Sobriety

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Hummer_I_mean_Hammer
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Re: Sobriety

Post by Hummer_I_mean_Hammer »

Last weekend let myself down somewhat, this weekend started to have a drink, then thought WTF, I'm not really enjoying this, so stopped and threw what I had down the sink.

Small but significant step for me, normally I'd of thought - nah, down this and pour myself another, that'll sort myself out.

Bit like Dan and Sendo, hopping that it might be a start of not drinking too much. But TBH I doubt it, bit like half giving up smoking, can't see it working, oretty sure that it will be a case of either I'm in, or I'm out.
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sendô
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Re: Sobriety

Post by sendô »

Hummer_I_mean_Hammer wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:20 am Small but significant step for me
Mate, not finishing everything you've poured yourself is a significant step IMO (notwithstanding if you didn't finish it because you were already bladdered).

One of the issues for me normally is once I start drinking, I'll keep going until bedtime, regardless of what I'm drinking. Finished a bottle of red? No problem, there's gin in the cupboard etc.

I'll be happy if I can jut have a couple of glasses of wine now and then and stop there, or have 2 or 3 pints after work then go home and not drink anything else.
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AnthraxDave
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Re: Sobriety

Post by AnthraxDave »

Through the final weekend. Could've murdered a beer after watching Hereford lose, but stayed strong.
Have to admit that I am looking forward to my walk home from work on Thursday and having a swift couple in my local en-route.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by S-H »

Good work, gents.

:clap:
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Hummer_I_mean_Hammer
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Re: Sobriety

Post by Hummer_I_mean_Hammer »

sendô wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:35 am Mate, not finishing everything you've poured yourself is a significant step IMO (notwithstanding if you didn't finish it because you were already bladdered).

One of the issues for me normally is once I start drinking, I'll keep going until bedtime, regardless of what I'm drinking. Finished a bottle of red? No problem, there's gin in the cupboard etc.

I'll be happy if I can jut have a couple of glasses of wine now and then and stop there, or have 2 or 3 pints after work then go home and not drink anything else.
Hear everything you say and am the same. Often I think to myself its the weekend - don't need to go bed yet, then find myself still drinking at 4 or even 5 in the morning, even on a school night, if I am WFH I'll often think oh sod it, another one won't hurt.. (EDIT: but nowhere near as late to bed).
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Re: Sobriety

Post by Joffrey »

sendô wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:35 am Mate, not finishing everything you've poured yourself is a significant step IMO (notwithstanding if you didn't finish it because you were already bladdered).

One of the issues for me normally is once I start drinking, I'll keep going until bedtime, regardless of what I'm drinking. Finished a bottle of red? No problem, there's gin in the cupboard etc.

I'll be happy if I can jut have a couple of glasses of wine now and then and stop there, or have 2 or 3 pints after work then go home and not drink anything else.
Same here Sendo. The off switch has disappeared. Tried stopping for a while (and am currently doing dry January) but when I start again I’m quickly back in the same position. Think I might extend the abstinence to Easter while I try and figure out what to do.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by sendô »

I know there's no way I can just stop dead full time, and frankly I don't really want to. I enjoy having a drink at times, and want to be able to go on doing so, but in a way that it doesn't affect my health or dominate my life, which if I am honest it has started to do.

My strategy is to try and limit how many times a week I drink, and to try and limit said drinking to specific events or times. So for instance this Thursday there's a pre-booked 5 aside football followed by beers, so I'll go to that but only have a couple after. I'm also at the Rugby on Saturday, so will have a few Guinnesses there, but there's likely to be a bender after which I will shy away from as my parents are round on Sunday and I don't want to be hanging.

Similar thing going forward. Try and limit drinking at home to a few glasses of wine Saturday night. Or beers after work, maybe just two or three on a Friday rather than six on Thirsty Thursdays. No using the opening of an envelope as an excuse to go out, get shitfaced and stagger home at midnight.

I just need to find a suitable outlet for my work related stress. I may just start punching people at work more. Plenty of them deserve it, quite frankly.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by prophet:marginal »

Have already secured 4xpint cans of Red Stripe for tonight.

Losing to a third tier club, when sober? Nah.
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WHU Independent
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Re: Sobriety

Post by WHU Independent »

21 days today, not drinking. On the whole I'm not sure if the pros outweigh the cons.

Pros: I'm clear headed in the morning, pee is a healthy slightly off white colour, I'm saving a fair bit of cash, I have more time to myself and I'm in control of myself.

Cons: I'm decoming more insular and a social pariah. I'm hardly going out, I'm training and trying to eat healthy but I have cravings for sweet things I've never had before. I haven't lost any weight, don't feel "healthier" overall. My crap has gone, well to crap. Gone are the long dark beige torpedo llike poo's that sliped through the water akin to something the Kriegsmarine would be proud of. Now I have dark brown napalm like peblble dash, what the Americans would have been happy to use in Vietnam! I have a bloated feeling a lot. My insommnia is now at record levels and overall I feel lethargic.

I'll see how this changes after Feb 6th. A mate is coming up for a visit and I'll probably have a few beers with him.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by wolf359 »

WHU Independent wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:42 pm My crap has gone, well to crap.
The toilet is likely a change in your gut biome. I had terrible trouble when I quit drinking and started to eat well/exercise. Ended up going to the docs about it (it went on for ages) Sure enough after about 8 weeks it settled.

I personally did lose weight but I 'had it' to lose. I've read some articles that it can take 6 months of being off the beer to start to feel long term benefit. think about it I drank for 25 years be wrong to expect the negatives to be wiped out in 3-4 weeks.

Personally I will complete dry Jan '2' tomorrow and hit 400 days next week. I don't think I'll ever drink again. I don't miss the social side because I never had one before hand.. I am still a near hermit..but love the gym 3-6 times a week.
Last edited by wolf359 on Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by dasnutnock3 »

Anyone finding themselves at a loose end while they swerve the boozer and other boozers - the world is very much your oyster. Team and individual sports, helping people in need, night classes, teaching & training, hobbies, evening jobs - there’s a million things we could be doing, it’s about changing mindset as much as anything else.
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Arnold Layne
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Re: Sobriety

Post by Arnold Layne »

dasnutnock3 wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:29 pm Anyone finding themselves at a loose end while they swerve the boozer and other boozers - the world is very much your oyster. Team and individual sports, helping people in need, night classes, teaching & training, hobbies, evening jobs - there’s a million things we could be doing, it’s about changing mindset as much as anything else.
Have a squiz at Adrian Chiles new book, I ordered it from the library, it’s got some good tips so far (halfway through). Next up is ‘This Naked Mind’ by Annie Grace.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by btajim - mcfc »

Three absolute dregs in the pub last night. Two women and a man. There’s a rough estate not too far away so I assume they’re coming up from there. The one lady was playing up and then had to be restrained from attacking the gaffer’s wife after she asked them to leave. The man stayed and later began to shout abuse at someone singing You’ll Never Walk Alone on karaoke. That upset a few people and he then left.

It’s actually quite sad when you think about it.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by dasnutnock3 »

btajim - mcfc wrote: Tue Jan 31, 2023 8:40 amThe man stayed and later began to shout abuse at someone singing You’ll Never Walk Alone on karaoke.
Perfectly valid response IMO.
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sendô
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Re: Sobriety

Post by sendô »

Live footage of that man in action:

Image
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Re: Sobriety

Post by Greatest Cockney Rip Off »

To all those struggling with giving up the booze, I will say (and you know my views on the stuff) wine is the wolf in sheep's clothing when it comes to alcohol content. If you were to drink a few beers then crack open a bottle of Satan's piss, the average ABV of a bottle of wine is 11-14% ABV (sometimes higher). The average sized wine bottle is 750ml (roughly a pint and a half give or take), that's some hefty abv - the equivalent of 3 Belgian Quadruppel which is some alcohol consumption. There's some decent low abv beers out there such as mild, some pale ales and session ales which give you the feeling of having a beer without the high alcohol content.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by dasnutnock3 »

My wife likes wine and is utterly incapable of moderating her consumption. I like it too, but it makes a terrible “long” drink. Chugging it is easily done and utterly lethal.

Her dad is a food scientist and told her to go for 14.5% or stronger because it’s “better”. Fat idiot didn’t realise how stupid that advice was, her entire family has a terrible relationship with booze.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by btajim - mcfc »

sendô wrote: Tue Jan 31, 2023 10:37 am Live footage of that man in action:

Image
David Threlfall actually is a Blue. Remember, I live on the Merseyside / Cheshire border now so Liverpool and Everton are the main clubs everyone supports. He'd get stick in Manchester certainly.

He was a fat b*stard who had about 6 teeth and was refused further service.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by YorksHammer »

Happily, have made it through the month. I guess I don't struggle as I was quite used to being sober before doing this, but have a test this weekend while away with friends as we often will have a drink. I'm going to take a thing of the 0% Guiness and maybe a couple of other beers along with me and stick to those - hopefully.
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Re: Sobriety

Post by Toulouse_Iron »

sendô wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:35 am Mate, not finishing everything you've poured yourself is a significant step IMO (notwithstanding if you didn't finish it because you were already bladdered).

One of the issues for me normally is once I start drinking, I'll keep going until bedtime, regardless of what I'm drinking. Finished a bottle of red? No problem, there's gin in the cupboard etc.

I'll be happy if I can jut have a couple of glasses of wine now and then and stop there, or have 2 or 3 pints after work then go home and not drink anything else.
That's what Michael Caine managed to do: he was on a bottle of vodka before lunch every day and realised it was a problem but didn't want to give up completely as he would have to stop his glass of red with dinner, which he truly appreciated. He now just has a glass with his dinner (edit: he is now teetotal).
I'm similar to many of you, it's fairly binary. If I'm off the booze, I'm off and have no problem with it. If I'm on the booze, it is easy to have more than I'd planned but I don't drink myself into oblivion. I will finish the glass, though.
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