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

CuppaTea

Lots to catch up on. Interesting reading thanks.

13/18 please shaggy

Slowdown

Hi everyone

1/8 please.

I feel so much better this morning than yesterday. No guilt, no worrying about how much I drank. :j

Thanks to you all and have a good day.

cathybird

Morning all, 20/21 for me please.

Honey_Bear

ElusiveLucy wrote: »

... but did have a low alcohol day on saturday - just one glass of wine all evening, so not feeling too bad about it.

That's the spirit! If I'd been able to stick to one glass over an evening I'd still be drinking. Good on you for making it work for you.

Welcome back Green Karen! I hope the house-building is going as smoothly as it can, which I gather from Grand Designs doesn't happen often.

Green_Karen wrote: »

I had hoped stopping working would automatically mean I stop drinking but it hasn't been the case. ... But I have come to realise a very important thing, it's people and my interactions with them that bother me and unless I become a recluse, that happens whether you work or not. I over analyse and go over conversations again and again. I also beat myself up about things I haven't done/should do better. Such as my inability to make decisions (a significant weakness when building a house!)

Some of that also applies to me, although not the house-building. I'm aware that I over-analyse situations and that can be problematic, BUT it also makes me very, very good at planning so there's an upside to it. I've found that not drinking means that, mostly, I don't say the things I shouldn't say and therefore live to regret, and that's helpful both in the short and longterm.

As for making decisions, I too put them off for as long as I could but after stopping drinking I realised that not making a decision is often a bad decision and 100% just in itself. I've become more pro-active just on the basis that if I'm wrong about something most of the time I can re-decide, and let's be honest, most decisions aren't actually life-changing anyway. It's made life a lot easier, to such an extent that I've turned another corner on the decluttering lark and am now into the utterly ruthless stage. That's taken about six years of trying and it just feels like a huge relief.

I find being around most people incredibly stressful and now that I can control how much I have to interact with other people because I don't work outside my home I feel better about my life in general. It's why the virtual world suits me more than real life, so to speak. Being at other people's beck and call all the time during a lifetime of being taught to accommodate other people's wants and needs is a recipe for stress, and since stopping drinking I've been taking back control. It's been a very gradual process and I'm not a recluse, but if I do something now it's usually or more likely to be because I want to, not because I think I should which it always was before. I say no to a lot of things now, whereas before I always said yes because I thought I should, and switched off from the resultant stress by sloshing back red wine. (I even used to call it 'slosh'.)

We can't do it all at once - stop drinking, lose weight, change our lives - overnight. Taking back control over just one area and learning just that new behaviour to the point where you can rely on yourself in that area is a fantastic platform for making other changes, one at a time.

Congratulations on the cat PSL!

25/31 please, Shaggy, and 30 for November.

maman

Honey_Bear wrote: »

We can't do it all at once - stop drinking, lose weight, change our lives - overnight. Taking back control over just one area and learning just that new behaviour to the point where you can rely on yourself in that area is a fantastic platform for making other changes, one at a time.

:T Well said HB!


I'm out for lunch today with some former colleagues. As most people will be driving to the country pub then a non alcoholic drink is the norm. Looking back I used to find this difficult (i.e. being in a pub and being AF) but no longer. It'll be fizzy water for me and then finish off with a pot of tea.:D The harder thing will be choosing a salad when everyone else is having paninis !:rotfl:


Today I'm reaching for the moon!:)


14 AFDs please Shaggy.

PriceySOS

16 please, Shaggy, taI have been packing for house move for a week now - 17 years in this house, 3DD's and 1 hoarding DH, and there is a ridiculous amount of stuff. :eek:
October has been difficult for me units-wise, so hope to start as I mean to go on when we finally move into the new house/lifestyle. :j

shaggydoo

PriceySOS wrote: »

16 please, Shaggy, taI have been packing for house move for a week now - 17 years in this house, 3DD's and 1 hoarding DH, and there is a ridiculous amount of stuff. :eek:
October has been difficult for me units-wise, so hope to start as I mean to go on when we finally move into the new house/lifestyle. :j

shaggydoo

October 2017

= 7 Days AF

= 14 days AF

= 21 days AF

= 28 days AF

= 31 days AF

= Target Achieved

= Target Beaten



Alcohol Free Days

AlexLK 14/21
Arkers 17/TF
Barny1979 16/24
CathyBird 20/21
CuppaTea 13/18
Eltee 9/25
ElusiveLucy 10/14

GintotMelinda
GreenKaren 14/TF
Honey Bear 25/31
MaggieM 15/15
Maman 14/10

Nicnak
Poor Single Lady 21/24
Pricey 16/20

PurpleMumof2 3/10
Shaggy 17/13


SlowDown 1/8

StepUpToThePl8

StichyWitchy
SukeyBoo 12/14
TakingOneDay 24/31

WBF 5/14


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 A

30 days up for grabs!

Everyone Welcome!!!

cathybird

hi Shaggy, could I have a target of 21 for November please.