104 days sober. It's taken me 10 years to get to the point where I knew it made sense to stop cutting back. To stop taking a break. To just end it. 34 years of drinking and I'm done.
I hear you. Totally in the same boat with 10 years of taking breaks and trying to cut back. Takes so much energy that it makes sense to just commit to sobriety for life.
At 46, approaching 5 years without drinking after 20 years of pretty heavy consumption, I'm still discovering (and thankfully repairing!) alot of damage. For what it's worth, the reduction of wear and tear on the body is worth it alone. There are countless other benefits - but my digestive system is very thankful. Best wishes to everyone dealing with it!
46 here also. Stopped drinking 8 months ago after heavy consumption for 25+ years and I don't plan on ever drinking again. I work out 6 days a week, and drink a lot of chocolate milk at night. Grape juice on ice is also delicious. I hope my body forgives me. Alcohol is a scary drug. Stopping has been my second biggest life-changing moment so far, next to my daughter's birth. Good luck, brother.
I stopped drinking (smoking, too) a number of years back, am now 68, recently had a heart attack, and woke up alive. Still feeling good, too. It's kind of amazing. No kidding.
@@jb-zi7cj Remind yourself that it's a continuation of your addiction, day in day out, not just one drink (or one more night of drinking). It's the waking up feeling like death, not remembering parts of the previous night, the fear of what you said etc, repeated again and again and again until you cut it off. Well, you have already cut it off, so what's the point in going back? There's no such thing as one more drink, or you'd be like anyone else, and you're not, you're an alcoholic. All the best.
Yep. Rolaids, Tums, midnight diners, hangovers, overweight, socialize only while drinking/drugging, anger, depression, isolation, paranoia. It’s been over 30 years and I STILL like waking up without the hangovers and regret. Still not well adjusted, but at least more aware. Be selfish about it and give yourself a break.
Oh same. I also did most everything I wanted to in life when I was in my 20s and 30s and now in my 40s I'm bored as shit with life and just drink to kill time.
@@Axolotl_Mischief If you have the time and money to be bored consider it a blessing. Most people will never have the time or money for that. If you're bored its entirely on you. You have to do things to make life interesting.
Drinking is to ignore and to forget. When you stop, you face the things you were ignoring and you remember the things you were trying to forget. And when you face and remember these dark things, you will subconsciously start deconstructing them until at last, you've made sense of them. That's the beauty of sobriety. Even if the aforementioned things need professional intervention to fully overcome, you have identified them, and are finally in control. It's a great feeling.
What a sweeping, sanctimonious generalisation. Maybe some people just like a glass of wine or two with some good cheese (for example, the entire populations of France and Italy)? Or even a beer or two with their wurst?
I couldn't drink for 3 months (medical issue) when I 30. When I went to the bar with my friends I couldn't believe how loud they were. They had yelling conversations. I also went to my friends wedding and that was interesting to say the least.
Been sober for 4 years. It gets easier once you have some time of sobriety. Happy to hear that someone so young is realizing he has an issue and not waste years in the bottle.
Alcohol is the only drug that when people find out you no longer use it...they think something is wrong with you. Never mind how many people it kills, whether in an accident, alcohol poisoning, or over a few decades and the doc gives you the news.
@@Area51AlphaZuluwell I love drinking, if I tried doing that and I ended up liking it more than drinking I would really be in trouble. That's why I have never done drugs, I'm afraid of finding one I like more than the alcohol
@@David-eu1ms lol. You should get to know some crystal meth users then, I know plenty of alcoholics, but I only had to get a restraining order against the meth users who went psychotic
Bill, it's great to hear your heart by owning your influence when speaking to this young man. Then, to follow up by acknowledging your own real-time challenges, taking or leaving alcohol is huge! It takes real maturity and courage to pick these moments with such authenticity. You are a good man.
My sobriety wasn't by choice, it was the outcome of a drunken fall and a broken hip. Laying in a hospital bed gives you lots of time to reflect, and to finally hear the words your family has been saying. If anyone else is suffering, try to find help because it can always get worse.
I gave up drinking for seven years after a drunken evening at home. There was a police car and a police van parked outside my house. By some miracle the cops left me in the care of my brother. As I lay on my bedroom floor, paralytic, not wanting to lie on my bed in case I urinated on it, I heard the voice of God. I'm not religious. A voice deep within me said just the right words at just the right moment: 'How far do you want to push this?' Well that's all it took. The right words at the right moment can be transformative.
yeah same here. I lost like 5 jobs in a year, about 3 relationships; police, damaged property, two siezures... I was 24/7 drunk and couldn't stop, for years. THe only thing was I fell and broke my ankle, was trapped in a bed, with constant nurses and shit monitoring me, and, yeah just... forced basically.
... anytime is a good time to make better decisions for yourself and your love ones best wishes to all that read this it will be 29 years of no 🚬 this coming Jan 26 for myself the only reason to look back is to count of the YEARS 😎👍🏼
I'm 46 and the Sober guy too. I'm 643 days sober as of today. Society is geared towards drinking for sure. If all your friends are at the bars, you've got to adjust and change it up. I stopped going to bars, so I don't hang out with drinking buddies anymore. It's a solitary life for a while. I have met a smoke show girl who doesn't drink either. I didn't really think I had a problem, but I drank every day. I do miss the nightcap at the end of the night, and just being able to turn off the stress of the day and shut the brain down for a while. But it won't fix anything. I wanted to see what my body did, when my liver was running at 100%. The brain fog is gone, I'm as sharp as I was at 19 again. The money savings is great considering the massive inflation going on. My only complaint is that I thought I was supposed to have ripped abs by now, and that didn't happen, lol.
@@mezzb I played music trivia with a boomer, who got buckets of light domestic beer each week. He'd get there after work, and not leave until the bar closed. He dropped over dead one night walking to his car, and split his skull open in the parking lot. He always told his sad story to anyone who would listen, about how his wife left him because he drank too much, so "He'd show her!" and stayed there every night, drinking. Well, his wife was in there crying with their daughter the next day, to see where he had spent his last remaining days. I was sitting across the bar from them having the last beer I'd ever drink. That was April 4th, 2022.
Crazy thing is, we thought he was a lightweight because all he drank was LIGHT beer. Not shots, liquor on the rocks, heavy Belgian Quads etc, like we drank. We saw light lagers as hydration. There's always a day here and there where I still feel I need a drink afterwards, but nothing good comes of it, so I will persist in my abstinence.
got it under control at 26, was a hardcore alcoholic since I was 16, what Bill says here is true, get someone to record how you act when you're drunk and you'll quit immediately
@@Despond sometimes that's just annoying, I live in a relatively small city and you just end up having to say hi to people you don't know for being too outgoing while at a local party wondering what you did that night
Your gentle, daily reminder that Bill Burr bought a black woman and married her so he could get more stage time as her father's club. Look it up, it's true.
Thanks Bill for your upfront honest words. I'm 66 been drinking mostly Beer for 50 yrs. Have digestive issues , gastritis etc from the alcohol on my stomach lining. And have noticed getting fucked up ain't as much fun as it used to be . Have really tried to cut back and now go weeks without and feel so much better and not the guilt. Tryin to quit totally but even baby steps are better than nothing. Weeks and months can hopefully turn to years and I'm definitely drinking less and feeling Better
Being piss drunk was never really that much fun. It's just when you're really young it has that novelty factor. If you drink by yourself, don't drive on it and generally don't bother or endanger someone else then there's no reason to feel guilty about drinking booze. It's just stupid because it's expensive and isn't good for anything but maybe getting fat and porking your liver.
It’s nice to see guys supporting each other this way. Best advice to make sure it doesn’t carry you away or drive you crazy going cold turkey… If you can honestly just work on eating healthy food for the most part, and workout, drink a lot of water. Plus, if you do drink with your friends or mildly, just do it with water and healthy food, avoid going over like 5-6 shots worth (casually, maybe 2-3) or so, depending on who you are.:. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, put enough GOOD into yourself and then the bad in smaller doses won’t really do anything to you.
The first step to mastering alcohol is understanding why you use it in the first place. For me, it was for the social lubrication; if I'm totally honest, people are (on average) self-interested, boring, non-creative, unintelligent, uninteresting, and unoriginal followers who spend their hours being duped by marketing, talking points, and empty ideological frameworks. In order for me to tolerate the vacuousness of their 'interests,' a solid buzz really helps the pill go down. Now a recluse and satisfied with it, I no longer play the game, and thus I'm no longer pressured into imbibing at an unnatural rate. If I _do_ start to get the warm fuzzies, it was for the sake of my own enjoyment, and not because I was trying to cope or escape. Drink on your own terms, and learn to actually enjoy it. Oh, and I also try to skip most of the cold-weather season by staying dry, because depression tends to build with use and cabin fever. The key is this: a little goes a long way. Scarcity is value, so the less you drink, the more you'll appreciate it. Sugar (in your diet) works the same way. Further, think of drinking as being celebratory, and don't let it become routine. Try to drink only during the day, so that your thinking will stay a clearer version of blurry. Keep it to fair weather; enjoy the warm sun, and love the day. Looking forward to margarita season has become a sort of motivator that keeps me appreciative and helps me to stay in the now. Control is tough, so good luck; but remember: the bland life of asceticism is a far bigger compromise.
Thank you for that excellent and insightful comment. I like your take on drinking seasonally. I'm in Ireland though I'd only be able to drink 2 weeks a year if I limit it to fair weather 🤣
I went through this same thing, while in my last year in college. After a particularly bad hangover I stopped drinking for a couple of years. It didn’t feel like it at the time, but It was one of the best things I ever did particularly in starting my career. Now 40 years later, retired, married for 30 years, with three adult children I’m pretty happy I took that break. I still enjoy an occasional social drink.
If anyone out there is struggling with booze but doesn't want to quit entirely, if you just never bring it in to the house and only ever drink at bars, restaurants, or parties, you're already WAY ahead.
Your gentle, daily reminder that Bill Burr bought a black woman and married her so he could get more stage time as her father's club. Look it up, it's true.
12 years sober. I quit when I was 47. Took me years to admit to myself I was a pretty bad alcoholic. I love being sober. I feel more, I think better...I have clarity I never had before when I was drinking, my nervous system is so much more better. I am also alive...I am not sure I would be if I kept drinking. My only regret not to quit when I turned 40, when my health was better.
Don't regret Winston. Be grateful that you emerged on the other side, without having to be put in the ground. It takes whatever it takes for us to arrive at a moment of rigorous honesty and start the process of recovery! Peace!
Being able to be alone with yourself is a fukn superpower. I understand how it can feel wrong, but you will attract better more meaningful relationships
37 and I'm gonna give it a break for six months and see where I'm at. I've been thinking about giving up booze for the last couple of years and there is no downside to quitting booze. The fact that there is a "Sober October" month just goes to show you how bad this shit is for you. I quit for three months previously and focused on martial arts, graduate school, and yoga, and felt amazing. I don't know why I went back, but i'm pretty sure that I can stop this time around. You're doing the right thing dude by giving your body a break and building healthy relationships that don't involve alcohol.
I've kind of had the same run up at 35. I think we just need to remind ourselves that, "yeah this really isn't that great" and then go back to pursuing our goals that are actually fulfilling. I want to see if I can get in the best shape of my life, I want to be able to use my body for adventures as I age.
I'm gonna give it a break soon too. It's more the hangovers just last for like 2 whole days now. Hangover anxiety is real too. I'm thinking it's just not worth it anymore.
The greatest indicator to when stop drinking is when you use it to emotionally regulate. Feel bored? Go out and drink. Feel lonely? Go out and drink. Feel agitated? Go out and drink. I've never had much problems with alcohol, my monthly consumtion is below the national average, but I've had rough patches when alcohol gives a temporary relief and escape and I've had to catch myself in those moments and just accept that life is kinda shit right now, but working up an dependency is just going to drag that shitty period out even further. One of the greatest things my dad told me is to be vary of drinking with friends because you'll suddenly find yourself in the situation where you dont know how to have fun without drinking.
Day 5 of not drinking and I feel like absolute sht. First three days I just wanted to sleep, spent three days just hanging in my bedroom napping. Day 4 & 5, crippling migraine. Glad I've stopped and am not even craving a drink., but I know my biggest tests will be at social gatherings. My anxiety gets spiked and is when I drank to cope with dealing with people (one of many issues I use to self medicate). Good luck to everyone staying dry, I'm looking forward to feeling good again.
Hey. If the socializing is too difficult, don’t go!! Seriously. Do more 1 on 1 stuff with friends. If the pressure to drink goes up, back off. It’s better to be alone than drunk or hungover when you’ve found yourself lost to it. Good luck!
Holy shit dude me too I totally relate to the napping. Luckily I haven’t had the migraines. I’m on day 8 and this is the first day I was really craving a drink and I managed to stave it off. Stay strong dude we can do this.
@@jay-lm4we It starts with one or two, then you get the taste. Three, four and so on bud. 😂 For me, anxiety gets replaced with over confidence, then the negative side effects of being drunk, followed by the hangovers that are no longer worth it. If I could stop at one or three, I'd be on that advice. Unfortunately, I'm an all in or nothing drinker.
I battled alcoholism for years until I realised I was the problem and the booze was my solution.. I’m now 20 years sober thanks to AA. In the past I tried just stopping Alcohol on my own and I became irritable and angry which led me back to that first drink.
@@Micko1987 Go to a meeting as often as you drink, and you'll be astounded by the results you will get. "Live in the problem, or live in the solution"! Sobriety is as simple as that.
@Micko1987 tomorrow I'll be 1 year alcohol free. You can do this on your own it boils down to if you truly want it or not. Don't need AA or meetings or any of that garbage these guys are talking about. If you want to put the bottle down, you'll do it mate. Best of luck to you on your journey.
@@zStC1 Working at a treatment facility is no guarantee that you know anything about recovery. Especially when you refer to efforts to achieve sobriety as "Garbage". So much for your credibility.
So many of my days were wasted drinking starting at the age of 16. For years into my 20's and later my 30's I lived in denial constantly justifying my drinking because it wasn't illegal drugs, it was a social norm, and the liver can regenerate itself if damaged. So naive. I later began to realize as the hangovers got worse, and my health was slowly deteriorating while looking like a red bloated walrus that a change was desperately needed. When I did I was proud of myself for my sobriety but the amount of depression that came attached with it still has me conflicted even to this day. I realized I used alcohol as a crutch to become more social having battled social anxiety my entire life. It made me feel like a fun normal person not afraid of cowering from a conversation to the point where at any outing the first thing I would do is poor myself a drink to bring out that confidence. And now my social life no longer exists and I prefer not being around the temptation of booze or interacting with drunk people anymore while sober. I just hate how much alcohol is such a staple in society and its the hardest thing to adapt to a place where so many still drink while being confronted with social anxiety that has consumed my entire life.
My mom went through rehab, my dad went through rehab, and an uncle went through rehab all later in life. Another uncle was 17 hit and killed by a drunk driver, which ended up tearing my family apart. My cousin drank herself literally to death. My really good friend has been struggling with alcoholism and depression and recently ended up homeless. I've had friends in their 30's give up drinking because they've realized no good was coming of it. They felt like shit, they weren't having fun, they were spending money. I decided as a kid not to drink, my sister too. It's only ever surrounded us with pain. In my 40's now and single handedly the best decision I could have ever made for my emotional and physical well being. Hanging out with friends who drink is fine until they start getting shit faced, then it's like just head out. People getting stupid is fun for about 5 minutes. As a DD going out with the intention that someone already has your keys is way better and easier on you than trying to get them from someone after they are already trashed. From experience, that doesn't turn out well. I've had friendships turn sour trying to do the right thing. Bad drunks will think you are on a high horse, when all you are wanting to do is keep people safe. I was surprised to find my friend/coworker in his 20's was right out of the gate giving me his keys for like 2 beers. Blew me away and he's a little bit redneck, said that's what they all did in school. Granted they are all engineers. If you don't want to drink, then don't drink. If you want to drink, be smart about it, know your limits and don't put anyone in danger.
> From experience, that doesn't turn out well. I've had friendships turn sour trying to do the right thing. Bad drunks will think you are on a high horse, when all you are wanting to do is keep people safe. Man, this really hit home. I had a friendship end pretty badly about a year back because I tried to get his brother to drive home as he only had about 2 and my friend had like over 10. It really sucks that it got so bad, but at the end of the day I'm not going to be sorry for trying to push for the right thing. Sorry you went through all that growing up and i'm glad to see you and your sister made it out the other side. Thanks for sharing.
well said. Unfortunately most people with a problem know this, and know they can't reasonably enact their limits while consuming... and that leads to devastating consequences. I just turned 30 last year and have been sober for almost 2 years. I did enjoy the social lubricant aspect of drinking. But now I just focus on doing stuff I actually truly enjoy - no liquid encouragement needed. Find some hobbies. Find different friends. The worst thing you can do is have one drink, you know where this will lead. Good luck to anyone struggling with consumption of alcohol, it's a bitch. So put that bitch in it's place. Peace
Problem is nobody you drank with is like me apparently even if I only had 1 drink 2 hours ago I still am like take the keys please release me from this responsibility so I can have drink for the road
Been sober for about 7 years now, I lack whatever little voice inside my head that says "you've probably had enough, you should slow down now" I don't miss drinking at all. I love my Dad but I remember as a kid having to wake up early on weekends to hurry up and ask him to go do stuff that day because if he started drinking he wasn't stopping for the entire day, I didn't want that for my son. My dad ended up quitting drinking when I was around 17. I was expecting a lot more friends and people to try to pressure me back into drinking, but in my experience the people I choose to surround myself with respect it and don't make it awkward when I'm at social gatherings.
the way the video ended id like to think he kept on talking about it for another 20 minutes lol that final line sounded like he was about to go on another rant. Great advice and good timing for the new years as well. Always good to try to be healthier.
At 25, I've been drinking every night for the last 5-6 years. Granted I kept myself to my system. 3 beers a night from 8pm-12am, just to maintain the right buzz. I felt that because I was disciplined in my amount that I was disqualified from being an alcoholic. Not quite the case unfortunately. After this last new years binge drinking, I had a horrific hangover that ended up with throwing up blood the next day. Scared me enough to the point where I'm a week sober, today. I am bored, lonely, restless, and left wondering what to do with the time from 8-12. But I'm damn happy every morning knowing I didn't give in last night. 2 weeks is next. We'll see!
I'm right there with you bro, 1 week sober after ending 2023 on a 2 month long bender. I'm 29 and have been trying to get my drinking in check for the past couple years now. I'm tired of the benders and the blackout nights. And sure it's boring and lonely on a sober Saturday night, but waking up hydrated and rested Sunday morning is better than any trashed night. Let's keep it going!
Yeah I'm doing 75 hard, day one was the 1st were in day 12 now. I'll probably drink again eventually but just 12 days on this challenge I feel great. Went to eat the other day with a friend and we sat at the bar, honestly I didn't feel the urge to even order a drink. When I do want a drink I just watch one of the many videos out there that show how bad booze is
If you were disciplined enough to keep it at 3 beers for so long, you'll be able to keep it at 0 as well. The readjustment can be rough, but keep your eyes on the prize my friend and godspeed!
I’m 50 and have been sober for 12 years. It got way out of control and ended up at AA. Quitting was the best decision I’ve ever made and life is so much better than I ever could have imagined. Your outlook on social interactions is definitely going to change. I can’t go to bars or similar venues. Clubs are not my interest anymore. Restaurants, events and cool places are more my thing. I like the change I don’t want to be just like everyone else it’s boring. I’m not going to bang on about it anymore but must add one more thing. I have this raging addiction to golf that is currently filling the void😂
Quit drinking at 21. Career driving truck made that decision easy for me. Smoking took a bit longer. Both hurt your long term health. Both are very social activities. Vices break the ice with people and you make easy friends. It's hard to find the balance. Take care of yourself, good luck.
@@tonyh1345 it's hard on your body sitting all the time and eating at truck stops. I started at 21 and didn't take care of myself. It's high stress but if you can chill when your surrounded by chaos that's very helpful. Being away from family and friends is not great. If you have a girlfriend or wife your never home. So more socially isolating. Imagine a job where you can get fined while working .Your young so the thrill will carry you far but what long term goals do you have? Do you want kids and family? You have to be present for those things. I wish I had gone into a trade. I've always been good with my hands. High demand for trade workers good pay and local.
I stadily increaced my drinking over the years until it became a problem. I've always worked out so that might have mitiagted it, but in lockdown I went mad and drank myself wretched. I put on weight and it was the first time I'd class myself as well and truly out of shape. 2021 I went dry for a few months and worked out a regiment that got the weight off and I get back into shape and I made the choice I would only drink on special holidays and payday (monthly) its been working so far. Also Bill, if you read this, I know what you mean if I have just a couple of beers I feel like I want more the next day, but I generally have a very liberal weekend when I've decided its a drinking weekend so and come Monday I look forward to no hangovers and feeling healthy.
I'm approaching 8 months sober, I struggled with alcoholism for 18 years and end up In hospital with Alcoholic Hepatitis/Acute Liver Failure, I had withdrawals Dts and seizures, i went through a detox and when i got out hospital I got referred to a recovery addiction centre in the mornings to help me cope with life being sober, they give me so much help and support. I then started going to AA meetings at night and meeting so many great people who had been through the same thing and they made me feel so welcome and helped me when I was struggling. Its never to late to change, for anyone out there who is struggling ask for help. You can do this. One Day At A Time. ❤
Good advice Mr. Burr. I appreciate you and Nia's great influence on you. Your stories of youth remind me of my own. Perhaps we'll meet one day and I can shake your hand. Thanks again
55,drinking heavy on/off for most my life,made major mistakes down the years and all while drunk,i'm irish and our culture is soaked in alcohol, been in denial my whole life,6 days dry,feel in control and alive,sick of the fear/pain after nights of binge drinking,days of depression and darkness that follow,i love the buzz and the craic socialising with drink but the come down is a life force killer,i'm listening to a guy called "sober leon" and any positive social media people for inspiration,my advice to any younger people here would be stop drinking asap,get healthy,give gratitude for your life,mind and body and spread as much love and positivity you can,something thats very hard to do with a hangover,dont be fooled,take back control,its addictive,beer or spirits are just a delivery system for ethanol as are cigarettes for nicotine,cleverly hidden in sugary drinks and colourful bottles,legalized drug dealing is what it is,some of us are genetically susceptible to addictions,that's me!
Keep in mind the loose social lubrication provided by alcohol is sort of fake. When I quit drinking 9 years ago, I stopped caring about going to places to have social interactions with alcohol. Most of the people I would talk to, I wouldn't care about talking to while sober. The social lubrication just reinforced what I was really there for -- getting my central nervous system depressed by alcohol lol. When many people are doing it, its normalized for you. The early days of quitting are the hardest. The first 30 days is harder than the next 30 years, so I have heard. At year 9, I rarely if ever think about drinking, and never in a "longing" way.
Certainly noticed after a decade of binge drinking that the mid week bar visit or Friday night drinks are absolutely about having an excuse to drink and only slightly about hanging out with friends. I don't think it was always that way, at least for me, however something changed slowly in my late twenties and it became seeing friends as an excuse to drink, rather than drinking as an excuse to see friends.
I had a couple of moments that turned me from being a hard drinker to a... more responsible one. The first one was my early twenties. I'd have friends over, we'd get completely wasted and get pretty wild. My girlfriend at the time used my phone to record a video of us one night without me noticing. A few days later, I came across the video on my phone. When I watched it, I really didn't like what I saw. We were having a good time, but we were belligerent and stupid. That didn't immediately change things for me, but it got me thinking about how I acted when I was drunk. The second was when someone gave me some advice on drinking at work functions. They said to keep pace with the slowest drinker so you're not the drunkest person there. Aside from just being good advice, it got me thinking about how fast I was consuming alcohol. The third and last one was dating someone who could not handle her alcohol. She would down two hard drinks pretty quickly and be completely wasted, and then she would keep drinking. The way she would regularly embarrass herself (and me) got me thinking again about how I present myself when drinking. I used to get stumbling drunk twice a week, and I'd have a minimum of three or four beers a day. These days, I have a beer once or twice a week. I get drunk once every three or four months, and I'm conscious of how I'm acting to make sure I'm not getting belligerent, loud, or overly stupid. As I get older, I've also learned to down a bunch of water before I go to bed when drinking.
@@usernamesareforidiot If it EVER stops giving you joy, that's the time. And it very well might as you get older, it did for me. The hangovers are just absolutely excruciating, as I've gotten older I've discovered that Two-day hangovers are a real thing. The juice just stopped being worth the squeeze eventually, sounds like you're a few years behind me. I still DO drink but it's very occasionally, like a buddy's wedding, Vegas Trip, etc.
Your former girlfriend needs to make a video of you during your quarterly "get drunk" weekend. I'm sure it will showcase how much "more responsible" you are. Thanks for the entertainment!
Two years Plus, and a thing happened last week that kinda turned bad news into amazing news. I won't go into the bad news, but as I was walking home, I passed a convenience store and really wanted a cigarette. Haven't fully given up nicotine cause vapes (which may be on the way out, too), so I still get the cravings for an actual smoke. I was past the store, did not buy cigarettes, and then it hit me that I didn't even think about alcohol. This crutch I'd utilized for 25 years, and in a really terrible moment, I didn't even think about alcohol until I realized I wasn't thinking about it. I'm not fully surprised, it's been two years. But the fact that it didn't even make the list of things to turn to.... it's possible. It was for me and so I fully believe it can be for you. You are worth your own time.
01/04/24. This is my 24th January that I have taken the month of January off. I enjoy good liquor and beer and don't drink every day but the fall and early winter holliday season with other activites and parties usually means I'm tipping more. My birthday is in Feb and I was coming up on 30 so in Dec. 1999 I decided to "take a knee" for the month of January. I'm glad I did and now just the other day I found out that "Dry January" is becoming a thing. Who knew? Just take a month and give yourself a reset. If you can't do it then thats when you want to take stock of where you are at and maybe do some serious dryout time.
You don’t need that shit and if people don’t like it then it’s there fucking problem; it’s dangerous, addictive, and a huge fucking waste of time and money. I would implore young people who are struggling to stop and assess things and just fucking ignore the “we’re 20 something let’s party” rhetoric. I first started having issues around 24-25 and this guy is doing the absolute right thing. Finally, I will say I had success with journaling, therapy, exercise, and getting into cooking as ways of sustaining sobriety.
got sober a couple years ago in my early 30s. all the stupid cheesy stuff they say happens actually did happen so now I'm just afraid to lose all that. the effort to quit was enormous and I'm not sure I can climb that hill again
My bloodline is full of addiction, (alcohol, drugs, food), and Bill's right. It's fun to do shit and all, but if you get the addiction "demon" into you, it'll drag you to ruin, and an early death. Many close relatives of mine drank /drugged/ate themselves to death, and I watched in horror as a child to see them age beyond recognition when I hit puberty. Sadly I nearly got into drinking heavily myself, but my family knocked some sense into me before I was stricken. Now if I could only stop craving junk food... At least I'm only slightly overweight and able to walk up flights of stairs!
still drinking but the hill I climbed was meth. and when I was at the bottom of that hill, I was in a critical care unit after a suicide attempt. One hill at a time, brother.
I just tried alcohol again after a year of being sober. My guess is that when you are aware of the changes alcohol looses some of its magic. I didn't enjoy the drinking as much as used to. It made me realize how much I missed some of the tastes. But feeling the buzz was in part even uncomfortable. I distinctly felt the increase in stupidity, while at the same time the perceived euphoria did not keep up. I basically felt like making a bad trade. What still worked fine was sipping the tasty stuff slowly over time. Then again, poisoning yourself over hours for some mouth pleasure is maybe not a good deal either.
38 and currently doing dry January. Seriously considering giving up booze for longer. I have had way too many blackouts and the anxiety that causes me, for, weeks and months following is horrible, seriously effects my mental health.
The problem with being sober is that life sucks, people are stupid and boring, and drinking makes the despair and horror of daily life marginally less unbearable.
134 days sober and i'm less functioning as a person than i was when i was blacking out as part of my daily routine. i quit drinking and shortly after everyone i cared about in my circle (all sober mind you) stopped talking to me altogether. idk if i was just insufferable that first month not drinking or if i'm just a better time to be around when i'm constantly hammered. anxiety is the worst it's ever been, depression is on par with some of the lowest points in my life. i've lost weight, and i get better tips at work when i'm not shitfaced, but other than that every aspect of my life has lost most of it's joy. i only crave alcohol with certain triggers at this point in my sobriety but for the most part the obsessive attention towards it has gone away. i feel like i should be doing better but everything fucking sucks. i should take comfort in the fact that i'm not constantly endangering others anymore, making a complete ass of myself daily or doing irreparable damage to my body, but it doesn't do much for me. i told myself as soon as i let my alcoholism start hurting the people around me i'd never drink again, i hurt the people around me for about 3 years with the shit before a bad enough example of such led to the decision to actually quit. i'm not gonna drink again, i know what i'm doing is right and i know that it's not ever going to be in me to be able to just have one drink. i just don't think enough emphasis is put on the fact that most people that bury themselves with a bottle usually started doing it for a reason. the shit you spent years running from doesn't magically disappear with sobriety. that's all. appreciate your comment.
@@breakfastandcoffee5576You just described my situation exactly. I’m losing everything from being sober. I can’t maintain relationships anymore, can’t feel joy, and am performing way worse at my sales job and am probably gonna get fired unless I start drinking again.
@@breakfastandcoffee5576 I'm no one, what I say means nothing. Giving up drinking doesn't solve any problems, if anything it brings those problems to you. What being sober allows you to do is acknowledge those very real problems/issues and gives time with clarity to come up with solutions to those things. Just remember constant dwelling on the past affects how you feel in the present and future.
I found a zero-willpower-required solution to quitting alcohol just few years ago. This won't work for most people I guess, but once I realised that the alcohol industry (and other shadowy types) WANT me to keep drinking -- paying all that money, sedating myself from reality, not advancing myself, all while shortening my life so I'll die before I retire (and become a burden to the state) -- that was it for me.
I just recently quit drinking after watching the pain its brought to both my Grandmother and my Ex GF. I didnt have a problem but seeing the evil its done to two people i love more than anything i decided that im done, even socially. Water for me please!
I live in a small town where the social arena is at the local tavern, and I can take the place for about an hour as a non drinker. Having a conversation with a drunk person is almost impossible. Sober 43 yrs and I have no intention of going back to that shit.
This exactly. I took a year and a half off drinking. Got it all under control then I decided I wanted a shot on New Years so I took one. Had a good night with some friends and haven’t had a drink since. Take time off when you need to and if you feel ready to come back go for it. Only you know how you really feel inside. Much love.
I’ve been a heavy drinker for a couple years. Multiple stretches of multiple consecutive days for weeks. Never really got black or any of that but did have a foggy memory from time to time. It never interfered in my life. Caused a few fights but whenever that happened I would calm down. But I would often decide to go several weeks to months without a drink to heal my body and prove to myself that life is good sober. I totally understand what Bill is saying that “I need to hit a wall” like I have to want it. But I also have OCD so I’ve never craved a drink or getting drunk but my brain always tries to make me think I’m an alcoholic and that I’m on some kind of “wagon”. Anyway, I did sober October after drinking really heavy for most of the summer, cooling down in September and then totally sober all of October. Sober for large stretches of November and then sober every few days in December with a bad stretch from December 20-31 where I got pretty hammered every day except for 31st. But I decided 2024 would be different. I start drinking at 21 in 2020 and have had this habit since then but it’s gradually built up. I decided I was doing dry January and that for the year I was only going to drink a max of six drinks at most three times a month. So far I’ve only drank 2 beers twice - once because my fiancé asked me to have a a drink with her on the 27th of January (other than that I didn’t touch alcohol for the month) and then just yesterday on February 3rd. So a week separating. It’s difficult but manageable as long as I keep myself occupied and busy. I do believe if you change your way of thinking and just choose to enjoy the one or two drinks you do have rather than slamming them to get drunk that you can control yourself. I’ve never considered myself an alcoholic but knew that if I kept up I’d get there. Glad to be changing my ways and sticking with this plan throughout the year and hopefully beyond.
It's weird, I'm in the exact same position as the guy writing the e-mail. Even though I'm not a huge Bill Burr's fan, this video was very reasuring. Lots of love and good luck for all of you guys, we deserve better.
I have a homie who quit drinking 4 years ago. whenever he wants to hang out at a bar he drinks odouls or non alcoholic. its more about him wanting to just hang at a bar than the actual drinking. he can handle it but Its not for everyone. going to the bar might be a trigger for another person battling alcoholism. but I get it with the NA beer
I'm 21 and been a year into standup and the most difficult part for me is chasing that post-performance high/socializing aspect after a show. After every show, I get a couple 9.5% tall boys and go straight into a wall. Any advice from comics on dealing with post-performance highs? Thanks!
All I really do is drink maybe 2 beers a week and occasionally I have a glass of whisky or something. The history and craftsmanship of drinks is why I drink, but I can't even remember the last time I got drunk.
Drunk here, sober when I was 21-25. Just make being around drunk people a game. They don't remember anything for sure and just make stuff up. Don't let it get out of hand but just have a little fun. So stuff like "dude you totally took your shirt off and started dancing on a table until you fell!" Don't go out of control, keep it mild.
I was drinking every day for a long time and January last year I basically said enough and I stopped. Over the course of the year I had the occasional beer with family and friends but I probably had no more than 30 over the course of the year. Not drinking is awesome but it definitely does become difficult in social situations
I found that having small kids and drinking is absolutely brutal. Having a crying toddler when I just had 2-3 beers absolutely broke me… then again not drinking sometimes makes me stay at home as well instead of going out. Sometimes that’s for the better but sometimes also not… having a beer has been an easy way to start new friendships; lets have a beer and watch the game. Without the beer I often just want to stay home and go to bed early. Not sure which is better
I'm in my 40s and whenever I drink, especially in the winter time I get sick pretty reliably 2-3 days later because the alcohol seems to crush my immune system. I'm not talking about large amounts either. I'm talking 2-3 cocktails at a holiday party is all it takes. Then I spend the next 10 days recovering from some illness. Its so costly that its barely worth it anymore.
Are you sure it's the alcohol? I used to have a boss who reliably (I mean, really reliably. It was almost comical) got sick about a week before she would go on vacations. Found an interesting bit of research then which said a decrease in stress levels basically tells the body that now would be a good time to dial back on the immune responses, because that sort of thing used to indicate peaceful times or whatever it was. Maybe you just unwind too much when drinking at parties. Try being a bit annoyed while drinking ;) Jokes aside, this could also be coincidence. People generally get sick in the winter season, and parties are a good place to cross paths with people you never see otherwise, who may introduce new or unusual levels of pathogens into your life.
Interesting reply thank you. I've also considered that the drinking comes with social interaction so its hard to pin down. I'd have to drink alone to test it, but man would that be painful results. @@Volkbrecht
Yes, and also deadly if you drink and drive. Or get in the car with one as a passenger ! I almost died doing this in my drinking days: took a ride home with a girl who lied about being sober. I'm 44 and ten years sober...I can't imagine what drinking would do to me the next day at this age. Really started to "knock me down" around 29...
You are so so real speaking the words just come out nature you are good you are convincing but not in a bad way like a father talking to his son nice quality to have and share with others 🌿🌎🌍 .
I've been a weekend warrior, never a daily drinker but I wish I would have quit drinking even in my early thirties. I didn't start taking breaks until I was about 35 or 36 or so... I never thought it would be this hard to even take a break, even after a few weeks or months of going slow and severely limiting it, it takes one holiday or birthday party to get really shitty again and drink for like four days straight.
Always found drinking to be a habit , a social habit most people would like to be able to control. Get over the first two weeks and I don’t even want a drink I feel so good and water tastes amazing . Now the Christmas holidays are over I’m back in training and concentrating on getting fit for summer I take three months away from getting wracked and feeling like shit for the following few days and ask myself does the bad outweigh the good feeling drink gives me.
I'm 42, and when I was about 38 I hit that wall Bill is referring to. I now never have more than 2 drinks in a day, maybe 3 max if I have a good reason, and life is 10x better. Most nights I don't drink at all. You don't need alcohol to have fun. I know it sounds cliched and corny, but it's the truth. Being the sober guy is great and waking up fresh every morning feels so good. If you're on the fence about drinking, don't hesitate to give it up! Even if it's only temporary. Try it out and see how you like it. I guarantee your life will drastically improve.
There are heavy drinkers and alcoholics. When you hit the wall, you were a heavy drinker. Thank your lucky stars that you didn’t become an alcoholic and now you drink like people are supposed to, in moderation. I quit drinking 35 years ago at the age of 36. I am an alcoholic, if I were to drink again, I’d be dead in a couple of weeks. That’s how serious this shit is for some people.
Had a panic attack while drunk 3 years ago and have never been yhe same sinfe woth drinking. I can only have 1 or 2 drinks at a time. My body associates drinking with that attack. Its been a silver lining through my divorce. I don't get drunk and say stupid shit that could get me in trouble. Wake up and run or workout. It's been hard to maintain some friendships that were built around partying but I'm happier.
Same thing happened to me. I would drink a 6-pack, watch a movie, then go to bed most nights. One night the power went out, so it was just me and my thoughts. Thankfully I hadn't been doing that long, maybe a few months, so it wasn't too difficult to get it under control.
Nearing 6 months. Not doing it for anyone else, a wedding, or special occasion. Finally started to feel anxious alot and not well enough that I realized I'm better off without it. So far im not seeing a reason to go back. If you can come to the same conclusion without caring about what others think, then youre set. If someone you trust makes fun of you for trying to do something you feel is right for your approach to life, maybe dont trust them because true friends and family typically only care to see that youre doing what makes you happy.
I quit cigarettes 06/06/2016. I quit vaping 01/01/2022. I quit alcohol 01/01/2023. Getting drunk had always seemed as natural as watching TV, or going shopping. In the UK, it's just a societal norm; a cultural happenstance. Without explicit intent, and with minimal pressure, we happily disappear into the bottom of a glass at the drop of a hat. It's something the majority of people "just do" without a second thought. We make light of how readily we go to the pub, humour ourselves with our drunken shenanigans, and incredulously recant that "no good story ever began with eating a salad". The overlooked issue with widespread acceptance of drinking culture, is the subtle pressure we all feel to partake in it. Telling people you "don't drink" is akin to declaring that you are a "vegan" and carries the same risk of being ostracised. If you are wondering why anyone would have an issue with you being vegan, you are helping to illustrate my point. When somebody says they are vegan, they are perceived as foisting their moral righteousness in your face, and in the same breath, judging you. The same can be said of saying that you "don't drink". To not drink alcohol is viewed as haughty. If you do not drink alcohol, then you make others feel uncomfortable drinking alcohol in your presence. Like smoking around non-smokers. Or eating meat around vegans. Casting a casual remorseful glance back over my drunken past, I can genuinely say that the negative outcomes outweigh the positive. It's not even a close contest. The concern over what I've said or done whilst drunk is the tip of the iceberg. I've spent unbelievable amounts of money on alcohol, and subsequently spent lamentable amounts of time curled up in a hungover ball of self-loathing thereafter. I've got into drunken fights, including breaking my hand which had to be wired back together. I have a tendency to get aggressive and confrontational when I'm drunk which has embroiled me in many avoidable situations. I've fallen over whilst drunk and injured myself, I've even been knocked over by a car on a couple of occasions whilst staggering drunk into moving traffic. I've woke up in an ambulance after drinking to the point I blacked out. I've slept in random places including a public phone box, a hotel corridor and even on a doorstep. I've embarrassed myself and invited ridicule from friends/family by pissing in random places. I've drank to the point I've been painfully vomiting, hell, even to the point of shitting blood. I'm now 36 years old and feel the best I've felt in years. Happily sober. Life is good. You deserve to experience it sober, with clarity and appreciation for its beauty.
@RavikumarSiddharth I totally sympathise. I substituted it for vaping in 2016, then quit vaping cold turkey as a New Years Resolution at the start of 2022. I did find the book "The Easy Way" by Allen Carr super useful for helping to rewire your thoughts surrounding smoking. Addiction is as much psychological as physical. I used the book "The Naked Mind" to help quit alcohol. Hope you can find a solution that helps you overcome your addiction and improve your health buddy.
@@BenScott13 Thanks! I am on day 3 of no smoking. Nicotine gum helps. Fingers crossed. I did read allen carr's book before but I continued on. Im going to read the naked mind! thanks for the suggestions!
@@RavikumarSiddharth no problem pal. Be aware, nicotine gum will not help overcome your addiction to nicotine. I used a cocktail stick - as daft as it sounds - just to satisfy that hand-to-mouth habit. Just chew a cocktail stick, it genuinely helped me no end. I hope the following can help you keep your focus and prevent relapse: The nicotine in a single cigarette activates 80%/90% of dopamine receptors as they mistake it for Acetylcholine. Nicotine is rapidly metabolized and as your nicotine level drops, so does your dopamine/happiness. Addiction is the result of a process called up-regulation. As a result of the apparent increase in Acetylcholine (actually Nicotine) the brain creates additional Dopamine receptors with lower sensitivity; this is referred to as "an increased tolerance". It now takes more Nicotine to release the Dopamine. It takes 3 days to metabolize all nicotine in your system. It takes 21 days to down-regulate Dopamine receptors. Chemical addiction to Nicotine passes in 3 to 4 weeks. Within 28-days you will no longer have a chemical dependency on nicotine. You've got this 💪🏼
What he said about dating can not be overstated. People meet each others under circumstances when they don't present themselve how they really are plus their judgement is also very bad. Thats why i have a problem with online dating too. Its never like meeting someone in real life but the first impression is important. Its not just how someone looks, its how the person behaves, how she talks and even about matching pheromons that your body unconsciously notices, even a little gesture can make a difference. But in online dating we don't have all this. We have just some photos wich are most likely photoshopped or ten years old and a bunch of LIES. Its totally impossible to get a feeling for someone over dating apps.
Being sober is the ultimate truth. No twisted illusions. That's why it's so damn hard. I think it comes down to a personal choice and self honesty. Brutal honesty. Do I have a problem, is this what life is about? Do I respect myself in the morning, am I living in constant excuses and self pity? Is this all I will ever accomplish? Yet another day wasted, being hungover.....😢 Uuugh I was tired of all that crap. Always broke, always depressed, eventually became suicidal. Yeah, it was the booze....so I stopped. It's been hard, but I am starting to respect myself again. 😊 No amount of money or peer pressure is worth throwing away, just to hang out with "so called" beer buddies....I did it for a looong time....it wasn't all bad but enough was enough.
Over 70 years old and scaled way back on the drinking. Sober up for months at a time. Have to say that here and there sober won't do. Life's beat downs will make you drink for relief every once in a while.
Same here, don't socialise, just go to work, go home, have dinner with a sip or two, tv, read, eight hrs, more or less, rinse repeat. No hangover, occasionally exercise, what's the problem???😮
i just finally was able to detox and even though it’s only been 5 days, that’s a long time for me, and i have no desire to go back. i didn’t even like drinking it was just my anxiety at night about getting to sleep, it was so stupid.
for me it was like bill burr too and I think it should be, for any addiction if you just stop doing what you do cause everybody else tell you to... you just don't have that understanding and don't have that actual reason of why it is a bad thing for your life and in back of your mind it is still a good and fun thing that you sacrifice for your health but it is an ugly thing overall in reality I know 22 is soooooo young but when you said I go out with drunk friends if it was me I wouldn't even wanna be around these people cause in back of my mind I would be like these people just decide to destroy themselves and I experienced that and I wanna get more and be around people like myself, so in sum never do what others say experience and be what you really feel that's good for you
I was never a binge drinker, but I was a habitual 2-3 beers a night drinker. Every time I tried to cut back, I’d just end up drinking the same again. 3 weeks sober now, I’m done with alcohol. It no longer interests me.
104 days sober. It's taken me 10 years to get to the point where I knew it made sense to stop cutting back. To stop taking a break. To just end it. 34 years of drinking and I'm done.
Keep up the good work. I hope the best for you.
Incredible. Keep it up man!
I hear you. Totally in the same boat with 10 years of taking breaks and trying to cut back. Takes so much energy that it makes sense to just commit to sobriety for life.
hell ya man
It works if you work it
At 46, approaching 5 years without drinking after 20 years of pretty heavy consumption, I'm still discovering (and thankfully repairing!) alot of damage. For what it's worth, the reduction of wear and tear on the body is worth it alone. There are countless other benefits - but my digestive system is very thankful. Best wishes to everyone dealing with it!
46 here also. Stopped drinking 8 months ago after heavy consumption for 25+ years and I don't plan on ever drinking again. I work out 6 days a week, and drink a lot of chocolate milk at night. Grape juice on ice is also delicious. I hope my body forgives me. Alcohol is a scary drug. Stopping has been my second biggest life-changing moment so far, next to my daughter's birth. Good luck, brother.
I stopped drinking (smoking, too) a number of years back, am now 68, recently had a heart attack, and woke up alive. Still feeling good, too. It's kind of amazing. No kidding.
Drink a glass of COLD water. Don't think, just do it and then goto bed. @@jb-zi7cj
@@jb-zi7cj Remind yourself that it's a continuation of your addiction, day in day out, not just one drink (or one more night of drinking). It's the waking up feeling like death, not remembering parts of the previous night, the fear of what you said etc, repeated again and again and again until you cut it off. Well, you have already cut it off, so what's the point in going back? There's no such thing as one more drink, or you'd be like anyone else, and you're not, you're an alcoholic. All the best.
Yep. Rolaids, Tums, midnight diners, hangovers, overweight, socialize only while drinking/drugging, anger, depression, isolation, paranoia.
It’s been over 30 years and I STILL like waking up without the hangovers and regret. Still not well adjusted, but at least more aware.
Be selfish about it and give yourself a break.
I feel this guy. I'm an introvert and people are much more tolerable after a few drinks.
Oh same. I also did most everything I wanted to in life when I was in my 20s and 30s and now in my 40s I'm bored as shit with life and just drink to kill time.
@@Axolotl_Mischief Wait until you are in your 50's. They you'll really see how boring life gets. All the fun is in your 20's and 30's.
@@schmingusssoh I can't wait.
@@schmingusss if your life is boring at 50 that is on YOU my friend. You are the one in control
@@Axolotl_Mischief If you have the time and money to be bored consider it a blessing. Most people will never have the time or money for that. If you're bored its entirely on you. You have to do things to make life interesting.
Drinking is to ignore and to forget. When you stop, you face the things you were ignoring and you remember the things you were trying to forget. And when you face and remember these dark things, you will subconsciously start deconstructing them until at last, you've made sense of them. That's the beauty of sobriety. Even if the aforementioned things need professional intervention to fully overcome, you have identified them, and are finally in control. It's a great feeling.
Wow, well said.
Drinking is to get drunk. Get over it. No BS. If I can quit, so can you. Leave it behind.@@jamesmckernan6846
Hits the nail on the head, I’ve been experiencing this for the past four years whilst sober
Well said Grandpencil! I had to read it 3 times but freaking excellent comments. Sobriety is a wonderful thing
What a sweeping, sanctimonious generalisation. Maybe some people just like a glass of wine or two with some good cheese (for example, the entire populations of France and Italy)? Or even a beer or two with their wurst?
As a sober person I can confirm being around other people is more pleasurable when shitfaced
Yes but if you're like me, they probably find you more pleasant to be around.
I couldn't drink for 3 months (medical issue) when I 30. When I went to the bar with my friends I couldn't believe how loud they were. They had yelling conversations. I also went to my friends wedding and that was interesting to say the least.
True.
😂😂
It's not necessary to "be around people."
Been sober for 4 years. It gets easier once you have some time of sobriety. Happy to hear that someone so young is realizing he has an issue and not waste years in the bottle.
Literally 1 month sober, and reality hits you pleasantly. I truly recommend. Even alcoholics!
1month liver heal = better long term drinking ability
Alcohol is the only drug that when people find out you no longer use it...they think something is wrong with you.
Never mind how many people it kills, whether in an accident, alcohol poisoning, or over a few decades and the doc gives you the news.
No one regrets not drinking more.
This is true, although it is possible to regret not doing Molly more.
@@Area51AlphaZuluwell I love drinking, if I tried doing that and I ended up liking it more than drinking I would really be in trouble. That's why I have never done drugs, I'm afraid of finding one I like more than the alcohol
I regretted taking a break
Alcohol is the most dangerous drug I can think of.
@@David-eu1ms lol. You should get to know some crystal meth users then, I know plenty of alcoholics, but I only had to get a restraining order against the meth users who went psychotic
Bill, it's great to hear your heart by owning your influence when speaking to this young man. Then, to follow up by acknowledging your own real-time challenges, taking or leaving alcohol is huge! It takes real maturity and courage to pick these moments with such authenticity. You are a good man.
My sobriety wasn't by choice, it was the outcome of a drunken fall and a broken hip. Laying in a hospital bed gives you lots of time to reflect, and to finally hear the words your family has been saying. If anyone else is suffering, try to find help because it can always get worse.
I gave up drinking for seven years after a drunken evening at home. There was a police car and a police van parked outside my house. By some miracle the cops left me in the care of my brother. As I lay on my bedroom floor, paralytic, not wanting to lie on my bed in case I urinated on it, I heard the voice of God. I'm not religious. A voice deep within me said just the right words at just the right moment: 'How far do you want to push this?' Well that's all it took. The right words at the right moment can be transformative.
yeah same here. I lost like 5 jobs in a year, about 3 relationships; police, damaged property, two siezures... I was 24/7 drunk and couldn't stop, for years.
THe only thing was I fell and broke my ankle, was trapped in a bed, with constant nurses and shit monitoring me, and, yeah just... forced basically.
... anytime is a good time to make better decisions for yourself and your love ones best wishes to all that read this it will be 29 years of no 🚬 this coming Jan 26 for myself the only reason to look back is to count of the YEARS 😎👍🏼
Hit my 1 year on 1/1/24. I definitely had a problem and I'm glad I realized it before it was too late
Well done 🎉 that surely deserves a drink 🍻
I started on 1/1/2024! Congrats
You don't like me when I drink? I don't like you when I don't.
Yep
😂😂
Bottle in front of me > Frontal lobotomy
I'm 46 and the Sober guy too. I'm 643 days sober as of today. Society is geared towards drinking for sure. If all your friends are at the bars, you've got to adjust and change it up. I stopped going to bars, so I don't hang out with drinking buddies anymore. It's a solitary life for a while. I have met a smoke show girl who doesn't drink either. I didn't really think I had a problem, but I drank every day. I do miss the nightcap at the end of the night, and just being able to turn off the stress of the day and shut the brain down for a while. But it won't fix anything. I wanted to see what my body did, when my liver was running at 100%. The brain fog is gone, I'm as sharp as I was at 19 again. The money savings is great considering the massive inflation going on. My only complaint is that I thought I was supposed to have ripped abs by now, and that didn't happen, lol.
Yeah, where are the ripped abs I was promised?! 😂
@@jonathanklein7875 Exactly! lol.
@@mezzb I played music trivia with a boomer, who got buckets of light domestic beer each week. He'd get there after work, and not leave until the bar closed. He dropped over dead one night walking to his car, and split his skull open in the parking lot. He always told his sad story to anyone who would listen, about how his wife left him because he drank too much, so "He'd show her!" and stayed there every night, drinking. Well, his wife was in there crying with their daughter the next day, to see where he had spent his last remaining days. I was sitting across the bar from them having the last beer I'd ever drink. That was April 4th, 2022.
Cut the carbs out and you’ll get a 2-fer! Congrats on sobriety ❤
Crazy thing is, we thought he was a lightweight because all he drank was LIGHT beer. Not shots, liquor on the rocks, heavy Belgian Quads etc, like we drank. We saw light lagers as hydration. There's always a day here and there where I still feel I need a drink afterwards, but nothing good comes of it, so I will persist in my abstinence.
You see the results of it. Truer words have never been spoken. Thanks Bill.
got it under control at 26, was a hardcore alcoholic since I was 16, what Bill says here is true, get someone to record how you act when you're drunk and you'll quit immediately
I'm mowin' the air Rand'! Look, I'm mowin' the air!
You're embarrassing yourself boy!
See someone who is friendly and outgoing? Not all drunks are fools or violent.
@@Despond sometimes that's just annoying, I live in a relatively small city and you just end up having to say hi to people you don't know for being too outgoing while at a local party wondering what you did that night
Your gentle, daily reminder that Bill Burr bought a black woman and married her so he could get more stage time as her father's club. Look it up, it's true.
Thanks Bill for your upfront honest words. I'm 66 been drinking mostly Beer for 50 yrs. Have digestive issues , gastritis etc from the alcohol on my stomach lining. And have noticed getting fucked up ain't as much fun as it used to be . Have really tried to cut back and now go weeks without and feel so much better and not the guilt. Tryin to quit totally but even baby steps are better than nothing. Weeks and months can hopefully turn to years and I'm definitely drinking less and feeling Better
Being piss drunk was never really that much fun. It's just when you're really young it has that novelty factor.
If you drink by yourself, don't drive on it and generally don't bother or endanger someone else then there's no reason to feel guilty about drinking booze. It's just stupid because it's expensive and isn't good for anything but maybe getting fat and porking your liver.
It’s nice to see guys supporting each other this way.
Best advice to make sure it doesn’t carry you away or drive you crazy going cold turkey…
If you can honestly just work on eating healthy food for the most part, and workout, drink a lot of water. Plus, if you do drink with your friends or mildly, just do it with water and healthy food, avoid going over like 5-6 shots worth (casually, maybe 2-3) or so, depending on who you are.:. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, put enough GOOD into yourself and then the bad in smaller doses won’t really do anything to you.
The first step to mastering alcohol is understanding why you use it in the first place. For me, it was for the social lubrication; if I'm totally honest, people are (on average) self-interested, boring, non-creative, unintelligent, uninteresting, and unoriginal followers who spend their hours being duped by marketing, talking points, and empty ideological frameworks. In order for me to tolerate the vacuousness of their 'interests,' a solid buzz really helps the pill go down.
Now a recluse and satisfied with it, I no longer play the game, and thus I'm no longer pressured into imbibing at an unnatural rate. If I _do_ start to get the warm fuzzies, it was for the sake of my own enjoyment, and not because I was trying to cope or escape. Drink on your own terms, and learn to actually enjoy it. Oh, and I also try to skip most of the cold-weather season by staying dry, because depression tends to build with use and cabin fever.
The key is this: a little goes a long way. Scarcity is value, so the less you drink, the more you'll appreciate it. Sugar (in your diet) works the same way. Further, think of drinking as being celebratory, and don't let it become routine. Try to drink only during the day, so that your thinking will stay a clearer version of blurry. Keep it to fair weather; enjoy the warm sun, and love the day. Looking forward to margarita season has become a sort of motivator that keeps me appreciative and helps me to stay in the now. Control is tough, so good luck; but remember: the bland life of asceticism is a far bigger compromise.
Thank you for that excellent and insightful comment. I like your take on drinking seasonally. I'm in Ireland though I'd only be able to drink 2 weeks a year if I limit it to fair weather 🤣
You seem like a super rad person, thank you for your wisdom.
I went through this same thing, while in my last year in college. After a particularly bad hangover I stopped drinking for a couple of years. It didn’t feel like it at the time, but It was one of the best things I ever did particularly in starting my career. Now 40 years later, retired, married for 30 years, with three adult children I’m pretty happy I took that break. I still enjoy an occasional social drink.
If anyone out there is struggling with booze but doesn't want to quit entirely, if you just never bring it in to the house and only ever drink at bars, restaurants, or parties, you're already WAY ahead.
Terrible advice.
@@soundstorm9508 You must have better advice then, yes?
It's cheaper to drink at home 🍻
Always great down to earth advice Bill. You make the planet a better pace. Cheers buddy:)
Your gentle, daily reminder that Bill Burr bought a black woman and married her so he could get more stage time as her father's club. Look it up, it's true.
Quit drinking at 29 cause my anger/emotional issues became impossible to control. I’m still an angry c*** but at least I can have friends again.
12 years sober. I quit when I was 47. Took me years to admit to myself I was a pretty bad alcoholic. I love being sober. I feel more, I think better...I have clarity I never had before when I was drinking, my nervous system is so much more better. I am also alive...I am not sure I would be if I kept drinking. My only regret not to quit when I turned 40, when my health was better.
Don't regret Winston. Be grateful that you emerged on the other side, without having to be put in the ground. It takes whatever it takes for us to arrive at a moment of rigorous honesty and start the process of recovery! Peace!
I have 2 fin du mondes every Saturday and I absolutely love it. Cheers and happy new year! 🍻
Being able to be alone with yourself is a fukn superpower. I understand how it can feel wrong, but you will attract better more meaningful relationships
after a solid year of everyday binge drinking, im 4 months sober now and ive been the happiest ive been
How’s your sleep do you still have insomnia
That is not the case with me, I’m months in and have a much harder time functioning sober than on alcohol
if you go back out, please- never drink and drive. Walk or take that cab to the bar!
37 and I'm gonna give it a break for six months and see where I'm at. I've been thinking about giving up booze for the last couple of years and there is no downside to quitting booze. The fact that there is a "Sober October" month just goes to show you how bad this shit is for you. I quit for three months previously and focused on martial arts, graduate school, and yoga, and felt amazing. I don't know why I went back, but i'm pretty sure that I can stop this time around. You're doing the right thing dude by giving your body a break and building healthy relationships that don't involve alcohol.
I've kind of had the same run up at 35. I think we just need to remind ourselves that, "yeah this really isn't that great" and then go back to pursuing our goals that are actually fulfilling. I want to see if I can get in the best shape of my life, I want to be able to use my body for adventures as I age.
I'm gonna give it a break soon too.
It's more the hangovers just last for like 2 whole days now.
Hangover anxiety is real too.
I'm thinking it's just not worth it anymore.
The greatest indicator to when stop drinking is when you use it to emotionally regulate.
Feel bored? Go out and drink.
Feel lonely? Go out and drink.
Feel agitated? Go out and drink.
I've never had much problems with alcohol, my monthly consumtion is below the national average, but I've had rough patches when alcohol gives a temporary relief and escape and I've had to catch myself in those moments and just accept that life is kinda shit right now, but working up an dependency is just going to drag that shitty period out even further.
One of the greatest things my dad told me is to be vary of drinking with friends because you'll suddenly find yourself in the situation where you dont know how to have fun without drinking.
Day 5 of not drinking and I feel like absolute sht. First three days I just wanted to sleep, spent three days just hanging in my bedroom napping. Day 4 & 5, crippling migraine. Glad I've stopped and am not even craving a drink., but I know my biggest tests will be at social gatherings. My anxiety gets spiked and is when I drank to cope with dealing with people (one of many issues I use to self medicate). Good luck to everyone staying dry, I'm looking forward to feeling good again.
Hey. If the socializing is too difficult, don’t go!! Seriously. Do more 1 on 1 stuff with friends. If the pressure to drink goes up, back off. It’s better to be alone than drunk or hungover when you’ve found yourself lost to it.
Good luck!
Holy shit dude me too I totally relate to the napping. Luckily I haven’t had the migraines. I’m on day 8 and this is the first day I was really craving a drink and I managed to stave it off. Stay strong dude we can do this.
Two or three beers won't do any harm and who knows might even help with the migraines 🤷♂️. Good luck 👍
@@jay-lm4we It starts with one or two, then you get the taste. Three, four and so on bud. 😂 For me, anxiety gets replaced with over confidence, then the negative side effects of being drunk, followed by the hangovers that are no longer worth it. If I could stop at one or three, I'd be on that advice. Unfortunately, I'm an all in or nothing drinker.
I battled alcoholism for years until I realised I was the problem and the booze was my solution.. I’m now 20 years sober thanks to AA. In the past I tried just stopping Alcohol on my own and I became irritable and angry which led me back to that first drink.
im going through this right now, its bloody hard
@@Micko1987 Go to a meeting as often as you drink, and you'll be astounded by the results you will get.
"Live in the problem, or live in the solution"! Sobriety is as simple as that.
@Micko1987 tomorrow I'll be 1 year alcohol free. You can do this on your own it boils down to if you truly want it or not. Don't need AA or meetings or any of that garbage these guys are talking about. If you want to put the bottle down, you'll do it mate. Best of luck to you on your journey.
@@Micko1987 I also worked at a treatment facility for 3 years so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to addiction or substance abuse.
@@zStC1 Working at a treatment facility is no guarantee that you know anything about recovery. Especially when you refer to efforts to achieve sobriety as "Garbage". So much for your credibility.
So many of my days were wasted drinking starting at the age of 16. For years into my 20's and later my 30's I lived in denial constantly justifying my drinking because it wasn't illegal drugs, it was a social norm, and the liver can regenerate itself if damaged. So naive. I later began to realize as the hangovers got worse, and my health was slowly deteriorating while looking like a red bloated walrus that a change was desperately needed. When I did I was proud of myself for my sobriety but the amount of depression that came attached with it still has me conflicted even to this day. I realized I used alcohol as a crutch to become more social having battled social anxiety my entire life. It made me feel like a fun normal person not afraid of cowering from a conversation to the point where at any outing the first thing I would do is poor myself a drink to bring out that confidence. And now my social life no longer exists and I prefer not being around the temptation of booze or interacting with drunk people anymore while sober. I just hate how much alcohol is such a staple in society and its the hardest thing to adapt to a place where so many still drink while being confronted with social anxiety that has consumed my entire life.
My mom went through rehab, my dad went through rehab, and an uncle went through rehab all later in life. Another uncle was 17 hit and killed by a drunk driver, which ended up tearing my family apart. My cousin drank herself literally to death. My really good friend has been struggling with alcoholism and depression and recently ended up homeless. I've had friends in their 30's give up drinking because they've realized no good was coming of it. They felt like shit, they weren't having fun, they were spending money. I decided as a kid not to drink, my sister too. It's only ever surrounded us with pain. In my 40's now and single handedly the best decision I could have ever made for my emotional and physical well being.
Hanging out with friends who drink is fine until they start getting shit faced, then it's like just head out. People getting stupid is fun for about 5 minutes. As a DD going out with the intention that someone already has your keys is way better and easier on you than trying to get them from someone after they are already trashed. From experience, that doesn't turn out well. I've had friendships turn sour trying to do the right thing. Bad drunks will think you are on a high horse, when all you are wanting to do is keep people safe. I was surprised to find my friend/coworker in his 20's was right out of the gate giving me his keys for like 2 beers. Blew me away and he's a little bit redneck, said that's what they all did in school. Granted they are all engineers.
If you don't want to drink, then don't drink. If you want to drink, be smart about it, know your limits and don't put anyone in danger.
> From experience, that doesn't turn out well. I've had friendships turn sour trying to do the right thing. Bad drunks will think you are on a high horse, when all you are wanting to do is keep people safe.
Man, this really hit home. I had a friendship end pretty badly about a year back because I tried to get his brother to drive home as he only had about 2 and my friend had like over 10. It really sucks that it got so bad, but at the end of the day I'm not going to be sorry for trying to push for the right thing.
Sorry you went through all that growing up and i'm glad to see you and your sister made it out the other side. Thanks for sharing.
well said. Unfortunately most people with a problem know this, and know they can't reasonably enact their limits while consuming... and that leads to devastating consequences. I just turned 30 last year and have been sober for almost 2 years. I did enjoy the social lubricant aspect of drinking. But now I just focus on doing stuff I actually truly enjoy - no liquid encouragement needed. Find some hobbies. Find different friends. The worst thing you can do is have one drink, you know where this will lead. Good luck to anyone struggling with consumption of alcohol, it's a bitch. So put that bitch in it's place. Peace
Problem is nobody you drank with is like me apparently even if I only had 1 drink 2 hours ago I still am like take the keys please release me from this responsibility so I can have drink for the road
Been sober for about 7 years now, I lack whatever little voice inside my head that says "you've probably had enough, you should slow down now" I don't miss drinking at all.
I love my Dad but I remember as a kid having to wake up early on weekends to hurry up and ask him to go do stuff that day because if he started drinking he wasn't stopping for the entire day, I didn't want that for my son. My dad ended up quitting drinking when I was around 17.
I was expecting a lot more friends and people to try to pressure me back into drinking, but in my experience the people I choose to surround myself with respect it and don't make it awkward when I'm at social gatherings.
“Is there peer pressure to die younger” 😂 Great last line.
loved this
the way the video ended id like to think he kept on talking about it for another 20 minutes lol that final line sounded like he was about to go on another rant. Great advice and good timing for the new years as well. Always good to try to be healthier.
8 months this week for me. Highly recommended
At 25, I've been drinking every night for the last 5-6 years. Granted I kept myself to my system. 3 beers a night from 8pm-12am, just to maintain the right buzz. I felt that because I was disciplined in my amount that I was disqualified from being an alcoholic. Not quite the case unfortunately. After this last new years binge drinking, I had a horrific hangover that ended up with throwing up blood the next day. Scared me enough to the point where I'm a week sober, today.
I am bored, lonely, restless, and left wondering what to do with the time from 8-12. But I'm damn happy every morning knowing I didn't give in last night.
2 weeks is next. We'll see!
I'm right there with you bro, 1 week sober after ending 2023 on a 2 month long bender. I'm 29 and have been trying to get my drinking in check for the past couple years now. I'm tired of the benders and the blackout nights. And sure it's boring and lonely on a sober Saturday night, but waking up hydrated and rested Sunday morning is better than any trashed night. Let's keep it going!
insert something positive into your life . Try running or weights or both. works for me
4 months off here, there's a lot of content on UA-cam about how bad alcohol actually is and I am not regretting my decision at all.
Yeah I'm doing 75 hard, day one was the 1st were in day 12 now. I'll probably drink again eventually but just 12 days on this challenge I feel great. Went to eat the other day with a friend and we sat at the bar, honestly I didn't feel the urge to even order a drink. When I do want a drink I just watch one of the many videos out there that show how bad booze is
If you were disciplined enough to keep it at 3 beers for so long, you'll be able to keep it at 0 as well. The readjustment can be rough, but keep your eyes on the prize my friend and godspeed!
For a split second I thought this was a photo of Billy Corgan, not Bill Burr.
Mia walks in and...
Yoko just can't help herself
I’m 50 and have been sober for 12 years. It got way out of control and ended up at AA. Quitting was the best decision I’ve ever made and life is so much better than I ever could have imagined. Your outlook on social interactions is definitely going to change. I can’t go to bars or similar venues. Clubs are not my interest anymore. Restaurants, events and cool places are more my thing. I like the change I don’t want to be just like everyone else it’s boring. I’m not going to bang on about it anymore but must add one more thing. I have this raging addiction to golf that is currently filling the void😂
Quit drinking at 21. Career driving truck made that decision easy for me. Smoking took a bit longer. Both hurt your long term health. Both are very social activities. Vices break the ice with people and you make easy friends. It's hard to find the balance. Take care of yourself, good luck.
I’ve really been considering leaving sales to get into trucking. I’m 25 and way too introverted to keep doing what I’m doing now
@@tonyh1345 it's hard on your body sitting all the time and eating at truck stops. I started at 21 and didn't take care of myself. It's high stress but if you can chill when your surrounded by chaos that's very helpful. Being away from family and friends is not great. If you have a girlfriend or wife your never home. So more socially isolating. Imagine a job where you can get fined while working .Your young so the thrill will carry you far but what long term goals do you have? Do you want kids and family? You have to be present for those things. I wish I had gone into a trade. I've always been good with my hands. High demand for trade workers good pay and local.
Bill can turn anything into a sports analogy lol
Great advice Bill! Dude, you were already the GOAT in my book but this response got you another gold star.
I stadily increaced my drinking over the years until it became a problem. I've always worked out so that might have mitiagted it, but in lockdown I went mad and drank myself wretched. I put on weight and it was the first time I'd class myself as well and truly out of shape. 2021 I went dry for a few months and worked out a regiment that got the weight off and I get back into shape and I made the choice I would only drink on special holidays and payday (monthly) its been working so far.
Also Bill, if you read this, I know what you mean if I have just a couple of beers I feel like I want more the next day, but I generally have a very liberal weekend when I've decided its a drinking weekend so and come Monday I look forward to no hangovers and feeling healthy.
nice words. similar to me but its "regimen" not regiment.
This was a good listen.
Your comedy shows are common sense to me; we are in the day and age where that’s comedy now I guess if I said that right.
I'm approaching 8 months sober, I struggled with alcoholism for 18 years and end up In hospital with Alcoholic Hepatitis/Acute Liver Failure, I had withdrawals Dts and seizures, i went through a detox and when i got out hospital I got referred to a recovery addiction centre in the mornings to help me cope with life being sober, they give me so much help and support. I then started going to AA meetings at night and meeting so many great people who had been through the same thing and they made me feel so welcome and helped me when I was struggling. Its never to late to change, for anyone out there who is struggling ask for help. You can do this. One Day At A Time. ❤
Good advice Mr. Burr.
I appreciate you and Nia's great influence on you.
Your stories of youth remind me of my own. Perhaps we'll meet one day and I can shake your hand. Thanks again
55,drinking heavy on/off for most my life,made major mistakes down the years and all while drunk,i'm irish and our culture is soaked in alcohol, been in denial my whole life,6 days dry,feel in control and alive,sick of the fear/pain after nights of binge drinking,days of depression and darkness that follow,i love the buzz and the craic socialising with drink but the come down is a life force killer,i'm listening to a guy called "sober leon" and any positive social media people for inspiration,my advice to any younger people here would be stop drinking asap,get healthy,give gratitude for your life,mind and body and spread as much love and positivity you can,something thats very hard to do with a hangover,dont be fooled,take back control,its addictive,beer or spirits are just a delivery system for ethanol as are cigarettes for nicotine,cleverly hidden in sugary drinks and colourful bottles,legalized drug dealing is what it is,some of us are genetically susceptible to addictions,that's me!
6 days dry . Nothing to write home about yet fella. 7,8,9 keep it going, stay strong.
6 days is fantastic Emmet. Its always one day at a time. Im 18 yrs sober, but I remember my last binge like yesterday. I never want to go back there.
Sober Leon would drive you to drink 🙄
Keep in mind the loose social lubrication provided by alcohol is sort of fake. When I quit drinking 9 years ago, I stopped caring about going to places to have social interactions with alcohol. Most of the people I would talk to, I wouldn't care about talking to while sober. The social lubrication just reinforced what I was really there for -- getting my central nervous system depressed by alcohol lol. When many people are doing it, its normalized for you.
The early days of quitting are the hardest. The first 30 days is harder than the next 30 years, so I have heard. At year 9, I rarely if ever think about drinking, and never in a "longing" way.
Certainly noticed after a decade of binge drinking that the mid week bar visit or Friday night drinks are absolutely about having an excuse to drink and only slightly about hanging out with friends. I don't think it was always that way, at least for me, however something changed slowly in my late twenties and it became seeing friends as an excuse to drink, rather than drinking as an excuse to see friends.
“ I have no idea what I’m going to do tomorrow” “how exciting”
I had a couple of moments that turned me from being a hard drinker to a... more responsible one.
The first one was my early twenties. I'd have friends over, we'd get completely wasted and get pretty wild. My girlfriend at the time used my phone to record a video of us one night without me noticing. A few days later, I came across the video on my phone. When I watched it, I really didn't like what I saw. We were having a good time, but we were belligerent and stupid. That didn't immediately change things for me, but it got me thinking about how I acted when I was drunk.
The second was when someone gave me some advice on drinking at work functions. They said to keep pace with the slowest drinker so you're not the drunkest person there. Aside from just being good advice, it got me thinking about how fast I was consuming alcohol.
The third and last one was dating someone who could not handle her alcohol. She would down two hard drinks pretty quickly and be completely wasted, and then she would keep drinking. The way she would regularly embarrass herself (and me) got me thinking again about how I present myself when drinking.
I used to get stumbling drunk twice a week, and I'd have a minimum of three or four beers a day. These days, I have a beer once or twice a week. I get drunk once every three or four months, and I'm conscious of how I'm acting to make sure I'm not getting belligerent, loud, or overly stupid. As I get older, I've also learned to down a bunch of water before I go to bed when drinking.
You’re almost there…now cut it out entirely. Never again. You will *never* regret that decision.
@@patty109109 lol why would I cut out something that brings me joy
@@usernamesareforidiot If it EVER stops giving you joy, that's the time. And it very well might as you get older, it did for me. The hangovers are just absolutely excruciating, as I've gotten older I've discovered that Two-day hangovers are a real thing. The juice just stopped being worth the squeeze eventually, sounds like you're a few years behind me. I still DO drink but it's very occasionally, like a buddy's wedding, Vegas Trip, etc.
Good job. The frequency you do it with is completely healthy IMO
Your former girlfriend needs to make a video of you during your quarterly "get drunk" weekend. I'm sure it will showcase how much "more responsible" you are. Thanks for the entertainment!
Two years Plus, and a thing happened last week that kinda turned bad news into amazing news.
I won't go into the bad news, but as I was walking home, I passed a convenience store and really wanted a cigarette.
Haven't fully given up nicotine cause vapes (which may be on the way out, too), so I still get the cravings for an actual smoke.
I was past the store, did not buy cigarettes, and then it hit me that I didn't even think about alcohol.
This crutch I'd utilized for 25 years, and in a really terrible moment, I didn't even think about alcohol until I realized I wasn't thinking about it.
I'm not fully surprised, it's been two years. But the fact that it didn't even make the list of things to turn to....
it's possible. It was for me and so I fully believe it can be for you.
You are worth your own time.
There's not much good to say about alcohol.
01/04/24. This is my 24th January that I have taken the month of January off. I enjoy good liquor and beer and don't drink every day but the fall and early winter holliday season with other activites and parties usually means I'm tipping more. My birthday is in Feb and I was coming up on 30 so in Dec. 1999 I decided to "take a knee" for the month of January. I'm glad I did and now just the other day I found out that "Dry January" is becoming a thing. Who knew?
Just take a month and give yourself a reset. If you can't do it then thats when you want to take stock of where you are at and maybe do some serious dryout time.
You don’t need that shit and if people don’t like it then it’s there fucking problem; it’s dangerous, addictive, and a huge fucking waste of time and money. I would implore young people who are struggling to stop and assess things and just fucking ignore the “we’re 20 something let’s party” rhetoric. I first started having issues around 24-25 and this guy is doing the absolute right thing. Finally, I will say I had success with journaling, therapy, exercise, and getting into cooking as ways of sustaining sobriety.
You sound like a right laugh.
@@jay-lm4we do you find it hard to form lasting, meaningful relationships?
@@bfunderb5899 😴 💤 💤
got sober a couple years ago in my early 30s. all the stupid cheesy stuff they say happens actually did happen so now I'm just afraid to lose all that. the effort to quit was enormous and I'm not sure I can climb that hill again
My bloodline is full of addiction, (alcohol, drugs, food), and Bill's right. It's fun to do shit and all, but if you get the addiction "demon" into you, it'll drag you to ruin, and an early death.
Many close relatives of mine drank /drugged/ate themselves to death, and I watched in horror as a child to see them age beyond recognition when I hit puberty. Sadly I nearly got into drinking heavily myself, but my family knocked some sense into me before I was stricken.
Now if I could only stop craving junk food... At least I'm only slightly overweight and able to walk up flights of stairs!
still drinking but the hill I climbed was meth. and when I was at the bottom of that hill, I was in a critical care unit after a suicide attempt.
One hill at a time, brother.
@@oynlengeymer2434you can still do meth sometimes just not every day.
I just tried alcohol again after a year of being sober. My guess is that when you are aware of the changes alcohol looses some of its magic. I didn't enjoy the drinking as much as used to. It made me realize how much I missed some of the tastes. But feeling the buzz was in part even uncomfortable. I distinctly felt the increase in stupidity, while at the same time the perceived euphoria did not keep up. I basically felt like making a bad trade.
What still worked fine was sipping the tasty stuff slowly over time. Then again, poisoning yourself over hours for some mouth pleasure is maybe not a good deal either.
38 and currently doing dry January. Seriously considering giving up booze for longer. I have had way too many blackouts and the anxiety that causes me, for, weeks and months following is horrible, seriously effects my mental health.
39 here. EXACT same situation. The not drinking? Fine. All the extra time on my hands?!!?! What am I supposed to do with this?!??! Lol
The problem with being sober is that life sucks, people are stupid and boring, and drinking makes the despair and horror of daily life marginally less unbearable.
53 and have to agree
134 days sober and i'm less functioning as a person than i was when i was blacking out as part of my daily routine. i quit drinking and shortly after everyone i cared about in my circle (all sober mind you) stopped talking to me altogether. idk if i was just insufferable that first month not drinking or if i'm just a better time to be around when i'm constantly hammered. anxiety is the worst it's ever been, depression is on par with some of the lowest points in my life. i've lost weight, and i get better tips at work when i'm not shitfaced, but other than that every aspect of my life has lost most of it's joy. i only crave alcohol with certain triggers at this point in my sobriety but for the most part the obsessive attention towards it has gone away. i feel like i should be doing better but everything fucking sucks. i should take comfort in the fact that i'm not constantly endangering others anymore, making a complete ass of myself daily or doing irreparable damage to my body, but it doesn't do much for me. i told myself as soon as i let my alcoholism start hurting the people around me i'd never drink again, i hurt the people around me for about 3 years with the shit before a bad enough example of such led to the decision to actually quit. i'm not gonna drink again, i know what i'm doing is right and i know that it's not ever going to be in me to be able to just have one drink. i just don't think enough emphasis is put on the fact that most people that bury themselves with a bottle usually started doing it for a reason. the shit you spent years running from doesn't magically disappear with sobriety. that's all. appreciate your comment.
@@breakfastandcoffee5576You just described my situation exactly. I’m losing everything from being sober. I can’t maintain relationships anymore, can’t feel joy, and am performing way worse at my sales job and am probably gonna get fired unless I start drinking again.
@@breakfastandcoffee5576 I'm no one, what I say means nothing. Giving up drinking doesn't solve any problems, if anything it brings those problems to you. What being sober allows you to do is acknowledge those very real problems/issues and gives time with clarity to come up with solutions to those things.
Just remember constant dwelling on the past affects how you feel in the present and future.
Try smoking some bud
Nia snickering in the background hahaha
I found a zero-willpower-required solution to quitting alcohol just few years ago. This won't work for most people I guess, but once I realised that the alcohol industry (and other shadowy types) WANT me to keep drinking -- paying all that money, sedating myself from reality, not advancing myself, all while shortening my life so I'll die before I retire (and become a burden to the state) -- that was it for me.
correct, don't fall into their trap.
Every industry wants you to keep using their product. This applies to every business
@@tonyh1345 And every government.
In my opinion alcohol is the worst drug on this planet.
Nothing else make you puke 5 times a day
I just recently quit drinking after watching the pain its brought to both my Grandmother and my Ex GF. I didnt have a problem but seeing the evil its done to two people i love more than anything i decided that im done, even socially. Water for me please!
I live in a small town where the social arena is at the local tavern, and I can take the place for about an hour as a non drinker. Having a conversation with a drunk person is almost impossible. Sober 43 yrs and I have no intention of going back to that shit.
This exactly. I took a year and a half off drinking. Got it all under control then I decided I wanted a shot on New Years so I took one. Had a good night with some friends and haven’t had a drink since. Take time off when you need to and if you feel ready to come back go for it. Only you know how you really feel inside. Much love.
I'm nearly 3 years sober now but i might take your advice and try one or two shots👍
@@jay-lm4we you do you brother. It’s not advice just my life experience. Only you know how to handle yourself.
Most poignant point:
If you go [real] hard through to 40, you'll be suffering, at least physically.
Good speech Bill!!!!
I’ve been a heavy drinker for a couple years. Multiple stretches of multiple consecutive days for weeks. Never really got black or any of that but did have a foggy memory from time to time. It never interfered in my life. Caused a few fights but whenever that happened I would calm down. But I would often decide to go several weeks to months without a drink to heal my body and prove to myself that life is good sober. I totally understand what Bill is saying that “I need to hit a wall” like I have to want it. But I also have OCD so I’ve never craved a drink or getting drunk but my brain always tries to make me think I’m an alcoholic and that I’m on some kind of “wagon”. Anyway, I did sober October after drinking really heavy for most of the summer, cooling down in September and then totally sober all of October. Sober for large stretches of November and then sober every few days in December with a bad stretch from December 20-31 where I got pretty hammered every day except for 31st. But I decided 2024 would be different. I start drinking at 21 in 2020 and have had this habit since then but it’s gradually built up. I decided I was doing dry January and that for the year I was only going to drink a max of six drinks at most three times a month. So far I’ve only drank 2 beers twice - once because my fiancé asked me to have a a drink with her on the 27th of January (other than that I didn’t touch alcohol for the month) and then just yesterday on February 3rd. So a week separating. It’s difficult but manageable as long as I keep myself occupied and busy. I do believe if you change your way of thinking and just choose to enjoy the one or two drinks you do have rather than slamming them to get drunk that you can control yourself. I’ve never considered myself an alcoholic but knew that if I kept up I’d get there. Glad to be changing my ways and sticking with this plan throughout the year and hopefully beyond.
It's weird, I'm in the exact same position as the guy writing the e-mail. Even though I'm not a huge Bill Burr's fan, this video was very reasuring.
Lots of love and good luck for all of you guys, we deserve better.
I have a homie who quit drinking 4 years ago. whenever he wants to hang out at a bar he drinks odouls or non alcoholic. its more about him wanting to just hang at a bar than the actual drinking. he can handle it but Its not for everyone. going to the bar might be a trigger for another person battling alcoholism. but I get it with the NA beer
I'm 21 and been a year into standup and the most difficult part for me is chasing that post-performance high/socializing aspect after a show. After every show, I get a couple 9.5% tall boys and go straight into a wall. Any advice from comics on dealing with post-performance highs? Thanks!
All I really do is drink maybe 2 beers a week and occasionally I have a glass of whisky or something. The history and craftsmanship of drinks is why I drink, but I can't even remember the last time I got drunk.
2:18 big big facts
Drunk here, sober when I was 21-25. Just make being around drunk people a game. They don't remember anything for sure and just make stuff up. Don't let it get out of hand but just have a little fun. So stuff like "dude you totally took your shirt off and started dancing on a table until you fell!" Don't go out of control, keep it mild.
As a 22 year old who’s been struggling, this came at a good time
Been there. I abused the bottle when I was 22, still so. A few days sober now, I’m trying to give my body a break
@@cademartin2470 It may not matter coming from internet strangers but stay strong brother, proud of you for getting that far! You got this
22 years sober. Best decision ever.
How was your sleep after you quit … 6-8 hours ?
@@VicDamoneJr82He can't answer that because he's probably still drinking 🤷♂️
I was drinking every day for a long time and January last year I basically said enough and I stopped. Over the course of the year I had the occasional beer with family and friends but I probably had no more than 30 over the course of the year. Not drinking is awesome but it definitely does become difficult in social situations
I found that having small kids and drinking is absolutely brutal. Having a crying toddler when I just had 2-3 beers absolutely broke me… then again not drinking sometimes makes me stay at home as well instead of going out. Sometimes that’s for the better but sometimes also not… having a beer has been an easy way to start new friendships; lets have a beer and watch the game. Without the beer I often just want to stay home and go to bed early. Not sure which is better
It's better not to I didn't drink for almost 6 yrs. I'd give anything to have that mindset and physicality back.
I'm in my 40s and whenever I drink, especially in the winter time I get sick pretty reliably 2-3 days later because the alcohol seems to crush my immune system. I'm not talking about large amounts either. I'm talking 2-3 cocktails at a holiday party is all it takes. Then I spend the next 10 days recovering from some illness. Its so costly that its barely worth it anymore.
Are you sure it's the alcohol? I used to have a boss who reliably (I mean, really reliably. It was almost comical) got sick about a week before she would go on vacations. Found an interesting bit of research then which said a decrease in stress levels basically tells the body that now would be a good time to dial back on the immune responses, because that sort of thing used to indicate peaceful times or whatever it was. Maybe you just unwind too much when drinking at parties. Try being a bit annoyed while drinking ;)
Jokes aside, this could also be coincidence. People generally get sick in the winter season, and parties are a good place to cross paths with people you never see otherwise, who may introduce new or unusual levels of pathogens into your life.
@@VolkbrechtInteresting, that might explain a few things.
Interesting reply thank you. I've also considered that the drinking comes with social interaction so its hard to pin down. I'd have to drink alone to test it, but man would that be painful results. @@Volkbrecht
Yes, and also deadly if you drink and drive. Or get in the car with one as a passenger ! I almost died doing this in my drinking days: took a ride home with a girl who lied about being sober. I'm 44 and ten years sober...I can't imagine what drinking would do to me the next day at this age. Really started to "knock me down" around 29...
You are so so real speaking the words just come out nature you are good you are convincing but not in a bad way like a father talking to his son nice quality to have and share with others 🌿🌎🌍 .
I've been a weekend warrior, never a daily drinker but I wish I would have quit drinking even in my early thirties. I didn't start taking breaks until I was about 35 or 36 or so... I never thought it would be this hard to even take a break, even after a few weeks or months of going slow and severely limiting it, it takes one holiday or birthday party to get really shitty again and drink for like four days straight.
Always found drinking to be a habit , a social habit most people would like to be able to control. Get over the first two weeks and I don’t even want a drink I feel so good and water tastes amazing . Now the Christmas holidays are over I’m back in training and concentrating on getting fit for summer I take three months away from getting wracked and feeling like shit for the following few days and ask myself does the bad outweigh the good feeling drink gives me.
Your worst day without drinking will be better than any day you were drinking hard.
I'm 42, and when I was about 38 I hit that wall Bill is referring to. I now never have more than 2 drinks in a day, maybe 3 max if I have a good reason, and life is 10x better. Most nights I don't drink at all. You don't need alcohol to have fun. I know it sounds cliched and corny, but it's the truth. Being the sober guy is great and waking up fresh every morning feels so good. If you're on the fence about drinking, don't hesitate to give it up! Even if it's only temporary. Try it out and see how you like it. I guarantee your life will drastically improve.
There are heavy drinkers and alcoholics. When you hit the wall, you were a heavy drinker. Thank your lucky stars that you didn’t become an alcoholic and now you drink like people are supposed to, in moderation. I quit drinking 35 years ago at the age of 36. I am an alcoholic, if I were to drink again, I’d be dead in a couple of weeks. That’s how serious this shit is for some people.
@@michaelland6206 I hear ya. Unfortunately, I know a few people like that.
This makes me want to start drinking
Had a panic attack while drunk 3 years ago and have never been yhe same sinfe woth drinking. I can only have 1 or 2 drinks at a time. My body associates drinking with that attack. Its been a silver lining through my divorce. I don't get drunk and say stupid shit that could get me in trouble. Wake up and run or workout. It's been hard to maintain some friendships that were built around partying but I'm happier.
Same thing happened to me. I would drink a 6-pack, watch a movie, then go to bed most nights. One night the power went out, so it was just me and my thoughts. Thankfully I hadn't been doing that long, maybe a few months, so it wasn't too difficult to get it under control.
@@enemyspotted2467 Emdr therapy helped a lot
Nearing 6 months. Not doing it for anyone else, a wedding, or special occasion. Finally started to feel anxious alot and not well enough that I realized I'm better off without it. So far im not seeing a reason to go back. If you can come to the same conclusion without caring about what others think, then youre set. If someone you trust makes fun of you for trying to do something you feel is right for your approach to life, maybe dont trust them because true friends and family typically only care to see that youre doing what makes you happy.
As we can drink at eighteen in most other countries we usually get our pub and bar life out the way earlier
I quit cigarettes 06/06/2016. I quit vaping 01/01/2022. I quit alcohol 01/01/2023.
Getting drunk had always seemed as natural as watching TV, or going shopping. In the UK, it's just a societal norm; a cultural happenstance. Without explicit intent, and with minimal pressure, we happily disappear into the bottom of a glass at the drop of a hat. It's something the majority of people "just do" without a second thought. We make light of how readily we go to the pub, humour ourselves with our drunken shenanigans, and incredulously recant that "no good story ever began with eating a salad".
The overlooked issue with widespread acceptance of drinking culture, is the subtle pressure we all feel to partake in it. Telling people you "don't drink" is akin to declaring that you are a "vegan" and carries the same risk of being ostracised. If you are wondering why anyone would have an issue with you being vegan, you are helping to illustrate my point. When somebody says they are vegan, they are perceived as foisting their moral righteousness in your face, and in the same breath, judging you. The same can be said of saying that you "don't drink". To not drink alcohol is viewed as haughty. If you do not drink alcohol, then you make others feel uncomfortable drinking alcohol in your presence. Like smoking around non-smokers. Or eating meat around vegans.
Casting a casual remorseful glance back over my drunken past, I can genuinely say that the negative outcomes outweigh the positive. It's not even a close contest. The concern over what I've said or done whilst drunk is the tip of the iceberg. I've spent unbelievable amounts of money on alcohol, and subsequently spent lamentable amounts of time curled up in a hungover ball of self-loathing thereafter. I've got into drunken fights, including breaking my hand which had to be wired back together. I have a tendency to get aggressive and confrontational when I'm drunk which has embroiled me in many avoidable situations. I've fallen over whilst drunk and injured myself, I've even been knocked over by a car on a couple of occasions whilst staggering drunk into moving traffic. I've woke up in an ambulance after drinking to the point I blacked out. I've slept in random places including a public phone box, a hotel corridor and even on a doorstep. I've embarrassed myself and invited ridicule from friends/family by pissing in random places. I've drank to the point I've been painfully vomiting, hell, even to the point of shitting blood.
I'm now 36 years old and feel the best I've felt in years. Happily sober.
Life is good. You deserve to experience it sober, with clarity and appreciation for its beauty.
how did you quit smoking? I find that the hardest after 17 years of smoking.
@RavikumarSiddharth
I totally sympathise. I substituted it for vaping in 2016, then quit vaping cold turkey as a New Years Resolution at the start of 2022. I did find the book "The Easy Way" by Allen Carr super useful for helping to rewire your thoughts surrounding smoking. Addiction is as much psychological as physical. I used the book "The Naked Mind" to help quit alcohol. Hope you can find a solution that helps you overcome your addiction and improve your health buddy.
@@BenScott13 Thanks! I am on day 3 of no smoking. Nicotine gum helps. Fingers crossed. I did read allen carr's book before but I continued on. Im going to read the naked mind! thanks for the suggestions!
@@RavikumarSiddharth no problem pal. Be aware, nicotine gum will not help overcome your addiction to nicotine. I used a cocktail stick - as daft as it sounds - just to satisfy that hand-to-mouth habit. Just chew a cocktail stick, it genuinely helped me no end. I hope the following can help you keep your focus and prevent relapse:
The nicotine in a single cigarette activates 80%/90% of dopamine receptors as they mistake it for Acetylcholine. Nicotine is rapidly metabolized and as your nicotine level drops, so does your dopamine/happiness. Addiction is the result of a process called up-regulation. As a result of the apparent increase in Acetylcholine (actually Nicotine) the brain creates additional Dopamine receptors with lower sensitivity; this is referred to as "an increased tolerance". It now takes more Nicotine to release the Dopamine. It takes 3 days to metabolize all nicotine in your system. It takes 21 days to down-regulate Dopamine receptors. Chemical addiction to Nicotine passes in 3 to 4 weeks.
Within 28-days you will no longer have a chemical dependency on nicotine. You've got this 💪🏼
What he said about dating can not be overstated. People meet each others under circumstances when they don't present themselve how they really are plus their judgement is also very bad. Thats why i have a problem with online dating too. Its never like meeting someone in real life but the first impression is important. Its not just how someone looks, its how the person behaves, how she talks and even about matching pheromons that your body unconsciously notices, even a little gesture can make a difference. But in online dating we don't have all this. We have just some photos wich are most likely photoshopped or ten years old and a bunch of LIES. Its totally impossible to get a feeling for someone over dating apps.
Being sober is the ultimate truth. No twisted illusions. That's why it's so damn hard.
I think it comes down to a personal choice and self honesty. Brutal honesty.
Do I have a problem, is this what life is about? Do I respect myself in the morning, am I living in constant excuses and self pity? Is this all I will ever accomplish? Yet another day wasted, being hungover.....😢 Uuugh
I was tired of all that crap. Always broke, always depressed, eventually became suicidal. Yeah, it was the booze....so I stopped. It's been hard, but I am starting to respect myself again. 😊
No amount of money or peer pressure is worth throwing away, just to hang out with "so called" beer buddies....I did it for a looong time....it wasn't all bad but enough was enough.
Had I known I would have lived this long I would have taken better care of myself 😂
It's a real catch 22 aint it lol.
Over 70 years old and scaled way back on the drinking. Sober up for months at a time. Have to say that here and there sober won't do. Life's beat downs will make you drink for relief every once in a while.
Same here, don't socialise, just go to work, go home, have dinner with a sip or two, tv, read, eight hrs, more or less, rinse repeat. No hangover, occasionally exercise, what's the problem???😮
Can't beat a bottle of wine in the evening
How about 2 😂😂
@@heretic5116 yeh January does actually call for 2 a night.
Same
My mom and dad met in rehab which is why I start drinking everyday at noon cuz I can’t wait to meet my soul mate when I get to rehab :)
I was about to subscribe but then I noticed you don’t put the episode and/or date of the podcast that the clip is pulled from.
Great advice Bill. Get friends that have different interests
i just finally was able to detox and even though it’s only been 5 days, that’s a long time for me, and i have no desire to go back. i didn’t even like drinking it was just my anxiety at night about getting to sleep, it was so stupid.
I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but all the most ingrained into my memory are from when I abused alcohol.
for me it was like bill burr too and I think it should be, for any addiction
if you just stop doing what you do cause everybody else tell you to... you just don't have that understanding and don't have that actual reason of why it is a bad thing for your life and in back of your mind it is still a good and fun thing that you sacrifice for your health but it is an ugly thing overall in reality
I know 22 is soooooo young but when you said I go out with drunk friends if it was me I wouldn't even wanna be around these people cause in back of my mind I would be like these people just decide to destroy themselves and I experienced that and I wanna get more and be around people like myself, so in sum never do what others say experience and be what you really feel that's good for you
I was never a binge drinker, but I was a habitual 2-3 beers a night drinker. Every time I tried to cut back, I’d just end up drinking the same again. 3 weeks sober now, I’m done with alcohol. It no longer interests me.
still drinking.
I happen to
want the company.