Anyone ever give up drinking without AA?!
Answers: Was just curious, recently I weaned myself off cigarettes after smoking for 13 years, I just got tired of them and started cutting down a lot, then eventualy IO just stopped and now its been a month since I smoked with no cravings. I've started having the same attitude with drink now, I used to drink a LOT (I'm Irish - lol) but since I feel so great after stopping smoking I feel I could have lots of benefits not drinking either. I don't feel like I'm an alco so I wouldn't wanna go to AA, has anyone ever done something like this or am I just a big weirdo? Hoping someone can relate.
Hey my bro in blood and spirit: I too had some Irish ancestors and from them I inherited a love of drink but my breathing was getting progressively worse and even though I got my whiskey and cigarettes free, decided to choose either to give up and look forward to emphysema and cirrhosis of the liver, or just quit altogether. At the time I was about 50 and had been a heavy imbiber since I was about 15. Two to three or four packs a day, depending on which watering hole I was at................
I went to one AA meeting and saw some people there I knew but most of them were strangers and I thought they were doing a lot of whining and blaming others for their own problems so I never went back and just did it "cold turkey". I self-hypnotized myself thru repetitive mantra and made it. I still remember waking about 0300 one morning and I took a nice big deep breath and thought to myself "thank the gods, that feels good!"
You are over the hard part now and in my case, I think I just outgrew the love of smoking and drinking but I was at it for a long time.
Good luck to you......................
Many people stop drinking without AA. AA is just one way of many used to help people with drinking related things. If you want to stop drinking, go for it! Good luck on whatever you choose!
My husband and I did the exact same thing with cigarettes. We had both smoked since our teens and just quit after 20 years. Now we're both completely grossed out by cigarette smoke.
Have never tried to stop drinking. I like wine to much to stop. I also understand that there are health benefits as long as you are drinking in moderation....but to answer your question, I don't think you need AA to stop.
All you need is determination. As you witnessed for yourself with ciggarettes, it can be done. Set your mind to it, and you can do it!
I already new the steps from years ago,so i used them.this isn't the 12 step order but it worked for me...
stopped going to places that served beer
I stopped buying beer
stopped hanging out with old friends who just thought about drinking beer
admitted i had a problem
got back on track with things that were more important
got support from my family(someone to talk to who didn't have a problem with alcohol
and that's pretty much what AA will help you do
GOOD LUCK
go for it....sounds like you have the determination......