The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread!

eselt

Hi All- well done Polaroid, Lurkio, Smiler and Jo for abstaining, and Lozzy and Shoppy for cutting down- I'm bound to have forgotten someone so well done everyone!!!!

Lozzy- you mention the '3 day test'- I think the reason for getting twitchy on day three is because in 72 hours most people are then completely free of alcohol and even if you are not physically dependant the cravings can kick in, plus because you are starting to feel much brighter and healthier as your body detox's and repairs itself you can convince yourself that as you feel so good you don't really have a problem and one or two won't matter. You can easily then go on to convince yourself you are in full control (this is easy as you are completely 'rational' and sober when you have this debate with yourself) and can be a social drinker. This was always my mistake- it always led very quickly (scarily quickly!!!!!) back to square one and worse- I just had to admit that I have no control over alcohol, regardless of how great I feel now I know that trying to have any relationship with the stuff is futile-its just not gonna happen without me returning to being a hopeless, drunken alcoholic- and I don't want to be that (again).

Best of luck everyone- eselt

polaroid

Hi eselt, hi bis and every one else

just back to the sleep thing, been having really weird vivid dreams since i ve stopped, has any one else had this? thing is, i dont like them! some times they are really real and its freaky!
jo, completely know what you mean about telly, i ve been watching loads! i watched a film that i had seen a couple of months ago and i couldnt beleive i had actually seen it before - i could hardly remember it. bit scary cos i had watched it on my own and must have drank loads and not even realised. sat on my own glugging wine, scary scary
xx

mollypolly

polaroid wrote: »

Hi eselt, hi bis and every one else

just back to the sleep thing, been having really weird vivid dreams since i ve stopped, has any one else had this? thing is, i dont like them! some times they are really real and its freaky!
xx

Hi Polaroid,

Yes I had really weird dreams when I first stopped drinking.I think they went on for about two weeks when I would wake up from horrendous nightmares, sweating and sometimes even crying.I dont really know why this happens but it does pass.

Lots of love
Mollypollyxxxx

mollypolly

eselt wrote: »

Lozzy- you mention the '3 day test'- I think the reason for getting twitchy on day three is because in 72 hours most people are then completely free of alcohol and even if you are not physically dependant the cravings can kick in, plus because you are starting to feel much brighter and healthier as your body detox's and repairs itself you can convince yourself that as you feel so good you don't really have a problem and one or two won't matter. You can easily then go on to convince yourself you are in full control (this is easy as you are completely 'rational' and sober when you have this debate with yourself) and can be a social drinker. This was always my mistake- it always led very quickly (scarily quickly!!!!!) back to square one and worse- I just had to admit that I have no control over alcohol, regardless of how great I feel now I know that trying to have any relationship with the stuff is futile-its just not gonna happen without me returning to being a hopeless, drunken alcoholic- and I don't want to be that (again).

Best of luck everyone- eselt

Hi Eselt,
Wise words these. I tried to be a social drinker when I went to Blackpool in March.I hadnt drunk for about three weeks before and was sure I could control it......Not a chance...I very nearly ruined our 25th Wedding anniversary due to a horrible hangover.I really learned my lesson on that holiday.I am afraid its all or nothing for me too.

Good luck everyone for giving up/cutting down.Keep reading and posting.
Love Mollypollyxxxx

mollypolly

Bismarck wrote: »

Molly...anyone who has stopped when their partner is unwilling or unable to deserves extra credit...no disrespect to anyone else but I can only imagine that it would be at least twice as hard.....

Thanks Bismarck.It is hard sometimes.Especially on Friday nights, but the cravings are passing now and I must admit sometimes I feel very smug when I realise I havn't even wanted to drink alcohol, just automatically got the juice out.Even some of the triggers are fading now.

Going away for a long weekend in October though so must beware!!!!:eek:
Have a good night,
Love Mollypollyxxxx

jo1972

Morning :wave:

Polaroid, as Molly said, the vivid dreams are completely normal. I don't know if this is because we've not had anything to drink so we are able to remember it all instead of going to bed drunk which blots it all out or if something in our brains change...but the dreams can be scary and real. I've found each time I've quit for a few days now that the dreams start and I usually dream about my dad who passed away 15 years ago, nothing scary, just very very real, then I find I wake up and I feel kinda lost and sad that he's not here

Anyways, enough of the depressing thoughts.....it's another sober day, day 54 and £189.00 not spent :beer:

I hope everyone else is doing alright this morning

xx

polaroid

morning everyone...

thats it jo, they are just very very real. it happened again last night, but then sometimes i dont know if something happened or i dreamt it!! i dont need any more confusions!!
aah, anyway, day 54 and look at all that money saved! wowzers! well done!

have a good day xx

shopaholictiedtheknot

Hi folks, I am back on track again and had an AFD yesterday, bought some cans of sugar free fizzy pop on the way home and had one of them when the craving hit me, also ate some choccy which I don't normally eat at all :eek: must not get into that habit!!

Have a good day everyone

:beer:

eselt

Well done shoppy, and everyone else out there.

Polaroid- I think everyone has problems sleeping at first, and I remember having very vivid dreams- some like Jo's, of my mum and other things I had tried to blot out- I used to wake up quite upset- I used to have some early on which felt like really clear voices in my ear, like the people (who were mostly dead) were whispering right up close to my ear- very very strange indeed. I suppose its just your brains way of trying to remind you that you have suppressed a lot of stuff with alcohol, but all those issues are still bubbling away under the surface and need to be dealt with. I am sleeping much better now, and have got used to not panicking if I can't sleep-it took quite a while to get used to it though- just hold your nerve and resist drinking to get you to sleep, your body will re-balance itself eventually and you'll get back into a routine. Sorry the dreams are bothering you-don't know what to suggest as its not something we can consciously control and we don't have any power over. Has anyone else got any ideas? (apart from lay off cheese etc....!)

Best of luck to everyone today, hope the financial crisis is not driving anyone towards the bottle with stress!!!

polaroid

thanks eselt, i wonder if its true what they say about cheese! i know its just because i was too blotto before and i wasnt sleeping, i was knocked out!
its really interesting what you say about all your feelings bubbling away underneath.. i definately felt that.

shoppy watch the choccy habit, mine is getting seriously out of control!

xx