The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread!

Bismarck

SamanthaA wrote: »

Had a blip last night. Only a can, but can no longer say 13 days straight!

Party 2night. Dont wanna go, not going to enjoy it and I cant even blame lack of drink on not enjoying it!

We have all been invited somewhere, not wanted to go, but you have in the knowledge that you`ll probably enjoy it once you get there - right?

Not this time. Will be my cousin, his OH, her parents, her G parents & possibly very few of our family, seeing as hes p*ssed off most of them over the years! Maybe not even his own mother will turn up - she was the latest victim!

So I`m going late - dont finish work till 7, home, feed cat, shower & change. Taking car, as no money for taxi & stella, as I dont want it!
Shouldn`t get there before 8-8.30.

Am I evil or what?

day 23/31 - def cant do the 25/31 days in May, lets see what June brings?
Stella 28 days & going 2night!!!

Hi SamanthaA...the blip is history...learn what you can from it and move on.

Why are you going? Life's too short to do unpleasant stuff that's not necessary......are you sure you can't feel a headache coming on???;)

beachbeth

I unfortunately gave in last night and had my usual vodkas and malibus. I have stayed away from alcohol all week and not missed it but Friday is difficult. However, I think I wanted to drink to see if I still felt differently about it after reading the Allen Carr book. Well, I didn't get the enjoyment out of it that I usually would and this morning I feel like cr*p! Headache and feel sick and Im glad because it serves me right and just shows that Allen Carr is right in that alcohol doesn't do anything for you except make you feel awful.

I'll just remember this the next time I feel like having drink.

Hope everyone else is feeling better than me this morning!

beachbeth

SamanthaA wrote: »

We have all been invited somewhere, not wanted to go, but you have in the knowledge that you`ll probably enjoy it once you get there - right?

Not this time. Will be my cousin, his OH, her parents, her G parents & possibly very few of our family, seeing as hes p*ssed off most of them over the years! Maybe not even his own mother will turn up - she was the latest victim!

I know exactly how you feel. I have had to attend similar family gatherings where certain people can't stand each other and you just know there is going to be tension. You just wonder why they are bothering to invite everyone when they know how its going to turn out!

Just try to look pale and ill and tell them you are poorly and need to go home to bed!:p

jo1972

Morning all

Went out last night and got very very drunk, I don't go out all that often, in fact I don't really like drinking out and about but it was my friends birthday and she was going to a club that plays really good music, good ole 80's stuff

We all got a fair bit trollied but not half as much as my mate, she was absolutely out of it. We had pre-ordered and pre-paid for the cab going home but only got about 20 yards down the road cos she wanted to be sick. We managed to get her out of the car but she collapsed in a heap on the floor and just kept vomiting. We couldn't move her cos she was a dead weight and ended up having to ring another mate to come get us at 3am in the morning! I was about to ring an ambulance but nobody seemed to agree with me, maybe a bit melodramatic but she was really ill as it was coming out the other end at this point (sorry TMI), she was very very ill plus we were in the middle of nowhere and unable to get her home as a cab wouldn't touch us. So a couple of mates turned up and got us back to hers and we managed to get her in, her boyfriend was with us so she was in capable hands. She must feel like poo this morning, can you imagine :eek:

I feel pretty rough myself but have managed to drink coffee which is a good sign!

So the reduction therapy starts today, I'm going to cut it down to 3 cans cos I think I will be okay with this. I didn't want to start reducing on Thursday cos I knew I'd ruin it last night. This is no excuse just didn't want to fail on day 2. The ironic thing is I haven't had too much in the way of craving since Thursday and don't actually want to drink, but I need to try this reduction thing as it's a long term plan. I can't wait to get to my first dry day, just can't wait.

I hope everyone is well, hope you feel better soon Beachbeth

Bismarck

wow...like a blast from the past....think you're wise about not starting til today if last night was unavoidable.

I feel for your friend....how dreadful....lucky boyfriend too...

Dare I ask how much getting very very drunk costs these days?

hope the reduction process goes well...

jo1972

Well being the DFW'er that I am and also due to the fact that I'm absolutely skint, I already had a few before I left plus we weren't leaving till 9.30pm which is almost my bedtime - god I'm getting old!

But, got there and ordered a bottle of Bud, £3.50 :eek: :eek: :eek: then went on to pints of Kronenburg at £3.25 each. Hence the reason I had a few before I left!

I had planned on going to her birthday thing for some time and really didn't want to miss it so I used it as a mark of the beginning quitting, after seeing the state she was in last night (or rather this morning!), I can see that drink does nothing particularly good, well part from the first one or two which takes the edge off everything and absolutely fine in a celebrating or socialisting fashion, not when you're home alone.

Having a very thoughtful day today, counsellor told me to list reasons I drink, I told him I didn't know, but actually I've been drinking to hide thinking about these reasons. The reasons are coming through now loud and clear and it's scary....

Thanks for all your support

Bismarck

I've no qualifications in this area at all apart from my own thoughts and understandings and the key to it all is your own complicated self....why did I drink...to be someone else? to be less afraid? to relax? to chill? to be "normal"?

hell..the reasons are endless...my problem with it comes when I look back at when I was the best person I've ever really been...and where I eventually got to. Some wrong train and I kept insisting I was on the right one, with the right ticket..because getting off and back onto the right train was uncomfortable and meant dealing with things and situations that a drink could help block out...

I think the hardest part sometimes comes after the stopping...it's the turning round and sorting out the mess you created as you head back on your return journey. That's when we all need as much help as we can get.

Please stick with us!

beachbeth

Ive still got a headache but thats due as much to time of month as much as drinking but its the drink that sets it off. I bet I don't feel half as bad as your mate though, jo1972.

I think the reason most of us drink is so that we don't have to face up to things and Allen Carr covers this in his book. Trouble is, the problems are still there when we sober up. Its like an ostrich sticking his head in the sand because something horrible is coming his way. Sticking his head in the sand doesn't mean that the danger isn't there, it just means he can't see it! Same as drinking alcohol.

Good luck with the reduction therapy!

winebox

I don't know why this has happened but my drinking over the last 3/4 weeks has spiralled out of control. When i first joined in this thread, not sure how long ago 2/3/4 months I was at the stage of "I enjoy boozing but am having too much a bit too often need to cut down", now I seem to have whizzed up to having the requisite 14 units of alcohol per week except that my "unit" is a bottle of wine, & cannot face a day without. It's happened so fast! Last night was scary tho. I am normally what I would call a functional drinker - I may well wake up at 3am on the sofa with the telly still on & I often leave a (sometimes full) glass of wine behind but I ALWAYS clean my teeth & take make up off before I go to bed. Then I wake up 3/4 hrs later & think oh no I did it again. The first thing I realised this morning was that I could not remember going to bed, most unusual unlike a lot of drunks I never suffer memory loss (often wish I did!). I see now I posted at midnight, must have been the last thing I did. Went downstairs this morning, wine glass on coffee table as per BUT milk left out, mug of tea ready to be made, food plate I don't remember eating, it may seem like small beer (ouch) to a lot of you but this is the person who: has not thrown up for over 20 yrs (for any reason - I am strangely proud of this), has not taken painkillers yet in 2008, & tho often embarassed always recalls. It really shook me. I did my usual "atonement" thing - it's not a conscious thought but after a bender I feel I have to do mega housework strip the beds wash all the towels maybe even clean the windows I spose to prove I can run a house? I have felt unnerved all day, & every time time I stopped for TEA or WATER I was reading Allen Carr, & obv it's early days but have come up to OH's for sat/sun nights as usual & although am having a glass I am being v careful (I even started on TEA which in 3 yrs is a first), & after last night I can say fervently that I will no longer be keeping wine in the house. I "worry" (excuses?) that I should have booze in for visitors but sod 'em! Sorry to do such a long post but I almost feel I have been playing at this (not deliberately I assure you) & now I am worried, help!:eek:
as am at OH's will have to go now but can come back on tomorrow. sorry have been very selfish have read other posts but failed to respond, sorry again x

Bismarck

no worries winebox....

I have tea (various sorts), coffee and juice in the cupboard...if visitors want booze, they need to bring some. Apart from anything else, it's not cheap!

The thing about drinking is that whether you decide to or not, it's your own journey with your own ups and downs. I have them too and low points where the pull is harder than at other times....these are the points where you hold on to where you want to be and help yourself though the patch....