The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread! Part 3

winebox

40sm day 3 for me please. I'm regenerating!

(btw for those who take milk thistle, I read that it's best to take it at night cos 3-4am is when the liver is doing its bit to recover)

fluffyb

3 AFDs for me too please 40sm

Pippilongstocking

Evening all - on briefly the nooooo - Jo said if I was about and she wasnt to let you know how she got on......................................as per text.......

Jo said - 'Doc siad my test revealed I got highe enzymes in my liver which indicates that there could be damage. Said liver function test is OK but will deteriorate if I drink alcohol. ............being sent for another test in 3 weeks to make sure results improve.....................Didnt call me a criminal this time though '

We need to keep you safe and sound Jo - xx

Hugs chaps catch you later - 40sm - 3 for me

In pjs already - so chic

Pop in later

x

graemecarter

winebox wrote: »

GC hope you're not ofended by this but when you say you were wetting the bed, sleeping rough & vomiting all day, that sounds VERY extreme to me, & I would deffo realise I had a problem in those circs. I realise I have a problem now & I'm nowhere near that state of affairs!

What I'm trying to say is, I hope I am nipping the problem in the bud early enough, not by stopping but by realising where I might be heading & cutting down long before I get to the point you did.

I'll never be as good as fluffy & always be in control, I hope I will be most of the time but will undoubtedly get bladdered at some point (this coming Saturday very likely), & as long as it's
- occasional
- in fun company
- nothing important to do next day ie driving, work
then I will probably always do so, & enjoy it. Hangovers are very very rare with me & I never throw up.

What I don't like about my drinking at the mo is not so much the amount I drink but the fact I'm not enjoying it. Must confess I love getting riproaring drunk, but every night? Nah.
.

No offence at all. I am glad you brought it up.
Compared to most people it is extreme - the sleeping rough bit I hadn't done for about 10 years, but even so, why did I do it when I had a nice home to go to? Because I passed out where I was I guess

The vomiting all day would happen every few months - and the bed-wetting happened once a month or so. Though I did have periods where I didn't do any of these things for a year or two...

However, compared to others, I had a very 'high' bottom. They lost everything first before admitting there was an issue.
I didn't drink that many units per week, it's just that I drank them all in one go when I did!!
If you can cut down then great - that is the best way forward. However, if you cannot cut down (or it makes you miserable when you do cut down) then maybe stopping drinking is best.

I still held down a job for an international bank and travelled all round the world, so I wasn't a down and out, but too often my drinking was reckless.
I thought blackouts and occasional vomiting through alcohol were normal - just shows you the strength of denial.

I don't understand why you drink if you don't enjoy it? I didn't enjoy the last years of my smoking, but carried on because I was addicted to nicotine. I had to admit that to myself to finally have the courage to stop.

fedupandskint

Make it 3 AFD for me too 40sm

Jo - hope you are ok my dear :cool:

Fay you sound bright as a button my dear! :cool:

For everyone else talking about stopping/cutting down, well do what suits you but make sure you aim for not going above the recommended limits for the week (21 for men and 14 for women) it doesn't take long to rack these units up! Try make sure you have plenty of days off in the week and no 2 consecutive drinking days in a row. These limits are there for a reason afterall.

Plus all we do by drinking is pay the govt plenty of money and income for them to spend where they want. That's why alcohol stays legal and relatively low in price - despite what they say they want us to spend money on booze to keep the coffers flowing, no matter which govt is in power it stays the same.

Sorry for the rant but is true

Lurkio

fedupandskint wrote: »

For everyone else talking about stopping/cutting down, well do what suits you but make sure you aim for not going above the recommended limits for the week (21 for men and 14 for women) it doesn't take long to rack these units up! Try make sure you have plenty of days off in the week and no 2 consecutive drinking days in a row. These limits are there for a reason afterall.

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

winebox

graemecarter wrote: »

I don't understand why you drink if you don't enjoy it? I didn't enjoy the last years of my smoking, but carried on because I was addicted to nicotine. I had to admit that to myself to finally have the courage to stop.

Thanks for your reply GC. What I meant was I don't enjoy the pattern of my drinking now.....having so much every day is, well, pointless, & getting boring. Addicted? Possibly / probably. Not physically I don't think, never get any withdrawal symptoms, but psycologically, certainly. That for me used to mean I was OK (not getting the shakes/DTs when I stopped) but over the last year or so I've come to recognise that whatever the type of the addiction, it is one, & just as dangerous.

I was encouraged 3/4 years ago when I had sinusitis for nearly 3 weeks, couldn't smell or taste anything for 18 days & so didn't have a drink in all that time. Why? Cos I like the taste more than the effect, I'm fussy about what I drink & never just want or crave "booze", & so I guess I feel that I'm still, if not sensible, at least discerning (!). (I was amazed by how many people encouraged me to drink - "you'll still get the effect" - but that wasn't what I wanted).

Do I sound as if I'm deluding myself? Maybe I am. I'm trying to be honest with myself; & there's no doubt that I've been drinking way too much. We'll see if I can turn it around....maybe I won't be able to.

winebox

fedupandskint wrote: »

make sure you aim for not going above the recommended limits for the week (21 for men and 14 for women) it doesn't take long to rack these units up! Try make sure you have plenty of days off in the week and no 2 consecutive drinking days in a row. These limits are there for a reason afterall.

Plus all we do by drinking is pay the govt plenty of money and income for them to spend where they want. That's why alcohol stays legal and relatively low in price - despite what they say they want us to spend money on booze to keep the coffers flowing, no matter which govt is in power it stays the same.

I'm not trying to argue with everyone tonight, honest!

To take the 2nd para first couldn't agree more, the barstewards.

Re alcohol units, I can't help but take these with a massive pinch of salt. How can the same limits apply to a woman 5' tall who weighs 7 1/2 stone as a woman 5'10" who weighs 11 stone? Plus many other factors. I recognise there need to be some sort of guidance but it's too dogmatic. Also, in other countries they're wildly different! I think it's Japan (not sure...) where I could "safely" consume about 50 units a week.

turning Japanese I think I'm turning Japanese I really think so....

ETA - my dad always said, you know if you drink too much & don't need the bl00dy government to tell you!

winebox

Fay thanks for the message from Jo.

Jo thinking of you hun, it'll work out alright kid, look at Eselt, MP, Bis, GC, RA. Hope to see you back here soon x

eselt

Hi all- blimey its taken me SOO long to catch up with you all. Hope everyone is OK.

Congrats to everyone for Mays totals- brilliant, and well done fay for getting the prize.

Scary thoughts about blackouts, I had two withdrawal seizures when I was trying to give up on my own- thank goodness I wasn't driving, but I did loose my licence for a year as the hospital notified the DVLA and I had to go for 12 months with no further fits before I got it back. Bad times.

Hope your test results are OK Jo- I'm sure if there was something really wrong they would have phoned you and let you know. Hope the news is good.

Have a good day everyone- welcome to all the new people.