Thanks for the encouragement Timbo. I haven't had a drink since I wrote the last post and I am feeling much better. My gf isn't as mad at me anymore. I spoiled her on Valentine's Day and she understands I am only human. The fact that I am being honest about my drinking has helped a lot too. If I ever lied to her about it I am certain she would leave me and I wouldn't blame her. I don't think I have the guts to tell her to smack me. She can pack quiet a punch even when she is joking haha.

Hopefully this time next week I will still be alcohol free. Taking it one day at a time.

Hey Grapeseed,

Darn, you were doing so good. " He called me and asked me to go out for a beer just the two of us to celebrate. I couldn't resist." You let your guard down too. At least you sound like you learned from it. Don't beat yourself up over it. Go ahead and let your girlfriend smack you a few times. It will make BOTH of you feel better! LOL ?

" I am right back to not drinking but man this is so hard." Good to hear that you are back on your journey. Old habits are hard to break aren't they? Alcohol is a drug just like nicotine, and yes it can be hard to overcome all the pitfalls and roadblocks that lay in your path to freedom from addiction.

Just keep trying and one day you will beat the addiction.

Stay strong...and safe!

Thanks again Timbo!

Your encouragement helps a lot. It is nice to know people out there are thinking of me. Well, I made a big mistake. My good buddy just proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes. He called me and asked me to go out for a beer just the two of us to celebrate. I couldn't resist. I didn't want to rain on his parade and tell him I didn't want to break my no alcohol streak. Well I ended up drinking too much and my girlfriend was royally pissed. She is rightly angry as I promised I would not drink again and if I did I would not drink to excess. I felt awful the next day and I still feel awful. I am right back to not drinking but man this is so hard. I am kicking myself to make such a stupid mistake.

3+ weeks being alcohol free. You are doing fantastic Grapeseed! "My mind is clearer, I have more energy and I am happier then I have been in awhile". And it only gets better the longer you stay alcohol free. ?

"I am still not ready to quit smoking but at least I am staying strong with alcohol." One addiction at a time. Once you are well in control of the alcohol maybe you will give the quit smoking a go again. I'm sure you learned a few things from the last time you tried to quit and it should help you for the next time you try. Also try to remember, the more you know the easier it should be. Learn learn learn!! There's a whole lot of information in these forums to help you on your quit journey. If you're not ready yet, your just not ready. You have to be ready and prepared to make a good go of it. Who knows, maybe you will be able to stop on your very next try. If not, hopefully you will learn more about the pitfalls and be even stronger for the next try.

The only way you lose is by not trying.

Keep it going with your quitting drinking, you are doing great!!!

Stay strong....and safe.

I really appreciate your responses Timbo. I am still alcohol free and I feel really good. My mind is clearer, I have more energy and I am happier then I have been in awhile. I am so glad I stuck with it and didn't drink with my friend. I am spending more time with my non drinking friends but my other friends seem very happy for me and I don't think they will be asking me to drink anytime soon. Thinks are looking up. I am still not ready to quit smoking but at least I am staying strong with alcohol. The temptations have been hard but the rewards are well worth it.

Hi Grapeseed,

"I still haven't had a drink" Awesome!! That means it's been over 2 weeks if my math is right. Are you feeling better now? "This friend usually always drinks when we get together and I just didn't think I could handle the temptation" Sounds like you are doing great. Thinking ahead and trying to avoid the pitfalls. Keep it going Grapeseed you're doing it all by yourself. ? "Then I snapped out of it and realized that having a few drinks was probably a really bad idea" With an attitude like this, you're going to make it as long as you stay strong. Just think, sometime down the road when your drinking is under YOUR control, you can try and kick the other bad habit of smoking. If you keep the same attitude you have now, you stand a good chance of defeating that habit too!

Stay safe and strong Grapeseed.

Hi Timbo

Thanks for all the info. I will have to try the breathing. I need any help I can get with stress :)

I still haven't had a drink..... A friend of mine asked to spend some time together this weekend but I had to decline. This friend usually always drinks when we get together and I just didn't think I could handle the temptation. My friend did try to convince me to reward myself with a couple of drinks during the week this week. He was reasoning why rewards are good and it really got me thinking... maybe I could just have a drink this week. Then I snapped out of it and realized that having a few drinks was probably a really bad idea. I have to stop myself from rationalizing why drinking a little could be ok. It is really hard.

I still am cutting back on smoking. I had a few more smokes then I planned to this weekend but it is still less then I normally smoke. I feel good to be making progress. It helps to know other people are rooting for me, here and IRL.

Thanks again!

Hi Grapeseed,

" I decided to quit drinking first and then work on smoking." I think you will stand a better chance of being able to beat your addictions by doing them one at a time, Good to hear that you've been dry now for for over a week! ? Keep it going. Once you get that addiction under control, then you get on to the smoking addiction. This will also give you time to read through the forums here and better prepare yourself for the bumpy road ahead. That Nico Demon is tricky as heck and will try his best to make you cave in and continue smoking your life away.

"I was a pack a day smoker but I have cut back to less. only half a pack some days now." Good to hear this too. I tried cutting back too before I took the plunge, but wasn't very good at it. If you are able to cut back on the smoking, it should be easier for you to kick the habit, at least I hope it will be easier for you. It's different for everybody. No two quits are the same.

"I am just glad I am taking steps forward. It took a long time for me to finally get my act in gear. Better late then never I guess.". You have every right to be glad, and proud of yourself for trying to kick both habits! It takes a lot of courage to admit that you have a problem, and start to make changes in your life to make things right. If you haven't done so yet, you might want to start making a daily journal of your journey. You'll get a kick out of reading it later in life after you've overcome the addictions. It also helps to clear your mind when you're having bad days, or stress is getting to you.

I'm not sure if this will help with quitting drinking, because I was never a drinker, but for quitting smoking, the breathing exercises really helped me out. I still use it to this day to help deal with the daily stress encountered in life. It's weird that something so simple really works. ? When things get tough, stop what you're doing and take a break. Breath in slowly through your nose, hold a few seconds then slowly breath out through your mouth. Do this 4 or 5 times and it helps calm you down and see clearer.

Stay on that path to freedom from drinking, and best wishes on your journey to quit smoking!

I really appreciate your post Timbo.

I decided to quit drinking first and then work on smoking. It was getting too hard fighting both cravings at once. I haven't had a drink in over a week! I also cut back on smoking a lot. I was a pack a day smoker but I have cut back to less. only half a pack some days now. I have been a smoker for years. I had my first drag when I was 14. I don't think I started having full packs until my 20s though. I am just glad I am taking steps forward. It took a long time for me to finally get my act in gear. Better late then never I guess.

I will keep you posted. It is nice knowing people actually replied to me who already went through fighting addiction.

Hi Grapeseed,

Welcome to the site. You are going to quit smoking AND drinking...at the same time? I wish you the best. Quitting just one of those habits is hard in itself but trying to quit both at the same time.... I can't imagine what you will go through. More power to you and I really hope you can do it!

Sorry I did not see your post yesterday. That means you've been smoke and alcohol free for three days now. How are you holding up? Have you strangled anybody yet. LOL ? I hope you are still on your quit journey.

How long have you been a smoker? How many a day? Have you tried to quit before?

It can be rough quitting if you do not know what kind of roadblocks will lie in your path to freedom. If you can, read through these forums on this website. There is a ton of great information to help you along your journey. You can learn from other peoples successes and from their failures. The 1st week of quitting smoking is called "hell week" for a reason. If you make it through hell week its onto heck week. It gets a "little" easier for most people, but is still hard. Some find the 2nd week harder than the first week was, and others the third week is the hardest. It all depends on your frame of mind. It takes a lot of courage to even start on your quit journey. Congratulations to you for finding the strength to start!!

I was never a drinker, but I did smoke a pack a day for over 35 years. I sort of know what you are going through, but I'm sure it's harder for you since you're trying to kick two habits at once.

Keep us posted on your progress okay? If you get a bad urge and feel like you are going to cave in, jump on here and write about it. It helps to get things off your chest and gives you some added strength to carry on. By the time you save your post, the urge "might" be less and more tolerable for you.

If you slip, that's okay. It's part of the learning process, and hopefully you will learn from your mistake and will be able to conquer that same issue the next time. Just get right back on your quit journey.

Stay strong, and stay safe!