Giving up the drink.

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Originally Posted by grunt

Well done! Wish I could do that.

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You might be surprised what you can achieve if you genuinely want to do it. Personally I can't see myself ever stopping drinking completely because I hugely enjoy a beer at the end of the week, a glass of red with a meal or an occasional wee dram. All very much in moderation compared to the way I once drank however.

I find that if you get past the early evening itch you no longer feel the need to drink. Extend that to a couple of days and then see if you can get through the whole week. As I mentioned earlier, a four-pack of Lucky Saint low alcohol (0.5%) beer serves me well as a stop-gap.

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Originally Posted by Hibspur

You might be surprised what you can achieve if you genuinely want to do it. Personally I can't see myself ever stopping drinking completely because I hugely enjoy a beer at the end of the week, a glass of red with a meal or an occasional wee dram. All very much in moderation compared to the way I once drank however.

I find that if you get past the early evening itch you no longer feel the need to drink. Extend that to a couple of days and then see if you can get through the whole week. As I mentioned earlier, a four-pack of Lucky Saint low alcohol (0.5%) beer serves me well as a stop-gap.

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Agree. When in the house I often find myself deciding whether to have a beer or a cup of tea. More often that not it’s the tea I choose

I suppose it’s about options and having alternatives.

Whilst calorific alco-free are getting bettter Corona I could absolutely not tell the difference. I think that’s gonna be my goto. To my taste cranberry juice tastes like it should be alcohol. Then there’s the softies.

I found Allen Carrs book on giving up a slow read and couldn’t finish it - the build up to the process tedious but he was hammering home the point - everything we’ve been told and associate with alchohol is a lie perpetuated by marketing. It’s a depressant and because the marketers have made us associate it with good times - celebrations, events etc we in turn make the association. So we need to break the cycle. For me it was forming little habits out of changing. Taking different options - I found abstinence easier than just having one as it didn’t break the cycle. I went down the alcohol free for I think 3 months then was my birthday and hols and slipped back.

dunno what the answer is but some approaches better than others.

good luck folks!

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Originally Posted by Viva_Palmeiras

I suppose it’s about options and having alternatives.

Whilst calorific alco-free are getting bettter Corona I could absolutely not tell the difference. I think that’s gonna be my goto. To my taste cranberry juice tastes like it should be alcohol. Then there’s the softies.

I found Allen Carrs book on giving up a slow read and couldn’t finish it - the build up to the process tedious but he was hammering home the point - everything we’ve been told and associate with alchohol is a lie perpetuated by marketing. It’s a depressant and because the marketers have made us associate it with good times - celebrations, events etc we in turn make the association. So we need to break the cycle. For me it was forming little habits out of changing. Taking different options - I found abstinence easier than just having one as it didn’t break the cycle. I went down the alcohol free for I think 3 months then was my birthday and hols and slipped back.

dunno what the answer is but some approaches better than others.

good luck folks!

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Interesting you mention Allen Carr.

Loads of people swore by him for giving up smoking so I tried his book on weight loss. I went into with an open mind, arguably even leaning towards it being some kid of miracle cure, but it was laughably bad. Terribly written and there were about 20 basic errors in the first 2 chapters. I think it's supposed to work as some kind of reinforcement through repetition but it just wasn't for me. I found myself laughing more than thinking about changing my relationship with food. I'm not sure if it's one of those things where just because it worked for smoking doesn't mean it translates to everything or whether it just works for some and not others.

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Originally Posted by Viva_Palmeiras

I suppose it’s about options and having alternatives.

Whilst calorific alco-free are getting bettter Corona I could absolutely not tell the difference. I think that’s gonna be my goto. To my taste cranberry juice tastes like it should be alcohol. Then there’s the softies.

I found Allen Carrs book on giving up a slow read and couldn’t finish it - the build up to the process tedious but he was hammering home the point - everything we’ve been told and associate with alchohol is a lie perpetuated by marketing. It’s a depressant and because the marketers have made us associate it with good times - celebrations, events etc we in turn make the association. So we need to break the cycle. For me it was forming little habits out of changing. Taking different options - I found abstinence easier than just having one as it didn’t break the cycle. I went down the alcohol free for I think 3 months then was my birthday and hols and slipped back.

dunno what the answer is but some approaches better than others.

good luck folks!

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Apart from other reasons which I have mentioned before it was the “depressant” part that jolted me to kick it into touch. Its funny that when I was a young couldnt give a **** dafty “hangover” was just a word, it meant nothing to me and I always just related my banging head to a big **** off “great sesh with the lads”

Never did I know nor had any thought of health implications that plague drinkers in later life, whether be health, social or work impact. I wasnt ignorant, alcohol was just part and parcel of my social life and social circle. Like smoking, brands back in those days promoted the habit with billboards and advertisement's on buses and tv, particularly with sports such as darts, snooker, football and motor sports to name but a few.

Alcohol and in particular beer adverts were seen as “refreshing” grab a pint of refreshing McEwans or Tennents lager, no forewarning in those days. Fast forward many years later and I now think “what if” my body is fine although it took a fair battering, however the word hangover haunts me and the very thought of waking up with the 2am dread, the sweats and the brutal dread that not only lasted a few hours but moved onto days.

I was phoning in sick for work on the Monday, that wasnt from drinking on a Sunday, thats something I never really did, that was the aftermath of a few bevvies on a Friday night, it made me physically and mentally ill, I was a wreck at times and that wasnt after a skinful it was “just a few”

It came to the point where I had to limit myself to 6 pints because if I went one or two over that then I would suffer the consequences and believe me, suffer I did. That was just me though, the impact it had on my Wife and kids was worse, I felt miserable for a few self inflicted days, they were miserable all the time, not through choice but because of me and my selfishness.

I can take it or leave it now and sometimes go around 6 months at a time without touching a drop, even on holiday I might only have one or two but the most important thing is I have control now and I feel 100 times better for it.

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Originally Posted by Pretty Boy

Interesting you mention Allen Carr.

Loads of people swore by him for giving up smoking so I tried his book on weight loss. I went into with an open mind, arguably even leaning towards it being some kid of miracle cure, but it was laughably bad. Terribly written and there were about 20 basic errors in the first 2 chapters. I think it's supposed to work as some kind of reinforcement through repetition but it just wasn't for me. I found myself laughing more than thinking about changing my relationship with food. I'm not sure if it's one of those things where just because it worked for smoking doesn't mean it translates to everything or whether it just works for some and not others.

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Allen Carrs book on stopping smoking helped me stop for 10 years then David Murphy scored the winner on a sunny day and I had a cigarette to celebrate, think is it just reinforcement, from memory certain words are in bold capitals etc, it worked for me at the time though

Next time round I just used will power alone

I’m on day 54 off it, who knows how long it’ll last. I realised i have a problem with alcohol mainly due to it being too regular rather than getting drunk. Just left my memory sketchy and energy low.

i’ve a mentor for a course i’m doing so i decided to share with her which was a massive release, just to get it off my chest. I spoke to a friend who has stopped 10 years. Weve set up a whatsapp group where i just text in how many days off it. He doesn’t comment just reads it, ive found this really useful for accountability. So that’s the symptoms dealt with but i wanted to deal with root cause. As some of you may have read i worked a lot with plant medicine. I decided to go on a ceremony with getting to the bottom of things my intention. The ceremony didn’t go as expected but i’ve had no pull to drink since. I’ve been to a couple of festivals and lulls of other gatherings and had a great time at them all without the want to bevy.

Still keeping my eye on things and interested to see how long it lasts. I do think if i have one though i’ll be back to square one which doesn’t appeal. Pretty happy and relieved so far though.

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Originally Posted by Dalianwanda

I’m on day 54 off it, who knows how long it’ll last. I realised i have a problem with alcohol mainly due to it being too regular rather than getting drunk. Just left my memory sketchy and energy low.

i’ve a mentor for a course i’m doing so i decided to share with her which was a massive release, just to get it off my chest. I spoke to a friend who has stopped 10 years. Weve set up a whatsapp group where i just text in how many days off it. He doesn’t comment just reads it, ive found this really useful for accountability. So that’s the symptoms dealt with but i wanted to deal with root cause. As some of you may have read i worked a lot with plant medicine. I decided to go on a ceremony with getting to the bottom of things my intention. The ceremony didn’t go as expected but i’ve had no pull to drink since. I’ve been to a couple of festivals and lulls of other gatherings and had a great time at them all without the want to bevy.

Still keeping my eye on things and interested to see how long it lasts. I do think if i have one though i’ll be back to square one which doesn’t appeal. Pretty happy and relieved so far though.

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Brilliant well done mate. Post on here when your at 7-0 days

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Originally Posted by Dalianwanda

I’m on day 54 off it, who knows how long it’ll last. I realised i have a problem with alcohol mainly due to it being too regular rather than getting drunk. Just left my memory sketchy and energy low.

i’ve a mentor for a course i’m doing so i decided to share with her which was a massive release, just to get it off my chest. I spoke to a friend who has stopped 10 years. Weve set up a whatsapp group where i just text in how many days off it. He doesn’t comment just reads it, ive found this really useful for accountability. So that’s the symptoms dealt with but i wanted to deal with root cause. As some of you may have read i worked a lot with plant medicine. I decided to go on a ceremony with getting to the bottom of things my intention. The ceremony didn’t go as expected but i’ve had no pull to drink since. I’ve been to a couple of festivals and lulls of other gatherings and had a great time at them all without the want to bevy.

Still keeping my eye on things and interested to see how long it lasts. I do think if i have one though i’ll be back to square one which doesn’t appeal. Pretty happy and relieved so far though.

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After my 50th I gave it up, had a couple of drinks here and their at funerals but not had a drink now in years, don’t yearn for it as I never really liked getting drunk or drunk people.

Good luck and stick with it.

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Originally Posted by grunt

Well done! Wish I could do that.

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Breaking habits can be incredibly hard, but there’s loads of people on here who have shared that struggle, whether it’s drink, cigarettes, or anything else. Never doubt what you’re capable of mate :aok: