The cutting out/cutting down alcohol thread (part 7)

cardboard_chewer

budget_babe wrote: »

Ok gotta dash, Cardboard Chewer nice to see you posting. (())

I'm mostly a lurker and only speak sometimes (bit like my real life)

I've been following the thread for about a year now and I think there must be lots (many 1000s?) of people out there lurking and reading but not posting. We'll never know about them but you guys will have been a big help to many of them.

brokepaolo

probably going to stay AF this evening although I'm cooking asparagus risotto dinner and you need a little bit of white wine to add flavour when toasting the rice, so perhaps that's cheating a little..

I've decided to try some herbal remedies to sort out my moods/anxiety that have been bothering me lately. I've bought some St.John's Wort and some Kudzu from Holland & Barrett. Someone here had recommended Kudzu as good for dealing with the urge to have a drink after work and I must say it has worked quite well on that front. It may just be a placebo effect or better still, an indication that I am on the mend psychologically and am coping with the urges much better than I used to, but at £11 per 100 capsule bottle, I hope it's the capsules to be honest!

Anyone here tried St.John's Wort? I've had dalliances with prescription antidepressants in the past but never really felt the benefits and felt quite depressed just by the thought that I had to take them in the first place. I was foolish and stopped cold turkey with them once in my twenties, but strangely I didn't feel any adverse effects despite doctors strongly advising against this course of action.

Then again, my stopping coincided with me moving to australia for a year which turned out to be one of the best years in my life, so maybe I was just distracted. I never got back onto them since though and would prefer not to so shall try the herbal method first..

Hope everyone's having a pleasant wednesday. Half the week is over, two more days and it's the long weekend. apart from me, I'm back working at the pub on sunday and the landlord's whole 18-strong family is down from Yorkshire for sunday lunch so I must be on my game..

365days

A little story to share.

As some of you know I work in an advisory/supportive role with parents. Obviously none of these people know about my drinking or now at least my lack of it. That is sometimes hard to keep to myself as it can be very relevant in certain situations. Last week I had a consultation with a new parent. She was finding it hard to deal with her child's behaviour, was tearful, at the end of her tether. Towards the end of the meeting she said, totally out of the blue 'I want to stop drinking'. I told her of a few places that could help her if she couldn't stop herself, she was adamant that she didn't need 'that kind of help' and was going to do it herself. I saw her again today and she has been a week sober, money in her pocket, relationships at home already improved, taking charge of all sorts of elements of her life. She had told her mum that she was seeing someone to help her stop drinking. I asked who it was and she said 'YOU!'. I was so pleased, even though I didn't think I really had helped, in fact I had just helped her tot up how much she was drinking, how much money it was costing her etc and I suppose gave her the 'permission' to try and stop.

Bit of a ramble, but just had to share, I wanted to say ' I haven't had a drink for 7 months' but I'm still not comfortable sharing that bit of me with others just yet.

It will be really interesting to see how she gets on.

Pippilongstocking

365 - I think you deserve a huge cuddle and a big cheer - well done you for helping someone with good, sound practical advice.

xxxxxx

Maman - two houses, um sometime in July I set one of my houses free - can't come soon enough!

Hello to the rest of you

MORE moving tonight - if that can even be possible.

brokepaolo

365days wrote: »

A little story to share.

As some of you know I work in an advisory/supportive role with parents. Obviously none of these people know about my drinking or now at least my lack of it. That is sometimes hard to keep to myself as it can be very relevant in certain situations. Last week I had a consultation with a new parent. She was finding it hard to deal with her child's behaviour, was tearful, at the end of her tether. Towards the end of the meeting she said, totally out of the blue 'I want to stop drinking'. I told her of a few places that could help her if she couldn't stop herself, she was adamant that she didn't need 'that kind of help' and was going to do it herself. I saw her again today and she has been a week sober, money in her pocket, relationships at home already improved, taking charge of all sorts of elements of her life. She had told her mum that she was seeing someone to help her stop drinking. I asked who it was and she said 'YOU!'. I was so pleased, even though I didn't think I really had helped, in fact I had just helped her tot up how much she was drinking, how much money it was costing her etc and I suppose gave her the 'permission' to try and stop.

Bit of a ramble, but just had to share, I wanted to say ' I haven't had a drink for 7 months' but I'm still not comfortable sharing that bit of me with others just yet.

It will be really interesting to see how she gets on.

that's brilliant!

I wish certain people I know would try and tone down their drinking. my sister mainly, she keeps promising to do it and says that if we do it together it will be easier but then she'll go out and get drunk and say nasty things like 'don't start preaching at me, you're only doing this because you're skint, otherwise you'd be at the pub drinking even more than me'.

which is partly true, I suppose but it doesn't negate that she's still doing herself quite a lot of harm with the amount she drinks. She'll regularly get through a bottle or more white wine a day and she always matches me drink for drink at the pub. I'll have 3 pints of beer and she'll have 3 large glasses of wine, that's a whole bottle and probably only takes under 2 hours to do this and then home for some more..

But all I can do is suggest things to do which don't involve alcohol, we sometimes go swimming or for a nice walk somewhere and I really don't want to preach to her because I'm a fine one to talk, but it worries me all the same.

I'll see if I can persuade her to not have a drink when I cook dinner for her tonight.

fedupandskint

AFD 26 for me thanks DB - only 5 more days left until the end of the month and if I hang on it will be 2mths and 2 weeks AF

Still undecided whether to stick AF or succumb to a glass or two of wine. Need to keep reminding myself how much better I feel AF and how my moods are more level and I feel happy in myself and enjoy waking up every morning with no groggy hangover feelings and how the weekends are no longer a trigger for me like they once were.

Marru

Well done 365!! :T

Took DD's wee test to get checked - all clear. Have here major plan of action to get the situation sorted and would you believe - she has been dry today. I did praise her a lot. Now she is messing in her room and I have locked myself in mine waiting for her to settle down. Shame I forgot to take my study books here with me, need to sneak downstairs soon to get them. Oooh - I can access the stuff online so can continue reading that way...

26 for me please DB - I think that for me the not drinking is easy now but it has been replaced with comfort eating (i.e. lots of cookies) which is no good at all - no cookies tonight but nice Aberdeen Angus burger later - nom nom

Miss_Piggy_2

Evening everyone!

:T:T:T365! I bet you feel really pleased that your help has had such a good effect on someone. Well done you!

AF here tonight...later finish than normal at work..just waiting for dinner to cook (singapore noodles...nom nom!!!) and then will have a mooch through my new Paul mcKenna DVDs

Miss P
xx

DecemberBaby_2

Hi all. Updated scores. = 7days :staradmin = 1 day :j = target achieved

Budgie - 16/TF :staradmin:staradmin
BP - 3/TF :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin
DC - 2/TF:staradmin:staradmin
Gien - 13/TF :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin
GP -7/31
HB - 2/14:staradmin :staradmin
ICDT - 10/15 :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin
Jo - 8/TF :staradmin
Lamarsi - 21
Maman - 10/10 :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin:j
Mari - 7/TF
Marru - 26/31 :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin:staradmin :staradmin
Mookie- 16/TF :staradmin:staradmin
PharmaRep - 3/15 :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin
Penelope - 23/TF :staradmin:staradmin
Saorsie - 3/27:staradmin :staradmin :staradmin
Shaggy - 21/17 :j
Sim - 22/31 :D:D :staradmin
SOS - 5/31:staradmin :staradmin :staradmin :staradmin :staradmin
Sparkles - 26/31 :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin:staradmin :staradmin
SSA - 31
WB - 2/TF:staradmin :staradmin
WBF - 5/16:staradmin :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin:staradmin
YM - 10/TF:D:staradmin:staradmin:staradmin
115K - 7/TF:D
365 - 2/TF:staradmin :staradmin
69Chick - 12/TF :staradmin:staradmin:staradmin:staradmin :staradmin

BrokePaulo - sorry - I know you have done more than the 3.
Could you give me a total and I'll update?

DecemberBaby_2

Hi again,

Well done 365. Good for you to have made such a positive impact on someone's life.

Marru I'm glad to hear DD has had a dry day at school. Sounds like you are doing all the right things. Takes me back to the horror of my primary school days when you could only "go" in break times. I remember seeing poor kids who had obviously not managed to hold it in, rushing down the corridor too late.

Anyone watching The Young Apprentice? Found something me and DSs can watch together and talk about

Sparkles - You've done so well - I'm sure you will make the right decision for you - whether you want to have the odd glass of wine or stay AF.

DB x