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

SimIsOnTheUp

honeybear wrote: »

Hi kids :wave:

Miss P, thanks for scoring in June - even if i basically wasn't here it was still appreciated

Sparkles, please will you put me down as Target Free for July? Thanks

Normal bear service is not resumed as me & Mr HB have split up. It's for the best but i'm sure you can all work out that i'm in a bit of mess

Honeybear, sorry to hear you're going through it.

Big Bear Hugs at ya :j

My hat goes off to you, for going for a run. Amazing.

When I went through a break up a while back, I could hardly get out of bed, so I have a lot of admiration for you!

You will get through this

Sim x

SimIsOnTheUp

skintscottishgirl wrote: »

I have recently stopped drinking on my own in the flat, just a new rule i made up for myself ( i live on my own...). I am finding sleeping etc ok, but the other night i felt really p1ssed off for no real reason i could put my finger on, and the first urge i had was to go and get a drink.... not bells as such and i didn,t get any as per the new rule, but it occurred to me that for more years than i care to remember i have been drinking to damp down emotions, so now i have stopped doing that i don't really know how to deal with them....

Just went home and rode it out, and was ok after a little while.

Does anyone else notice anything like this?

Am i just rambling:o

Hope it's OK

XX

Good Morning SSG.

You're spot on, regarding the drinking on emotions.

I've been the same for years, but I want to try something different now, as I can only dampen them down for so long, and the booze was killing me, emotionally, physically, financially, socially, and spiritually, deep down inside.

The booze, only works for me, for a few hours / an evening, and then, the next day or three, the tricky (impossible at the time) emotions, are back a thousand - fold, and far too intense to get a handle on.

Dealing with them, takes a change of tack I think. I'm seeing my alcohol counsellor, at my local Substance Misuse clinic on Friday, which I'm looking forward to.

On the waiting list (5 months!), for CBT too, which I can't wait for. Feel really positive about that, as it'll help challenge all the negative views, I've wrongly held for too long..

Have you tried CBT, or counselling, to help offload the tricky stuff?

Good on ya, for riding it out though, and not drinking on it!

I had a craving, this morning, at 9am (!) , walking to the Docs, to see my GP.

I try and see it as a 'wave to be ridden', until I see calmer waters

Sim x

SimIsOnTheUp

DEBTMONKEY1A wrote: »

Morning all......2 AF DAYS to report....! Slept much better-still not 100%....does anyoone else get aches & pains when having time off (after being on booze for a while) from alcohol? I always get kidney aces day 2...lessening day 3 & general aches & pains...anyone else??

Hiya Dm.

Congrats on 2 sober days

The aches, I can relate to.

With me, they're usually in my lower back, sides, and sometimes, the chest / head

3 - 5 days later, and they're gone though :T

Been drinking lots of water, which has helped me to feel a lot better. I can think a lot more clearly now, and the aches haven't come back.

Hope you feel better soon.

Regards,

Sim.

SimIsOnTheUp

skintscottishgirl wrote: »

:hello:

Well...... always.....:D

:rotfl:

Good luck getting your start in.

Now I have stopped drinking on my own i will be very good as i hardly ever go out! Will need to start going out more!

XX

Be careful, with that feeling SSG!

SimIsOnTheUp

treepotato1 wrote: »

Definitely. I actually got on my bike and cycled to the offy for bevy a couple of weeks ago purely because I was very angry. I have drank for every single emotion - there really isn't one that hasn't made me go "this calls for a drink".

I also found it passed the time for me. I spend most of my time alone and the days can be very, very long when you have a brain as active as mine and no job.

I know a couple of people who, for very different reasons, have been unable to express or cope with emotions for many years and they are now starting to do so and are finding it extremely painful - often wishing they were as emotionally dead as they used to be.

But very well done you for not giving in. I know it's very hard.

Hiya TP,

How about voluntary work, to help with the loneliness?

I was feeling lonely, isolated, and generally bored / flat / aimless, and still do every so often. It almost always, ended up in me drinking!

Having discussed this with my GP this morning, I'm going to look into 'Permitted Work' and ease myself into part time work, and combine it with volunteering, with the aim to return to full time work when I feel 100%.

Could you try volunteering / something part time, to help stave off the isolation do you think?

It's all about changing your focus, outwards, and positively isn't it I suppose.

Your last comment, about the emotions being extremely painful, I can most definitely relate to.

Walking into town this morning, sober, (I always used to be in town, half cut / drunk) was a strange feeling.

Everything seemed to be in ultra - glorious - technicolour!

You say about people, 'wishing they were as emotionally dead as they used to be' .. This I get.

Yesterday was tough, and I did have a moment, where I wished I couldn't feel anything!

But then, that wouldn't be human, and to live is to feel, and it's all good really :cool:

Sim x

skintscottishgirl

SimIsOnTheUp wrote: »

Good Morning SSG.

You're spot on, regarding the drinking on emotions.

I've been the same for years, but I want to try something different now, as I can only dampen them down for so long, and the booze was killing me, emotionally, physically, financially, socially, and spiritually, deep down inside.

The booze, only works for me, for a few hours / an evening, and then, the next day or three, the tricky (impossible at the time) emotions, are back a thousand - fold, and far too intense to get a handle on.

Dealing with them, takes a change of tack I think. I'm seeing my alcohol counsellor, at my local Substance Misuse clinic on Friday, which I'm looking forward to.

On the waiting list (5 months!), for CBT too, which I can't wait for. Feel really positive about that, as it'll help challenge all the negative views, I've wrongly held for too long..

Have you tried CBT, or counselling, to help offload the tricky stuff?

Good on ya, for riding it out though, and not drinking on it!

I had a craving, this morning, at 9am (!) , walking to the Docs, to see my GP.

I try and see it as a 'wave to be ridden', until I see calmer waters

Sim x

Hi Sim,

Glad you are OK, thanks for your words....

Tried counselling a few years ago, but ended up i was just of the opinion that i didn't need to see a counsellor to know i had to stop drinking.

As for difficult emotions, it's just day to day anger or stress or whatever, things that everyone else has to deal with too, and i do just believe it's a case of riding it out or talking to a friend or whatever.

I have a couple of good NLP websites on my favourites though and look at them quite a lot!

I genuinely believe that focusing on the present moment, and looking for the positives, even though they may be very small, is the best way of dealing with difficult emotional stuff.

As there are many many people in this world who are much worse off than you or I or anyone else on this forum....

Good luck with everything

Hope that wasn't too heavy and rambly for yhis time in the morning:o

Personally speaking i have not always denied the urge at 9 in the morning, so good on ya for that!

A wave to be ridden is a good way of looking at it, i do get very emotional at times but you can't help the way you feel and what's wrong with feeling things?

Definatley going on now it's your fault Sim you made me think too much with that post grrrr:rotfl:

Take Care

XX

skintscottishgirl

SimIsOnTheUp wrote: »

Be careful, with that feeling SSG!

Twisted logic but logic all the same no?:D

XX

SimIsOnTheUp

skintscottishgirl wrote: »

Hi Sim,

Glad you are OK, thanks for your words....

Tried counselling a few years ago, but ended up i was just of the opinion that i didn't need to see a counsellor to know i had to stop drinking.

As for difficult emotions, it's just day to day anger or stress or whatever, things that everyone else has to deal with too, and i do just believe it's a case of riding it out or talking to a friend or whatever.

I have a couple of good NLP websites on my favourites though and look at them quite a lot!

I genuinely believe that focusing on the present moment, and looking for the positives, even though they may be very small, is the best way of dealing with difficult emotional stuff.

As there are many many people in this world who are much worse off than you or I or anyone else on this forum....

Good luck with everything

Hope that wasn't too heavy and rambly for yhis time in the morning:o

Personally speaking i have not always denied the urge at 9 in the morning, so good on ya for that!

A wave to be ridden is a good way of looking at it, i do get very emotional at times but you can't help the way you feel and what's wrong with feeling things?

Definatley going on now it's your fault Sim you made me think too much with that post grrrr:rotfl:

Take Care

XX

Love that approach SSG. So true!

Re NLP - I've always been fascinated by NLP - Could you recommend any good websites please?

Cheers,

Sim x

PS - What ever you do, DON'T THINK TOO MUCH! You'd never catch me doing that... :rotfl:

DEBTMONKEY1A

Morning Sim...you sound in good spirits! My 'urges' go by day 3.....but my quality of sleep is always crap for a few days (although every day it gets better....) a good bonus for us chaps is the old beer belly seems to shrink a bit...(!).....may well be my mattress doesn't help though-its not too new! Always get this lower back/kidney type thing....weird hey??! Keep your chin up!

skintscottishgirl

SimIsOnTheUp wrote: »

Love that approach SSG. So true!

Re NLP - I've always been fascinated by NLP - Could you recommend any good websites please?

Cheers,

Sim x

PS - What ever you do, DON'T THINK TOO MUCH! You'd never catch me doing that... :rotfl:

Mindbodyhypnosis.com

NLP-now.co.uk

PlanetNLP.com

Moodgym.anu.edu.au

Are a few

I can't post links, just google free online NLP and loads will come up

I love internet, so much stuff!!!!

Yes indeedy Sim thinking too much is so bad for your mental sanity, i shout STOP at myself and sometimes it works, but sometimes i just.......

Let it go

Seems to work

Sometimes:rotfl:

XX