The Giving up/ Cutting down Alcohol support thread- number 10

shaggydoo

JANUARY 2012

SET YOUR

idristhedragon

Hello all! Im still here, and still drinking..............however I was thinking today that I havent actually got DRUNK at all over the festive season - I was worst on christmas eve and came to a massive conclusion that I dont like baileys, actually LOL. However on Xmas day I was drinking water by 3 as I was so thirsty after 2 glasses wine and all my festive drinking has been a LOT more mindful.
I am hoping to resurect my AFDs in Jan, and I dont even think we're going to bother going out NYE as all the drinking is SO boring

SO Im still here in spirit and hope to be back back back Jan

Hapy new year all

beckseven

8 AFDS for me please shaggy as i'm calling tonight already as I'm working and DH is away so going to be alcohol free.

mackeroo

Hi Everyone
Hope you all have a lovely festive period. Family just left today, am shattered. Been drinking over the last few days, not alot on Xmas day but made up for it at Boxing day at party. I always have such a rubbish sleep when i have a drink, i was wide awake at 4am this morning :eek:

14 AF please Shaggy

Am AF today, the only thing that kept me going is Shaggys wee Xmas tree and my personal goal for Dec was 14 AF days, and the fact that i really need a good nights sleep tonight. Bells were ringing loudly at 6.30 when making dinner, i even brought in a bottle of wine from outside fridge where it sat on the bunker for 10mins with a wee imaginary label saying 'Drink me' But i put it back in the fridge and opened up a bottle of flavoured sparling water, lifesaver!


Wont be AF tmro, girlie day planned. Hoping to be AF on Fri before we face the beginning of Hogmany/New Years celebrations. We heading up to the Highlands to celebrate with family.

Chloris

21 AFD please. x Have gone back and checked on my calender. Don't know why I am making so many mistakes.

bigdrinker

Hi all,

I discovered this thread fairly recently, and have been lurking for a little while, but I've decided that it would be good to try contributing, not only because I think it is useful to think things through and commit them to paper (or screen in this case...!) but also, because I could use a friendly ear and possibly a bit of advice occasionally!

I've always been a bit of a 'partyer' and probably have been known for that in the past, but it's never really been a problem - barring a few embarassing incidents along the way. However this past year or two, I've noticed that my drinking really has started to become a bit of a problem.

There was an identifiable point about halfway through last year when everything started going wrong personally - relationship-, work-, and family-wise. I won't get too much into that, because all of those things have improved massively, to the point where I'm actually really happy with where I am in life now.

However, that was the point that I started drinking quite heavily, and even though things have improved in my life, I seem to have been left with the legacy of alcoholism (I know it's often not helpful to assign labels to these things, but at the very least it's some sort of dependency), which has come in and out of life over the past year, but at the moment it's very much IN

I realise it's a bit of a cliche, but I've decided 'new year, new me' and I think 2012 is the year to really sort out this problem once and for all. My problem is that I'm not sure if I can ever go back to being an occasional, social drinker, or whether I've ruined that for myself, for good! The reason I think this is that I've managed to successfully kick this thing a couple of times recently, but a big Saturday night has always been the thing that pushes me off the wagon.

Not that it really matters - the feeling of dependency is the most important thing I think - but when I'm in the house by myself, I can rattle through 8 or so cans of beer/cider or 2 bottles of wine without too much problem at all. The stupid thing is that when I'm out with my girlfriend or friends, I don't need/miss it at all. It just tends to be when I'm bored and/or stressed that this emerges.

I really quite enjoy the feeling of being I drunk, but I don't like the things that it makes me do. In the past, I have definitely done things which I shouldn't while drunk, including behaviour towards other that I'm not proud of, showing aggression whilst out on a night out (this really is the last thing people would expect of me when sober), inappropriate/irresponsible sexual behaviour and probably the thing I'm least proud of which is driving when I shouldn't.

I guess what I'm really looking for is some hints, tips or advice on what people think might work for me? I have been considering trying AA, but I'm not really the kind of person who deals well with having to talk through problems (except anonymously over the internet!) - I'm not sure how much this would be a feature of my first visit to a group? Does anyone have any experience with any other therapies - hypnotherapy, acupuncture, cognitive behavioural therapy, etc etc? Maybe medication?

I'm sorry for such a long post - most of this is venting because I've been bottling this up and hiding it away from pretty much everyone for a long time now. I look forward to contributing a bit more to the community when I can!

If you made it this far - thanks and well done!

maman

:wave: welcome, bigdrinker and well done for coming out of lurkdom and taking the first step to sorting yourself out. I'm not sure I can help with advice on specific therapies or programmes but I can empathise with part of your story. I've always enjoyed a drink but coupled with a stressful job and a few personal problems it became an everyday occurrence, my way of defining 'me' time as opposed to work. Then I gave up the job but found that the drinking habit stayed.

I started using this thread purely to kick the habit of drinking every day and the idea of having some alcohol free (AF) days a month appealed to me as a way forward. I've never wanted to do more than cut down and I've found over time that even when I do drink (mostly weekends and holidays) I now drink less. I was worried that I'd just concentrate the same amount of drinking into fewer days but that hasn't happened. Gradually over time my tolerance has lowered so I want less and I'm more choosy about what I drink.

So I'd suggest making yourself have an AF day and build from there. There are others on here who are far stricter with themselves than I am and some old friends who gave up completely call in from time to time. I'm sure they'll offer advice. Meanwhile Good Luck!:)

I'm calling in early tonight. I was determined to get to my target for this month and I have!:D

I'm out tomorrow and will then probably have first AF day for January next Tuesday.

So 10 AF for December please Shaggy and a target of 10 for January.

and may I wish you all a very

Happy New Year!!

and a great big thank you to Shaggy and Bearacus for all the scoring.:A:T

bigdrinker

Thanks for your reply maman, it's much appreciated! I think setting an AF target for the month is a good plan. I won't worry about this month, but I hope maybe:

a target of 8 for January please Shaggy

I'm not sure if this is achievable, but it sounds as if having something aim for is what I need!

rachelww1

Evening all. Hope everyone had a wonderful xmas. AF here tonight making 8 for December. Went back to work today after 10 or so days off, and boy was that a shocker having to get up this morning. Oh well, only 2 more days to go, then 4 more days off :T. Hopefully will be AF tomorrow too, but not sure about Friday yet. Unsure of my target for Jan at the mo, will post that later in the week when I've had a chance to think about it.

Welcome bigdrinker, I'm quite a 'big drinker' too. I think a target of 8 is quite acheivable, especially for your 1st month trying. If you don't manage it, don't worry...just work out what went wrong and go for it again. I may/may not reach my target this month, and if I don't, I'll just try harder in Jan. Good luck.

evilsquid1603

Hello everyone! Please may I join you? I've been reffered to you all by maman from the Frump to Fab thread. I'm trying to get myself sorted out and I need to start tackling my drinking.

Ive been looking for a job since July and had no luck and due to having no money to do anything else, cheap booze has become mine and DHs only vice. I used to have one glass of wine and be tipsy, now I can happily sink a bottle and not feel any worse for wear and that can't be good.

Unfortunately, the drinking is part boredom and part "when I'm drunk I forget for a bit I'm unemployed whilst holding both a good law degree and a good science degree and flat broke" so i know its going to be hard to kick it.