The Giving Up/Cutting Down Alcohol Support Thread - Numero 9!

MarkMan

Hi Cuppa! Good idea - start slowly and do what you can.

Regarding the challenges (and others please correct me if I've got this wrong too)..

Members offer to "keep score" of AF days over a month, a few days or even just one day. If you want to take a challenge, just post your request to whoever is running the challenge, to join. You can be "target free" (TF), i.e. just keeping score, or you can state how many AF days you are aiming for. WHen you reach it, you get a nice :j next to your score, and if its a longer one, 7 days AF gets you a

Shorter challenges like Pen's Mon-Thurs challenge gets you a for each day you make.

Its no big deal if you dont make your target, it just gives you personally something to aim at and feel good if you get there. I set a 4 day target for Nov (from 17th onwards), and although its tiny compared to some, it was something I really believed I could do. And I WILL!!!:p

Good luck.

CuppaTea

Thanks for explaining that Mark Man, well i'm going to aim for today, i would like to say a week, but i haven't done that in such a long time, probably over 2 years.

I don't drink to get drunk or indeed get drunk of a evening, but i have noticed I am drinking far far more than I should, my health is suffering and for the long term sake of my family i know its not safe.

I've some fizzy water i'm going to sup come late afternoon and hope that a glass of tonic without the gin or vodka will suffice.

I think for me I noticed my drinking was starting earlier in the day and if i felt stressed i'd have a drink. I like white wine with fizzy water, only 1-2 glasses though otherwise it really affects me. I will also have a 2-3 of vodka or gin and tonics and always finish the night off with a rather large Baileys. Gosh when I type it down that sounds an awful lot.

I've noticed my appetite has decreased as i'm filling up on drink, i've also noticed in the last 8 months my bulimia has returned, gradually at first but now to the point where its many times a day.

I have no-one i can talk to about my addictions in real life and i guess i don't want to as i'm rather ashamed of them.

Why can't i be normal, i'm secretly letting my husband and children down.

MarkMan

Hi Cuppa. Well you can talk openly here. Have a read back through as many older posts as you can and you'll see we all have our challenges with drink and many other things.

I'm sure you'll get a big boost over the weekend as more of us get back here posting:)

And yes, its so easy for an evening drink to turn into two then three, then a late afternoon drink, and before you know it, its on your cornflakes:rotfl::rotfl: I''ve realised the same and so I'm trying to cut down and get as close to "safe" consumption as I can, and AF challenges help loads!

Good luck and keep dropping in.

CuppaTea

Thank you MarkMan, you've been very encouraging and supportive.

I will try to find better ways of managing my stress, hopefully if i reduce/stop drinking then my sleep patterns will improve so i'll be less crabby in the day, a perpetual cycle.

Anyway I must go but i'll check back in later.

Thank you. Good luck with today yourself. Btw, how did you find this thread and what made you decide to something about your drinking?

Miss_Piggy_2

Afternoon all!

Welcome Cuppa Tea. Hopefully you'll find the support here useful. As Markman says, you can talk openly here without worry of people judging you. We are all here for the same reason so, trust me, we know where you're coming from!

12 for me please Shaggy
4 on the challenge done for me please Pen! (and thanks for running it - helps keep me focussed during the week)

Looking forward to the weekend here. Its payday today (whoop whoop!!) and its OH's 40th birthday Sunday. So a busy weekend with christmas shopping and birthday arranging:)

Just been to Toys R Us and bought Piglets crimbo pressie - a vtech games console you plug in the tele. The games that come with it are really educational so figured it was a good choice. Just have to sort his birthday (4 days before christmas!!).

Hope everyone is ok?

Miss P
xx

maman

[QUOTE=CuppaTea;38816204
I have no-one i can talk to about my addictions in real life and i guess i don't want to as i'm rather ashamed of them.

Why can't i be normal, i'm secretly letting my husband and children down.[/QUOTE]

Welcome cuppa:)

Ah yes, 'normal' whatever that is?? This thread is ideal for sharing your concerns about alcohol. Although it's not like 'fessing up to people in RL, people on here are very honest and don't try to fool anyone (including themselves). Posters range from those who have just got stuck into a habit of drinking everyday (stress or lifestyle or whatever) and want to cut down to those who want to give up completely. The mini challenges (one will be along soon) are usually for weekends or Mon-Thurs. Alongside that is the main challenge of how many AF days can you manage in a month.

Every AF day counts. I think your plan to have soft drinks on hand is a good one. It's not easy and most people say it takes a while for sleeping patterns to even out. Think how good you'll feel tomorrow with an AF day notched up. Go for it!!

MarkMan

maman wrote: »

I think your plan to have soft drinks on hand is a good one.

I find camomile tea really helps - its not only a liquid but genuinely seems to relax me (ok, its no glass of wine, but it does help). Or for lager drinkers, sparkling water gives you the same bloated, gassy feeling without the alcohol:p:p

P.S. Get me, I've finally worked out how to quote properly:cool:

penelopedee_2

:j Monday to Thursday Challenge :j

Clarabell :):)
Foreverhopeful :):):):j
Jo :):):):j
Maman :):):):j
Miss P :):):):j
Pen:):):)
Randomname :):)

CuppaTea

Thank you people. Today is going to be an AF day, first one in a while. I did find it hard whilst cooking tea as that's usually when I would start. Another trick i'd use would be to feed the kids early, have a few drinks and get them to bed, then start our tea, by then i wouldn't want much as i'd be full up on fizzy.

So tonight i thought we'd all eat together, which has helped as since dinner not having a drink hasn't bothered me. Plus i've also managed to not be bulimic today, so what with that and AF, its quite a big deal for me.

Been picking more on the chocolate this evening though, i think that's to satisfy my sweet craving that baileys usually gives me.

Right i'm off to make a cuppa tea now. Thank you to everyone for helping me get through my first day.

Also to add, I bought some schloer and put that in the fridge, so whilst cooking tea i had a glass of that with fizzy water and i pretended it was wine. Was ok actually.

If i go to bed by 10pm, then i know i won't be tempted to give in to my Baileys treat.

Its quite a virtuous feeling AF days isn't it. Why have i let alcohol take over so much?

MarkMan

Well done Cuppa:T:T:T

You'll feel so good in the morning!

You might not sleep too well, but just remember - 1+AF. First of many....:cool:

Good luck!

P.S. I've PM'd back