The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread!

Bismarck

Different_Corner wrote: »

Guilty by my absense.
Not going to try and justify anything, safe to say no AF days at all.
Trying to get a grip on things, sometimes life just sucks.
Still today is a new day.

Your only real judge is you and your family.

Today is indeed a new day. 15 months in and each new day brings more joy than you'd believe. Not great at showing it sometimes but the sentiment is there.

There are always things I'd like to change but a drink's never made any of it better...it just destroys.

jo1972

44 days for me and I can report it's getting 'slightly' easier

Everyone ok? Shoppy & WB, well done, keep it up

winebox

hi all,
Thanks for the advice Eselt - that IS a good idea certainly for some of them (I don't give that many pressies!), & yes they would have to leave the house or I'd be ripping the paper off again. Years & years ago i kept doing that with chox for a friend's birthday - had to buy them three times over & come to think of it they got put in the shed at one point - didn't work .

Mind you, one of the bottles has the name "Folly" which might be a good one to hang on to - fancy coming with a warning!

Why am I saying boooo? cos I feel lousy! Where's that spring in my step etc? I slept very deeply for over 8 hours last night, good job it's saturday cos it then took me an hour to come round & I still feel really tired & groggy with a headache niggling in the background. In fact, it's just like a really bad hangover. Unfair! Also despite my astounding weight loss (see sig - think my scales might be dodgy :rolleyes: ) I don't feel or look any smaller.

Am employing damage limitation - usually at OH's by this time (& drinking) but nowhere near ready to go yet, & TBH right now I don't much feel like a drink :eek: am bound to have some later but will try v v hard not to overdo it (more difficult than none at all?)

Jo, am glad to hear it's getting easier, even if only slightly

diff c (oh dear...sry couldn't resist) hi - sorry you've been having a bad time, welcome back to start again

Shoppy you hanging on in there? Thought what Eselt said about just aim to do it this weekend don't think about all the others was great, & in less than 48 hrs you've done it :T

Hope all well & nobody flooded

jo1972

WB, the reason you feel so carp is because your body is truely detoxing now, you are repairing yourself! Hope I've not upset you about that if you're drinking tonight :rotfl: gotta start all over again!!

Had a few pangs this evening, but nothing much to worry about....just thought about the Mr T's Finest Chocolate Cheesecake and clotted cream in the fridge :eek:

eselt

jo1972 wrote: »

WB, the reason you feel so carp is because your body is truely detoxing now, you are repairing yourself! Hope I've not upset you about that if you're drinking tonight :rotfl: gotta start all over again!!

Yep-totally agree Jo, WB your body is getting rid of some serious poison, everythings working overtime- liver, kidneys, nervous system, digestion-even your skin!!!! 72 hours and most bodies are completely free of alcohol- up to 2 weeks for all the withdrawal symptoms to play out- first 3 days the worst if you are physically dependant- aftermath includes hypersensitivity and a lot of crying as repressed emotions aren't being ignored anymore, sweettooth kicks in, stomach probs as digestion slows down and trapped wind/constipation kicks in,too much sleep and not enough sleep, cravings....cravings...cravings....then, well then you've got your life back...then its just a case of filling it!!!! Best of luck, even reducing like you have already can make you feel great, and whether you choose to reduce or give up its all good, honest!!!!

Hope everyone is OK- catch y,all tomorrow.

Bismarck

stayed up late last night playing a computer game with Mrs Bis and as the clock went round towards club chucking out time, I wondered how many "happy souls" would be staggering out into the street, off their faces... £50 or more badly spent and none the wiser.....I had a great night in with a few biscuits and a decaff....before I finally went to bed, I popped in to see the little cherubs snoring away and somehow it all made sense.

take care everyone

beachbeth

I know what you mean, Bis. You've got everything that is important right there - so why go out and get off your face and then come home and spoil it all! (and wake up with a hangover too!).

Can I ask if there was a turning point or something that happened that made you "see the light" so to speak, realise what alcohol was doing and made you decide you were going to stop drinking?

Bismarck

everything ran out! my will to go on, my chances, my self belief...I kept going like a stubborn fool in the wrong direction until I hit the brick wall.

the choice then is do you figure out a way to try and get past the brick wall or give up, turn round and finally admit you were going in the wrong direction...

jo1972

Another day out of the way and on to the next! I'm loving this waking up un-hung-over'ed and the fact that I can actually eat breakfast before 11am...also what's great is that I got up and finished a few bits of washing up from late last night, tidied the kitchen, got the kids brekkie ready, tidied the living room and it was no hardship at all. Whereas, previously probably only the brekkie would be done and I'd be straight sat down on here moaning about how carp I feel and how I promise never to do it again :rolleyes:

Got lots planned for today, only the usual, washing, cleaning, cooking, sorting school stuff etc but once again I know it'll be no hardship, it will get done. I won't be getting home from my mums at about 4pm and cracking open a can then losing all motivation to do anything except drink drink drink....I shall cook a yummy roast dinner and enjoy eating it!

Lots of things have changed for me over the last 6 weeks (it's flown by!!), I shall list them here to remind myself when complacency strikes :eek: (feel free to ignore, this is for my own benefit!)

Positives:

I have spent far more quality time with the kids, we'ved baked cakes which I would've never normally found time to do!
I have decorated my kitchen, the paint was bought over a year ago...finally did it!
I eat breakfast and dinner, previously only ate lunch.
I have new-found energy and motivation to keep the house clean and tidy rather than feel it's a chore that I keep putting off.
I've not spent (not saved) over £150
My skin is definately better, a couple of people have said I look really well when I returned to work.
The excema (sp?) on my hands is almost gone
All bloating and puffiness has gone from everywhere!
My nails have grown really long and are not breaking like usual
I have wonderful uninterupted nights sleep
I feel normal when I wake up, the same as I did when I went to bed!
I have no ringing in my ears when trying to get to sleep at night
I've watched countless films in the evening and managed to stay awake till the end.
Ditto for big brother!
The rows/cross words I've had with OH have not been blown out of proportion but contained and not lasted long at all.

Negatives:

None as yet


I wish everyone could experience being free from an addiction that is so destroying, it truely makes you very aware of what you have, what you don't want and what you need to change. The new-found emotions and actually knowing what you are feeling is quite bizarre but I'm getting used to it. I'm trying not to put anything off but deal with it as soon as I think of it or need to do it.

I found out that a woman at work is an alcoholic last week, she's in her early 60's. I didn't know she had a problem, but apparently she used to drink quite heavily then managed to quit but now started again, even drinking in the morning. It's really funny because I was quite taken aback by this....she's a really respectable woman, obviously mature and just a family woman who has a husband that's not well so a part time carer too. Even though I am an alcoholic and have been through group meetings and met lots of other alcoholics, I have still not dispelled the image of alcoholism, i.e someone who's maybe homeless, single, usually male, older etc etc... I was very shocked at this revelation about this woman. I feel so sorry for her (not pity), just want her to get her sobriety back.

Anyway, chatted enough, gotta go get more coffee then get ready to do the Tesco run

Have a lovely day everyone :wave:

winebox

Cheers Jo & Eselt - great to know I'm gonna feel like this for a while! Have spent most of the morning crying over articles in the newspaper that I would usually dismiss. I did wonder if the heavy sleeping was night-time repair work. Am moderately pleased so far with the weekend & cutting down - in 5 hrs last night I had 5 glasses wine (& dinner) followed by lge mug of tea & early night with no tiffs. That's just over a bottle - to yer average (wo)man on the street quite a lot, but given that I usually get through 5 bottles on a Sat/Sun, for me it represents moderation! OH is at the pub right now & I am usually just finishing my first glass by this time, but I'm not going to sit & drink on my own in his house either. He asked if I wanted him to pour me one before he left & I got a rather sharp "why not?" when I declined. He prob feels guilty at pubbing tee hee. Mind you, the one area in which alcohol most definitely improves my mental processes is cryptic crosswords - it must help me to "think outside the box" - OH will wonder why I've not got a single clue when he gets back!

On the diet front, as an inveterate nibbler whilst drinking, am also pleased only had 6 low fat pringles yesterday. Erm, yes, I counted :rolleyes:

Jo it was great to read your list of positives, thanks.

And where is that Shoppy? How are you getting on?

EDIT: might not be able to be back today but if not have a good day everyone & will catch up tomorrow x