I'm not an alcoholic but I want to quit drinking

whirlpool

Has any of you ever felt like this, and have you managed to successfully remove all/any yearnings for alcohol from your life? Any tips for complete success?

(I very rarely consume alcohol more than one night per week.)

Fatandunfit

I'm going through the same thing at the moment. It's tough as a lot of my friends are big drinkers. At the moment I tell them I'm broke, I'm saving and some of them I've just told them the truth. I just can't handle the drink any longer. To be fair none of my friends have an issue with it as long as I don't "remember" everything they do or say while drunk. For me it's a what do I do with my hands. I've started drinking pints of water.

Happyperson1

I drink but my husband has been off it for 5 months, he started to avoid going out because of been off the drink and getting some funny looks, but now he says it is a combination of money, getting healthier and having to be somewhere next morning. Most people don't comment but get soooooo annoying as nite goes on including his wife......or so I'm told.

hefferboi

Fatandunfit wrote: »

I'm going through the same thing at the moment. It's tough as a lot of my friends are big drinkers. At the moment I tell them I'm broke, I'm saving and some of them I've just told them the truth. I just can't handle the drink any longer. To be fair none of my friends have an issue with it as long as I don't "remember" everything they do or say while drunk. For me it's a what do I do with my hands. I've started drinking pints of water.

I drink and have no problem with any of my friends not drinking as long as they don't bring up stuff I did the night before (my sh1t talk, any women I was wit etc.). Nothing worse than someone telling you all the stupid things you were doing when you're dying of a hangover.

whippet

Not drinking is a whole lot easier than being a habitual drinker (unless you are an alcoholic)

Fortunately for me I played quite a bit of football and saturday nights were never really an option as matches were sunday mornings .. so I used to go out and drive home, It never really bothered me until about midnight when the conversation was nearly impossible.

I have a fairly simple excuse or reasoning, I work hard during the week and have two days off to enjoy my homelife, family and get stuff done for myself personally. If I go out boozing on a friday night you can be sure that saturday will be a struggle to get anything done, and I will just not enjoy my day.

Don't get me wrong, I really love my pints and I would head down to the local about once every 4 or 5 weeks for pints, to catch up on the gossip and generally have the craic. I will always make sure that I have nothing important to do the next day and that having the few pints won't affect my day.

wallycharlo

whirlpool wrote: »

Has any of you ever felt like this, and have you managed to successfully remove all/any yearnings for alcohol from your life? Any tips for complete success?

(I very rarely consume alcohol more than one night per week.)

What's your main motivation here Whirlpool?

Do you get thrashed when you go out on that one night a week, or do you keep it semi-respectable?

Concerning the point which some of the other posters have made on going out while not drinking, I'd find it very taxing myself to stay out for more than a couple of hours with my own friends if I was staying dry while they were on the drink.

Santa Cruz

I would say that it is nearly impossible to give up the drink and expect your pub life to remain the same. Nobody wants someone there all night drinking water, minerals and occasional coffee. Many Irish people go drinking and that means drinking a nice bit. I wouldn't go out unless I knew that I had the time for 7/8 pints. Maybe going to the pub once a month for a share of pints would be best rather than sitting there with a glass of water every week

cantdecide

When people start cribbing about not drinking, the only excuse I find works is 'oh, I have to drive tonight'. No more, no less. You will soon find out who your friends are, btw.

whirlpool

wallycharlo wrote: »

What's your main motivation here Whirlpool?

It's simple, really. I have two days off per week. I'm 27 now and my body cannot cope with a night of drinking the way it could when I was 18-23. My hangovers nowadays can last up to 4 days :eek: So whereas a standard night out of drinking when I was 21 would lead to a, maybe, 12-hour-long hangover, these days it's more like 3 days.

So I've built up a habit of going on a night out with friends once a week, or once a fortnight, but unfortunately my body just can't handle it anymore and it ruins my free time and I'm fed up of that.

fits

whirlpool wrote: »

So I've built up a habit of going on a night out with friends once a week, or once a fortnight, but unfortunately my body just can't handle it anymore and it ruins my free time and I'm fed up of that.

I know that feeling. My limit these days is three pints or I feel like death the next day and better to keep it below two. You could limit your intake? I know I would hate to give up completely myself but I don't go out on late nights very much.

wallycharlo

whirlpool wrote: »

...when I was 21 would lead to a, maybe, 12-hour-long hangover, these days it's more like 3 days...

I hear you.

Not sure if it may be appropriate to you or not, but in my own case definitely found that keeping away from top shelf as the night went on makes a massive difference.

If you really want to just knock it on the head completely, then I would advise giving pubs a miss for a few months.

ulinbac

Hi Whirlpool,

Been going through this aswell over the last year. Here is a brief summary of what I do (bearing in mind there will always be a BIG session once or twice a year).

- Change to bottles instead of pints. Bottles are 330ml and pint 568ml. So 3 rounds of bottles is less than 2 pints. You are drinking less and slower
- Try and limit it to 4/5 bottles if you are drinking. After that most of the lads are on the way so don't notice you have drank less
- Volunteer to be the DD and say beforehand you're heading about that you're heading about 12. Most will be talking so much rubbish you will want to leave :P
- Try to avoid rounds. If there are 3 of you, go in for a round then back out after you have bought you're round
- Tell you're mates why you are coming off it. Mine all understood and were like fair play. Most of them have followed suit due to 3/4 day hangovers/sport and not wanting to waste their Sunday
- Figure out how much you would have spent on the drink and put it towards something else. I have a Personal Trainer that I couldn't afford if I drank.


I only go out about twice a month with my mates and they understand. Once drinking and another not. Usually get a coke or two out of it .

Drinks wise, I start on coke and move to Tonic Water with a dash of lime.

ulinbac

cantdecide wrote: »

When people start cribbing about not drinking, the only excuse I find works is 'oh, I have to drive tonight'. No more, no less. You will soon find out who your friends are, btw.

I don't understand this last bit. Haven't lost any friends over it. Have found most lads in their mid/late twenties have started to slow down with drink.

NicoleL88

For some reason my tolerance for alcohol went way down at the start of the year. After only a few drinks I'd either get sick or myself and my boyfriend would get into ridiculous arguments with each other. We decided to gave it up back around April. Haven't drank since. It's not that we're going out of our way not to drink, we just choose not to. Saves us money, no more hangover, and no more arguments.

username123

Santa Cruz wrote: »

I would say that it is nearly impossible to give up the drink and expect your pub life to remain the same. Nobody wants someone there all night drinking water, minerals and occasional coffee. Many Irish people go drinking and that means drinking a nice bit. I wouldn't go out unless I knew that I had the time for 7/8 pints. Maybe going to the pub once a month for a share of pints would be best rather than sitting there with a glass of water every week

This kind of nonsense is reflective of the generally unhealthy attitude a lot of Irish people have to alcohol.

I often go to bars with friends and I or they drink water, coffee or a soft drink. We have families, mortgages, responsibilities and like to enjoy a night out without losing a day of the weekend as a result.

The only people who have ever minded me personally not drinking in their company were people who viewed me only as a drinking buddy (ie, not a friend) or alcoholics.

I once gave up drinking for an entire year and still went out. It did cause a shake up of friendships where I dropped eejits who didnt like having a non drinkers around - no loss there. It was one of the nicest years ever, no hangovers, saved a fortune, woke up every day with a clear head, had some great nights dancing in nightclubs, and found out who my friends really were. Discovered plenty of fun things to do without booze and generally had an attitude readjustment. I have never ever gone back to binge drinking since then (its over 10 years ago now) and Id say Ive only been drunk a handful of times a year since. Now Im far more likely to have 3 or 4 drinks and leave it at that.

iusedtoknow

Yeah, i found as I moved into my mid-20's that I couldn't handle my drink as well as I used to be able to - I used to be able to handle a lot, but then I started not to like who I was turning into after a few drinks, and hated the hangovers in the mornings.

I just stopped completely one day. I spoke to a few close friends about it, but didn't broadcast it. Nothing changed, I went out, was able to dance till 6 am (this was Spain) and still get up at 12 and get out and about without any hangover.

My drinking habits changed a bit, a lot more sparkling water. I also ended up drinking NA beer, especially in the summer as it was pretty refreshing.

I lost around a stone without trying, and in general feel a lot better about life in general.

kjl

I quit drinking at 22, I am 33 now. First two years, I couldn't stand going out then I started again and found I enjoyed myself again.

All I'll say is be prepared to explain you position on drinking over and over again. There are a lot of people who are not into you not drinking, have some daft notion that you are monitoring what they are doing.

You will here over and over again, fair play to you, I couldn't do it. Can I get you a drink, are you sure. bla bla bla.

I still think it was the best decision I ever made.

I will say one thing though, I am very outgoing but if I was shy I would have found the transition much worse.

seachto7

Same boat. Not that I want to quit drinking, more I'd like to quit getting drunk! I don't drink much anyways, and often might go months without alcohol. I don't mind one or two pints and then home, but would be great to just not go on the razz ever again.
Maybe I should cut it out altogether.

As in, I cannot think of one advantage of getting drunk anymore. Not one. Therefore, why drink at all?

Est28

Her's what I would say.

I go through phases. Last winter I was kind of over going out in the freezing cold til late at night looking for cabs, etc...
I laid off it a bit, not giving up completely but laid off the big nights out. I spent a lot of time losing some weight and getting fit and I made more plans for Sat/Sun afternoons. I really enjoyed it.

If you don't go out Sat night, it can feel a bit naff at first but it's quickly replaced by waking up early on a sunday with a clear head and something to enjoy for the day.

People always assume no drinking means death of a social life and it really doesn't have it. I have some friends who don't drink but there's a clear distinction between the two. Some just don't come out, ever... and if they do, sit there like a wet rag watching everything and the next day you hear it all back about the stupid things people were doing/saying after a few jars. THAT is why people don't like hanging around the pub with non-drinkers.
But I ahve one friend that I only met this year... I literally only realized 2 weeks ago that she doesn't drink because someone pointed it out to me. I never even noticed, since she's the life and soul of the party. She doesn't drink but she can still come out and have a great time and chat to everyone and be awesome. So it doesn't even matter... if you can be more that type, nobody will even care.

unseenfootage

Many years ago I used to be hooked on cocaine, alcohol, cannabis and cigarettes.

I also meddled with LSD and ecstasy.

Gave it all up but continued smoking until two years ago.

I'm trying to give up coffee but my wife is a bad influence.