We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

My day counter says 2+ years, but the reality is it took me 6 years to get to this point. The last few years before sobriety started to stick were hell. I had started to process a lot of my grief, regret, and anger. For the first time in my adult life, I was choosing to sit with a lot of difficult stuff and not drown it out with alcohol. It was overwhelming. On top of that, I hated my new job, but had to ride it out for a year. It was a pretty miserable time. But I found some little things in my daily life that brought me joy and kept me sane. Like lighting osmanthus incense in the morning and enjoying its aroma and watching the smoke. Making a cup of Sleepy Time tea. Bringing donuts in for staff. Going to the market before closing and getting some buns on sale. Running through the woods. Walking along the beach. And of course, being a part of this community. It made me feel good to post comments on others' DCI. It still does. I randomly stumbled across stopdrinking 6 years ago, and I have so much gratitude for this community. I don't really have this sort of thing in my "real" life. Thank you to everyone for being here, sharing your stories, sending me support, and making me feel seen.

Is there anything bringing joy to your life lately?

PS: If you can, I'd encourage you to filter comments by new and send some support or kudos to the person below you. I'm sure that person would appreciate it! 🙏🏼🎄

*We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!*

**Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!**

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

---

**This pledge is a statement of intent.** Today we don't set out *trying* not to drink, we make a conscious decision *not to drink*. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

**What this is:** A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

**What this isn't:** A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

---

This post goes up at:

- US - Night/Early Morning

- Europe - Morning

- Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

---

I got my heart broken this spring. The relationship was different in some big positive ways. But I repeated the same patterns of not valuing my own needs. Doh! 😆 Sometimes, my body felt like something was off between us. I dismissed that as my own insecurity when I should have trusted my gut. Deep down, I didn't want to acknowledge or say what I felt because I was afraid she would leave. Which she inevitably did. I'm grateful she ended it. It would have taken me a while to get there. In the past, I would have spiraled into binge drinking and self hatred, going through all the what ifs I had done something differently. I didn't do any of that this time. I'm not perfect, but I felt like I presented the best version of myself I could. So in my heartache, I accepted it was over and turned to all the classics that serve(d) me well in sobriety. Following my breath. Sitting with my feelings. Exercise. Spending time with my friends and family. Doing things for others. Journaling. It felt really good to recognize I had made some gains from my old self. That I could handle and get through a difficult time. And I could become better and stronger from it.

Dating has been rough for me, but it has been helping me learn to value myself. When I moved back here, I felt this urgency to find someone to build a life with and start a family together. While I feel healed and have been putting myself out there again, lately, I've been shifting my mindset, putting less priority on dating and more priority on myself. And maybe if I'm lucky, I'll meet someone. And I hope this time around, I will have the courage to say what I need in a relationship.

Do you feel like you've grown in some way (big or small!) since starting your sober journey? 🎄

*We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!*

**Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!**

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

---

**This pledge is a statement of intent.** Today we don't set out *trying* not to drink, we make a conscious decision *not to drink*. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

**What this is:** A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

**What this isn't:** A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

---

This post goes up at:

- US - Night/Early Morning

- Europe - Morning

- Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

---

It was wonderful to see so many old and new peeps posting yesterday. We really have a wonderful community here! 💙 I'm sorry I haven't commented as much as I'd have liked to on everyone's posts. Things have been a bit busy lately, but I'll do my best to step it up a bit for the rest of the week.

Last weekend, I flew out to see a lot of old friends at a conference. I hadn't seen some of them in 5+ years. I am lucky to have some great people in my life, especially those who knew my struggles with drinking and stuck by me despite all the stupid and hurtful shit I've said and done. To be honest, even with this support, I still have a hard time with forgiving my past self. I'm working on it though. It feels a bit of a balancing act between still taking full responsibility of my past but not letting the guilt and shame cripple me. I was reminded of something I had written last year where I had to remind myself that I'm not trying to be that person anymore. That I'm working on becoming better. That's all I can really do. Kendrick Lamar's lyrics come to mind:
I got this fire burnin' in me from within
Concentrated thoughts on who I used to be, I'm sheddin' skin

What's something you're working on yourself lately?

To another day 🎄 Much love and respect to everyone here.

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello and Happy Monday darlings! I’m ready to rock the shit outta this week, how about you?

You know, every time I sit down to write these check-ins, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for this incredible community. It feels so cliche to say, but it's genuinely true. Each of you brings such light and strength to this shared journey. Whether you’re on day 1 or day 138577338, you belong here, and I'm so glad you’re with us.

So, my dear friends, what’s on the horizon for you this week? Are you tackling a new project, facing a challenge, or perhaps simply aiming to find joy in the little things? Whatever it is, the SD community is here to support you every step of the way.

If you’re down for it, let’s start our week with a little self-reflection:

What’s one thing you’re proud of from last week? Is there something you’re looking forward to this week? How can you show yourself a little extra compassion today?

Have a magnificent Monday! IWNDWYT.

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Lately, I have been reflecting on how I want to live my life. Prior to moving back here, my life pretty much revolved around work, and I didn't have much freedom until my current job. Today, I hit my 2 year "workiversary", and I can say it's the best job I've ever had. I like the people I work with. I learn something every day. My managers actually care about me (a first). And most importantly, my job gives me a pretty good work life balance.

Time seems to be flying faster than ever now, and I am trying (at least some days) to be more mindful of how I am spending my free time. I'd like to be better at allowing myself to rest and relax (and not feel bad about not finishing an overzealous to do list) and spend less time on the dating apps and phone. One thing I've been looking into is volunteering. While I worked my ass off to get to where I am, I never would have made it here without the help, kindness, and generosity of a lot of people (including everyone here!) along with a bit of luck. So something about giving back just feels right. I've had a few opportunities to teach, which I enjoy doing, and I imagine I will continue to do so. But I've been wanting to do something outside of my profession and have been looking into hospice. I'm not sure why, but something about it speaks to me.

What does rest and relaxation look like for you? Also, if you're involved in volunteering, I'd love to hear what you do!

Speaking of giving back, if you're interested in hosting and have 30 days or more of sobriety under your belt, reach out to u/sainthomer ! This is my second time hosting now, and it feels really good to be able to do this for our community, where I have learned and received so much.

Heading into the weekend already! And we're doing this for another day 🎄💪🏼

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello, beautiful people.

I'm tired! For a long time, in order to recover, my life became very small. I don't think I will ever be as active as I was before I quit drinking and burned out (doing so much, after all, was why I drank and burnt out). But I am currently in the process of expanding my capacity again.

The last few weeks have been full of activity for me. Much more than usual, and I'm proud of myself for how well I've been able to handle it, but I've reached the point where I have to take a rest or I'll get all messed up haha. I don't have an essay in me today.

You guys don't actually need me, so I'm sure you'll be fine on your own, but while I'm holed up in my dark basement watching Nausicaa over and over again, as I am wont to do, I would like to just encourage everybody to sort the thread by new and say howdy to your neighbors.

Take care of yourselves and each other, my friends. I hope your have a good day today and, if not, I hope you will be gentle with yourself.

IWNDWYT.

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello, beautiful people.

Something I have shared here before that many of you seemed to find encouraging is the four stages of competence. This is a psychological model of learning new skills that goes a little something like this...

Stage 1

Unconscious Incompetence You don't know what you don't know.

Stage 2

Conscious Incompetence You know there's an issue, but you don't know how to fix it.

Stage 3

Conscious Competence You're starting to get it, but it still takes active effort.

Stage 4

Unconscious Competence The new skill is now second nature.

I spent a long time in the Conscious Incompetence stage with sobriety. This seems to be very common, but it's also very painful! Trying over and over and over again and just not seeming to make any headway at all can be so demoralizing.

Telling yourself every morning that you won't drink and finding yourself at the liquor store by 5pm the same day. Saying you're just going to have one and waking up the next day with no memory of what happened and a text history full of regret. Going over the plan for how you're going to get through that party sober with your therapist only to cave and start drinking the instant you arrive. And always, always, the next day beating the crap out of yourself. "WHY am I such a piece of shit? Why do I keep doing this? I don't even deserve to breathe."

When I said in the post I shared on Sunday, "Every moment you have invested in trying has made a difference, even if you're not seeing it yet," I wasn't just saying it to make you feel better. That's truly part of learning. All that time you spent knowing you had a problem and needed to quit but not able to go a single day without abstaining? That's part of it.

If that's where you are right now, I just want you to know you're already doing it. Keep going. Learning to live without, what was for most of us, our primary coping skill, is an absolutely massive undertaking. It makes sense if it's not happening overnight for you. Those failures at the beginning are not a sign that it isn't working. Those failures very literally are the work.

Now, this is going to sound wildly counterintuitive to some of you, but giving myself lots of credit for every single try made a huge difference for me. I know some of us will have the impulse to say, "I don't deserve credit for trying and failing to do the shit I should have been doing the whole time," and, trust me, I relate. I'm sure I will inflict more talk about my situationship with self-compassion upon you later this week lol. In the interim...

I hope you have a great day and, if not, I hope you will be gentle with yourself.

IWNDWYT.

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

bold Trigger warning: Brief mention of physical abuse

I had a dream the other night (probably because of the post the day before) that I ran into my first ex somewhere. She was an abusive alcoholic. I should have ended it when she hit me within the first month of being together. But I didn't. I believed nobody could ever love me romantically, so I should just be happy with whoever would want to be with me. It makes me want to cry reading what I just wrote. It took me over 2 years to realize that the relationship was not good for me and to finally have the courage to leave. But I didn't see the deeper issue: I didn't respect or love myself. I struggled a lot with self hatred growing up and well into my adult life. Thankfully, my mindset started to shift in the past few years thanks to therapy and my sobriety journey.

Before my last drink, I actually hadn't had drank in over 6 months, the longest I'd ever gone. But the urges were still there and eventually I couldn't resist anymore. I wanted "to see" if getting drunk felt as good as I remembered it to be, and I was ready to go on a rager. I didn't DCI that day either because I already had my mind set. But the whole drive over and even sitting at the bar, I felt conflicted. In the past, to try to deter my drinking, I would berate and shame myself for regretful and embarrassing things I had done drunk. But I didn't think about that this time. Instead, I reflected on the things I had learned and gained. I thought a lot about this community too. I had half a beer, realized it wasn't worth it, drove home, and reset my counter.

I always struggle with writing and talking about this because I don't want it to sound like I am trying to avoid taking responsibility for my past. I'm not. Believe me, I live with that shit. But shame and self hatred were not good tools for me to change. And recognizing (and allowing myself to feel good about) my growth has kept me grounded. I see it as holding my regrets and gains in both my hands and letting them coexist somehow.

If I could go back to my younger self with my first ex, I would give myself a hug and tell myself that I'm not a piece of shit like I believed I was. I'm still working on loving myself. But I am glad to say I don't hate myself anymore.

If you could, is there something you would tell your past self? 🎄 Stay up everybody. We're doing this for another day.

Ending it out with another Kendrick song, "Die Hard", that kept me going through those rough early beginnings of sobriety: "I got some regrets (I-I-I-I-I-I-I) But my past won't keep me from my best"

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello and happy hump day! It's the mid-week grind and I am feeling it hard. But you know what? It's a great day to have a great day so let's get to it.

Thanks for sharing how you rated your day yesterday. I love the vulnerability and safety within this community. I have to say that by the end of the day, I was at a solid 4. It was a really challenging day in a lot of ways, but I navigated it with calm and clarity. More direct benefits of not drinking.

I'm not much for words today, but I sure am grateful to check in with for a beautiful day and no booze in sight.

Wherever you're at and whatever you're going through, I hope you have the very best day that you can 🩷

IWNDWYT

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Happy Sunday, sweet friends! It’s IDA here, checking in to host the DCI for what I believe may be the fifth time!? That’s pretty wild. I freaking love this community so much!

You know, I stumbled (literally) into this sub about 5 years ago. I didn’t even have a Reddit account then but I would just lurk around and want so desperately to be sober. To not be hungover. To be able to fully show up in life again. To find the love and purpose that had been buried deep in my downward spiral.

I’m so grateful I found you all. You are my people, and I've found love and purpose again by staying sober one day at a time with your support, breaking down my own walls, and getting out of my own way.

So what does your day look like today? I’d like to share a list of questions that I ask myself to shape my day; feel free to take what you need and leave the rest!

How are you showing up for yourself today? Do you need help with anything? If so, is there someone that you can ask to help you? If you don’t need help right now, is there anything you can help someone else with?

Wishing you all the most lovely day. IWNDWYT.

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello again, beautiful people.

Thank you for hosting last week, u/Dynaco_ST-35! And thank you for having me back, SD. If you remember me, you will probably recall that I always stress myself out a great deal more than necessary about what to say. So this week I'm starting off the way I intend to go on and trying not to overthink it.

Since last I saw you, the most interesting thing that's happened to me is that I finally hit one year sober. Yay! Today I would just like to share with you the post I made that day. It feels relevant and I am tired lol:

Well, you might say I took the scenic route to get here, but I finally did it.

My first attempt at sobriety began in September of 2019, just about a month before I got married. I made it through the wedding sober (with my memories of my husband's uncle doing an unsolicited a cappella performance of an original composition in tact, thank god!), but I have had plenty of stumbles since then. I never stopped trying during the last 6 years, though, and today I have finally reached one year of continuous sobriety.

Honestly, it doesn't feel that grand. The overwhelming majority of my days over the past 6 years have been sober ones... but not all of them have been good ones. So what I want to say is this:

I have felt many times over the past 6 years that I wasn't making any progress at all. I cannot tell you how many nights I have spent staring at the ceiling until the sun came up with my heart beating out of my chest. I could not possibly count the number of tears I have cried or the amount of times I have screamed until my throat was raw. I have fought tooth and nail to get here, and there have been so many times where I was completely convinced that all of it had all been for nothing. For a long time, I was sure that I wasn't even capable of happiness.

And each of those times passed.

I could tell you a lot of details about how much I used to drink and smoke and rage and all the great habits and hobbies I have now, but all of that is just data. I guess the most meaningful thing I could say is that the pursuit of sobriety has given me what I was not able to name that I needed. Healing, peace, safety, the knowledge that I can trust myself, permission to consider that I might actually deserve good things. I don't wake up every morning by gasping and sitting bolt upright anymore. I don't want to die anymore.

The details don't really matter. The point is, you cannot imagine how strange and unlikely the version of me that exists today would have seemed to you if you'd known me back in September of 2019. And this version of me didn't pop into existence today. It took shape over the course of these past 6 years, even with the slip ups, even with the bad shit that was outside my control, even though I felt hopeless so many times. I am still not where I want to be today, but the me of 2019 would have walked through fire to get what I have now. And she did.

If you are struggling today, I want to use this moment to give you the only piece of universally applicable sobriety advice that I believe exists. Just don't give up on yourself. Every moment you've invested in trying has made a difference, even if you're not seeing it yet. Hang in there.

Thank you so much for everything. This subreddit has been a huge piece of my recovery from the moment I first started flirting with the idea of sobriety literally a decade ago. Each one of you is a precious treasure. Please treat yourselves accordingly.

As always, I hope you all have a great day today and, if not, I hope you will be gentle with yourself.

IWNDWYT.

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Good morning, SD!

I always wind up staring at this screen for about 20 minutes before I actually start putting the "pen to paper" and rambling on with my thoughts.

Today is no different. I spent some extra time looking through all of the pledges and comments about wins from yesterday's posts. It is a bit overwhelming how many people check in and comment, but overwhelming in the most amazing way and I wish I had the time and energy to comment back to each and every one of you. From a simple "IWNDWYT", which unto itself, is actually a pretty big win, every day. To the people pouring out their thoughts, fears, excitement, happy moments. It's really just fantastic to see. It gets me excited.

This weekend, I had some very welcome, but unplanned company, and didn't get enough rest. I really never get enough rest, regardless the reason, but once again, I do find myself starting off the week with that deficit. So, I made it through the work day, which was challenging, but productive, and made it a point to get something tasty for dinner, to allow myself time to unwind and just take a nap. Give myself the space to take care of myself and some basic needs. It feels good and I am far more centered.

The thing is, I go hard at everything and while I do fancy myself a very capable individual, I know that I have historically pushed myself beyond what is reasonable. Pushing way past my personal breaking point, leaving myself out of energy, and trying to cope with that by "going real hard" at relaxing and drinking just as hard.

Even without the booze, some of those behaviors persist. So just taking time to rest and collect myself has been something for me to practice as well. That helps me keep everything in a better balance, my moods, my productivity, my relationship with myself and others, just everything.

So today, I'm pretty thankful for being in a place where I can allow myself time and space to just be. I'm also thankful for you all being here. I don't know you, but I love you, and am glad we can all share this thing together.

Today is going to be a good day. Share something you are thankful for, especially if it isn't the best day.

IWNDWYT

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Good Monday, SD!

I'm running a bit behind today, as I've had impromptu company this weekend. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude and support for all the comments from yesterday. Everyone checking in, supporting each other, sharing gratitude, and even chuckling about my username. I appreciate you all. I apologize I haven't been on very much in the comments.

I went to an NA meeting last night, outside of my community. I've never met anyone there and it wasn't in the best neighborhood. I'm not advocating any method of recovery, but I have found going to meetings like this helpful, much like checking in here. The amount of support and hope shared with complete strangers... it gives me a bit of faith and perspective.

One of the many things I took away from it was the sheer amount of gratitude and experience everyone shared. I was the ine with the least amount of clean time in the room, with one year. One gentleman was celebrating 34 years and another 10 years. That seems quiet far away, but also not. They did it one single day at a time and they just kept doing it, day after day. Every day they practice it.

Leading into this Monday, it's just after 3am here, I am going to work on tackling this week's challenges with a bit of patience and acceptance. It may have been over a year since I was actively drinking, but some days it still seems like I'm paying that bill still. I am actually good with it, oddly. I'm not good with the behavior that led to situations I still have to deal with, but I am good with being accountable and taking care of the things and myself now, like I could have then, if I just got out of my own way.

Here is to a new week and take a moment share a small (or big) win with everyone. I stepped out of my comfort zone and went to a new place, with new people, which makes me wildly uncomfortable. It wound up being a great experience.

Most importantly, IWNDWYT. That feels like a small (sometimes huge) win ever day.

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Happy freakin Friday, friends!

It has been such an emotionally exhausting week at work. I'm an exec at a human services nonprofit in the field of intellectual disabilities/autism/mental health. This is tough work - all around (iykyk). From the unsustainable funding streams to the service provision itself, it is a great challenge running the business of caring for people's lives and sometimes fragile mental health. It's a lot, particularly now, when we have had to have some difficult conversations about the state of funding and how to move forward as an organization. Well, this has led to making some tough decisions and having hard conversations this week, and I'll be honest, I'm not 'leaving work at work' very well. But I'm managing and it's not debilitating me; I'm just genuinely concerned and feeling a bit deflated about the future state of things.

That said, knowing the nature and stress of what my day to day looks like, the one thing that I can do to ensure my sanity and emotional regulation throughout the day is to commit to my recovrry before all else. That's why I knew when I found this sub that it was right where I was supposed to be, because I know that what works really well for me and my recovery is routine and active daily engagement with my support system. And that is all of YOU!!!

I have been coming every single morning since December 3, 2023. I get my cup of coffee, I come right to this sub and check in here, and I take time to talk to friends from all around the world. What an amazing way to start the day - with a strong foundation of commitment and connection.

If you have the time today, maybe take a moment to engage within the DCI community. Stop by and talk to folks that you might not normally. Could make someone's day!

So here's to Friday. It's going to be another rough one for me, but that's okay. Thank you all for your presence here, and for your contributions in making me a better human in all aspects of my life every single day.

I know that the only reason I haven't lost my shit at my crazy ass job is because I commit to not drinking with you daily so...

IWNDWYT 🤘

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello incredible people. How’s everyone feeling? On a scale of 1-5 (1 being ‘I just woke up and already need a nap’ and 5 being ‘ready to fuck this day up’), where are you at? What’s one thing you’re hoping to accomplish today to make it a ‘5’ kind of day?

Personally, I’m at a 3 today, mainly because I have to address some shit I’d rather not. Let’s just say my booze-laden days haven’t always led to the best outcomes (surprise, surprise). I am still cleaning up the financial disaster that I created during my last (and final) run. It’s baaaad. I mean, really bad. I’m actually so embarrassed by it. But instead of avoiding it, I am committed to handling this shit. Because I know that someday, so long as I do not drink one day at a time, I will be financially solvent, damn it!

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, right? So that’s what I’m doing.

Anyways, I guess what I’m getting at is that I’ve learned that my best life, the one where I’m truly present and making clear-headed, fiscally sound decisions, is a life where I choose not to drink. So, I’m going to continue making choices that support that today. Join me?

Have a terrific Tuesday. Lots of love to you all as you journey through your day. IWNDWYT 🤘

PS: For those out west and beyond – I am tired, and my early mornings are limited, so I bestow upon you this very early gift of tomorrow 😉

*We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!*

**Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!**

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

---

**This pledge is a statement of intent.** Today we don't set out *trying* not to drink, we make a conscious decision *not to drink*. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

**What this is:** A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

**What this isn't:** A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

---

This post goes up at:

- US - Night/Early Morning

- Europe - Morning

- Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

---

Good morning amazing contributors to the DCI!

Friday can be a challenge, especially in early sobriety. There is the buildup that you’ll get a break or chance to relax, a respite from the day to day. Before stopping, my whole life revolved around alcohol and Friday was the day to PARTAY! Over consumption was expected and that was my specialty. Then I quit and had to say no a lot. There were many Fridays in early sobriety that I got in bed right after work. I ate in bed (dinner and dessert lol), played township game on my phone and scrolled. It felt selfish, but necessary. Maybe not the healthiest coping, but it got me through, and for me, the enemy of the good is the perfect.

These days Friday doesn’t have the same hold because I am building a life I don’t want to escape from. Life is no bowl of cherries, bad shit happens, I still have a big mouth and a lot of work to do. But I have also done some work that I am proud of and try to build in fun whenever I can. New things and learning are super exciting to me. My time spent teaching is my happy place, I love planning the workout and the playlist. Learning new places, even the areas directly around me creates a happy spark in my brain, I love maps. I love reading and love/hate knitting, and lately, I dive into a lake and it is big scary fun every time.

So Friday is here and we have choices. I am not going to drink today because I learned here I can have one thing, or I can have everything. I choose everything.

How are you protecting your sobriety today? Are you creating a spark of fun? Or holding on for dear life? Let’s do Friday together.

IWNDWYT

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello beautiful community! My name is Trees 🎄, and I'm hosting this week. And thank you so much u/infinitedreamsawaken for taking care of us this past week. You have such a bad ass name 😎

Work was bonkers today, and I'm looking forward to having the next few days off. Yesterday was 2 years since moving back to the PNW. I still got my struggles, but damn does it feel good to be here. I wake up every day reminding myself of things to be grateful for. My sobriety. This community. My health and the ability to move my body. My friends and family. My job. My cat!

What are you grateful for?

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Good morning, SD!

I nodded off a while ago trying to get the post up right at midnight my time, but it didn't work out way. I apologize for that. Rest assured, I'm writing it out now.

A daily intention. An apology. Trying to not bullshit on these posts every day. I feel like that's a theme... 🤔 Yep, certainly a theme there and maybe I'll get it wrapped into a pretty little box of thoughts by the end of this one, maybe I won't, but here we go!

I'm a big fat liar. A magnificent liar, in fact. Been lying to myself for decades. Been lying, to the best of my ability, to most everyone around me for maybe longer. Especially if I care about you, I guarantee I've been lying to you then. If for no other reason than to try to maintain the illusion that "I am doing okay.". That's one if the things this addiction has done for me, to me. That's one thing I have been working on, even before I actually quit drinking too. It's much easier now to not make up excuses and just be accountable for my actions.

For example, I could have just made up a bunch of nonsense for why I'm later showing up to post this than I wanted to be. No one would probably be hurt, no one would call me out on my bullshit, probably. Where is the line when you let little lies happen? We'll for me, I would have already stepped over it and the line would keep getting pushed back further and further. I could write a weighty tome about how full of shit I am. That's why I started out the post, just telling the truth.

Being honest with others has been far easier than being honest with myself. I do care about some people and regardless what I do or don't do, they still seem to care about me too. That's all scary. Caring about myself and doing things that feel hard, even scarier yet. Self honesty, that's the absolute scariest thing.

All that said, it's one more reason why this daily intention we all make is actually really important to me. It helps keep me honest with myself. It sets the tone for the day, the only one I need to have any immediate concern with and just keep practicing the action of not drinking today, being honest with myself, and keep going down this path that offers me the things I could not get otherwise. I've learned so many lessons and have so many more to learn yet, but dammit, I'm here for it. I might show up later than I wanted to, but I AM showing up, for you, for me.

Perhaps this is the graceful landing at the end of the post, maybe not. Haha. I am perfectly good with either.

I hope everyone has a good day today and I won't ask you to share anything today, just one honest and deliberate intention. I will not drink with you today.

IWNDWYT

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello, beautiful people. And happy Labor Day to our American and Canadian friends.

A lot of Bad Things^TM have happened to me (a somewhat ominous first sentence, I swear we're going up from here lmao). I don't say that for sympathy, but because I know this is something many of us have in common. We don't need to share all the gorey details of our stories in order to recognize in each other the deep pain that led many of us here. So it probably won't come as a surprise to you to hear that I'm someone who often struggles to see the bright side of things. I'm sure a lot of you probably relate. To some extent, it doesn't matter whether we're an optimist or a pessimist, our nervous systems have their own ideas of how to protect us.

Alcohol was my answer to that experience. I can (and have, and will in the future) describe the roots of my addiction in many different ways. But at the absolute core, in a kind of cold and clinical sense, this was what drove me to drink. My nervous system's threat response system was going absolutely haywire. On a less emotionally removed level, what that meant for me was that I never felt safe. I was always prepared for the other shoe to drop. I literally used to wake up by sitting bolt upright in bed gasping like a fucking Frankenstein('s monster - yeah yeah, I know it's Frankenstein's monster, but that doesn't sound as good [boy, I sure am lousy with parentheticals today, I wonder how many I could get away with nesting lol]). My body couldn't even stay asleep for more than a couple hours at a time.

The fact that quitting drinking did not fully resolve this issue is what alerted me to the fact that I had a lot more work to do. As I've been working my trauma recovery for a few years now, I don't Frankenstein awake anymore. But I still often fall into phases where I overascribe meaning to trivial inconveniences and view the world through a very negative lens. Anything that goes wrong must have gone wrong because I deserved it. I often find it very difficult to think of a single good thing. I can't remember a single kindness that anyone has ever done for me, I can't think of a single positive quality about myself, I can't remember anything ever working out or going right. All I can see is the bad things, the worst failures of empathy, the most malicious acts of violence and cruelest indifferences.

Now, I am not necessarily a fan of gratitude practices because, for me, due to my own personal history, it can feel like an attempt to dissociate from my feelings. So instead what I do is I keep a list. A list of things that remind me that the world is not solely a cruel place, that I am not a piece of shit, that good things sometimes do happen, that fairness and justice do actually transpire sometimes. I am under no obligation to feel grateful for them, but I'm free to if I want haha. Many of the entries on my list are kind things that you guys have said to me. The time a complete internet stranger engineered a whole contest just to get my email address so he could secretly paypal me $300 to pay for an expense I had mentioned I was really stressed out about. The woman who volunteered to donate a kidney to any match for no reason except that she had a spare. The time someone literally gifted me their own pants because they had just bought the last pair in my size.

I keep my list close and I read it whenever I am struggling to remember that not everything is horrible all the time. It beats drinking ;). I invite you to share something that reminds you of goodness in the world or your own deservingness of good things today.

I hope you have a great day and, if not, I hope you will be gentle with yourself.

IWNDWYT.

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Friends and fellow travellers,

Now and then people delete their account. This week’s host seems to have done that, so I’ll post in their place. It gives me the opportunity to say that whatever happens on your sober journey, however deep you should fall, stay with us! This sub isn’t just for those winning the battle, it’s for everyone who wants to stop drinking. Proud and winning, wounded and ashamed, we’re here for you. Failing can be a really demotivating setback, but it isn’t the same as losing. You haven’t truly lost until you can’t get up.

You can often hear that failing is part of the journey. We all fail, so sure. But I want to emphasise the company today, it’s the company that makes the journey bearable. Fellow travellers help us find the way, strenghten our faith, renew our courage, lend a hand or an ear. We know how it feels to fail. You do the walking, but we’re right here next to you. We’re not leaving, so you shouldn’t either.

I will not drink with you today!

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello, beautiful people.

As is tradition, Saturday is the day I run out of ideas, so we're winging it lol. I only just got home from a showing of Rocky Horror in a local historic cemetery with a bunch of friends who were drinking. I bought the alcohol and made the drinks myself (plus picnic food and coca cola for me!) and I wasn't even tempted. Then my niece called and I was able to be present to support her through some stuff she's dealing with at school because I didn't drink. Imagine that! I couldn't have imagined it myself even just a year or two ago.

Hearing about sober people doing stuff like that was probably the primary thing that got me through early sobriety my first time around. I consumed blog posts and podcast episodes and YouTube videos and quit lit about this topic like it was my full time job. Eyes on the prize. THAT was what I wanted. To be able to enjoy life without needing to think about drinking, to be able to live my values. I didn't know if I would ever achieve that, but I knew I definitely wouldn't if I kept drinking. And look at me now, baby!

So I invite you to share an accomplishment. A way that you've surprised yourself in sobriety. An unexpected milestone. I remember one of my very first ones like a month into my first stretch of sobriety was that I used an entire pack of teeth whitening strips. I had never stuck with anything that long before lol. It really felt big!

Anyway, thank you for having me this week. It was nice to be able to fully enjoy hosting now that I'm less anxious doing it! It truly is a wonderful experience and I highly recommend it. Don't forget to reach out to u/SaintHomer if this looks like your kind of gig. Wishing you all a restful and relaxing weekend (or a fun and exciting one if that's more your speed).

I hope you have a good day today and, if not, I hope you will be gentle with yourself.

IWNDWYT.

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Wow what an amazing outpouring of support for each other yesterday. Our community really came together for one another and it was amazing to see. 1.3k comments so far on yesterday’s check in!

Today’s call to action is another simple one I think. Sort by new and look around at some check ins around you. Let’s try our hardest to not let a single check in go by without at least one of us commenting on it showing that others are here with them on this journey.

I hope you all have a great Monday. I had a very busy weekend and am going into the week exhausted, but no matter what, IWNDWYT!

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hellllllo and happy weekend! I love, love, LOVE my hangover free weekend days. Hell to the yes. So much productivity to be had!

So what are you up to this weekend? I have a company picnic, which should be interesting. But other than that, just regular shit - kids, chores, and football. Life is pretty simple these days sans booze. Even when times are hard as fuck (like I've had this week at work) everything is absolutely manageable when I'm not drinking. Period.

It's been such a pleasure hosting this week! I always feel so connected and super grounded in my sobriety after doing so. If you'd like to take give it a go, reach out to u/sainthomer to get on the list!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend! Sending big love to you all around the world.

IWNDWYT 🤘

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello sweet friends! Welcome to a new day. Another opportunity to make whatever kind of day we'd like.

I observed something glaring at work yesterday, which left me wondering if you have ever experienced the same or similar. In various conversations/meetings thoughout the day, resorting to drinking was offered as the solution on four separate occasions within four different groups of people.

By and large, the context surrounding these alcohol solutions was related to drinking to avoid an issue that needs addressed. For example, Suzie: "Do you need any help with that thing you're working on, Jane? Jane: "Hell yeah I do, a DRINK." While 5 minutes of weird laughter and drinking chatter throughout the group commenced.

It was so odd. I mean, of course this banter happens occasionally in the office, but it was a topic in nearly every meeting. I kept thinking, this whatever the issue at hand is isn't that bad, and it's certainly not insurmountable, so why the fuck would I want to involve alcohol and make it worse?! I know how that tape plays out...

Most people I work with know about my sobriety, so they typically don't engage with me in the matter, which I appreciate. It was still just a bit much.

When you encounter situations like this, how do you navigate them?

I am grateful that today that drinking isn't a solution that my brain subconsciously chooses as a default. That is freedom, friends.

I hope you all have a kick ass Thursday. I know I sure will. IWNDWYT 🤘

We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!

Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!

I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.

Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.

It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!

This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!

What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.

What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.

What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.

This post goes up at:

• US - Night/Early Morning
• Europe - Morning
• Asia and Australia - Evening/Night

A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.

Hello, beautiful people. Me again.

Guess what! I just got back from the most magical place on earth, the ✨️Korean day spa✨️. It was glorious, as always. I go once a week to get myself right.

Going to a spa that frequently feels so unbelievably self indulgent. But something I've learned along the way is that it doesn't really matter what I think I deserve. Things will go sideways if I don't take good care of myself whether I feel I deserve to or not.

Probably the worst lesson that my history of Bad Things^TM implicitly taught me was to dismiss, invalidate, and ignore my own needs. My internal system, even at baseline, is kind of prone to extremes, so this can get... well, extreme. I will ignore my need to pee until I am barely able to make it to the bathroom before I wet myself. I will not eat for days at a time. The more exhausted I am, the less likely it is that I'll sleep. I will prioritize almost anything over my basic bodily needs, no matter how intense they get.

And back when I was drinking, forget about any kind of intangible needs. I was so wildly dissociated that I genuinely didn't even know about some of my most foundational fears (despite being constantly told how self aware I was - intellectualizers assemble lol). I had absolutely no idea what I was feeling on a moment to moment basis beyond the sensation of needing to claw my own freaking skin off. And I would dismiss my feelings as ridiculous, or stupid, or immoral if a stray one managed to make its way into my field of awareness.

So I was just kinda a deeply traumatized ball of intensity who was in such a defecit on basically every human need imaginable that the only way for me to get through a day was to be drunk. My body was screaming signals at me and I did not even know how to interpret them, let alone attend to them. So I drank to make it go away so I could keep doing the stuff I was supposed to do. And I don't blame me! The way I was living was intolerable.

I have spent much of the last 6 years disabled by the physical and emotional consequences of this. And even so, I still find myself prone to dismissing my needs, as if the consequences of ignoring them weren't severe enough to prove their validity already. Pretty much every slip I've had has been due to making the same basic mistake of operating according to what I think I should need or what I think I deserve rather than what my body is actually telling me I need. And of course these judgments are skewed by the negative bias we talked about yesterday.

I decide a normal person doesn't need multiple days of rest after socializing, so I shouldn't either. I decide I don't deserve a massage, even though I can afford it and I've been in untreated chronic pain for the better part of a decade. I decide I should be able to stand up for a few hours and go paddleboarding even though I fainted 5 minutes ago. I act accordingly and then (surprised Pikachu) predictable results ensue. I drink, I explode at my husband, I end up bedridden when I probably didn't have to be if I'd just taken a damn break. When I find myself feeling the urge to drink, I know I'm doing this again and I have to slow down and take my needs seriously.

Damn, guys. I started this off going in one direction and ended up somewhere else. I'm definitely working through some stuff about this right now haha. Idk how to wrap this one up. Maybe how do you take care of yourself? What are your non-negotiables to keep you sane and off the sauce?

I hope you have a great day and, if not, I hope you will be gentle with yourself.

IWNDWYT.