Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#1

Post by chrisgd » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 2:53 AM UTC

I enjoy the act of drinking - literally having a drink, or the feeling right after a drink. I hate how I feel an hour later, the foggy head feeling. I have a hard time saying no to a drink if everyone else is having a drink, I have done it before and am not afraid of what they think, more so, I enjoy having a drink, but I really don’t want to any more. I think it is something I would be better off without, completely but just can’t seem to get there.

I don’t buy it for weeks at a time, then cave and have a 12 pack in a weekend and feel like garbage most of the time.

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

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#2

Post by buggythebug » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 2:57 AM UTC

Some ideas: 1)Before you start drinking try to think about how you will feel after 2)Make a calendar and everyday you don't drink mark an X on the day - you won't want to break the streak 3)Drink way more seltzer water 4)Consider fasting - when I started fasting I had ZERO interest in eating or drinking garbage 5)Seek therapy

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#3

Post by solmanac » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 2:59 AM UTC

What kicked off my now nearly four years without drinking was an initial four months of intensive breathing mindfulness exercises from thich nhat hanh's book and at least one hour a day on an encompassing project, in my case really learning some 555 timer circuits.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#4

Post by joshxyz » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 3:06 AM UTC

alan carr's how to stop drinking, that should exist, no?

https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Drinking-Without-Willpowe...

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#5

Post by algoatecorn » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 3:09 AM UTC

I love beer and always drink fairly responsibly. The hangover from >2 beers is enough to keep me from having more than that. I used to average 2 on Friday, 2 on Saturday, maybe 1 on Sunday, and a couple of weekdays I might have 1 or 2. I always told myself that was perfectly fine because it's not excessive on a given night, but recent review of the literature convinced me otherwise.

It was pretty hard to change my habit at first. What made the biggest difference was working out. I have a long history of fitness, and could recall that in my most fit era, I rarely drank. Like maybe once a month I'd have a beer.

It's really hard to be in great shape and average 10 beers a week, even if it's limited to 2 per event. Knowing that it's a limitation to my goals is very powerful in reducing my intake. I really just love beer and all its variety, so I miss it, but it also makes it much nicer to enjoy when I have it.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#6

Post by Liuser » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 3:10 AM UTC

Develop an exercise routine.

I hated the feeling of running or working out hung over and used that as motivation to not drink. Would rather feel good working out and feel good after the work out.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#7

Post by knicholes » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 3:10 AM UTC

I've seen enough of my friends die to know that recreational drug abuse doesn't end well. That normally does a great job of keeping me from drinking. I do it once a year to recalibrate myself.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#8

Post by heydemo » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 3:11 AM UTC

The big change for me was to stop thinking of quitting as something you should succeed at on the first try and start treating attempts as trial runs for gathering data and improving your approach.

The other piece was combining many different levers: social support, replacement activities, rewards, motivation statements etc. You need as many tools as possible because addiction is tough.

For more on this type of approach check out the book Change Anything... Helped me more than any other source.

A key idea they discuss are "critical moments" - ie that time when you're buying the 12 pack. You need to figure out when and why that happens and design a plan to address it.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#9

Post by ativzzz » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 3:14 AM UTC

I just flat out quit - no drinking, period. I think 6-8 months for me was enough to normalize and remove it as a habit and now I'm able to drink without making it unhealthy. Luckily I wasn't anywhere near alcoholic - just casual habitual drinker, but a nasty hangover really pushed me over the edge to stop.

Re: Ask HN: How did you stop drinking?

#10

Post by guiambros » Tue, Oct 11, 2022, 3:14 AM UTC

What helped me eliminate almost entirely was understanding the impact it has on the body and the brain. More than "it's bad for your health", it helped me understand why it's bad. Even the allegedly harmless "a glass of red wine a day is good for your health" (spoiler: no).

There are many sources, but I recently saw this one from Dr. Andrew Huberman, which seemed more comprehensive than a lot of what I've read before.

[1] What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkS1pkKpILY