21 Comments
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John Fallens's avatar

I'm 3 years sober after 22 years of drinking. I used the sober in seven programme and it really worked for me. I stopped drinking after three days of watching the videos and doing the mental exercises.

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HUMDEEDEE's avatar

You helped someone today - maybe many someone's. Thank you for caring.

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Josh Slocum's avatar

Something someone else says is sometimes the *key* one has been missing all along. After years of complaining about my emotions and the effect of drink on them, my shrink just looked at me and said this, and only this, with no follow-up:

"When are you going to stop drinking poison every night?"

That was the key that eventually unlocked my willpower.

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lia rudolph's avatar

Thank you sir. I quit the same way at the same time as you. I don't miss who I was drunk and I'm grateful for the chance to live a different life. It's there if you want it, people, a better existence.

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Claire's avatar

Dang, Josh! Over the last 2 hours I've had 2 strong IPA's and a generous shot of bourbon, and I'm thinking why can't I catch a buzz anymore. I know if I have any more, tomorrow will be a bad day, but what's the point of even having 1-3? I keep trying, especially after embarrassing/inconvenient aftermaths, but it never sticks. I think your short piece 20 minutes ago might be a sign for me!

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Suzann's avatar

Sounds like it’s time, bravo!!

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Ed Powell's avatar

Good for you, Josh. Well done.

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Jill Peterson's avatar

Congratulations… so many benefits for healthy, sane living. And bonus…we can remember what we did the night before! 😄👍💕

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Whit Gray's avatar

Great piece Josh!! Such a fantastic idea to give people such hope. It’s been 5 or 6 years for me. I can’t believe how much happier I am without it. Alcohol is poison to the body, basically. A bad habit. I microdosed psilocybin one time. Woke up the next morning and never drank alcohol again. I’ve also heard Ibogene is doing wonders for bad habits, PTSD and neurological issues like Parkinson’s.

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Zane's avatar

I agree that psilocybin can be very helpful. I have an addictive personality and I tend to abuse food, sugar, and other substances to make me feel better. What I've found is that quitting these things successfully required me to be a different person.

I literally had to wake up in the morning and go "I'm now that happy guy who runs every morning, eats healthy and doesn't drink soda or take substances!" And believe it. That is my new identity. I disconnected with my old identity.

Mushrooms can help with this because they allow you to step out of the identity that you currently have, in a way, and enable you to observe your bad habits in a clear manner. For me, I could suddenly see the happier life I could be living if I simply stopped doing these things.

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Skye Sclera's avatar

Happy anniversary! Five years is a big one.

I wish more people knew just how many attempts it often takes, how anything is possible no matter how long you’ve been stuck in the cycle, and that it’s never too late.

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Rosalind McGill's avatar

Happy sober Anniversary !

Glad you changed & are doing this podcast/ stack . I appreciate it.

Former Blackout drinker here! Sober in 1990& 1993, Thank God.

Great post.

I went to rehab, twice.

I think it’s harder to get in nowadays,. Went to AA and Alanon for a long time too.

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Regina Filippone's avatar

Congratulations Josh 🎊

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Jonathan Epps's avatar

Congratulations. I’m approaching two years.

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M.'s avatar
5dEdited

Congrats on 5 years!

I recently discovered naltrexone after 5 years of almost daily drinking. It has been a lifesaver. I know that cold turkey works for some folks, but for those who didn’t find it helpful there are drugs that can help you get sober that have minimal side effects.

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Josh Slocum's avatar

Yes, I'm glad you mentioned this. I took Naltrexone several times and it did make drinking not only taste unappealing, but blocked most of the buzz.

I did find this helpful in taking control, and learning that I could. It's easy to see how this works for many people.

Turns out for me it needed to come from someplace else.

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Kathy Lux's avatar

I am so proud of my son for stopping drinking. He just celebrated his 64th birthday and has been sober for at least 40 years. I am proud of anyone with the courage and dedication to realize they are harming their bodies with booze and then does the work to break the habit. May God continue to bless you all.

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Brenda B.'s avatar

My sister has been a widow for 2 years and her son (29) doesn't have a Dad to celebrate Father's Day with because of alcohol. Unfortunately my brother-in-law's father died from alcoholism - years after his Mom decided to divorce him because as hard as it was to be a single parent raising several children, it beat the drama of a drunk spouse every day. During the Covid shut-down, my brother-in-law worked from home - and while he was there, no one would see him drinking. At least when he was at work that was over 9 hours without any alcohol - until he got home. He had advanced liver disease with ascites at the end. He managed to go back to work in the office, finish his work week, do some gardening (in pain) and later on a Saturday night fell asleep in a chair in the living room and never woke up so it was peaceful at the end. But the trauma of my sister and nephew finding him unresponsive - just awful. I found out later in life that there was some alcoholism on my Mom's Dad's side of the family. I never touched alcohol as I probably would easily get addicted to it. Hopefully anyone with an alcohol problem will recognize they have a problem and get help before they get to the point of no return like my brother-in-law. It was so sad those last days - my sister said he looked in the mirror and said "Well, you did it to yourself." Then he wanted help, but it was too late.

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Sathington Willoughby's avatar

Been in recovery for four years after a long period of opiate abuse that ended with literal holes in the crooks of my elbows from mainlining fentanyl and heroin, sometimes with a sprinkle of methamphetamine for that extra OOMPH. If I can do it, literally anyone can.

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Christine Jones's avatar

Bravo to you, Josh, for your five-year anniversary. That’s a huge accomplishment. I grew up with a father whose struggle with alcohol was complicated by his physical and emotional injuries from WWII. So, I’ve had a bird’s-eye view of one man’s intense experience (plus a side view of several aunts and uncles with the same struggle). But I’m happy to say that my father finally prevailed and had a few quiet years before he cut his final trail. I admire anyone who fights that battle. It’s not easy. Again, bravo!

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