I'm new here. My plan is to stop drinking. I had just stopped for 4 months but over the last week I've been binge drinking. I felt so much better when I had stopped and accomplished a lot. I had to go on a business trip and that triggered the start up. Now I need to start over. It's pretty grim how negative the impact is on my outlook. Last week I felt like a completely different person. Positive, exercising, etc. Today depressing and I really don't care about anything.
Strange, I was drinking from Wednesday as well and stopped Sunday night. Monday was rough and really depressing. Today is a lot better and I know things will improve if I don't drink (since I drink a lot when I do). I can relate to where you are mentally so I can promise you your mood and health will improve without drinking. Give it an honest break. You're not going to miss anything by taking a break and I've got news for you, the supply won't run out either. It sounds like your body is sending you some pretty strong messages to stop. I know mine has.
I had stopped prior to New Years and didn't have a drink since last week. At first I thought it was a huge set back and I had erased everything that I had accomplished but that's pure crap. I learned that you really do feel a lot better about everything in your life if stop drinking (or binge drinking in my case). Yesterday was tough but today is better and I know it will continue to get A LOT better if I don't drink. Trust me, I just lived it. I'll stop now because I already know where I'll be 2-3 weeks or 2-3 months from now......20 pounds heavier, depressed, irritable, and all the other lousy things that go along with this lifestyle.
You can do it too and you will be a much happier person for it. .
So I filled out my diary for April and not surprisingly I had a large spike starting last Wednesday and ending Sunday. I realized those spikes are HARD on your body, both mental and physical, and hard to bounce back from. I still don't feel right but I know it will get better.
You can do it Greg. You won't be alone as I can guarantee I won't be drinking. I have a non-drinking activity Sunday and won't drink Saturday. Actually, I'm just going to stay away from it..period. It had become such a social part of my life; neighbours, friends, etc, all liking to drink and party. Since I've been staying away from it it had been uncomfortable dealing with social situations when I was not drinking at first, then it got progressively easier. But what I found was that the people that really matter and I want to spend time with don't bother me about it and the people with a problem make me feel uncomfortable. The funny thing is that it's the people that seem to feel uncomfortable are the people that keep telling me they can't stop and if they did stop for 3 months they would never start again. That kind of tells me something.
Greg, you don't want to feel sick. If you saw someone with a really bad case of the stomach flu you wouldn't go share their food right? But doesn't drinking have the same kind of effect so why do it?
Hang in there BillyW. It will get better. Quitting is really hard. I quit at the end of Dec. 12 and made it through to the middle of April. I had to go away on a business trip and had some beers and it seems to be creeping back into my life. I felt the best I've felt in years during my time away from it so I can tell you your sleeping will come back.
If you can you might want to consider a workout program, something like the Beach Body ones on t.v. They are usually 12 weeks and provide a lot of motivation because you really have to watch your diet. There are lot's of good ones to pick from as well.
I'm getting back on the wagon as well. I'm going to start the workouts again today. Once I get started I'm usually pretty good at staying away from the alcohol.
One thing I can promise is you'll feel a lot better mentally and physically and you'll be a much happier person. It's really amazing the difference you'll find it makes in your life.
I've come to the same conclusion as you and moderation doesn't work for me. I've made a decision to quit because moderation only works for so long for me. I quit completely from Jan. to end April this year and felt so much better. Then it starts off with moderation and then escalates over the course of 6 to 8 weeks until it's binge drinking. When I say binge drinking, I'm quite happy to do it by myself, or secretly anyway, like having "extra" drinks secretly while having a few beers with my wife or friends. But eventually, as it has over the last couple of weeks, my drinking drives itself into excess mode. So it's been a couple days and I'm starting to feel normal. It's easier to stop in the winter months because I can focus on working out but I find the summer more difficult. I've told my son and wife I'm quitting, which they think is a good idea, but they both like to drink and my wife will sit and have 4-5 beers while making dinner, while she gets nice and relaxed.
Anyway, it sounds like we're walking the same path. 2 days and counting....:) Best wishes on your journey.!
Hang in there. I can tell you from experience that it gets better, a lot better. I find my challenge right now that I'm working through is how I'm going to tell the friends around me that I've quit drinking. My neighbor drinks quite a bit, as do his immediate family and we're quite good friends. My other immediate friends also like to drink it up and it's all very social when we go away or get together. Add to that my business travel, which is often by myself and it's quite easy to go down to the bar rather than sit in my hotel room by myself. Can you say "trigger, trigger, trigger"........But the reality is that they might be triggers but those triggers are attached to a gun pointed at your head. I think if I explained it to them that way, they wouldn't bother me about it again because they would never do such a thing in a million years.
I have found the tools on this site to be very useful, particularly the assessment of my drinking frequency and the impact it has on your body. All I have to do is read that and it completely changes my view on the situation. I want to be healthy and take care of myself, not live a life of self-destructive addiction. Also the diary....as I read through my entries it reminds me of why I'm doing this.
Hang is there and stay focused. You're not alone in this journey.
Well, it's been since Sunday since I've had a drink and I'm feeling much better physically and mentally. I've spent a lot of time thinking forward about abstaining and fixing it in my mind how I'll deal with the situations when others are drinking. It's quite amazing actually how MANY situations I'll be faced with coming up so planning ahead on my approach is definitely key. I have a wedding to fly out to next week on the east coast and I know there will be a lot of pressure from others. In fact I just got a message from my sister who is having a Baileys coffee as I write this. I'll be honest with you, I'm tired of this vicious cycle and it's time for it to come to an end. It's harder to maintain the drinking lifestyle than it is to live without it. I'm looking forward to NOT having to deal with anymore. One key motivator I find that helps me not to drink is getting into a consistent workout program. When I focus on that I stay focused on my health. The drinking lifestyle simple ruins my health and makes me completely unmotivated.
Anyways, stay focused and enjoy the feeling of clarity that comes from not drinking.
I'm doing well, thanks for asking. Haven't had a drink and won't be having one. Interesting though....my son was partying it up pretty good last night, getting drunk and high with his friend (and he asked me to stop!). My wife is out with her friend tonight, 12 pack in hand, to party and barbecue (and she asked me to stop!). No doubt she'll be quite hammered when she gets home. And I'm just chilling out by myself. I was sitting and thinking about this situation and thought "This is really hypocritical....", but I've made a commitment to myself to stop so I'll stick to my resolve and enjoy my evening without drinking. I honestly don't feel any over-whelming urge (or any urge for that matter) to have a drink because I'm quite enjoying the idea of getting a good night's sleep and having a productive day tomorrow without the burden of feeling hungover and loosing a day.
I've set a goal of getting back at my workout program this week. It's 12 weeks long, 6 days each week. When I start that and focus on an end goal there is no room for drinking because it will derail it as soon as I do. I know from experience. I'm really glad I found this site. It's helping a lot and I really appreciate you asking. It's nice to know there are people that consider how it's going as I do for everyone here.
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