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

365days

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/17201419#Comment_17201419

My first post......awww....

I've cut down on the fags but not stopped. Filthy addiction to nicotine. I think stopping right now would absolutely send me over the edge. I know my limits!!!

40somethingmum

365days wrote: »

I was Paybacktime regularly shortened to PBT !

Thats it ! I knew who you were but knew you used to be called something else but for the life of me could not remember what it was !:D

shaggydoo

365days wrote: »

I've cut down on the fags but not stopped. Filthy addiction to nicotine. I think stopping right now would absolutely send me over the edge. I know my limits!!!

It must be really tough.

debjay

365days wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/17201419#Comment_17201419

My first post......awww....

I've cut down on the fags but not stopped. Filthy addiction to nicotine. I think stopping right now would absolutely send me over the edge. I know my limits!!!

Being nosey but what made you change ur username?

Yeah it's probably not a good time to quit the fags. Like you said, know what your own limits are!

steveh68

NYNS 'Kick the drink easily' by Jason Vale. Well worth a read and works too well least for eight weeks for me.

So second post building up courage to set a target. I too failed last night but only had a couple but maybe that was all i had in. Not sure what to do with rest of week. Maybe try SNC next week.

I havent got to grips with fancy posts yet so its a simple text box.

This site has been quiet and now gone mad taken me ages to catch up and find you all so inspiring.

I cant see tonight being AF as going for meal with friend so that will be a couple of shandies that will give me the taste for when i get home. Also I fear those three nights of bad sleep that follow AF and need to get my head ready for them!

System

gwithbag wrote: »

Interesting you mention your "booze brain", it's apparently a part of your mid-brain called the Amygdala (your mid-brain is the part that deals with things like motivation, emotion, learning, and memory).

The Amygdala's function is to remember pleasurable experiences, like those you get from eating when you're hungry. Without it we wouldn't survive. Unfortunately, it also remembers things like drinking alcohol, smoking etc., that, if repeated often enough, it registers as a "must do" activity and encourages you by firing your emotional buttons, to get your thinking brain to do things like going down to the offy and buying that bottle of brandy. (The Amygdala can't do any of these things itself, it doesn't have control of your arms and legs, for instance, it can only try to persuade your thinking brain to do it).

So, in summary, what we're all trying to do is re-program our Amygdalas to "forget" the association between drinking and pleasure.

Boy did this make a difference to me last night I really feel I am starting to be able to rationalise my wish to blank out everything with wine and why I do it.

Yesterday my sister asked if I could leave work early as she had just received the keys of her new apartment, my brother was coming over and we were travelling to my DS2 and DIL's house to join in their leaving party. Now under normal circumstances that meant wine, red or white or both, but because I focused on what gwithbag posted - I rationalised by thoughts to happy event = booze and did not drink at all. My sister asked me to stay at her apartment with her on her first night and we were to toast it with a bottle of processeco - I had to delibrate over whether to take a glass or not, simply because if I had refused the glass it would have appeared strange, so I had 2 small glasses and felt I had accomplished what I wanted last night SO althought I wasnt AF, I definitely felt in control. If I had of had the other crutch that was recommended on here (apple juice and soda water) I know I would have only had 1 glass of wine and 1 of the apple cocktail .

That's 3 lessons learned in controlling my wine intake

• apple cocktail
• Amygdala's function
• planning to have apple juice and soda available :j

Apologies for the very long post, but I do feel I have achieved so much last night and its all thanks to you lot :j

Jo - I second all the post relating to your last night, no way have you failed!!! The next time you are faced with the same or similar situation try and stop and think how you could change the next sequence of events.

NYNS - thank you for mentioning 'booze brain' to prompt gwithbag's post

Definitely the posts regarding the habit vs addicition is very thought provoking

Have a great day and evening folks...

Shaggy im still on 5/31

** Stay Excellent, Stay AF **

maman

steveh68 wrote: »

This site has been quiet and now gone mad taken me ages to catch up and find you all so inspiring.

I cant see tonight being AF as going for meal with friend

New Year, new start. It feels good. Sorry to here so many struggling but it does get better. Promise.;)

I'm out for a meal later and not planning to be AF, just moderate. You know, like normal people do.:)

System

maman wrote: »

I'm out for a meal later and not planning to be AF, just moderate. You know, like normal people do.:)

Exactly - just like normal people

Fruball

I am going to boldly declare another AF for tonight so 5/18 please Shaggy.

I had a stressy moment at work today which made me think "I will break out the wine tonight" and then I remembered all the great posts on here and how it will not help.

It is becoming slightly more normal for me now, having AF days. The more I rack up, the easier it is getting. I still binge drink on drinking days but they are becoming fewer and my fondness for wine is fading :T I am definitely not out of the woods but I think I am getting there

365days

Nearly 4 o'clock Jo