i was the sime kind of alcoholic as billy. just couldnt stop after i started, always led to blowing thousands on cocaine, lost jobs, ruined relationships. getting blackout drunk on a tuesday for no reason. sober for 2 yrs, mind never clearer, life never better, actually have hope for life now.
I feel ya brother shits a evil poison some can handle it some are doomed to fall to it and I understand this now so for my family my son and myself u refuse to kill my self anymore the hours I’ve lost the shit I’ve said and done to people I love is not worth the few minutes of feeling loose or less stressed out or any of the excuses I’ve used minute by minute day by day got to keep pushing
@@BassPlayer9000props for saying this. Many go sober and preach it like the gospel. Reality is realizing some people can handle it and have self control with it. I'd argue most people can & they just have occasional slips where they drink a bit too much when they're with the right people/environment. I may be projecting a bit, but it's also just what I observe. I drink semi-regularly, but despise getting wasted or blackout. In my dozen or so years doing it I've only blacked out a single time. I just cut myself off before I get there.
I walked away from it 36 years ago similarly…I’m now 62 reasonably fit at 6’3” 180 lbs., ride a bicycle for exercise and still work in construction industry. I am utterly grateful ♥️
Yeah if you would have carried on you would be gone or a very sick man. Good too hear.I gave it up at 39 3 years ago. I felt terrible all the time but health checked out perfect when I had all of the shameful "Im a drunk and I think Im dying tests" Doctor said I must be genetically inclined to metabolize mass amounts of alcohol. I quit while I was ahead.
I’m 30. When I quit alcohol I had a fear that I wouldn’t be able to have fun at social gatherings anymore or I’d be “missing out”. Now, after having been to many gatherings, parties and even a weekend-long bachelor party in Miami without touching a drop of alcohol, I realize I’m not missing out on anything. As a sober person watching everyone down shots and cocktails, you realize you don’t need to drink to have an awesome time. Plus, you get to wake up feeling great because your body isn’t trying to shut down due to dehydration and sleep deprivation. Alcohol is 100% not worth it and you’ll never regret not drinking. Nothing good happens at a bar past midnight.
Nobody who quits drinking ever regrets it. Got 1.5 years here. Don't miss it at all. Yes it was fun in many ways but overall not worth the hangovers, empty calories, and anxiety. Goodbye booze!
My last drink was last November...at first I miss being part of the group of friends and family that partake...but not waking up hung over feeling overall unhealthy has been a blessing! I'm not going back
I hate to reveal reality but... I've got a buddy who's been 7 years sober and he wants to kill himself. He told me yesterday his life is so boring he wants to commit suicide. There is a point of no return.
I had my first ever two full day hangover 20 years ago. After 25 years of drinking, that was it for me. I have never regretted or missed it. I have some friends that still do it, like when we were teenagers. It's hard to be around them when they start getting tanked.
I drank every day, to excess, for a little over a decade until one day 9.5 months ago. Decided id try to quit and to my shock, i had no problem with it. It only took about 2 weeks before i quit reaching just from habit, then by week 5 or 6 i was no longer thinking about it, by month 3 alcohol starting sounding repulsive and that stands to today. I prayed about it and i have no other explanation as to why it was so easy for me. I hope it can be that easy for some others because i was on a fast track to the cemetery and so are many others. God bless yall and i promise you, you can do it too! And you will not regret it.
Yeah I was scared to quit because I thought it would be hard.i was black out drunk for several decades.i decided to quit and i just did it.easy peasy.coming up on 3 years.i hope everyone that wants to can quit❤️
I'm always amazed by ppl who can keep track of that stat, do you really wake up a thousand days from your last drink or hit feeling like god I need one but i'm gonna make today 1000 and one? or did something happen that you made a big dramatic decloration of sobrity and marked it down on the calender sos you could subtract the dated to figure it out when the topic comes up?
Absolutely nothing wrong with reaching out for help if you need it. If you've been drinking a lot for a long time, it can be dangerous. If not, its still uncomfortable as hell. But the discomfort will pass. Just gotta see it through
@@brandyh3536 ive never had alcohol withdrawals and drink usually during the day without getting drunk, but ive had too many times where i would drink 15+ drinks a day. I still wouldnt get hangovers often or withdrawals at all. I mean it sounds pretty good but makes it so much harder to quit
“Black-out was the goal”…that was me to a T!! Loved the taste from a very young age and loved that it separated me from me. Good on you, Billy AND Theo! (29+ years ODAAT!)
Marijuana really screws your brain up!!!! So much so that most rehabs really don’t know what to do with heavy pot smokers. There is a fellowship called marijuana anonymous if you need help with any of the ongoing issues. When I quit drinking I realised there were a lot more issues than just my addiction and the support of a fellowship helped me sort those out
I'm 28, had an issue with alcohol very similar to that of Billy from the age of 16 until about 25. Approaching three years without alcohol, but I wanted to note it's fascinating to observe the superficiality that often accompanies drinking behavior.
My sobriety date is 3-20-18 and I wouldn't change a thing. Best decision of my life. To anyone wondering if they can do it too, you can. Honesty, Openness and Willingness, one day at a time.
I haven’t drank in 3 years, since I broke up with my last girlfriend. When there’s nobody there to argue with and micromanage your life all the stress just goes away!
10 yrs sober this november. im still shocked at myself because when i decided to quit drinking i really didnt think it was possible but hey ive had a great past 10 yrs and looking forward to rest of my days sober! for anyone wanting to quit drinking, keep at it, you're not alone and people care about you, so just keep trying and you'll get there!
For anyone wanting to "quit drinking", STOP trying to "quit drinking"! Since alcohol is NOT the root problem, all of our focus must be on "living differently". I mean literally how we move our feet. The moment I conceded to my innermost self that "I" had to change, was the moment I began to recover! The more that we are focused on living in the solution, the less alcohol is a part of our consciousness. All the best, Mark 5/8/1994
Thanksgiving weekend 2004 I went through the windshield of my truck blacked out drunk. I woke up out of a comma 4 days later in the hospital with a broken back in 2 places, broken neck and a lacerated liver. All i could think about was I hope I didn't hurt or kill anyone else. When I found out noone else was involved I knew I'd never drink again and I haven't touched it in almost 20 years now. I'm actually greatful it happened.
Go Billy! I've got eighteen years and it's been great. Keep going! And you're sober young, which is awesome. You're going to influence a lot of people in a good way.
Coming up on 13 years sober. Without question the most impactful thing I’ve ever done. God it was a fight to get there but I suppose I finally reached bottom. I’m thankful for a lot but mostly that my children never have and never will ever see me the way I was. Hell, I wouldn’t even have kids had I continued the way I was. I wasn’t really planning on being around much longer and pretty much hoping for it. Things can turn around. Keep at it. Life can really be worth it.
Start small Go big That works for most things. The longer you go without it, the easier it gets. You break the body addiction first. Then you can start working on the mental and social side of it. After that, you just don’t care. You don’t think about it anymore and you look strait past it. If it ever looked impossible, it isn’t. It only feels impossible. Impossible is a feeling.
For me it was the fact I started to feel really bad and health started declining. I wasn’t getting a fun buzz anymore. Then the last hangover I had I had massive panic attacks. Several so had my fingers seized up into a ball. Never had this happen before and it was scary. Scared me into quitting. April 3rd made one year sober. Longest I’ve been sober since turning 21. I’m 39 now. It’s not easy but I’m starting to feel better. But it’s taking a long time. Noticed a lot of things since going sober. But I think about drinking every single freaking day.
@@royodom2377 this is good to hear. I’m Starting to feel like myself again. Took over a year to get those good vibes back. Glad to know there’s a point we don’t crave it anymore. Because it’s still tough I day dream and fantasize about buying Tequila. But then I try and play out how bad I’ll feel and then don’t do it. Stay strong man !! You’re doing great.
Yeah, alcohol sobriety might be the way to go. I don't think that I've had trouble with it in a while. But when my life falls apart, I drink WAY too much, which ultimately appears to make things 100x worse.
My respect for Mr. Strings just grows and grows. He is an intelligent, thoughtful, and caring person as well as, or maybe in spite of, wing an astounding musician.
1992, my wife gave me the choice of her and my beautiful daughters or alcohol Haven't had a drop since. One of the best decisions of my 64 years on this planet.
4 years sober, one day at a time. Best decision of my life. Caught you in Greensboro and was delighted to see so many fellow "Dustless Baggies" wearing "One Show at a Time" buttons. Thank you for the added inspiration and sharing your story and music with us all.
Keep the faith Billy. Never drunk alcohol as a teenager- into fitness etc- got hammered on 21st birthday ( "you got to drink - you are only 21 once" said many times). In bed at 2am -up for work up at 5am at meat processing plant. Felt the worst ever -fell asleep at work. Vowed I am never going to drink again. So far have kept the vow for 52 years.
Two quotes that saved my life: "Latch onto that fleeting 'moment of clarity' and hang on to it" "For some people total abstinence is easier than the quest of trying to perfect moderation" Been off of booze for almost 24 years now.
Alcohol and sugar are two huge addictions. Go to a restaurant as a sober human, order tap water and watch them return. Would you like anything else to drink? Any wine maybe a pepsi. Perhaps someone just wants tap water as opposed to poisoning themselves with sugar or alcohol
i too had a moment where i said thats it no more drinking after 40 years of binge drinking i didnt think i could quit i had to change my social life for a while and avoid drinking events but 4 years later i am confident that ill never drink again i dont miss it or think about it and i can be around others drinking now and i feel no urge to drink my health has improved and im haooy to know that ill never wake up hungover again well done billy as drinking could have ruined your very bright future
7 years no alcohol for me, im California sober. How many times have you smoked a J and said, "hey I wanna do some cocaine?" That answer is zero. Now switch the J for alcohol and ask that same question. The answer is one hundred billion percent yes 😂
I quit drinking and have used my guitar playing as a bargaining chip with my brain to keep myself clean. My playing is so much better sober, and learning new stuff comes so much quicker. Finding out Billy didn’t drink was a turning point in my own sobriety. 2 years clean on the first of next month!
Same here...I was a weekend binger......hated the way I felt the next day. 54 days sober now....anytime I feel like having a drink I think about that crappy feeling on the next day.....no thanks. Good luck to you!
Hey, Billy, I had the same problem; once I had my first drink, I couldn't stop until bedtime, and every morning was a hangover that got worse every year. California Sober since 5/10/16, I thank the Lord for my sobriety every night.
October 13th 2017 was my last drink. Im grateful because I dont ever think about drinking. Its like the end was so horrible, that I get scared and sad thinking about how bad I was. Im terrified to drink
Good for Billy. And all y’all that quit. My wife got pancreatitis in 2022 and damn near died She HAD to quit and it wasn’t that easy for her. We drank daily for decades. I stopped a time or two over the years. A month here, several months there. While my wife was in the Hospital I rid our home of ALL Alcohol. That way if she were tempted…too bad. We live in the wilderness and she stopped driving several years ago (DUI). Too expensive to drive for her. I still drink but only at the Bar upriver from us and maybe twice a month. Often far less. I do enjoy the fellowship. I never have more than three drinks. Sure save a ton of money and in this damned economy us seniors don’t have a lot of spare money. I’ve lost some very dear friends to John Barleycorn. My wife will be 75 next month and almost two years sober. She can sure smoke some herb though!
I went to a Widespread Panic concert on July 9, 2013. It was awesome! I got pretty drunk that night. The next day I had off from work and went for a hike in the mountains, all hungover. I thought about how hiking in the mountains is my favorite thing in life, and here I am ruining it with the hangover. I told myself “I’m not drinkin again till football season, then I’ll watch a game and drink some beers.” Well, football season in 2013 showed up and I still haven’t had a single sip of alcohol since that Widespread Panic concert.
One of the most positive quitting drinking stories ive ever heard. This whole podcast with Billy surprised me first when i learned this guy is from here in Michigan. Dont know why but that made his whole story closer to home
Alcohol used to be a constant in my life. The times when I was sober was a just a countdown to when I could finally crack open a beer, or take some shots, or both, lol. Throughout my 20s snd 30s I probably drank more alcohol than water! Alcohol was like medicine. Now I’m 3 years sober, and I don’t even think about alcohol, never even crosses my mind, and for that I’m thankful. Hallelujah!
8 years sober after decades of wasting my life hardcore drinking. If I could impart only one bit of wisdom to a young person and they actually heed it it would be to choose to be a non drinker. Choose it today. You'll have such a better life and so will those around you. Peace out brother's and sister's.
7 yrs sober for me. It all started as a lie with no intention of quitting. I got home early to find my girlfriend at the time just finishing packing her stuff up and getting ready to leave me. Did what i always did swore on everything i loved that i was quitting for good. Promised her that drugs and alcohol were over with. She said ive heard it all before. Somehow convinced her to stay. Was trying to figure out how i was going to get fucked up with out her knowing. Decided i would just keep my head down and work alot of hours. One day turned into a week a week into a month a month into a year. After 2 yrs she started calling my kids who had stopped having anything to do with me, telling them i had been sober for 2 yrs. I slowly regained all that i had lost. My kids, self respect. After awhile i just couldnt see what drinking or taking drugs could do for me? The only thing i would get is lising everything meaningful in my life. No thanks. Very grateful 7 yrs sober
I quit drinking and drugging 28 years ago because I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I loved the narcotics effects of alcohol. My son quit drinking 5 years ago and doesn’t need meetings, but I do.
Addiction is giving up everything for just one thing.
Recovery is giving up one thing to gain everything.
🔥💪
nice words
i was the sime kind of alcoholic as billy. just couldnt stop after i started, always led to blowing thousands on cocaine, lost jobs, ruined relationships. getting blackout drunk on a tuesday for no reason. sober for 2 yrs, mind never clearer, life never better, actually have hope for life now.
Same here! Congrats to you on your 2 years! Put the plug in the jug as they say
I was the same too. Almost 3 years. Keep it up, life is certainly much more vibrant since I stopped.
gang
@@outlier.mp3gang violence is bad
I feel ya brother shits a evil poison some can handle it some are doomed to fall to it and I understand this now so for my family my son and myself u refuse to kill my self anymore the hours I’ve lost the shit I’ve said and done to people I love is not worth the few minutes of feeling loose or less stressed out or any of the excuses I’ve used minute by minute day by day got to keep pushing
1.5 weeks sober. 🙏
proud of you!! :)
Keep it up dude! You got this!
Good for you man. Awesome
Keep going brother. You will carry your weight.
Amazing bro. Keep going!
6 years no alcohol. I do not miss it one bit. For anyone wanting to start their sober journey may the force be with you.
@dudeDOGn it's okay if you enjoy drinking man. To each their own
1 month sober. Again😢
Lmao you want a head pat too? You’re pathetic.
hell yeah!
@@BassPlayer9000props for saying this. Many go sober and preach it like the gospel. Reality is realizing some people can handle it and have self control with it. I'd argue most people can & they just have occasional slips where they drink a bit too much when they're with the right people/environment. I may be projecting a bit, but it's also just what I observe. I drink semi-regularly, but despise getting wasted or blackout. In my dozen or so years doing it I've only blacked out a single time. I just cut myself off before I get there.
I walked away from it 36 years ago similarly…I’m now 62 reasonably fit at 6’3” 180 lbs., ride a bicycle for exercise and still work in construction industry. I am utterly grateful ♥️
36 years is longer than I've been alive, congrats brother
I’m 65, birthday yesterday on 4/20, anywho I quit 34 years ago. Proud of myself, grateful to my Lord that made it happen.
@@dougmackey3696 excellent
Yeah if you would have carried on you would be gone or a very sick man. Good too hear.I gave it up at 39 3 years ago. I felt terrible all the time but health checked out perfect when I had all of the shameful "Im a drunk and I think Im dying tests" Doctor said I must be genetically inclined to metabolize mass amounts of alcohol. I quit while I was ahead.
@@dougmackey3696Im in it for the long haul like you guys. Good to hear your story
23 yrs here. Glory goes to my heavenly Father.
🙏
4 years sober. These 2 guys are absolute kings for promoting sobriety and a better way of living.
I love Billy. He is real. Keep the music going man. Live your life.
Yea, but the needless cursing...
Cardio kills craving. This was a massive help getting off alcohol.
sucks for one who has a severe joint disorder :( else I'd try that :(
@@kennyrose1274 what about swimming?
It really does. Exercise in general does.
Carbs too. If you feel like drinking eat alot of bread and pasta. Bet you dont feel like drinking anymore
@@CamElRodriguezSnrJnrIII idk if getting morbidly obese is the way
16 days here 👍🏼
gang
Keep fighting, that’s 16 more days than I could do
Keep it up
day by day - just keep that number going up!
We call that "turning ourselves in," rather than wait for a DUI or whatever else.
Positive waves!
386 days checking in 👍
gang
🫡
Proud of you brother
Start drinking again.
Rehab is for quitters 😊😊
congrats! a year is a huge milestone!
I’m 30. When I quit alcohol I had a fear that I wouldn’t be able to have fun at social gatherings anymore or I’d be “missing out”. Now, after having been to many gatherings, parties and even a weekend-long bachelor party in Miami without touching a drop of alcohol, I realize I’m not missing out on anything. As a sober person watching everyone down shots and cocktails, you realize you don’t need to drink to have an awesome time. Plus, you get to wake up feeling great because your body isn’t trying to shut down due to dehydration and sleep deprivation. Alcohol is 100% not worth it and you’ll never regret not drinking. Nothing good happens at a bar past midnight.
Nobody who quits drinking ever regrets it. Got 1.5 years here. Don't miss it at all. Yes it was fun in many ways but overall not worth the hangovers, empty calories, and anxiety. Goodbye booze!
gang
My last drink was last November...at first I miss being part of the group of friends and family that partake...but not waking up hung over feeling overall unhealthy has been a blessing! I'm not going back
I hate to reveal reality but... I've got a buddy who's been 7 years sober and he wants to kill himself. He told me yesterday his life is so boring he wants to commit suicide. There is a point of no return.
Anxiety is the worst
Wouldn’t somebody who relapses be a person who quit drinking and regretted it?
Joe Walsh once said " I only got drunk one time in my life, the problem was it lasted 25 years." Best analogy i ever heard. So true.
Reminds me of David Lee Roth’s quote, “I used to have a drug problem…til I got rich. Then it was no problem.” Hilarious
"Alcohol, drugs if you take them regularly, very subtly they convince you you can’t do anything without them” - Joe Walsh
I had my first ever two full day hangover 20 years ago. After 25 years of drinking, that was it for me. I have never regretted or missed it. I have some friends that still do it, like when we were teenagers. It's hard to be around them when they start getting tanked.
Lol😂 what a legend Joe Walsh
@@da324 Are you and your friends around 60 or so?
I drank every day, to excess, for a little over a decade until one day 9.5 months ago. Decided id try to quit and to my shock, i had no problem with it. It only took about 2 weeks before i quit reaching just from habit, then by week 5 or 6 i was no longer thinking about it, by month 3 alcohol starting sounding repulsive and that stands to today. I prayed about it and i have no other explanation as to why it was so easy for me. I hope it can be that easy for some others because i was on a fast track to the cemetery and so are many others. God bless yall and i promise you, you can do it too! And you will not regret it.
swag god gonna help us no matter what. we choose
I just choose to be ultra wealthy
Yeah I was scared to quit because I thought it would be hard.i was black out drunk for several decades.i decided to quit and i just did it.easy peasy.coming up on 3 years.i hope everyone that wants to can quit❤️
Good testimony. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻
@erikkibler3466 awesome man I'm just a bit behind ya
@@erikkibler3466 That's the real kicker. You have to *want* to quit. Some people know that they should but they really don't want to.
2,000 days since my last drink. Best decision I have ever made
Whats one thing u felt like u were missing out on the whole time?
Fuck yea dood.
I'm always amazed by ppl who can keep track of that stat, do you really wake up a thousand days from your last drink or hit feeling like god I need one but i'm gonna make today 1000 and one? or did something happen that you made a big dramatic decloration of sobrity and marked it down on the calender sos you could subtract the dated to figure it out when the topic comes up?
Do you use Cannabis?
@jahlion247 yes I do
To All the people that commented on how long they have been sober.... I'm proud of you💯
2 years sober. best choice I ever made in my life
6 hours sober! Hope I can make it another 3.
gang
Absolutely nothing wrong with reaching out for help if you need it. If you've been drinking a lot for a long time, it can be dangerous. If not, its still uncomfortable as hell. But the discomfort will pass. Just gotta see it through
If it’s that severe . Get a 12 pack of twisted tea 12oz cans. And sip one or 2 each day very slowly . Ween yourself off
@@brandyh3536 I made it 8! Tomorrow, no more booze until I have a million dollars in the bank. Then, it's Macallan 30 Year Old Sherry Oak.
@@brandyh3536 ive never had alcohol withdrawals and drink usually during the day without getting drunk, but ive had too many times where i would drink 15+ drinks a day.
I still wouldnt get hangovers often or withdrawals at all.
I mean it sounds pretty good but makes it so much harder to quit
Been on probation for a dwi and been sober almost 2 years, don’t miss it honestly
Nothing better than that feeling of forgetting about it and then realizing you’ll never need or want it again. Good on ya, Billy!!🌅🤘
“Black-out was the goal”…that was me to a T!! Loved the taste from a very young age and loved that it separated me from me. Good on you, Billy AND Theo!
(29+ years ODAAT!)
Gonna be 4 years sober this August! Went from a case a day plus other shit to nothing and it was the best decision I did!!
I love you Theo ! Everyone that is trying to be clean and sober I wish you all the best!! You can do it🙂🤍
9 days free from thc. Been a long road of trying. Wish you all the best with overcoming whatever holds you down.
If thc fucks up your life then you got more problems then just the thc.
Marijuana is more insidious than people think. Good for you
Only losers stop smoking weed.
Don't ever stop..............ever 😊😊
Marijuana really screws your brain up!!!! So much so that most rehabs really don’t know what to do with heavy pot smokers. There is a fellowship called marijuana anonymous if you need help with any of the ongoing issues. When I quit drinking I realised there were a lot more issues than just my addiction and the support of a fellowship helped me sort those out
I'm 28, had an issue with alcohol very similar to that of Billy from the age of 16 until about 25. Approaching three years without alcohol, but I wanted to note it's fascinating to observe the superficiality that often accompanies drinking behavior.
My sobriety date is 3-20-18 and I wouldn't change a thing. Best decision of my life. To anyone wondering if they can do it too,
you can. Honesty, Openness and Willingness, one day at a time.
Good to hear this! Close to 25 years sober and I'm so grateful 🙏❤️
Theo just talks like real people and it makes for great conversations.
I haven’t drank in 3 years, since I broke up with my last girlfriend. When there’s nobody there to argue with and micromanage your life all the stress just goes away!
Good for you, seems like you got rid of 2 problems at once
I quit after my girlfriend and I broke up too. I remember those weekends where I’d have to get loaded just to be under the same roof as her.
@@Pluralofvinylisvinyls 🤣 yep I’d grab the whiskey and head for the basement
Best Decision Billy Strings ever made, The best decision anyone could make!
10 yrs sober this november. im still shocked at myself because when i decided to quit drinking i really didnt think it was possible but hey ive had a great past 10 yrs and looking forward to rest of my days sober! for anyone wanting to quit drinking, keep at it, you're not alone and people care about you, so just keep trying and you'll get there!
For anyone wanting to "quit drinking", STOP trying to "quit drinking"! Since alcohol is NOT the root problem, all of our focus must be on "living differently". I mean literally how we move our feet. The moment I conceded to my innermost self that "I" had to change, was the moment I began to recover! The more that we are focused on living in the solution, the less alcohol is a part of our consciousness.
All the best, Mark 5/8/1994
Great advice! Congrats on 10 yrs!
It’s a blessing and a curse… whatever I did, I went all in. Whether good and productive or poor and destructive.
I hear that…gotta steer towards the productive.
@@juliannerichards4549 yes ma’am!
1 day sober 💪
1 day sober again 💪
Keep going
@@tirahuks1😊
A day at a time.
Thanksgiving weekend 2004 I went through the windshield of my truck blacked out drunk. I woke up out of a comma 4 days later in the hospital with a broken back in 2 places, broken neck and a lacerated liver.
All i could think about was I hope I didn't hurt or kill anyone else. When I found out noone else was involved I knew I'd never drink again and I haven't touched it in almost 20 years now. I'm actually greatful it happened.
Thanks for sharing my friend and I‘m glad you survived your wake up event and are doing well now. Greetings from Germany
@@michaelhirsau thanks so much. I'm very thankful I made it through that chapter of my life. 🙂
Coming up on 4 years without drinking. Quitting was so worth it
Meh...........start drinking again.
Rehab is for quitters and losers 😆😆
Go Billy! I've got eighteen years and it's been great. Keep going! And you're sober young, which is awesome. You're going to influence a lot of people in a good way.
Coming up on 13 years sober. Without question the most impactful thing I’ve ever done. God it was a fight to get there but I suppose I finally reached bottom. I’m thankful for a lot but mostly that my children never have and never will ever see me the way I was. Hell, I wouldn’t even have kids had I continued the way I was. I wasn’t really planning on being around much longer and pretty much hoping for it. Things can turn around. Keep at it. Life can really be worth it.
Truth! Congrats on 13 yrs!
@@wjtausthank you!
Had liver enzyme issues 2 years sober and a way kinder person.
Good on you lad your talent is to valuable to be inhibited thanks for sharing your talent and music
20 years sober this summer, I have been blessed with a new lease on life and grateful for every day.
Yes, for you taking responsibility for your actions. Shows care and maturity
Start small
Go big
That works for most things.
The longer you go without it, the easier it gets.
You break the body addiction first. Then you can start working on the mental and social side of it.
After that, you just don’t care. You don’t think about it anymore and you look strait past it.
If it ever looked impossible, it isn’t. It only feels impossible. Impossible is a feeling.
For me it was the fact I started to feel really bad and health started declining. I wasn’t getting a fun buzz anymore. Then the last hangover I had I had massive panic attacks. Several so had my fingers seized up into a ball. Never had this happen before and it was scary. Scared me into quitting. April 3rd made one year sober. Longest I’ve been sober since turning 21. I’m 39 now. It’s not easy but I’m starting to feel better. But it’s taking a long time. Noticed a lot of things since going sober. But I think about drinking every single freaking day.
It gets better the longer you're away from it. I'm 28 months sober and rarely think about it now.
@@royodom2377 this is good to hear. I’m
Starting to feel like myself again. Took over a year to get those good vibes back. Glad to know there’s a point we don’t crave it anymore. Because it’s still tough I day dream and fantasize about buying Tequila. But then I try and play out how bad I’ll feel and then don’t do it. Stay strong man !! You’re doing great.
When you realize how long its been since you even thought about the thing you used to be addicted to. Chef's kiss
Yeah, alcohol sobriety might be the way to go. I don't think that I've had trouble with it in a while. But when my life falls apart, I drink WAY too much, which ultimately appears to make things 100x worse.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS STORY, IT TRANSLATES INTO SO MANY OTHER THINGS....I LOVE YOUR MUSIC, ENERGY AND THE GIFTS I FEEL
My respect for Mr. Strings just grows and grows. He is an intelligent, thoughtful, and caring person as well as, or maybe in spite of, wing an astounding musician.
I drink every week, like one day a week but I always go heavy. So I know the feeling of losing control when you start.
1992, my wife gave me the choice of her and my beautiful daughters or alcohol
Haven't had a drop since. One of the best decisions of my 64 years on this planet.
4 years sober, one day at a time. Best decision of my life. Caught you in Greensboro and was delighted to see so many fellow "Dustless Baggies" wearing "One Show at a Time" buttons. Thank you for the added inspiration and sharing your story and music with us all.
Keep the faith Billy. Never drunk alcohol as a teenager- into fitness etc- got hammered on 21st birthday ( "you got to drink - you are only 21 once" said many times). In bed at 2am -up for work up at 5am at meat processing plant. Felt the worst ever -fell asleep at work. Vowed I am never going to drink again. So far have kept the vow for 52 years.
These two are great together. Billy is very self aware and quick witted
attentive
kind of a hoe for not drinking though
Theo is sloooow.
This is the best video that I will watch all day.
Two quotes that saved my life:
"Latch onto that fleeting 'moment of clarity' and hang on to it"
"For some people total abstinence is easier than the quest of trying to perfect moderation"
Been off of booze for almost 24 years now.
I quit drinking and smoking cigarettes in 2020..what a year to quit both. I got sick of feeling like shit the next day. 30+ years i finally had enough
Thanks!
Happy Anniversary, Billy! Congratulations on 8 years sober, today🎉
12 years Sober. Life is so much better. I wish I would have given up 30 years ago. What do have to loose
3 years alcohol free, coming up to 4 years in September
gang
Alcohol and sugar are two huge addictions. Go to a restaurant as a sober human, order tap water and watch them return. Would you like anything else to drink? Any wine maybe a pepsi. Perhaps someone just wants tap water as opposed to poisoning themselves with sugar or alcohol
I've learned that bars that host local musicians or art are usually not like this and more respectable to non drinkers
@@Snickers18827 Those place are a minority most places try to throw alcohol at you especially restaurants
@@oliverk191 re read what I said dumbass
Appreciate this!! If you want it, you'll do it my friends! Wishing everyone well!
i too had a moment where i said thats it no more drinking
after 40 years of binge drinking i didnt think i could quit
i had to change my social life for a while and avoid drinking events
but 4 years later i am confident that ill never drink again
i dont miss it or think about it and i can be around others drinking now and i feel no urge to drink
my health has improved and im haooy to know that ill never wake up hungover again
well done billy as drinking could have ruined your very bright future
7 years no alcohol for me, im California sober.
How many times have you smoked a J and said, "hey I wanna do some cocaine?" That answer is zero. Now switch the J for alcohol and ask that same question. The answer is one hundred billion percent yes 😂
I quit drinking and have used my guitar playing as a bargaining chip with my brain to keep myself clean. My playing is so much better sober, and learning new stuff comes so much quicker. Finding out Billy didn’t drink was a turning point in my own sobriety. 2 years clean on the first of next month!
I wasnt an alcoholic, just didnt enjoy the way alcohol made me feel after a while. Been sober since November 6, 2023
Same here...I was a weekend binger......hated the way I felt the next day. 54 days sober now....anytime I feel like having a drink I think about that crappy feeling on the next day.....no thanks. Good luck to you!
May 21, 2023 here
Hey, Billy, I had the same problem; once I had my first drink, I couldn't stop until bedtime, and every morning was a hangover that got worse every year. California Sober since 5/10/16, I thank the Lord for my sobriety every night.
Awe Billy seems like good company. Great interview. ❤
October 13th 2017 was my last drink. Im grateful because I dont ever think about drinking. Its like the end was so horrible, that I get scared and sad thinking about how bad I was. Im terrified to drink
287 days reporting for duty.
Eh, start drinking again.
Rehab is for quitters and losers 😆😆
if you learned from a negative consequence then you are not an alcoholic. You had a rough night and learned. Glad you're a norm.
Good for Billy. And all y’all that quit. My wife got pancreatitis in 2022 and damn near died She HAD to quit and it wasn’t that easy for her. We drank daily for decades. I stopped a time or two over the years. A month here, several months there. While my wife was in the Hospital I rid our home of ALL Alcohol. That way if she were tempted…too bad. We live in the wilderness and she stopped driving several years ago (DUI). Too expensive to drive for her. I still drink but only at the Bar upriver from us and maybe twice a month. Often far less. I do enjoy the fellowship. I never have more than three drinks. Sure save a ton of money and in this damned economy us seniors don’t have a lot of spare money. I’ve lost some very dear friends to John Barleycorn. My wife will be 75 next month and almost two years sober. She can sure smoke some herb though!
Billy is a lot more emotionally intelligent than I gave him credit for, based on his persona. Good for him. I think I just became a fan.
An inspiration for any aspiring artist! Legend!
8 years sober from alcohol and never felt better
2 days sober. Until this weekend 😊 each their own pal. Good for you all
Thank you, Jesus
9-2-94 my sobriety date , congrats to all you others !
I went to a Widespread Panic concert on July 9, 2013. It was awesome! I got pretty drunk that night. The next day I had off from work and went for a hike in the mountains, all hungover. I thought about how hiking in the mountains is my favorite thing in life, and here I am ruining it with the hangover. I told myself “I’m not drinkin again till football season, then I’ll watch a game and drink some beers.” Well, football season in 2013 showed up and I still haven’t had a single sip of alcohol since that Widespread Panic concert.
Lucky it only took a close call to wake up. 3 years happy
I can go forever without a drink but once I do have 1 I can’t stop
Awesome. I used to drink beer. Been almost 20 years.
One of the most positive quitting drinking stories ive ever heard. This whole podcast with Billy surprised me first when i learned this guy is from here in Michigan. Dont know why but that made his whole story closer to home
Never watched a Theo von anything but I love Billy strings
I don’t know much of Billy’s music but he seems like a lovely, down to earth person 🥰
Alcohol used to be a constant in my life. The times when I was sober was a just a countdown to when I could finally crack open a beer, or take some shots, or both, lol. Throughout my 20s snd 30s I probably drank more alcohol than water! Alcohol was like medicine. Now I’m 3 years sober, and I don’t even think about alcohol, never even crosses my mind, and for that I’m thankful. Hallelujah!
One of the most profound sayings I heard at a meeting. The record for staying clean and sober is 24 hours! IYKYK🤙🏻🙏🏻
It’s strange when you first become sober how life seems boring because of the lack of chaos. It’s almost as if the chaos is a drug in itself.
8 years sober after decades of wasting my life hardcore drinking. If I could impart only one bit of wisdom to a young person and they actually heed it it would be to choose to be a non drinker. Choose it today. You'll have such a better life and so will those around you. Peace out brother's and sister's.
I've definitely said that more than once. I haven't drank since 2018, hangovers are too brutal
7 yrs sober for me. It all started as a lie with no intention of quitting. I got home early to find my girlfriend at the time just finishing packing her stuff up and getting ready to leave me. Did what i always did swore on everything i loved that i was quitting for good. Promised her that drugs and alcohol were over with. She said ive heard it all before. Somehow convinced her to stay. Was trying to figure out how i was going to get fucked up with out her knowing. Decided i would just keep my head down and work alot of hours. One day turned into a week a week into a month a month into a year. After 2 yrs she started calling my kids who had stopped having anything to do with me, telling them i had been sober for 2 yrs. I slowly regained all that i had lost. My kids, self respect. After awhile i just couldnt see what drinking or taking drugs could do for me? The only thing i would get is lising everything meaningful in my life. No thanks. Very grateful 7 yrs sober
Wow congratulations that’s amazing
as a sober musician, it can be tough out there b/c you have so much access. one day at a time..
congrats on 7 years. valid reason on why you stopped. prepping on stage in front of your fans! no bueno..
12 hours sober
gang
12 minutes sober
@@trevmason2352 Fuck yeah! 🤣
Same😂
I quit drinking and drugging 28 years ago because I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I loved the narcotics effects of alcohol. My son quit drinking 5 years ago and doesn’t need meetings, but I do.
I was the same way. I think they call it binge drinking. 5 years sober don’t miss it.
I am creeping on 6 months
I just burn no drinking was to much and I did enough of it.
There are two kinds of drunks. Eventually the ones who need it to stand other people will need need it to stand themselves.
5 months as of this week for me, can't believe I did it honestly