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

graemecarter

winebox wrote: »

Morning all,

D'you know, I'm not sure I can do this, I don't want a drink right now (honest!), but I suppose what I want is the "security blanket" of knowing I can have one later. I keep lecturing myself that of course I can have a drink later - as much as I like! - but do I want to? At the mo, the answer to that is yes, but I'm going to spend the morning working on that. Didn't buy a bottle alongside the morning paper as I often do.

I am sure you can do this WB, but you may have to try something different as well as this thread.

I know for myself as an alcoholic, just knowing that I could drink later was a real comfort. So I didn't drink every single day, as I knew I'd be able to go out on Friday night (for example) and have a few then. If I couldn't drink when planned, I got pretty irritable.
The thought of not drinking again didn't really enter my mind, as I thought life would be miserable without alcohol. I couldn't envisage a wedding, birthday, Christmas, etc without booze
My alcoholism means that I have a 2 part illness.
One is a physical allergy in that when I have a drink, I don't want to stop at one. I want to keep drinking.
Two is a mental obsession - I never used to think 'I must drink, I need a drink' but I would engineer situations where I could drink (and justify it to myself). I would also count how much others were drinking. And if I couldn't drink when planned, my mind would not shut up about it and let it go.

It was when I admitted I was alcoholic and powerless over alcohol that things started to get better for me

graemecarter

brokepaolo wrote: »

Morning.

I'm going to stay alcohol free on weekdays for the whole of May. I realise this is a bit of a cop out but on weekends after a hard week at work and my 2nd job in a mate pub kitchen on sundays, I feel I have earned myself a drink.

This bank holiday weekend I was good though and didn't overdo things despite some unwanted events such as bumping into my ex, having an extremely stressful shift in the pub kitchen on sunday and then generally feeling quite lonely and bored yesterday, not to mention that all of my friends were seemingly hell bent on have a marathon drink session all weekend.

I'm playing football this evening which is always a good way to clear the cobwebs. My full time job is also very busy these days so that's good for keeping my mind off things and I treated myself to a new stereo and record player at the weekend(bargain price of £30 from a charity shop) so I can now listen to my records again after having sorted them all out yesterday whilst feeling glum(it was very therapeutic in the end).

Hopefully by staying sober during the week, I can even give it a go at the weekends. This last month has been ridiculous, the warm weather providing an all too easy excuse to go for a pint after work which then turns into 3 etc..

It wasn't even fun. That alone is sufficient motivation to cut it out.

fingers crossed.

Good plan. Welcome and good luck.

brokepaolo

cheers,

the bumping in to the ex really got to me because one of the main reasons we broke up was that she objected to my drinking habits which I believed to be perfectly normal purely because a lot of my friends drank the same amount.

Ironically, I bumped into her outside a busy pub, she seemd a little tipsy and asked if I wanted to stay for a drink. thankfully, I was stone cold sober having just got home from working at the pub so sense prevailed and I politely declined.

While there may well be some lingering feeling between us, on account of my thinking about her for much of yesterday, I know full well that our relationship cannot be revived and nor should it be, we just didn't work well as a couple, booze or no booze.

It's still a bit tough though.

But these things happen and they do fade with time. Besides, I've got far more pressing matters to attend to than reconcile any feeling of regret over someone I went out with for not even 6 months.

budget_babe

Sun is shining in Stokie land

Budgie is enjoying "Big Ones" with "love in an elevator" and batch cooking loaded cheese and chive jacket potatoes. Ok so its not "livin on the edge" but Budgie is feeling like a rock chick today :cool:

Bring on summer.

For those not in the Know, its Aerosmith.

Forgot what a good album this is. Off to find some more tracks from back in the day.

Talking of back in the day

Budgie hugs (()) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

winebox

graemecarter wrote: »

I am sure you can do this WB, but you may have to try something different as well as this thread.

Thanks Graeme - you have more faith in me than I do!

I think thanks to this thread I'm no longer afraid or ashamed to face up to the word alcoholic, but it's what to do about it now!
Anything requiring my regular attendance such as AA is a non-starter, as I live on my own with a young child (& I'm at work while she's at school) & no family locally, I'll talk to my GP about it tomorrow but really I need something on the end of a phone if that's possible...I know group support can be very powerful but can't see how it can be an option for me.

winebox

brokepaolo wrote: »

so I can now listen to my records again after having sorted them all out yesterday whilst feeling glum(it was very therapeutic in the end).

.

That's what worked for me yesterday!

winebox

budget_babe wrote: »

Budgie is feeling like a rock chick today :cool:

Well, go rock, Budgie! :T

budget_babe

Hi Winebox,

Sorry you are feeling down today, hugs hunny (()). I think it was Graeme who posted awhile back that there are online support groups for people like yourself who do not find it easy to get to meetings.

Sorry I don't have any knowledge of them, but it may be worth invesigating.

Facing upto a problem is the first step, re: your other half, Mr Budgie and I were at the same stage. He has moved back to his Dads for now and we are getting on better. Small steps but hey ho in the right direction. We have been together 29 years. A long, long time.

But we both feel better for having a break. Though at the time, there never seems a way forward.

Big hugs and take care.

Budgie (()) xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

brokepaolo

Bah,

As appears to be the case for some of you folks, today is being a bit of a pain at work for me. Football has been cancelled due to the pitches being overbooked. It's nice and sunny and I've already had two emails and four texts asking if I fancy going to the pub after work. Normally I would but I've declined all of them. I could of course go and just have a coca cola or something but not only would that be quite hard to do in the face of temptation, it would still cost more money than I ought to be spending on a Tuesday.

Nevermind, I've actually got several household chores that need doing so I shall do those and maybe dig up some weeds in the garden that have magically reappeared after just 2 weeks since I last dug them out. The physical effort will hopefully relax the tension today's day at work has caused.

I've also got a large supply of caffeine free flavoured teas which I find are a nice alternative to the post-work beer or glass of wine. Furthermore, for all the sunshine there may be out there, it's not exactly warm!

Different_Corner

Afternoon, it seems music is the therapeutic choice of the week. With WB, Paolo and Budgie all at the decks.
Bit of Tears for for Fears was my tune at at work today - 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World'.

Still let them, I'm not the boss thankfully.

Brokepaolo, well done for declining the afterwork beers, not easy. The garden will thank you.

WB, hugs. I wish I could say something profound that will make your day better.
Take care of yourself.