! As you drink, though, the anxiety comes back so you drink more. The next day your anxiety is raging due to a hangover + your normal anxiety + whatever happened the night before. Shame and guilt set in, if you're trying to quit, and then rinse and repeat.

Alcohol is also a dangerously addictive substance for reasons most people don't realize. Withdrawals are lethal, which makes them special on their own, but alcohol is also available, advertised, and accepted everywhere. There's seductive ads on TV and in your grocery store; it's marketed as a lifestyle choice and a luxurious one at that. It's available in gas stations, grocery stores, and convenience stores. At any given party there is a high likelihood of alcohol presence.

I don't have any answers for you; my partner keeps herself busy with hobbies and work. She's got some totems around that remind her why she quit (or that she quit, in general). It's every day work.

My story with alcohol was far more simple. I was depressed and when my depression hit a high I would start to drink. There was no such thing as, "I'll have one beer" in my house. I hit rock bottom and I had one of two choices to make. The path I chose involved eating better, doing physical activity, and studying. My hobbies eventually ate over all the opportunities I had to go out with friends and booze casually. At some point it occurred to me that I hadn't drank in years; these days I can have as many beers as I want and stop when I want, but more generally I just don't drink. It's just not that fun to me anymore now that I know a life without alcohol.

I tell my story separately because I don't really fit the mold of an addict, yet I certainly destroyed a period of my life with alcohol.

Glad to hear this. With the exception of a finger of scotch every few months I've given up on drinking. With the change of seasons I've been craving a beer. Looking forward to trying these.