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

fedupandskint

Thanks Winebox! Thanks for keeping the score and have a nice weekend yourself

barshamhillbilly

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

Thanks Jo, I might speak to my counseller about it - have another appointment in a couple of weeks. Hopefully will have a bit more will power next week when schools on again.

Best Wishes
Andy

beachbeth

jo1972 wrote: »

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 you talk about alcoholics I always imagine a scruffy-looking tramp who hasn't washed or shaved for months, lying in the gutter and burping!:rotfl: Well, I don't look like that and I don't expect many of us on this thread do either!

Ive resisted having a drink again tonight even though Ive felt quite anxious and could really have done with one! Ive told myself that Im either taking a tablet or nothing, so Ive took a tablet and will wait to see if it helps.:rolleyes:

115K

9/19 for me today Winebox. I'm struggling more with this month and I have been drinking a lot over the healthy limits when I have had my drinking days.

I'm happy to read that a couple of you feel like you can cope without the support, that is fantastic!:T

glasgowgirl

Hi everyone,

Following on from GP's post, I've realised that since joining this forum I've been thinking about alcohol more than I ever have before in my life - despite a 20 year relationship with it.

But I think that because I'm not yet in the place that GP is, this is actually a really good thing. The word I would use is 'mindfulness' - yes I'm thinking about alcohol a lot more but that's been a real wake-up call. The reason I never thought about it before was because coming home from work and launching into a bottle of wine every night had become an ingrained habit. I never really had cravings, but never thought about or questioned what I was doing - it was just my routine.

Very much hoping to get to the place where I don't need to think about alcohol because it's no longer part of my life, or is a very insignificant part, but for now - happy to be thinking and questionning.

Hope that makes sense.

xx

eselt

beachbeth wrote: »

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!

Sounds like your old doctor had real empathy- it wouldn't surprise me if he had first hand experience of alcohol problems and mental health problems- or perhaps he just saw so much alcohol related ill health over his career he saw the difference real support could give to his patients. I found a really compassionate GP in the end, quite young and keen and had loads of energy and it didn't matter how many times I went back to see him after a relapse, he would make me feel I could do this with support, but he just hadn't referred me to the right support yet- he tried everything and never gave up on me no matter how frustrating and disappointing it must be to have a patient that keeps letting you down.

I was also a coward about the group work- I live in such a small place and was already paranoid about gossip and what people thought of me, and my worst fear was walking in and being spotted, or there being someone in the group O worked with or knew. I know now I should have been brave and just taken a deep breath and gone in and it would be fine- but I didn't have any confidence then and just couldn't pluck up the courage- I probably would've needed a drink to have the guts to go and thats defeating the object!.

Hope everyone is OK tonight, good to see some old friends posting again- well done to Jo especially. Good luck BHB and Beachbeth with the struggles at the moment- and hello to everyone, best of luck.

Pippilongstocking

Hey guys reading lots on here - hope everyone is OK - I am back to watching the clock til it too late to go out - woo hoo its finally too late to go get a bottle wine.

Hope you are all well - why is it that at this time of the evening the 'un-hungovered feeling' I will experience tomorrow just seems irrelevant????

Miss_Piggy_2

fayjmck wrote: »

Hey guys reading lots on here - hope everyone is OK - I am back to watching the clock til it too late to go out - woo hoo its finally too late to go get a bottle wine.

Hope you are all well - why is it that at this time of the evening the 'un-hungovered feeling' I will experience tomorrow just seems irrelevant????

Snap. My Dad came over earlier and brought me Sirloin steak, Choccie puds, coke for OK (liquid variety:rotfl: ) and...a bottle of wine for me. He didn't realise I'm trying to cut down.

Now I KNOW if I opened it I would have finished it. And then I would have been clockwatching wondering if its too late to send OH out for some more (my usual trick)

So I'm saving it for tomorrow....will have it with dinner about 8pm and will try NOT to clock watch.

Maybe we were better off when shops shut at 5pm???

Miss P
xx

graemecarter

glasgowgirl wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Following on from GP's post, I've realised that since joining this forum I've been thinking about alcohol more than I ever have before in my life - despite a 20 year relationship with it.

But I think that because I'm not yet in the place that GP is, this is actually a really good thing. The word I would use is 'mindfulness' - yes I'm thinking about alcohol a lot more but that's been a real wake-up call. The reason I never thought about it before was because coming home from work and launching into a bottle of wine every night had become an ingrained habit. I never really had cravings, but never thought about or questioned what I was doing - it was just my routine.

Very much hoping to get to the place where I don't need to think about alcohol because it's no longer part of my life, or is a very insignificant part, but for now - happy to be thinking and questionning.

Hope that makes sense.

xx

Very true.
When we stop/abstain, it seems we think or even obsess about alcohol, much more than we did when actually drinking
I personally think it is because we drink to escape ourselves and our feelings, but even with stopping drinking, we cannot get rid of the stinking thinking.
The underlying reason of WHY we drink still persists, and that needs to be recified before the desire to drink leaves us.

Alcohol isn't the problem. I am the problem, and I abused alcohol to escape myself. Thing is, it cannot work

Well done folks - Feb seems tough for many people. Hang on in there, and if you can get some AF days in a row, well done :T

maman

I've had a drink tonight but not really enjoyed it. I've reached my target for the month, earlier than expected because some social events were postponed because of snow. I got to 8pm and fancied a drink and thought, why not? OH rolled his eyes in mock horror and asked why I was drinking in the middle of the week. I didn't take it seriously as he had a beer in his hand but he's obviously noticed. I started with a glass from a bottle I opened on Sunday but it was yuk! Then I opened a bottle from my favourite Asda 3 for £10 shiraz and that wasn't much better, it tasted very vinegary. I'm left wondering is it me getting more discerning because I'm drinking less or have they lowered the quality to maintain the price as has happened with other things. So anyone who's a red drinker who's AF tonight you've not missed much!!!

Technically I don't need to post for support until March but I'll be lurking and I doubt I'll be able to resist the odd post. And, of course, I need to think about my AFM target. Dydd Dewi Sant won't be AF but what about the other 30 days??

P.S. glasgow girl, I know exactly where you're coming from, could be me getting home every night and opening a bottle from habit. I'm sticking with the challenge as although I'm spending a lot more time on here and thinking about alcohol I'm sure it's giving me a wake-up call. Peraps when I wake up and only smell the de-caff coffee I'll know I've got it sussed.