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

shaggydoo

Morning :hello:

2 more AFDs for Wednesday and Thursday.



Shaggyx

shaggydoo

stupotstu wrote: »

I haven't been back to AA after my initial couple of meetings.
At the risk of being judged and thought badly of i will tell you exactly why.
I really struggle with AA. I struggle with the desperation I see. I struggle with the poverty I witness. I struggle going to ugly church halls, community centres etc. I struggle hearing about the tragedy and loneliness I hear in some of my AA colleagues lives where I have such a fortunate life of abundance on all fronts. I look around and I feel decades younger than everyone else. It always feels like it takes up too much of my evening (not because I feel I should be drinking I might add).
I am going to go back to a meeting tomorrow but I am not comfortable doing so. Maybe it all feels too close and uncomfortable so I've thrown up all these defence mechanisms.

Totally get all that. Maybe you need something posher like The Priory ?

http://www.priorygroup.com/

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

HR_money /31

JHiggins 3/23

Jjef /18
JulieTheMuse 25/24

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

Mari 1/20
NewMe 21/23

PenniesFromHeaven 6/23
Piggles 18/18

Poppety 8/11
Pricey 14/20
Satchmo 27/31
SandyPan 14/29
Shaggy 15/17
SmallHoldingSister 27/31
Smiley_77 17/31
StuPotStu 24/31

WBF 4/10
Yellowmonkey 28/31
Alcohol Low Days

Shaggy 22/23




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!

AlexLK

+2 for my absent days.

Stu: From what you've written I really do think you need to make an effort to stop drinking altogether, at least for a while. Having never been to an AA meeting, I cannot comment on what happens or who is there but that fact someone called you makes it seem like a good community despite the lives some may lead. A few years back I used to hate the thought of having to deal with people much less fortunate than I and was an utter snob (not saying you are, though), now I do some work in a school where the majority of the pupils have a very economically deprived background. Some are the exact stereotypes you have in your mind and so are their parents but some are very interesting (and bright) people in a bit of a difficult place.

I wonder if it would help you to take a year's "leave" from drinking and review the situation this time next year and carry on going to either AA or some other group meeting?

shaggydoo

February:

= 7 Days AF

= 14 days AF

= 21 days AF
= 28 days AF

= 29 days AF

= target achieved


Alcohol Free Days

Alex

Barny1979

CathyBird /15

CountingPenniesClaire /23

DansMam

DebJay /29

DizzyImp /25

Doshwaster

Effyb4 /14

[Deleted User]

Gien /21

Honey Bear /29

HR_money

JHiggins

Jjef

JulieTheMuse

Lincs

Mackeroo

Maggie /15

Maman /10

Mari

NewMe /20

PenniesFromHeaven

Piggles /18

Poppety /17

Pricey

Satchmo /29

SandyPan

Shaggy /17

SmallHoldingSister /24

Smiley_77 /29

StuPotStu

WBF /10

Yellowmonkey /15

Alcohol Low Days

Shaggy /21




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

29 days up for grabs!

Everyone Welcome!!!

CountingPenniesClaire

Hello peeps. I'm on 22/27 now but today won't be AFD - been invited to a quiz so will probably have two drinks tonight - but no more. Thanks shaggy xxx

cathybird

Morning all! Calling it early again, 29/31 for me please Shaggy

PriceySOS

19 please, Shaggy, ta - and target of 22 for Feb please

Honey_Bear

maggiesoup1 wrote: »

Paying for it today as I was up at 4am for a headache tablet again and the pounding has continued throughout the day, despite just going for a swim to try to shake it off.

Bought liquorice tea on my way home so will not be drinking tonight. I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth drinking alcohol at all as there are so many negative after effects. Time will tell.

I can honestly say that after the first couple of months of going alcohol-free, I've never looked back. I do very occasionally find myself being seriously tempted by red wine, the thought of a G&T, or lately the idea of port because we're going to Porto on holiday but ... no. Just don't want to live with the consequences of drinking any more. It is totally worth it, stopping. Who was it who said no-one ever wakes up the morning after and wishes they'd drunk more?!

smiley_77 wrote: »

Thanks PigglesIt has really helped being on here and I never knew !!!
My friends are mostly a distant memory although they haven't fallen out with me, they definitely avoid me because I don't drink.
I know this means they are not my true friends and meeting some new people who are non drinkers would open my options. My old friends only want to meet in the pub and after 7 j20s it stops being fun. They don't want to for a meal or anything as it is spending beer money.
However meeting new people is well out of my comfort zone. Especially without a beer inside me.
I will have to work on that I guess!!

I just go along and drink Beck's Blue and when I've had enough of the company - go home. They're all still my friends but too much alcohol makes everyone boring (at best). I'd never tell them that, and they are all good people. Their drinking doesn't make me less fond of them sober. I used to drink every bit as much as them and wasn't much fun after I'd had too many, either. They tolerated me then and I think all they'd ask is that I extend them the same courtesy, so I do.

Fortunately I don't think I ever had people around who were just drinking companions. If that's all they are, when we stop drinking then it's hardly surprising we don't have anything in common any more.

Doing something you enjoy for it's own sake will bring you into the same orbit as people who you might like. I've been to an Urban Buzz workshop today to find out about how to 'green up' the communal garden - and found the only person who has a dog my dog likes. We met briefly by chance last year, the dogs played and I've never seen her again - until today, so we've swapped phone numbers and will dog walk together very soon. It all sort of drops into place when we decide to change our lives, but it's a gradual process and we have to be patient and open to new experiences. Good luck with it, Smiley.

29/31 please, Shaggy.