Cutting Down Alcohol Thread

shaggydoo

Shaggydoo /2

Anybody else?

shaggydoo

I've updated the December monthly challenge totals at #3541 above ^

cathybird

Shaggy I will be refraining from alcohol on Sunday, so could join you for 1 nights out of 2 for the weekend challenge.

CuppaTea

3/16 for me please.

Green_Karen

6/20 Nov
5/5 SNC

Thanks

maman

Had an enjoyable and planned drink last night. Stayed over and decided to have a Wetherspoons breakfast this morning. When we left at about 10.30 a.m., there was a group of guys just getting their 3rd round of beers in!:eek: It made me feel positively saintly.:)


No plans to drink today.


3/10 AFDs please Shaggy.

Honey_Bear

Whenever I'm going to be going to a daytime political event, Maman, I insist on going out for breakfast first. We happen to live sort of next door to a Wetherspoons, and their breakfasts are cheap and quick so we're both lazy enough to be able to justify going there anywhere between 9.00 am-ish onwards. I can only assume there are an awful lot of people who work nights around here from the number of men (and yes, it's always men) who have a pint in front of them.

cathybird wrote: »

Honey Bear, you did face it though because you decided you had to stop drinking and that's a decision not everyone manages to come to - many people let alcohol wreck everything they have, even though they know that's what they're doing. So that's a pretty huge thing you achieved, in my book. I know that's not quite your point, but it seems to me important anyway.

Cathybird, it had reached the point when it was the most important relationship in my mind OR booze. I couldn't have both. No contest. I know some people faced with that choice don't manage to make it, but maybe they're further down the booze road than I was, who knows.

shaggydoo wrote: »

What's really scary for me is how quickly I started knocking them back. Drank 6 nights in a row. I've got to do better 'cos I'm at an age were people are getting ill around me...I've got to find a better way to cope with the stress...Managed to jump on the wagon last night though and I'm pretty determined to stay there.

It's a constant battle once stress hits. I occasionally kid myself I'm not going to get overtired so I won't get the screaming abdabs, but we can't control it. Sometimes something has to give but finding a healthy way of dealing with 'Status: Overwhelm' is a personal thing. I've found early nights, a novel I want to concentrate on because I'm enjoying it, and enough sleep are absolutely the ONLY combined methods that works for me. If I have too many late nights I get very, very jangly, and by late I mean lights out at midnight!

I also need a huge amount of time on my own every single day, no having to talk to people, no phone calls, no visitors, nothing.

If I don't get those two areas of my life right, nothing works.

And frankly, I don't have the energy to cope with hangovers any more. I have absolutely no idea how I ever did.

Green_Karen wrote: »

Have been thinking about why I am finding being AF relatively easy at the moment and the only reason is because I didn't start off aiming to be alcohol free for any length of time. I just did Stopober, then am seeing how it goes each day. I honestly believe that if I told myself I would never drink again, I would be back to square one and drinking every night, but telling myself I don't really fancy one tonight on a daily basis seems to work for me. I read one of the '30 day alcohol experiment' posts which stated exactly that. If we feel we are denying ourselves of something whether it be alcohol, nice food, cigarettes etc then it is difficult to continue. But if we are saying I am looking forward to that nice alternative drink I have that tastes like G&T tonight, then it feels easier. It's worked for me anyway as I have to have that incentive rather than the negative. That makes your giving up even more amazing to me HB as I could never just it just on the basis that I feel I have to!

Whatever works for you is the right thing, Green Karen, and we are all very different. You're right about denying ourselves being a flawed way to achieve a goal - I'm pretty sure that's why I can't give up chocolate and cheese! I no longer think of myself as not being allowed booze; I think of myself as someone who just doesn't drink because I don't want to live that way any more. That's the choice, not saying no to a G&T.

And yes, 60 days is the magic number. Apparently most people who make it to Day 60 stay stopped - if that's what they were aiming for.

Sorry I haven't been around, but I'm campaigning very hard at the moment, and sometimes my brain hurts!

6/31 please, Shaggy.

maggiem

4/14 and 4SNC please. Frantically busy so not had time to post but have managed Monday to a Thursday AF so pleased.

Good luck with interview AnnieG

fatrab

Bad news everyone, I'm afraid I won't be running for Prime Minister after all. On the plus side, I GOT THE NEW JOB!

Will update tomorrow when I'm back on the laptop, working up in Aberdeen tonight for my sins....

Willowtree222

Congrats Fabtrab x

Another 1 for me, please 4/4 SNC
5/20 for December x