The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread Part 8!

jo1972

Shaggy, you are so very lovely and supportive. Just wanted to tell you that xx

Another one for me please, sorry can't do red and bold, I'm via the phone tonight!

mollypolly

Trasijocha wrote: »

You inspire me to keep going with th AF ness. I am this time 23 days AF and I want to give up totally but still have days and moments when I have overwhelming urges to have a drink. Do these ever go away completey ? I know I dont get these urges for cigarettes now (although it has been about 6 years). I keep thinking how will I cope with holidays and parties and Christmas etc. I gave up for 6 months last year but got to the point where I was feeling deprived so started drinking again thinking maybe I would just cut down instead but it didnt take long to slip into old habits again and was drinking every day again (and put back on the stone I had lost) and got to the point where I wanted to give up. But what about these urges especially when I`m around people who are drinking and 'enjoying themselves' .....Trasi

Hi Tras
The people on here also inspired me to AFness.:D
I have to say that the urge to drink does get less, although I sometimes think I would LIKE a glass of wine or a cold lager.When I think it through though I imagine how I would feel the next day.My body would feel totally carp and so would I when I had to come on here to confess:eek::eek:

All my friends and family now accept the fact that I dont drink and never try to force matters although at first they kept telling me just one wouldnt hurt...I knew it wouldnt be just the one though!!!!

When I am around people drinking now I amuse myself by watching and listening to them and it makes me glad I am not making a fool of myself.
It also makes me glad to know I will wake up in the morning with a clear head:D
You can have fun without drinking ....at first I wouldnt dance or join in with anything but now I am brave enough to do so and realize that most people wont remember what i was doing by the next morning.

You can be totally AF and live a good and full life if you really want to.

Good Luck
Take care of YOU
Love Mollypollyxxxx

mollypolly

jo1972 wrote: »

Shaggy, you are so very lovely and supportive. Just wanted to tell you that xx

Another one for me please, sorry can't do red and bold, I'm via the phone tonight!

Shaggy.....what Jo says xxxx

Well Done JO xxxx:T:T

skintscottishgirl

Well Good evening all, hope everyone is well.

I am AF this evening despite temptation, so will be fresh for work tomorrow.

Wish i hadn't drank this morning and I am not proud of it but roll on tomorrow and all the rest.

Have really just been in the flat today, still loaded with the cold, but feeling a bit better now so onwards and upwards!

Night Night

Though i will likely be up for a while yet

XX

PS Jo Well done on beating the bells tonight x

Pippilongstocking

Hey chaps well done on AFD's

I'm on 3 please shaggy me dear

Tired and now going to bed. I have booked 4 flights to bother those in the deepest south of England in late October

[quico obviously]

skintscottishgirl

Should really be getting to bed myself but John Cusack is on BBC 1 in grosse Pointe blank, so will be a while for me yet, he is YUM!!!

SimIsOnTheUp

Marru - Thanks.

I should've been more accurate - The return to work advisor did actually say "Hmm I don't know about the jobs. Why try and run, when you can't even walk yet?" ...I'm trying to just focus on the "yet"!

I said to her, "God I didn't think I was that bad!"

I reiterated that I'd really like to get back to work asap, and that I'd so love to get the career etc.

She went on to say how she knew I was intelligent, and how I could do it etc, but how it's important to not go full throttle, then slip back and start drinking again / beating myself up. Logical I know, but I said that "surely I need to push myself? Exposure therapy and all that?"

She replied "Not straight away no. You need to push yourself but only in small gradual steps"

Hmm. I'm not sure. As my Girlfriend says, "She's not a counsellor!"

I thought these advisors were meant to be positive / encouraging? She really confuses me, but I'm *trying* not to let her opinion affect me. If anything, it'll just motivate me to find a job sooner. She has knocked my self - esteem though, and surely that's not their job??

Marru, I feel for you regarding how you feel about your exams. Do you feel ok now about doing the two to start with? Hope they go well!

Cheers,

Sim x

skintscottishgirl

SimIsOnTheUp wrote: »

Marru - Thanks.

I should've been more accurate - The return to work advisor did actually say "Hmm I don't know about the jobs. Why try and run, when you can't even walk yet?" ...I'm trying to just focus on the "yet"!

I said to her, "God I didn't think I was that bad!"

I reiterated that I'd really like to get back to work asap, and that I'd so love to get the career etc.

She went on to say how she knew I was intelligent, and how I could do it etc, but how it's important to not go full throttle, then slip back and start drinking again / beating myself up. Logical I know, but I said that "surely I need to push myself? Exposure therapy and all that?"

She replied "Not straight away no. You need to push yourself but only in small gradual steps"

Hmm. I'm not sure. As my Girlfriend says, "She's not a counsellor!"

I thought these advisors were meant to be positive / encouraging? She really confuses me, but I'm *trying* not to let her opinion affect me. If anything, it'll just motivate me to find a job sooner. She has knocked my self - esteem though, and surely that's not their job??

Marru, I feel for you regarding how you feel about your exams. Do you feel ok now about doing the two to start with? Hope they go well!

Cheers,

Sim x

Is there not a saying in AA that you shouldn't make any major decisions before you have been sober a long time? As when you stop drinking you start to feel what you should have felt all those years ago dealing with issues etc, it can be very up and down.....

When I stopped drinking in the flat, I found i was crying at the drop of a hat, in a good way, as emotions I had previously pent up and blocked out with vodka came to the fore.

I think maybe you just need to take it easy on yourself, small steps and just time for you to smell the roses, I know it's 4 weeks but that's not that long in the scheme of things.

Good luck and take care of yourself Sim

XX

SimIsOnTheUp

Thanks SSG.

You, Marru and the advisor lady are all right.

It's just pride f'in with me I suppose! Feel my self worth would be a bit higher up the scale if I was working again..

Wasn't Gross Point Blank brilliant? It's been one of my favourite films for years. Cracking script, and I love John Cusack too. Love Minnie Driver even more!

Sim xx

SimIsOnTheUp

SSG -

You're spot on about the emotions all coming to the fore, and the crying. I had that too.

Hope you're feeling a bit better now.

It's dawned on me these past few weeks, that I've spent years doing *anything* (drinking / sleeping around / spending loads of money I didn't have) to avoid facing things / myself / my past! :-/

Very slowly getting my self - respect back now I think. Felt great to have a tidy up, to see my support worker, and to know that all my bills are paid up to date

Big Burly Hugs to you!

Sim xx