The Giving Up/ Cutting Down alcohol support thread - number 11

*Mari*

:ASchool Night Challenge

:A

Mari

Penelopedee

Pixigill

Trainingdad

Shaggy

Cuppa Tea

*Mari*

CuppaTea wrote: »

Oh and i'm in on the SNC too please, 2 down for that please.

Will add you now

*Mari*

Shaggy I'm on 3 AFD for Sept now please,thank you

unself

Hello

Its been a while since I've been on here, but my drinking has crept up over the summer. I've been taking Milk Thistle to help my liver, plus take cod liver oil occasionally, but I'm going to start having days off with the help of this thread.

I'm drinking a refreshing cup of detox tea (nettle, dandelion, & milk thistle, don't gag :rotfl:), and will be stocking up on fruit juice, and drinking lots of water later.

I've actually got a slight hangover for the first time in ages, after drinking a bottle of white, and a couple of beers last night. I want to get back to moderate drinking, as have not been getting things done when drinking. It leaves me tired. I also miss having a good nights sleep, as alcohol keeps me awake now. I also cannot afford it anymore.

I'll try keeping a tally of af days this month.

mrsrainman

Wow, it's been super busy on here the last few days, and everyone is doing so well!!!!!! :T:j:j:D
markman, Cuppa, Thank you. Very sound advice. I have spoken to MrR's work mate. He's said he's concerned about the amount MrR shakes everyday and he regularly smells of alcohol. He's not drinking during the day during his breaks (which I was a bit worried might be happening), but enough people have commented on the shakes for it to be an issue.
Anyway, I've decided to leave it a few days as The Book has been started!!!!!! :D:D:D I switched his kindle on this morning to find he is 38% through it.

Hope you all have a nice day

MrsR xx

unself

Hello again,

I'm feeling guilty, as amended my earlier post. I'm having a battle with myself as wanted a day off from drinking today, but I keep craving it. I'm going to try to stick with what I originally posted, try and have an alcohol free day. Another incentive is that alcohol has made me put weight on of the worst kind. Lots of reasons to cut down.

I'll keep posting on here to keep motivated. I want to have a couple of days off as realise my drinking is out of control.

CuppaTea

Welcome Unself, nice to meet you.

I can identify with everything you have said and you won't be the first or last to post something in the morning and then wish you hadn't by the afternoon when the bells start to clang.

I've been in and out of this thread for nearly 2 years and only really stuck with it since May this time round. I have tried and failed many times to cut back, reduce but never quit. This time (since sun) I have finally found that I just don't want to drink, I get the odd craving but because there is nothing in the house, i can't. I distract myself and 20 mins later its gone. Something sweet will help, wine gums for me (no jokes please!).

I won't say i will NEVER drink again, but I am certainly aiming for a few months to start with and if i do have another drink it will be socially for an occasion. I am now concentrating on raising my children in an alcohol free environment and on improving my health. I am currently a single parent and it has been this that has made me realise to stop being selfish on my part and put the children first. Plus I am fed up of feeling rubbish and tired and grumpy with the kids.

Anyway that is me, just wanted to say hi and welcome and stick with us on the bad and good days. Baby steps and all that!

unself

Thanks CuppaTea. I like your username. I'm now on my 4th cup, trying to get motivated. I will crack on eventually as have to. I can identify with a lot in your post, as am in a similar situation.

I used to always have 3/4 days af during the week, but with the holidays my consumption has doubled. I have so much more energy when not drinking, so am trying to keep motivated by writing myself a task-list each day. Its working so far.

CuppaTea

Your very welcome, it can be daunting joining a thread especially when your unsure of yourself, but this place is lovely and very supportive and we NEVER judge, despite what we all write. I find that helpful as people are more honest that way and i have often found myself reading something that I could have written, but would have been too afraid to.

Somebody here recently made reference to choosing alcohol over a day out with their child (only once) but we all understood the why's and how's and we concentrated on "afterwards". I find that helps and people are always willing to offer ideas to solve issues that you may not have considered.

My danger time for a drink would usually be mid-late afternoon and once off I found it difficult to stop. So i'm constantly using different stratgies to avoid starting.

I did feel pleased today when I booked one of the kids into a club which starts at 5.30pm and requires driving. Last week I would have seriously thought about not booking it as it would have eaten into "my drinking" time as i'll be driving. This week I'm totally the opposite, it will get me past that danger time and by the time the kids are back and in bed, i'll be on the soft stuff. Plus like I said not having it in the house helps me greatly, its too tempting for me otherwise. I'm not that strong yet.

Anyway that's enough about me, i'll let someone else have a turn. I'm off to work later so have a nice evening everyone.

trainingdad

First:
*Mari* 3 SNC AF days so far. 3 as I am NOT drinking tonight. Woo hoo!!!

Shaggy 5 Sep challenge AF days so far. Again, definitely no drinking happening here tonight.

Welcome unself. As CuppaTea kindly says, this is indeed a very supporting forum, as I am sure you will remember. I find that just knowing I would have to post a non-AF day really helps me to stay clear of the booze.

mrsrainman, that's really good news that MrR has been reading the book. Let's face it, whatever the motivation to start reading the book, 38% of the way through means that something must have sparked his interest :T. I wish you and he all the best of luck. I only wish I could find my kindle...

Last night was the closest I've come since being here to having a drink. I announced my desire when I got home and DW, in her clever wily womanly way, even offered to go out and buy it for me. A most carefully measured offer, which I refused.

Oddly, I think if she had taken the approach last night of saying I shouldn't have a drink, I probably would have pushed back and been more determined to get drunk. Women and the way they know their husbands!

So, here to this evening and this is the first night that I don't have to fight a serious wine-o-clock craving. It's not really there tonight and that is really lovely. I'm sure this is not the end of the cravings but it's just a lot more peaceful to not be having a fight in my head :rotfl:

And here's a thought that came to me the other night: I was feeling quite frustrated and annoyed recently at the amount of time my head is shouting out for a drink and the fight I have so as to not have one. Maybe, I thought, it would just all be easier to go back to drinking again. Just a little bit (ha ha ha ha ha). Then I realised that it makes no difference whether I am drinking or not, there's still the shouting in my head and the fight I have so as to not have one. But, being AF (so far), I get some really good benefits.

• Good sleep
• NO hangovers!!!
• Less grumpy
• Easier to get up in the mornings (at 5am)
• Feeling proud at what I have achieved
• A better bank balance
• And, tonight, a feeling of quite wonderful calmness

Thank you sooooooo much everyone :A:A:A

Now I'm off to find that Kindle...