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

AlexLK

365days wrote: »

And that is the beauty of this thread. It allows people a safe and annonymous place to work out their relationship with alcohol.

No one knows the answer to that except you.

Thank you.

The odd thing is I can go for days and days without having a drink, then when I do just have a couple at most and enjoy it. However, when I go through a phase of really craving alcohol, I end up almost uncontrollably drinking.

PriceySOS

5 please, Shaggy, ta

maman

AlexLK wrote: »

Well, I gave myself permission to drink today, now just feeling dreadful as I started at lunch, only one though (did manage to not drink through the afternoon though) and just polished off a bottle and a half of wine this evening. There are times I wonder if I'm not a social drinker anymore and do in fact have a bit of a "problem".

Shaggy: I'm only actually up to 3AFDs.

Don't think like that Alex. I'm on exactly the same number as you. I think the difference is that I planned to drink socially last weekend and go out for a meal on Tuesday whereas you've sort of drifted into it (with admittedly higher aspirations than me;)) and so you feel you're not in control. What matters is that you decide what you want to do and go for it. So do you want to have any AF days over the weekend?

3 AFDs for me (and Alex!) please Shaggy.

graemecarter

AlexLK wrote: »

Thank you.

The odd thing is I can go for days and days without having a drink, then when I do just have a couple at most and enjoy it. However, when I go through a phase of really craving alcohol, I end up almost uncontrollably drinking.

Ditto. That was my drinking. Just because it is was moderate sometimes I thought that I was in control. However, if I am not in control all the time then I have never been in control.

If I drove a car and had a crash once every 5 times I drove, no-one would say 'He's sometimes in control - that's worth the risk of a lift'. They would say I'm never in control - sometimes I crash, sometimes I don't.

I never had control, even though I believed (and really wanted to believe) that I did.
I have control over food, money and other things, but where alcohol is concerned I have no control whatsover.
Realizing that was key to me not drinking.

As has been said - only you can determine your relationship with alcohol.
My issues had to be self diagnosed before I was ready to do anything about them.

Views are my own.

shaggydoo

Morning :hello:

1 more AFD.



Shaggyx

shaggydoo

November :-

= 7 Days AF

= 14 days AF

= 21 days AF

= 28 days AF

= 30 days AF

= target achieved


AlexLK 3/21

AuntyCat 2/15

Barny1979 6/23

Fruball 4/17

Gien 2/25

Green Karen 6/30

Jess The Cat 3/20

Joanne109 /15

Katzen /25

Maman 3/10

MrsDee 6/25

Munchin 4/21

NewStart 1/10

Pippi 2/25

Pozza 6/25

PriceySOS 5/24

RosePetal 3/21

Satchmo 2/20

Shaggy 6/17

SkintDad 4/30

Stupotstu 6/25

Sukeyboo 3/12

Tracy /10


Everyone Welcome! It's never too late to join....

Please highlight your AFDs in Red

Don't hesitate to let me know if I've made a mistake!

shaggydoo

November 2013

SET YOUR

Everyone Welcome!!!

365days

AlexLK wrote: »

Thank you.

The odd thing is I can go for days and days without having a drink, then when I do just have a couple at most and enjoy it. However, when I go through a phase of really craving alcohol, I end up almost uncontrollably drinking.

My aunt didn't drink. Family occasions etc she would be on the lemonade.

What we didn't know is that she would go on 3 or 4 day benders. Getting bottles of brandy delivered to her door. She hid this for years from my mum (her sister). Her grown up children knew about it, having had to literally clear up the !!!! left behind. But they never told my mum.

Two years before my aunt died my mum found out from a throw away comment from one my aunt's friends. It had been going on for years.

My aunt died. The details aren't pretty but they were very much down to the drink.

I don't know how old you are. My Aunt was in her late 60's. Had she taken the decision to stop drinking earlier she may still be here. That is the frightening thing about alcoholism. It is a progressive disease. What may be a nagging doubt in your 30s/40s that alcohol is an issue may well kill you in your 60's or earlier.

Now we know why she 'never' drank. If she started she couldn't stop.

SkintDadUK

Hi guys, congratualtions to all the above doing so well! It really is harder this time of year.

If I am honest I almost broke yesterday and cracked open a cold one! Luckily Skintmum made a nice cup of tea and we had a couple of chocolate digestives which soon took my mind off having a drink!

Anyway it's 6/30 AFDs. for me!

I've got an important competition final to attend in London tomorrow, depending on how it goes I will use all my will power not to commiserate or celebrate with a short one.

Wish me luck! :eek:

AlexLK

maman wrote: »

Don't think like that Alex. I'm on exactly the same number as you. I think the difference is that I planned to drink socially last weekend and go out for a meal on Tuesday whereas you've sort of drifted into it (with admittedly higher aspirations than me;)) and so you feel you're not in control. What matters is that you decide what you want to do and go for it. So do you want to have any AF days over the weekend?

3 AFDs for me (and Alex!) please Shaggy.

Thank you.

I've decided today is going to be an AFD and hoping to possibly not drink either Saturday or Sunday.

graemecarter wrote: »

Ditto. That was my drinking. Just because it is was moderate sometimes I thought that I was in control. However, if I am not in control all the time then I have never been in control.

If I drove a car and had a crash once every 5 times I drove, no-one would say 'He's sometimes in control - that's worth the risk of a lift'. They would say I'm never in control - sometimes I crash, sometimes I don't.

I never had control, even though I believed (and really wanted to believe) that I did.
I have control over food, money and other things, but where alcohol is concerned I have no control whatsover.
Realizing that was key to me not drinking.

As has been said - only you can determine your relationship with alcohol.
My issues had to be self diagnosed before I was ready to do anything about them.

Views are my own.

Thank you, this gives me something to think about.

At this moment I'm not really sure what my relationship with alcohol is. All I know is before I started writing on here I would have a drink everyday and it was becoming more than I wanted. However, I wouldn't admit that, instead citing money as my reason to cut down. It was at the time but now I'm glad I've done it.

365days wrote: »

My aunt didn't drink. Family occasions etc she would be on the lemonade.

What we didn't know is that she would go on 3 or 4 day benders. Getting bottles of brandy delivered to her door. She hid this for years from my mum (her sister). Her grown up children knew about it, having had to literally clear up the !!!! left behind. But they never told my mum.

Two years before my aunt died my mum found out from a throw away comment from one my aunt's friends. It had been going on for years.

My aunt died. The details aren't pretty but they were very much down to the drink.

I don't know how old you are. My Aunt was in her late 60's. Had she taken the decision to stop drinking earlier she may still be here. That is the frightening thing about alcoholism. It is a progressive disease. What may be a nagging doubt in your 30s/40s that alcohol is an issue may well kill you in your 60's or earlier.

Now we know why she 'never' drank. If she started she couldn't stop.

I'm 32. That's a rather "sobering" (for want of a better word) account. Fortunately, I have not been prone to going on 3 /4 day benders, just drinking a bit too much all the time (which I'm sure is not good either).