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

115K

4th day AF for me today.

I really struggled with it but I had already decided that today would be an AF day at about noon.

skintscottishgirl

Well done, sometimes it's really hard but you made it through:j

gien

Morning. Last night was far from AF and I feel it now. Just sitting in the garden tippling. Eeuurgh, gotta get up and get on.

jo1972

Morning all :wave:

Just made kids lunch and made myself a chicken salad from a chicken I roasted late last night for tea today and at 6am this morning I was boiling new potatos as well, I'm cutting down on bread as I'm thinking I might be developing some kind of wheat allergy? So yummy chicken salad for me for lunch today

Jeez, look at the time, too busy cooking to go to work

xx

115K

I think I need a coffee to wake me up this morning.:eek:

skintscottishgirl wrote: »

Well done, sometimes it's really hard but you made it through:j

Thanks SSG!:A

Hope everyone is okay. Hope you all have a good day.:)

Pippilongstocking

sparkles 1 for me dashing and running out the door

glasgowgirl

jo1972 wrote: »

http://www.drinkingandyou.com/site/uk/health/allergy.htm

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]"Basically, a food allergy is where a normally harmless substance is perceived as a threat by the body’s immunological defences. In susceptible individuals, even light alcohol consumption can cause an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions usually manifest themselves as migraine headaches, itchiness, rashes, bowel colic, diarrhoea, asthma, swollen facial features and watery swollen eyes."[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]I wonder if this is why my mouth is swollen? And the funny thing is, over the past month or so, a few mornings I have woken up with what I put down to hayfever cos I had swollen watery itchy eyes, but only for an hour or so when I got up, then it was fine. Never had hayfever before....[/FONT]

Morning all,

Sorry I've been missing again. Have been drinking far too much on my own and haven't wanted to face up to it.

Been doing stupid things like having a half bottle in the house to drink and then running out to the offy for more just before closing time. Waking up hungover every day.

Started reading Allan Carr again a couple of night ago and haven't had a drink since Saturday evening (I know that doesn't seem long but...).

Been reading through the thread to catch up but this post from Jo made so much sense I had to respond immediately.

I've been worried because after a night of drinking I've noticed pain in my lungs and breathlessness the next day - like the asthma symptons of the allergy - along with streaming eyes (which I thought was hay fever) and a rash.

I really think there is something is this allergy thing - going to look into it further.

And just for today, I will not pick up that first drink.

Love to all.

maman

glasgowgirl wrote: »

Morning all,

Sorry I've been missing again. Have been drinking far too much on my own and haven't wanted to face up to it.

Been doing stupid things like having a half bottle in the house to drink and then running out to the offy for more just before closing time. Waking up hungover every day.

Started reading Allan Carr again a couple of night ago and haven't had a drink since Saturday evening (I know that doesn't seem long but...).

Been reading through the thread to catch up but this post from Jo made so much sense I had to respond immediately.

I've been worried because after a night of drinking I've noticed pain in my lungs and breathlessness the next day - like the asthma symptons of the allergy - along with streaming eyes (which I thought was hay fever) and a rash.

I really think there is something is this allergy thing - going to look into it further.

And just for today, I will not pick up that first drink.

Love to all.

:wave: gg and welcome back. It's good to 'see' you again.

It's so easy to slip back into bad habits. I had virtually a month off in June with holidays and football (plenty of drowning sorrows needed there:(). I managed Mon-Thurs last week so feeling back on track and it's a good feeling. Interestng theory about allergic reactions. Let us know if you find any info.

Hope fay and sparkles are feeling a bit more upbeat today. Weekends are great but if you feel down they can seem endless. Hope Monday's a good one for everybody.

skintscottishgirl

Hi Everyone

Just a quick one before work to say hope every one is well,

19 please Sparkles

Welcome GG hope it all goes well for you

Hugs for all:D

Catch ye!!!

XX

SimIsOnTheUp

newroadahead wrote: »

Sim

Congrats on getting the job. Well done you.:A:T

As for the situation with your GF only you can decide what to do next.

You have gone 5 weeks sober, you can do it again and more.

Just remember the important one in all this is you


Try to get some sleep and take care

love


NRA xxx

Hi NRA and everyone

Hope you're all good.

Thanks for the best wishes.

I'm not going to be able to do the taxi driving though, due to my medical history / 2 drink related offences - apparently, my Council will then contact my GP, and ask for my medical records.

The taxi company gave me a 'medical form', along with all the other forms (references / application for Private Hire license) on Friday.

The manager, had also given me the contact number of a GP, who would do the 'Medical' for £35 - After calling this GP (not my own GP), I was to take this medical form along with me, to the appointment.

The Doc would then sign / stamp the form, check my height / weight / blood pressure (literally a 15 minute job according to the taxi boss) and give me the all clear - I would then take the stamped form with me, to the Council.

Council then apply for a CRB, and then due to my past criminal record, the Council would then invite me in for a 'committee hearing' - where I can explain any mitigating circumstances / background at the time of the offences.

According to the manager of the taxi firm, my CRB past would pose no problem.

Having gone through the forms on Friday / Saturday myself though, my heart sank, as I won't be able to go for the job.

Firstly, I was going to be honest on the medical history form - however, when I saw the sections, asking about past 'alcohol misuse / dependency problems'.. the thought crossed my mind, to just not mention it, as the taxi boss had not even hinted that the independent GP would even bother contacting my own GP.

However, as the form also asks for my own GP's details, it seems highly likely that either the Council / Taxi firm appointed GP / the Council themselves would ask to see my medical notes from my own GP also.

To be sure, I checked the Council's website, and they state in their 'procedures PDF' on there, that if an applicant for a private hire licence, has 2 or more past convictions, which are 'alcohol related' (I have an 'In charge of a vehicle / excess alcohol' conviction from 1998 / a 'drunk and disorderly' Caution, from 2004) - then the Council "may" then ask for their own appointed GP to ask me to undergo a further medical / ask for my GP's medical notes on me (I would've given them my consent on said form).

So, while my 'previous' poses no threat to my application, per se, my medical history will.

Their 'terms and conditions' as it were, regarding granting a taxi license, specifically re 'alcohol offences', state that if there are two or more offences, then that would suggest a 'pattern', and that if alcoholism / alcohol misuse was shown on my medical notes, and I'd withheld this info on my form, then the license would obviously be revoked - I'd then not be able to re - apply for 12 months.

Although the thought crossed my mind, of not putting the booze info (or even my taking beta - blockers, for anxiety) down on the medical form (as I thought it'd be unlikely, the Council would even contact my own GP, if no 'conditions' were ticked on the form) I had a word with myself, as not only is this morally wrong, it is essentially pointless, potentially dangerous / illegal / just plain wrong in many ways.

So, yet again, I can not move on / forwards / even have a future, due to my f*ck up of a past which I've brought upon myself, due to my problems with booze / it's related convictions.

I also ran up numerous parking tickets (fixed penalty notice type), issued by the Council back in 2003 / 04 - I couldn't pay them off in time, and they were referred to the Magistrates Court - I can't even remember what the Court 'convicted me of' essentially - They wrote off some of the debt , and allowed me more time to repay them though.

The point is, the Council are bound to have this info on me still, and no doubt, due to the nature of my license application, the relevant department would flag this up - again, this would go against me, as it would shown I'd been reckless / irresponsible, with a car / parking tickets in the past.

One final, and far from trivial point, is that in 2006, I also got 'done' by the Council, for a Housing Benefit Overpayment.

I was 'Interviewed under Caution' (by the Council - no Police involved).

They "coded it fraudulent" (in the Council's own words), due to my having been working / studying / claiming Housing Benefit back then, and not having declared it to the Council. Would this have gone on my CRB info?

Again, 'benefit fraud' is on the list of no - no's, for them granting the taxi license.

This all dawned on me on Friday, combined with the fact that I blew £60 - 70 on booze, Friday afternoon / evening, which led me to spend most of Saturday, all of yesterday, and most of today in bed.
My head is f*cked, my body aches, and I feel sad. More than sad. Completely f*cking hopeless. That I've wasted my life, p*ssed so many people off, and f*cked up any opportunity that came my way.
I can't see any way out of this, and have no idea how on earth to bring this up with my (formerly prospective boss).

The Council's terms, also state that for "alcohol misuse", they need to see at least 12 months sobriety, and for "alcohol dependency", they need 5 years.

I don't think 3 days would cut it.

I really wanted this job, as I thought it'd be social / a way of getting out and about / driving again (I love, and miss driving), and if I'd put the hours in, fairly good money.

Now I can't even go for it. I'm starting to feel unemployable, and a complete f8cking waster p*sshead. I want to work, and don't know how to do it without my past screwing things up every time.

Gutted.

Cheers,

Sim.