I gave up drink for lent and now I am hanging for a drink

kidneyfan

Anyone else done this?
I was horrified to discover that the Sundays in Lent are not part of the 40 days.
Thing is I thought it would be very easy because I don't drink much but 9:30 AM and I want a drink!

MonkeyTennis

Have a fizzy drink. Its possible you are just thirsty and your brain told you 'beer'

kjl

I gave up drink in 2002 all I drink now is water.

Mint Sauce

kidneyfan wrote: »

Anyone else done this?
I was horrified to discover that the Sundays in Lent are not part of the 40 days.
Thing is I thought it would be very easy because I don't drink much but 9:30 AM and I want a drink!

Two things.

People usally use Paddies Day as an excuse to break lent, not every sunday during it.

Its only been a week!

jamesbere

Why do people give up stuff just for lent, can't they do it any other time of the year.

jester77

This whole giving up for lent thing is an awful load of nonsense, it's up their with new years resolutions. Have a drink when you want a drink. If you are giving up drink for lent, then you must think you have some issues with how much you drink. Lent is only a few months, what happens after it is over? Just deal with the issue properly before it gets worse. Lent won't miraculously fix things.

kylith

The problem with 'giving stuff up' is that you then focus on it which makes you want it more. Go make a cuppa and try to put booze, either the drinking of or the giving up of, out of your mind.

HamsterFace

People who drink are incredibly stupid and have no imaginations

Timberrrrrrrr

HamsterFace wrote: »

People who drink are incredibly stupid and have no imaginations

So you don't drink water or soft drinks?

bjork

Have you considered counselling for alcoholism?

dr.bollocko

HamsterFace wrote: »

People who drink are incredibly stupid and have no imaginations

Yeah. Every single great piece of art, music, literature - all done by sober people.

MonkeyTennis

HamsterFace wrote: »

People who drink are incredibly stupid and have no imaginations

You're getting a prize for this

kjl

MonkeyTennis wrote: »

Have a fizzy drink. Its possible you are just thirsty and your brain told you 'beer'

You know that fizzy drinks are just as bad as beer. They have way too much sugar. I really don't know how they are so popular.

A few years back I didn't like drinking water and was always buying some sort of cordial to mix with it. But then one day I said I am going to try and force myself to like water. So I gave up everything else and just focused on drinking water. I drink about 4 liters a day and I absolutely LOVE it. I think it's the most refreshing thing you can do.

I know that it's hard to make the switch but honestly after 2-3 weeks you will be glad you did.

valoren

Craving alcohol?
You'll take the drink and the drink will take you.

MonkeyTennis

Have I stepped into an alternate universe?

dodzy

bjork wrote: »

Have you considered counselling for alcoholism?

Feck that, it'll cost a fortune. Spend the money on d'beer !

bjork

The whole pint of lent is penance and hardship. It can be hard. Give it another shot.

Duggy747

This thread is making me thirsty.

seamus

Two weeks.

The easiest time to stay away from the beer is when you've got your head in the toilet the next day.

The hardest time is seven days later when that morning is a forgotten memory and you're back in party mood.

And the seven days again after that you'll find yourself eating a huge takeaway to take your mind off the beer.

After that though, it becomes remarkably easy to stay off the beer. I've done it for a month once; pretty inadvertant, sickness, training etc meant I had to keep away from it. Once the two week period was done, the cravings pretty much went away and I felt like I could carry on for ages without a beer.

So keep going, push on through. The hardest part is the weekend. Arrange to go to the cinema on Friday and Saturday. Choose 10pm viewings and pre-pay for your tickets. That way you have to go, and by the time you come out of the cinema it'll be too late to go to the pub.

scream

I did this for the last 3 years running and it got progressively more difficult each year. Not doing it anymore. I've done my time. Life's too short and too stressful. I know it's supposed to be hard but I was ready to kill last year.

Banjo String

HamsterFace wrote: »

People who drink are incredibly stupid and have no imaginations

Balls.

The most wild and vivid stories I've ever had retold to me have come out of the mouths of drunks or those with sever hangovers.

kidneyfan

I haven't had a drink or anything. I am just surprised that I want one at all. I gave up crisps last year and it was very easy. It makes me realise how often I do drink.

I wanted to try give it up for lent but I would just fail within a few days so what was the point. Too much stuff on every weekend that involves drinking. Gave up chocolate, sweets and desserts instead which is easier but not easy either.

Its a long long time since I went more than about 10 days without drinking.

Gongoozler

I'm off drink too, not for the lent ****e, but because it and my emotions don't mix well.

Been off it since new years, minus one weekend for my birthday. I do miss it. I miss having a glass of wine in the evening of a weekend, I miss having southern comfort, and the odd pint of cider. it's hard to not just have one, but one, I think, is the same as a bunch. When I read the op, I thought jaysus I'd love a southern comfort.

FTA69

seamus wrote: »

Two weeks.

The easiest time to stay away from the beer is when you've got your head in the toilet the next day.

The hardest time is seven days later when that morning is a forgotten memory and you're back in party mood.

And the seven days again after that you'll find yourself eating a huge takeaway to take your mind off the beer.

After that though, it becomes remarkably easy to stay off the beer. I've done it for a month once; pretty inadvertant, sickness, training etc meant I had to keep away from it. Once the two week period was done, the cravings pretty much went away and I felt like I could carry on for ages without a beer.

So keep going, push on through. The hardest part is the weekend. Arrange to go to the cinema on Friday and Saturday. Choose 10pm viewings and pre-pay for your tickets. That way you have to go, and by the time you come out of the cinema it'll be too late to go to the pub.

Absolutely. When I'm training for a fight I go off it for 12 weeks. As you said, the first two weeks you get the cravings and as much of it is readjusting your conditioned social habits. Afterward you start to fill up the time with other, more rewarding stuff and you barely miss it at all. I always end up getting demented on fight night and afterward regret the fact I'm back to the same stupid routine.

valoren

I never experience a craving to drink. I can go weeks or months without it.
It's more so that when I do have a drink, then it's never a case of having "Just the one".

It's drink, drink, drink until all the drink is gone. Or drink until the money on me is gone.
For example, if I bought a bottle of wine, I know I won't be satisifed with one glass, I'll drink the whole thing eventually consequences be damned. I would consider getting help for drinking, if for example, I drank the bottle of wine, just had to have more, and went out of my way to get more. That for me would be the line in the sand.

The same can be said for me though of sweets, chocolate, crisps etc, anything which produces a burst of happy chemicals in my brain. I'll eat them when offered but I don't buy them because I want/crave them so to speak.

The cravings you feel is your body/brain telling you that you need the booze as it is conditioned to it. Give it time and your body will right itself naturally.

I quit the coffee for Lent and went through the brain fog/mild headache withdrawal. My kidneys were in pain last Friday and my lower back was aching badly, now I'm fine and caffeine free. The chemistry of my brain has righted itself is my best guess. The next time I have coffee, then it will have the effect it is supposed to have and not some habitual conditioned response from my daily intake.

Steve_Carella

HamsterFace wrote: »

People who drink are incredibly stupid and have no imaginations

I had many years drinking and had a great time. Then it all went bad and I had a lot of bad times before realising I was an alcoholic. I managed to kick it a few years ago and am now happily sober and would not pick up a drink now if you offered me the winning Euromillions numbers. So I have a wide variety of experience of drinking and not drinking.

Therefore I know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that this is one of the most inane statements I have ever heard anybody make.

HamsterFace

Steve_Carella wrote: »

I had many years drinking and had a great time. Then it all went bad and I had a lot of bad times before realising I was an alcoholic. I managed to kick it a few years ago and am now happily sober and would not pick up a drink now if you offered me the winning Euromillions numbers. So I have a wide variety of experience of drinking and not drinking.

Therefore I know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that this is one of the most inane statements I have ever heard anybody make.

It wasn't an inane statement, I stand by it because it's completely correct

sbsquarepants

HamsterFace wrote: »

People who drink are incredibly stupid and have no imaginations

You've a face like a hamster. If people didn't drink you'd never get laid:D

crybaby

kjl wrote: »

You know that fizzy drinks are just as bad as beer. They have way too much sugar. I really don't know how they are so popular.
.

Yep just as bad as beer although I haven't heard of many people kill others due to the effects of a coke zero.

Penny Tration

Steve_Carella wrote: »

I had many years drinking and had a great time. Then it all went bad and I had a lot of bad times before realising I was an alcoholic. I managed to kick it a few years ago and am now happily sober and would not pick up a drink now if you offered me the winning Euromillions numbers. So I have a wide variety of experience of drinking and not drinking.

Therefore I know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that this is one of the most inane statements I have ever heard anybody make.

Fair play on the recovery hope it stays that way for you