Cold Turkey: How to Quit Drinking by Not Drinking

by Mishka Shubaly

From best-selling Kindle Singles author Mishka Shubaly comes Cold Turkey, a step by step roadmap for approaching the harrowing first month of sobriety. Himself ten years sober, Shubaly addresses the slippery nature of alcoholism, and the messy, anxiety-ridden process of making the decision to stop drinking once and for all.

For Shubaly, there is no one-size-fits-all plan. He refutes the notion that the one and only solution for those struggling are 12-step programs and provides a guide for those who want a different approach to getting sober. This is a how-to for those who are serious about taking their lives back, but are ready to define their sobriety on their own terms.

In the process, Shubaly exposes—in brutal, up-close, and yes, even absurd and funny detail—what drove him to drink, how he put the bottle down, and the surprising life that awaited him when he did. Cold Turkey offers real, practical, and intimate advice for those struggling, straight from someone who has really been there. Sure, he understands that for the first three days, you might need to eat all the pizza and all the greasy Chinese food. But he also understands the urgent need to improve your life and habits little by little, day by day. Shubaly, no doubt, becomes the listener’s cheerleader. He wants anyone struggling to succeed.

Ultimately, the takeaway is very simple: if Shubaly did it, you can too. And more than that, he’ll be right there with you every step of the way.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Self Help, Health, Memoir, Addiction, Psychology

Audible Audio

Published April 30, 2020

About the author

After receiving an expensive MFA from Columbia University, Mishka Shubaly promptly quit writing to play music. He lived out of a Toyota minivan for a year, touring nonstop, and has shared the stage with artists like The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Decemberists.

His Kindle Singles for Amazon have all been bestsellers. He writes true stories about drink, drugs, disasters, desire, deception and their aftermath. His work has been praised for its grit, humor, fearlessness and heart. 'The Long Run,' his mini-memoir detailing his transformation from alcoholic drug abuser to sober ultrarunner is one of the best-selling Kindle Singles to date.

Mishka Shubaly lives in Brooklyn where he writes music and plays bass for Freshkills. He is at work on a new solo record of his original songs and a full-length memoir.

Reviews

[Doug Trani · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who wants to change their relationship with alcohol, but is looking for alternatives to rehab and AA, here are some honest, straightforward, and effective strategies that just might work.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cold Turkey was an interesting book to dive into. Now I do love a drink or two when trying to unwind from a stressful day - whether it was work related or not. However, I never really thought of myself being addicted to alcohol. Nor looking for it to solve any problems of mine. That being said, this was an eye opener for me.

I do know a couple of people who have been addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. So yeah, I can completely see how this change of going cold turkey must of been for them. The strategies that were discussed throughout this book were very helpful. At least for me, I'm not saying it could be for you. I've always been intrigued by addictions and never truly knew what someone goes through when it comes to it. I hope I never have to as well.

[Jen Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a difficult one to get through as it is very repetitive and oftentimes redundant. The underlying message is excellent and very inspiring, and I love how raw and honest the author is when telling his story.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m 86 days sober and this was a nice reminder that I’m on the right path for me :)

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective. I agree with him 100% about AA.

[Alan (The Lone Librarian) Teder · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Mixed Bag
Review of the Audible Original audiobook edition (April 30, 2020)
TW = Foul language throughout, explicit sexual references, explicit self-degradation.

Overall you have to cheer the author for 10 years of sobriety, although this seems like the most bare bones how-to book on curing yourself of an addiction. For about the first two hours (of a total 4 & 1/2) you have to listen to stories about how low he sank before finally beating his own problem. This is accompanied by a constant put down of Alcoholics Anonymous' 12-Steps, mostly based on a dismissal of their "surrendering to a higher power" mantra. Meanwhile, Shubaly has his own higher power of what sounds like a brutal running regime (62 miles in one day was one of the milestones that I seem to remember) and obsessive/compulsive food purity to worship at. Towards the end, he lets slip that he still indulges in other methods of getting high such as cannabis and hallucinogens. Ok buddy, whatever you want to believe about what keeping sober means.

Shubaly's own 5-steps were summed up (after about the 2 hour mark) as:
1. Cut the bullshit (i.e. stop believing the lies you tell yourself)
2. Set a quit date and stick to it.
3. Get mental clarity i.e. focus on your plan
4. Do not go out with a bang (dial your consumption back)
5. Set achievable goals.
These all seem to be reasonable tips and again I applaud the author for overcoming some of his own demons. Personally I may not be qualified to judge any further on this topic, but I did quit smoking 21 years ago and yes it was "cold turkey," so I cheer anything that works for anyone else.

The gravelly, somewhat ravaged, voice of the author was especially appropriate for the topic.

Cold Turkey was one of the 10 free Audible Original audiobooks for members in the month of May 2020, after which it will revert to a standard price. It is available to everyone for a standard price throughout.

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, I think that "no bullshit straight talk" bro self-help is just as affected as woo-yoga self-help, learned-helplessness self-help, and "goddess inside" self-help. But guess what? Different shit works for different people, and this one feels like the most promising lens for me to do what I've been trying, and trying not to, do for decades, which is funny considering my relationship with my maleness has never been hanging on by a more frayed thread.

This one reminds me a little of Jon Joseph's "Meat is for Pussies." Do I love using toxic masculinity to get people to quit killing animals? No. Do I think, "leave the animals alone right now and work on your toxicity tomorrow?" Hell yes. Now, Shubaly is nowhere near as belligerent or gross as Joseph, and he acknowledges his own perspective is just that, his history on display with bravery and humor. But I do believe in focusing on one thing, the big thing, first, and seeing what that frees up for you.

He rightly rips on AA for the right reasons, rips on the bullshit we all tell ourselves to put this off. He offers a path to better self-regard that's not based on spirituality or what you owe others first, but what you owe yourself, then others. Put your own oxygen mask on before helping others.

He can take my coffee from my cold dead hands, but hell, I said that about booze forever too. One thing at a time. Check it out.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring/Enlightening account of someone's direct path to sobriety. The author is a musician and author who had been an alcoholic for a long time, and it seems like drinking culture was part of his identity, but at some point he realized it made his life worse, so he cold turkey stopped, with only a one-weekend relapse, and has been sober for a decade. While I'm not an alcoholic, he did a great job of explaining what alcohol dependence is like and the benefits of the direct path to sobriety, in favor of many people's belief that programs like AA are the only way (although they're fine if they work for you). Somehow it managed to be entertaining as well; definitely one of the best free Audible books.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fine- I didn’t realize it was a how to or challenge book when I got it (whoops) but enjoyed it nonetheless. I think I most valued his perspective on alcoholics anonymous - how it is a deeply flawed program that works for some, but is absolutely not the only way for people to stop drinking and can actively be destructive for what some people need. He goes on a little bit of a rant on fixating on health during recovery, which was tiresome but fair. Definitely a good read, which also asked some good questions to help current drinkers reflect on their drinking behaviors, even if they are not alcoholic level drinkers.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like Healthy Ron Swanson was reading to me about alcohol addiction. No nonsense. No bullshit.

[Cintia Aleixo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just love the straight way to engage this tough subject. Without all the lame things one usually found out there. very candid and open hearted about his own history

[Evan Bone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of narrow. I love the topic, and I appreciate someone taking the time to influence others to quit drinking. As someone who has recently quit, I can empathize and relate to a lot of stories in this book. But the book itself isn't exactly a great read--lot of slang and cuss words, way too much criticism of other (proven) methods of quitting...the literature aspect itself is pretty immature. It's a valiant effort and a decent collection of stories aimed at helping others, so that part I respect.

[مُهنا]

Listened to this out of curiosity and nothing more. The author has an interesting perspective on things, not one that I agree with mostly but one I enjoyed listening to.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

May be a good recommendation for a secular person who doesn’t like AA or won’t go for whatever reason. The author has a lot of bad things to say about AA, including (but not limited to) it’s supposedly low success rate and the frequency of older male members taking advantage of younger female participants.


Notes:

+ Two question assessment:
1. Would your life be better, easier, more manageable if you stopped drinking?
2. Does alcohol bring more bad into your life than good?
- “If the answer to either of those is yes, then it’s time to stop drinking”


Potent Quotables:

You may feel like a nihilist, but it’s probably just because you’ve been repeatedly disappointed and frustrated, since you actually care a lot.

Quitting is hard… Life is hard. Mornings are a hell both reliable and surprising. Working for a living is a sustained, slow-motion nightmare. Quitting drinking is admirable.

The awful truth is that the world is not pointless nor malign. If it were, we would be inebriated the entire time, we would commit suicide in droves. The World Health Organization estimates the global suicide rate to be 10.5 people per 100,000 - which is to say that out of 100,000 people 99,989 of them find life to be worth living. Those people are right.

[Ida Wilcox · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the writing and the authors voice however most of the content - NOPE>

The author has more issues than just drinking alcohol.

He needs to see a mental doctor for all his mental issues and just maybe his alcohol problem would have went away sooner.

Clearly he does not like AA but then his method of getting sober is almost if not the same as the AA program. Its just not as structured as AA.

For someone who talked so negative about a program he sure enough followed the program.

He got on my nerves most of the time.

One thing I would say is I am glad he is sober from alcohol but he serious needs to see a doctor for his mental health issues. Because clearly he has issues.

[Joanna Gobbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never woke up wondering where the hell I was.
I never downed 8 shots in an hour.
I never made a fool of myself in public.
I never missed a day of work because of a hangover.
I never lost my home or went into debt because of it.
And I never looked like it.

But I'm still an alcoholic. I craved a glass of wine so badly at the end of the workweek that it kept popping up in my brain all throughout the day, and, eventually, even on Mondays and Tuesdays; rationalizing an evening drink, because I deserved it.
But I didn't deserve it. Meaning, I didn't deserve my thoughts and my life to revolve around hiding my drinks; to mask the discomfort of going dry for a month; for the desire to cloud my thoughts every single week, whether I resisted it or not. I didn't deserve the temporary anxiety relief only for it to come back in full force and way worse after multiple nights a week drinking. I didn't deserve the thing I that wanted to help me to actually betray me and make me dependent on it to solve the emotional problems it exacerbates. No one deserves that.

My brain, for whatever reason, is hardwired to get a small euphoria from it; to enjoy its bitter, strong, initially unpleasant taste which mutates into a rush as it burns down my throat. It might be genetic, since I was never in an environment growing up where people around me drank.

But, I had to come to terms with the fact that my brain reacts strongly to alcohol, and this is the only brain I've got.

This book f-ing GETS it. Mishka breathes life in the perspective of someone, like me, who managed to recover alone, and he spreads that hope to others. This book is worth it if you've ever thought about revisiting your relationship to alcohol.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would've gotten another star from me if he hadn't dedicated so much of this book to bashing AA. I figured out that you don't like them pretty quickly. No need to go on a mind numbing rant about your issues with them on more than one occasion. Made a mediocre book even less appealing.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not sure why I read this to be honest

[Abigail Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not drink or do drugs, nor have I had a drug or alcohol addiction in the past. However; this is still one of the most valuable books I have ever read.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to see if I could recommend it, and I do. If you're looking at maybe a Sober October, check this out. You can get it free with an Audible promo or it's only like $6 and change.

[Vojtěch Tatra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another story about keystone habit which is especially for addicts (and alike personalities) the abstinence. It's another story about ways to sobriety and that you eventually have to arrive to the point that you are glad you are not drinking, not that you missing something: the way from "sad alcoholic" to "happy alcoholic". Your motivation should be life and others, not abstinence itself, it's just a tool (and for many the keystone habit, many times abstinence from "lower addictions" like social media). The AA and alike leads you to this too, but you can discover it for yourself, you actually have to do it by yourself anyway. I can also relate to that "not one bad thing in life cause", in my life too it was more snowballing shit: you fuckup once, then you drink (or whatever you do, even meditation can be used that way) and then you are escaping that self loathing and other feelings caused by that fuckup, then you are drinking because of that fuckup created by that previous fuckup and then it grows to less and less bearable size. Yes, there were practically always some bad attitude to oneself, at least some perfecionism and most times some bad example - in my case my dad was kind of alcoholic too and alcohol was someting that was normal part of life, not some drug, more like bread (liquid bread in my case, I drank mostly just beer). I have to agree with that being an alcoholic is not a binary statement or situation as presented in AA (at least it's a spectrum as any disorder), but I believe some people need actually that to have some guidelines for their future life. This principle is not about alcoholism, its everyone's way between fundamentalism (religious or other) and schizophrenic "no shapeness". But I would say honesty to thyself, acknowledging ones shadows is basic for any successful transformation, there are just other ways not necessary based upon Christian morals and self discipline (I am not saying those are bad, everything can be misused when interpreted wrongly, but they are just one way to the mountain from many). I dont agree that much that switching alcohol or any drug for another drug (in this book marihuana is mentioned) is a good way. Yes it can work so you are able to live relatively sustained, but it comes with a price as anything (alcohol can be medication too in moderate amounts) - I see it more as a mezanin step, if we are talking about long term daily use (so not using marihuana or anything with abuse potential as a medication ocasionally). With daily use of anything like that people usually substituting some lack in relationships and other parts of life. which can be necessary for some time so life itself will be bereable (many addicts eat much more sugar when stoping etc), but after the first phase you should probably come for the substitute in the same way as for the main drug. It probably depends on your attitude/aproach to life. The other nutritional stuff (eating, exercising, good eating, hobies - meaning is always basic) and that points against AA is more of the personal story for me: for some it works, for some not and they can see it differently. "Addicts rewired their brains to always go all in": exactly, like children. Therefore you should go around and make sort of traps to oneself, for example not having your drug home, when leaving to party have some thing that you must come back for in some time like a dog, slowly filling bath etc. Training helps only to some extent.

[Daria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to go wrong with a story of overcoming a tough obstacle and improving one's life. When, additionally, it is based on a true story, it's a guaranteed win.

This book is no exception. Whether you drink or not, listening to Mishka Shubaly (or anyone) narrate the story of his journey from the very bottom of human dignity to quite measurable success and happiness is captivating. It cannot not be - it is the ultimate dream story, the story of human will triumphing over hardship.

Apart from the general "can't lose" story line, there were several things I liked:

- The low raspy voice of narrator/creator Mishka Shubaly. The kind of voice you immediately imagine the person in your head and are really curious to see what they look like. Spoiler alert: the real Mishka Shubaly did not look like the image in my head.
- Hearing that low ruspy, ultra-masculine voice acknowledge diversity and share respect for the struggles and lives of women and people of colour. It really made me smile - normally a voice like that would be saying something along the lines of "as a red-blooded American man I love a pair of big boobs", but Michka Shubaly was saying things more along the line of "I understand that as a white privileged male I might have experienced that different to you, and I respect you struggle". It was fun!
- The anti-religious rant would make a 20-year-old me very, very happy. As a thirty year old I am much more tolerant, but still felt the shadow of my familiar youthful joy.

One useful advice Mishka Shubaly gave, to my mind, was that if you have a tough goal set for yourself, don't try to achieve that and 50 other things simultaneously. Focus on the most important one and cut yourself some slack elsewhere.

[Damana Madden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Downloaded this book when I went on leave from work on Monday and decided to quit caffeine, added sugar and alcohol in one go. All are things I have basically given up since December last year but my coffee and Coke Zero consumption are making my sleep miserable. Or is it other things? Right now, I am willing to listen to anyone with advice that will help me sleep.

Like Mishka Shulby, I have never been a huge fan of joining a group that supports me in my weaknesses and tells me god will give me strength. If life has taught me anything, I am the only damn person who gives me strength. That has been what dragged me out of clinical depression 9 years ago and got me to where I am now.

But What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful and I am well aware that I have to shake up my life to find a physically healthier me. Having lost 12kg and cut out crappy people and mass consumption, looking at my food compulsions is something I can not ignore in this journey to live life better and like myself more.

He's honest. His advice rang so true to my sugar cravings and I am now on a one month mission to quit added sugar (not from fruit) and diet soft drinks (which I didn't know encouraged that reward cycle).

There are practical things in this book that I can use and I am sure as hell going to try. Along with other reads, I can get to a better place with my eating and drinking that will help me live longer. i believe I can. Or at least, I believe no one else can do this for me.

4 days of trying out of 5.

[Elizabeth Tuttle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this lil' audible listen. It's about 4 hours, and to my knowledge it doesn’t exist in classic book form. He writes it as though you're reading a chapter each week on this 30 day challenge to abstain from alcohol, but full disclosure I read it all within a day or two. In my first few days of not drinking, I needed to consume everything all at once to keep thinking about my goal of sobriety, so I've been taking in all the quit lit in binge form since that's how my brain currently knows how to operate.

What I like about his approach is that he reminds the reader not drinking is as simple as not drinking. He gives good advice for how to move away from it - for example, spending the first three days binging on snacks is an okay way to deal with the physical effects of withdrawal and that even if you, worst case, develop a dependency on marijuana that it's still worlds better than your dependence on alcohol. He highlights the importance of exercise and nutrition without being preachy and while acknowledging that those things alone don't "fix" mental illness; it is instead that lacking in those categories exacerbates mental illness, and you really ought not to make this harder on yourself than you have to. Despite his wildly masculine approach (he hates talking about feelings, feels motivated by Greatness, and used the phrase "meat and chicken" as though he forgot chickens are meat), I appreciate his modeling of keeping a fun lifestyle while sober. He still engages in music and sees a lot of the same friends, regardless of their sobriety.

Despite being a little bit too familiar in his "no nonsense sports coach" kind of way, I would call this a recommended listen for anyone wanting a quick motivator to remind them of their goals.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally speaking, I liked this presentation. I didn't love it primarily because the author spent so much time putting down Alcoholics Anonymous. He attacked it with untruths and misconceptions and I'm not sure why. The author's overall philosophy seemed to be live-and-let-live, but with AA it was die-AA-die. It was odd and it conflicted with his overall sense of tolerance.

It just seems strange to throw away a paddle when you are trying to row to shore. One might say that the other paddle wasn't good enough or not the right kind, but one doesn't throw such a paddle away. One keeps the paddle in case something unexpected goes wrong with the paddle you are currently using. In an emergency maybe you can make the other paddle work for you.

Don't foreclose all your options.

You can see my detailed criticisms in the comments section following this review.

Any modesty issues? He certainly uses vulgar language a lot. That is fine with me, but I am letting people know in case they are trying to avoid such things.

I really wanted to recommend this book. I had a very good impression of the author at first, and I still like him, but I'm not going to recommend it. I suggest instead reading "Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions" by Russell Brand. He has a similar message but much more positive and more likely to work for most people.

[Claudia Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea why I read this, and for some reason I thought I was getting a book about running. Maybe I found it in my list of running books among audible finds and he is indeed a runner. But also it may have come across because I’m getting a divorce from a raging alcoholic and the universe knew this. That’s like the fourth accidental addiction book I’ve read this year. I can say this: my husband would absolutely never be able to just quit cold turkey. Loved the writing and honesty in the book but that’s just not happening for most alcoholics, and no AA is not just religious, god in AA is not Christian, at least not for most people I know (I did al anon for awhile and have never been religious in my life). I definitely do believe that you have to want it to get anywhere and hitting rock bottom just doesn’t work for anyone who doesn’t want it. Rehab won’t work for those people either because they leave. Same with AA. Success rate is high for AA members who are serious about it and stick with it as with any real form of treatment. My two cents after years with a narcissistic sociopathic alcoholic? If you’re like most people with addiction, you need help. Mishka has help. He could have talked about that more too. Clearly lots of friends and support networks. Maybe not rehab but he had help. Anyways nice humor and rawness. For that and for staying sober and running some races, 4 stars.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There’s no such thing as addiction, only things that you enjoy doing more than life." Keeping your hands busy allows your mind to rest.

What we consume drastically impacts our emotional dispositions and impression-ability. A Mediterranean Diet is both tastefully moderate and socially manageable. Every illness is physically in the body, mental and physical illnesses are symbiotic. The brain is situated within the body, making mental and physical illnesses interchangeable. Food is the most underused anti-anxiety antidote, and exercise is undervalued as an anti-depression fountainhead. Exercising at midday when the sun is highest boosts overall energy-levels, and helps stabilize regular sleeping cycles. Emotions are energies in motion. Helping others is a simple way to reverse negative emotions. Don’t pursue happiness directly, but rather indirectly, through action and activities.

There are no straight linear lines in nature, and neither is there in human behavior. Love doesn’t necessitate understanding.

[Barbara Koefod · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reads like the inner tug of war of a man fighting his own demons, ego and impulses. Shubaly seems very angry, especially about AA and NA. Even though he admits AA and NA work for some people, he's harshly critical of a proven program that's saved hundreds of thousands of lives (including some lives of people I love).

"Higher Power" is NOT a call to embrace Christianity, as Shubaly claims!!! He needs to either retract that platform or qualify it more clearly. Also, the DT's won't kill someone, as he notes. But abruptly quitting alcohol or drugs without medical support can kill a chronic user.

I would not recommend this book to a person struggling with addiction. Shubaly states that he's not touting his will power or success with living sober. Yet he comes across as aggressively assertive about his way of sobriety. I'm sincerely happy for Shubaly and his new lease on life. However, his methods are neither peer reviewed nor otherwise supported by medical research. Therein lies the irresponsibility of positing his approach as legitimate and safe. It's neither.

[Jack Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first-hand account about alcoholism and recovery. The author is brutally honest and genuine about his own introspection and various treatments out there, like, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The first half of the book is graphic in describing the tragedy of alcoholism and substance abuse.

Mishka Shubaly, an intelligent writer and musician, narrates his own story of dependence to freedom. His no-excuse attitude serves him well to escape depressing victimization. He perseveres, "Cold Turkey." Cold Turkey: How to Quit Drinking by Not Drinking is a compelling lesson about human frailty giving in to desires of the world and flesh (sin). The author pays dearly in every aspect of his life: physical, emotional, social, and economic. His turn-around comes with repentance, longsuffering, and recovery that gives life purpose and meaning. Mishka comes face-to-face with fear, the underlying issue of the book, and overcomes it.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I don't have an addiction issue with alcohol, I have other things in my life that are addicting and that is the reason I looked into this little piece. It was decent as far as self-help books go, but it should be noted that the subtitle if the book is a spoiler. Just stop drinking is the way to stop drinking for Shubaly. Hopefully that is more effective than it sounds. In any event, this was a hodge-podge of little rambles and rabbit trails that seemed to skirt the real issues. There was entire section on why Alcoholics Anonymous is horrible for kicking an addiction. That may be true, but I wanted to learn what does work more than I wanted to learn what doesn't. There was also a random diatribe about Christianity and reasons why the author rejected it and religion as a whole. The arguments he gave sounded like he had yet to kick the habit of drinking. Just all over the place.