The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread!

biscotte

Good luck shoppie, hopefully for you cutting it right out will get you through the bad cravings and need quickly and then it's the more difficult head stuff.

Excellent posts about the culture behind drinking. So true that having a hangover is part of the 'fun' of a nightout, laughing with friends about how bad you feel, the knowing smiles and joshing.

polaroid, I wonder if there is a 'drunk' gene that the Brits have (and share with other northern Europeans) or whether it is purely cultural.

I know and have socialised with a lot of foreigners (this when I was a foreigner too) and there's definately a north south split. the Scandanavians I know drink a prodigious amount and a fair bit of it hard liquor whereas the southerners (French, italians) are, as polaroid says, much more restrained. i have sat through so many perfectly delightful 'French' dinners thinking ,!!!!!! when is someone going to order another bottle! Where I was it was just not acceptable to get falling down drunk/vomit in the street/be loud and aggressively p***** - no tolerance for it. About the only exception was when there was a big international rugby match and then the fans were allowed a few smiles as they sang in the Metro.

i always knew that if I wanted to go out and get roaring drunk I should ring the brits, belgians and scandanavians.
The first words of anybody i asked what they had thought of their trip to London was 'My God, you guys drink a hell of a lot".

We've just moved to switzerland and so far they seem pretty restrained too - but I've never been out in town on a Saturday night - I'll keep you posted!

eselt

Good luck shoppy- sorry to hear about your financial shock, hopefully it will be a short term thing. Keep posting and distract yourself from the cravings and triggers- you know we are all here for you.

Biscotte- I certainly think there is a genetic link to alcoholism- when I did a bit of family history research a short while ago I found out that my grandad, greatgrandad and greatgreatgrandad were all alcoholics, so I think I inherited a lot of my addictive personality- my great grandad was also addicted to laudenum. So I suppose I was always an addict waiting to happen, and alcohol was the vehicle for that addictive part of me.

Hope everyone has a good day

SiannieLaz

Hiya All,
Good luck Shoppie:o
It is difficult stopping, but it's not as hard as I thought it would be, and i'm still surrounded by drinkers! I'm getting near to two weeks on the wagon, and I'm feeling really really positive now, I've even got up twice this week and gone for a run (albeit a very slow short one). A bit of a test for me tomorrow, Landlord of my (ex)local called me yesterday and offered me a bar job, which I've taken for the money. It's only going to be two nights a week max, but that'll pay for my groceries, petrol and cat food each week so it's worth my while. I've done bar work on and off for years and have always had a rule never to drink whilst working, and to be honest, watching all the people round me staggering and slurring has always put me off. Maybe this won't be so much a test as a confirmation I've made the right decision.:T
Everybody be well and happy xx

winebox

eselt wrote: »

Best of luck everyone...missing a few old friends (winebox, molly, jo etc) hope you are all OK.

Aw thanks Eselt, still reading but taking little (no) action re cutting down , thought I was getting a bit boring same old same old posts!! Hope (again......) to turn a corner after this weekend......the second of 2 painful "anniversaries" this month....

Good luck Shoppy - will be with you next week.

Jo has not been here for ages - are you out there Jo??

Lovely sun today - hope you are all well

rose28454

winebox wrote: »

Aw thanks Eselt, still reading but taking little (no) action re cutting down , thought I was getting a bit boring same old same old posts!! Hope (again......) to turn a corner after this weekend......the second of 2 painful "anniversaries" this month....

Good luck Shoppy - will be with you next week.

Jo has not been here for ages - are you out there Jo??

Lovely sun today - hope you are all well

Just come accross this thread again. My OH drank steadily for 27 ears and gave up once or twice without success. However in February he reached bottom and stopped going to work and drank himself into oblivion. I asked him to leave and he went to the doctor for help. She put him on Librium for 10 days and he finally went to AA. He moved out a month later and we have been apart ofr 7 months now. He is still sober and says the doctor and AA saved him. He is just moving to a new flat further away and is doing fabulously. We are now on really good terms and I do what I can to help him but he also helps me which he never did when we were together. So I say to all of you who need help go to your doctor, go to AA and try to give up.
Best wishes to all

SiannieLaz

Hey Rose,
Good to hear your OH is doing really well.
I have attended AA in the past but it was never for me. I'm not particularly religious and I didn't want to surrender all control to a higher power, I wanted to learn how to control this myself, which i've done with the rational recovery system:T
I appreciate that AA has helped lots of people, but I don't want to believe that I will be an addict/victim with no control over my life, for the rest of my life.
Taking control over all the areas in my life that I had let slide, drinking and money included, was necessary for me to recover.
I'm truly glad that medical attention and AA have meant a recovery for your OH. I'm also glad that there are other ways to change your life for the better:j

mollypolly

winebox wrote: »

Aw thanks Eselt, still reading but , thought I was getting a bit boring same old same old posts!!

Good luck Shoppy - will be with you next week.

Jo has not been here for ages - are you out there Jo??

Lovely sun today - hope you are all well

Me too Winebox...Still here...still alcohol free (but seem to be struggling more at the moment)
I am now six months into this and keep thinking...maybe just one wont hurt!!!!!!!!!
Good Luck Shoppy to giving up..its not easy but we will be here for you.
Well done to everyone else.
Hope you all get to where you want to be.
Love Mollypollyxxxx

eselt

Hi all- hope everyone is OK and fighting the good fight. Rose-I'm thrilled your ex OH has found a way to get free from the clutch of alcohol- I know what its like to reach rock bottom and I wouldn't wish that on anyone, I've been on librium in the past too and whilst it stops the physical withdrawal symptoms it takes a lot longer to get to the bottom of your addiction, rationalise it, and forgive yourself. The fact that alcoholic meltdown can be so public and people gossip and love the drama of it all doesn't help- it made me quite paranoid and I can understand why he wants to move and have a fresh start- everyone deserves a fresh start when they have made such an effort to change.

Molly and Winebox- I never get fed up of reading your posts, I don't think you realise how reassuring it is to know you are around thinking of us. I have had some wobbly days recently and get straight on here and read back through the posts- I have to keep reminding myself how difficult this process has been and I need to fight tooth and nail to keep on track- I know if I drank myself to death I would still not have drunk enough, no amount of alcohol will ever be enough for me, so there is no point in having that first one...no point at all.

I really admire the people on here who are trying to nip and potential problem in the bud before it escalates, I was too naive, arogant and stupid to pick up on the all the signs.

Keep going everyone-take care

Bismarck

just passing through...I have a mini wobble quite often - especailly when the news is grim!

nearing Day 500 now - (tomorrow I think) but it so many ways the number of days is irrelevant...I am sober today and that's what really counts..

take care everyone!

shopaholictiedtheknot

Had one glass of wine at my friend's house before my dance class last night:o Left it at that though and ate dinner, had a cup of warm milk and went to bed at half nine so feel semi-ok about my momentary lapse of concentration :rolleyes:

Eselt, very poignant post indeed, I know that I could just drink the whole ocean if it was made of alcohol, I have no cut-off switch when it comes to drinking I don't stop until I fall asleep