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

graemecarter

biscotte wrote: »

According to definition number 1 everyone I know is an alcoholic!!!

I'd tick one and a half boxes because although I have a regular routine of alcohol use I don't put it above other important things.

I think I am quite susceptible to the effects of alcohol, even when habitually drinking, so I get sloshed very easily and suffer all the side effects.

I think that big drinkers tend to associate with other big drinkers, that's why you don't know many people who are non/very light drinkers.

yellowmonkey

Having one of these . Makes a change for a Friday. ( Green Tea )


Normally have


Excuse me I am just playing with some smilies I have found


I know boys and their toys :rolleyes:

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Bismarck

I've tried hard not to get into this debate but it keeps pulling me in!

the phrase recovering alcoholic is possibly the most misunderstood. it still implies the alcoholic status but as there is no such thing as a recovered alcoholic by that definition it doesn't leave a lot to aim for if you understand what I mean.

I would be more accepting of the phrase "alcoholic" if it wasn't so "unrecoverable"....by the 3 point test above I'm completely clear but there's obviously something different about me compared to the average joe...or is there a higher proportion of the population that are actually alcoholics...

but, then again, does it really matter?

I have not drunk today and didn't for the last goodness knows how many weeks and months....whether I am/ was/will be any kind of alcoholic doesn't really matter in that context. I am sober today and that will do me just fine, thanks.

rubyrocks

Hello! I'm new to this... I know that cutting down on alcohol will mean a massive save on spending. Trouble is, when you're saving money by not going out, it's easy to feel you deserve a few glasses of wine in front of the telly! And when you have cheap corner shops nearby... Well, you can see what I'm getting at! So it's very encouraging to read your posts, thank you! Ruby.

JDPower

yellowmonkey wrote: »

Normally have

Apologies for the OT post but that looks suspiciously like a Smiley Central smiley. If you have downloaded anything relating to Smiley Central I suggest uninstalling immediately and running spyware scans as it is malware

115K

Isn't the tea supposed to be green not the person drinking it Yellow monkey?

I think labelling someone an alcoholic can lead to someone becoming pessimistic and maybe thinking that their drinking problems are bigger than them and unavoidable. I have known people that have drunk themselves to death and I would consider them alcoholics but if they had been receptive to treatment then they may have survived and even if they had still stayed away from booze for the rest of their lives some medical experts would always consider them as "recovering alcoholics". I think maybe genetics has a part to play in it as well as people who are alcoholics often have parents and grandparents with the same drinking problems.

I think there is a difference with people who maybe for some reason have a bad time in their lives, often loneliness or a tragedy, and they turn to alcohol to block out the pain but are able to give drink up once their circumstances have changed and they don't need it as a crutch anymore.

I see a difference in those two types of problem drinkers. I'm not sure which one I am though but I would rather be the second one obviously but I don't know if it is just wishful thinking.:o

Just my opinion anyway.;)

Hi Ruby!:hello:

biscotte

graemecarter wrote: »

I think that big drinkers tend to associate with other big drinkers, that's why you don't know many people who are non/very light drinkers.

Actually I made that observation that everyone I know would be classed as an alcoholic under definition number one to demonstrate that I personally don't think that a consumption of 1,5 bottles of wine per week as is in any way excessive. I think it is an incorrect definition of an alcoholic quite frankly. As Maman (I think) said, even her elderly parents drink that much wine in a week and it equates to a glass of wine with dinner each day - hardly excessive, no? In fact in the vast majority of european countries a glass or two with dinner is absolutely the norm and noone would consider this amount too much.

I don't consider myself a particulary 'big drinker' nor most of my friends, but I do feel that I need to keep an eye on my consumption as I am not as young as I used to be (like a lot of people on here hitting 'middle age') and find that it affects me a lot more now - from the feeling carp the next day point of view.. Mind you, I'm sure that you would say I was in denial.

Needstochange

Hiya Biscotte :wave: It was me that have alcoholic parents:rotfl: I told them today and they were very non plussed, apparantly my dad likes a pint of hand pulled twice a week as well so they are properly on skid row:D

Well I think Im out of this for now as I really dont want to go down the AA route. I have enjoyed the camaradarie of AF days so thanks for that.

Good luck all and thanks for all the support:A

fedupandskint

Needstochange wrote: »

Well I think Im out of this for now as I really dont want to go down the AA route. I have enjoyed the camaradarie of AF days so thanks for that

Me too, I am sick of all of this alcoholic debate. Leave it be, if anyone wants to go to AA then do so. The bonhomie style support I found on this thread really helped me this week and I'm sure it helped others who post or lurk.

I'll check back after the weekend to see how it's going and if it hasn't changed I'm off because I can do this on my own, I have before and will do so again. :T

It was great to read how everyone else was doing and this increased my motivation and I'll remember you all for that if I don't return

Patchoulli

Hi all!

Hope you're all doing ok.

I am on day 8 now, and really feel that I have more energy which is amazing because my sleep is completely shot! I am having the most vivid and awful nightmares - does anybody relate to this? Could it be withdrawal do you think?

Anyway, Becks alcohol free lager is on a good offer at Tesco this week, and if you stick it in the freezer for an hour its not too bad, you can almost kid yourself that its the real deal! We usually have a takeaway on a Friday, so I've got a couple of Becks chilling right now, because the thought of a curry and cup of tea or a bottle of coke just doesn't cut it for me.

As for the word "alcoholic" in my mind, it is just that - a word, a jumble of letters. And labels are for jars in my mind! All I know, is that deep inside, I didn't feel good physically when I was drinking too much - that little inner voice kept niggling away - and I knew it was too much - for me. My "too much" may be fine for some one else - my "just right" may be way too much for someone else. What I'm trying to say is I think we all "know" when we, personally are overdoing it - and its personal to us, and our makeup and mentality, and no one needs to put us into a little box to tell us whether we need a label or not, because inwardly - that little voice tells us all we need to know.

Have a great Friday evening,

and thanks for being here.

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