Giving Up/Cutting Down Alcohol Thread part 18

Season_of_Mist

Finished Feb on 26/25 thank you cathybird. Two days this month that were not AF, five in total so far this year. Could I please have a target of 28 for March, thank you.

So heartening to read everyone’s totals and how many targets have been reached.

cathybird

February

7 days = 14 days = 21 days = 28 days = Target reached = Target beaten =
Entire month =
February targets
AllNightDiner 12/13 alt80 28/TF Arkers 13/TF cathybird 27/21 Coveredinbees 22/18 CuppaTea 10 Dark Sunday 14/16 dustydigger 24/24 family355 28/28 GotToStopSpending 10 happydenial 15/14 ITL89 15 lantanna 19/15 leftatthetrafficlights 24/20 maggiem 23/15 makingmehappy 7/16 maman 18/10 marahouti 28/25 MissPennySave 5/12 notpropaganda73 23/24 oceandreamer 21/20 PriceySOS 15/23 RobM99 28/27 satchmo1 22/26 Season of Mist 26/25 sukeyboo 12/10 sunshine raincloud 13/25 TornErse 27/26 WBF 11/10 Newcomers welcome!

AllNightDiner

Good morning everyone, a grey day where I am and too cold for my liking - but spring is just around the corner and I am starting the month off AF - 1/14 please @cathybird

sukeyboo

Declaring early for today on 1/10 please cathybird 

RobM99

family355 said:

Dry Feb complete 28/28 please cathybird. Actually really chuffed.
I didn't realise there is an annual chart too. In Jan/Feb, I've had 57/59 days alcohol free. I'd like to join this too and aim for 150 days. 
Slightly embarrassed to think it used to be easy to count alcohol free days as they were few and far between. 
The hard work starts now for me to stay in control of my drinking. 

family355 said:

Dry Feb complete 28/28 please cathybird. Actually really chuffed.
I didn't realise there is an annual chart too. In Jan/Feb, I've had 57/59 days alcohol free. I'd like to join this too and aim for 150 days. 
Slightly embarrassed to think it used to be easy to count alcohol free days as they were few and far between. 
The hard work starts now for me to stay in control of my drinking. 

You can do this. (I know I've posted similar before so apologies to the non-newbies!).
Apparently 3 weeks is the crucial time - if you can beat a habit/addiction for 3 weeks then the brain accepts this abstinence as the 'new normal behaviour'. I all but gave up in April 2021 (I have a drink on hols - and then not a lot), my last drink was October 2022.

Try this - list 5 reasons why you want to cut down/give up. Your reasons, not someone else's. Mine are;

1 Costs money which could be far better spent elsewhere (like - electricity!)
2 Does you no good
3 Waste of calories, I was getting a bit tubby round he middle
4 No nutritional value whatsoever!
5 People say and do things they would never do when sober. How many fights occur outside pubs because someone has consumed too much Perrier?!

If alcohol was a brand new thing, it'd be illegal! My personal lowest point - well, two really, neither of which is that bad but still bad...Lost a week over one Christmas and new year, recovered to find  empty cans of ultra strong lager all over the house, 7/10 in the 'bad' rating. Better (or worse!) was going to the local 7/11 at 0705 with £5 and calculating the maximum number of units I could get for my money.  6/10.
Alcohol is the only drug we apologise for not using. You'd never hear "Sorry, I don't do crystal meth!"

satchmo1

1/26 for me to spring into March

cathybird

March

7 days = 14 days = 21 days = 28 days = Target reached = Target beaten =
Entire month =
March targets
AllNightDiner 1/14 alt80 TF Arkers TF cathybird 1/21 Coveredinbees CuppaTea Dark Sunday 18 dustydigger 25 family355 28 GotToStopSpending happydenial 21 ITL89 lantanna 15 leftatthetrafficlights 25 maggiem 5 makingmehappy maman 10 marahouti 25 MissPennySave 10 notpropaganda73 28 oceandreamer 21 PriceySOS 26 RobM99 30 satchmo1 1/26 Season of Mist 28 sukeyboo 1/10 sunshine raincloud TornErse 1/29 WBF 10 Newcomers welcome!

family355

Thank you @RobM99 I'd like to think I've broken the habit. It now doesn't cross my mind to pour a glass of wine at 5 or run to the shop at 9.45pm to get another bottle...just incase!! 
My 5 reasons to not drink are;
1. Financially, I'd much rather spend it on holidays! 
2. Losing weight, ive gained a bloody wine baby! extra calories drinking, eating rubbish during and the next day. 
3. Memory loss, I started to lose conversations/whole chunks of a night with complete memory loss of what was said/what had happened.
4. Jelly legs, walking home or rather being dragged as I'd lost the use of my legs on occasions!
5. Anxiety-I spent most of last year on medication for anxiety, don't get me wrong, I do suffer from it generally but I know now things arnt half as bad as alcohol would make me believe they are! I've not had/needed 1 pill since December!

Lowest point. Last year I had the lower half of my face sewn up due to a dog bite from my own lovely dog, I'd had too many drinks and disturbed her in her bed when she was fast asleep. She snapped and caught me. This would not have happened without alcohol.  

alt80

Congratulations to everyone on here, some great numbers this month. I managed to end February on 28 days and this month am planning to do the same; another full month. 

Not been well for a lot of February, I'm finding things a real battle most days - hopefully there are brighter days ahead. 

TornErse

Lots of sound advice on here from all you wise old owls 🦉 - and youngsters too !

@alt80 sorry to hear you are struggling, sending you a big hug 🫂 🤗 

Starting March with 1/29