sober for october

barneyrubble46

Well after nearly 30 years of drinking wine and beer, not together of course, I decided to try and stay sober for the month of october. There is a really big campain on this in the UK shame its not here too. Anyway just sort of got fed up waking up with the usual sore head, groggy feeling, bad breath, this is every day by the way not just now and again, do I have a drink problem, yeah sure I do, I drink one full bottle of wine every evening, but how many other people do just the same thing, a lot I would suspect. So every bottle of wine costs me €10 so that is some amount of money to save in a month, and I hope too that after october I can stay sober for the rest of my god damm misrable life. Now I really just could not stand up at an alholohics anonymous meeting and say my name is xxxx and I am an alhoholic. so its cold turkey for me from now on. If any one has any good worth while tips let me know. Strange thing is I gave up smoking about 15 years ago, it was difficult but not as difficult as giving up drinking. There is just no help in this country for people like me, its just crazy, wish me luck

Never was a huge drinker and have often given it up for long periods. Headed out for a few pints with friends a couple of weeks back and spent the entire time rather bored and missing my girlfriend who was at home. Had three pints and then decided to head home and haven't had an alcoholic beverage since. Don't miss it at all and think ill just stay off it for the foreseeable future.

catallus

I saw this "campaign" too and it struck me that it is just more random nonsense from lazy internet trolls who have very little to do with their time, I mean come on, just cos it slightly rhymes they make it a "thing"? What about "Dismember in December" or "Penury in January" ?

I for one will continue my fight against sobriety.

The Backwards Man

I've gone the whole of October so far without a drink, someone give me a clap on the back.

barneyrubble46

Yes a lot has to be said of a life with out beer on board, both of my parents where very heavy drinkers, in fact both died from drink related illness. Brother also died too from drink related problems, so I am glad I have seen the light, only taken me 30 years,

barneyrubble46

I think the point of sober for octrober is you save money in octrober by not drinking, then buy your xmas presents, and then get totaly wasted in december and give jan another go at staying sober, most people do not need a reason for a drink, I for one need a reason to stay sober, if this works for me then great,

Icaras

catallus wrote: »

"Penury in January" ?

I think I do this every Janurary.

barneyrubble46

€10 spent every nights, on wine, so if I save all that money for october I will give it to charity, So its sober for october for me,

UCDVet

I don't mean any disrespect, but I find these 'campaigns' to be a bit insulting.

Look, if you don't want to drink - don't drink. It's *exactly* that easy. And if it isn't easy, well, that's a good indication you should stop drinking.

But for the love of God, if you think drinking is hurting you - stop. You are an adult, a rational, thinking, feeling, adult. Make your own choices.

Don't wait for some campaign to come along and remind you that it might be a good idea to lay off the semi-poison you consume because you enjoy the effects, that is well known to be addictive and carry a long list of health concerns,

Also, if you do decide not to drink. That's great. But you know what, nobody cares. Nobody cares if I decide to have a beer tonight, and nobody cares if I decide not to have a beer tonight. For some reason, everyone that gives up alcohol seems to want to tell the world about it. Just do whatever makes sense for you.

0byme75341jo28

Is taking a month off drink really meant to be that difficult?

catallus

Icaras wrote: »

I think I do this every Janurary.

Well lah-dee-dah, thinly veiled "I'm only broke one month of the year" comment!:mad:

Sir Osis of Liver.

One bottle of wine over an evening isnt that much.
I dont drink wine often,but when I do it takes three bottles to get the desired effect.

I've decided that one drink doesn't count as drinking. So I've given up drinking, but not drink.

yoyo

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

One bottle of wine over an evening isnt that much.
I dont drink wine often,but when I do it takes three bottles to get the desired effect.

Apt username :pac: . In all fairness a bottle of wine at 12% alcohol is a fair bit of drink to have every day of the week. I do drink over the "guidelines" don't get me wrong but I'd consider a full bottle of wine to equal 5/6 cans or pints of beer. Which I would consider a lot to be drinking everynight.
Weekend is fair game, put back a fair few last night

Nick

MadYaker

barneyrubble46 wrote: »

Well after nearly 30 years of drinking wine and beer, not together of course, I decided to try and stay sober for the month of october. There is a really big campain on this in the UK shame its not here too. Anyway just sort of got fed up waking up with the usual sore head, groggy feeling, bad breath, this is every day by the way not just now and again, do I have a drink problem, yeah sure I do, I drink one full bottle of wine every evening, but how many other people do just the same thing, a lot I would suspect. So every bottle of wine costs me €10 so that is some amount of money to save in a month, and I hope too that after october I can stay sober for the rest of my god damm misrable life. Now I really just could not stand up at an alholohics anonymous meeting and say my name is xxxx and I am an alhoholic. so its cold turkey for me from now on. If any one has any good worth while tips let me know. Strange thing is I gave up smoking about 15 years ago, it was difficult but not as difficult as giving up drinking. There is just no help in this country for people like me, its just crazy, wish me luck

There is help out there like AA meetings and such. Also theres a forum on boards which you might find helpful http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1015

Good luck, I'd say it isn't easy. I'm glad I don't have a drinking problem.

Paco Rodriguez

Fair play to anyone who is doing this. But it's not for me since the NHL season starts this month.

Sir Osis of Liver.

catallus wrote: »

I saw this "campaign" too and it struck me that it is just more random nonsense from lazy internet trolls who have very little to do with their time, I mean come on, just cos it slightly rhymes they make it a "thing"? What about "Dismember in December" or "Penury in January" ?

I for one will continue my fight against sobriety.

Gay for May.
Kuntz for months.

renegademaster

barneyrubble46 wrote: »

Well after nearly 30 years of drinking wine and beer, not together of course, I decided to try and stay sober for the month of october. There is a really big campain on this in the UK shame its not here too. Anyway just sort of got fed up waking up with the usual sore head, groggy feeling, bad breath, this is every day by the way not just now and again, do I have a drink problem, yeah sure I do, I drink one full bottle of wine every evening, but how many other people do just the same thing, a lot I would suspect. So every bottle of wine costs me €10 so that is some amount of money to save in a month, and I hope too that after october I can stay sober for the rest of my god damm misrable life. Now I really just could not stand up at an alholohics anonymous meeting and say my name is xxxx and I am an alhoholic. so its cold turkey for me from now on. If any one has any good worth while tips let me know. Strange thing is I gave up smoking about 15 years ago, it was difficult but not as difficult as giving up drinking. There is just no help in this country for people like me, its just crazy, wish me luck

brest of duck

barneyrubble46 wrote: »

€10 spent every nights, on wine, so if I save all that money for october I will give it to charity, So its sober for october for me,

fair played to ya, i actually had an idea to nominate myself and all my drinker friends to donate €50 to st Vincent de Paul to not drink a drop the month of Dec

Legend Immense Voucher wrote: »

Is taking a month off drink really meant to be that difficult?

try doing it for the WHOLE month of December and come back to let us know how easy it was

GLaDOS

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

Gay for May.
Kuntz for months.

Moon for June.

The Backwards Man

Cry for July

Ghekko

I have been doing it since August when I fell and split my head. This was after wanting a sign to make me stop - pretty harsh sign all the same! Afraid to even sniff alcohol since��. I miss it at times but I did manage a night out for dinner without it which was my first big test. I passed so I think I will keep going with the sobriety. My skin looks a bit better too so that's a bonus��. Always had a love hate relationship with alcohol, I love it but hate the friggin hangovers.

Celly Smunt

gash out February.

Sir Osis of Liver.

On a bender for September.

Lapin

Anyone wanna join me for Ossified October ?

recylingbin

Gay in May was a campaign that didn't really take off.

Czarcasm

recylingbin wrote: »

Gay in May was a campaign that didn't really take off.

Despite people bending over backwards to take part?


Perhaps 'marijuana for March' or 'acid for August' may have better luck.

Cameras at the ready for all the selfies*



*This is not a Garda sting operation, honest!

recylingbin

Nail a transgender for December has the pc right-on-ness to work, I feel.

imitation

Fair play OP, giving it up is a good thing, not just for your pocket, its hard on your body having that much drink all the time and the effects will catch up with you eventually. You should try and take up a hobby or sport maybe to give you something to fill the free time.

Ignore the AH style posts, its grand and all for people to be getting defensive about there usual weekend drinking and all, but for some people drink is a serious problem and will have long term implications for them.

fair play OP good luck

AnonoBoy

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

One bottle of wine over an evening isnt that much.
I dont drink wine often,but when I do it takes three bottles to get the desired effect.

Well you didn't get your name by chance!

AnonoBoy

recylingbin wrote: »

Gay in May was a campaign that didn't really take off.

I was happy the whole month long.

I love Gay in May.

Tarzana

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

One bottle of wine over an evening isnt that much.

Yes it is, wine is potent. Three bottles of wine in an evening would require me to get my stomach pumped.

Sir Osis of Liver.

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Well you didn't get your name by chance!

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I was happy the whole month long.

I love Gay in May.

Good for you Ananallboy.:D

Fr_Dougal

Well done OP. I'm not going to use heroin for October.

barneyrubble46

well gay in may, I have had such a laugh reading some of these posts, basically if you drink two glasses of wine a night or one beer you are deemed a piss head, not my words, or my thoughts, one bottle of wine works out at 14 units the guidelines are 14 units a week not a day, so that makes me an out and out piss head simple, at the end of October I will be richer and healthier, So here go's sober for October.

LynnGrace

Best of luck, OP.

fleet_admiral

I was sober for the whole of October, until last night

FairytaleGirl

The amount of people on this thread who think drinking every day/evening - whatever the amount - is normal or 'OK' is bloody shocking.

Sunhill

UCDVet wrote: »

I don't mean any disrespect, but I find these 'campaigns' to be a bit insulting.

Here's a vote in favour of campaigns. There may not be much logic behind some of them, but often all it takes for some people to win a personal battle is a tiny push from the right direction.

Fifteen years ago I gave up smoking after many failed attempts. What started me was a thought out of the blue one morning challenging myself to do without cigarettes for that day. Haven't had one in my hand since.
Today I am two weeks into a diet, a record for me though far from being confident it will last. What started me on that was when a seam on my 44in trousers burst.

Haven't drank since becoming a Pioneer forty years ago.

barneyrubble46

well sunhill good luck with the diet, the point for me in giving up fags way back about 15 years ago is that I just dident like it having a control over me, drink is the same, it has a control over me I no longer want, I want my life back, I want my health back, I no long want to be in denial, the irish and the english have this perception that its ok to have a few drinks, problem is what is a few drinks, one bottle of something or 10 pints, tomorrow morning I will wake up with a clear head and an extra tenner in my purse, yep thats right I am nearly 50 years young female piss head, well no more, onwards and up wards. its gonna be tough but I know I can do it.

humbert

If it encourages some people not to drink who would otherwise have drank then why not. It's a country with a serious problem (like ours) and it's hardly going to hurt.

MadYaker

I usually do drunk december every year.

Iranoutofideas

I find that getting into exercising helps if you want to stay off the drink. Something like training for a 10k run or getting into cycling even is a great way to stay motivated.

TheBeardedLady

barneyrubble46 wrote: »

well sunhill good luck with the diet, the point for me in giving up fags way back about 15 years ago is that I just dident like it having a control over me, drink is the same, it has a control over me I no longer want, I want my life back, I want my health back, I no long want to be in denial, the irish and the english have this perception that its ok to have a few drinks, problem is what is a few drinks, one bottle of something or 10 pints, tomorrow morning I will wake up with a clear head and an extra tenner in my purse, yep thats right I am nearly 50 years young female piss head, well no more, onwards and up wards. its gonna be tough but I know I can do it.

I know you don't want to hear this but I'd say you need to get help in some shape or form. I don't think giving up for a month is really enough.


Tbh, I can see how it can happen. I'd have a smallish glass of wine everyday with my dinner (but don't bringe drink anymore) and I'm sometimes tempted to have more. Perhaps even the one glass is too much but I like it. You could easily knock back a bottle without noticing although you must get ferocious hangovers?

Perhaps you'll see how good you feel after the month and try to take steps to reduce your consumption long-term. Good luck with it anyway, OP.

COYVB

By my reckonings, I've not had a drink since about May. Not intentionally or anything, just haven't had a want for one during that period.

chrissb8

Legend Immense Voucher wrote: »

Is taking a month off drink really meant to be that difficult?

In a country where most occasions to do with relaxation have alcohol included in them. Then yes it is very hard at times. Just like a diet or sticking to a gym routine these things take time to eliminate. I'm sorry, I just hate that attitude. How is it not hard to give up something which in a country that is so ritualistic about drinking. Don't belittle lifestyle changes even if they're only for a month. A month can be a long time when you are literally being texted and hunted down to drink by friends. I mean you don't get that with chocolate or sweets. They don't text you saying "howya, couple of bars?"

OneArt

barneyrubble46 wrote: »

I think the point of sober for octrober is you save money in octrober by not drinking, then buy your xmas presents, and then get totaly wasted in december and give jan another go at staying sober, most people do not need a reason for a drink, I for one need a reason to stay sober, if this works for me then great,

Wait, so you're supposed to stop drinking so that other people can have presents?

F*ck that.

I'll have a Cuba Libra.

Diabhal Beag

Have been dry for the last month myself and it's fairly worrying how big an achievement it seems to be to other people.

Diabhal Beag

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Have been dry for the last month myself and it's fairly worrying how big an achievement it seems to be to other people.

I always find it shocking just how much effort it takes done friends not to drink. I give it up every now and again and have go w years with out so much as a sip of beer yet have friends whom would struggle to go a week without alcohol. One friend felt proud because he didn't drink last Saturday night. He was in the pub Sunday making up for it

barneyrubble46

well I woke up this morning free from bad breath, a sore head, basically being dehydrated and grumpy, lots of energy and I feel very smug, and will continue to do so until the end of October, the main problem with giving up the drink is other people attitudes, its like I have two heads, strange, as to me it is the other people who have the problem, they dont want to confront their own reasons as to why they drink. I have developed over night a very strong will power, must have been blown in by the wind!!

Legend Immense Voucher

Legend Immense Voucher wrote: »

Is taking a month off drink really meant to be that difficult?

I couldn't do it anyway.