Has anyone given up the demon drink?

dan_ashcroft said:
I'd say to just go for it and tackle the social leper side of it when you get that far. People won't even notice that you're not drinking after the initial first round and if anything the thing to worry about is being able to get away from the boring, looping, drunken conversations that begin once the night progresses. :D

I'm sure you'll be alert, witty, and on-form for the first couple of hours that people will remember most clearly, and then you can head off home. Fresh for the next day.
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I've done Sober October and Dry January a couple of times and have found it pretty easy. The one time I did struggle was when I was at someone's birthday bash and watched everyone else getting slowly hammered, and then they started offering to pay for a "golden pass" so I could have a drink. I just got annoyed and grumpy. Like you say, probably a good idea to make excuses after a couple of hours when it starts to get irritating.

I'm going for it. I had my last beer last night...a bottle of Adnam's Ghost Ship I'd bought at the weekend (hate waste). I will miss single malts and good red wine and even a good ale after a walk in the Dales but I'm sure I'll manage (God, I sound like an alcoholic). I'm going to try and make it to Christmas at least. There's a social event at the weekend but I've told people I'm going with that I've given up for health reasons so hopefully they won't give me any crap for not drinking. I can be the smug one the morning after! It can be fun getting pished but the hangovers and long-term effects at my age aren't fun.
 
I've had various times of stopping but as I get older it's probably something I should look at on a grander scale. I don't mind the social drinking as I don't go out as much as I used to when I was younger, but have definitely noticed I find it easier to have a drink at home now, which I rarely used to do.
 
I have cut down a lot in the past few years, but still get drawn in to the odd blow out. I try not to let this get me down too much, just use it as a reminder that I need to keep an eye on the units and cut down again!
 
Littlejimmy said:
I've done Sober October and Dry January a couple of times and have found it pretty easy. The one time I did struggle was when I was at someone's birthday bash and watched everyone else getting slowly hammered, and then they started offering to pay for a "golden pass" so I could have a drink. I just got annoyed and grumpy. Like you say, probably a good idea to make excuses after a couple of hours when it starts to get irritating.

I'm going for it. I had my last beer last night...a bottle of Adnam's Ghost Ship I'd bought at the weekend (hate waste). I will miss single malts and good red wine and even a good ale after a walk in the Dales but I'm sure I'll manage (God, I sound like an alcoholic). I'm going to try and make it to Christmas at least. There's a social event at the weekend but I've told people I'm going with that I've given up for health reasons so hopefully they won't give me any crap for not drinking. I can be the smug one the morning after! It can be fun getting pished but the hangovers and long-term effects at my age aren't fun.
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I went to the first social occasion since I stopped drinking a couple of weeks ago. In the past I would never have gone unless I was drinking, but this was fine and I enjoyed it. My partner was drinking and I was happy to drive. I the past there would be no way that I wouldn't have been drinking. The more time that passes the easier it gets
 
Nope, cut back somewhat on larger but not given up the main course. Tennessee Rye is of historical significance & it would be immoral to abandon it to history. That's my excuse & I'm sticking to it.
 
Littlejimmy said:
I've done Sober October and Dry January a couple of times and have found it pretty easy. The one time I did struggle was when I was at someone's birthday bash and watched everyone else getting slowly hammered, and then they started offering to pay for a "golden pass" so I could have a drink. I just got annoyed and grumpy. Like you say, probably a good idea to make excuses after a couple of hours when it starts to get irritating.

I'm going for it. I had my last beer last night...a bottle of Adnam's Ghost Ship I'd bought at the weekend (hate waste). I will miss single malts and good red wine and even a good ale after a walk in the Dales but I'm sure I'll manage (God, I sound like an alcoholic). I'm going to try and make it to Christmas at least. There's a social event at the weekend but I've told people I'm going with that I've given up for health reasons so hopefully they won't give me any crap for not drinking. I can be the smug one the morning after! It can be fun getting pished but the hangovers and long-term effects at my age aren't fun.
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You’ve helped yourself by posting here, in that it will make it that little bit more difficult to back down from the challenge now! I hope people help by bugging you everyone and again, and it would be good if other people signed up too.

You have a plan, and it’s a sound decision. You will have to fight the thoughts of it feeling unfair when “everyone else is having fun”. At times it may even feel depressing, and you may start wondering why you’re doing it; the ‘you only live once’ gremlins.

Remember that you are “allowed” to have a drink whenever you want. It’s just that you are choosing not to do so. You will feel great the next day when you wake up having kept to the sober plan. Willpower tests.

I can only say from that experience that it is 100% worth sticking to and that you have to drum in the memories of the hangovers, and keep them vivid. You don’t want to have to live the cycle of poisoning and recovering all your life.

I have found that the boredom does go and my plans for fun evenings have stopped being centred around ‘a few’ beers.

The irony is that people that have to knock beers on the head, are the people that love it the most!!
 
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