The Giving Up/ Cutting Down alcohol support thread - number 12

AlexLK

sukeyboo wrote: »

Alex - put yesterday behind you and start today afresh - you can do it and we are all behind you :j

Thank you, got quite a bit of work to do so hopefully that will take my mind off ... didn't yesterday though . Drinking whilst working, oh the joys of being self employed! :rotfl:

maman wrote: »

It could have been a lot worse Alex. I try not to drink before 6 p.m.(aka wine o'clock;)). The only exceptions are holidays or if I go out to lunch/have people round. It's not easy. I've been doing this for years and only on Sunday I found myself watching the clock.:( We're all motivated by different things to give up/cut down. For most of us it's a range of reasons then you need to prioritise. If I'm honest my list is topped by calories:o, quite a lightweight reason compared to health but it works for me. You can do this Alex.

Thank you and yes, I should know better.

The worse thing is I have plenty of motivations: money, health, not becoming an alcoholic (sounds stupid but I was rather worried about it at one point ).

Going to try to make today AF, anyway.

gien

Alex, I do worry about becoming an alcoholic, mainly because it is way to easy to drink just a bit too much on a too regular basis!!! Not all alcoholics are living on park benches.

I had a drink last night so if I am AF for the rest of the month I will miss my target by 1 day. I'm going to try hard to achieve this

winebox

gien wrote: »

Alex, I do worry about becoming an alcoholic, mainly because it is way to easy to drink just a bit too much on a too regular basis!!! Not all alcoholics are living on park benches.

Hmmm, moot point, where do you cross the line from have a drink problem to being classed as an alcoholic? I def have a drink problem, that cannot be denied (esp after Sunday) but I don't get any physical / mental withdrawal issues when I don't have a drink, it's just that I seem incapable of doing that very often...wine is more of a psychological than a physical need.

All semantics, whatever the label I drink too much. Goodness knows what got into me Sunday (well, 3 bottles of wine actually :o:o) and probably because 2 of them were red which I don't usually drink a lot of I felt v v rough yesterday. I never normally get hangovers - might drink a bit less if I did - so it was a nasty shock. Couldn't even face standing in the shower so used up all the hot water having a bath, & ate all day, groan.

When I went to bed I found I had my knickers on inside-out (TMI!! :eek:) which just about sums it up.....

winebox

Me again....re the above, I had to have a wisdom tooth out a couple of months ago & had to have a 5-day course of antibiotics both before & again after the extraction, apparently the only anti - b prescribed in this country that you MUST NOT drink with & it caused me no issues at all, I was told I mustn't so I didn't, despite OH saying "the amount you drink I'm sure one glass would be O.K." How supportive!

It's the choice each day that I struggle with - shall I or shan't I, I know I shouldn't but I want to....weak! & there's nobody here to police me.

Maybe my dentist will do me a deal & I'll just take them all the time?

mrsdee

I think it varies though. I have in the past happily gone for 8 months without drinking after having thought i would try a day or two alcohol free, then found I felt so great that I just continued with it. Then again I sometimes find when I start having some wine in the evening before dinner, I dont know when to stop and keep going until I have to go to bed, a couple of bottles later. So I know I have a problem regardless of the ability to not drink for ages too. It's trying to be moderate where I face some struggles. In a way it is easier for me to not drink at all, rather than try and just have a glass or two. To me I find it difficult to find pleasure in just a glass or two, which leads me to think I have a bigger problem.
On the other hand I am trying to think of alcohol intake like calories - I watch what I eat mostly and have a bit more relaxed approach at the weekend, and this is how I'm trying to think of the drink - steer clear during the week but have an indulgence or two at weekends.... Seems to be ok so far!

gien

What worries me most is the inability to find the 'stop' button after I've had a couple. If this happened to me too regularly I would be in real trouble - that I do know and I would use alcohol to my detriment. So, I keep a close eye on myself.

Fruball

Munchin wrote: »

Hi all

15/21 AFDs. I managed to make a bottle of wine last me all weekend .

What an achievement!!! Well done. I could never do that. I could go all weekend without a drink, but I couldn't limit myself to 1 bottle if I did drink

winebox wrote: »

Hmmm, moot point, where do you cross the line from have a drink problem to being classed as an alcoholic? I def have a drink problem, that cannot be denied (esp after Sunday) but I don't get any physical / mental withdrawal issues when I don't have a drink, it's just that I seem incapable of doing that very often...wine is more of a psychological than a physical need.

All semantics, whatever the label I drink too much. Goodness knows what got into me Sunday (well, 3 bottles of wine actually :o:o) and probably because 2 of them were red which I don't usually drink a lot of I felt v v rough yesterday. I never normally get hangovers - might drink a bit less if I did - so it was a nasty shock. Couldn't even face standing in the shower so used up all the hot water having a bath, & ate all day, groan.

When I went to bed I found I had my knickers on inside-out (TMI!! :eek:) which just about sums it up.....

I agree with this - I think the word alcoholic conjures up images of people who have dropped out of society due to drink. Whilst none of us here have done that, are we not all here because we have a drink problem that we have recognised and chosen to do something about... But have we recognised it and stopped immediately or do we have failings where drink has taken over?... Therefore, I speak for myself when I say, I do have a drink problem but I am aware of it and beginning to deal with it.

mrsdee wrote: »

I think it varies though. I have in the past happily gone for 8 months without drinking after having thought i would try a day or two alcohol free, then found I felt so great that I just continued with it. Then again I sometimes find when I start having some wine in the evening before dinner, I dont know when to stop and keep going until I have to go to bed, a couple of bottles later. So I know I have a problem regardless of the ability to not drink for ages too. It's trying to be moderate where I face some struggles. In a way it is easier for me to not drink at all, rather than try and just have a glass or two. To me I find it difficult to find pleasure in just a glass or two, which leads me to think I have a bigger problem.
On the other hand I am trying to think of alcohol intake like calories - I watch what I eat mostly and have a bit more relaxed approach at the weekend, and this is how I'm trying to think of the drink - steer clear during the week but have an indulgence or two at weekends.... Seems to be ok so far!

Moderation is what I struggle with too. I seem incapable of having a couple... Well, I can do a couple but it is a couple of bottles, not a couple of drinks!

I will be AF tonight making 11/15

ManPants

gien wrote: »

What worries me most is the inability to find the 'stop' button after I've had a couple.

I'm with you there! I find it easier to not drink at all than to have one glass of wine or a cocktail or beer then stop! In fact don't think I've ever managed it. One becomes ten then the next day is a day long hangover and remorse over what I may have done or said! Bah!

Anyway, 18 AF so far this month! Last 2 months were both wash outs!

Keep it up old chums!

SPS X

maman

mrsdee wrote: »

On the other hand I am trying to think of alcohol intake like calories - I watch what I eat mostly and have a bit more relaxed approach at the weekend, and this is how I'm trying to think of the drink - steer clear during the week but have an indulgence or two at weekends.... Seems to be ok so far!

This is me exactly. I'm an 'all or nothing' sort of gal and these diet programmes where they say 'you can even have a small glass of wine in the evening' just wouldn't work for me. I have to know I can have whatever I want. So I confine my drinking to weekends and special occasions. Now that I've lost the weight I wanted to I can have more special occasions.:D The upside of cutting down for me is that I generally can only cope with one bottle at a time, unless it's spread through the day. If I don't start until wine o'clock I generally fall asleep towards the end of the bottle!;)

I've never considered myself an alcoholic but I did have a problem. Mine was a habit brought on by rewarding myself and a lifestyle choice. When did we start having a glass of wine instead of a cup of tea??

shaggydoo

Evening :hello:

Last night was AF and tonight will be too.

COYG

Shaggyx