I found the book, “Drink?” By Professor David Nutt, to be really useful in helping me to make an informed decision about my drinking. It made me realise that lots of the health issues that I was experiencing (some physical, some mental) were directly linked to alcohol. I decided to quit altogether in the end and it has been the best decision that I have ever made, but I understand that quitting fully cold turkey is not right for everyone. Good luck and keep us posted.
A month is longer than anytime since I was about seventeen I’ve gone without alcohol, but I’ve decided to do it. I’m looking for benefits from better sleep and perhaps weight loss. I think drinking is harder to tolerate as I get older.
I’m similar. So long as I get a good nights sleep after drinking I’m right as rain in the morning. Obviously this just exacerbates the problem.
I used to be a binge drinker, heavy on a weekend, as a lot of people are in their 20s and 30s. I stopped going out as much but I was living with a mate and became a bottle of red every night person. As I aged into my 40s though I started to cut back a lot, more due to hangovers than anything, and took up running. I'm now 52 and rarely drink. I've had a few drinks over the last week at home, but went out with the lads and stuck to 0% Guinness. I also had some alcohol on our summer holiday. Other than that I've done the rest of the year teetotal. It's tough to start with, but once you crack it it's a great choice. No reason you can't have a drink on a special occasion, if you can control it to just that, but I feel so much better for not drinking. Don't think of January in isolation or it will feel a long month. I'm no expert on it all though, can only speak from my experience. All the best with it.
I only get a hangover if I eat at the end of my session. Weighs heavy on my stomach and makes me feel bloated. Worst I felt was today after a pizza late last night. Felt fat all day (granted I am fat lol) but feeling fat isn't nice. Off to match Saturday again so first of two dry days.
Can't wait till Burns Night for the next bender; and I don't even like Dead or Alive. Seriously, I would consider moderation rather than feast or famine. Good luck however you tackle it.
My hangovers start after a few pints on the actual night. It was getting so counter-productive I stopped drinking over ten years ago. The downside to being a teetotaler is a) the WHSE nurse at work seems to have me on a watchlist as a potential alcoholic and b) I have no friends because I miss all nights out.
Update: decided to test my resolve and went to the pub quiz. I’ve had two cans of Old Jamaica Ginger beer and a Corona Cero. If we win I might have another alcohol free beer. If we don’t I’m going home to sulk before having to drive to Southend tomorrow.
I’ve cut down the last 6 months, weekends were getting silly & it affected the early part of the following week. couldn’t control my Blood Pressure & Dr told me to cut down. Mates didn’t think I’d be able to do it & I wasn’t sure, but it’s gone ok. I’ve had the odd beer over Christmas & run 0% stuff alongside it, that works for me & I’ll stick with it. I think not fully cutting it out & trying to monitor it to less has been the reason it’s worked for me. I think talking about it is also good, once I told lads the reason for cutting down, in late 50’s now, they understood & were supportive. Using this chat to post every day is a great way of staying off it, a focus to keep going & loads of support from everyone on here. Good luck.
It’s been a couple of months for me, and I’ve already felt certain benefits. I sleep better now. It’s the same amount of sleep, but it’s better sleep. I couldn’t believe how brighter I began to feel. Didn’t notice straight away, but yeah, massive change there. I feel much more positive in everything I do. Mental stuff like that is difficult to explain, but the cynical, gloomy thoughts I might once have had regarding certain day to day events just aren’t there now. I think people forget that alcohol is a depressive drug. And whilst I didn’t believe I had a drink problem as such, I was drinking three or four nights a week. So you’re writing off your week in all honesty. You’re either drinking, or the days in between you’re recovering from said drinking. You are never actually sober, not properly. It’s a little early to notice a huge difference in my blood pressure, which I’d been told was “a little too high” during my last visit to the doctors just before the summer. But it can only be better if I continue to live alcohol-free. I hadn’t actually given any thought to the financial aspect. It wasn’t a part of my decision to quit. But, it’s a nice bonus I guess. So all in all, it’s going well for me so far. I still have a beer belly unfortunately. That’s even with regular trips to the gym. It will apparently disappear over time if I exercise regularly, don’t drink and eat more healthily. Sadly, the latter will prove harder to achieve than cutting out the ale! I love food too much. And too much junk food. Oh well. One challenge at a time. I still vape too, which is next on the ‘off you f***’ list. Great thread idea. Hope it helps people moving forward.
Nothing! I've been going to gigs with a mate from school since we were 16. The best gig we've ever seen was Bob Mould a couple of years ago in Leeds - first gig where we both had absolutely no booze. You don't need alcohol to have a laugh or enjoy yourself.
My favourite gig was also probably the first one where I had no booze - Yo La Tengo at the now defunct Debaser Medis in Stockholm, back in 2006. I was on my own too. It's funny what social conventions we follow because we for some reason think they're fundamental to enjoying an experience.
I don't drink alcohol very much these days, I realised that it's the company of close friends I miss not the alcohol, we still have a sesh every now and again but getting rarer by the year. The biggest thing for me health wise was giving up smoking for good and ordering takeaways once a week, the smoking thing was hard to do but I'm so glad I did it, be two years soon.