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

maggiesoup1

12/15 please Shaggy.

scotdebs

So where now - I have popped off and on this lovely supportive forum a number of times over the years - I have known and felt the benefits of drinking less but still often find myself getting to the end of the week feeling as though i have left myself down a bit - I have a potential major op coming up in march and really feel that between now and then I need to develop better habits- not sure I I will be able to set and keep to AFD targets but if I could come and post and vent from time to time I might be able to start meaning steps in the right direction

Wanna_Bee_Free

4/10 please Shaggy. Scotdebs hope the lovely forum helps to steer your habits in the right direction. When I'm not on here it all goes downhill.
Sorry to hear about the funeral etc Piggles and well done to all the people that have aced January, whether it was a doddle or a struggle. Sleep well everyone.

gien

Hello, sorry I've not posted for a couple of days. I am now on 23/31. last night was at a friends house and they we re sitting around after dinner drinking wine. So, without asking, the husband just poured me a glass and I was very determined and said 'no thanks, doing the dry January, but thanks f or thinking to give me one'. I felt a little bit anti social but they're good friends so it was fine.

I'm really impressed with everyone's progress this month, loads of AFDs

mikeM_2

Doing "Dry January". Other than Jan 2nd (still xmas holiday so I let myself off) I haven't had a drink. I plan to fall off the wagon on 5th Feb for a night out with the missus. This is the longest I've gone without a drink for... well, it must be decades. To be honest I have been surprised at how easy it has been. What's more, non-alcoholic beer is actually quite tasty.

Good luck everyone!

maman

Thanks for your good wishes mike.


scotsdebs, it's a good start to be thinking about getting in control of your alcohol consumption and if venting or picking up any hints and tips on here is helpful to you then you're very welcome.:)


I use the 'put the kettle on' technique new me. It started because I could sometimes go out for an AF evening (usually driving or a work thing) and then come home, open a bottle and drink as much as if I'd been at it since 6 p.m now I use it for lots of evenings at home. I think it's about getting your head in the right place. Posters have talked about the problems of rewarding yourself with a drink. I tell myself to look forward to a nice evening in, get all comfy, mug of tea, trash tv, chocolate....... (insert whatever you enjoy doing;)). That works for me.


11 AFDs please Shaggy.

Honey_Bear

I have just received the most wonderful surprise and just have to say thank you. It's made my day.

maggiesoup1 wrote: »

We are lucky to have such loving people in our lives.

I wish people who nagged and were unkind about people's self-destructive habits understood how much worse they make the situation, and I also wish that people who want to help people break those bad habits knew how much supportive kindness actually works. I'm incredibly lucky OH is still in my life, and by knocking the drinking on the head, I know that he's even more of a great guy than I thought when we got together 23 years ago.

It still makes me chuckle that when I said I was stopping drinking it took him weeks to realise that I really meant no to 'a glass of champagne for my birthday/Christmas/when there's something to celebrate.' And he loves the fact that we never have to worry about the price of taxis and who's driving home now, which I could remind him about the other day while we were booking a holiday. All good stuff.

Dizzy_Imp wrote: »

I've got through my recent few days of misery without resorting to the booze but I seriously doubt that I'm ever going to be teetotal. However, physically I feel better not having drunk for over three weeks. For me the test will be without the publically announced Dry January "thing" to cling to, I worry that I'll slip back to rewarding myself at the end of a tough day. Silly, I know, as alcohol shouldn't be used in that way, but I really like the feeling of relaxation I get after a couple of glasses.

Cathybird has terrified me on my unit consumption though with her link to how they are worked out, so I know I WILL be cutting right down, whatever I do.

I think one of the things that Dry January does is that it helps people realise how easy it is to just sling back a few glasses without realising how much we're drinking because it's there/open/we deserve it. As I've said before - once we know something, we can't 'unknow' it, so we become much more mindful about our drinking. Just that in itself is a massive change, so don't beat yourself up about it, Dizzy.

I heard a breast cancer specialist and a liver specialist talk about the effect of alcohol on our bodies years ago on two different Radio 4 programmes and when the day came that I made the decision to stop altogether, knowing what they'd said was incredibly helpful when the (short lived) cravings reared their ugly heads.

The fact that I'd given up smoking a few years before meant that I totally understood that they pass, they go away, and the day comes when I would find myself thinking, 'I wonder why I ever thought that was a good idea?' It took longer with cigarettes, now that I think about it, than it did with the booze.

scotdebs wrote: »

So where now - I have popped off and on this lovely supportive forum a number of times over the years - I have known and felt the benefits of drinking less but still often find myself getting to the end of the week feeling as though i have left myself down a bit - I have a potential major op coming up in march and really feel that between now and then I need to develop better habits- not sure I I will be able to set and keep to AFD targets but if I could come and post and vent from time to time I might be able to start meaning steps in the right direction

Vent away, Scotsdebs, and it will make a difference if you post. It just does.

Piggles, oh Piggles, I'd love to give you a real life (((hug))) but as I can't, have a virtual one instead. :hug: I don't know your full circumstances but one thing I thought when I read your post - you can congratulate yourself and feel good about the fact that you went to the funeral, you coped, and you survived to tell the tale. You managed something you knew you would find difficult, it was difficult and you have every right to feel good about that, even if your illness prevents you from remembering how you coped. Keep posting, you're doing really well. :T

MikeM: I second that on the non-alcoholic beer. I've been on it for well over a year thanks to someone posting about it on here and I really enjoy it. A couple of people have asked to try it, too, and have said that it would make a great change on days when they know they want to drink but want something to help pace them, and on hot days.

27/31 please, Shaggy.

shaggydoo

Morning :hello:

1 more AFD for yesterday.



Shaggyx

shaggydoo

scotdebs wrote: »

So where now - I have popped off and on this lovely supportive forum a number of times over the years

shaggydoo

January:

= 7 Days AF

= 14 days AF

= 21 days AF
= 28 days AF

= 31 days AF

= target achieved


Alcohol Free Days

Alex 8/28
Barny1979 22/25
CathyBird 26/31
CountingPenniesClaire 20/27
DansMam 21/31
DebJay 26/31
DizzyImp 26/31
Doshwaster 17/24
Effyb4 9/20
[Deleted User] 21/31
Gien 23/31
Honey Bear 27/31

HR_money /31

JHiggins 3/23

Jjef /18

JulieTheMuse 18/24

Lincs 4/31
Mackeroo 10/10
Maggie 12/15
Maman 11/10

Mari 1/20
NewMe 20/23

PenniesFromHeaven 6/23
Piggles 16/18

Poppety 7/11
Pricey 14/20
Satchmo 25/31
SandyPan 14/29
Shaggy 13/17
SmallHoldingSister 23/31
Smiley_77 17/31
StuPotStu 21/31

WBF 4/10
Yellowmonkey 26/31
Alcohol Low Days

Shaggy 20/23




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