giving up alcohol

yes! Day 11 here too. Pretty straightforward so far but being massively ill for the first week made it easier. My birthday on Sunday though – what do I do?

Day 11 here for me also. Longest spell of not drinking since I was teenager I’ll bet.

So far, it’s been really easy & this weeks shopping was only £20 for my partner an I…

The first couple of days were hard to get to sleep but after that I’ve been sleeping really, really well!

I did give up when I was a student for lent one year, and realised I had mostly been going around with a hangover. Baseline drinking is less now anyway, so I’m not going to give up again unless medically required.

I’ve been to Saudi Arabia twice and offshore twice in the past year, though, where drinking is somewhat frowned upon, and found it made no difference.

I don’t really know what people expect when they give up drinking, and I’m not sure the middle of winter in the UK is the time to do it.

I’ve just been put on beta blockers and referred to a Psycholgist, enforced teetotal for me.

I stopped drinking altogether during my college years, was to a point where I would drink way too much so that scared me a bit, anyway challenged myself to stop altogether for 2 years and I did it. Felt mentally better as if I’ve completed one very hard dare. Ever since that even a small amount equals fast sleepy effect and it just irritates me. Now if I drink a cider in 2 minutes I just go to sleep (so I drink it home).

Well that went well…
Polished off missy of a bottle of red..had a great evening, and feel fine this morning despite baby waking in the night, and a 6 am start.

Where’s the payback God… WHERE…!!!!!!

DrP

Day 11 here for me also. Longest spell of not drinking since I was teenager I’ll bet.

Likewise!

Day 12 today. I am noticing a difference, and I like it. Got a bid going in tomorrow afternoon though so will probably celebrate with a cheeky Chablis (and then hopefully regret it).

I read Allen Carr’s “No More Hangovers” in one sitting the Tuesday before last. I haven’t touched a drink since and the strangest thing is I have no interest in, or cravings for, booze. I was drinking every day sometimes way too much. I worked out how much I spent on booze per month and it’s appalling, and has been getting slowly worse for about twenty years. Based on my spending, I should be able to buy my dream bike by the end of the year.

Last week end in France killed my dry January.

I’ll start again next year.

But late to the party on this one but…
I’m not specifically doing dry January becuase if I fancy a drink I can have one without branding myself a failure 🙄
However, I have started a diet on the 3rd (the 8:16) which means no consuming of food and drink (except water or black coffee/teas) after 8pm.
I’m not a binge drinker (expect a few times per year) but often enjoy one or two bottles of nice beer of an evening. So, not consuming after 8 means no beers.
Combined with a new years resolution of no bringe drinking (ie. no more than 2 beers) I’m looking forward to a hangover free year.
I did really struggle to resist buying a couple of bottles when in a hotel for work this week as it’s something I’ve done for the last 6 months, but I managed to summon some sort or willpower and ended up with a bottle of fizzy apple juice!

So far weight loss is 5lb in 9 days so it’s definitely working for me 🙂

Failed! Half a bottle of chablis jabbly and I feel terrible! Still – eleven days is a good result for me. Onwards with Jason Vale.

On the dry jan here, much needed, and it’s going fine – despite being a bit of an ale tank I’m usually OK for a period of abstinence, so once I’ve made the decision and got past day 1 and 2, then I’m alright with it.

A big difference I could make long term is to just drink slooooower. I tackle the first 3 or 4 pints like a man fresh in from the Sahara.

I read Allen Carr’s “No More Hangovers” in one sitting the Tuesday before last. I haven’t touched a drink since and the strangest thing is I have no interest in, or cravings for, booze. I was drinking every day sometimes way too much. I worked out how much I spent on booze per month and it’s appalling, and has been getting slowly worse for about twenty years. Based on my spending, I should be able to buy my dream bike by the end of the year.

It’s incredibly effective, isn’t it? I’ve absolutely no inclination to drink whatsoever, not even over the Christmas and New Year period, even whilst out for a meal and everyone else is drinking it’s not bothered me in the slightest.

Me and the Mrs have been habitual drinkers for 20+ years – I mean pretty much every single day. 2/3 of a bottle of whisky (on my own) after a few pints at the pub wouldn’t be unheard of, or 4 bottles of wine between us on an evening. Recently, we’ve both felt that it has seriously been affecting our health – pains under right hand side of rib cage could possibly be liver related. Shakes, shortness of breath and a constand feeling of anxiousness also featured. We’ve recently just lost a friend in his 40’s to liver failure. I’d class us as alcoholics, albeit we wouldn’t ‘need’ a drink first thing in the morning, I’ve been known to start as soon as I get up on a weekend. I’ve noticed lately that when going out, I’ve been getting far drunker than anyone else (not particularly drinking any more than anyone else) and having total memory loss.

I’ve done a couple of dry months in the past couple of years and it usually takes a post weekend of feeling particularly crap to kick start it. Once I’ve done a couple of days, I will be quite stubborn about it and can do a month without too many issues. We aren’t particularly doing dry January, as we only stopped last Friday. I managed to go to my daughters works do with a free bar last Sunday and not drink and have been staying in a pub all week no problem – so, giving up isn’t particularly hard when you set your mind to it.

Feeling a damn sight better already, lost weight, more energy, no falling out with the Mrs, sleeping better (albeit had some weird dreams). Chucking in a meal that we usually go out for, just off the top of our heads, we’ve saved in excess of £250 this week alone.

I’m never going back to the levels of alcohol intake that we were doing, as I quite like being alive

Good stuff STR, keep at it.

Good work STR.

Sounds like you’re stopping at the right time. Did you see a doctor about those symptoms?

Not seen a doctor, but feeling fine now, so will see.

Have had liver tests (unrelated) amongst other bloods in the last year and was fine, as well as a full medical for work which I passed with flying colours.

You know when something is doing you no good and that time had come

I’ve had a week of heavy boozing, mainly because I hate going back to work, and the noisy neighbours have been driving me mad.
But my local pub burned down on Tuesday (no casualties) so maybe a dry January is now achievable.

Today’s trip to Sports Direct to buy my daughter new trainers for school was almost enough to drive me to booze.

How’s everyone getting on?

Been living up to my name on here since 2nd January, mibbe have a beer or two next weekend as a couple of us are having a few days riding the Lakes, be rude not to…

Stop most January’s and try not to drink in the week. Main thing is wen I first stopped I found Earl Grey tea and am addicted to that now

Well done Nobeer. I also did dry Jan and it was surprisingly smooth. Friends and family have, without exception, expressed amazement that I could do it, which is a bit worrying. Didn’t think I was that much of a bevvy merchant.

It’s a great reset – feel like I’ll be drinking a lot less now but time will tell.

Still on the wagon.

Having stopped drinking after NYE I am still going strong. My main aim is the London marathon so April 23rd.

I am visibly thinner, though more likely as a result of the better food choices than simply the lack of alcohol calories.

The distance training is going better than expected on the running front, again it’s the dual factors of a, being able to get up and go train on a Saturday, and b, no alcohol seems to speed up the recovery to go again.

Had money left over at the end of January, never usually have anything left of my pocket money by the end of the month, and I have been buying tangible things rather than just beers.

I appear to have landed myself a new job/promotion, which has to be mostly down to coincidental timing, but being able to be in tip top shape for an interview at any given time may have helped.

I feel like I have learned how to relax of an evening naturally, chilling out on the sofa watching tv now it seems weird that I would have needed a bottle and a half of wine on a school night to do that in the past.

Do miss it at weekends, and am fairly sure I will go back to it, just hopefully the relationship will be a bit different then.

I’m on holiday, so badly.

Stop drinking after Christmas for no particular reason, ended up doing a dry January and it;s probably the longest i’ve gone without drinking for 20+ years.

Do i feel any better for it?…nope, not in the slightest, didn’t sleep any better, it didn’t help my IBS. Despite feeling rather cheated, i’m oddly not in a hurry to drink again and i’m of a mind to bin it off till my birthday in April. For no particular reason.

I give it up involuntarily for three weeks out of every six. During that time I’m at work, but I generally don’t miss it. Considering knocking it on the head until at least May seeing as the wife is with child and as such I’ve lost my favourite drinking partner.

I can’t say that I notice a significant difference between my mood/sleep when I’m not drinking vs when I am.

Do i feel any better for it?…nope, not in the slightest, didn’t sleep any better, it didn’t help my IBS. Despite feeling rather cheated, i’m oddly not in a hurry to drink again and i’m of a mind to bin it off till my birthday in April. For no particular reason.

I’ve been quit for 2 years now and can relate to this. Felt no real benefit, but just carried on and now it’s just a thing I don’t do.

Inspirational thread, folks. Going to try to lose the booze totally, as a result of reading this. Bit worried about the DTs, but bored of waking up feeling like shit the majority of days.

expect some horrid headaches after a few days of giving up, like waking up with a hangover.

for what its worth my tips for giving up are to try and coincide with a national scheme like dry january that way you can go to facebook etc and relate top other peoples experiences.

don’t look at the big picture i.e. not drinking for a wee/month/year/life, take one day at a time. i literally focussed on just getting through that night and thought about how better i would feel in the morning.

if you get through a week then go for two, then a months. at 30 days i though may as well go for 50. at 50 i just carried on.

work out what you spend per night and use it to see how much you have saved, its really scary after a few months how much it all tots up to even for a light drinker.

it never ever gets easy not to drink, i still would love to be able to crash into the sofa and escape for a few hours of an evening with a few big glasses of scotch. but for me its just less hassle all around not to.

ok, one last thing i do. on a wet cold horrid day/night when ive forced myself out to run or ride when i go past a pub i look in the window at the people in there (helps to look in a nasty pub not some lovely real ale place) and really wonder if i would rather be lent against the bar consuming calories and not exercising. i know what the answer is!

Interesting thread…

I gave up both drinking and smoking – the last for me was the 4th November last year. Did it for various personal reasons.

First month was pretty crap. I think it was more a habit/routine thing for me and I really missed it. The reason I missed it was because I loved drinking and I loved smoking.
I was grumpy, well grumpier than usual haha! Got to Friday and was pretty much pacing about because I wanted to go to the shop and buy booze and fags as per routine.

So, to fill my time I bought a guitar and decided I would teach myself to play (massive thanks to everyone here who helped with that by the way)

After the first month I started to feel better and then realised that I don’t miss any of it at all. I’m 40 now and I do wish I had done it a long long time ago.

I’m still teaching myself guitar and I love it! I’m getting really good, like really REALLY good at bullying my family’s ears lol

In hindsight it may have been better to give one up at a time but for me that wouldn’t work as when I drank I smoked loads more – they went hand in hand for me so it was all or nothing.

One of the best things I’ve done so far…

Interesting reading from all, it’s funny how many people feel the same about giving it up.

So, to add my two pence. I have given up drinking “for no reason”. What i mean by this is the alcohol i was drinking at home just watching TV. If i go out, like my weekly squash game then a beer afterwards is considered OK. As we have children i don’t get out much, so have really noticed the difference in how much less booze I am drinking. Sleep, feeling, bank balance, fitness and weight is all better.

Additionally, I have a “salty snack when drinking ” addiction, so all salty snacks have been cut out, this must also help my health loads!

mlbaker – Member

Just wondering how many on here having given up drinking for a period of time and what effects it had on you

Hardly drank in the last 12 years. no effect on me positive or negative other than more money in my pocket and no hangovers.

Hardly drank in the last 12 years. no effect on me positive or negative other than more money in my pocket and no hangovers

Ye can’t really say it’s had no effect either way tbh, as you’re thinking of how alcohol on a regular basis affected you when you were a lot younger, and thinking that you’d suffer the same effects now.

I reckon drink must have a cumulative negative effect over the years.

Ive been a drinker since I was 17, I’m now 35 and it’s fairly clear it has had an affect on my health.

I think sticking to under 3 pints is fine, upto 3 or even 4 times a week. It’s the session drinking which I’m now starting to feel the cumulative affects of.

My plan is to get away from the session/binge drinking this year. I drank heavily on top of some prescription medication the other day and didn’t wake up until very late the next day – that was a wake up call, as when I researched the combination on the internet, there was a slight possibility I wouldn’t have woken up at all.

So change is needed!