Giving up the drink.

About an hour ago I had my last alcoholic drink ever. Been talking about it to mates for ages and pondering if I was actually an alcoholic. Anyway here it is, day 1. I'm pretty strong willed so don't hold any fears I'll fail but wouldn't mind some words of wisdom from non drinkers out there about what to drink. I live in a beach resort with hundreds of bars and I'm not going to stop going in them. Also the missus likes a drink so our routine won't change. Dont want anything sugary but soda will quickly become boring I think...ideas folks?

Best of luck BH...sounds like an important moment for you

I’m not a big drinker...so largely drink soft drinks...not a sugary soda drinker either.

I tend to go soda water or tonic water....different flavours and lemons, limes, cucumbers, strawberries etc to mix up the flavour.....

If you are still in SE Asian then I’m sure there will be lots of of natural fruit drinks too...

Good luck ✊️


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Originally Posted by Bangkok Hibby

About an hour ago I had my last alcoholic drink ever. Been talking about it to mates for ages and pondering if I was actually an alcoholic. Anyway here it is, day 1. I'm pretty strong willed so don't hold any fears I'll fail but wouldn't mind some words of wisdom from non drinkers out there about what to drink. I live in a beach resort with hundreds of bars and I'm not going to stop going in them. Also the missus likes a drink so our routine won't change. Dont want anything sugary but soda will quickly become boring I think...ideas folks?

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If you have been drinking heavily and regularly it is better to gradually reduce your intake than to stop dead. There is a serious risk of delirium or seizures, due to your body's physical dependence.

It's something you should discuss with s doctor. Good luck.

You're up against it with the "hundreds of bars and wife who likes a drink". Of course, I don't know your social circumstances but finding something else to absorb your attention and energies other than going to bars would be a start.

I suggest a course of physical exercise and good food. Take a pride in your body. Keep fit!

I was off it for 4months last year..This year I'm looking to go till at least June & Im in the pub at least every other day (wee village, focal point)..Generally Im just drinking fizzy water & lime but if I want something that seems a bit more 'bevy like' I quite like Seedlip & tonic, theres a few different types & its more a sipping drink that just soft drink. https://seedlipdrinks.com/uk/ I guess something similar is on sale back home. I tried Heineken 0 once but it wasnt for me, I dont even drink Heineken normally so dunno what I was thinking trying the no alco stuff. Just enjoy what you do drink rather than look at what your missing.

I seem to have got past the Chewing the Fat "Take a drink" stage with the regulars so should be plain sailing from here. Good luck with it.

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Originally Posted by heretoday

You're up against it with the "hundreds of bars and wife who likes a drink". Of course, I don't know your social circumstances but finding something else to absorb your attention and energies other than going to bars would be a start.

I suggest a course of physical exercise and good food. Take a pride in your body. Keep fit!

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I hear you and have been tested already. Local bar owner wouldn't believe I was off the drink and opened a bottle of Chang and tried to give me it "on the house" she seemed a bit put out when I refused 😄 First test passed with flying colours 👍🏻
I didn't say earlier but another reason which helped make my mind up is because I'm 63 next birthday and haven't been as fit for decades. Gym 5 days a week, walk miles and I'm on intermittent fasting. Seemed stupid to undo all the good work with the bevvy.

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Originally Posted by Dalianwanda

I was off it for 4months last year..This year I'm looking to go till at least June & Im in the pub at least every other day (wee village, focal point)..Generally Im just drinking fizzy water & lime but if I want something that seems a bit more 'bevy like' I quite like Seedlip & tonic, theres a few different types & its more a sipping drink that just soft drink. https://seedlipdrinks.com/uk/ I guess something similar is on sale back home. I tried Heineken 0 once but it wasnt for me, I dont even drink Heineken normally so dunno what I was thinking trying the no alco stuff. Just enjoy what you do drink rather than look at what your missing.

I seem to have got past the Chewing the Fat "Take a drink" stage with the regulars so should be plain sailing from here. Good luck with it.

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I took a 4 month sabbatical myself a few years back, for no other reason than "just because".
I still went out to the pubs & clubs as I normally would have and went to pub before the match.
I couldn't face fizzy juice, would occasionally have a Soda & Lime or sparkling water. When on a "sesh" with the guys I stick to the zero alcohol beers, for two reasons, I still enjoyed being in the "round" and standing with what looked like a beer took the peer pressure off.
Different pubs would inevitably have different options but I'd always find a beer (such as St Peters Without) or a lager. I originally thought Beck's Blue was very decent but perhaps sickened myself so found myself enjoying Heineken zero and Bud Prohibition, never took to Brewdog Nanny State.
Perhaps hypocritically, I didn't mind drinking the 0% beers at all but never took to Seedlip etc, found it tasted pretty awful.
The strange thing about being "off it" is getting back on it. After a couple of nice beers I could feel my skin tingling, like a reaction from the toxin re-entering my system,,,,

I always reckon that Cranberry juice (not the sugar free version tho) tastes like it should be alcoholic.
good luck!

I did try going for non alcoholic beers (mixedbag) and wine (don’t).
Heineken zero. eas the best I found.
havent tried Brewdogs Nanny State
didnt like Bavaria 0.0
Furstenberg alcohol-frei is supposed to be ok

Was meeting friends in the White Lady last night before we moved on, I wasn’t drinking so had a Pint of Lime &Soda and the wife hade a Diet Pepsi, total cost £2.60 with my pint only costing 80p. If only every round could be that cheap 😂

I have been off it for 6 weeks. I am sleeping better and I'm much less on edge. The only problem I have found is that I am eating more.... Not sure if it's a side affect or not.

Best of luck BH.

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Thanks for all comments and good wishes. In a strange way I think I'm going to enjoy this. For anyone else considering the same try reading "stop drinking now" by Allen Carr.

Because my job involves a 24hr callout service I rarely drink alcohol. Soda water and blackcurrant or lime is probably my go to option for soft drinks. Fizzy drinks like coke or Irn Bru just end up sickly.
Its actually surprising the amount of alcohol free beers available now (although Becks blue seems to be the one most places stock and it is rotten). Erdinger do a decent alcohol free, and found Wetherspoons do a decent low alcohol ale called Ghost Ship.

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Originally Posted by VivaPalmeiras

I did try going for non alcoholic beers (mixedbag) and wine (don’t).
Heineken zero. eas the best I found.
havent tried Brewdogs Nanny State
didnt like Bavaria 0.0
Furstenberg alcohol-frei is supposed to be ok

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The non alcoholic Becks is worth a try. I didn’t expect it to be good, given that regular Becks is rotten, but it’s the best non-alcoholic beer I’ve had.

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Originally Posted by StevieC

Erdinger do a decent alcohol free,

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:agree: Very drinkable.

After experimenting with a few these were clear favourites for me. The same Czech lager is also available in Morrisons I noticed. Both brewed by Staropramen:

Sainsburys Czech Lager

Erdinger Wheat Beer

Serving very cold helps. The worst one I had was Cobra Alcohol Free Beer - undrinkable I thought.

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Originally Posted by stu in nottingham

After experimenting with a few these were clear favourites for me. The same Czech lager is also available in Morrisons I noticed. Both brewed by Staropramen:

Sainsburys Czech Lager

Erdinger Wheat Beer

Serving very cold helps. The worst one I had was Cobra Alcohol Free Beer - undrinkable I thought.

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I always drink non alcoholic Wheat beer with a shot of grapefruit juice. Delicious.

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Originally Posted by Hibrandenburg

I always drink non alcoholic

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That's already hard enough

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Wheat beer

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No likey!

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with a shot of grapefruit juice.

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Yuk!

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Delicious.

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Each to their own I suppose. :greengrin

Good luck and well done to you :agree: Not something I could see myself managing.

Heineken 0.0 is the first non/low alcohol beer I've ever felt I could drink more than a can of and I now occasionally buy a six-pack instead of the real thing. I enjoy a can of it more than, say, a can of coke with a meal.

The problem you face is that you're essentially looking for something to replace the large amounts of alcohol it sounds like you were drinking regularly. That's not really possible to replicate due to the fact the alcohol is what makes you want to keep drinking more and is why old-school pub culture exists. Try drinking six pints of coke, soda water or even non-alcoholic beer instead of six pints of lager and there's no pleasure in it. It's therefore more about changing the culture of the way you drink ie a couple of non-alcoholic beers with a relaxed, sit-down meal or a bar snack...that can be a pleasure compared to standing with your mates drinking pint after pint of a liquid you don't really want.

Fortunately, in the UK at least, pubs have started to recognise they need to adapt to a growing proportion of customers who don't really drink and are investing in making the pub experience more food/entertainment based. No idea what it's like in Bangkok, but from what you say it strikes me as a tricky place to try to give up the booze if you're surrounded by bars catering for folk in holiday mode.

Personally I couldn't see myself giving up alcohol as I enjoy a beer or a glass of wine too much. I'm comfortable with the moderate amount I drink so a course of action like yours isn't really on the agenda for me.

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Originally Posted by KirkyBergkamp

I did try going for non alcoholic beers (mixedbag) and wine (don’t).
Heineken zero. eas the best I found.
havent tried Brewdogs Nanny State
didnt like Bavaria 0.0
Furstenberg alcohol-frei is supposed to be ok

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Nanny state is good, as is the Furstenberg.

I just did the Scottish governments online calculator. In what I though was a moderate week last week I drank 42 units. That pretty bad.

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Originally Posted by Jones28

Nanny state is good, as is the Furstenberg.

I just did the Scottish governments online calculator. In what I though was a moderate week last week I drank 42 units. That pretty bad.

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That's **** loads!!

I used to be a big drinker and still am I suppose when I binge with the boys. These days I'm a house drinker and using the calculator I only do 14 units, 6 bottles and two double rums. Seems pretty decent.

Well I've made a good decision! Just used the calculator and a heavy week (which isn't unusual) comes out at 90 units.
I'm only on day 5 but one thing I've found is that I don't want to stay in bars too long now as I'm not enjoying too many non alcoholic drinks as has been said here. Maybe turn into a boring twat but my health comes first. Still no cravings or trouble in refusing drink.

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Originally Posted by Wembley67

That's **** loads!!

I used to be a big drinker and still am I suppose when I binge with the boys. These days I'm a house drinker and using the calculator I only do 14 units, 6 bottles and two double rums. Seems pretty decent.

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Maybe my idea of moderate has to change 😂

I get a hankering for a beer on Sunday and that usually bumps the numbers. I also had a few pints before the Ross County game which is unheard of as far as schoolnight drinking goes.

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Originally Posted by Jones28

Maybe my idea of moderate has to change 😂

I get a hankering for a beer on Sunday and that usually bumps the numbers. I also had a few pints before the Ross County game which is unheard of as far as schoolnight drinking goes.

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Tbh it's probably not **** loads and that's what I was doing when I was a few pints after work lad...you don't really care when you are younger though and as you get older it's a part of normal life. I prefer normal life 😁

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Originally Posted by Wembley67

Tbh it's probably not **** loads and that's what I was doing when I was a few pints after work lad...you don't really care when you are younger though and as you get older it's a part of normal life. I prefer normal life 😁

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When it’s written down it looks like a lot. 3 times more than the government guidelines sounds like a hell of a lot😂

Anyway, cheers! 🍻

Apparently I drink too much, even on my best behaviour.

I normally have a bottle of beer when I get in from work. At weekends, if in the house, I usually have a beer either before or with each meal. According to the calculator these 9 bottles of beer take me to 15 units per week. This will increase along with the temperature - cutting the grass merits a beer does it not?

When you add in dinners, days/nights out, etc. the figures rocket.

Am I a problem drinker?

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Originally Posted by Bangkok Hibby

Well I've made a good decision! Just used the calculator and a heavy week (which isn't unusual) comes out at 90 units.
I'm only on day 5 but one thing I've found is that I don't want to stay in bars too long now as I'm not enjoying too many non alcoholic drinks as has been said here. Maybe turn into a boring twat but my health comes first. Still no cravings or trouble in refusing drink.

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Just out of interest have you noticed any other benefits? I gave up for a time due to mental health issues and noticed better sleep, less stress and more stamina for exercise etc.

Has non-alcoholic beer/lager come on a bit? My only experience of it was at an evening wedding reception about 10 years ago where I was the designated driver. I tried two different brands (can’t remember which) and they were both disgusting. I had normal soft drinks for the rest of the night and that’s what I generally drink on the odd occasion I’m not drinking alcohol on a night out.

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Originally Posted by Scorrie

Just out of interest have you noticed any other benefits? I gave up for a time due to mental health issues and noticed better sleep, less stress and more stamina for exercise etc.

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As I said its only 5 days but definitely sleeping better already. I started a fitness program a while ago and I'm sure giving up the drink will only help that.