365 days without booze... join me?
Discussion
Feirny said:
Friday was 9 years for me, not bad to stay I stopped at 24! As said before on here it’s not specifically down to a drinking problem but more a health issue.
Well done, I am 46 and thinking back to all the days that I have wasted being ill from a hangover.....24 is a good age to have had experience and then stopped. I am now past 300 days.Caddyshack said:
Feirny said:
Friday was 9 years for me, not bad to stay I stopped at 24! As said before on here it’s not specifically down to a drinking problem but more a health issue.
Well done, I am 46 and thinking back to all the days that I have wasted being ill from a hangover.....24 is a good age to have had experience and then stopped. I am now past 300 days.I think I crammed enough in those few years, over indulged a little.
Some of us need to exercise some caution with regard to 'zero' alcohol drinks - that was my gateway to falling off the wagon back in the Summer.
I'd been drinking <0.1% cider at home for a few months with apparently no effect - just a familiar taste to enjoy with the warm weather lock-down. It wasn't until the pubs reopened that I realised my mistake, just one pint of the real stuff won't do any harm - only it doesn't work like that.
It just isn't the same as consuming water, tea, coffee, fruit juice, etc.
Many will be fine with low/zero alcohol, but for some (like me) it's not a risk worth taking.
FTR after failing at about 18 months I'm now back at 95 days.
I'd been drinking <0.1% cider at home for a few months with apparently no effect - just a familiar taste to enjoy with the warm weather lock-down. It wasn't until the pubs reopened that I realised my mistake, just one pint of the real stuff won't do any harm - only it doesn't work like that.
It just isn't the same as consuming water, tea, coffee, fruit juice, etc.
Many will be fine with low/zero alcohol, but for some (like me) it's not a risk worth taking.
FTR after failing at about 18 months I'm now back at 95 days.
I didn't ever suggest zero alcohol substitutes to my alcohol dependent clients.
among other things I worked with them on behaviour change. Being reminded of what you're trying to move away from is unhelpful.
However, everyone is on a scale and I worked with those in serious difficulty.
If low/zero alc is working for you then carry on. However, if like LG, you have a slip then look for another way to achieve your goal.
among other things I worked with them on behaviour change. Being reminded of what you're trying to move away from is unhelpful.
However, everyone is on a scale and I worked with those in serious difficulty.
If low/zero alc is working for you then carry on. However, if like LG, you have a slip then look for another way to achieve your goal.
LordGrover said:
FTR after failing at about 18 months I'm now back at 95 days.
You didn't fail, LG. This is hard. For many, slips are part and parcel of abstinence.You learned a valuable lesson about your processes, which will hold you in good stead in the future.
I call that a success.
bristolracer said:
I have deleted my comments on the low alcohol guiness.
I am sorry if my comments were in any way unhelpful.
I'm sure it's a good solution for some.I am sorry if my comments were in any way unhelpful.
Personally, I don't want to think about different levels of the "A" word - but I now equate "A" to being a poison (see the Porter book "Alcohol Explained") so I think that helps my brain to say "don't go there, have a nice cup of tea" and then I'm likely to be quite remote from any lapses.
And talking lapses...
LordGrover said:
FTR after failing at about 18 months I'm now back at 95 days.
Similar to me - I had 800 days in sight, but some other things got too much. Now I don't look at it as a failure, but a couple of weeks falling off the path and from which I can chose to climb back up the mountain - which I have now done for 40 days.No "failure" to be judged, LG
bristolracer said:
I have deleted my comments on the low alcohol guiness.
I am sorry if my comments were in any way unhelpful.
I hope it wasn't because of my comment. I just wanted to warn that there are some downsides, but for some it's a valid way to reduce their intake without quitting altogether.I am sorry if my comments were in any way unhelpful.
I'm happy with failure, it provides me with more incentive to succeed. That and the whole passing out and scaring myself
Thanks for the support everyone - it helps enormously, not just me I'm sure.
No you guys were right.
I remember when I gave up smoking the smell of a burning cigarette was very tempting.
I'm sure if you have alcohol issues then the taste of a zero beer could be very influential.
I suggested it maybe for people like myself who maybe are giving up alcohol for other reasons than dependency/addiction.
Good luck with your individual battles
I remember when I gave up smoking the smell of a burning cigarette was very tempting.
I'm sure if you have alcohol issues then the taste of a zero beer could be very influential.
I suggested it maybe for people like myself who maybe are giving up alcohol for other reasons than dependency/addiction.
Good luck with your individual battles
Hi all, just wanted to say it is really nice to see a supportive thread for people trying to give booze a miss (for whatever reason). I'm now 1134 days clean and sober (hadn't looked at the number of days for a while, it surprised me!) - for me the booze came along with daily drug use (basically 24/7) and by the end, drinking in the mornings, using in secret, debt, divorce, hospital, treatment etc etc. I don't miss it now, am able to own my past behaviour, have made amends (some of which are ongoing) and am now enjoying life rather than basically waiting for it to end one way or another.
The early days are without doubt the hardest (that's one of the reasons I think you get keyrings in fellowships so much more frequently in the beginning, to recognise how bloody hard it is to hit those milestones!). As someone who had repeatedly tried and relapsed before 'getting it' I absolutely empathise and want to say it IS worth it in the long run.
Keep it one day at a time (or an hour, or a minute, whatever feels achievable in the moment), make use of the support available, recognise it is not a moral deficiency (ie you're not a bad person!) and don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't all go swimmingly immediately. It is a journey, and all of it is an opportunity to learn and grow, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.
ETA - I have an occasional 0% beer, but I wouldn't have done so in the first couple of years - I think everyone has to find their own path. What I would say is examine the real motivations, be honest with yourself and minimise risk in the early days.
The early days are without doubt the hardest (that's one of the reasons I think you get keyrings in fellowships so much more frequently in the beginning, to recognise how bloody hard it is to hit those milestones!). As someone who had repeatedly tried and relapsed before 'getting it' I absolutely empathise and want to say it IS worth it in the long run.
Keep it one day at a time (or an hour, or a minute, whatever feels achievable in the moment), make use of the support available, recognise it is not a moral deficiency (ie you're not a bad person!) and don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't all go swimmingly immediately. It is a journey, and all of it is an opportunity to learn and grow, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.
ETA - I have an occasional 0% beer, but I wouldn't have done so in the first couple of years - I think everyone has to find their own path. What I would say is examine the real motivations, be honest with yourself and minimise risk in the early days.
Edited by thecrow on Tuesday 3rd November 11:27
All good on raising awareness on the alcohol free stuff. This thread is afterall a spectrum of people both wanting and needing to stop drinking alcohol, either for a defined period or forever (a day at a time)
My experience with the 0 / 0.005% stuff was that it helped me not drink the full strength stuff for 9 months but me being me, decided that going from a 0.005% to a 3.5% wouldn't do any harm. It did and I was back on the 6 percenters within days.
I used to begrudge the 0% stuff (because I know it's not for me) but I think if you don't have a problem with alcohol and want to use it to have a taste of something you like but still be able to drive then no harm done
My experience with the 0 / 0.005% stuff was that it helped me not drink the full strength stuff for 9 months but me being me, decided that going from a 0.005% to a 3.5% wouldn't do any harm. It did and I was back on the 6 percenters within days.
I used to begrudge the 0% stuff (because I know it's not for me) but I think if you don't have a problem with alcohol and want to use it to have a taste of something you like but still be able to drive then no harm done
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