The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread! Part 2

Wanna_Bee_Free

After my last 4am post I still need to have an AFD. At least I'm not too hungover this morning but paying a financial price last night instead as we drunkenly fancied a takeaway and spent I money I shouldn't have. I need a period of abstinence to clear my head. Even not drinking too much today would be an improvement on most of this year so maybe I'll try the first and last for tonight instead. Will try and pop back sooner this time.

beachbeth

maman wrote: »

Beachbeth, I can't possibly advise on your medication but would suggest going back to your doctor and talking it through again as you have real worries about taking it.

I would like to but the doctor I usually see is away is this week and, even though the doctor who is there is really nice he is foreign and I find it hard to always understand what he is saying which makes conversation difficult.

I used to have a brilliant doctor who always got you sorted out whatever the problem and always reassured you that he was on the case. He also had a lot of clout in the medical profession and if he wanted something to happen it did. Unfortunately, he retired a few years ago and I can't imagine finding another doctor like him. I would be so relieved to go and see him now! He was also teetotal and ran an alcoholics group so he would know all about my problems. Plus he was quite an expert on depression too!

RecoveringAlcoholic wrote:

May I suggest that you ask your GP for a Liver Function Test.

I would really like this, although it would be scary. My own parents are in their 70's and drink like fish so I would hope I take after them and have an ok liver, but of course I can't bank on this!

jo1972

Morning all :wave:

7/18 for me WB (I think?)

Feel great today, stayed up for the Brits and didn't go to bed till nearly half 11 which is practically unheard of for me, then didn't wake up till 10.45am :eek: :eek: that's an hour before my lunchtime when I'm at work and this really is unheard of!! Wouldn't mind, I've got a 16yr old, a 6yr old and a 3 yr old in the house and when I woke up they were all still asleep!!! I've eaten 2 bowls of frosties, breakfast is another first and I feel awake (obviously as I slept for England :rolleyes:) and motivated to do some serious housework today!! I'm loving this un-hung-over'ed lark!!

BHB, totally get where you're coming from, I regularly got to the bit where I gave up giving up cos I just couldn't be bothered or actually didn't want to. I also know what you mean about the starting earlier. Until Nov 07 I worked the other side of London and got home regularly at 7.30-8pm, that's when the drinking started, got the new job in the school and get home at 4.30pm and that's when the drinking could happily start, when I saw my old boss a little while after I'd left his firm (he knew about my drinking as I had to come clean about the detox I did), he said that all he was worrying about was that I might've brought my drinking start time earlier, I said 'no, no, no, of course not, I'm fine!'

BB, is there an alcohol counselling service you can join? Mine is run by the local authority here and is free (BHB, isn't your's the same?). They usually have all different types of counsellors there, one's that specialise in hypnotherapy, acupunture, plain counselling and CBT. They will know everything there is to know about medication and what's the best way for you to go forward. It may be a case that you have depression and you are dealing with it by drinking OR you may be drinking which is causing the depression. In my humble opinion, you need to find out which so that you know how to go forward. A few years ago I rang DrinkLine who gave me the telephone number for my local alcohol service and they have been nothing but brilliant. Good luck x

xx

barshamhillbilly

jo1972 wrote: »

BHB, totally get where you're coming from, I regularly got to the bit where I gave up giving up cos I just couldn't be bothered or actually didn't want to. I also know what you mean about the starting earlier. Until Nov 07 I worked the other side of London and got home regularly at 7.30-8pm, that's when the drinking started, got the new job in the school and get home at 4.30pm and that's when the drinking could happily start, when I saw my old boss a little while after I'd left his firm (he knew about my drinking as I had to come clean about the detox I did), he said that all he was worrying about was that I might've brought my drinking start time earlier, I said 'no, no, no, of course not, I'm fine!'

BB, is there an alcohol counselling service you can join? Mine is run by the local authority here and is free (BHB, isn't your's the same?)

Morning Jo - Well done for being 'un-hungovered' :T

Good job I'm back to work next week hey?

Re the counselling - Mine is run By NORCAS, a local (?) charity, but guess the cash comes from local government / NHS ??

I just wish I was 'brave' enough for the group work.:o

Best wishes
Andy

jo1972

barshamhillbilly wrote: »

I just wish I was 'brave' enough for the group work.:o

That's how I felt but was persuaded by my counsellor to join the group. I was nervous, I walked in the room and expected to find a room full of down and outs, homeless people etc etc. I actually found a group full of lovely people from all walks of life ageing between 20 - 65 years. There were binge drinkers that only drank every couple of months but went on week long benders, there were people (like me) that only drinks in the evening, there were the all day, every day people and it was so interesting to hear other people justifying their reasons for drinking and realising that I did exactly the same thing. Going to the group was the best thing I could do at the time because I then realised that I was not alone and everything that I was doing to justify my drinking was a natural reaction to having a drink problem. Why not try it, you've got nothing to lose?

xx

RecoveringAlcoholic

I walked in the room and expected to find a room full of down and outs, homeless people etc etc. I actually found a group full of lovely people from all walks of life ageing between 20 - 65 years.

When I was in rehab a fellow patient (not alcohol related) said to me:
"You don't look like an alcoholic"!

Miss_Piggy_2

RecoveringAlcoholic wrote: »

When I was in rehab a fellow patient (not alcohol related) said to me:
"You don't look like an alcoholic"!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

What does one look like then!? Bet you didn't know whether or not to be flattered!

graemecarter

jo1972 wrote: »

That's how I felt but was persuaded by my counsellor to join the group. I was nervous, I walked in the room and expected to find a room full of down and outs, homeless people etc etc. I actually found a group full of lovely people from all walks of life ageing between 20 - 65 years. There were binge drinkers that only drank every couple of months but went on week long benders, there were people (like me) that only drinks in the evening, there were the all day, every day people and it was so interesting to hear other people justifying their reasons for drinking and realising that I did exactly the same thing. Going to the group was the best thing I could do at the time because I then realised that I was not alone and everything that I was doing to justify my drinking was a natural reaction to having a drink problem. Why not try it, you've got nothing to lose?

xx

I am a massive fan of group therapy, It makes everything so much less depressing when you realise that there are loads of people with this malady.

winebox

AFF CHALLENGE

X/28 = target X = actual

115k 14/28 8
andraste 16/28 2
biscotte 28/28 12
bismarck 28/28 18
budget babe 28/28 18
eselt 28/28 18
esther mcvittie 16/28 3
fayjmck 20/28 14
fedupandskint 19/28 13
glasgowgirl 16/28 11
happyshopper 16/28 10
imelda 21/28 4
jjef 21/28 5
jo1972 no target 7
louise3965 18/28 4
lurkio 16/28 11
maman 10/28 10
mari 20/28 1
miss piggy 20/28 16
mollypolly 28/28 18
nessa56 15/28 8
needstochange 15/28 9
patchoulli 28/28 12
pauper princess 14/28 2
paybacktime2008 23/28 3
polaroid 23/28 7
sea78 18/28 9
the rugby coach 12/28 8
yellow monkey no target 13

Hi all....that's it from me until Monday - look forward to loads of updates then?! Have a great next-3-days x

jo1972

Thanks WB :wave:

It's amazing the perception people have when you say 'alcoholic', even though I knew I was one, I still imagined that there would be people totally different to me at the meeting. One woman who I met who I become very good friends with held down 3 very professional jobs but still managed to put away 3-4 bottles of wine a night, her liver was 42% damaged and nobody knew she even had a problem! Unfortunately a lot of the friends I made through the group I no longer keep in touch with because when you fall by the wayside you don't want to drag them down with you (or have them encourage you to keep up with them! )

Done absolutely nothing today, planned tons of housework and should of cooked my shepherds pie ready to stick in the oven this evening so I don't have to spend time in kitchen tonight. In the end we all got on the Wii Fit (not at the same time!) and now my legs will barely work :eek: