The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread! Part 5

Lurkio

winebox wrote: »

It's all about substitution for me - Freud would no doubt have a field day!

Yeah - him and that dog. :cool:

Lurkio

winebox wrote: »

Blue is the colour, football is the game, we're all together, & winning is our aim....so cheer us on through the wind & rain cos Chelsea, Chelsea is our name.

Not sure where that came from...coffee must've been too strong this morning.

Hello everyone!

you girls and your football :rolleyes: I don't know.........

graemecarter

winebox wrote: »

How true - stopping smoking was a doddle compared with this. I've given this quite a bit of thought cos I don't understand why; I think it's because if you smoke "seriously" it almost inevitably involves doing so every day as that's the nature of the drug nicotine. When I smoked I didn't drink every day (far from it) but since I stopped smoking my drinking has increased cos I need / want that daily "fix" of...something. I haven't drunk every single day since I stopped smoking, but it probably ain't far off!

It's all about substitution for me - Freud would no doubt have a field day!

I realise that I am prone to cross-addiction.
If not alcohol, then love and sex, exercise, chocolate, etc
I need everything in moderation (apart from alcohol, drugs and nicotine)

However, the biggest difference for me between ciggies and alcohol was that I drank alcohol to change the way I was feeling. It was an escape from the debating society in my head. It was a 'time out' moment, and my escape from reality. I never got the same from ciggies.
And I loved drinking. I just couldn't handle the consequences of it and thus had to stop

I smoked first and foremost because I was addicted to nicotine, and then grew to love them, and then I resented them but kept on smoking........

I like going to bed now knowing I haven't done anything today I regret because of my desire to drink or smoke.
I sometimes go to bed having done things I regret, but not around alcohol or nicotine

winebox

Lurkio wrote: »

Yeah - him and that dog. :cool:

I've lost my shrugging smily but imagine me looking [STRIKE] thick [/STRIKE] confused - wot?

winebox

Lurkio wrote: »

you girls and your football :rolleyes: I don't know.........

I can't get the blimmin' tune out of my head now & I'm not even a Chelsea fan

Pippilongstocking

graemecarter wrote: »

I realise that I am prone to cross-addiction.
If not alcohol, then love and sex, exercise, chocolate, etc
I need everything in moderation (apart from alcohol, drugs and nicotine)

I know I can manage with everything in moderation, BUT - I wonder if one of the issues is those of us prone to over-indugance - almost like an obsessive complusive part of our personality?

I know we've talked about this before - myself (and I can only speak for me) I do NOTHING in moderation.

Everything I do (generally) is utterly obsessively/excessively to the extreme I can manage - its like I don't have an 'off or moderation button'.

I am learning - slowly and its like having to constantly put the brakes on.

Anyone else the same? Or is it a stupid question?

I mean for me:

I eat excessively
I fidget excessively
If I drink I do this excessively
I work obsessively
I've studied to the highest point I can
I've moved as remotely as I possibly can (and when I've lived in cities - I tend to live right in the middle to be 100% involved)
I play hard and generally do everything in my life to the point of excess

(I am even excessively frugal - if that makes any sense?:rotfl:)

Is it part of a greater 'addictive or obsessive' personality issue for folks like me?

PS where is the shruggy smiley?

PPS that's why its all or nothing I think with the old alkofrol for me - (at least that's my opinion)

winebox

graemecarter wrote: »

I realise that I am prone to cross-addiction.
If not alcohol, then love and sex,

I should be so lucky (I know, I'm getting predictable....)

I like going to bed now knowing I haven't done anything today I regret because of my desire to drink or smoke.

I like that quote, gonna think some more round that one!

winebox

I know what you mean Fay, few half-measures (bad choice of words). You can be obsessive about frugality - I always have been - I used to be called tight but now it's quite trendy! We're saving the planet!

Pippilongstocking

winebox wrote: »

I know what you mean Fay, few half-measures (bad choice of words). You can be obsessive about frugality - I always have been - I used to be called tight but now it's quite trendy! We're saving the planet!

Planet saving is grand tis indeed my mission - and you're right, finally its fashionable to be frugal, it use to be called 'being poor' or living on a budget in my childhood!

Yeah, I don't do anything 'normally'

I've never seen the point in moderation - things change I guess.......:cool:

- doh (lurks etc go on, do your best with that statement!:rotfl:)

mookiepook

Hi all - Fay I know exactly what you mean - I'm a bit obsessive about things too - always been an "all or nothing" type of person. Also have realised that I'm better off not drinking at all (like GC says) rather than having an odd one now and again - it's so much easier to have none - last Saturday night I had a couple and can honestly say that I didn't enjoy the evening more so what's the point? Have decided to stick to soft drinks when out in future then I can wake the next day feeling great.