The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread!

A question about : The giving up/cutting down alcohol support thread!

There are a few of us who want to give up/cut down & I thought it would be good to widen the net to support each other along the way!
For me alch & feeling good for the time I'm drinking & then rubbish after go hand in hand. A bit like drinking & smoking & drinking & getting the munchies! Last year I gave up alch & fags for 10 months & then slipped towards Christmas until by Jan I was doing both with alarming regularity. I dread to think how much both cost me financially and I know physically that I've felt rubbish. My lungs hurt, have put on weight & literally none of my clothes fit so I will have to buy more - which means a dent in my budget that I can ill afford. My skin is also yukky & much nicer when I dont drink/smoke!
I had my last ciggies the night before last & last wine on Tues. I know I will feel 100% better when I crack it but also know it will be hard. One disadvantage here is that all too often DFW parties tend to involve alcohol so I'm also hoping that this can possibly be a safe haven for those of us who want, or need, to abstain, for now at least!
Anway - I hope that this can be a place of real support for people who are sturggling. I do wonder whether there is a link between debt & drinking as from the Jan thread it was obvious that so many struggle to give up! Plus I know for me that I feel much hapier and in control when I dont drink (or drink in moderation) - which of course begs the question why do I do it?! Anyway, I do but will now try not t ad hope some of you wil join in. Some days I know I wil fail, just as I do with my debt free journey and I am more than happy to be given a swift (but nice!) kicking when I do! Hugs all and dare I say... but this time with water!!

PS have amended this slightly as I have decided that I will try for the moderation way! That means for me not drinking over the recc limits (bottle & a half of wine for me!) but I know at times this will be a struggle plus I'm aware that others want to do the same.

Best answers:

• Oh - how much do I agree with all you've said! I really don't want to continue feeling like this and it doesn't do me any favours. I too enjoy it while I'm drinking, but while the hangover I can deal with, it's all the other stuff(blanks, injuries, effect on mood and mind) that is so bad.
  Hopefully with the support from everyone, we can give each other pointers and motivation - which will then go hand in hand with saving money!
• lovely to see you here!! Bi special hugs for you - be gentle with yourself. Whats done is done. Move forward positively rather than look at what has been! Look at your siggy too - "I will NOT refuse to do something that I can do". And you can
• True - I can and will do this! We all will
• Good idea - except for the title....
  I'm still a newbie really but the again bit implies to me that failing to give up is an option. Giving up should be viewed more as choosing not to drink and regaining control over your lives - not a giving up/will miss it kind of negative spin.
  I've chosen not to drink for getting on for a year now and I'm really passionate about the choice to not drink....OK the money and health saving part is great too. I know now that "just one drink" is one too many as it leads to many more and I don't really know how much that would ultimately cost. I am lucky to be where I am now as I so nearly lost it all.
• Hiya! I'm joining this. My personal take on it is to stop drinking at home.
  I do enjoy the occasional drink out - very occasional as I seldom go out - but I don't really enjoy the wine I regularly drink at home, on my own, and in front of the computer, when I could be doing something much more useful and enjoyable with the time. And I hate having a hangover for no good reason like I have today.
  We can all do this, and feel better about our selves for it.
• So so glad I've just read this, can I join your gang? I decided some months ago that I was drinking far too much and decided to cut down drastically however I have found out that its all or nothing with me. I tried to cut it down to 2 or 3 nights a week but found that I was struggling not to on the other nights (very bad sign!). Now into my second week, just been to Tesco and was determined none was going in my trolley, came out with a smile on my face and went to the garden centre and spent the money on some spring plants instead. Will post weekly to let you know how I get on.
• ((((Hugs)))) and I wish you all well in your aim to reduce or give up the alcohol. I do not have this problem but my 24 year old son is alcohol dependent. I hope you don't mind me reading and joining in your thread - it gives me an understanding of how he is feeling and how I can best help him. I am going to email my son now and tell him to look at this thread.Love, best wishes and good health to everyone.
• Yeah...fair play re the title...it could easily be a bit extreme and put folks off! I know many people who would love to just have the one or two and then leave it alone. I also accept that going out is a time for letting your hair down as it doesn't happen that often...it was really the drinking at home bit that turned out to be the main thing to address...
  I'm not saying I'll never drink again but am taking things one day at a time in all ways.
  I'll certainly stick around, though....just don't expoect me to talk about falling off!
• i agree with all thats said,i think its a mind thing,we think to enjoy ourselves we need alcohol,and for much of my life ive been the same,them following an op for breast cancer i was left in a lot of pain,so the painkillers i take say no alchol,at first i used to drink and not take the tabs at night so i could go out and have a drink,and then decieded i needed the pain relief more than the booze,so for 3 years now i havent had a drink,im in myh early 50s ,and believe me and drunk some stuff in my time lol,me and my husband go out at weekends,he still drinks and i have pop,or alchol free beer,whitch everone takes the mickey out of,i never thought that i could go out and have fun sober,but funniley enough i quite enjoy watching everyone talking rubbish ,and i love getting up sunday with no hangover,opps ive gone on too much
• Know what you mean about Tescos...I feel great walking in and past the "Aisle of Shadow" where I've often stocked up on booze to have at home....then leaving with much reduced grocery bill. My old receipts make horrific reading.....
  Just wish I could claim back for them!
• Good to have so many joining in or watching!
  https://30sleeps.com/blog/2007/12/07/...nking-alcohol/
  Linky that may help some and be of interest! Amazed in looking for it how much info there is!! Feel free to post others!
  and hopefully something to make you chuccle!
  https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/A/Alcohol.asp
• Hi everyone. I had a "dry" January and was surprised at how much better I felt. I'm not a heavy drinker or anything, but I can end up having quite a lot on one night out a week. I quit smoking last November and that doesn't worry me at all now - whether I have a drink or not. But hangovers feel worse the older I get and I am getting very aware of how much money it costs for a big night out these days if there's lots of alcohol involved!!
  Plus my OH is on anti-depressants and alcohol has a very bad effect on him on those. He's been told he really shouldn't ever drink at all but if he does he should never have more than two alcoholic drinks.
  We've both decided we'd quite like to knock alcohol on the head altogether and not bother. We have noticed that we have a lot more fun together on the weekends where we don't bother drinking, don't have hangovers to sleep off and are feeling refreshed and wide awake.
  We're off on holiday in a couple of weeks and it would make a nice change to come back tanned and refreshed, not exhausted and ready for another holiday!
• I want to join your thread if thats ok! I would like to reduce the amount i drink at home! I have had really rough time over the last few months (split with OH in Dec) but I do like to have a glass of wine or 3 ota home. I work a permanent night shift which means I can only drink 3 nights out of 7 and that is my excuse!!!! BUT I have been off work sick for the last 2 weeks as I have gastritis. The GP says it is caused by stress and helicobactor bacteria but I know that alcohol does not help. So I don't want to stop drinking totally cos i do enjoy going out on the rare occasion for a few drinks but like others on the=is thread know it is not good for your health or pocket to drink often. I want to limit my drinking to going out which might happen twice a month as opposed to buing 3 bottles of wine for Ј10 in asda each week! At the end of the day thats Ј520 per year that could go towrads debt!!!!
  Problem - got 3 bottles of wine and half a bottle of sothern comfort in the house! do I drink it, bin it or save it?
• Hi Judi - I've got the same problem - half a bottle of Jack Daniels. Wondering about maybe giving it to a friend for safe-keeping. Then I could go and visit and have a glass, without breaking the 'no drinking at home' target. Only question is, which friend?
• Can you save it - put out of reach for when friend come round maybe? No point binning it cos that would just be a waste but if you cant do that how about giving it to friends as a thank you for somehing they've done for you? I know I'm hopeless - if its in the house, I'll drink it! Have always had huge admiration for people who can just look at it!!
• I have been pretty much drinking atleast every weekend for the last 13 years or so until a few months back. A month or so i just stopped drinking all the time, partly thanks to the love of a good man but i had already had enough before that just didnt know how to break the cycle.
  Things are just so great now, I do drink but very occationally, usually with food and not to get !!!!ed anymore. It's quite an effort to drink a couple of drinks now but i enjoy the one or two more than the 20 i would have normally had.
  Good luck to all of you, dont beat yourselfs up if you slip just get back on the wagon again.
• Well, first challenge for me - was mena tot be going out for friend's bday in leeds. I can't go I think as it's just too expensive (I think they woul dbe very supportive of me not drinking actually as they've had close experience of bad drinkers etc and don't actually binge drink). So that solves it for the first night out issue. However, will no doubt have other things coming up and can't shy off every time.
• No but in the early stages its best not to put yourself in a vulnerable position. How did it go with the explaining in school today? How are the injuries feeling? Manged to avoid the "dark isle" in Mr T's today and the cigarette counter so chuffed with that!