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Post by dfunked on Feb 1, 2023 7:59:26 GMT
@ekz yeah, definitely don't beat yourself up over that. 7 months is something to be very proud of. If you can do that you can do more, so no need to let it set you back. EMarkM not being a totally useless human, especially in times of crisis is definitely a huge plus to not drinking for me. Glad you were there for your family  Over 4 months down here and thankfully my missus has joined me without pressuring her into it. When I started she was similar to Dougs' wife, first thing she said when I told her was "great. You're going to be fun at parties!" in a sarky tone. Still absolutely love not waking up with hangovers of the anxiety that came with it. |
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Feb 1, 2023 13:36:29 GMT
I haven't had a drink since (the start of) November. Stopped with the Mrs for some health related stuff and decided to carry on with it.
On reflection the timing sucks.
I'd do terrible things for a couple of gin and tonics right now, but I'm trying.
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Post by quadfather on Feb 1, 2023 14:08:27 GMT
I seemed to have calmed down as well recently.
Half the time for me, is the boredom, and then drinking on that boredom and not doing much makes it worse, especially when you're on your own.
But recently I've been doing generally more things as a whole, and getting out and about a bit more, which has led to more variety and that alone is helping. The booze masks that, so I'm getting all my stuff done first, and then I'll have some beers to finish off the day/evening.
I was even at a works do yesterday with a free bar tab, but I only had 2 pints as I needed to get off and do other stuff.
So it's not actually the booze with me. Its me in general. Booze just makes things slip away till later.
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ekz
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Post by ekz on Feb 3, 2023 6:03:36 GMT
Idle hands is the devils something something quaddy
Couldn't agree more tbh, the boredom is a killer for sobriety in any form
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Post by drhickman1983 on Feb 3, 2023 6:47:00 GMT
I do get it, and feel for people who are struggling and trying to cut down, but there is something dryly ironic that most of the last few posts in the "drinking too much thread" are success stories about people not drinking.
Again, I do get it, just feels like the title may be not entirely correct.
But sincere well done to those on the wagon.
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Post by elstoof on Feb 3, 2023 7:34:19 GMT
Recognising that you’re drinking to much is the first stage in cutting down, the title seems appropriate to me.
Anyway, my dry midweeks are going pretty well, I almost caved last night as I’ve got a grotty cold and there’s a bottle of cider in the fridge. I still look forward to a little drink as Friday gets closer but I don’t really fancy feeling drunk any more
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Post by dfunked on Feb 3, 2023 8:04:57 GMT
Aye, title makes sense to me. Admitting you have a problem is the first step. I've found solidarity and shared experiences with others in the same boat to be massively helpful for me, but really don't want to seem like I'm rubbing it in.
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on Feb 3, 2023 8:05:46 GMT
That's the thing, isn't it?
It's often difficult to even recognise that something is a problem from the inside. I've had a long relationship with alcohol but it's only in the last few years that I started to realise that perhaps it was too much. It's never really had a negative impact on my health, or other aspects of my life, but I was drinking all the time. I don't think I'm an alcoholic (lol) but I have always drunk a lot, that's just been part of my life.
We had a beer last night to celebrate. I don't feel like I'm never drinking again, but I do feel like it was something I should probably address and be aware of and the break has been interesting. I think I'll definitely try to keep it to drinking occasionally now, instead of a beer immediately after work, wine with dinner etc.
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Post by drhickman1983 on Feb 3, 2023 8:43:01 GMT
I'm pretty happy with my current drinking amount, I've basically stopped the "drinking alone watching crap YouTube videos until 2am on a work night" thing, so it's pretty much only when I'm with others - boardgames mostly.
Compared to a year ago where I would be drinking everyday - not loads, but enough, and occasionally, frequently too much, it's much better. And I've never wanted to stop drinking entirely tbh.
That said work is currently making it both hard to drink and also making me want to drink. Hard as I really can't be doing with a hangover ontop of this workload, and making me want a drink as it's pretty stressful.
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EMarkM
Junior Member
Well, quite...
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Post by EMarkM on Feb 3, 2023 8:48:29 GMT
drhickman1983 You already know this, but, damn it, I’m going to say it anyway: the alcohol isn’t helping you deal with the stress of work, it’s just helping you deal with having no alcohol. The very best of luck to us all.
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Post by Dougs on Feb 3, 2023 9:22:42 GMT
I think the title is appropriate for those who want to recognise that they want/need to cut down. But can see the point that if you've stopped successfully, it could seem like it's rubbing it in a bit. Maybe a sobriety thread for those who want to support each other in their sobriety.
I'm also trying again to cut down midweek. It's not going badly but find Thursdays the hardest. Was cooking last night, wanted a beer so had a couple of AFs and that did the trick. It's so habitual for me. Football, cooking, socialising and eating. Most of my life tbh!
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Post by drhickman1983 on Feb 3, 2023 9:49:53 GMT
Again, I do get the title and it does make sense, so maybe it's just me and my weird sense of irony.
It's still better than Morrisette's irony sense.
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Post by freddiemercurystwin on Mar 5, 2023 20:32:12 GMT
Mrs Mercury bought a massive bottle of uber cheap Chianti from Lidl a few days ago, because it had the wicker wrapped around it and she 'always wanted one of those bottles', turns out it's extraordinaryly easy to drink and pleasant, my first drink since December last night so a normal bottle+ for me last night, wonderful, just a glass each left tonight, don't think I'll rush back to drinking just yet but oh so nice to experience that whole cooking/drinking combo again.
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Post by freddiemercurystwin on Mar 24, 2023 18:47:50 GMT
Slipped tonight, fuck it! This weeks just been too much, nipped out for a bottle of rum to tap into and some red to sip.
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Post by quadfather on Mar 24, 2023 18:58:21 GMT
I still drink every day. I don't really give a shit about it anymore tbh.
I'm sick and tired of trying to regulate things. I'm not a mentalist, and just stop when I've had enough, which is quite regularly now but my lifestyle has changed where I'm doing music 90 percent of my spare time and it just works with some booze. And some smoke.
However, I live on my own now and I'm sure it would be different if I had different responsibilities that I used to have.
But I don't. So I'm just going with it.
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MolarAm🔵
Full Member
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Mar 29, 2023 13:09:16 GMT
I am currently drinking non-alcoholic (well, less than 0.5%) beers most nights of the week, aside from a trivia night on Tuesdays where I drink real beer. Previously, I didn't really see the point of the non-alcoholic stuff, why not just buy mineral water and drink that, etc etc.
Basically, after work my brain is telling me that it wants a beer. And these taste enough like beer that I can basically trick my brain into thinking that I've had beer. I know it's kind of silly, but it's working so far! And it is ever, ever so much cheaper than buying real beer.
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Post by drhickman1983 on Mar 29, 2023 13:22:53 GMT
Non alcoholic beer is pretty decent these days.
I do sometimes wonder what the point is but yeah, I do get a similar placebo buzz from it. Well, not buzz, but satisfaction.
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wunty
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Post by wunty on Mar 29, 2023 14:42:02 GMT
I am currently drinking non-alcoholic (well, less than 0.5%) beers most nights of the week, aside from a trivia night on Tuesdays where I drink real beer. Previously, I didn't really see the point of the non-alcoholic stuff, why not just buy mineral water and drink that, etc etc. Basically, after work my brain is telling me that it wants a beer. And these taste enough like beer that I can basically trick my brain into thinking that I've had beer. I know it's kind of silly, but it's working so far! And it is ever, ever so much cheaper than buying real beer. It's not silly, it does work! As drhickman says, the placebo effect goes a long way in helping. Non-aolcohol beers were (and still are sometimes) instrumental to me canning the booze and some are really bloody nice as well.
Talking of non-alcohol stuff, my sister in law bought me three bottles of this for my birthday: threespiritdrinks.com/
Been slowly working my way through them in place of a dram or whatever and they are fucking lovely.
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Vortex
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Post by Vortex on Mar 29, 2023 15:12:56 GMT
I got a martini non-alcoholic aperitif thing. Add 50:50 with tonic and ice, and it could almost be a negroni.
Very helpful when you want something to drink, but are behaving, or possibly more likely given the age demographic here, need a spacer to slow the intake because you have to drive early the next morning to take your child(ren) to football/dancing/swimming etc. (delete as applicable)
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ekz
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Post by ekz on Mar 31, 2023 23:16:31 GMT
13 hour shift y'day because end of month crunch. Couldn't sleep, so been awake for hours already.
T'is beer o'clock, at 10am. Today I will drink too much™️ and finally play a video game.
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Post by drhickman1983 on Apr 1, 2023 16:23:43 GMT
I've been fairly good and not drunk much this week. Well, since Sunday when I had a stupid evening drinking beer and wine, and then felt awful the next day. But since then I've only had 3 beers, two at a gig on Wednesday and 1 at a gig last night. But now that it's 5pm on Saturday I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with myself I've done some chores in the morning, played boardgames online with a friend in the afternoon, but now it's just a void of time with no particular desire to do anything. The sort of mood where I can't think of anything I actually *want* to do. If I try to play something, or create something, it'll hold my attention for half an hour or so, then I'll just get bored. At least alcohol helps time pass by. Could just go to bed I guess.
I think alcohol doesn't make me enjoy things more, but it obscures that what I end up watching online is utter drivel and devoid of any actual substance, whereas if I'm sober I'm more aware that it's all a load of cack.
Idk, any advice on what people do to avoid the boredom drinking?
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Syrette
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Post by Syrette on Apr 1, 2023 16:32:34 GMT
Posting about it on this forum
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Post by drhickman1983 on Apr 1, 2023 16:35:51 GMT
Well I've done that, but I'm still wrestling with the idea of drinking.
Problem is I do find drinking fun for the first few drinks, at which point I find it hard to just stop, but it also becomes less enjoyable.
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Post by Dougs on Apr 1, 2023 17:22:58 GMT
Maybe go for a walk or something? Something other than waiting for inspiration to strike. A lot of drinking is habitual or boredom, can totally relate. Doing something out of the norm helps to break that cycle.
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Post by freddiemercurystwin on Apr 1, 2023 19:13:54 GMT
Tonight, rum for the necking, red for the sipping!
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ekz
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Post by ekz on Apr 2, 2023 2:00:06 GMT
Well I've done that, but I'm still wrestling with the idea of drinking. Problem is I do find drinking fun for the first few drinks, at which point I find it hard to just stop, but it also becomes less enjoyable. Almost all of my problematic drinking cycles are because of that kind of listless, apathetic boredom where nothing seems to scratch the imaginary itch I'm seeking. If you're actually trying to avoid picking up the bottle, do something (anything, really) that you don't already equate doing or enjoying with a beer in hand. Today I'll work my way through a 4pack of high % NEIPAs I bought despite not enjoying them any more, and then see where I go from there. Have 2 rugby games on this arvo which I'm keen to watch so we'll see how much I regret it tomorrow. |
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Post by drhickman1983 on Apr 2, 2023 6:32:28 GMT
That's the thing, there's not much I do that I haven't enjoyed whilst having a drink.
Didn't drink yesterday in the end. I should feel better for that but right now it just feels like a missed opportunity because now I can't get drunk because of work tomorrow.
Or I could, but then I might feel like shit at work and I already had a crappy day hungover last week
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Post by dfunked on Apr 2, 2023 8:39:19 GMT
drhickman1983 Have you tried reading any quit lit? This naked mind worked for me? It snapped me out of mindsets that I've had since I was a child, and stopped me thinking that I would've naturally had more fun with a drink in my hand. It still took months to get over the "I'm bored and can't be arsed doing anything" phase, though. Still have the occasional bout, and I know that I'd happily sit and watch any old shit if I had a bit of a buzz on.
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Post by drhickman1983 on Apr 2, 2023 9:46:10 GMT
dfunkedI haven't. To be honest I'm struggling to find the motivation to read much at all currently, but I'll keep it mind. To be honest i don't want to quit drinking entirely, but I'd like to stop the "drinking alone" part as that's where I have my personal issues.
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Post by dfunked on Apr 2, 2023 18:04:19 GMT
It's well worth having a look. It's actually meant to help with moderation, so could be a good fit.
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