Alcohol - Gave Up

[Carrot]

So after feeling very rough for a very long time, and reading some of the 'sobering' posts on the various how much alcohol threads on here, I decided to give up on the 1st Jan. I was drinking incredible amounts compared to what most would consider normal.

20 days in, I actually feel nothing short of incredible. Weight is going down, I am waking up alert and ready every morning. Energy is up massively.

Right now I am kind of considering never drinking again as I clearly have no self control when it comes to alcohol.

How many people here have done this, and if you started again what was your trigger? Reason for asking is so I can watch out for this and avoid it...

I don't intend to become a holier than thou tea totalist, I just know that for me, it is not something I can control so I had better stay away.

[Carrot]

PositronicRay said:

Carrot said:

So after feeling very rough for a very long time, and reading some of the 'sobering' posts on the various how much alcohol threads on here, I decided to give up on the 1st Jan. I was drinking incredible amounts compared to what most would consider normal.

20 days in, I actually feel nothing short of incredible. Weight is going down, I am waking up alert and ready every morning. Energy is up massively.

Right now I am kind of considering never drinking again as I clearly have no self control when it comes to alcohol.

How many people here have done this, and if you started again what was your trigger? Reason for asking is so I can watch out for this and avoid it...

I don't intend to become a holier than thou tea totalist, I just know that for me, it is not something I can control so I had better stay away.

How much were you drinking?

Brutally honest - average week.

Monday - bottle of wine
Tuesday - half a bottle of wine, few shorts
Wednesday - share half a bottle with missus
Thursday - bottle of wine few shorts
Friday - half a large bottle of vodka, some wine and a whiskey to finish
Saturday - usually same as Friday
Sunday - at least a couple of glasses of wine

I didn't get hangovers any more in the traditional sense, just feeling st and out of energy all the time. It was rare that I had a day with no alcohol.

[Carrot]

Oh yes... I was staggered at how easily I slipped into it frankly. I never used to drink that much even when I was younger.

Got a routine bloodwork check coming up soon, will be interesting to see if it flags anything.

[Carrot]

funinhounslow said:

I would advise against telling friends who still indulge how wonderful it is though. It is hard not to come across as “smug” and you will only wind them up. If they ask you about your experience that’s different of course...

Best of luck and enjoy!

Oh 100% this. I used to enjoy drinking so I really don't want to end up as the not drinking equivalent of a vegan activist . Ultimately I understand that I as an individual have a problem with alcohol and moderating it, so will stay away from it.

I gave up smoking 10 years ago and I don't care if other people smoke. I just won't allow it in my car or house.

Live and let live

[Carrot]

V6 Pushfit said:

lampchair said:

FocusRS3 said:

Carrot said:

Brutally honest - average week.

Monday - bottle of wine
Tuesday - half a bottle of wine, few shorts
Wednesday - share half a bottle with missus
Thursday - bottle of wine few shorts
Friday - half a large bottle of vodka, some wine and a whiskey to finish
Saturday - usually same as Friday
Sunday - at least a couple of glasses of wine

I didn't get hangovers any more in the traditional sense, just feeling st and out of energy all the time. It was rare that I had a day with no alcohol.

Yeah that's worrying amounts

That’s a lot to come off of!

Well done!

You’d be surprised how many people are way over that regularly. He’s on about 4 bottles of wine and 2 of spirits a week which is VERY easily done.

Well done if he can give it up, and use the £2,500 + annual bonus somewhere else!

I'm considering offsetting with a meth habit...

[Carrot]

Joscal said:

I’ve been off it for nigh on 3 years and as others have said it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I was a weekend binger (I’m Irish it’s what we do)

I’m far fitter, less lazy, calmer, depression and anxiety has pretty much gone and most importantly a better role model for my teenage son. I was hiding behind alcohol as I’m an introvert but I now realise that’s it’s ok to not want to be a social animal.

My only regret is I didn’t quit 20 years ago as I wasted so many weekends in a blur and towards the end made a tt of myself too many times, although all my drinking friends told me I didn’t have a problem and was a funny drunk, I didn’t think it was funny that I couldn’t remember half the night or getting home! Some of them still can’t understand my decision which is cool.

I’ve had a few wobbles over the 3 years but each time it’s cemented my decision as I really haven’t enjoyed it.

Good luck to any of you thinking about quitting as it took me a long time to realise alcohol really wasn’t doing me any good.

Great post! Especially the social expectation part. I have never been a party animal and have hated clubs since I was not old enough to go into them

[Carrot]

thatsprettyshady said:

JustALooseScrew said:

My head's settled down a bit now after a long talk with a close mate.

There's a lot of other st going on at the moment, and I didn't even go for the next bottle. I feel sober as a judge though I know I'm not, just so disappointed with myself. Another promise broken, can't believe I've lied again.

Tomorrow's another day I guess.

The last bit is the most important, reset button can be pushed as soon as you wake up.

Yesterday has already gone and tomorrow hasn't happened yet. Now is what matters.

[Carrot]

Welshbeef said:

Good luck OP - that consumption list was pretty wow especially as that wasn’t a holiday rap list but the average week so fun time is way above that level

It was only when I kept a log out of curiosity that I horrified myself into action. When something isn't fun any more and it is that damaging, its time to stop.

Had a really stressful couple of days recently which would have normally been my trigger, was close.

[Carrot]

Well soon to be the 1st. Not sure if I want to start drinking again at all.

I have a meal out at a restaurant on Sunday. May have a small Cobra and see how I feel. If I start feeling like I am craving more uncontrollably then I think it is time to knock it on the head...

[Carrot]

Penelope Stopit said:

Carrot said:

Well soon to be the 1st. Not sure if I want to start drinking again at all.

I have a meal out at a restaurant on Sunday. May have a small Cobra and see how I feel. If I start feeling like I am craving more uncontrollably then I think it is time to knock it on the head...

Good going, keep it going

What's a Cobra?

Indian lager

[Carrot]

Well had a small whiskey on the 1st, then nothing else. Sort of enjoyed it knowing that was it for the night but could do without. Interesting.

[Carrot]

365Clean said:

Carrot said:

Well had a small whiskey on the 1st, then nothing else. Sort of enjoyed it knowing that was it for the night but could do without. Interesting.

As someone who's given up a few times over the years, my personal experience is that over the long term moderation is impossible. Every time I've started again my intentions have been great.

I'll just drink on special occasions - that works for a while. Then eventually I think to myself that I'm doing really well managing to minimise my intake, so a little more won't do any harm. So I'll just drink when I'm out of the house. That goes ok for a while, but the next thing is we've got people over for dinner or a party and it looks weird that I drink with them at restaurants or the pub but not at home, so now I'll only drink at home when we have guests over. Again that goes on for a while, until I have a big night with guests over, so just have a couple at home the following night to help me sleep and take the edge off the hangover.

At this point I'm now drinking as much as I did before I gave up and feeling total st about it again. Rinse and repeat.

Not everyone is going to be the same, but without fail the above happens over time for me, usually over several months. For me it's easier to not have anything at all than to try and moderate.

This is exactly what I am afraid of - good points.

[Carrot]

I had a couple of glasses of wine on Friday and Saturday. Stopped there and didn't want any more. Yesterday was a terrible day at work which would normally trigger drinking in the evening but didn't. Got to keep an eye on it but if I can keep it at this level without sinking back I will be happy.

Regular exercise is so much easier now!

[Carrot]

r1flyguy1 said:

I posted earlier in the thread that I hadn’t had a drink for a few years now.
This wasn’t through actually being a drinker but a lifestyle choice.

I used to drink, I’d go out with colleagues and have a few G&T’s and mix and usually end up with a bad hangover. One night the bar staff at a well known hangout decided to spike my G&T, I was sick for 2 days.

Since then (maybe 6-7 years ago) I haven’t had any alcohol.

Having read some of the replies I want to add that 3 or 4 years ago a put a friends CV under the nose of the boss and he was actually invited for an interview.
As I work abroad, he travelled out and I put him up in my place and told him I’d be back from work around midnight and just to make himself at home.

I arrived back and was shocked to see my friend absolutely off his face and a gibberish wreck on the floor with the remnants of a litre bottle of duty free whisky on the side.

I spent the next few hours trying to understand or being given his life problems and to be fair I was shocked as I never knew this was what he was like.

I also felt embarrassed that he would be going for an interview at the place I worked & to whom I recommended him to.
Lo & behold he managed 3 or four hours sleep and he woke apologetic and sober!

To cut a long story short he didn’t get the job as there were other interviewees there who maybe did and some 2 years ago he passed away from health issues.

Yes I miss him as he was a good friend who hid his problems well but I’m glad I didn’t see him in his final days. I had arranged to go visit him on a Sunday morning as I knew he was not well but his wife called me to say he had died just an hour earlier.

The worst alcoholics are the ones that can hide it the best. I told my friend shortly after I gave up how much I drunk. I have known this guy for 27 years from school. He had no idea and was shocked that I was walking around sober every day!!

Sorry to hear it got him in the end.

[Carrot]

Good stuff

[Carrot]

Robertj21a said:

Davey S2 said:

Well the wife’s night was cancelled due to the weather and train cancellations. She asked me to stop off and get some stuff on my way home including a nice bottle of wine. Pleased to say it’s still unopened in the fridge. ??

Well done you !!