For 20 years, I used every drug I could get my hands on and drank my way through life. I honestly believed the life I wanted was meant for other people, not me.
Everything changed when I finally made the decision to get sober. I walked away from every addict and every circle that kept me trapped in that life. It wasn’t easy, but it was the best decision I’ve ever made.
Today, I’m married to a beautiful, sober woman, and together we have an amazing three month-old baby boy. The life I wake up to now is the same life I used to only dream about. I never thought it would happen for me, but it did.
Recovery didn’t just give me my sobriety back, it gave me a future, a family, and a reason to keep moving forward. If you’re in the darkness wondering whether a different life is possible, I’m living proof that it is.

Hey just coming here to vent. Around NYE my partner and I of 4.5 years broke up and I’ve been devastated ever since. We were living together until March and towards the end of that time I was sleeping on the couch because I didn’t want to be in bed with someone who didn’t want me there even though they said they didn’t have a problem with it. I’ve been working at a wine bar for 2 years now so for 2 years I was drinking Thursday Friday and Saturday and eventually I found a dive bar close to my work where I became a regular and would drink afterwards.

I was also using we*d everyday since I was like 19 (I’m 37 now) and it was just something I did on the regular. I had a bunch of reasons for that. I was an artist. I never worked a traditional job. I used to go to parties more than a couple times a week and just be that fun guy that people liked to hang with and drink with and smoke with.

When I moved into my own place I noticed I was drinking a little more and smoking more and when my birthday came along in May I was fucking miserable. I was so depressed and heartbroken and I just felt incredibly alone. I decided to stop smoking and drinking right after that weekend and it’ll be 2 months on Friday.

I still feel as alone and almost as miserable as I did before expect I’m not smoking to dull the pain and I’m not using alcohol to kill the time. Being sober has been fine. I’m more focused at work and more focused on the changes I want to make in my life moving forward. But I’m also devastated by how high I was during the relationship. I keep thinking to myself “was I high the last 4.5 years letting the best times and the partner and love of my life just pass me by?”

I’m so angry at myself about it and even though I’m going to the gym 4 times a week I’m not really sleeping very well. I’m irritated about the past and I feel so isolated because most of the people from my circle are DJs and party people and are chasing some kind of high that just doesn’t appeal to me anymore. I don’t know how to connect with human beings and I feel stable and incredibly alone and unstable at the same time. It’s so frustrating that I’m working so hard to try and come out of this a better person but there’s no one here to witness it besides my therapist and my one or two coworkers I can talk to. My bosses haven’t treated me any better even if I’m better at work. There’s not much lightness or laugher in my life and I don’t feel like going to bars and drinking non alcoholic beer is a way to get my social life back.

I’m just incredibly frustrated and don’t know what to do with myself besides to keep going. There’s a part of me that wants to let my ex know that I’m working on myself but we haven’t spoken since March and it doesn’t feel like there’s any real desire from there end to change that so I don’t want to reach out because that would feel like I’m trying to manipulate them back into my life. I don’t have the courage to date again and I don’t really know who I am anymore without them and without my former life and social circle. I just feel alone on this journey.

Anyway if you’re trying to stay sober and reading this please keep going. It sucks but it’s the right thing. I wasn’t a heavy drinker but it made me feel like shit and hangovers suck and it would leave me so depressed it just isn’t worth it. I don’t know what to do or how to connect with people but i guess it’s just part of the journey

Hey everyone, we’re throwing sober events and parties in NYC to try to keep the community strong. Lmk if this interests anyone and I can send details on next events/ parties! Also lmk if you have any good ideas for future sober events we should do. Appreciate it!

I’m in great need of some relatable comments and support. Heck, please message me.
I’m drowning. Please know this is not a sober post. It’s 12:30 pm.
I was sober for 201 days. Longest I’ve ever went. I’ve made it a week or two since then but I don’t feel like I’m able to come back. I’m so tired (mom of 3- 5 year old and 15 month old twins). I want to be done drinking. Every time I think I’m done, my husband is questioning me “what the f is wrong with you, why are you so mad etc” but he does everything to destroy me when I have a drink. He’s no saint, he drinks and spends days hungover in bed. I can’t do that as I have responsibilities so I have a hair of the dog and continue. We’ve talked about this but it comes back to the fact that I have a problem and he can do it once a week. I have so much anger towards him… says he’s “dry” but smokes so much weed..
My 5 year old said to me today my eyes are so tired and traces the bags under them (I don’t sleep).
I’m looking for someone to talk to. Someone to relate to me. Can anyone help?

… wake up sober and wish I had drinks last night.

Hey!

I’m 19/M. I’m from Hungary, eastern / central europe, mental health and addiction services here aren’t as good as in the west. My main drug or choice was alcohol, but i’m 1 year and 4 days sober from that.

I was using xanax (prescribed by my doctor for real anxiety issues) and at times i abused it. Not too extreme, never blacked out on it, didn’t do any crazy stuff you hear on the internet. I was taking 1 mg (i have 0.5 mg prescribed) and i was just listening to music.

Now i’m 23 days sober, but i constantly think about it. It’s crazy. I first abused it in 2026 april, for a week straight 1 mg everyday. Then around 10 or so days in May, then around 1 and half week in June. Every time i did this, i was using exactly 1 mg because that was a “sweet spot” where i felt the effects but wasn’t noticable that i’m high

My life is actually good, i learn my 3rd language, i have hobbies, i make retro style videos, i play games, i make little “novels” / “stories” (for myself for fun) and i don’t have any reason to use xans.

But still, i want to use. It’s weird. I don’t get it. I wasn’t on it for too long to become physically addicted or something, but i guess it got me hooked mentally.

At the last time i abused it, i told my grandma and i gave the pills to her so that i can’t get high anymore, and i know she wouldn’t give it to me if i’d say “i wanna be high give me xans”.

And at the last week or so when i used, i didn’t even got the good effects like muscle relaxation and stuff. Instead it was just a weird numbness. Like i felt totally emotionless zombie like mental state.

So like does anyone know why i want to go back to it even tho it isn’t good? Like i didn’t even feel good when i was on it last time, so why do i wanna go back? It’s crazy. It’s nonsense.

Btw i will talk to my psychiatrist next week monday when i have an appointment and ask him to help me find some addictologist to help with this mental addiction stuff.

It was time to quit. I didn't need it anymore. It was clogging up my system. I basically gave up booze though I drink once every three weeks or so. Weed it's been a big fat zero.

It's hard. My real problems have shown up. They aren't pretty. The emotional problems inside that I was running from. They are overwhelming some days. I'm staying strong.

Yall ever got so tired you feel drunk ? Also if it wasn’t for this child in me I’ll prolly be drinking . 12 weeks sober .

I've been batteling alcoholism and DXM addiction for 5 years now. I've been in and out of AA/NA, I've been to rehab, I've been to therapy. I can't seem to ever fully just stop. I can stop for a couple weeks. Or a couple months maybe. But I always go back out. I don't know what my problem is but I feel like it's so embarrassing and miserable going down this road over and over and over and asking for help over and over and over. I don't know how to make it stick. I'm scared it won't stick and I'm going to ruin my life. I don't know how to force myself to just quit and stay off it. I need advice

For context, were a pretty big group (around 10 people). We have very different personnalities and interests in life and the only things that bring us together are our political beliefs and weed. We have been smoking for 6-7 years. Our hangouts aren’t exclusively smoking but everytime ,between or while the activity we smoke. it can be while making a dish, before playing bowling. even at parties we mostly stay outside to talk and smoke. I stopped smoking a few months ago because i was becoming the worst version of myself (lazy, paranoid, very anxious etc). At the same time, I met my bf who helped me through all those hard steps. The first two months were really hard, I had severe physical and mental withdrawals. I started to avoid those meeting because it was too hard for me but I would still see some of them individually. Recently I started to come more frequently because i felt better and even if they are very supportive and kind toward me (theyre careful with the smoke of the joints, they open the windows to not hotbox the place, they even bring cbd for me to have something to smoke) I feel kind of disconnected. This week, I’ve catched myself lying to avoid a hangout, and even retiring myself after I already said I would be there. I don’t know why I feel like this and what i can do about it. I feel bad because they are such a good support in my life, they truly are good people and good friends but I still have this weird feeling inside of me. Do some of y’all have lived similar experiences and could help me to understand better this situation.

In december 2026 i'll hit 2 years of being sober, before 12.2024 i was sober for 1,5 year. I was going to the NA, i'm after rehab center etc etc.
I'm still going to parties/music events - but i didn't find any new friends, basically hitting up randomly to any person just to talk, make me feel like idiot. I hit some gig, dance, have fun and then just go home. I've notice that spontaneous interactions with people became almost impossible for me.
I've abondoned dating apps/trying to make friends online, cause i want to do this irl.
It's not that i didn't talked to anyone out there, but it's always lost after event - feeling like i don't dare to ask for some source of contact.
Do you also got this problem? What was your solution?
I also don't mean metting new people by sport/hobby etc, because i do that and i got some group of people coneccted by common passion. What i'm saying about - simple pattern: GO TO PARTY -> MEET SOMEONE -> NEW FREN

(sober from drugs mostly opiates) I don’t feel good at all but I still try to celebrate a bit

Im back to a place where I can buy drugs, gotta stay here for a like 2 weeks before moving somewhere well safer for me

But honestly I don’t even feel like I want to relapse I just feel very depressed and anxious

If I stay sober another week it will be my first time ever getting to 2 weeks

Sorry i know I post a lot here but reading the answers people post it really helps me

I’m sober around 9 months now and I know for a fact the reason for my alcoholism was to escape negative feelings because of traumatic events. After becoming sober I’ve been an emotional mess. Absolutely unstable and just a shit show of extremes. I really want to talk to someone who is going through the same because I’m just so tired.

Coming up on two years sober and do not have intentions on going back. Before, several friends would just stop by at my workshop knowing that the beer fridge was always stocked. I made the decision to stop drinking quietly. I never said I wasn’t drinking anymore, and never asked them not to drink. One by one as each of them made the connection, the slowed coming around and then just stopped altogether. After they no longer popped in, they would still call or text, but even that has now disappeared.

Has anyone experienced something similar? What do y’all do avoid getting too lonely?

So I've been off pornography for almost 2 weeks and I'm starting to feel sad and guilty but happy as I'm half a month off pornography

Hellooo. I (26M) have been 225 days without alcohol and 197 without drugs. I've been socializing with alcohol and drugs since I was 18. Like, I would be with a beer on the hand everytime I had to socialize and do something.

Now I am even afraid of meeting my friends or talking to them because I am afraid I changed. I still think I am funny and nice to be around, as I can do it normally at work and I get on well with my coworkers, my I can't fight my thoughts and I'm isolating myself completely. I miss talking with my friends, going out and meeting people.

I have been also diagnosed recently with ADHD and currently trying out metilphenidate, I hope this helps me out. While is it easier to do tasks or focus, I still don't have the push to socialize.

Anybody passed through something similar? What did you do? How did you manage?

Hello everyone. I’m 47 days sober today, and the past couple of days have been brutal.
I’m 24 years old, and at the height of my drinking I was drinking almost every day—roughly a six-pack plus one tall 8% beer five days a week. Then on Saturdays and Sundays I’d drink from sunrise to sunset.
Back in 2024, I weighed almost 300 pounds and honestly didn’t care about my health. In 2025, I decided I needed to lose some weight and got down to around 250 pounds by New Year’s, but my drinking never changed.
I decided that 2026 was going to be my year. I didn’t want to be the guy who peaked in high school, so I completely changed my lifestyle. I started working out six days a week, eating in a calorie deficit, and taking my health seriously. The one thing that didn’t change was the alcohol. I’d literally count beer as part of my calories for the day, so even though I was technically in a calorie deficit, a huge portion of my daily calories came from beer after work.
By nature I’m a very anxious person, and I have a stressful job. Whenever something went wrong during the day, I’d tell myself, “You know what? When you get home, you deserve a beer.” One beer would turn into several, I’d stay up drinking, then I’d have to wake up at 5:00 AM for work. I’d be hungover, angry, exhausted, and miserable. That cycle went on for months.
In May, I finally decided enough was enough. I told myself I was going to quit drinking completely until I reached my fitness goals, and then I’d reevaluate things. Today I’m around **180 pounds**, and my goal is to reach 150 by the end of the year then start building muscle.
I’ve been trying to find new hobbies and things to do on the weekends to keep my mind occupied, but these last few days all I can think about is finally reaching my goal and cracking open a cold beer. I keep telling myself, “Maybe in a couple of months I can just have a couple beers on the weekend.” But deep down I know myself. If I have two beers, I’ll probably tell myself, “Well, I already started… I might as well finish the six-pack.”
Part of me thinks I may never be able to drink normally again, and as weird as it sounds, that makes me sad. I miss the idea of coming home, having one beer while watching a game or YouTube, and relaxing. I know that’s probably my brain romanticizing alcohol because, if I’m honest, “one beer” almost never stayed one beer. I also keep telling myself I’m 24 I can drink a couple years and probably be ok, my body is young and can handle it . I’ll deal with the consequences when I’m 30 or 40.
I switched to nicotine temporarily to help with the cravings, even though I know it isn’t healthy. Non-alcoholic beer also scares me because it’s just too close to the real thing. The hardest part isn’t physical anymore—it’s mental and emotional. That’s the battle I’m fighting right now.
On the bright side, the positives have been incredible. My blood work came back great. My blood pressure is good, my cholesterol is good, and overall my health is better than it’s been in years. I’m no longer constantly bloated, looking like I’m pregnant, or dealing with constipation and laxatives after drinking. I eat clean now, avoid junk food and fast food, and drink water and club soda like my life depends on it.
For those of you who have been sober longer, how did you get past this mental hurdle? Does that constant romanticizing of alcohol eventually quiet down? I’d really appreciate any advice because that’s the part I’m struggling with the most right now.

I’m doing good

I (33F) just got out of inpatient treatment two weeks ago. I had 32 days sober going in and am now on day 73. I have been a heavy drinker since I was 18. Other drugs too, but only alcohol for the last 5 years or so.

Anyway, since becoming sober my auditory hallucinations have not gone away. They are less frequent, and not as annoying, but I still get them.

I have noticed lately that they really start to act up when I get irritated or when I can't focus and I'm really trying to. Today it was in a meeting and people were making chair noises and side talk and I just couldn't focus. For the last half of the meeting I heard a loud pitch buzz, and then in the last 10 minutes it added loud whispering that was coming from all around me. I was just wondering if anyone else has had something similar?

I know years of addiction makes you a horrible person to be around

but i feel so lonely tho
I miss my family and my friends

So basically I dropped out of school years ago because of drugs but last year I applied to uni in another country thinking this would have been my dream if I wasn’t an addict.

Turned out I was admitted but I had nowhere to live there and my family doesn’t talk to me anymore because they’re tired having to worry about me and my possible death constantly.

But this week I met a concealer from uni, I had no idea they had some housing help for foreign and isolated students. He helped me find a room I’ll be staying at a old couple’s house and they’re super sweet and it kinda feel like having some sort of family again and obviously they’re absolutely no way I can do drugs here

I feel super grateful and excited I’ll be officially starting uni in august, meet new people who don’t know anything about my past and I’ll work my hardest

I feel like for the first time in my life I have something to stay alive for

Friend told me it’s maybe best i don’t come to the hangout this weekend bc they’ll be “drinking a decent amount” and he doesn’t want me to feel left out.

I mean i get that i don’t wanna get blacked out and that might make me not as loud or wild or fun, but i feel like it should be up to me to decide if i wanna come or not? Also maybe i can still have fun? Idk im just upset :/

I have left parties before bc i ddnt wanna drink a lot so yea its honestly a fair concern, just a sucky feeling

Today is my 1 year clean off of alcohol and cocaine. I had never been lowest in my life.

I am still a work in progress. Thanks