30 days sober

[UKRuss]

But as i said, mainly i want to give the kids the right impression.

As long as you are giving the kids the right impression of course.

One of the biggest problems in the UK is that the "kids" have it in their heads that abstaining during the week and getting blitzed at the weekends is the way it's done.

As long as you're not going nuts, then a few drinks as part of everyday life is not a bad thing. Quitting it completely suggests an all or nothing attitude that may seem sensible to you, but may be perceived differently to an impressionable young mind. Especially when you decide "I've been good for x weeks now - I'll have a few tonight" and end up wasted.

IMO, of course

Cheers,

Mo

That would fit, but it isn't me. I rarely get wasted nowadays. When I do thats more likely a midweek gig night or midweek after work drink so the kids are already asleep.

It's more the continuous drinking, 'daddy always has a beer in his hand' type drinking I'd rather avoid. I'd rather the kids didnt see casual drinking as normal.

But each parent must find there own way, I have decided I don't like it anymore, so i shall stop. Others may think differently.

I am finding it quite hard I must admit and that in itself tells me i was drinking more than I thought I was...

[Tone Deft]

congrats Beats Me, that's something hip hop can never take away from you.

I'll quit drinking when I can quit working, until then I'll remain weak.


holy fuck, 19007 posts? is there an AA for this shit?

[JuanSOLO]

I have a close friend that I use to do drugs with. I would spend hundreds of dollars a day shooting drugs, he would spend 20-40 dollars a week. I'm not sure that made my problem worse. In fact he's 35 and still lives with his parents, and continues to struggle with what might "seem" like a small habit.

My point is, it's pointless to compare bottoms. Bottoms and consequences never scared me into changing my behavior. Making different choices did! I chose other wise, not because it was the "right" thing to do, but because I wanted too. But building upon those choices took support from others for sure who had some experience.

Right & Wrong are relative. Get some experience, AND remeber, Not getting F'd up never killed anyone, although some might have felt like bordom was going too. But bordom never killed anyone either. If anything it inspires people to get productive. So if bordome makes one productive and productive makes one satisfied, does that make bordom good? These things are relative.

I hope you get to a place where you start to really love it and you don't have to stay concious of wether or not your drinking. IT DOES HAPPEN! And it feels GOOD! Freedom usually does.

[Johnisfaster]

I am finding it quite hard I must admit and that in itself tells me i was drinking more than I thought I was...

It would be hard to quit chewing gum if you had a few pieces everyday. That doesn't mean you're addicted to gum it just means that people have a hard time changing their habits.

[JuanSOLO]

holy fuck, 19007 posts? is there an AA for this shit?

It only takes 2 to start one. Does that many posts mean you've hit bottom? I don't have that many posts but I am starting to feel addicted.

[stringtapper]

How the fuck am I supposed to expand my social circle and enjoy life in the outside world without alcohol?

You don't. You get a Max for Live license and lock yourself in a room.

Hanon exercises help too. They're hypnotic and you won't know where the time went.

Or do what I do sometimes: drink at home alone in the dark with a handgun on the coffee table. If you wake up the next morning then you have permission to enjoy life.



Ok, no, don't do that.

[beats me]

The thing about AA and "bottom" is that I can probably say this is as low as I want to get but when you go to meetings you hear from people who went to prison for long stretches or multiple times, killed somebody while drunk driving, lost their job, spouce, or respect of their kids, etc. You hear enough of those stories and you kind of feel like you'er a saint by comparison and kind of like you are a pussy for showing up to meetings at all.

[JuanSOLO]

The thing about AA and "bottom" is that I can probably say this is as low as I want to get but when you go to meetings you hear from people who went to prison for long stretches or multiple times, killed somebody while drunk driving, lost their job, spouce, or respect of their kids, etc. You hear enough of those stories and you kind of feel like you'er a saint by comparison and kind of like you are a pussy for showing up to meetings at all.

Maybe this is a stretch, I bet your no saint.

[beats me]

The thing about AA and "bottom" is that I can probably say this is as low as I want to get but when you go to meetings you hear from people who went to prison for long stretches or multiple times, killed somebody while drunk driving, lost their job, spouce, or respect of their kids, etc. You hear enough of those stories and you kind of feel like you'er a saint by comparison and kind of like you are a pussy for showing up to meetings at all.

Maybe this is a stretch, I bet your no saint.

Of course I'm no saint. I'm just saying there are many levels of alcoholic from falling down and ruining a good pair of jeans to looking at 10 to life for committing a crime while under the influence. A lot of people that speak at the meetings I've been to lean towards the latter. Of course somebody who just has the habitual problem of ruining clothes probably isn't going to go to support groups but there doesn't seem to be a big vocal group of people who simply just drink a little too much.

And for anybody that hasn't gone to these meetings, I'm not talking about alcoholics that make a living flying around the country sharing their extreme horror stories. These are just locals they randomly pick out of the crowd to talk about their alcoholism and how it relates to a set topic and the program.

[kb420]

congrats Beats Me, that's something hip hop can never take away from you.

I'll quit drinking when I can quit working, until then I'll remain weak.


holy fuck, 19007 posts? is there an AA for this shit?

Damn!!!

That's a lot of fuckin' post man! You need help.

[arctic ranger]

I havent drunk since new years eve.

same here....but i feel the pull of the bottle every now and then...

[Sage]

Almost all my drinking friends that drink, drink more than me and have more drama as a result than me, so it's kind of ironic that I'm the one in the group seeking help. I'm not a daily drinker or really crave alcohol. I'm the kind of drinker that once I have my first drink it's on until there's no alcohol left or it's a stupid hour of the morning that's not really worth pushing it later. I couldn't tell you how many times in the last year I stayed up to 3 or 4 in the morning mostly listening to music and then spending the entire next day recovering. That's not good.

Sounds like everyone I know, but then Britain has an odd relationship with alcohol. But you are doing the right thing!

[Machinesworking]

what I do have is a determination to enjoy the sober life before I even consider drinking. Right now I'm not enjoying it. I'm just living it.

One big thing to take into consideration is vitamins. OD on them, take max amounts for a while. You're body has gotten used to replacing natural mood enhancing chemicals with alcohol. It's not the true science way it's happening internally for sure, but the end product is a large number of people who quite drinking experience mild depression/anger during early stages. This can be counter balanced to a degree by diet and vitamins. There are studies on people who have a lack of type 3 omega fatty acids naturally who to curb depression drink instead of taking supplements. Happens a lot in northern europeans according to books I've read about it. Makes some sense, there's a lot of type 3 in fish. Flax seed oil or cod liver oil is not a bad idea at all. Jeez I sound like your grandma huh?
You will notice a sweet tooth too.

[macmurphy]

Well done beats me! It's an eye opener for sure to see life without a veil of drink before you.

I was a very heavy drinker since i was about 15. I'm 35 now.
Up until may 2008 my drinking had got really bad. I was having 2 to 3 18 to 24 hour binges a week. I always had a huge amount of alcohol in my system.
Then i just stopped. It was strange, i didn't make a concious decision to do it. One day i just thought 'Nah, i don't feel like a drink today..' and that has just continued ever since.
The only catalyst i can think of for this change is the meds i take for manic depression being changed around april that year. I don't know, maybe it was just like changing from one crutch to another, medically controlled one
I feel like i have much more energy now ,and i'm much clearer mentally (when the meds work )

Oh and what Machinesworking said is very true - Plenty of vitamins and fish is the way to go. I developed, and still have, a massive desire to eat tuna at any available opportunity. I started taking vitamins too, and funnily enough i have now got a bit of a sweet tooth

[beats me]

I haven't gone the vitamin and fish route yet, but about 3 weeks before I stopped drinking I stopped eating junk food which was almost a daily ritual during the work week. My work happens to be (in)conveniently close to just about every fast food chain you can think of and I started getting annoyed that I wasn't in the mood for any of it but I had to eat. Now I pack my lunch, both for health and financial reasons.

I also cut way back on the sugar soda with the exception of Diet Dr. Pepper (The only diet soda that doesn't taste like ass IMO) and 7-Up. I used to drink a lot of Coke. I'm also becoming more of a cook. On weekends I usually try to do a new recipe out of a book or off the web. This is also helping me learn what ingredients and cooking methods do what so I'm getting more confident in altering recipes or coming up with my own.

As far as I sweet tooth I'm finding myself hitting cookies and ice cream more often than I used to.

Next up on the chopping block will be smoking, but I have no set date for that as of yet. Soon though. I just already have a lot on my "give up" plate and I don't want my system and psyche to go completely mental.