How much do you drink, honestly?
Discussion
2nd week of my 'nothing on a school night' and I do feel a lot better. I mean, a LOT better. I'm totally convinced it's the root cause of my depressive / anxious feelings now. I do like a drink but I think I like feeling well better at this stage. Sunday coming will be the first time I attempt reigning it right back to zero or virtually nothing (if I have sunday lunch out in a pub I will allow myself a pint). Normally a Sunday for me is 12 hours of beer and whisky, and then feeling horribly low and depressed for the first two days of the working week.
I honestly wonder now just how much drinking has held me back in life. A lot I shouldn't wonder.
I've also just got myself a X-trainer and will be buying a bike (pedally one) in the summer. I know I really want to get fit but daily drinking has simply prevented that from happening.
I honestly wonder now just how much drinking has held me back in life. A lot I shouldn't wonder.
I've also just got myself a X-trainer and will be buying a bike (pedally one) in the summer. I know I really want to get fit but daily drinking has simply prevented that from happening.
TameRacingDriver said:
I'm totally convinced it's the root cause of my depressive / anxious feelings now. I do like a drink but I think I like feeling well better at this stage.
100%Got the usual large number of bottles of Scotch for Christmas, and they don't seem to be able to stay in the cupboard, that's my problem. Home from work, changed, showered, cook dinner... drink some scotch.
I've either drank them all or given them away as gifts now, that and my first little'un being born last month, I've not been doing it as I've had other more important things to do in the evenings.
However, my point being, that anxiety disappeared after about 3 nights of not touching it, even if I only had the equivalent of say 3 large measures spread over the night I seemed to have that weird cloud of apprehension during the day. Not touched a drop for a month and don't miss it, I feel so much better and the only thing that's changed is not drinking.
Even with a new baby, what everyone else says should be a nightmare due to lack of sleep, I think what little sleep I am getting is far better than what I was getting before.
AB said:
However, my point being, that anxiety disappeared after about 3 nights of not touching it, even if I only had the equivalent of say 3 large measures spread over the night I seemed to have that weird cloud of apprehension during the day. Not touched a drop for a month and don't miss it, I feel so much better and the only thing that's changed is not drinking.
Yep thats basically what I found. Even though i was having 4 cans a night, say 6 units, which is next to nothing compared to what I used to be like, it just seemed like I was just getting a tiny little bit worse every day I did it. It's certainly given me a new appreciation for just how bad it must actually be. When I think back to what I used to drink, one and half to two bottles of red a night, I wonder how I even got out of bed now.Dr Interceptor said:
Still going well here, 1.5 weeks in... Allowed myself a couple of beers Friday night as I'd had some good news, but it was just a couple.
TameRacingDriver said:
2nd week of my 'nothing on a school night' and I do feel a lot better. I mean, a LOT better.
Good effort guys. Stuart70 said:
br d said:
100 days today, anyone else still grinding it out?
I realise that we don’t know each other, but I have read some of your travel threads - so would just like to add my ‘well done” for your perseverance and success. I don't think I've actually given up drinking, I enjoy it at the right time but I just wanted to have a break and get that niggling feeling that I couldn't do it off my back. I have to say it's been a breeze, I had one Sunday when I really fancied a beer watching a game but other than that no problem. To be fair though I've always been a binger rather than regular. I can happily go without a beer all week but would get smashed on a Saturday. For me it's a big stress reliever because if I'm drunk I'm not thinking about work.
Like everybody else though as I've aged it's just started to really hurt, a bad Sunday hangover can drag into Monday and even Tuesday, I find myself not bothering returning calls and stuff like that and that's no good if you're running a business.
I'd like to be someone who drinks maybe once a month when it's a proper night out or probably a bit more on a holiday. My plan is to try that after maybe another month dry and see how it goes, if I creep back to every bloody weekend then I will stop for good, I know I can stop now and I can't be bothered feeling ragged at the start of every week anymore.
I have another Euro trip coming up at the end of May so I will drink then but probably not too much, there was a time I would drink every night on a holiday but I only got pissed 4 times on last years trip over 18 days, think that's okay for a holiday.
The upsides? A great deal more confidence and less anxiousness, better sleep, better food and much better clarity of thought, problems now are an interesting challenge rather than a depressing disaster.
When I think of it like that I wonder why I would ever drink again but I do enjoy it and I'll see if I can keep it in check. Millions have no doubt said that and failed but I'll see what happens.
Well done to everybody else having a go, good luck.
Interesting read. Good luck with that. I’m probably quite similar in that I don’t want to completely give up as I’ve had good memories and made good friends on the back of nights out and that sort of thing. I’m mostly going to limit it to when I go out now, and, if I feel the need, a few cans late on an evening as long as there’s no work (say Friday night), but the Sunday drinking has to stop as I am just like what you describe at work if I’m hungover after drinking all day, which I have done for years. That one is going to be the biggest struggle for me. I’m thinking of getting some alc free beer just in case.
toon10 said:
I'm travelling with work a lot recently. By the end of the month I'll have done 18 flights this year. I wouldn't dream of drinking alcohol before the afternoon at home but found myself in the crown lounge at Schiphol yesterday drinking a very large glass of Baileys (11 am) and not thin twice about it. Or the small bottle of red wine on the flight straight after. This is normal for me when I'm travelling.
It's amazing how drinking is an accepted norm for me at any time when I'm not at home yet I tend not to open a beer at home until after 7pm.
Have to say I find the same. Travelling off somewhere & in the lounge at 7am, nice full english & glass of champagne.It's amazing how drinking is an accepted norm for me at any time when I'm not at home yet I tend not to open a beer at home until after 7pm.
Had a meeting yesterday over breakfast in a hotel. Came out of the restaurant at about 8am, there were 2 guys at the lobby bar already on the beers!!
JagBox said:
JamesD74 said:
br d said:
100 days today, anyone else still grinding it out?
Well done. Also hit 100 days today. Never would have thought it possible.br d said:
[/i]Some stuff...[/i]
I can happily go without a beer all week but would get smashed on a Saturday. For me it's a big stress reliever because if I'm drunk I'm not thinking about work.
Like everybody else though as I've aged it's just started to really hurt, a bad Sunday hangover can drag into Monday and even Tuesday, I find myself not bothering returning calls and stuff like that and that's no good if you're running a business.
More stuff...
This is exactly how it was for me.I can happily go without a beer all week but would get smashed on a Saturday. For me it's a big stress reliever because if I'm drunk I'm not thinking about work.
Like everybody else though as I've aged it's just started to really hurt, a bad Sunday hangover can drag into Monday and even Tuesday, I find myself not bothering returning calls and stuff like that and that's no good if you're running a business.
More stuff...
Even emails, not just phone calls. Before you know it, it's Wednesday or Thursday and the guy that sent you an email Monday morning is chasing you and you've been telling yourself you'll get round to it 'in a min' for 2 days
That and not particularly wanting to get out of bed so you don't actually get to the office until maybe just after 9, which when it's your business is not exactly a good example.
These days I'm up at 6am latest, dog has been walked, breakfast made and I'm sat at my desk with a coffee by 7:30am actually looking forward to cracking on.
I've even arranged a PT to come to the office twice a week for anyone who wants to join in. Let's see how long that one lasts.
It creeps up on you quickly, to the extent it becomes the norm and you forget what 'feeling good' or even 'feeling normal' is like and it only takes a couple of glasses in the evening as you're winding down to really interfere with your sleep and your entire body in my experience.
AB said:
This is exactly how it was for me.
Even emails, not just phone calls. Before you know it, it's Wednesday or Thursday and the guy that sent you an email Monday morning is chasing you and you've been telling yourself you'll get round to it 'in a min' for 2 days
I totally identify with that...Even emails, not just phone calls. Before you know it, it's Wednesday or Thursday and the guy that sent you an email Monday morning is chasing you and you've been telling yourself you'll get round to it 'in a min' for 2 days
Sat at my desk now, on the second coffee... Raring to go
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