The Giving Up/ Cutting Down alcohol support thread - number 13

shaggydoo

Roll up, Roll up. A New Month, A New Challenge.

SET YOUR

30 days up for grabs!

Everyone Welcome!!!

debjay

20/25 for today please. Although I'm not going to meet my target (think I'll get to 22/25) still pleased with how many AF days I've had.

Well done to everyone who has already met and beaten their targets.

Fruball

1 more please Shaggy

satchmo1

19/20 AFDs.

AlexLK

5/TF for me tonight.

Barny1979

26/25 AFDs today

Wanna_Bee_Free

12/14 please and could you put me down for 10 in June.

Talk about jinxing something! I had been sleeping much better until saying anything about it on here. I woke at 4 again the next day and at 6 this morning. I'd forgotten how much difference sleep makes!

Chardonnay

Hello, can I join in please!

I've read through a lot of this thread and it's already helped me a lot. The support is amazing and there are some really useful tips!

To tell you a little about myself, I'm 44, and probably first started drinking alcohol properly at around 17. When I look back, alcohol has always played a major part in my life. As a teenager, I was very shy and used it as a crutch, to give me the confidence to socialise. I could write a book on the stupid things I have done over the years due to alcohol, but suffice to say, I've realised that alcohol has been a problem in my life.

I'm more of a social drinker, don't usually drink in the week, but as some posters on this thread have put it so succinctly - I don't seem to have a "stop" button, once I start! My last big "blow out" was at the beginning of February when I felt ill for a week after and it really frightened me! I have tried to cut down since then and generally am a lot better than I was, but still definitely room for improvement!

The two main reasons I want to cut down or quit are that firstly, I have a congenital kidney problem, which I only found out about two years ago. I now have little function in my bad kidney, but luckily my other kidney is still working well - touch wood! There's a possibility that I may have the bad kidney removed so I really want to make sure I look after the remaining one or I could be in trouble! I also forget that I'm now 44 and I don't think my body can cope with excess alcohol any more. It really can make me feel rotten for days.

Secondly, I have a tendency to get a bit anxious/panicky/depressed sometimes. In fact alcohol helped to cause my first (and hopefully last!!) full blown panic attack. It was a few years ago now but I was on anti-malaria tablets which I was later found to be allergic to. I had gone out the night before though and got hammered and had the panic attack the next day. I do generally feel more jittery after having a lot to drink the night before and often wake in the early hours with my mind racing and heart hammering. It's just not worth it! I also lost my wonderful mum last year and find it so much harder to cope with the loss for a couple of days after drinking.

I am half way through reading Allen Carr's brilliant book "The Easy Way to Control Alcohol" (gave up smoking using his book 16 years ago ) and I haven't had a drink for over a week now. I'm not actually sure yet whether I want to cut down o quit alcohol entirely but I'm just trying to take every day as it comes for the moment

Anyway, sorry for the essay, I do tend to waffle on, but I will have a think about my target for June

PS. Maybe I need to change my username!

macpep1

Hi All :wave:

Welcome Chardonnay, you will get fab support on here & no-one is judgemental at all.

Satchmo - Happy Birthday :beer:, I am sure you said you were having one for your birthday!

Well I had wine last night . My wee kitten was being taken to a foster home last night (I am more allergic to her than my other cat) & hubby asked me if I wanted wine brought back in, I did tell him no, he came back home, I was upstairs, came down & he handed me a glass of wine (to help my sore wee heart he said)....I finished the bottle, I was so annoyed, I know I didnt have to drink it, I need to tell him & I cutting right back & only want a drink on a Saturday night. I am not making excuses, no-one forced me to drink it.

Have a good day everyone x

System

Good afternoon everyone :hello:

10/14 for me please Shaggy

Chardonnay thanks to this forum I am in the happy place I'm in, so welcome

Macpep1 - been there, done that bought the T-shirt so can completely empathise

Good luck everyone for tonight - keep strong :grouphug: