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

Honey_Bear

piggles1 wrote: »

There are no support things close enough to me but I'll call them anyway and see what they say. I do need to call them because I feel a bit in limbo with it, waiting for appointments. I don't have anything specific to ask though and don't want to waste their time

You wouldn't be wasting their time even if you didn't have anything specific to ask them and if you're anything like me, making that first phone call is the hardest part anyway. Might I suggest their forums? The peer-to-peer support would feel just like this does, I think, where you'd be communicating with people in exactly the same position as yourself. The second section, about being newly diagnosed, might be helpful reading even if you don't want to contribute.

The assessment I had has found something for my mental health, but it's not in my area as in, it's so far away it would distress me to try and get there and cost a lot for regular visits as well. I've left it that they're going to look for something closer to me but I don't know if they'll find anything.

Bummer.

I started to think earlier on I might as well go back to how I was, drinking for some kind of normality of an evening. Part of me says nooo keep going, but partof me is a bit lost and wants something familiar back again. I keep getting knocked back with things and it looks a bit hopeless.

Drinking is okay when we're happy. Drinking when things are difficult isn't, sadly, going to help make you feel any better which is another bummer. Please stick with us, and if you can resist excess while you find the right levels of support to get you through you'd have a wonderful sense of achievement.

I have managed a couple more AFDs though.

Well done! You're doing amazingly and I just wanted to make doubly sure you know that because sometimes it's easy to under-estimate how brilliantly we've turned things around. Good on you.

13/17 AFD please shaggy

satchmo1 wrote: »

13/20 AFDs tonight. Not feeling well, so I'm snuggled up in bed and hoping I'm feeling ok for parkrun in the morning.

Hugs for anyone who needs them. I got a lovely Christmas car today from an elderly gentleman to thank me for a hug I gave him this week because he was feeling sad to be spending his first Christmas without his wife of 52 years who died in June. In it he said he didn't get many hugs now.

*Healing vibes* heading your way, and hoping you made Parkrun this morning. Thank you so much for sharing that; puts minor irritations into perspective, doesn't it?

19/31 please, Shaggy.

CountingPenniesClaire

Today will be an AFD. 15/25 please shaggy

Leaf clearing in the agenda first. Then making a photo album as a Christmas gift. Then gym if my dodgy knee, hip and ankle will allow :-(

Honey_Bear

20/31 please, Shaggy.

debjay

14/18 for tonight please

smallholdingsister

I poisoned myself last night. I had decided to drink Friday and Saturday but was not moderate. I forgive myself as it was decompression from my job (left on Friday) but...
the diet has gone to pot
I have been lazy and unmotivated
I feel stupid.

Back on the waggon tomorrow.

piggles1

Honey_Bear wrote: »

You wouldn't be wasting their time even if you didn't have anything specific to ask them and if you're anything like me, making that first phone call is the hardest part anyway. Might I suggest their forums? The peer-to-peer support would feel just like this does, I think, where you'd be communicating with people in exactly the same position as yourself. The second section, about being newly diagnosed, might be helpful reading even if you don't want to contribute.


Drinking is okay when we're happy. Drinking when things are difficult isn't, sadly, going to help make you feel any better which is another bummer. Please stick with us, and if you can resist excess while you find the right levels of support to get you through you'd have a wonderful sense of achievement.

I have managed a couple more AFDs though.

Well done! You're doing amazingly and I just wanted to make doubly sure you know that because sometimes it's easy to under-estimate how brilliantly we've turned things around. Good on you.

Thanks Honey Bear I will call the MS Society phone line when I've got the right head on. Thanks for the forum link, I hadn't seen that.

The MS affects my balance and other things now and again, but the mental health affects me all the time, so to me that's the more urgent one.

The place that gave me a MH diagnosis and referred me to a place miles away, it's nice to know but that's not the thing that needs attention either. All I need is some kind of therapy nearby that lasts longer than a few weeks. A simple need really you'd have thought.

I did have half a bottle of wine the other night when I was trying to get back to feeling myself again. I was a bit rubbish the next day but business as usual and went back to an AFD so although I think occasionally I want to have more than I planned it seems short lived and then I remember my targets. It seems to happen towards the end of the month of restricting myself.

I have a question to do with that for you if I can ask Honey Bear. At what point did you decide you weren't going to drink anything for as long as a year, or a month, or from now on? I wondered whether it was always the goal or whether it became the goal and how you approached it.

When I gave up completely before I had a plan to move house so it started with saving up and changing things. And I remember Graeme saying on this thread he had to change himself. I don't think I've got to that point yet this time so my AFDs have an alcohol day at the end of them.

smallholdingsister wrote: »

I poisoned myself last night. I had decided to drink Friday and Saturday but was not moderate. I forgive myself as it was decompression from my job (left on Friday) but...
the diet has gone to pot
I have been lazy and unmotivated
I feel stupid.

Back on the waggon tomorrow.

It makes you feel like that afterwards doesn't it. But I think the end of a job and it being a fairly big change is a good enough reason not to feel so bad. A new week again tomorrow and with less booze, hopefully the diet will get back to normal as well. G'luck

14/17 AFD please shaggy

maman

smallholdingsister wrote: »

Back on the wagon tomorrow.

That's exactly the right thing to do. Draw that line and move on.:)

piggles1 wrote: »

I did have half a bottle of wine the other night when I was trying to get back to feeling myself again. I was a bit rubbish the next day but business as usual and went back to an AFD so although I think occasionally I want to have more than I planned it seems short lived and then I remember my targets. It seems to happen towards the end of the month of restricting myself.

I think of them as 's*d it ' days usually when I've reached target or know I'll easily do it. It's a case of drinking because I can. Hopefully you'll soon get to a place where not drinking becomes your default position (I hate the idea of you 'restricting yourself' Personally I prefer to think of planning when I drink and when I don't. Maybe semantics but it makes sense to me.)and then you'll think carefully whether to bother at all.

AlexLK

Not been on here in a while but have been staying AF. This month I'm up to 19/21 days. Can't see Christmas eve, day, boxing day, my birthday, New Years Eve or New Years day being AF but plan for the rest to be. Also, won't be drinking a lot on the days I plan to.

Rather pleased with myself as before December has been somewhat of a disaster month.

Dizzy_Imp

satchmo1 wrote: »

Sorry you are bearing the brunt of your DH's raving Dizzy Imp. My guess is he knows its not your fault, but he can't bring himself to own up to himself that his inaction has consequences.
Well done on heading to bed instead of to the bottle (I wish I'd had your willpower).

Thanks Satchmo. Flood clearance company contacted and said hard drive found. Harmony restored. Hope things are better for you now too?

Honey_Bear wrote: »

Huge (((hugs))) for you, too, Dizzy. It's always so much easier to blame the person who actually did something than take responsibility for dealing with disasters.

Indeed, although I think he may well have learned a lesson this time

AlexLK wrote: »

Not been on here in a while but have been staying AF. This month I'm up to 19/21 days. Can't see Christmas eve, day, boxing day, my birthday, New Years Eve or New Years day being AF but plan for the rest to be. Also, won't be drinking a lot on the days I plan to.

Rather pleased with myself as before December has been somewhat of a disaster month.

Me too! Well done you :T

I had a small glass of home-made damson brandy, (rescued as the flood water was rising), on Saturday evening, but have switched to iced peach tea instead of wine with meals, if alcohol is offered. Very refreshing and I feel quite virtuous :rotfl: Still doesn't explain why I've woken with what I would normally describe as post-drinking symptoms, including aching kidneys...anyway, 16/19 up to yesterday please Shaggy x

CountingPenniesClaire

Barny1979 wrote: »

15/20 AFDs today, first day back in work, came back from holiday yesterday.

Least it's a short week barney! Today will be AFD so 16/25 please shaggy.