last thursday...
i finally quit drinking.

prior to that i reckon i've only had about 20 alcohol free days in the last 18 years.

and that ain't no joke.

fuck me, i could murder a stiff one!

edit: this has been the longest, sweatiest and most nausiating week of my life!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Tue 27 May 2008, 21:05, 18 replies)

From what I've been told it doesn't get any easier.....
So good luck to you. I've a family member going through the same thing.
( girlinthehole, Tue 27 May 2008, 21:23, closed)

i hope to buggery that you're joking...
but deep down know that you're not!
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Tue 27 May 2008, 21:28, closed)

Well done
and good luck.
(Belgaer is, Tue 27 May 2008, 21:35, closed)

me too!
Only I quit today - first night sober in over five years.

I can't _really_ say I've quit, but I certainly intend to try to live by an "only at weekends" rule. If I can't manage that for a month, then it'll have to be cold turkey.

Good luck with it, mate!
(weedom, Tue 27 May 2008, 22:02, closed)

I've not
had a beer or alcholic beverage since the beginning of april, mainly to aid in my attempt to quit smoking and also as i seem to need fewer drinks to make an arse out of myself these days.

I can honestly say it's the best thing ever. While I know I will have a drink again, I'm in no hurry. Being able to sleep naturally and wake up feeling great is just brilliant.

best of luck with it...
(Rakky (forgot her password) The muffin maverick, Tue 27 May 2008, 22:10, closed)

Well done
and best of luck, I hope it all works out for you.
(Petite chien is going to do science to it, Tue 27 May 2008, 22:28, closed)

Is b3ta full of alcoholics?

( idonthaveafunnynickname Drink-Aware? Sure. I'm aware I want another drink., Tue 27 May 2008, 22:29, closed)

you're only an alcoholic...
if you drink more than your doctor...

or something like that.

thanks for the support!

cyberhugs to you all xxx
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Tue 27 May 2008, 22:41, closed)

@ idonthaveafunnynickname
Nah, most of us are on the drugs.


;)
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Tue 27 May 2008, 22:47, closed)

I'm fortunate, I suppose.
Alcohol and cigarettes have not had a real grip on me- I can pick up smoking for a few days and then stop, and there are some days when I just don't feel like having a beer and don't particularly miss it. Apparently I'm not subject to addictions.

I am, however, subject to habits. I've had beer most evenings since I was in my 20s, and love it for the taste. Going without a beer for a couple of days just feels strange to me- not a physical craving, but more like not having your rings on your hands feels odd, or missing the feel of your keys in your pocket.

I've gotten away from scotch (except on special occasions) because it hits me too hard. I love the taste, but don't like feeling drunk and really hate the dehydration and lethal farts that I have the next morning.

Nonetheless, I know I should give up on beer soon- my clothes are getting too tight.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Tue 27 May 2008, 22:54, closed)

Good luck to you...
I wish I could say it was going to be easy, but although there may be difficult times you'll come through it a much better balanced human being.

Not unlike Rakky's experiences above, I had way too many occasions when I woke up the next morning with the persistent semi-realisation that I'd been an utter arse the night before. As time went on, the morning after cringe factor only ever got worse as it was often accompanied by blackouts and the horrible feeling that something controversial had been said or done by me during previous night.

Matters came to a head after a wedding last year, the wakeup call was enough to shake me from my self-delusion that just because I kept my body in good shape I'm not doing any harm.

A year on, I enjoy a drink or three but I also have a gut feeling when to stop and reach for the mineral water. The Sunday Morning Fear is no longer part of my life and I can look myself in the mirror knowing that I haven't behaved like a monumental cunt.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Tue 27 May 2008, 23:49, closed)

Good luck with the quitting.
I'm afraid it won't be easy.

I have a very special relationship with alcohol.
*mini-story*
I suffer pretty badly from insomnia, and it turns out that I have a bad reaction to the most commonly prescribed type of sleeping pills.
The doctors won't prescribe me the other kind because of other medical issues.

But anyway, I'll normally sleep about 4 nights of the week, for about 3 hours.
I can go over a week without sleeping, but then I crash for about 10 hours.

Anyway, a few shots of vodka or whisky before I go to bed can add a couple of extra hours to my sleeping.
So if I've got something important the next day, I tend to have a little liquid help.

Now I've written that down it sounds bad. It's better than the alternatives, trust me.
( Cawl, Wed 28 May 2008, 2:21, closed)

Good for you
Best of luck in your endeavours with this. It won't be an easy road to travel and I hope that you've got a good, strong social support network around you to assist in the process.

Best of luck - and keep us informed of your progress; a "drying-out blog" perhaps?
(Eds Meds Mathskillz=1,Socialskillz=0, Wed 28 May 2008, 4:01, closed)

good luck, mate
One day at a time; one foot in front of the other and keep going. I gave up for 2 years due to the medication I was on. It's very, very boring being the only sober person in the room but it's lovely waking up the next morning feeling good.

Are you in England? I ask because the attitude to non-drinkers here is one of suspicion, yet it's so much better than the attitude to non-drinkers in Ireland - suspicion, hostility, wariness, taunting and the rumours that I was pregnant (what, for two years?). Don't let people's lack of comprehension put you off.

Alcoholism runs in my family. It killed my uncle and grandfather, it hospitalised my sister, and my childhood involved my father drinking heavily, a lot, with associated problems. I've been using it as a crutch lately and that's got to change, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you as I sip my soda water and orange.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Wed 28 May 2008, 8:21, closed)

I thought
I thought you were only an alcoholic if you went to meetings...
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Wed 28 May 2008, 8:35, closed)

i gave up
drinking over a year ago now.. sweat through it because life is so much better without a haze of hangovers and dry mouths and cloudy heads and empty purses and wine corks or beer bottle caps floating around the place. AND you no longer have to worry about what potentially ridiculous stuff you've done the night before that you can't remember until you see someone next and they act like they hate you.

Life is better without alcohol.. the more you stick at it the more you will see.
(brotagaia, Wed 28 May 2008, 12:28, closed)

Good luck
Is it just me or am I the only one who thinks there isn’t a clear line between “20 dry days in 18 years” and “teetotal”. In fact, I think the line is extremely blurred and the blur covers the entire spectrum of alcohol consumption.

Even though I like to have the odd beer or six every so often, with me, it's not a habit. It's something I only do in a social setting. Sometimes, I end up having only one dry night in a week, but other times, I can go for more than a month without a drink. Being in my 30's, my alcohol tolerance has gone down somewhat, but if I pace myself, I can become 'socially lubricated' quicker before I get that ‘spaced-out’ feeling.

Anyway, good luck!


@ poultrymadame
Except me ;) I'm a natural loon :-P

@kaol
Have you tried getting up at exactly the same time each day? I’ve heard it’s supposed to set your body clock so you fall asleep when it’s bedtime. I used to do that when I was a teenager, but the demands of University social-life put a stop to that.

@CHCB
I find I have the ability to act drunk if I’m sober when I’m amongst the ‘socially drunk’. But maybe its because I go with the flow, or maybe its just coz I’m a ghetto-bonkerlicious natural loon.
( mistaspakkaman and the inedible shifting caterpillars, Wed 28 May 2008, 12:41, closed)

yeah!
a drying-out blog!!

i shall try and do something with my profile to keep the world posted on my progress.

as for an actual blog? you haven't a chance! i have absolutely NO IDEA how this interweb black magic works.

anyway, thanks for all the groovey thoughts and ting, much appreciated,

hugs to all,

AL (Blaireau69)
x
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Wed 28 May 2008, 21:39, closed)