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

jo1972

I am struggling big time at the moment

Getting fed up with this vicious circle, want to break the chain but constantly stopping myself, it's as if I'm on auto-pilot. It's easier to drink and be miserable than to not drink and be happy....work that one out..

Pippilongstocking

jo1972 wrote: »

I am struggling big time at the moment

Getting fed up with this vicious circle, want to break the chain but constantly stopping myself, it's as if I'm on auto-pilot. It's easier to drink and be miserable than to not drink and be happy....work that one out..

Hugs me dear - if its any consolation I am back to wrestling with my need to drink, watching the clock, having to lock my purse at work, etc

I am irritable and angry and grumpy.

Sending some hugs to you x

jo1972

fayjmck wrote: »

Sending some hugs to you x

And to you x

115K

jo1972 wrote: »

It's easier to drink and be miserable than to not drink and be happy....work that one out..

I totally know what you mean Jo. I am not drinking at the moment and I am feeling loads better for it but I know this won't stop me from wanting to start drinking again when April comes around even though I will only make myself feel worse again.

Day 14 for me NTC.

I hope you guys are all okay.:A

budget_babe

Hi everyone :hello:

I have booked a days holiday for today, so can post early.

I am doing two posts today as this first one is going to be quite heavy ...............

Last night I sat and watched a: "Secret Millionaire", I ended up sobbing all the way through it. I guess that it just hit a chord with me. Did anyone else get to see it?

I have had a troubled nights sleep and I really want to convey this correctly, as I don't want to upset anyone. I am sure by now that you all know that is the last thing that I would want to do.

The programme centered around a scrap metal dealer who after a £100 loan from his dear grandad ended up being a millionaire. He travelled to Blackpool to see who he could help? He met a mixture of people, a young girl who was a drug addict. (He had lost twin sisters to drugs at age 34). Families with sick and dying children, some war veterans and a guy in the pub who was an alcoholic.

It was seeing the awful state that this guy was in that really brought home for me what alcohol can do? I have never seen anything like it to be honest, he had sirrous of the liver. As a result his stomach was so swollen, he looked an absolute mess and still the poor guy stood alone at the bar, drinking his life away. It was so incredibely sad, as a mother I have always dreaded the evil of drugs and I will be honest and say that I have never given consideration to alcohol.

The end of the programme was dedicated in the memory of a fifteen year old boy who was featured on the programme who had sadly passed away due to a massive brain tumor and to this guy who had passed away due to alcoholism. It was seeing these two tributes that really brought home to me what being a alcoholic means, and the realisation that the only person that can change anything is yourself.

I know that alot of people on here are not alcoholics, I myself am not. But like most posters I recoginsed that my drinking needed taking in hand. It is though the people that perhaps have a more harder relationship with alcohol that I would urge to PLEASE TRY and address this for your own sakes.

Grahame Carter, I hope that you know that I have always respected your posts, in the past you have perhaps not had an easy ride with what you were/are trying to convey but I have total respect for you.

If you don't mind I would like to quote this:

"I don't want my kids to lose me to a disease like alcoholism. That makes me determined not to drink, and focuses my efforts."

It is from one of your previous posts and I thing sums up what I am trying to say, you see the young boy in the programme could change nothing but the other guy could have if only he had chosen not to drink?
So thankyou Grahame for being you, for trying to help others and for caring. Love and hugs to you my friend. xxxxx

Ra if you are lurking? Then I just want to say how much I admire what you have achieved, I am so glad you have changed your life around and it is so lovely that you are doing work now to help others. Hugs to you my friend and please take care. xxxxx

Eselt I have said on many occasions how much I respect you and believe me I do, but naively I have never seen anything so graphic on the effects of alcohol. So again well done for changing for giving your children their Mum back and for caring about everyone on here. You are a diamond and thankyou from everyone. Hugs Angel xxxxx

Molly Polly do you know what I always know you are there in the background supporting everyone in their efforts to stay alcohol free. But I don't feel that I have given you enough credit for what you have achieved. You have done so well and you are here day after day supporting everyone. Thankyou for that Angel and you are nearly at your first birthday, how utterley fantastic is that? You are brilliant and everyone on here loves you, I read your signature which if I may I would also like to quote:

"ONE IS TOO MANY...A THOUSAND NEVER ENOUGH!
ALCOHOL FREE SINCE 07/04/08"

This is so true and something we should never forget. So thankyou Angel, and thankyou for being you. Lots of love and hugs. xxxxxx

I don't know if I have managed to make any sense? But I just feel so pationately today, that for the ones who may be on the verge of not coping with alcohol? Then please think of the life you have of the families that need you and of the people that love you. The young boy in the programme did not have a choice.

YOU DO .................

God Bless everyone
Budgie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pippilongstocking

Thanks for that BB - its funny actually we see alcohol as something (well I do) that I need to switch myself off - and I get so mad at myself when I cave in and have some. I never ever put two and two together and think of it as a drug and I might be addicted to it.

Therefore I never cut myself any slack at all when I cave in - I am sure for some folks like me its the same - surprising when you actually try and stop how hard it is to.

Smoking must be just as hard to stop as all these legal drugs are everywhere.

Like I said last week I went to a talk in the evening for a local club about moths of all things and won a bottle of wine - don't suppose you'd see a packet of fags, few grams of an illegal drug or some tranquilisers as a raffle prize would you?

fedupandskint

Just a few thoughts after reading the posts above

Very true what Fay said, some people don't view alcohol as a drug due to it being legal, socially acceptable etc. No eyebrows raised as a raffle prize yet a cannabis joint or 20 multipack of ciggies would do.

Alcohol is a drug, physically affects every single part of the human body mostly for the worse yet it is legal and cheeeaaap.

Mentally look at the affect it has on us - for me when I am not drinking like this weekend the thought that is on my mind is ''I am not drinking, I am not drinking'' Why is this? I don't think like this when I don't have a cup of tea or coffee? Alcohol has conditioned my mind for it to be completely acceptable to drink and when I don't drink it jolts my mind into recognising I am doing something completely different. Like stopping using a drug.

I wonder if it will get easier with time and drinking less?

I read someone's post on here about reduced tolerance after cutting down. This had never occured to me for some reason, no wonder I feel the alcohol effects so quickly after a glass or 2 of wine or beer. With only having 6 drinking days this month out of 31 I guess I will feel the effects more quickly the next time I drink

Today is my 24/31 day AF meaning I have made my target by the end of tonight, as I won't be drinking! :j

eselt

Hi all- some great posts in the last couple of days, making me think very hard. Budgie, I didn't see the programme but it sounds harrowing- when I had hepatitis (alcoholic not viral) my stomach swelled up too, but I'd had it for ages and had no symptoms- didn't really think anything was wrong until I woke up yellow one day and covered in a chicken poxy type rash- yuk.

Hope it didn't depress you too much,particularly as we are all here to tackle our issues with alcohol and take that leap of faith into moderation/sobriety.

Jo- hope you are OK? Best of luck with resistance everyone.

mollypolly

Hi to you all,
Hope you are having a good day.
Just dashed in to catch up quickly I have go to work.

Budget Babe what a wonderful post.Really thought provoking.
I dont particularly think I am any different from anyone else on here....even though its nearly a year the alcohol still shouts to me sometimes (although not as much)
I am just so gald that I found this thread because I am sure that I couldnt have done this otherwise......and then who knows where I would have been today........

Must dash now but JO I hope you are ok.Give some thoughts to your children.They need you SOBER at all times.....I think you know this too hun.;)

See you later ,Love Mollypollyxxxx

fluffyb

Wow,eselt that sounds seriously scary

Do you mind me asking how many units you were drinking then? Tell me to mind my own business if you want to though :rolleyes: