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

AlexLK

maman wrote: »

I did think that maybe that when the weekends came I'd just go mad and play catch up but I've found my tolerance has dropped over time and so now I drink moderately even on planned drinking days.

I'm a bit of a night owl and I don't sleep well. When I started I used to post on here last thing at night because I couldn't trust myself to declare an AF day any earlier. There's something about this thread that makes me (us?) feel accountable even though it's not judgemental in any way. So the later it got in the day the more I felt I'd be wasting an AF day if I had a drink.

I could easily be writing this!

I was quite surprised that my tolerance seemed to drop fairly quickly. As a result when I do drink these days, sharing a bottle of wine with Mrs K is enough.

Also couldn't trust myself to declare early.

Honey_Bear

It was a long time before I felt safe declaring early.

18/31 please, Shaggy.

piggles1

Honey_Bear wrote: »

Sorry I can't offer any advice on cutting down, Piggles. I didn't want you to think I was ignoring your post but I couldn't cut down successfully, and I gave it my best shot for years. It's difficult. I take my hat off to Maman, because I know she's managing it very nicely thank you.

that's ok Honey Bear I've had several unsuccessful attempts before this one, but never got it down as far as I have this time.

maman wrote: »

My target was to just drink at weekends (I do make exceptions now for special occasions and holidays) so I basically went 'cold turkey' on weeknights right from the start. Mondays weren't so bad as I go to a dance class in the evening so that got me off to a good start but at first I spent a lot of time thinking about the fact I wouldn't be having wine and having to constantly have a drink of some sort (usually water) in my hand every evening. It wasn't easy but as the weight came off it got easier and now it rarely bothers me at all. I can't remember how long it took but I lost the weight I wanted in 10 months so it was somewhere along the way there.

Thanks maman for this. My motivation is a complete life change I think (I've just moved house which helped), and I started to worry about how ill I could get before I even retire. Sounds a bit alarmist but 30 years is a long time to overdrink, it was part of my existence, and I hadn't sorted out what made me think that was all I was worth? I have a few MH problems as well which was why I started all those years ago, so I want to sort my mental health out, not that and a drink problem.

maman wrote: »

I did think that maybe that when the weekends came I'd just go mad and play catch up but I've found my tolerance has dropped over time and so now I drink moderately even on planned drinking days.


I'm a bit of a night owl and I don't sleep well. When I started I used to post on here last thing at night because I couldn't trust myself to declare an AF day any earlier. There's something about this thread that makes me (us?) feel accountable even though it's not judgemental in any way. So the later it got in the day the more I felt I'd be wasting an AF day if I had a drink.


Sorry, a bit of an essay but I hope the thread can work for you.

Thank you. I agree that the thread makes me feel accountable for what I'm doing and has really helped so far. (Apologies, I know I ramble a bit because I'm at the start of all this ). I'm a very poor sleeper and am still waking several times in the night but seem to get back to sleep quicker now.

AlexLK wrote: »

I was quite surprised that my tolerance seemed to drop fairly quickly. As a result when I do drink these days, sharing a bottle of wine with Mrs K is enough.

Also couldn't trust myself to declare early.

As you and maman say, my tolerance has dropped really quickly too. I thought I might have a bit extra last night and had already allowed myself but I only had 2.5 units again because that was enough.

Alex I'm new to this thread but I was happy to read you went to the castle I'd have been the same, not sure if I could go, and sometimes I find things hard to face and wonder what the point is, but I almost always feel better afterwards. Glad you had a good time.

I don't measure what I had until the next day so I can get to sleep blissfully unaware. The computer goes off at 9pm to try and get my brain into night-time/sleep mode.

piggles1

maman wrote: »

but at first I spent a lot of time thinking about the fact I wouldn't be having wine and having to constantly have a drink of some sort (usually water) in my hand every evening.

Forgot to mention, yeh I've found this, that I can't not have a sip of something and end up doing random things to take my mind of it, but then I'm not getting enough liquids. So tomorrow I'm going to buy some cranberry juice and horlicks with the weekly shop. Cranberry juice is good because it's dry.

AlexLK

piggles: Thanks, I'm not very well today and very much need a quiet day in but I am glad I went. At one point I couldn't face going out at all, this was a few years ago now but I suppose I'm afraid I'll one day get like that again.

Seems a lot of us are poor sleepers on here, a correlation maybe? This likely sounds really quite bad but I know I used to drink in the hope I'd drift off to sleep that night. Often it worked but a couple of hours later I'd be awake, didn't attribute it to drink though, of course. Now it may take a long time for me to get to sleep but I'm not constantly waking up throughout the night. Still don't get enough sleep, though.

Barny1979

17/25 AFDs today, had a few drinks last night, the first time since April 11th and felt it today, so as a punishment I went to the gym and also played tennis.

AlexLK

12 for tonight. I'm not very well today, another autumn cold. A few years ago this would have been an excuse drink "medicinal" spirits. Not anymore though and quite pleased so.

gien

6/10 tonight - I had a drink of wine last night but nothing today.

Dizzy_Imp

17/22 for today please - DH ordered me a small glass of wine in the pub with our meal but it took me ages to drink it. I didn't actually want it. Imagine that? I think I may be turning a corner...

satchmo1

11/14 AFDs for me today.


I'm off holiday early tomorrow morning, to Carcassonne, so won't be online until next week.