30 Day Rule

Big Nasty

Hey guys,

I've been reading a lot of the threads on here lately and have seen many posts about starting off with a 30 day target. I'm going to give it a go starting today, but my willpower ain't great. I'm not too worried about Mon-Wed, Thurs will be a little tougher but the weekend will be very difficult to abstain. I plan on keeping a daily diary on this thread if that's ok and look forward to your encouragement and support!

Koltashe

Well done! So half the day down already! lol A diary is a great thing, but try an keep a private one as well an write down when and why you feel like having a drink, then you can go back and analyze it to see what exactly is causing you to want to drink so you can avoid those situations or find a more productive ways to deal with issues that leave you craving a drink.
And as for the weekend being the hardest try and plan your weekends in advance in such a way that you are kept away from your usual drinking spots or if you start getting calls/txt from friends asking you out you already have alternative plans and its easy to say no. I found it easier being somewhere else doing something rather than seating at home thinking of all the 'fun' my friends must be having in town right now lol

Best of luck an keep us updated on ur progress!

Big Nasty

Thanks!

To be honest it's just habits or routines you get into and before you know it those routines have become far too regular and interfere with other aspects of your life. I would actually drink mostly at home and only go out 1-2 evenings a week, Friday @ 6pm is gonna be a killer! :pac:

hubba

Well done on the decision. My advice is to keep busy. And I mean, have an actual plan in place to be busy because if you get anxious or have cravings at any stage, making decisions on what do to next becomes much more difficult. So lay out a bit of a timetable for Thursday to Sundays.

e.g. Reading, visiting an old uncle, cleaning out the garage, go for a drive to somewhere you've never been before, try a new exercise, anything at all but put it in the timetable.

Defo for the first week or at times you think you will be most challenged.

You can do it. Wishing you all the best.

Koltashe

Since its drinking at home plan activities that will keep u out of the house...

Another great thing to do is to volunteer with a charity and sign up to do smth for/with them on specific days/times... It can be easy enough to break a promise to urself (e.g. to go cycling Friday evening) but harder if you have a commitment to do something for others...

Just in general try to make plans involving other people so its not as easy for you to opt and cancel
Best of luck!

mikemac

You need distractions OP and you need to break habits
If you find you were stopping at the offie on your way home, well cycle to work and cycle home. You're not going into the shops in your shorts and all sweaty are you?

Keep occupied. Going home and staring at the four walls would drive some people to drink just to distract themselves.

Cycle, run, cinema, visit people. Just do something

Big Nasty

Thanks for the encouragement guys!

I'm doing this for health reasons but also to save money and loose some weight. I've an awful habit of having a [good] few beers in the evening followed by a big dinner around 10pm - not good! Put on three stone in the last three years. Weighed my self this morning and got a shock to see I'm just shy of 20st! :eek::eek::eek:

Eating habits are gonna have to change too but not drinking will help with that as beer gives you a false appetitie and some of this free time can now be spent exercising!

mikemac

There's a weight loss challenge over in the Athletics forum. Lasts for eight weeks and your 30 days would be pretty close to the finish date

If you want to sign up it's there. Lots of encouragement and good natured banter

Big Nasty

Nice warm evening, got an awful urge to go pick me up a few cold ones on the way home but made do with Pepsi!

Sunnyisland

Hi Mcmi dont know whether you are going for abstinence or not but if you are this might help,

You must surrender completely to the idea that you can no longer drink successfully.

You have to admit to yourself that it is no longer fun to get drunk.

You have to admit that the good times with alcohol are over. That it is no good for you anymore. That you could have a better life without alcohol in it.

This decision to quit drinking has to be absolute. You have to commit to the idea 100 percent. If you do not commit fully, with all of your heart, then you will drink again. Simple as that.

It is a common mistake to believe that this decision is actually not a black and white one. But it is. People who have never been through recovery might believe that they can sort of wiggle into recovery, or that they might just fall into the habit of not drinking every day, see how it goes, maybe think that sobriety is rather nice and decide to keep doing it for a while, dum de dum……

That is not reality. Sobriety is not like that at all. You don’t just ease into it and decide you like it.

No, the decision to stay sober is likely the biggest decision you have ever made in your entire life. Seriously. You have likely never attempted anything of this same intensity before. You have to commit with everything that you've got.

Wishing you the best,its great living a sober life :-)

Big Nasty

Thanks for posting realies!

I don't know if I'm ready for that sort of a decision yet. I've been promising myself for a long time that I would give it a go but never lasted more than a few days. At the moment I'm gonna take it one day at a time!

The reason I've posted all this here is because in the past I've had no problem letting myself down by not lasting more than 2/3 days off it. Funny thing is with all the encouragement here I would hate to come back in a day or two and let you guys down.

Keep up the encouragement and support!:)

Sunnyisland

Do it for yourself first, that's a priority. You can worry about us when your sorted :-)

Big Nasty

Day 1 down!

Big Nasty

Day 2

Got home from work and the missus said she was going to have a glass of wine and did I want to get myself some beers. I said NO!

That's a major first for me and the truth be known I didn't want one anyway - thanks lads!

Sunnyisland

Well done,

have you any plans for your witching hour & cravings, you need to be prepared.as they will come.

Big Nasty

realies wrote: »

Well done,

have you any plans for your witching hour & cravings, you need to be prepared.as they will come.

Thanks realies!

Now on Day 3 and feeling pretty good about myself. Still, it's nice and sunny out and come 6pm on the drive home I'm going to be tempted. Trick is to go straight home then eat something small straight away, even a cracker with a bit of cheese. Kills it pretty quick!

Satanta

Be wary when you are feeling good too. When you are feeling good you can sometimes think 'sure why not, I'm feeling great! But keeping positive and upbeat is also important

Big Nasty

Day 4 almost done!

This is probably the longest I have gone without a beer in 15 years and you know what, it's been getting a little easier every day. The real test will be Friday evening at 6pm - I know that's going to be a killer but I reckon I'm able for it!

Sunnyisland

MCM well done so far, Are you ready for friday ? as you know failing to plan is planning to fail.Keep yourself busy for the weekend old hobbies, read a good book etc etc.

Sunnyisland

You wouldn't go wrong by getting or buying Alan carr's easy way to stop drinking, good read even if you dont want to stop completely.

Big Nasty

realies wrote: »

MCM well done so far, Are you ready for friday ? as you know failing to plan is planning to fail.Keep yourself busy for the weekend old hobbies, read a good book etc etc.

The weekend is gonna be tough all right! I'm in the right frame of mind for tomorrow but that might be different come 6pm. I've got a few jobs and a polish to do on the car Saturday and a car show to attend Sunday so should be ok. I really think I can do it!

Thanks for the encouragement realies - you have no idea how much it has helped!

hubba

Well done MCMLXXXV,

Doesn't it feel amazing to get through even just the first few days?

Realies is great, always there with great advice. I agree on the Allan Carr book. I refer back to it often. I also bought the Jason Vale book which, to be honest, is practically identical, but with a slightly more updated, younger persons feel to it. Both make so much sense and provide you with tons of motivation through pure logic and myth busting.

I'm off it 30 something days now (after nearly 30 years drinking), and though I don't get cravings as such, every so often I get this overwhelming feeling of 'what am I doing?' - I'm a social leper etc', then it passes as quickly as it arrived. Of course I'm not a social leper but that's what 80% of the adults in Ireland would have you believe. You have to be strong against this attitude. What you are doing is a mind-blowingly magical thing and you will rediscover life and the way it should be - full of fun and colour and energy.

Anyhow, I'd better shut up preaching and do some work ... but keep it up and keep busy - you are doing so well so far!

Big Nasty

Must.............Resist.............Temptation...........Nnnnnnrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Satanta

Imagine how good you'll feel tomorrow with a clear head getting the car all polished up

Big Nasty

Satanta wrote: »

Imagine how good you'll feel tomorrow with a clear head getting the car all polished up

It was a tough one - but I kept myself busy!

hubba

Well done you!!

Sunnyisland

Good for you MCM, Now you can be a bit more prepared for the nex time you feel your cravings or withching hour coming on.And they will come ;-)

Koltashe

SO how did you get on on the weekend?

Sunnyisland

Hello MCM how did it go ?

Ps if you drank it doesn't matter as it only took me 15 to 10 years to stop :-)

Do you feel that you progressed as far as you hoped or are you feeling like a hamster on a wheel, running and running but not getting anywhere. In either case you need to ask yourself what your priorities are? Do you have change as a priority?

Make your own recovery the first priority in your life and the rest will follow through,Drop us a line.

Big Nasty

Hey guys,

Fell off the horse Saturday which I feel pretty bad about. Got back up Monday though and been a good boy since.:)

votecounts

don't worry about it, you can start fresh this week.