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

debjay

17/20 for tonight please.

Barny1979

23/26 AFDs tonight

AlexLK

Tonight makes 8/TF, I think.

Honey_Bear

27/31 please Shaggy.

Top_Girl

18/20

Almost there!

BlueDaisy

15/16 for me please.
September target - I'm going to up the stakes slightly and go for 18 AF days.

Chardonnay

gien wrote: »

Well done TopGirl for resisting.

I was also AF last night and this morning went out and ran a 10k in a hour which really surprised me. I feel fine now apart from a sore toe!

Tonight will also be AF as I am doing my first sewing class - making a bag.

Well done on running 10k in an hour Gien - that's brilliant! Don't think I will be anywhere near that!

Honey_Bear

I'm reading Dying for a Drink which is a sobering experience. If anything, anything at all can help to stop me picking up another glass of booze ('One won't hurt') it's a welcome addition in the armoury. And Wernick's Encephalopathy and Korsakoff's Psychosis has scared the c**p out of me.


OH, who I love and adore to bits, said this morning, 'But champagne would be okay, wouldn't it?' He's now realised he will be buying half bottles from now on, because, for those who think champagne isn't alcohol so I can join them in their celebrations - it is. And I won't.


Morrison's does an alcohol free sparking 'wine' which tastes okayish, nowhere near as bad as any of the AF red wine I've tried. It's going to get me through birthdays, Christmas and every other cork popping event. I have a bottle of it, permanently in the fridge, as yet unopened but you never know when something needs celebrating. Be prepared, and all of that useful stuff.


I'm interested in the strategies other people have found that work for them for the dangerous occasions, so if anyone can suggest things that have helped them cut down or give up I'd be really grateful if they'd be willing to share them.


Dying for a Drink says willpower alone won't work, but I'm curious about that. Does that mean that one person who got drunk once, and decided alcohol wasn't going to be part of their life because they didn't like the loss of control, can't exercise enough willpower and is doomed to be an unredeemable alcoholic? Or, is there a point at which a drinker recognises they have a problem with alcohol and no-one can give it up and stay sober without getting outside help?


I'm working on the basis that if I can stay AF for 100 days, after that it should be more straightforward and I won't have to read up and work at it so hard. (The cosy idea that you can form a new habit or give up an old one in a month has been comprehensively debunked. It takes much, much longer. In my case, stopping smoking without sneaking in a surreptitious one when I was 'tipsy' took, oooohhhh - five years. At least.)

maman

Honey_Bear wrote: »

OH, who I love and adore to bits, said this morning, 'But champagne would be okay, wouldn't it?'


Love it!!:rotfl:

Dying to be Drink says willpower alone won't work, but I'm curious about that.

I'm curious about that too. I'm not knocking outside help whether it be reading a book, attending a group, joining a thread like this or whatever. But IMO, when it comes down to it the individual (i.e. me and you) has to have determination/will power if it's going to work. So, in a way, I'm saying that something else on top of willpower (so not willpower alone) is helpful but I think it's the determination that's the key ingredient. As an aside, willpower isn't something that you've either got or you haven't. It can fluctuate for all sorts of reasons. I think the secret is to keep putting any setbacks behind you and keep starting again.


To make a lighter (no pun intended;)) analogy. In my Slimming World group, when people fall off the wagon the consultant just tells them to put the bad meal/day/week behind them and start again. She says that if you dropped your mobile phone, you'd pick it up not stamp all over it.


I agree that new habits aren't formed that quickly but I've found it gets easier over time. Basically, I believe that if you believe in yourself you'll get there but it can be easier if others are helping you as well. Now I'm getting all preachy so I'll stop.:o


No more AF days for me to report so I'm calling August on 12. Back, fresh and ready to go on Monday.:)


Thanks for keeping us all on track shaggy. You're a real star!!:A

gien

Thanks Chardonnay - I surprised myself to be honest!!

Last night was AF again and today I have been super busy so I am glad that Ihave a clear head and 4 days of not drinking behind me. If I'd been drinking wine last night I'd feel exhaustedly now but I still have energy!

I saw a blight other day by someone who had done a 100 days of clean living and eating - it was pretty inspirational and I'm thinking of trying it myself. After all 100 days would take me almost to the end of the year...