Not drinking alcohol for a month

saor said:
Yeah but were you drinking every day or just weekends etc.? Cool if you don't want to answer, just curious about how much other people drink to consider it problematic. Regular drinking is different to the once a month talk-to-trees binge.
Click to expand...

Had no weekends had no life...
 
saor said:
Yeah but were you drinking every day or just weekends etc.? Cool if you don't want to answer, just curious about how much other people drink to consider it problematic. Regular drinking is different to the once a month talk-to-trees binge.
Click to expand...

My definition of problem drinking is less about volume and more to do with not wanting to drink, yet drinking anyway.
 
copacetic said:
My definition of problem drinking is less about volume and more to do with not wanting to drink, yet drinking anyway.
Click to expand...
Yeah - that's my same rationale for porn and a few other things in life. With drinking I'm not too bothered about holidays and weekends, but during the week I find I'm much more productive if I don't drink at night - so when I grab a beer despite 'not wanting to', then I know it's become a slight problem that needs to be addressed swiftly.

You not drinking at all right now?
You have a goal in mind or you just keeping it going for however long feels right?
 
saor said:
Yeah - that's my same rationale for porn and a few other things in life. With drinking I'm not too bothered about holidays and weekends, but during the week I find I'm much more productive if I don't drink at night - so when I grab a beer despite 'not wanting to', then I know it's become a slight problem that needs to be addressed swiftly.

You not drinking at all right now?
You have a goal in mind or you just keeping it going for however long feels right?
Click to expand...

I hope to never drink again in my life. I've cut down my enormous dose of antidepressants to 1/4 of what I was taking, and I suspect this is largely due to removing the magnifying effect alcohol plays on depression.

I've always known it, but it's really hit home for whatever reason - Alcohol is just about one of the worst drugs we've ever created. If a person is fortunate enough to be able to use it without deleterious effects, they can really count themselves lucky. I am most definitely not one of those people.
 
copacetic said:
I hope to never drink again in my life. I've cut down my enormous dose of antidepressants to 1/4 of what I was taking, and I suspect this is largely due to removing the magnifying effect alcohol plays on depression.
Click to expand...
Good luck with the journey :).
It's always interesting to see people identify and remove those things in their life that are of no value & drag them down. The cool thing is that not only have you removed something, but provided a more fertile environment for your life to flourish in other areas. Anyway - all the best for the year ahead.
 
saor said:
Good luck with the journey :).
It's always interesting to see people identify and remove those things in their life that are of no value & drag them down. The cool thing is that not only have you removed something, but provided a more fertile environment for your life to flourish in other areas. Anyway - all the best for the year ahead.
Click to expand...

I need to do a bit of flourishing, that is indeed the case, and a large motivator for this change in the first place. And the same to you - All the best for the coming year.
 
Huge bender last night down at the courts, burnt five bags of wood........ Slept like shirt last night, but awoke with a feeling of renewal knowing today was day one of no more suiping! Roll on 20th March!
 
Mortymoose said:
Huge bender last night down at the courts, burnt five bags of wood........ Slept like shirt last night, but awoke with a feeling of renewal knowing today was day one of no more suiping! Roll on 20th March!
Click to expand...

Don't know how you last so long :P
 
I don't plan on abstaining ... I just plan on drinking a wee bit less. Like in instead of 4 I would drink 3.

Rome wasn't built in one day
 
Last edited by a moderator:
copacetic said:
I hope to never drink again in my life. I've cut down my enormous dose of antidepressants to 1/4 of what I was taking, and I suspect this is largely due to removing the magnifying effect alcohol plays on depression.

I've always known it, but it's really hit home for whatever reason - Alcohol is just about one of the worst drugs we've ever created. If a person is fortunate enough to be able to use it without deleterious effects, they can really count themselves lucky. I am most definitely not one of those people.
Click to expand...

Been sober since 15 June 2014. I've had a few moments where I've thought I've missed my wine only to find replacements. Realised it was not the alcohol I craved in the end.

I can still eat food made in a wine reduction but only done it twice and now over it.

For me, its a health decision. Even though alcohol was not the primary cause for my pancreas wanting to kill me two years ago (16 June 2014), I'm convinced it played a role. Doc said never ever anymore booze and I said no problem, I don't want my kids or wife to go through the trauma again of seeing me dying again while they rush me to the hospital.
 
The pros & cons of not drinking anymore:

Pros:

* You become more popular and invited to go out with your mates more often as you become the designated driver.

* You save boatloads of money. Was never a heavy or expensive drinker but my God did I spend money. Never realised that I was spending up to R1K on drinking and sometimes R2K during party months. Wife hardly drinks so its a double saving.

* No more hangover

* Using it as an excuse to turn down invites. In the past I would drink the pain away of going to braais and party's I did not really want to be at.

* No more burning the braai meat because you had one too many.


Cons:

* No more angry drunken sex

* Nothing else.
 
I cut down on my drinking a lot since the second half of last year, and I'm much happier. Its not that I never drink, I just never drink to get drunk anymore. I found myself drinking to get drunk to fit in with my friends - I don't do that anymore. I have as much alcohol as I am comfortable having, and no more.

Its not only the hangovers that got to me, its that I didn't enjoy the whole going out experience. Drinking to get drunk tends to occur if you are going out, but not if you are drinking to socialize (for instance, in a pub).

Also I'm much firmer in saying no to shooters. I almost never do shooters anymore.
 
HavocXphere said:
Thats one big plus of beer - you pretty much pace yourself by default as its so low %.
Click to expand...

Yeah I drink beer now, never used to. But that is also because my taste buds have changed and I can now actually appreciate it.
 
One of my closest friend stopped drinking as he didn't like what he became with one too many. He asked his friends to be supportive and we were. We didn't cajole, tease him or offer any alcohol. The whole group drinks less because of it, and we now are starting to be more active.

If you want to try stop, speak to your friends about it and they should understand. It does make the process easier due to less peer pressure. I have never been a heavy drinker, so I cut out alcohol completely (except for cooking with red wine) for health reasons.
 
Went to the casino after the star wars movie at Monte. A nice cold draught would have been nice but nope :p Mmmm coke zero at the movie :D
 
Stopped drinking around 3.5 years ago now.

I still partake with a glass of whiskey at special occasions. Or sip some champagne at a wedding. But really, I have not been drunk or had a hangover in well over 3.5 years now, I had been slowing down before that anyway.

The only thing I miss is getting a little worse for wears with my wife and going at it like a couple of octopuses on ecstasy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X