Thanks for your warm welcome! In answer to why I want to make a change now, I feel sick and tired of the physical and emotional pain that drinking too much causes me. When I drink too much I feel out of control and then feel ashamed and guilty. I don't want people to view me as someone with a drinking problem, I find that idea embarrassing. There are many times when my drinking hasn't been a problem and I can enjoy it. There are other times, though, where it causes negative consequences. I find that when I am feeling insecure in a social situation and drink too much, it generally is a bad idea. Even if I don't behave in an inappropriate way at those time, I end up second-guessing everything I did or said and lie awake at night regretting many things (many of which I am sure that other people didn't even think twice about!). I would like to change this pattern for sure. If I am going into a social situation that makes me nervous, I would like to abstain from alcohol. Another reason that I'd like to make a change is that I am concerned about the physical impact of heavy drinking on my health. I would like to stick to the 9-13 drinks/week limit that is considered within healthy limits. I can accomplish this by astaining from Sunday-Thursday each week and counting my drinks on Friday and Saturdays. I am leaning towards this as my goal at this time. There are another 4 weeks of complete Lenten abstinance for me to continue thinking about this. In addition to social anxiety, I have realized that boredom is another trigger for me to drink. I would like to think of some things to do outside the house that interest me, maybe taking a class in the evening or something. Even just going for a walk in the evenings would be enjoyable for me (although it is currently extremely cold where I live, which makes it difficult). Another health issue that motivates me to change is that when I drink too much, my quality of sleep diminishes and I feel more drained. I enjoy waking up feeling hangover-free and ready for the day!
