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

mollypolly · 8 January 2009 at 5:07PM

Welcome Maman
We are a really happy lot on here.,asnd you will find support whether you are cutting down or giving up completely so Good Luck.

Lalalalalalalllaaaaaaaaaaaa

Happy, happy ,happy,:happylove :happylove :happylove

Love Mollypollyxxxx

Lurkio · 8 January 2009 at 5:07PM

fedupandskint wrote: »

Welcome Maman

Nice to see everyone has calmed down and is taking on board everyone's point of view.

I think some of us are all or nothing, and some of us are not and can control. We never know which one we are until we are honest about our own behaviour and control levels. That is the thing we probably ignore deep inside ourselves until something triggers it off, no matter how small and trivial it may seem. I don't think I've opened up enough to decide which one I am:o

What I have decided is this virtual support has had more impact on my thinking than I could ever have imagined, still takes all sorts eh?!:T

Well I'm not bothered by alcohol today and I'm looking forward to watching my black books DVD with a mug of hot chocolate:rotfl:

Couldn't agree more..... :T :T :T

biscotte · 8 January 2009 at 5:12PM

yEs Fedupandskint, the support here is great - in fact it's better in some ways that 'real life' support because there's always someone around on the board if you them and I think that we can all be far more open and honest because it's anonymous (that said I have mental pictures of everyone here, and you are all beautiful)

Lurkio · 8 January 2009 at 5:21PM

biscotte wrote: »

yEs Fedupandskint, the support here is great - in fact it's better in some ways that 'real life' support because there's always someone around on the board if you them and I think that we can all be far more open and honest because it's anonymous (that said I have mental pictures of everyone here, and you are all beautiful)

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

shopaholictiedtheknot · 8 January 2009 at 5:40PM

Lurkio wrote: »

For a minute there, I thought you meant in the last WEEK!!! :eek: :eek: :rotfl:

I haven't noticed any positive side effects yet..... but hopefully, soon......

LOL now I WOULD be patenting that diet :rotfl: No it has taken me almost 4 weeks!!

biscotte · 8 January 2009 at 5:40PM

Well, Lurky, you're obviously more handsome...;)

Patchoulli · 8 January 2009 at 5:45PM

Hi all - I hope you don't mind if I join your lovely and supportive thread. I've read the previous one over the past few weeks and I have been so impressed by how much you all help each other in a positive way - its great.

Anyway - I've been "dry" for 6 days! I went way overboard over Christmas and the New Year, and deep down I've known for a long, long time that I've been drinking too much. I'm a working mum of three teenagers, and have been drinking since my mid twenties - that's around 20 years. The last few years though have been rough and drink has been a prop for me - or at least, I thought it was, but now I realise that its made my problems worse and added to them, rather than solved them. I used to drink nearly a full bottle of wine per night, (often Cava) or lager or cider. I knew I had a problem when I broke into my aunt's Baileys which I'd bought her for Christmas and even wrapped up - after the shop was shut and we'd run out of wine:eek: and I can't stand the stuff.

Hubby likes a drink too, but knows after a couple of glasses to stop - for some reason I just get the taste and after a glass I don't even think about stopping - I just keep going.

Anyway, after spending much of New Year in a blur, and last Friday in bed with the shakes and the lousy head and the dry, dry mouth, I've just stopped. Drinking loads of juice and tea and juice and tea....

So far - lots of nightmares and disturbed sleep - do you think this is withdrawal. And I'm moody as hell! I work with small kids in a school and usually I'm Mrs Laidback, but right now I'm like a bear with a very sore head. Hope this passes soon.

I want a glass of wine right now so much. So will keep on reading and post occasionally, if that's ok with you.

My ideal would be to give up for a good few months (say six) and then drink no more than say a couple of glasses two or three times a week. Right now I think that's impossible, but who knows...small steps as they say.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for this thread. It really is inspirational.

X

shopaholictiedtheknot · 8 January 2009 at 5:48PM

GreyPilgrim wrote: »

Is there a strict definition of an alcoholic? Is it possible to generalize? I don't know if I'm an alcoholic, on the way to becoming one, or just being a drama queen about all of this.

I've never drank before or at work, never gone to work drunk, never driven whilst drunk. But I've had arguments I have no memory off, blank spaces of two or three hours where I've no recollection of getting home. I've based events around alcohol, using it as a pivotal part of an evening or occasion. I've not felt that I've needed alcohol to 'function', but at the same time I've used alcohol as a way of getting over nerves (I'm an extremely shy and quiet person and really hate large gatherings) and being more chatty.

And as I said at the start, my 'weekend' drinking was slowly starting to seep into thursdays, and mondays, then sometimes tuesdays and wednesdays. I think we all know deep down how badly we are dependant on it or how much of a problem we have.

I absolutely hate the stigma attached to being labelled an alcoholic and maybe I'm in denial a little bit about things. I suppose all you can do is face up to yourself and try your hardest to change yourself. You have to be honest with yourself and I'm trying to be. Maybe I am one.

I can totally relate to all your comments GreyPilgrim - worryingly very much so in your second paragraph!!

I think that GC is just trying in his way to make us see that we all do have a problem with alcohol, he has obviously (and correct me if I am wrong GC) come to terms with his addiction but many of us on here can't (or don't want to) consider ourselves 'alcoholics' , me mainly because I think it is a very sweeping generalisation of a complicated problem!

GC - we all do know we have a problem, that is why we are on here, I do appreciate your input I just think you may sometimes be a little harsh with us softies!!:D ( we are in the huggy forum after all!!)