The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread!

eselt

jo1972 wrote: »

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:

Keep going Jo- your post kept a lot of us going I'll tell you- I often go back to it when I'm feeling weak, it helps me remember why we are all here- basically we all want a better life, better health, better relationships and less debt and alcohol is the major thing stopping us from getting there- but you have been getting there Jo, you've been so honest and brave and strong, as Bis would say 'forgive yourself' , you know noone judges you here and theres absolutely no need to 'hang your head in shame'-just keep posting and feel proud that you are tackling this head on. Take care.

Hope everyone else is OK today- good luck everyone.

polaroid

i was thinking a lot about this last night. i read through the posts again...and i ve realised..there is absolutely nothing i can do about the past. i can re-live it round and round in my head and punish myself....or i could get myself back up, dust myself down and learn from the mistakes i have made and move on...

hope every one is ok come back soon jo ]xxx

Bismarck

not sure what to say really...kind of hopeful that we're doing Ok...

got a poorly little one this morning and can recollect how unlikely it would have been in the past that at 9am I'd have been able to react so quickly when she heaved.....

I also remember changing nappies after heavy nights out and about 5 hours sleep ...how dumb was that? Yuck.

Bismarck

polaroid wrote: »

i was thinking a lot about this last night. i read through the posts again...and i ve realised..there is absolutely nothing i can do about the past. i can re-live it round and round in my head and punish myself....or i could get myself back up, dust myself down and learn from the mistakes i have made and move on...

hope every one is ok come back soon jo ]xxx

that's the spirit...I get sacriligous sometimes and think that I'm kind of renewed....it makes me braver too....something along the lines of " I went through blah blah blah and survived and I'm damned if I'm going to let you/this push me around"

Am I stronger than I was ...yes...wiser? certainly...happier?...undoubtedly.....

Do I wish I could have the odd one comfortably? I suppose so...But I can't.

The price I pay for the new me is seeing the line and respecting it...and not crossing it.

take care

polaroid

been there, done that! i have no idea how i managed it! it always used to happen on a sunday when we had rolled into bed about an hour earlier after a crazy night. never again!

need advice... am going out tonight with the girls for my birthday. i havnt been out "on the town" since the horrific night that served my wake up call. i am really nervous. i plan to have 1 glass with dinner then make excuses...i am so scared though..what if i cant have "1"? i havnt drank for so long what if it knocks me for six...i am working myself up about it. why cant i just have a couple of drinks like other people....because i am an alcoholic thats why..maybe i should just drive..i just want a nice dinner with my friends...any help would be appreciated

xx

mollypolly

polaroid wrote: »

been there, done that! i have no idea how i managed it! it always used to happen on a sunday when we had rolled into bed about an hour earlier after a crazy night. never again!

need advice... am going out tonight with the girls for my birthday. i havnt been out "on the town" since the horrific night that served my wake up call. i am really nervous. i plan to have 1 glass with dinner then make excuses...i am so scared though..what if i cant have "1"? i havnt drank for so long what if it knocks me for six...i am working myself up about it. why cant i just have a couple of drinks like other people....because i am an alcoholic thats why..maybe i should just drive..i just want a nice dinner with my friends...any help would be appreciated

xx

Hi Polaroid.
A good excuse for not drinking is the antibiotics way.
The choice is yours ,although I have found out the hard way that I certainly cannot only have one.
These days I dont make excuses I just tell everyone that I do not drink anymore and that I feel fab for not doing it. They look at me like I'm mad sometimes, .....but thats how I look at them at the end of the night.:D
Good luck with your choice.

Love Mollypollyxxxx

Bismarck

that's a real toughie.

even now, I'm nervous about things like that.

I wouldn't have even the one as it makes it many times more likely the floodgates will open.

I would have fizzy something J2o/ coke/ ame/ Shloer type thing and explain the new you...Takes a lot of guts but if you believe what you're doing is right, stick to it. Don't compromise on this for anyone....I feel you'd be having the one (or more) partly to make others comfortable....DON'T. Your life, your body ,your future.....you decide what goes in it.

I don't mean go through all the nitty gritty about stopping...just say whatever you need to say about changing your actions....

I would drive, personally and surprise yourself at how much you can enjoy the company of your friends, not the drink.

good luck.

jo1972

eselt wrote: »

Keep going Jo- your post kept a lot of us going I'll tell you- I often go back to it when I'm feeling weak, it helps me remember why we are all here- basically we all want a better life, better health, better relationships and less debt and alcohol is the major thing stopping us from getting there- but you have been getting there Jo, you've been so honest and brave and strong, as Bis would say 'forgive yourself' , you know noone judges you here and theres absolutely no need to 'hang your head in shame'-just keep posting and feel proud that you are tackling this head on. Take care.

Hope everyone else is OK today- good luck everyone.

Thanks for re-iterating my post eselt, you made me cry

Feeling okay today, I only had 2 last night so it didn't have much effect, although I did go to bed at half ten, partly cos I felt so down and also cos even the smallest amount of alcohol made me tired. Just had 10 hours sleep, I feel fine this morning, it's a sunny day and I don't want to spoil it.

I am, however, having a small panic about this evening. OH is going out and so I shall be left to my own devices, plus I think DD1 is going out too so no one to keep an eye on me. As much as I know I don't want to drink and at the moment I feel so positive about my quit, and no matter how much chocolate supplies I bring in today, once that craving hits, the thought process changes :eek: Plus last night (before I started feeling down about the fact I'd had a drink), I had already planned to get almighty drunk tonight :eek: so the seed had been planted and now I have to de-plant it too!

Right, I'm off to my local car showroom to look at some cars, my one is playing up and I've lost faith in it, plus have no more money to throw at it so thought I'd get a new one....(this will also cheer me up a tad.....how materialistic is that :rotfl: - well, it will help, cos I can't drink if I want to drive it!! )

Have a good day all, and thanks to each of you for your continued support, you have no idea how hard it was to post last night but I knew if I didn't then I would be opening myself to all sort of trouble today :eek:

xx

lamarsi

morning Polaroid, just reading your last post and firstly I'd like to say well done on your progress but as far as tonight is concerned please stop working yourself up, these are a group of girls who obviously care a great deal for you or they wouldn't be making the effort to go out with you, just say your not drinking, or like you say take the car problem solved! trouble is when you start having one drink your resolve weakens and before you/ or should that be I (more to the point) know it your in the back of a taxi with a rancid old kebab and a random bloke... or even a random kebab and a rancid old bloke i find when i go out that i notice/care that I'm not drinking more than anyone else does go out enjoy and happy birthday BTW!!

jo1972

Took me so long to post the last message I missed all yours!

Polaroid, enjoy your evening. I personally wouldn't drink anything, even the one glass with my dinner ('ark at me :rolleyes:).

I quit for 4 months in 2006 and thought I was 'cured' (I'm not saying this is what you're thinking, just trying to explain my situ), I was concerned that 1 social drink would knock me out and I was nervous but dead set on trying it (alcoholics are good at that!). I did manage to have just one and was so proud of myself for achieving the social drinking. All week long I thought I'm now 'normal' and felt great.....till the following week I decided to go out again. I don't hardly ever go out, and I mean maybe once every 4 months. All of a sudden there I was going out every week, which was great for my social circle but not so great on the drinking front....I then spent the rest of the week thinking about going out at the weekend and so on....so this is how 'just one' was for me.

Personally, if you are going to have just one, is it worth it

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, we are all here regardless

xx