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Post by Clinton Cool on Jul 10, 2021 21:52:18 GMT
For 7 or 8 years I've been drinking a bottle of red, usually every 2 nights. Didn't think about it much apart from being aware that I could easily have drunk a bottle every night, but forced myself not to. 2 months ago I decided to cut this in half. I'm really into my sports and fitness these days, found it hard going the night after. Also had a feeling it wasn't helping a medical condition I have; chronic daily headaches. Anyway, I've barely missed it. I feel fitter and the headaches are less intense. I may consider cutting down further, but I'm not rushing this.
Just wondered if anyone else on here had cut down, how it went for you? Did any of you stop drinking eventually, or drink only very occasionally, what was your path towards doing this?
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Post by Telemachus on Jul 10, 2021 22:09:56 GMT
For 7 or 8 years I've been drinking a bottle of red, usually every 2 nights. Didn't think about it much apart from being aware that I could easily have drunk a bottle every night, but forced myself not to. 2 months ago I decided to cut this in half. I'm really into my sports and fitness these days, found it hard going the night after. Also had a feeling it wasn't helping a medical condition I have; chronic daily headaches. Anyway, I've barely missed it. I feel fitter and the headaches are less intense. I may consider cutting down further, but I'm not rushing this. Just wondered if anyone else on here had cut down, how it went for you? Did any of you stop drinking eventually, or drink only very occasionally, what was your path towards doing this? I can’t really answer your specific questions, but empathise with the general points. When I was working as a pilot, really it was no drinking on a “school night” but several drinkies at the weekends etc. But then I retired and every day was a weekend! So now I drink too much, most nights and whilst not enough to get pissed, certainly several units. we used to go boating for a fortnight a year - a holiday fortnight when drinking every night seemed perfectly reasonable. then in 2011 we bought our own boat and every night on the boat was a holiday with concomitant “permission” to drink. Trouble was that was no longer 14 days, more like 114 days! So yes we drink too much. My uncle became a serious alcoholic in his later life and eventually it killed him. But then again I can not-drink for a day or two and not feel any withdrawal symptoms. And since Jeff had his jaw thing and in particular when he was first on antibiotics after the operation, he couldn’t drink and I drank much less. In fact he has been off the drink for about 10 weeks now, barely drinks anything. So I am down to a G&T a night (not every night, but nearly so), or maybe a glass of wine. Which is probably still over the government guidelines! so I think the point is that until you are physically an alcoholic, you can cut down any time you choose. Drinking is just a habit and if you think it is affecting your life, you should cut down as you did. Being a habit, I suggest that the best way to do so is to occupy yourself with something else and/or not put yourself in the situation where you would habitually drink. Maybe easier said than done!
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Post by Mr Stabby on Jul 10, 2021 22:17:28 GMT
I gave up drinking once. Worst evening I've ever had.
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Post by Clinton Cool on Jul 10, 2021 22:21:11 GMT
For 7 or 8 years I've been drinking a bottle of red, usually every 2 nights. Didn't think about it much apart from being aware that I could easily have drunk a bottle every night, but forced myself not to. 2 months ago I decided to cut this in half. I'm really into my sports and fitness these days, found it hard going the night after. Also had a feeling it wasn't helping a medical condition I have; chronic daily headaches. Anyway, I've barely missed it. I feel fitter and the headaches are less intense. I may consider cutting down further, but I'm not rushing this. Just wondered if anyone else on here had cut down, how it went for you? Did any of you stop drinking eventually, or drink only very occasionally, what was your path towards doing this? I can’t really answer your specific questions, but empathise with the general points. When I was working as a pilot, really it was no drinking on a “school night” but several drinkies at the weekends etc. But then I retired and every day was a weekend! So now I drink too much, most nights and whilst not enough to get pissed, certainly several units. we used to go boating for a fortnight a year - a holiday fortnight when drinking every night seemed perfectly reasonable. then in 2011 we bought our own boat and every night on the boat was a holiday with concomitant “permission” to drink. Trouble was that was no longer 14 days, more like 114 days! So yes we drink too much. My uncle became a serious alcoholic in his later life and eventually it killed him. But then again I can not-drink for a day or two and not feel any withdrawal symptoms. And since Jeff had his jaw thing and in particular when he was first on antibiotics after the operation, he couldn’t drink and I drank much less. In fact he has been off the drink for about 10 weeks now, barely drinks anything. So I am down to a G&T a night (not every night, but nearly so), or maybe a glass of wine. Which is probably still over the government guidelines! so I think the point is that until you are physically an alcoholic, you can cut down any time you choose. Drinking is just a habit and if you think it is affecting your life, you should cut down as you did. Being a habit, I suggest that the best way to do so is to occupy yourself with something else and/or not put yourself in the situation where you would habitually drink. Maybe easier said than done! Cheers for that Nick it's interesting to read other people's stories. I differ to you in that I've never wanted to have a glass of wine, a pint or a g&t. It's always had and has to be enough to get me reasonably pissed. When I was younger it was 6 or 7 pints of Stella pissed whereas nowadays it's a less pissed bottle of wine. Interesting what you say about being alcoholic. Do people actually get physical withdrawal symptoms, like when stopping smoking, or is it more a habitual thing, the subconscious dictating to the conscious mind? I'm going to carry on like this for a while. I find that if I make impulsive decisions I tend not to stick to them but if I deliberate over a period of time, any decision I make usually sticks. I do have the feeling though, that it's likely that I'll be more or less giving up drinking, perhaps just a very occasional one, which will still, inevitably, result in me getting pissed.
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Post by Telemachus on Jul 10, 2021 22:39:14 GMT
I can’t really answer your specific questions, but empathise with the general points. When I was working as a pilot, really it was no drinking on a “school night” but several drinkies at the weekends etc. But then I retired and every day was a weekend! So now I drink too much, most nights and whilst not enough to get pissed, certainly several units. we used to go boating for a fortnight a year - a holiday fortnight when drinking every night seemed perfectly reasonable. then in 2011 we bought our own boat and every night on the boat was a holiday with concomitant “permission” to drink. Trouble was that was no longer 14 days, more like 114 days! So yes we drink too much. My uncle became a serious alcoholic in his later life and eventually it killed him. But then again I can not-drink for a day or two and not feel any withdrawal symptoms. And since Jeff had his jaw thing and in particular when he was first on antibiotics after the operation, he couldn’t drink and I drank much less. In fact he has been off the drink for about 10 weeks now, barely drinks anything. So I am down to a G&T a night (not every night, but nearly so), or maybe a glass of wine. Which is probably still over the government guidelines! so I think the point is that until you are physically an alcoholic, you can cut down any time you choose. Drinking is just a habit and if you think it is affecting your life, you should cut down as you did. Being a habit, I suggest that the best way to do so is to occupy yourself with something else and/or not put yourself in the situation where you would habitually drink. Maybe easier said than done! Cheers for that Nick it's interesting to read other people's stories. I differ to you in that I've never wanted to have a glass of wine, a pint or a g&t. It's always had and has to be enough to get me reasonably pissed. When I was younger it was 6 or 7 pints of Stella pissed whereas nowadays it's a less pissed bottle of wine. Interesting what you say about being alcoholic. Do people actually get physical withdrawal symptoms, like when stopping smoking, or is it more a habitual thing, the subconscious dictating to the conscious mind? I'm going to carry on like this for a while. I find that if I make impulsive decisions I tend not to stick to them but if I deliberate over a period of time, any decision I make usually sticks. I do have the feeling though, that it's likely that I'll be more or less giving up drinking, perhaps just a very occasional one, which will still, inevitably, result in me getting pissed. For me it's less about getting pissed and more about quite liking the taste, and the mellow feeling. I never really got pissed when I had a lot of alcohol, my head remained fairly clear but eventually I would feel ill either at the time or afterwards.
As to being an alcoholic it is definitely a physical thing not just a habit. My uncle's whole character changed, he went from being a really nice easy going funny bloke, to being potentially quite nasty when the mood took him. And latterly, after his wife died and my mother (his sister) was trying to help him out, it would be a case of she had to give him a large glass of neat vodka for breakfast in order to stop the shaking and feeling like death. He hardly ate anything, his calorie intake was all alcohol.
But he was what they call a high-functioning alcoholic. He was an Old Bailey Judge for quite a few years after he became and alcoholic, but never really blotted his copy-book at work. I can't ever recall seeing him obviously drunk, other than a bit merry at a party just like everyone else. But he did admit that ever since he was a youth at university etc, there had not been a day when he had not had something to drink even if just a glass of wine etc. He died from his alcoholism at around 70 having spent the last 15 or so years of his life as a devious manipulative person whose only agenda was where his next drink was. Which was not his true nature at all. What a shame.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2021 23:06:47 GMT
An older guy I used to work with used to tell me "If you wake up needing a drink, you're an alcoholic"
A bit extreme, but the idea that we should always be in control of when and how much we drink is significant.
I can't honestly say that in my younger days I haven't drunk simply to get drunk ... but those days are far behind me.
As one gets older it's so much harder to recover from a 'heavy night' .
I find car driving cuts back drinking a lot, which is why on the boat we can drink as we wish (usually evenings only and one or two) but at home we tend to abstain for long periods ... you never know when or if you'll have to jump in the car and drive !
These days if the idea that maybe I'm drinking too much crops up, I take it as a sign to cut back.
But we're here for a good time, not a long time, so 'praise the God of all, drink the wine, and let the world be the world'
Rog
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2021 3:40:49 GMT
I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they get up in the morning that's the best they are going to feel all day!
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Post by JohnV on Jul 11, 2021 5:04:46 GMT
A lot of what has been posted resonates especially Nick's posts.
(I also had a lot of dealings with an alcoholic and Oh Yeah, manipulative,secretive, devious ... in spades)
When young and at sea I drank heavily (not just in port, but not enough to stop me working) After one several day session in port I was bad with a kingsized hangover and virtually unable to function. That gave me a scare and for the rest of my career at sea I was completely teetotal when the ship was at sea and only a light drinker ashore. I had realised that if I had been as bad as I was that day, during an accident, my life and the lives of all the rest of the crew might rest on a barely functioning hungover piss head ...... not a good thought.
In the 40 years since leaving the sea I have remained, all in all a light drinker and there has only been two three occasions when I have had far too much to drink (and ended up steering the porcelain bus during the night)
I like a beer after I have been working and in earlier normal times sometimes had a pint in the pub with one of the guys from the drydock on the way home in the evening, I like a glass of wine with my evening meal and a bottle used to normally last 3 days. (some days I don't drink ..... but not many)
In the last 18 months since the start of Covid problems, the wine consumption has crept up a little but a bottle always lasts at least two nights. There hasn't been enough sunny days for sitting outside in the evening with a glass to add up to anything worth talking about.
However, yes I probably am pushing the recommended limits and it might kill me off ..... in 20 or 30 years time (at least I hope so )
just remembered the third occasion .... I blame it on the stepson, he lead me astray when he became Killick and again at his stag do
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Post by ianali on Jul 11, 2021 6:00:57 GMT
Interesting post John. Had to look killick up!
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Post by patty on Jul 11, 2021 6:51:10 GMT
I've cut down. Used to drink maybe glass or 2 nearly every night...normally wine with the odd cocktail Now I try just to drink once or twice a week... Normally on a Saturday I share bottle white wine with daughter. Last night it was red with son in law and several mojitos. I then will have glass or 2 of red on a Wednesday...but now not every week. If daughter didn't come I would try to ditch the Saturday. I like a glass vino but issues with my stomach again is making it less appealing. I would like to stop drinking but will power not there atm. I suppose I could stop buying vino .
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2021 7:39:07 GMT
I have cut right back over the last few years, 4-5 pints a night, every night with more at weekends was the norm. Two years ago it was a couple every night somehow it shifted to 2-3 a week but only drink at weekends and now I go for a couple of weeks without a drink. On the occasions I do have more than a couple I really do feel crap the next day. There are days when I really want a beer but I remind myself how much weight I will put back on and how crap I will feel the next day if I have a few and somehow the want goes away.
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Post by Clinton Cool on Jul 11, 2021 7:52:14 GMT
I have cut right back over the last few years, 4-5 pints a night, every night with more at weekends was the norm. Two years ago it was a couple every night somehow it shifted to 2-3 a week but only drink at weekends and now I go for a couple of weeks without a drink. On the occasions I do have more than a couple I really do feel crap the next day. There are days when I really want a beer but I remind myself how much weight I will put back on and how crap I will feel the next day if I have a few and somehow the want goes away. Do you find that the temptation to have a beer lessens as time goes by? Problem is, I'm not very good at not doing things that I feel like doing. Cutting it in half has been absolutely fine, I'm not beating myself up at all. I'm hoping that might also be the case if I more or less stop completely. You know, a feeling that I really don't want to drink. 'just having a go' never works for me. I need to decide something for sure, then do it.
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Post by phil70 on Jul 11, 2021 8:05:00 GMT
Interesting topic, I have fortunately never been anything like alcoholic but did of course enjoy Friday nights out with the boys Drinking for me was just part of the social thing, the last time I got out of control was over 20 years ago when my mate kept topping up a huge wine glass which I of course emptied (rude not to) The evening ended with me doing donuts in the river and despite Chris's protests continued to be a complete prat until she managed to get us back to our mooring. Apperently I spent the night in a heap hanging out of or rather into the boat while the dogs just climbed over me to get out for a waz. That was a pivtol moment and there after I became very lightweight, I think it is an age thing, at least it seems thar way for me. I was lucky to have support from Chris who would remind me of that night if I looked as if I was going to slip back. 2 or 3 pints is now ample for me on the odd occasions that I drink, or a bottle of vino shared with Chris on odd occasions, no regular drinking for me now Phil
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2021 8:10:49 GMT
Many years ago we both used to smoke ... then we decided it was expensive, wasteful, harmful, and made us smell.
We stopped, which provided a cleaner, healthier, wealthier, version of ourselves ... it was easy to do.
I find if we put our minds to something, with clear motivation and obvious rewards, it becomes very achievable.
Rog
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Post by thebfg on Jul 11, 2021 8:22:12 GMT
I used to drink far too much. Pub 3 or 4 times a week and about 2 (24 pack) crates a week.
I enjoyed drinking but was accused many times of being an alcoholic even though I would stop for 6 months to prove a point.
The defining moment for me was blowing into a breathalyser and being slightly over the limit.
During my 10 month ban I cut down to normal levels. Pub once a week and a beer or two at home.
Nowadays I'll visit a pub once every couple of months with the family for a meal.(obviously except for the euros)
At home I'll buy four beers and that will last two weeks.
I like a drink but haven't got any intrest in getting drunk.
On the boat I always had a few but that was a holiday, different rules apply.
Funny enough I'm still accused of being an alcoholic even though I won't have a drop if I'm working.
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