How long away from booze does it take before the cravings go away, like I can take it or leave it...

Drink is the one thing that gives you freedom of restraint, no pressure, no concern over what ifs, what others will think, what you should be doing.
I spend 50 a week on housekeeping, and a couple of bills like my phone, but the rest goes entirely on drink and cocaine, probably more on cocaine. But why stop unless there's something so great worth stopping for? It gives you confidence, relief from every put down you ever have, or will ever get, drinking til you collapse ain't bad, if you get that far, it's because you needed that release.
If you got people dependant on you, different story, but there just isn't anything that special to stop. If it damages your health, so what? My grandad died from a series of strokes caused by his excessive drinking, after his first one, he couldn't even work, so what was there to help him feel good again?
The only way to quit is to have something worth quitting for, people don't change their nature, if they do, it's because they have something to lose, but they'd revert in a second if they could have it all.

So, OP should have kids?

No, if he had kids than they'd be the kinda thing to bring someone into stopping. But in this scenario, obviously not.
Really if there was an obvious motivation to stop then I wouldn't be saying what I am, but there really isn't that many things to cling for that beat that escape. And if you was gonna go, at least it'd be doing exactly as you wanted.

It may not work for everyone but, I refuse to believe in addiction. "That feeling" will go away whether you "have one" or not. You be the boss.

Start paying attention to how much it costs you. Get into the habit of asking if the price is worth spending right now. Works for me, and money isn't an issue.

>What do you mean by alcoholic?
>Are you actually an alcoholic?

Are you guys fucking retarded?
>instead of getting a big dumb stupid smile on my face and an endorphin rush just thinking about doing it?

I have just made a post in the +25 thread

I have been 20 days sober now for the first time in 3-4 years.
On my last days of drinking I called in sick from work (for the second time in three months) because of hangover.
Drank 24 beers and a bottle of gin over the course of two days.
Decided to stop. Now.
Made sure to buy juice so I had something tasty to drink. Bought vegetables and pre-made salads for my meals. Kept my belly full at all times. Often I had been drunk on an empty stomach, sometimes going a full day on nothing but beer (18-24 beers during a day), so I knew I had to keep my stomach full to combat that part on my addiction.

Fuck man, those first couple of days I slept properly for the first time in months. Full 8-9 hours without waking up hungover. Fucking reason enough to quit drinking by itself.
No more shaking, no more fear of being tested while commuting to work (even though I only ever drank after work, but had sometimes driven while suuper hungover)

I have barely had cravings, and I think a lot of it has been keeping my belly full at all times. Eating fruit and raw vegetables for snacks, eating solid meals. Drinking juice and milk.

But the thoughts and the temptations are definately there everyday.
Had a good day at work where everything went as it should and I managed everything perfectly and the thought of rewarding myself came up from the moment I sat in my car to go home.
Ended up not buying anything.

But I have made running or walking starts towards quitting for at least 2 years and have loathed myself a lot. Guess I finally "snapped" and got back on track.

OP back again. Yeah, it'd help if I had kids or anything stopping me. I have no one to genuinely hold me accountable. My parents? When I come by the house to say hi, I crack a beer. My dad comes by the house with a few beers while we work on something.

I don't care about money, I make more than I can spend. I know I SHOULD, but the buzz is more valuable than anything. Makes me feel like a normal person, makes me enjoy the world... and due to my career, the drinks are free a lot.

I believe in your mindset - the easiest thing to do is to not pick something up. I can skip booze, skip eating, and all of that. But it means I have to get rid of related things that I value.

Hey, not the op but the misanthrope I gotta ask what it was that got you to the point you made yourself stop. Congrats, as pessimistic as I was posting, I appreciate that when people do stop, it's so hard.

So then, why do ya wanna stop? What is it you would earnestly rather be doing, I said earlier there isn't much reason to, but seriously, if someone quits its normally because they've hit the closest to rock bottom they ever will

I think I'm becoming an alcoholic.
I know I abuse it but so far I can manage pretty well where it's not gonna put me in trouble at work or anything like that.
I usually have mild to no hangover symptoms but after drinking last night, I never really felt "right" again today. I have that dizzy feeling even being sober. It doesn't feel good it just feels...wrong. Is this to be expected or did I really fuck myself up beyond repair or something?

Right on user, it sounds kinda similar to what I've done in the past. I don't call out sick hungover, but I've done most everything else you've listed. It's the thoughts and temptations that kill me whenever I quit. I just know how much more *fun* it would be to go grab a lunch beer, hang with my pals, etc.

I wish I could fathom the concept of not constantly wanting to drink, and having it sit up there in my head. When I quit, it's a constant struggle of willpower. Imagine the obsession if all you desperately wanted to do was play with Legos, and they were sitting right downstairs.

I was tired of being tired unless I was drinking
I was tired of constantly isolating myself from friends and family
Tired of lying
I hosted a new-years eve celebration and fucked up every dish I served in some way
And I finally realised it was out of control when I had to call in sick for the second time in three months. That really bummed me out (it's a good job, good collegues)
Also I had a phonecall with my best friend where I can only remember that we spoke, but not of what. And that has happened a lot. The memory-loss thing is really fucking bad.

One good thing about the new years eve celebration was that I cleaned my apartment for the first time in over a year, vacuumed for the first time in half a year, cleaned my oven, fixed a lot of my clutter, got all the beercans out of my home. I think if I had still lived in a bloody mess I wouldn't have stopped really.

You'd know if you was, alcoholism is an addiction to drinking, physical dependancy is a whole nother level.
I drink a lot, and to excess as often as I can afford, but there's no shakes, the coke problem is a lot more at my first thoughts and cravings, but that's different. Fuzzy feeling can be anything dude

here

If you keep drinking you will feel that way all the time unless you are drinking.
It's the first babysteps of your alcohol dependence

I'm not addicted.
But the way I use alcohol would be considered "abuse" and I definitely drink more and more often than is considered "safe or healthy"
I'm just feeling a way I never felt before and was a bit worried. Hopefully I'll just sleep it off or something.

oh no...

Yeah I feel you, I would "quit" for 24-36 hours until the cravings and my weak spine caved in

But for me it was simply about wanting something more for my life. Trying to be sober and healthy before it killed me or cost me my career and bancrupted me.

>get rid of related
I was hooked on a few things in the past and have never given up any of them. You just need to rearrange things for a while. Or make substitutions. After you get a handle on things, you can get back to enjoying yourself. That's why I personally prefer my philosophy. It is a recalibration and not a lifelong struggle.

Right I getcha, my mum has a lot of memory troubles after drinking, always ends up humiliating.
I don't have memory problems, see with the coke I already mentioned, you can honestly drink forever and feel completely fine, no falling about, going to sleep, hand in hand accompaniment. This is not a recommendation in any case, but it's not as hard to do stuff if you got a counterbalance I guess.

I've got my vices, but no one has the same experience. But one place I will always recommend to any seriously going sober is to join AA, they make the battle so much easier, my mum's ex says that only alcoholics can understand how an alcoholic thinks. Its an illness, you can't quit it for a month and be cured, it's there for life.

I shouldn't have started off being so resigned to things never changing, really, I havent got to the point where I feel like I have to stop, maybe I will, hopefully I can get away with things for a while yet.
You just gotta do what makes you happy, or try, just it's so easy to switch off and just let the same routine happen again and again, but I know that ain't healthy. Best of luck, but I can't tell ya how to quit when I got my own vices, but I honestly hope you go far, seriously, try AA

I tried weed and some other things, but the effect isn't right. I would have loved to find an alternative. I'm drug tested too, which doesn't help.

I think you misquoted... but as OP, I have tried AA, and it was awful and useless.

Thanks for the recommendation. I might take it up if I relapse. If I can stay clear and sober like I have so far I won't need it.

>How long does it take for craving alcohol to disappear in an alcoholic?

It never fully goes away.

Rehab and A.A. daily.

your liver is likely to be irreparably damaged. stop now for your health. dont you value your existence?

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>get blackout drunk out of my mind on my 20th birthday
>keep going on my gf when she tells me to stop
>I pass out, she leaves and calls my best friend and his gf (her best friend)
>they come over to check on me
>best friend says I sexually assaulted my gf
>I'm still blacked out, get mad and attack him
>get punched in the nose and pass out
>Wake up at 3am with no memory of what happened and a sore face
>reach for my bottle but it's gone
>text my gf if she knows where my bottle is
>she tells me everything
>dumps me and our entire social circle wants nothing to do with me
>have tried to kill my best friend and myself before while blacked out
I think this is the wake up call I needed after months of being told by everyone that I'm an alcoholic and vehemently denying it.

Took a solid 3-4 months for me, honestly. For them to completely go away.

But it's like a half life situation. First week is the worst, next couple after that aren't too fun either, after the first month or so it went from overpowering to just annoying.

About 2 years. First 6 months are like hell.

LOL screw that

Going to AA is not a predictor of recovery outcomes. Cold turkey works just as well, and without the religious cult. To cure alcoholism you need professional help, not a room full of alcoholics and an alcoholic priest.

If you are physically addicted to booze, you can't touch it ever again.

For me a couple of months. But I hit a depression. Just ride through it and know you'll come out on the other end. Craving and depression went. Keep active. Have a substitute drink in the end. Like a juice or something that wont keep you awake. But if it has to have a buzz then that's still better than booze. Good luck