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

Dizzy_Imp

18/31 for me too! OMG over halfway :j Thanks for keeping score Shaggy x

mackeroo

8 AF please Shaggy

Hoping to get a bit of advice from you. Since returning to this thread this year, I've pretty well managed no drinking on a 'school night' which for me is mon - Thursday night. I seem to have become a major binge drinker at the weekend, as if almost to make up for not drinking during the week. As soon as the clock chimes 5 ( sometimes earlier) the bottle of vino is cracked open and I 'reward' myself for not drinking during the week. I really want to reduce the amount I drink at the weekend, dont want to be abstinent just a 'cutter downer'. All tips on how to manage this at the weekend would be most welcome. Thanks

maggiesoup1

7/15 please

satchmo1

On Saturday night I jumped defiantly and angrily off the wagon into a bottle and half of red wine, plus way too much food and here's why...


Mum's care home rang at 4.30 to say she'd been having a nose bleed for over an hour and 111 advised taking her to A&E and could I take her. I got there 15 minutes later and the nosebleed had stopped half an hour earlier. I said an A&E visit probably wasn't necessary. The care home urged me to take her. So, 3 hours later she was told she could go home. The Minor Clinic nurse said he wouldn't have taken bloods (Triage nurse did this), which would have allowed him to send her home within the hour, with advice not to drink hot drinks for 24 hours, not to blow her nose, and to return if the bleeding resumed.


Why was I so agitated? Husband and I had been getting ready to go to my dear friends 60th birthday party. I'd been to the hairdressers that afternoon (and, nothing to do with the party, taken mum to her hairdressers that morning), bought and wrapped a fab MSE gift (originally £60 reduced to £18), and decided which outfit to wear.


It was too late to go by the time I got home. I was starving (I'm like the Snickers Diva when I'm hungry).


I debated whether or not to confess on here!


To remedy missing the party, husband and I took dearest friend and her husband out for a "dry" lunch today. We have a lovely, lovely afternoon and talked non-stop for 4 hours. She's off on a cruise next weekend, loved her present, and I now feel much better.


BTW, I've decided to give the half full bottle of wine to my sister instead of finishing it off.


So, 17/31 AFDs today.

satchmo1

mackeroo wrote: »

I 'reward' myself for not drinking during the week.

I realised yesterday (after a binge on Saturday), that I listened to the devil on my shoulder who shouted "you deserve this".


Did I listen to the angel on my shoulder who whispered "don't, you don't deserve the way you'll feel tomorrow" - NO.


That's probably not very helpful, but it was a big realisation to me.

smiley_77

Effyb4 wrote: »

I am afraid that I well and truly fell off the wagon in the last couple of weeks. First we had Ofsted and then I got some good news and celebrated that.


I am now back on the wagon. I am not having any alcohol tonight so 7/20 for me please. If I am very good, then I may just make my target this month, but in any case I am determined to not just give in altogether.

I have a mock Ofsted next week so i know how you feel. Hope it went well. Last time Ofsted came i had a breakdown for two years. So really trying not to get stressed:(

Poppety

2/11 please.

It is amazing how many people suffer OFSTED on this thread. I too am an unfortunate and the mere thought of it has me reaching for the wine bottle. The inspection regime whether school, local authority or nationally covered is so intrusive and wrought with anxiety for those on the receiving end that it alone probably accounts for the over consumption of alcohol by teachers.

I too suffer from the 'weekend reward binging'. That's what I'm trying to bring under control by being here and committing to no more than 3 drinks on any one night.
I went to the doctors for an unrelated matter yesterday and we somehow got on to the subject of alcohol. I said I drink around 15 to 20 units a week on average. She replied that I could get help from the surgery to try and cut down!! What a shock! Never been offered help before. I felt like I really did have a problem. And I didn't like it I can tell you. All sorts of things run through your head. 'Its not a problem, just an overindulgence', ' Hey, I'm probably overestimating', ' I'm not overdoing it, just over stressed'. What didn't pass through my head until later was ' Actually I'm over the safety limits and going over the top trying to make excuses'. They saddest thing about it was I probably underestimated!!

So. Onwards and upwards. I'm already thinking how to keep busy tonight and tomorrow to avoid the tipples. I'm hoping the Mountain of Doom (my ironing pile) might do it. If not, yet another walk will be on the cards.

Good luck everyone.

Barny1979

Early call but 15/25 AFDs today

CountingPenniesClaire

Barny1979 wrote: »

Early call but 15/25 AFDs today

Snap - me too barney. 15/27 please shaggy and thank you for running the thread and keeping score!

cathybird

Poppety wrote: »

I went to the doctors for an unrelated matter yesterday and we somehow got on to the subject of alcohol. I said I drink around 15 to 20 units a week on average. She replied that I could get help from the surgery to try and cut down!! What a shock! Never been offered help before.

hi Poppety! Welcome and all that. I'm quite sure doctors routinely assume people are drinking twice as much as they say they are and the sad thing is they're probably right - I'm quite sure every time I've talked to doctors about it I've underestimated, even when I was sincerely trying to be accurate! Human nature. Doesn't make it any easier. It was good they offered help though - is it worth taking up? ... I wonder if my GP might do the same?