Giving up Alcohol

[tom27111]

47 minutes ago, FoxyPV said:

I need this thread.

 

I'm really struggling and booze is too easy.

 

Impacting all aspects of my life

Ah man, being like that can feel awful. Been there.

 

You don't need it and you can stop.

 

Yeah, I know I can say that easily.

 

People here will support you. I know that first hand.

 

If you're dependant, or getting out of control, the first step is to cut down. 

 

Have a shandy. Or a half 0% beer, with a beer.

 

Anything to take the first step to getting back in charge. 

 

 

 

[CosbehFox]

Interesting this came up. Had a skinful one evening a month ago and I felt absolutely dreadful. I’ve completely stopped which is in part helped by the lack of footy every weekend. The difference I’ve felt has been unreal 

[grobyfox1990]

Heineken 0 is really good. I would recommend it to anyone trying to cut down their units

[Balj]

On 11/06/2022 at 22:54, FoxyPV said:

I need this thread.

 

I'm really struggling and booze is too easy.

 

Impacting all aspects of my life

Best wishes mate - it's like a treadmill and finding a way off is hard.  Look for support and as mentioned above a meeting may work for you - I have a pretty 'screw you' mindset so when I was drinking it was fixed on carrying on despite the obvious downsides and now I'm not I have an equal 'screw you' attitude to drinking.  My family still drink (responsibly) and we have alcohol in the house but I've honestly got no desire to pick it up anymore.  I do miss it on a night/meal out or on special occasions like weddings, big footy games etc but I've found it surprising how many non-drinkers there are in the World and also how many people can just have one or two and remain sober so not having any is no big deal.

 

Good luck.

[Houdini Logic]

On 11/06/2022 at 22:54, FoxyPV said:

I need this thread.

 

I'm really struggling and booze is too easy.

 

Impacting all aspects of my life

I'm just about to trial Nalmefene. It's a medicine which allows you to still drink alcohol but reduces the pleasure you get from it. Most people lose interest in drinking completely once they start to take it. There are side effects however and that all needs to be weighed up. I will let you know how it goes - it could be an option

[FoxyPV]

Ive changed some habits so now leaving my training to 9pm or so which has really helped. I've also made a calendar where I colour in the days green for no booze and red for if some booze. It's been a helpful visual.

 

Went 8 days without and then our kitchen ceiling came through due to a leak. I definitely had a beer after that happened.

 

Thanks everyone

[FoxyPV]

On 12/06/2022 at 09:52, grobyfox1990 said:

Heineken 0 is really good. I would recommend it to anyone trying to cut down their units

Peroni 0 has helped as well for father's day dinner 

[foxile5]

Trying to cut right back. Had a good drink on Wednesday and currently am fighting the urge to have a few swifties whilst the Mrs is out to dinner! 

[goose2010]

The non alcoholic market has never been so strong. So many good beers out there that are zero or non alcoholic 

 

This is worth a read to. 

 

https://steadydrinker.com/articles/best-non-alcoholic-beers/#10

[whoareyaaa]

You will be better of for it, you can always just get it down to having one or two on a Friday / Saturday, that's what I did.

 

 

[Bilo]

My relationship with alcohol is completely different to most on here.

 

My ex was alcohol dependent to the point that she was either teetotal or wasted every day for weeks on end. I haven't been much of a drinker since uni over 10 years ago, so always found that incredibly hard to deal with. 

 

Seeing this intelligent, kind-hearted and caring woman turn into an aggressive and violent shell of herself was heartbreaking and has made me extremely wary of drinking to the point that I'm no longer in control. 

 

In January 2019, we had a stillborn daughter. Alcohol, sadly, was a factor. A few months later, we found out that we were expecting and, thank goodness, she was able to go the entire pregnancy keeping her drinking under control and our daughter was born healthily and safely in January of 2020. I can honestly say that those few months were among the happiest of my life.

 

Sadly, a combination of lockdown anxiety and postnatal depression meant that my partner's drinking reared its ugly head a couple of months after our daughter was born. Social services were involved after a hospital admission, and I was granted full custody in July. Two months later, my by then ex was dead at 35 after years of struggling with alcohol dependency. 

 

I feel a huge amount of guilt as I booked us a table for Valentine's Day and we shared some wine, with her never being fully in control from that day until the day she died seven months later.

 

Consequently, my relationship with alcohol is quite troubled in the sense that I absolutely will not touch alcohol when on my own. I was given a box of beers for Christmas last year, and it's still completely unopened on top of the fridge. I feel guilty if out with friends and have so much as a pint when with my daughter. I very rarely have a drink when out for a meal with friends. It's almost as if I have a mental block; I wouldn't quite go so far as a phobia, but I have to persuade myself it's OK to have a pint in a way that I certainly wouldn't have done four or five years back. 

 

It might seem to some to be a weird thing to worry about, abstaining from alcohol never did anyone any harm after all, but it feels more anxiety based than an active choice. 

[grobyfox1990]

25 minutes ago, Bilo said:

My relationship with alcohol is completely different to most on here.

 

My ex was alcohol dependent to the point that she was either teetotal or wasted every day for weeks on end. I haven't been much of a drinker since uni over 10 years ago, so always found that incredibly hard to deal with. 

 

Seeing this intelligent, kind-hearted and caring woman turn into an aggressive and violent shell of herself was heartbreaking and has made me extremely wary of drinking to the point that I'm no longer in control. 

 

In January 2019, we had a stillborn daughter. Alcohol, sadly, was a factor. A few months later, we found out that we were expecting and, thank goodness, she was able to go the entire pregnancy keeping her drinking under control and our daughter was born healthily and safely in January of 2020. I can honestly say that those few months were among the happiest of my life.

 

Sadly, a combination of lockdown anxiety and postnatal depression meant that my partner's drinking reared its ugly head a couple of months after our daughter was born. Social services were involved after a hospital admission, and I was granted full custody in July. Two months later, my by then ex was dead at 35 after years of struggling with alcohol dependency. 

 

I feel a huge amount of guilt as I booked us a table for Valentine's Day and we shared some wine, with her never being fully in control from that day until the day she died seven months later.

 

Consequently, my relationship with alcohol is quite troubled in the sense that I absolutely will not touch alcohol when on my own. I was given a box of beers for Christmas last year, and it's still completely unopened on top of the fridge. I feel guilty if out with friends and have so much as a pint when with my daughter. I very rarely have a drink when out for a meal with friends. It's almost as if I have a mental block; I wouldn't quite go so far as a phobia, but I have to persuade myself it's OK to have a pint in a way that I certainly wouldn't have done four or five years back. 

 

It might seem to some to be a weird thing to worry about, abstaining from alcohol never did anyone any harm after all, but it feels more anxiety based than an active choice. 

Mate. So utterly sorry to hear that although I assume my condolences mean little to what you’ve been through. Funnily enough I was participating in another thread this afternoon about who could be a ceo. The strength, resilience and courage you’ve shown to not only talk about this, but face it head on and do the best for your daughter further convinces me that people like you, not our faceless leaders, should be celebrated. I wish you only the very best 

[Bilo]

16 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Mate. So utterly sorry to hear that although I assume my condolences mean little to what you’ve been through. Funnily enough I was participating in another thread this afternoon about who could be a ceo. The strength, resilience and courage you’ve shown to not only talk about this, but face it head on and do the best for your daughter further convinces me that people like you, not our faceless leaders, should be celebrated. I wish you only the very best 

Thanks mate.

 

Sounds clichéd, but I honestly don't think I'm doing anything that any dad fit to call themselves one is doing.

 

I'm hoping to bring her to her first game this season all being well; her birthday is just before the Brighton game, and I'm hoping she'll be a bit more confident among big crowds and loud noises. If not, I'll hold my nose and take her to Pride Park. 

[Zear0]

3 hours ago, goose2010 said:

The non alcoholic market has never been so strong. So many good beers out there that are zero or non alcoholic 

 

This is worth a read to. 

 

https://steadydrinker.com/articles/best-non-alcoholic-beers/#10

Can recommend the 0% Guiness. Only one so far to make me not realise its a substitute whilst sinking. 

[goose2010]

48 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Can recommend the 0% Guiness. Only one so far to make me not realise its a substitute whilst sinking. 

Totally agree. It' really is decent. 

[CUJimmy]

I have up alcohol nearly three years ago. Had a bit of a health scare so cut it out completely and by the time they had finished investigating and found there was nothing wrong I didn’t feel the need to go back.  There are lots of decent zero alcohol beers around so if that’s your preferred tipple try a few and see which ones you like.  Alcohol free gin is also very good now and Lyle and Scott do a nice range of summery aperitifs.  I haven’t found a drinkable still wine yet, although some of the fizzy stuff is ok if it is cold enough.  Obviously there is nothing resembling a fine single malt either!

 

I have never returned to going out as much as I used to before Covid but after the initial surprise (I was always the one ‘setting the pace’ and pushing for another round) I don’t get any peer pressure at all and quite a few of my mates have cut down significantly too.

 

I guess my advice would be to think about why you want to give up whether its for health reasons, save money, lose weight or whatever.  I know I had a tendency of letting my mouth run away and saying things I regretted the following day so that is a big motivation for me.

[Nalis]

Dont know about anyone else but I think general attitudes to social drinking and non drinkers have massively improved.

 

Even as recent as a few years ago, the social drinkers would take the piss out of the non drinkers and put a bit of pressure on the non drinkers to have a drink. On the other hand, the non drinkers would carry a sense of smugness and preachinessabout them as if they were better than social drinkers. In both circumstances it was never mates but mates of mates or family members at a gathering.

 

Nowadays no-one seems to gives a crap if you want to drink or not drink as long it is isnt harming anyone, which is brilliant thing.

[Balj]

On 26/06/2022 at 10:22, Nalis said:

Dont know about anyone else but I think general attitudes to social drinking and non drinkers have massively improved.

 

Even as recent as a few years ago, the social drinkers would take the piss out of the non drinkers and put a bit of pressure on the non drinkers to have a drink. On the other hand, the non drinkers would carry a sense of smugness and preachinessabout them as if they were better than social drinkers. In both circumstances it was never mates but mates of mates or family members at a gathering.

 

Nowadays no-one seems to gives a crap if you want to drink or not drink as long it is isnt harming anyone, which is brilliant thing.

i agree with this - I've found (very unlike 10 years ago) it's quite normal for a group of friends/work colleagues to comprise drinkers and non-drinkers.  As its no big deal the preachy can't preach and those who can't drink because of religion or health or choice are less apologetic about it.  Makes alcohol less the centre of a get together as opposed to before when it was the main reason.  It makes it more inclusive too as previously those who did not drink or only did so in moderation no longer have to make excuses and leave early or worse still not go out at all in a group.  We've become more European despite Brexit ironically - it was always a surprise when I lived in Italy that some people on a table had a coffee whilst others had a glass of wine or a beer.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

On 26/06/2022 at 10:22, Nalis said:

Dont know about anyone else but I think general attitudes to social drinking and non drinkers have massively improved.

 

Even as recent as a few years ago, the social drinkers would take the piss out of the non drinkers and put a bit of pressure on the non drinkers to have a drink. On the other hand, the non drinkers would carry a sense of smugness and preachinessabout them as if they were better than social drinkers. In both circumstances it was never mates but mates of mates or family members at a gathering.

 

Nowadays no-one seems to gives a crap if you want to drink or not drink as long it is isnt harming anyone, which is brilliant thing.

Agree with this. I went to a friend's wedding reception Saturday night, I went on my own because the other half was away. I drove so didn't drink, and no-one batted an eyelid at an event where you'd normally have a skin full. 

[Scanchez]

I'm an alcoholic.

Decided to stop last Sunday for good.

I've tried before but always knew at the back of mind that I'd fail.

Feel different this time. Going to AA and doing it properly.

Went to a wedding yesterday and didn't drink. It was a real test but I did it. My wife is very supportive, which helps.

Weird seeing how embarrassing people get when they're pissed!

[Izzy]

On 06/07/2021 at 19:45, Izzy said:

 I find it amusing now watching people get progressively more pissed, even louder, repeating themselves, and then doing/saying something they regret 

 

23 minutes ago, Scanchez said:

Weird seeing how embarrassing people get when they're pissed!

[FoxyPV]

4 hours ago, Scanchez said:

I'm an alcoholic.

Decided to stop last Sunday for good.

I've tried before but always knew at the back of mind that I'd fail.

Feel different this time. Going to AA and doing it properly.

Went to a wedding yesterday and didn't drink. It was a real test but I did it. My wife is very supportive, which helps.

Weird seeing how embarrassing people get when they're pissed!

This is the first step. 

 

Well done ❤️

[FoxesDeb]

4 hours ago, Scanchez said:

I'm an alcoholic.

Decided to stop last Sunday for good.

I've tried before but always knew at the back of mind that I'd fail.

Feel different this time. Going to AA and doing it properly.

Went to a wedding yesterday and didn't drink. It was a real test but I did it. My wife is very supportive, which helps.

Weird seeing how embarrassing people get when they're pissed!

Good for you, good luck and let us know how you get on, if you're having a wobble and you think it will help please post here again  

[HighPeakFox]

5 hours ago, Scanchez said:

I'm an alcoholic.

Decided to stop last Sunday for good.

I've tried before but always knew at the back of mind that I'd fail.

Feel different this time. Going to AA and doing it properly.

Went to a wedding yesterday and didn't drink. It was a real test but I did it. My wife is very supportive, which helps.

Weird seeing how embarrassing people get when they're pissed!

Work on why you drank and who you are - the quitting is massive but the working through the how you got there is essential. It took me over 30 years before I realised the need.

[spacemunky]

On 12/07/2021 at 11:33, spacemunky said:

Decided yesterday to try to get myself back on track and give up alcohol once again.

 

I had a 7 year stretch where I went without, but it's been on and off(mostly on) for the last few years and particularly excessive recently.

 

Felt better this morning and started the day with a brisk 30 minute walk!

 

 

 

 

This didn't age well