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

fakeplastictwee

Well I'm dead proud of myself this evening. Been to a pub quiz and sat in a pub for a good 5 hours and only drank alcohol-free beer. I was driving to be fair, so having a few would never have been on the cards, but I would probably usually have one, or would have found a way to have been picked up/dropped off etc. so I could drink. It's lovely to come home feeling naturally tired, not drunk-tired. That's 6/29 for me now please shaggy.

I've been invited out for a friend's birthday later in the month. When I explained what I was doing this month and that I had assigned a couple of days that I could drink, he informed me that one of those days had to be his birthday as it's going to be 'a messy one'. The way I'm feeling right now, I don't want anyone to ruin this now. I'm feeling so much more calmer and rested.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Wow, lovely to see so many returners and new faces on here - January is very inspiring!

Honey Bear, thank you I found the wagon story very interesting and there have also been some great posts on here in the last few pages - I just binge read the lot last night and today. Especially about energy levels, thank you.

I had my first AFD on Monday and 1 small glass of red last night. Trying not to feel like I've wasted a drinking day because it wasn't most of a bottle of white. I've slept well for the last 2 nights too.

I'm away for work until the weekend and hoping I can be strong for the next 2 nights and say no to free wine.

1/14 for me please Shaggy

BlueDaisy

2/27 for me please

mummy2threeboys

Ellsbel wrote: »

6//31 for today please.
Look after yourself, mummy and stay well:)

Just wondered - those of you who've been AF for a while, have you noticed an upturn in energy levels or wellbeing at all? I've been feeling rotten today, and whilst I don't expect miracles, it would be great to at least feel a bit less lethargic!!

Have a good evening everyone x

Thanks Sweetie. Yes Energy is odd I feel both exhausted yet also Wide awake..My house is starting to look like I care about it again..as am I..Very happy household at the moment..Hopefully in a few weeks will feel refreshed and well slept.

Honeybear Id love to read your Journal please? I do love positive stories to keep me inspired xx

Declaring 2/20 Please Shaggy xx

Doing ok , exhausted Closed my eyes at around 12? Couldn't sleep before then despite finishing another book..and next thing I know toddlers waking me up at 6.45 telling me he wants "Breakfust" I don't feel like I slept. Was good though, I got dressed in nice clothes, styled my hair, put make up on, took my vitamins, at some porridge and no settled down for a nice pot of tea..normally I would have just pulled on some trackies and thats it! Yay me x:T

Loads of love and huggles to you all , have a great day xx

PennySaving

5/30 to report. Thankyou!

shaggydoo

1 more AFD for yesterday.

Shaggyx

shaggydoo

to all the returners. You're on the list!

shaggydoo

January:

= 7 Days AF

= 14 days AF

= 21 days AF

= 28 days AF

= 31 days AF

= target achieved



AlexLK 4/21

Aneres

BaileysSoNice /10

Barny1979 5/28

BHB 6/31

BlueDaisy 2/27

BlueViolet 2 /20

Chardonnay 6/19

DebJay 6/31

DoshWaster 2/25

Ellsbel 6/31

FakePlasticTwee 6/29

Fruball 4/23

Gien 3/25

GrassGirl 5/21

GrumpyOldGal /26

Helena /31

Honey Bear 6/31

Joanne109 5/30

Judi24 3/20

LavenderBees /31

Mackeroo 1/10

Maman 1/10

MotherOfTheWorld 4/31

MotherTo3Boys 2/20

PennySaving 5/30

Pippi 5/31

Pollyanna

Pricey 1/20

Satchmo 6/31

Shaggy 5/17

SukeyBoo 2/12

StopLurking 3/18

WBF 1/14



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

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

SET YOUR

25 days up for grabs!

Everyone Welcome!!! It's not Too Late!

Honey_Bear

Thank you Ellsbel for your kind comments. To be honest, a lot of what I'm posting about the effects of not drinking after 20+ years of drinking too much are things that surprise me. There are a lot of myths and mistaken beliefs around, not just about drinking, and I'm finding the stuff I'm learning really interesting. Being in a group of people that are interested in the same subject and have a wealth of expertise is helpful and supportive and nothing, and I mean nothing, is going to get me into a dusty village hall to talk about not drinking. The fear of having to do that at the beginning as a last resort was one of my main motivators to make this work. Every time I've asked a question about going AF it has been answered, often with several different points of view, all of which are helpful even if I disagree with them! I sometimes post because I can't find information about what I've found in my experience and want to know if other people have found the same things - if I'm normal. Turns out - I am.

fakeplastictwee wrote: »

I've been invited out for a friend's birthday later in the month. When I explained what I was doing this month and that I had assigned a couple of days that I could drink, he informed me that one of those days had to be his birthday as it's going to be 'a messy one'. The way I'm feeling right now, I don't want anyone to ruin this now. I'm feeling so much more calmer and rested.

FPW, what you choose to put in your body is up to you! I've been honest with my friends and they all know I don't drink any more, but that I have no problem with them doing whatever they want to do. There can be huge social pressure to drink but that doesn't actually mean anyone has to join in. I find arriving at the table, or in a group, with a drink in my hand (AF) means I don't have to have the first one, I don't need the second one when people progress on to it and after that they honestly won't be aware you're not drinking alcohol. I always buy a round when it's my 'turn,' which again means no one needs to be told I'm not drinking booze - unless you tell them and once they've had a couple some people can become just a tad overbearing about anyone else not drinking, so I avoid that subject.

Something I found out from a 1970s lecture by a priest on You Tube (for AA I think) but have never heard mentioned anywhere else, is that alcohol dries out the throat while people are drinking. That's why having had two or three, people are even thirstier than they were at the beginning and drinking more alcohol seems like such a good idea. I genuinely struggle to keep up, AF drink for drink!

To be entirely honest, I'm really glad I've had the opportunity to see how much some people's behaviour changes when they've had a lot to drink. My behaviour was just as extreme so I'm not condemning them, just aware that I don't want to be that person any more.

No one I know, not one single person in Real Life, as it were, has done this. None of my friends have changed their behaviour around me. My not drinking hasn't affected them at all, and that's absolutely fine. I don't know anyone who doesn't drink - my entire social circle are drinkers, most of them heavy drinkers. I can't not be around alcohol, so I have to be okay with it, so I am.

Wanna_Bee_Free wrote: »

Trying not to feel like I've wasted a drinking day because it wasn't most of a bottle of white. I've slept well for the last 2 nights too.

I'm away for work until the weekend and hoping I can be strong for the next 2 nights and say no to free wine.

Huge congratulations for not sinking the whole bottle! Lesson learned - you feel better, and better about yourself, if you don't have one. That knowledge will help you next time you feel tempted, so it wasn't a wasted experience, after all.

I found that as long as I said no to the first one, the temptation passes. See what works for you, but if you know you're feeling better and sleeping better, maybe that might be enough to just get you through that danger zone by then. Good luck with it.

mummy2threeboys wrote: »

Honeybear Id love to read your Journal please?

I didn't post about it anywhere else, it's all on this thread, starting from 27th July. Sorry I can't make it easier, but to be honest, the conversation with other people is what makes it interesting, as opposed to just my view and experience, I think.

Can I just say it's lovely to see this thread so busy? From mid-November onwards it sort of wound down a bit with people posting less and less frequently as the party season revved up and at times I felt just a little lonely! I knew January would be busier, and I'm really enjoying seeing so many people posting.