Haven't touched a drop in...

nthclare · 16-01-2020 11:01am

Into my 17th year off the hooch, gave it up in 2003.
Never really thought my life would be where I am now.
Still single, my son's nearly 19 and I have my mortgage nearly paid off.
Working in the public sector have a secure job.
Have a degree and it's secured me a responsible role in my career of choice.
Working in the forestry/ horticulture/tree surgery area.

From Park bench to the tree tops lol

Chopinlist66 · 21-01-2020 11:47am

22 days off the vino. Very proud of myself, but still don't feel any great surge of energy quite yet.
Thought I would be hopping over the moon, but no.
One good thing, I don't feel the desire for wine, or any sort of alcohol.

tinpib · 21-01-2020 1:12pm

Fair play Chopinlist66. I automatically assumed that I would be bursting with happiness 24/7 immediately after giving up the booze. It didn't work like that.

It was nice not having the soul crushing lows of a hangover or post binge, but the rest of the time it was a solid 'meh', a 6/10 at best probably. It took a bit of getting used to.

Fingers Mcginty · 23-01-2020 8:39pm

10 weeks and counting. Life isn't suddenly all bliss ,like I thought it was going to be and I do miss getting off my face. it was a means of escape from the mundanity of life but still waking up hangover free and anxiety under control somewhat swings it for me.
I was more of a lone drinker at home. Can't stand pubs , the only way i could handle them is being absolutely langers drunk so i suppose I'm at an advantage there. Keep her lit!

Sigma Force · 28-01-2020 10:20pm

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

10 weeks and counting. Life isn't suddenly all bliss ,like I thought it was going to be and I do miss getting off my face. it was a means of escape from the mundanity of life but still waking up hangover free and anxiety under control somewhat swings it for me.
I was more of a lone drinker at home. Can't stand pubs , the only way i could handle them is being absolutely langers drunk so i suppose I'm at an advantage there. Keep her lit!

Well done! It’s a slow process and a learning process but each day sober is a bonus. If you are also going to meetings or support groups or one on one that might help you keep on trucking when things seem to lag a bit

De Bhál · 13-02-2020 5:33pm

21 days

wasn't a heavy drinker, just tipping most nights with a glass or two of beer , wine or whiskey with more usually one night of the weekend.

Plan was to go from January 20th to March 13th when we go on a family holiday.

Got a massive want on me last night watching an episode of Boardwalk Empire, during a scene they were drinking red wine over dinner and it looked good.

anyway, all good so far.

IrishLad90 · 13-02-2020 5:34pm

Almost 12 hours.. was 2/3 months o n the build up to Christmas

JupiterKid · 15-02-2020 11:50pm

Chaired my first AA meeting today. I was pretty nervous beforehand, probably overthinking about what I was going to say. But in the end I just told my own story of my descent into the darkness of alcoholism, stints in rehab and on sobriety support programmes, my many many relapses, false promises and bare faced lies to family and friends, false dawns after leaving rehab and finally my turning point on the right road to recovery.

So pleased to be able to contribute and give back.

Cushtie · 16-02-2020 12:04am

Just gone past the 9 year mark.

Dante7 · 26-02-2020 12:30am

Ten days. Using Campral and Rational Recovery book.

De Bhál · 02-03-2020 1:52pm

De Bhál wrote: »

21 days

wasn't a heavy drinker, just tipping most nights with a glass or two of beer , wine or whiskey with more usually one night of the weekend.

Plan was to go from January 20th to March 13th when we go on a family holiday.

Got a massive want on me last night watching an episode of Boardwalk Empire, during a scene they were drinking red wine over dinner and it looked good.

anyway, all good so far.

41 days

candycock · 02-03-2020 2:00pm

I'm always following this thread for some good advice and encouragement, I broke recently n binged for days, I cant understand why I do it, I am unhappy in my life and depression is always near by, I always have these thoughts of wait a failed life I lead, middle aged alcoholic, no kids, no money, no partner, living in rented accom, I'm so trapped in this life.

drydub · 02-03-2020 3:42pm

I recently passed the 2 year mark.delighted with myself and so content wity my choice to stop.

My mams downward spiral has only toughened my resolve to stay off it and to continue.
Wishing you all the best of luck again on your journeys
It's hard but worth it.

Amazingfun · 06-03-2020 6:42am

candycock wrote: »

I'm always following this thread for some good advice and encouragement, I broke recently n binged for days, I cant understand why I do it, I am unhappy in my life and depression is always near by, I always have these thoughts of wait a failed life I lead, middle aged alcoholic, no kids, no money, no partner, living in rented accom, I'm so trapped in this life.

I used to be constantly baffled by this cycle/loop of doom recurring in my life over and over and over. Felt like I was mad

turns out I was, where alcohol is concerned.

I suggest a read of this, then , after taking the info transmitted here as a sort of blueprint, lay it across your own drinking history and then ask yourself " is this me"?

http://silkworth.net/gsowatch/litbook.pdf

Lifechanging exercise, if done honestly.

I am over 18 years away from drink now ---no relapses!----thx to doing this (and the rest of whats on tap , of course). But I didn't see why I had to do anything else until I experienced the truth in this, that I am indeed alcoholic and that I can never, ever, drink again if I expect any kind of happy life or freedom. Now I gratefully enjoy both but it still hinges on my ongoing acceptance that time sober in and of itself is no defense against a return to delusion regarding me and booze. Not a bad deal, all things considered

You can recover too, if you really want it.

peddlelies · 08-03-2020 6:43am

22 days.

Wicked anxiety over the weekend but have gotten through it. 3-4 weeks mark has been mentioned by a lot of people in this thread as particularly bad and I think there's a lot of truth in it.

2018na · 08-03-2020 7:23am

Haven’t had a drink yet in 2020. Really feeling good about it. Other option is to have a drink every single day, not fall down or anything not even get drunk but just have to have at least 4 pints and some tinnies. Waste of too many years like this. Would love the ability to just have a drink occasionally but it’s not like that for me unfortunately. Stick with it people it’s so much better not wondering when you’re first drink of the day is gonna be

xJustMex · 10-03-2020 5:44pm

From Saturday night I’ve consumed two 70cl bottles of vodka aswell as two half bottles !! Disgusted and fed up! Had nothing today but been reading into things, and I have to accept that I can’t have any relationship with alcohol what so ever!! I wouldn’t say I crave alcohol, I could go a week or two without any, but when I do decide to have a drink I just don’t know when to stop at times and I’ve notice it gradually get worse until here I am! Feeling positive considering ðŸ‘ðŸ»

drydub · 10-03-2020 6:12pm

xJustMex wrote: »

From Saturday night I’ve consumed two 70cl bottles of vodka aswell as two half bottles !! Disgusted and fed up! Had nothing today but been reading into things, and I have to accept that I can’t have any relationship with alcohol what so ever!! I wouldn’t say I crave alcohol, I could go a week or two without any, but when I do decide to have a drink I just don’t know when to stop at times and I’ve notice it gradually get worse until here I am! Feeling positive considering ðŸ‘ðŸ»

You are in a good spot in recognising your behaviour and acknowledging that what's going on isn't right and it cant go on.

Why not put together a plan now? Talk to someone? Maybe think about going to a meeting?

All you have to do is concentrate on your next move. Concentrate on the next hour, then the hour after that.

xJustMex · 10-03-2020 7:57pm

drydub wrote: »

You are in a good spot in recognising your behaviour and acknowledging that what's going on isn't right and it cant go on.

Why not put together a plan now? Talk to someone? Maybe think about going to a meeting?

All you have to do is concentrate on your next move. Concentrate on the next hour, then the hour after that.

Yeah, I’ve mentioned it to my close friends before, they laugh and be like ‘wise up you’re not an alcoholic you just love a good sesh every now and then’ so I think maybe having a serious talk with them is a good idea, weather they believe I am or not, I know I am. I may not drink every day, or every week for that matter, but I can’t control it when I do.
My dads functioning alcoholic and 3 of my aunts (his sisters) are AA members 15+ years, it’s in the genes. I know the smart thing to do is approach them, but I’m not ready to have that chat with them and to be honest I don’t know how comfortable I’d be with them, although I know they’d be very kind.
I’m fine at the minute, like I don’t crave alcohol, it’s just the realisation that yes I have a problem, and I’m better address it now before it escalates anymore, the further into the woods I go the harder it’ll be to get back out!
But I’ve really enjoyed reading this thread and feel good that this is the start of me taking responsibility for myself

drydub · 10-03-2020 8:42pm

xJustMex wrote: »

Yeah, I’ve mentioned it to my close friends before, they laugh and be like ‘wise up you’re not an alcoholic you just love a good sesh every now and then’ so I think maybe having a serious talk with them is a good idea, weather they believe I am or not, I know I am. I may not drink every day, or every week for that matter, but I can’t control it when I do.
My dads functioning alcoholic and 3 of my aunts (his sisters) are AA members 15+ years, it’s in the genes. I know the smart thing to do is approach them, but I’m not ready to have that chat with them and to be honest I don’t know how comfortable I’d be with them, although I know they’d be very kind.
I’m fine at the minute, like I don’t crave alcohol, it’s just the realisation that yes I have a problem, and I’m better address it now before it escalates anymore, the further into the woods I go the harder it’ll be to get back out!
But I’ve really enjoyed reading this thread and feel good that this is the start of me taking responsibility for myself

Your friends won't change their perspective so I wouldn't bother with them. When I quit I didn't understand why my friends were actually working against me. They do it to protect their own relationship with alcohol.

I battled in the last 3 years knowing my mother is an alcoholic and thinking I was just following in her steps, blaming the genetics. But it isn't that simple. Maybe we are inclined to follow behaviours we are around but we are our own people. Our own decisions.

I think you are at a cross roads of realising what the problem is and trying to work out what you want to do next. Maybe book an appointment with your GP for bloodtests and explain to them you think you have a problem and see what they suggest.

There are a few books that are worth reading too. They aren't magical wands but I found I could resonate with a chapter or two and that's all I needed.

Whatever you do and whenever you do it,i honestly wish you the best of luck in what you try.

xJustMex · 10-03-2020 9:44pm

Thanks, you’re very kind and I appreciate your advice!!

Any particular books you’d recommend?

I’m probably very naive, but I’m relieved and excited in away, although I know chances are I could fall off the band wagon a few times by reading others experiences and it’s not always going to be easy.
I’m just moseying to see if there’s any type of support group around my area, even for chats and just sharing journey with similar people. I know the AA is everywhere, but with my family that’s just too close for comfort I don’t think that would work at all, probably hinder me more than anything. Worse case scenario I suppose I could travel to different area.

I’m in Donegal, so if anyone who comes across this is aware of anything I’d appreciate any direction. I don’t mind having to travel within reason

drydub · 10-03-2020 11:00pm

xJustMex wrote: »

Thanks, you’re very kind and I appreciate your advice!!

Any particular books you’d recommend?

I’m probably very naive, but I’m relieved and excited in away, although I know chances are I could fall off the band wagon a few times by reading others experiences and it’s not always going to be easy.
I’m just moseying to see if there’s any type of support group around my area, even for chats and just sharing journey with similar people. I know the AA is everywhere, but with my family that’s just too close for comfort I don’t think that would work at all, probably hinder me more than anything. Worse case scenario I suppose I could travel to different area.

I’m in Donegal, so if anyone who comes across this is aware of anything I’d appreciate any direction. I don’t mind having to travel within reason

I read Allen Carr, how to quit alcohol, stopped half way, continued drinking but revisited it in a different frame of mind and found it valuable
Catherine Grey - the unexpected job of being sober. Found this book good to handle social situations and how to recognise triggers etc and it's fairly light hearted too

A big thing for me at the start was just getting myself out of situstions where I would fail. I couldn't have just the one. 10 pints was the norm. That turned to 12 /16 pints. Obsessed with lock ins. But the final straw was I recognised how my personality changed when drunk.
I got involved with an email support group with daily checkins which was good, kept me focused.
Lifering have meetings too, they also have an online chat form which might be beneficial to find like minded people.

If you fall off the wagon, don't be hard on yourself. I tried to quit over a number of years but it clicked with me the last time I quit and I'm rolling with it and enjoying it.

tinpib · 11-03-2020 7:24pm

Read through this thread and the non-drinkers forum for starters, I constantly recommend the stopdrinking subreddit on here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/stopdrinking/

Best of luck to you.

DaeryssaOne · 12-03-2020 11:39am

xJustMex wrote: »

Any particular books you’d recommend?

I've been recommending these books a lot recently on Boards because I really found they helped me to change my mindset and be happy to stay sober - I was very like you OP, could go days / weeks without even thinking about drinking but once I started I could very rarely stop and would wind up with dreadful anxiety and hangovers as a result.
Life has improved so much since I stopped that I'm excited for you to get started on the road to recovery and feel the same way!

This Naked Mind - Annie Grace - fabulous for helping your subconscious mind catch up with your conscious mind and understand the lies you tell yourself to keep drinking.

The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober - Catherine Gray - a lighter read that is entertaining and helps you overcome those awkward things you have to do after quitting like dating / dancing etc.

Alcohol Explained - William Porter - very factual explanation from an ex drinker of what alcohol actually does to our bodies and minds.

Other than that I like the no-drinking social media accounts of pages like 'One Year No Beer', 'Sober Girls Society', 'Millie Gooch' and 'Club Soda' as well as the stop drinking reddit.

The very best of luck and keep updating here with your progress as it helps your accountability too.

peddlelies · 21-03-2020 9:48am

peddlelies wrote: »

22 days.

Wicked anxiety over the weekend but have gotten through it. 3-4 weeks mark has been mentioned by a lot of people in this thread as particularly bad and I think there's a lot of truth in it.

35 days, depression/anxiety cloud is starting to lift. First time in years I've felt so mentally focused - the past week it was 1 bad day then the next good then back to bad in waves, but the past two days were good. There was NO good days when I was drinking.

Foweva Awone · 24-03-2020 5:59pm

Just thought I'd share this schedule for outside AA meetings in Dublin, might be of use to some with the way things are at the moment.

peddlelies · 04-04-2020 5:12am

Still off the wagon, I'll try break down how the past 50 days were for me as a regular binge drinker.

First few days the usual hangover symptoms with bad depression/anxiety.

Around day 5 felt pretty good but that last only lasted a day or two. Following couple of weeks anxiety and depression still there but not extreme. Trying to do anything that required long periods of concentration would result in severe anxiety, agitation and sweating.

Around 30 days my mind just went totally clear but it was very short lived, it lasted for about three days of mental clarity. After that I experienced the worst anxiety/depression so far, extremely intense and it almost broke me. This kept up for a few days then would revert to the exact opposite, pure elation and optimism. For about 10 days my emotions were up and down, one day I'd feel terrible and the next really good.

The past week there's been no highs or lows, my mood has stabilized to somewhere in between. There's still some anxiety there but it's manageable and I feel like every day that passes my emotions and mood are leveling out, there's no major swings.

I won't update for a good while just felt like writing down the emotional roller-coaster of the past 50 days while it's fresh in my head. I hope eventually I'll get back to a level of those couple of days of pure calmness and mental clarity, it was an incredible feeling and make me remember what my life and mind was like a long time ago. Anxiety/Depression are horrible things.

GL everyone hope all stay safe in these crazy times with covid19

Fingers Mcginty · 19-04-2020 1:33pm

DaeryssaOne wrote: »

I've been recommending these books a lot recently on Boards because I really found they helped me to change my mindset and be happy to stay sober - I was very like you OP, could go days / weeks without even thinking about drinking but once I started I could very rarely stop and would wind up with dreadful anxiety and hangovers as a result.
Life has improved so much since I stopped that I'm excited for you to get started on the road to recovery and feel the same way!

This Naked Mind - Annie Grace - fabulous for helping your subconscious mind catch up with your conscious mind and understand the lies you tell yourself to keep drinking.

The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober - Catherine Gray - a lighter read that is entertaining and helps you overcome those awkward things you have to do after quitting like dating / dancing etc.

Alcohol Explained - William Porter - very factual explanation from an ex drinker of what alcohol actually does to our bodies and minds.

Other than that I like the no-drinking social media accounts of pages like 'One Year No Beer', 'Sober Girls Society', 'Millie Gooch' and 'Club Soda' as well as the stop drinking reddit.

The very best of luck and keep updating here with your progress as it helps your accountability too.

I'm listening to "alcohol explained" ...Definitely recommend it.

BK92 · 20-04-2020 8:44am

1 day.

After an off-the-cuff remark at what was supposed to be an enjoyable evening watching Netflix with the family, I knew my relationship my alcohol had to change and now.

Naively, I always thought alcohol addiction in it's most basic sense was the only problem. If you drink a bottle of vodka everynight, spend all the child benefit at the pub à la Angela's Ashes and have to be dragged into bed my your wife with a basin beside the bed, you're in trouble.
Otherwise it was 'just a good session', 'ah you'll get out of it by the time you're out of your twenties', 'just don't go beyond 2/3 pints' etc.

On Saturday night I realised that in my case it was none of this. I 'just had' the one glass of wine. It was my relationship with alcohol and my lack of awareness about how my personality changes when I'm drinking. I never drank too much quantity-wise, and 19 times out of 20 I just had a good time with my wife, friends or extended family. The problem was that 1 time out of 20 when I'd make a joke in poor taste, make a 'witty comment' and get blank stares or lose patience with one of the kids because of a perfectly reasonable request.

Everytime this happened I told myself I'd try and control myself better next time, count to 10, only have one drink in the pub on a Friday after work, only drink in the restaurant with food, only drink on special occasions etc. Great intentions, but nothing ever worked 100%

I've fantastic support in a loving wife and family and I'm an early riser who loves getting things done while the sun is coming up, a long time without a drink (even forever!) would suit me down to the ground !

Thanks to all who read this !

Fingers Mcginty · 20-04-2020 11:05am

BK92 wrote: »

1 day.

After an off-the-cuff remark at what was supposed to be an enjoyable evening watching Netflix with the family, I knew my relationship my alcohol had to change and now.

Naively, I always thought alcohol addiction in it's most basic sense was the only problem. If you drink a bottle of vodka everynight, spend all the child benefit at the pub à la Angela's Ashes and have to be dragged into bed my your wife with a basin beside the bed, you're in trouble.
Otherwise it was 'just a good session', 'ah you'll get out of it by the time you're out of your twenties', 'just don't go beyond 2/3 pints' etc.

On Saturday night I realised that in my case it was none of this. I 'just had' the one glass of wine. It was my relationship with alcohol and my lack of awareness about how my personality changes when I'm drinking. I never drank too much quantity-wise, and 19 times out of 20 I just had a good time with my wife, friends or extended family. The problem was that 1 time out of 20 when I'd make a joke in poor taste, make a 'witty comment' and get blank stares or lose patience with one of the kids because of a perfectly reasonable request.

Everytime this happened I told myself I'd try and control myself better next time, count to 10, only have one drink in the pub on a Friday after work, only drink in the restaurant with food, only drink on special occasions etc. Great intentions, but nothing ever worked 100%

I've fantastic support in a loving wife and family and I'm an early riser who loves getting things done while the sun is coming up, a long time without a drink (even forever!) would suit me down to the ground !

Thanks to all who read this !

Well done

Haven't touched a drop in...

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