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

happyshopper

mollypolly wrote: »

:hello:Hello and welcome to the thread Sleepyjo.

I am glad you have taken the first steps to admitting your problem.Keep reading and posting and you will get loads of advice and support on here.
Some on here have set targets for April, why not join in.Set yourself a mini target for the rest of the month.I'm sure Happyshopper wont mind adding you to the list.
Good luck
Love Mollypollyxxxx

I'd be delighted to, the more the merrier. Or should that be soberer :rolleyes:

ad1jnl

Had an appointment with my work counsellor today. This depression thing is a swine I tell you - I'm getting incredible guilt about being off work even though the doctors signed me off and the CBT therapist said that what I answered on their scorecard thing would mean the dcotor classes me as clinically depressed!! For some reason I still think I'm faking it and I'm alright really and should pull myself together.
BUT after talking it through its just my "inner bully" talking to me. I've had thoughts like this for a while but always liked to put out a "front" Three years back I had a big blow out, started drinking constantly and ended up off for 3 months. Not going to let it happen again - but not rushing back to work and going to be completely honest with the doctor/therapist/work etc.

My problem with drinking is its a way out of the crap feelings most of the time. I don't actually like the taste of it (and probably never have) Or it boosted confidence in social situations. This is the reason why the best option for me is abstinence. But need help as once my mind and negative thoughts get going then its an almost automatic response. One of the things that helps is to talk or write things down. Thats why its good to be able to post on this thread. Suppose it kind of slows down thinking and lets you rationalise them - if that makes sense???

Jon

jo1972

Jon, that makes perfect sense. It's like groundhog day, you drink to forget the carp, then the following day feel carp because you drank, so do it all over again, I can understand exactly what you're saying. Keep posting and writing it down and keeping it all out in the open. Good luck xx

ad1jnl

Hi Jo,

Hope you're well and not getting too annoyed about the tax credit people.

I've actually be drinking less than I did I while back - AFD were about 25 last month which is pretty good but not drinking didn't take away the fact that something really wasn't right. Thats why I ended up having the binges. I know it'll be better for me not to drink and can then deal with the underlying issues once its out of the system. Here's to another AFD

jo1972

ad1jnl wrote: »

Here's to another AFD

:beer: oops :coffee: :rolleyes:

sleepyjo

thanks to all, i actually feel a bit more positive about stopping, knowing that i can write and tell you all how i feel, i am going to asda tonight about 9.00 then picking my son up and if i can i will have a challenge to have alc free days all over the wekend, while my son is here, then i might need more encouragement after he has gone back home. he doesn't mind me have a glass or two, but doesn't drink an awful lot himself, so doesn't see why i need to, that's why i try not to have a drink when he is home, but end up getting stressed, etc and as soon as he has left, i usually start again!
but i will try and not, especially as, if i haven't had anything to drink from yesterday's 1.5 bottle's wine and a litre of cider untill next monday, i will get a terrible headache from it,
can i ask molly-polly, your signature says that you haven't had a drink since last april, was it very hard for you to give up compleatly, rather than just cut down and how much money have you saved? i reckon i must spend over £30.00 per week, just on alc and i know it could be put to better use for other things.
thans again for your encouragemnt
jo-jo

jo1972

Jo-Jo, your 2nd post sounded much more positive, that's what it's all about today....positivity!! xx

sleepyjo

nirelandguy wrote: »

I'm off alcohol 14 days now, have to say I feel rather down. Yes I am off alcohol but it was my only pleasure in life. I looked forward to my little tipple on a Sat night after a crappy week at work

that's how i feel at the moment and only on day 1 off alcohol, i feel like all i do is work (i work from home) which is worse, because i know i can drink through-out the day as well. but we never seem to go out anywhere or do anything other than work and sleep, so i feel like it is my only pleasure, but i know now that it is only a pleasure that first drink of the day, after that i just feel like i have to carry on, untill i finish the bottle, then i feel bad going to bed, not sleeping properly and waking up feeling like carp, but reaching out again for another bottle to carry on the day with.
i need to do something else in life, but have to be around at home for the phone and my husband works long hours, so all we do is work, bed, etc. jo-jo

mollypolly

[QUOTE=sleepyjo;
can i ask molly-polly, your signature says that you haven't had a drink since last april, was it very hard for you to give up compleatly, rather than just cut down and how much money have you saved? i reckon i must spend over £30.00 per week, just on alc and i know it could be put to better use for other things.
thans again for your encouragemnt
jo-jo[/QUOTE]

In answer to the question re money,I think I was probably spending about £ 30 per week too.I havn't actually saved anything but it has helped with my huge debts in that I don't struggle as much to pay my bills (Until last week when my hours have now been cut and I will lose about £70pw.:eek:)

Was giving up hard?Yes and no.
At the start of the first thread last year I stopped drinking for a couple of weeks and then got complacent.I thought I was in control and could just have a couple and be ok.But I couldnt.I very nearly ruined a whole holiday and 25th wedding anniversary due to horrendous hangovers.
When I came back I knew if I wanted my life, my family and my sanity back I could NEVER drink again.That was a very scary thought but once I had taken that on board and got used to the idea it wasn't too bad.
And to be honest.Now, I am too frightened to HAVE a drink.:T
Good luck in cutting down/giving up....whichever you decide is best for you.
Love Mollypollyxxxx

sleepyjo

jo1972 wrote: »

Jo-Jo, your 2nd post sounded much more positive, that's what it's all about today....positivity!! xx

thanks jo1972, i am trying to stay positive, i am going to try very hard and not have anything at all to drink all weeknd, while my son is home and hopefully see if i can se the light next week when he goes back home.
i know that i need to give up, because of my health, i have pains in my tomach on oand off some days and take painkillers for it, but i know they say on the packet, avoid alcohol, but i ignore that bit, but i don't think they work the same, or i don't seem to feel any better, but i know - that this weekend, if i don't have a drink, i probably won't have any pains, or headaches all weekend, that is why i know it is all alcool related, that is one reason i have to stop, i ended up at the hospital two years ago and like one of the posts on the last page, i actually lied to the doctors about how much alc i had drank the night before, but i'm syre they knew, but they gave me painkillers and i actually stopped drinking for three weeks then, and felt a lot better about myself and everything, then i had some bad news about my mother and an argument with my husband and no one to talk it through with, so started drinking again!