Drink break

JakeArmitage

How many of you take a break from the drink a few time a year,I've a big holiday coming up in 5 weeks and I think it would be great to give the booze a rest till then,problem is I dont think I can,would apreciate some insight

L1011

I make sure to have minimum 2 nights a week off entirely, up to 4 some weeks; and I've recently enough had a Flagyl enforced 2 weeks off all booze - including mouthwashes and "alcohol free" beers.

I don't find it hard at all really. 5 weeks is a bit of a stretch but it would be a good test of will. If you can't do more than a few days off in a row, you have a drink problem honestly.

jester77

What age are you, roughly? And why do you feel you need to take a break every so often?

That says to me that you think you have an issue with drink. I'm not a fan of these cold turkey, going on a diet type of schemes. They never work and they don't fix the original problem. It's a stop gap and once you break from it, it is back to the way things were. Small adjustments over time are a much better approach and something you can easily live with.

FortySeven

Think of it the other way. How often do you take a break from normality?

Scary thought?

Pawwed Rig

L1011 wrote: »

I make sure to have minimum 2 nights a week off entirely, up to 4 some weeks; and I've recently enough had a Flagyl enforced 2 weeks off all booze - including mouthwashes and "alcohol free".

Don't mean to be a dick but do you really drink 5 nights a week? Is that normal in your circle?

Second Toughest in_the Freshers

I try for at least one day a week,

The Bishop Basher

jester77 wrote: »

That says to me that you think you have an issue with drink. I'm not a fan of these cold turkey, going on a diet type of schemes. They never work and they don't fix the original problem. It's a stop gap and once you break from it, it is back to the way things were. Small adjustments over time are a much better approach and something you can easily live with.

Not sure I agree at all..

I was a heavy drinker for years.. All through my teens, 20's and 30's. I wasn't an alcoholic or anything but i loved a few pints.

In my late 30's I started taking one month breaks from the drink. I did it for a multitude of reasons but initially i just wanted to test myself and see what would happen if i did it..

Every time i went off drink i felt better. I slept better, looked better, ate better etc etc etc. So i kept taking months here and there because I liked how it felt.

Then about 16 months ago, i gave it up for a month and never went back. I haven't touched a drink since and my life has improved and changed in ways i never would have thought possible.

All of this came from taking a one month break and gaining a different perspective on alcohol. I would recommend it to anyone that hasn't tried it at least once.

BabyE

Average for me is drink for a night out and then not drink for weeks afterwards, I don't think I've ever had a drink casually. Last time I drank was the start of June.

PaddyWilliams

I'm 35. I used go out 5 nights a week. These days I don't do even a tenth of that. I had a night out about 3 weeks ago, haven't drank since. Hadn't drank for about a month or 2 before that.

Pawwed Rig

I went out last Saturday for 2 pints of Guinness. Hadn't been in a pub for a couple of months before that. I was going to have a beer last night but had a cup of tea instead.

L'prof

I've become accustomed to having one or two drinks most evenings to unwind after work. Not something I want to continue indefinitely, but it's the only thing keeping me sane right now

I might go out 2 or 3 times a year for drinks.

That's about it.

ozzy78

During the summer I tend to drink most nights. Hard to resist a cold IPA on a warm summer's day. This would be mostly at home. Only get out to the pub once or twice a month nowadays due to young baba. I do worry that I'm drinking too much and would consider taking a few weeks off. Did it in January and had much more energy.

helimachoptor

BabyE wrote: »

Average for me is drink for a night out and then not drink for weeks afterwards, I don't think I've ever had a drink casually. Last time I drank was the start of June.

I'd be pretty similar, i drink socially but wouldnt just go for a pint for no reason or drink at home.

Could be 2/3/4 weeks between drinks.

Starting an intensive crossfit thing next week so wont drink from now(essentially 2 weeks ago) til September.

also have 2 kids under 2 and doing a part time masters so tbh a big session isn't worth the hassle/time spent on the couch tbh

boobar

Most days I don't drink, but tend to over indulge when I do.

I could easily polish off a bottle of wine by myself and could knock back 6 or 7 pints at the pub. Pub visits are rare though.

I'm going on the dry for September and November...to see if I can do it. And for health reasons obviously.

carrollsno1

Went working across the pond start of june last year and came back just in time for the galway races hadnt time to drink there was pubs nearby alright but i didnt know much people there to go for a pint with came back near enough to a pioneer think i had 5 pints in that time i was there no fags either and it ruined raceweek for me could only drink fu*ck all and my stomach was in bits for the week after the first night so from my experience i would say keep tipping away the way your going

Elliott S

It's so interesting to read this thread and see that others are such infrequent drinkers. I rarely meet anyone similar in Ireland though I do know a handful of non-drinkers. Two or three times a year, I like to break from consciousness and get bananas. But that's about it. Hangovers, the expense and the weight gain through eating crappier are simply not worth it.

Pawwed Rig

When you're 40 with 2 kids getting paralytic is not a desired course of action. 6:30 is my getting up time 7 days a week. Wouldn't want to miss too many days suffering in bed.

That said even in my 20s my drinking was not as heavy as most of the drinkers here. I wonder has it gotten worse over time or is it because guys in their 20s have more leisure time now.

helimachoptor

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

When you're 40 with 2 kids getting paralytic is not a desired course of action. 6:30 is my getting up time 7 days a week. Wouldn't want to miss too many days suffering in bed.

That said even in my 20s my drinking was not as heavy as most of the drinkers here. I wonder has it gotten worse over time or is it because guys in their 20s have more leisure time now.

I've a good mate who'd booze every night, might be a couple of cans or more. no kids but i dont know how he does it, i could deal with the general **** feeling day after day.


I used to work with a guy who was mid 40's, every night he went to his local, him and his friends had a table in their local (well off south dublin area) he'd have 5/6 pints then either a bottle of wine or a 6 pack of cans when he got home. This was every night. He had chronic ulcers, but he used to get a health check every November 30th so from November 1st.. he'd stop drinking.

Im not sure how but all his liver function checks came back fine (or so he said) but he;s still going strong these days

ancapailldorcha

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

When you're 40 with 2 kids getting paralytic is not a desired course of action. 6:30 is my getting up time 7 days a week. Wouldn't want to miss too many days suffering in bed.

That said even in my 20s my drinking was not as heavy as most of the drinkers here. I wonder has it gotten worse over time or is it because guys in their 20s have more leisure time now.

There seems to have been something of a shift away form the culture of getting absolutely plastered in favour of a more relaxed mode of alcohol consumption. I read recently that the number of nightclubs in the UK has halved.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Interesting to hear people's different drinking habits.

I'm 33 and these days I rarely binge drink. Getting older and moving to the countryside most of my drinking is now at home with the wife, or if she's working I might have a lads night in (with Bridie the cat, okay it's a female cat but I still say lads night in! ) and chill out while watching a TV series.

About 3 nights a week I might drink but no more than that. On most of those nights I might have a max of 2 500ml bottles of beer or 2 glasses of wine or sip on a whiskey, but often just the one drink. If one of those nights are a Friday or Saturday we would probably have 1 or 2 more drinks to that.

Rare do I go on big sessions these days unless it's a wedding or a stag, it's that time of my life.

Back in the days in college we were reckless. Drinking a naggin or more of spirits to warm up before heading out. I remember 4 of us in the house used often buy 2 bottles of vodka between us and have them polished off before heading out, a half bottle each! If I did that now I would be in a heap, probably throw up and be written off for 2 days.

Turkey Creek

I've never been one for social drinking casually- the thoughts of having 1 or 2 social pints after work or with a meal pains me greatly - I haven't got the self control to walk away after a couple of beers - I'd need to go the whole 9 yards.

Because of that, I stay off it Sunday to Thursday 100% of the time no exceptions, then on Friday night I could drink 12 pints

Saturday I'd probably sit in, 8 cold ones watching a few movies

Then back on the healthy eating/non drinking wagon for the next 5 days

Far more satisfying in my opinion

Pawwed Rig

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

There seems to have been something of a shift away form the culture of getting absolutely plastered in favour of a more relaxed mode of alcohol consumption. I read recently that the number of nightclubs in the UK has halved.

I think niteclubs were their own worst enemies with often ridiculous door policies, over priced drinks and crap music. Rarely set foot in one where I can say I enjoyed it.

Don't think people are drinking less though. Just drinking elsewhere.

andekwarhola

I very rarely drink on a week night these days unless I'm off work the next day.

Most of the time, I drink every second weekend (one night) only but when I do, it'd be between 5 - 8 pints.

ancapailldorcha

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

I think niteclubs were their own worst enemies with often ridiculous door policies, over priced drinks and crap music. Rarely set foot in one where I can say I enjoyed it.

Don't think people are drinking less though. Just drinking elsewhere.

I've enjoyed the ones I've been to but I only go occasionally. That said, my local in Donegal used to charge €15 entry and Dublinesque prices for drinks. It was the only one and I can easily see why people don't like them.

The Bishop Basher

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Don't think people are drinking less though. Just drinking elsewhere.

A lot of the younger lads I would know are more likely to be found hanging out a gym then a bar.

They're a lot more body conscious then we were and take good care of themselves.

We just drank..

ongarboy

I think above rings true alright. There is such body image consciousness among many millennials that they will sacrifice or curtail booze to maintain the six pack. Previous generations were less concerned about appearances and fitness and probably boozed and still booze more.

I never drink at home as I do too much of it at weekends out. I try to abstain the remaining 6 days if I've gone on a major one the previous weekend (usually a Friday night and involving 8-12 drinks).

I also keep saying I'll take a month off but never somehow do. I can't manage a night out without a pint in my hand. What does that say??

Pawwed Rig

Swanner wrote: »

A lot of the younger lads I would know are more likely to be found hanging out a gym then a bar..

I wonder what the stats show

helimachoptor

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

There seems to have been something of a shift away form the culture of getting absolutely plastered in favour of a more relaxed mode of alcohol consumption. I read recently that the number of nightclubs in the UK has halved.

I've a very good friend who's greek, he works all over europe and ive visited him in many places, the continental approach (but espeically the spanish approach) is so refreshing, eating and drinking is a long event.

A social gathering is a means to interact and not get hammered

I kinda want off getting drunk too. I was toying with the idea ages back of whether I was a problem drinker or whether I should stop.

But then one day - due to an all ages no alcohol Damien rice gig that started mid afternoon - I ended up on the streets of Dublin to go home around the time the drunks really hit the streets. And seeing that sober from the outside - rather than as one of them myself - with their Walking Dead like appearance finally put the last nail in the coffin for me and I went essentially dry from then on.

Now my drinking habits are I only drink when I have a house party (once a month) and that would be nursing the one - on some occasions two - glasses of wine for the entire night. Or I might attend the occasional whisky tasting evening and the like.

A few of my friends - like the OP - moved to try going off the drink for a month or more. Most of them achieved it. But the language used when doing it did worry me slightly. How they had to try so hard - how difficult they thought it would be - the relief when it was over - and more. They really did sound like they had a drinking issue.

Utah

Swanner wrote: »

A lot of the younger lads I would know are more likely to be found hanging out a gym then a bar.

They're a lot more body conscious then we were and take good care of themselves.

We just drank..

I agree with this. When I was younger none of my friends went to the gym, not a single one. I think once we hit our 30s we started to go, probably due to middle age spread :rolleyes:
I see troops of young lads in the gym these days.

I drink once every two weeks I would say. 8-12 pints. That will soon be knocked on the head I'd imagine due to a sprog en route. I'm looking forward to it to be honest!