Sober October

HughFreakingDillon

anyone ever do this? I did it last year and it was....interesting. I plan on doing it again this year. Might take it even farther to see if it helps me lose some extra poundage. 

who's in?

F Me In The Brain

I do this every year (well, the last 3 years and will continue to do every year moving forward) but between April and May, ends just before Memorial Day Weekend. A 30 day period, vs. a sober month on the calendar.

There are a number of things I do just to fuck with myself - this is one of the least demanding of them, being that you just stop doing something rather than try to do something new/different/more.  The first year I traveled for work most of the month and it was tedious to constantly have to explain why I wasn't Captain Party All The Time.   (It also is tedious to have to be around drunk people when you are not imbibing.)

Enjoy doing it -- I'm a firm believer in setting and meeting goals for rather arbitrary reasons to benefit the body and mind.  Good things.

HughFreakingDillon

I was actually quite surprised how easy it was for me last year (especially in a pandemic where my intake has increased). I drink quite a bit, and my wife laughed at first when I told her I was doing it (not in a mean way, she just knows me lol). She was even more shocked when I told her it included weed (or anything that alters the mind). I'm like "dude, it's sober october, not "no alcohol" october". lol. 

F Me In The Brain

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

hedonist

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

Second paragraph, very true. Still not giving up my green though

Good to push yourself, for yourself. Does wonders!

F Me In The Brain

hedonist said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

Second paragraph, very true. Still not giving up my green though

Good to push yourself, for yourself. Does wonders!

Something I know you know very well!

HughFreakingDillon

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

I use "dude" in a gender neutral sort of way, yes (drives my oldest daughter crazy). lol

I have read up on people who have made the choice to go sober for a whole year and how it completely changed their life etc etc, however,

a) it would be a really big leap to go from one month to one year, especially for me, and
b) I've always been wary of people who claim things like that, as it seems like they are trying to sell something, like a book, or get you to subscribe to their blog, etc. But it's definitely worth exploring. 

But quitting alcohol permanently, or least long term, obviously has zero downside if you're able to do it. 

Back when I still listened to Joe Rogan, yes, I first heard of this from watching him, as he and some of his buddies do it to support one of their alcoholic comedian friends to go sober, and at first he would quit booze, but still continue on with weed. So, after enough razzing, he agreed to go all-substance free for the month. that was decidedly more difficult for him. 

mickeyrat

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

to confine it to just this 24 hrs makes "forever" possible.

for many of us, this 24 hrs is challenging enough.....

F Me In The Brain

mickeyrat said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

to confine it to just this 24 hrs makes "forever" possible.

for many of us, this 24 hrs is challenging enough.....

Yeah, I tried to put "to me" all over what I was sharing since I really only can know how I feel or work with this.  

HughFreakingDillon

mickeyrat said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

to confine it to just this 24 hrs makes "forever" possible.

for many of us, this 24 hrs is challenging enough.....

I hear ya

mickeyrat

F Me In The Brain said:

mickeyrat said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

to confine it to just this 24 hrs makes "forever" possible.

for many of us, this 24 hrs is challenging enough.....

Yeah, I tried to put "to me" all over what I was sharing since I really only can know how I feel or work with this.  

by "many of us" I should added in recovery.

cirious though, after you do it, do you find your habits have changed or do you puck where you left off?

HughFreakingDillon

mickeyrat said:

F Me In The Brain said:

mickeyrat said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

to confine it to just this 24 hrs makes "forever" possible.

for many of us, this 24 hrs is challenging enough.....

Yeah, I tried to put "to me" all over what I was sharing since I really only can know how I feel or work with this.  

by "many of us" I should added in recovery.

cirious though, after you do it, do you find your habits have changed or do you puck where you left off?

like it never happened, TBH. which wasn't honestly my intent. I wanted to keep it going. But I fell off. I convinced myself that I succeeded so I deserved a reward. I was annoyed by how easily I folded after reaching the first rung. 

F Me In The Brain

mickeyrat said:

F Me In The Brain said:

mickeyrat said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

to confine it to just this 24 hrs makes "forever" possible.

for many of us, this 24 hrs is challenging enough.....

Yeah, I tried to put "to me" all over what I was sharing since I really only can know how I feel or work with this.  

by "many of us" I should added in recovery.

cirious though, after you do it, do you find your habits have changed or do you puck where you left off?

When I started I would carry on.

Since then my overall habits have changed dramatically.

  What changed my habits was the other ways I chose to torture myself....these ways are less destructive.  . They only leave me 1 or maybe 2 times in a normal week now where I have free reign to pile it on.  Generally, I don't go too hard, now.

tempo_n_groove

I do a dry January.  Sober October?  Hmmm....

The Juggler

Yeah I did the January thing this year and it actually worked well. Lost a few pounds doing it too but I have since gained some of them back.

I wanted to jump start my better eating habits soon as I want to shed those pounds and then some before a trip I have lined up in January (it's been rescheduled like four times already--fuck you covid). So, yeah, I might join you in this endeavor....

hedonist

I never realized (or maybe just hid from myself) how many calories are in booze. Surefire way to lose weight — unless you’re eating more while not drinking. 

HughFreakingDillon

hedonist said:

I never realized (or maybe just hid from myself) how many calories are in booze. Surefire way to lose weight — unless you’re eating more while not drinking. 

that was the disappointing part last october. i didn't lose a single pound. i found i was watching more movies instead of drinking and listening to music, and movies obviously beget snacks. 

i'm going to try to only have popcorn this time around. lol

brianlux

I kind of ignored this thread at first, but I keep coming back to it. 

Hmmm.  It's not like I have a huge drinking problem.  I'm kind of lucky in that after one beer or one drink or one glass of wine I start feeling somewhat crappy.  Probably because I drank too much in my younger adult life.  But still, even limited though my drinking is, with the change in season and going into cold and flu season, maybe taking a month to be totally alcohol free isn't such a bad idea.  Give the old (and already somewhat tired) immune system a little more of an advantage.

I will give this serious consideration.

Malroth

What about Hungover October?

Purple Fairy Tree

Malroth said:

What about Hungover October?

Yeah, i'm doing that one!

Purple Fairy Tree

brianlux said:

I kind of ignored this thread at first, but I keep coming back to it. 

Hmmm.  It's not like I have a huge drinking problem.  I'm kind of lucky in that after one beer or one drink or one glass of wine I start feeling somewhat crappy.  Probably because I drank too much in my younger adult life.  But still, even limited though my drinking is, with the change in season and going into cold and flu season, maybe taking a month to be totally alcohol free isn't such a bad idea.  Give the old (and already somewhat tired) immune system a little more of an advantage.

I will give this serious consideration.

Yeah, not a bad idea Brian, particularly as December is a drinking month. It's too late for me now but I could reduce in January next year.

The Juggler

I lasted until October 2nd. 

HughFreakingDillon

I failed. 

hedonist

Congrats!

HughFreakingDillon

hedonist said:

Congrats!

Congrats? for failing?

PJ_Soul

I find it much easier to go dry in January/February. Fall time is party time!!

HughFreakingDillon

PJ_Soul said:

I find it much easier to go dry in January/February. Fall time is party time!!

yeah, i really think it would have been better to do this after new years, like you said. oh well. i'm still going to keep going, and if I find myself in a situation where it calls for a beer, so be it. I won't beat myself up over it. 

dankind

Beer sucks. Gatorade is better.

Meltdown99

My dry January is going great…I have yet to be rained on.  Life’s positives.

darwinstheory

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

To be fair, I have on good authority you call your wife "Sir" sooo....

F Me In The Brain

darwinstheory said:

F Me In The Brain said:

Do you call your wife "dude"?      

Agree that it would seem odd to claim sobriety and then do drugs but to each their own and any real sort of commitment people make to themselves and keep would seem to be a good thing, to me. 

The idea that it is only 30 days, to me, makes it easy. 

I expect that if someone has a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol that this could be a very different experience for them. 

Absent that, to me it is only an exercise in willpower.

Now...if the deal was try to to never do it again, or to go without for a year?  To me, that would seem a totally different thing.

To be fair, I have on good authority you call your wife "Sir" sooo....

It was [redacted]