Giving up/ Cutting Down Alcohol Thread Part 16 8 April 2019 at 7:52AM edited 8 April 2019 at 8:03AM in Debt Free Diaries 6.9K replies 120.6K views

cathybird

Morning all, 1/21 for me today

cathybird

Challenge updated with Rosy's and marahouti's totals

Barny1979

1/25 AFDs today

Honey_Bear

Season_of_Mist wrote: »

Definitely won’t drink today as it is end of the month and another milestone. 31/31 for Aug and that makes it 4 months/126 days consecutive AF now. I’m getting there.

Hugely well done and massive congratulations Season of Mist. There's no doubt that the first 60 days are the toughest, so you're on a real roll now. How are you finding it? Have you got a clear idea of how you're going to manage the issue of alcohol in the future?

1/30 please Shaggy.

Season_of_Mist

Thanks for the encouragement and support HB. I agree that it does get easier the longer it goes.

To answer your questions, I have found it relatively easy, maybe surprisingly so. There has been the odd occasion especially during the very hot weather and when I went on holiday that I craved a cold beer in the evening, but really that was more down to sheer temperature than anything. It isn’t as though I’ve shut myself away all summer either; I’ve been away at work events with free drinks on offer where bottles were literally being put into my hand and I’ve had social evenings at friends’ houses with plenty of booze on offer and have managed to navigate my way through them without much difficulty.

As for the future, well, I don’t have a plan other than hoping it won’t be such an issue. Last year after I went 3 months in a row AF, it was a gradual resumption, not as though I went mad when I allowed myself to start drinking again. Actually I counted back and I think in the last 428 days I have only drank on 20 occasions in total. So I can’t get complacent or start to think that I’ve cracked it, but I can look forward maybe with some confidence that I have proved to myself I can change rituals and routines around drinking and that when I do drink, it will be possible to do so modestly.

I will post a long ramble about it someday but, believe me, compared to what I used to be like, this is real progress.

For now I’m enjoying my Sunday evening AF, I can start the week with a clear head tomorrow and go into work feeling just a little pleased with myself after another AF weekend. Good luck to everyone in their September targets.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Wanna_Bee_Free wrote: »

Please can I join the SNC with a target of 3 (tonight, tomorrow and Thursday.)
No drinking planned for me today so 8/16.

Oops, never made that one. I ended August on 7/16. Shaggy, please can I go for 16 in September. I want 4/5 on the SNC this week!

Honey_Bear

Season_of_Mist wrote: »

As for the future, well, I don’t have a plan other than hoping it won’t be such an issue. Last year after I went 3 months in a row AF, it was a gradual resumption, not as though I went mad when I allowed myself to start drinking again. Actually I counted back and I think in the last 428 days I have only drank on 20 occasions in total. So I can’t get complacent or start to think that I’ve cracked it, but I can look forward maybe with some confidence that I have proved to myself I can change rituals and routines around drinking and that when I do drink, it will be possible to do so modestly.

I will post a long ramble about it someday but, believe me, compared to what I used to be like, this is real progress.

For now I’m enjoying my Sunday evening AF, I can start the week with a clear head tomorrow and go into work feeling just a little pleased with myself after another AF weekend. Good luck to everyone in their September targets.

It does sound as though you've got it sussed and cracked Season, and I'm so pleased for you! It takes a huge amount of determination to break a habit, even if you found it easier than you thought you were going to, so I take my hat off to you. The trick with drinking is to get it and then keep it under control before it becomes a really big problem and you've shown it is possible.

You clearly are able to manage moderating, and that's the Holy Grail of drinking. Good on you.

2/30 please, Shaggy.

PriceySOS

Shaggy and Cathy: Total of 21 for August, please, and 1 for September, thanks very much xx

marahouti

1/20 for yesterday please. If there is a SNC this week would you put me down for 5 please Shaggy. I have to get September off to a good start as I have a week's holiday in the middle and three social things later in the month that I want to give myself the option of having a drink at. Thank you. X

cathybird

Morning all, 2/9 for me today please.