The Cutting Down / Giving Up Booze Thread (Part 14)

cathybird

Baileysonice wrote: »

Had a pub visit and stuck with alcohol free lager and black one person insisted on going on and on about it asking me loads of questions and saying its only people with a problem who do dry January

And here was I thinking it's only people who do have a problem who don't do dry January :rotfl:

scatterbrain109

Hi Shaggy

17/31 please

I think I'm on a roll:rotfl:

Jo xx

Arkers

Good afternoon,
17 please Shaggy
Arkers x

New_Me

ManPants wrote: »

On a more sobering note, it is just past the two year mark of me assaulting my partner when drunk & having taken body building medications. I posted here at the time, some of you may remember.

Hi ManPants, I remember you, and was worried when you didn't post for a while. Good to see you back. :T

New_Me

Baileysonice wrote: »

17/19 please

New me Im sleeping a lot longer too and also Im dreaming a lot more for some reason. Had a pub visit and stuck with alcohol free lager and black one person insisted on going on and on about it asking me loads of questions and saying its only people with a problem who do dry January. As she sat there with a large glass of red I figured if anyone has a problem its her at least I admit I do need to slow down and reset my drinking habits
Anyway rant over

Yes, lots of bad/crazy dreams here too. I need to have more balance with my sleep though, I've slept 14hrs Mon, same Tue.

No one has questioned my "Dry January" so far, and if they do I won't be getting into a big discussion on it. It's too new/sensitive for me to talk about lots, and drinking is ingrained in the local culture here.
My plan is
a/ claim dry January, just because
b/ Losing a few pounds, saving calories for cake (talk lots about meal plans/nutrition till they fall asleep?)
c/ but I don't miss alcohol, so why should I drink now/tonight?
d/ Have you tried it, how did that go? How much often do you drink? Spend on drink? Look very concerned lol
e/ Go to ladies and change seat/talk to someone else on return

I'm surprised she spotted your lager was alcohol free, normally the only folk who know it exists approve, and no one else notices.

pollyanna24

I'm doing okay this month. On track anyways. Up to 10/19.

A few of my ramblings re my relationship with drink.

I was so going to drink last night. Seems to be my Tuesday night thing now. As I really felt like drinking last Tuesday. But again, like last Tuesday, I stopped myself. I was determined to drink and I didn't think anything would stop me as I just really felt like wine.

Then my friend texted me to say she'd lost 3.5lbs. We are both on a diet. And I thought, why am I thinking about opening a bottle of wine? What is the reasoning for it? And so I just didn't. I went and made a cup of tea and the urge went.

And I am super proud of myself. I think I've always thought, oh sod it, I'll drink, cos I didn't want to live a life where I am feeling that I am depriving myself. That if I wasn't going to drink, it was because somehow miraculously, the feeling / urge to drink would go.

But this clearly isn't going to happen. So I should be proud that even though I felt like a drink, I didn't. When the people who can just take or leave a drink go “Oh look at me, I didn't drink,” in my head it's not as much of an accomplishment as it is for someone like me.

But then I think, there are people who think about chocolate how I think about wine. It's just because it's alcohol that there is a stigma about it.

So is this my life then? That I have to constantly be aware of drink and that I will always feel like it? I don't think so, not in that deep rooted way true alcoholics feel about it. Like I don't feel like alcohol now. I'm not shaking cos I haven't had my fix etc. I think I will always have to be aware that just because I feel like a drink, doesn't mean I have to have one. That it is something to look forward at the weekend.

I was talking to my friend about it this morning and thanked her for stopping me drinking. As it was around the time I got her text that I went and made a cup of tea. I think that is the trigger. If I have something to drink (that isn't alcohol), it stops the urge.

I am going to try to start drinking later on the days when I do drink (which sounds bad – it's not like I crack open a bottle at 9am at the weekend!) and so I won't feel the need to open a second bottle. Because that's my next step. Drinking less at the weekend when I do drink.

Paspatur

cathybird wrote: »

Paspatur, that's good to hear (about the 7/31 and the fact that you are okay and still here - not the kitchen flood, that's not good :rotfl:) I hope the flood wasn't too serious :eek:

Thanks, damage not too serious due to tiled floors and fast reaction, as it was 2nd time in a month I got everything switched off and isolated faster. First time involved a few minutes of complete bafflement
8/31 for tonight please

Honey_Bear

I was lucky Pollyanna, I never drank during the day unless it was a wedding or a golden wedding anniversary lunch because it always sent me straight to sleep. If you decided you wanted to change that habit, as you say just start later - it'll mean you can get more done, or just treat yourself to a lazy day without the booze. Either feels good to me. A lot of drinking is habitual and if we break the habit we're a lot better off - it doesn't mean you need to think about it as being deprived if you can still enjoy it having cut down a bit. Good luck with it.

cathybird wrote: »

And here was I thinking it's only people who do have a problem who don't do dry January :rotfl:

^^^ Wot she said.

New Me I think your method of dealing with people who are incredibly rude about what you are drinking is genius!

ManPants wrote: »

On a more sobering note, it is just past the two year mark of me assaulting my partner when drunk & having taken body building medications. I posted here at the time, some of you may remember. Sadly, it has changed us forever and i doubt he will ever go back to feeling the way he did, after what i did.

Those of us who have a bit of a tricky relationship with alcohol will, eventually probably end up doing something we regret. It happens. It also happens even if we don't drink booze. You're still together and you're dealing with the alcohol side of things in your own way. Give it time and in the meantime have a (((hug))).

The morning after the last time I drank when I woke up I think the first thing OH said to me was, 'You crossed a line last night' and I absolutely knew I had, too. Stopping drinking altogether was the only thing I could do to save the relationsip and I'm so, so glad I did but it took a while before I was confident that I could deal with the temptation to go back to just allowing myself one on special occasions. I know I can't but you seem to have found a happy medium.

17/31, please, Shaggy.

Poor_Single_lady

Thank you for all your lovely wise words HB. I absolutely love being part of this thread. I think most of us have said and done things that are very regrettable after drinking.

I have too many incidents that I am trying to forget.
Although I wish this wasn't true for any of us. It does make you feel less alone reading other people's thoughts and experiences.

13/21 inc today

maman

Target day for me.:D And plenty of month left for bonus days!:j


10 AFDs please Shaggy.