[Drinking] Alcoholic/like a beer or two too much?

[The Fits]

I’m over a year dry now. Loving it mostly but the social side is tough. I’m finding it quite hard to connect with people without the social lubrication of booze and dating is tricky. But I guess I just need to find more sober folk. On the whole I feel great.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I’m over a year dry now. Loving it mostly but the social side is tough. I’m finding it quite hard to connect with people without the social lubrication of booze and dating is tricky. But I guess I just need to find more sober folk. On the whole I feel great.

Good stuff! I’m nearly 3 years alcohol free now and wouldn’t go back to my old casual / habitual drinking ways. Like you I feel great and by combining no booze with a decent diet and an uprated gym regime I’m back to the sort of physique I had in my mid twenties. I do find that the social side gets progressively easier as more and more people are accepting when you just say “no thanks” if offered an alcoholic drink.

Amazes me when I inadvertently clock the amount of booze people in supermarkets are loading into their trollers and baskets - especially when I realise that used to be me.

 

[The Fits]

Good stuff! I’m nearly 3 years alcohol free now and wouldn’t go back to my old casual / habitual drinking ways. Like you I feel great and by combining no booze with a decent diet and an uprated gym regime I’m back to the sort of physique I had in my mid twenties. I do find that the social side gets progressively easier as more and more people are accepting when you just say “no thanks” if offered an alcoholic drink.

Amazes me when I inadvertently clock the amount of booze people in supermarkets are loading into their trollers and baskets - especially when I realise that used to be me.

I run pubs and bars. It’s interesting how quickly you notice how much people drink once you stop.
Thanks for the words- I’m committed and I know it’s for the best. Nothing worth having/doing is easy, I guess.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

I decided yesterday I'm going to try and give it up now after several nights out feeling completely sober even after drinking a substantial amount

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[BN9 BHA]

I haven’t had an alcoholic drink for 16 months, I still go in pubs but now don’t have to worry about falling over on the way home. I also don’t have to write off a complete day because of a hangover.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I decided yesterday I'm going to try and give it up now after several nights out feeling completely sober even after drinking a substantial amount

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That’s a really interesting observation and one I can certainly relate to but I’ve never thought about it before until I read your post. Thinking back, at the point at which I stopped, I was drinking a lot by any reasonable measure but still felt sober. Blimey.

Good luck. If you find it tough just remember how much money you’re saving and how much better you will look and feel in a relatively short period. I found it easier by telling myself that I wasn’t drinking “today” but might tomorrow if I felt like it. So far, that mindset has seen me through the best part of 3 years alcohol free and I don’t even think about having a drink these days.

Lots of help and support on here if you want it. Always feel free to PM if you want

 

[The Fits]

Another thing id add that might be of use but might also sound odd is the empowerment of consent. I realised how many of my decisions were being influenced by either being drunk or recovering from it etc. Be it who I hang around with, what I eat, how I spend my time. Now I feel really empowered that every decision I make feels like mine. Of course I still do daft things, I still make wrong choices, I still love a five pound pizza and the odd day bed, but at least now I can own those decisions.

 

[The Fits]

That’s a really interesting observation and one I can certainly relate to but I’ve never thought about it before until I read your post. Thinking back, at the point at which I stopped I was drinking a lot by any reasonable measureb but still felt sober. Blimey.

Good luck. If you find it tough just remember how much money you’re saving and how much better you will look and feel in a relatively short period. I found it easier by telling myself that I wasn’t drinking “today” but might tomorrow if I felt like it. So far, that mindset has seen me through the best part of 3 years alcohol free and I don’t even think about having a drink these days.

Lots of help and support on here if you want it. Always feel free to PM if you want

Physically, within a few months you’ll be amazed how much you change. I’m 41 and pretty ripped now and mostly that’s down to not drinking- weight just dropped off parts of me I didn’t even know had fat on. Call me vain but that’s a pretty great reason to stop in itself!

 

[Wrong-Direction]

That’s a really interesting observation and one I can certainly relate to but I’ve never thought about it before until I read your post. Thinking back, at the point at which I stopped, I was drinking a lot by any reasonable measure but still felt sober. Blimey.

Good luck. If you find it tough just remember how much money you’re saving and how much better you will look and feel in a relatively short period. I found it easier by telling myself that I wasn’t drinking “today” but might tomorrow if I felt like it. So far, that mindset has seen me through the best part of 3 years alcohol free and I don’t even think about having a drink these days.

Lots of help and support on here if you want it. Always feel free to PM if you want

Cheers [emoji106]

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[LamieRobertson]

Being a sad person who has little social life i don’t generally frequent pubs so no real pressure to drink alcohol in significant quantities…and tend to full asleep after anything more than a pint….a four pack of lager or trio of cider bottles lasts me all weekend (I don’t tend to drink midweek)..i’ll carry on with that routine ..job keeps me reasonably healthy (less the problem left knee, right elbow and plantar fasciitis in left foot).
All the best to those with their challenge

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Been a while since this thread was on the main board but having been reading the Gambling Addiction thread, I thought is might be a useful time to bounce this for those wanting to reach out.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I’m still not drinking, over 2 years now since my last beer.
I’m still looking forward to visiting some London pubs on the way to Wembley.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Six and a bit years without a drop. I never planned to not drink for this long - it was just a dry January (2017) that got extended.
I still miss that first taste of a cold beer on a sunny evening. The pang never goes away. I’ve got used to getting through
the urge though.
I don’t miss the hangovers. I value being chirpy around my kids in the morning, when previously I was hanging.
Another benefit is that I seem to be able to eat a lot of bad food and not get fat. Regular exercise helps too, but I’m pretty sure no booze is the biggest factor.
I hoped not drinking stop me getting depressed for weeks or even months. Not really. although maybe if I was drinking the low periods would be longer and deeper.
I was never a one or two pints kind of guy and drank to get out of my head. Chasing oblivion. It almost got me killed several times. It (I)ruined several relationships.
Part of not drinking is forcing myself to be present with myself at all times (if that makes any sense). That‘s not easy when you’re prone to depression. Booze allowed me to escape my head. Good laugh too.
I have learned to be more easy going through having a clear head. It’s a daily challenge though.
I may start drinking again, having never said never again. After this long it feels a shame to break the run.
Not sure where all this came from but good luck to all those with drink challenges.

 

[Happy Exile]

3.5 years for me now, like others didn't really plan to stop but won't ever go back now. Even gone off non-alcoholic beers at the moment. I have nothing but encouragement and support for anyone who is trying to cut down or give up and admiration for all on the journey wherever they are. Lots of people here who will listen if that's what you need, and plenty of good advice too if wanted. Aside from the mental health benefits I find the physical benefits compelling too and there's nothing at all I miss about drinking anymore.

 

[BBassic]

Seeing as we're a little over halfway through the year I thought I'd share some (very rudimentary) data collection I've been doing on my drinking habits so far in 2023.

I've been keeping a colour coded log of every day of this year and how much, if anything, I've drunk on each day. Yes, I am a nerd and proud of it.

Green = 0 drinks
Blue = 1 - 2
Orange = 3 - 4
Red = 5+

It's not a great measurement but it works for my purposes.

What's been most interesting so far is the amount of green I'm logging. I thought my drinking was much more of an almost daily occurrence but the data says otherwise. It's also shown me that I can be prone to a binge, noting a number of red days in amongst blocks of green. Those are concerning but I can look back at my calendar and see that a lot of those days were football games / social events / holidays / anniversaries / birthdays etc. where I find not drinking to be challenging.

It's been an interesting little thing to do. I've not adjusted my drinking habits in any way because I wanted to get an accurate look at what I'm consuming so I can better understand when I'm drinking, why I might be drinking and how much.

This might not be of any interest to people but it's been super useful for me in visualising and understanding my habits and I know that next year when I log it all again I'm going to be aiming for far fewer standalone red blocks.

I'll likely post the entire thing later this year when it's complete so if you have found this interesting there's something to look forward to.

 

[chaileyjem]

As the thread has popped up again. Two quick things.

- Adrian Chiles documentary and book about moderating his drinking has come up a few times. Last week he and John Robins (also a BBC 5 Live presenter) had this chat on The Guardian about their experiences and the different approaches to moderation vs abstinence.

Moderation or total abstinence? Adrian Chiles and John Robins talk honestly about their drinking

Their relationship with booze has taken these friends and broadcasters on very different journeys. Here they discuss what constitutes heavy drinking, successful moderation – and when it is time to give up altogether

www.theguardian.com

- And this month marks 5 years sober for me. I had my last drink - in the West Stand Lower - a pint of Strongbow - watching a not very good pre season friendly v Nantes. Credit to everyone who shares their experiences on this thread . Keep going.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Seeing as we're a little over halfway through the year I thought I'd share some (very rudimentary) data collection I've been doing on my drinking habits so far in 2023.

I've been keeping a colour coded log of every day of this year and how much, if anything, I've drunk on each day. Yes, I am a nerd and proud of it.

View attachment 163723

Green = 0 drinks
Blue = 1 - 2
Orange = 3 - 4
Red = 5+

It's not a great measurement but it works for my purposes.

What's been most interesting so far is the amount of green I'm logging. I thought my drinking was much more of an almost daily occurrence but the data says otherwise. It's also shown me that I can be prone to a binge, noting a number of red days in amongst blocks of green. Those are concerning but I can look back at my calendar and see that a lot of those days were football games / social events / holidays / anniversaries / birthdays etc. where I find not drinking to be challenging.

It's been an interesting little thing to do. I've not adjusted my drinking habits in any way because I wanted to get an accurate look at what I'm consuming so I can better understand when I'm drinking, why I might be drinking and how much.

This might not be of any interest to people but it's been super useful for me in visualising and understanding my habits and I know that next year when I log it all again I'm going to be aiming for far fewer standalone red blocks.

I'll likely post the entire thing later this year when it's complete so if you have found this interesting there's something to look forward to.

Your colouring in skills are improving

 

[FloatLeft]

I turn 50 at the end of the month and will be doing the whole of my 50th year dry. In fact I knocked booze on the head at the weekend (2 weeks early) as I didn’t want to make too much fuss of the ‘occasion’ of giving up. Over the past 3 years or so, my drinking has increased to a point where I want (need) to know what it feels like to be absolutely free of it for a good long while.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I turn 50 at the end of the month and will be doing the whole of my 50th year dry. In fact I knocked booze on the head at the weekend (2 weeks early) as I didn’t want to make too much fuss of the ‘occasion’ of giving up. Over the past 3 years or so, my drinking has increased to a point where I want (need) to know what it feels like to be absolutely free of it for a good long while.

Good luck.
Stick with it and you will probably not want to go back to drinking. I have been off alcohol for 2 1/2 years and don’t want to start drinking again, I feel much better and I’m sure I’m happier.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

It's nearly four years since I stopped drinking and I don't miss it. I went on a cruise recently and was impressed at the amount no / low alcohol options there were this year compared with a few years ago.

The bill for my tea bags has gone up a bit though. I have started experimenting with cold brew teas this summer - really refreshing, loads of different types and flavours and it is like having cocktails without the hangover to follow.

Even after all this time, it is still interesting how other people perceive this.

• old mates who just accept it, keep inviting me out and have realised that having me out when they are jumping from place to place means that there is usually transport available to miminise walking time / maximise their drinking time
• old mates who need reminding that just because I don't drink, I still go to pubs etc. I find this with taprooms where they think it wouldn't be my thing whereas actually these places are usually great as they have a better range of non-alcoholic options and often good food as well. Also, many taprooms are not as easy to get to so they are missing out on my chauffeuring services
• the ones who say "but it's xmas / new years / my birthday / a wedding" so you'll have a drink then won't you?
• the ones who don't bat an eyelid at someone not drinking - usually younger people