How can I remember not to get too drunk?

[Ihavenobrain]

Every time I go out drinking I get really poorly the next day. I get panics attacks feel lonely and anxious and have palpitations!
I'm not falling all over the place and being sick, I just talk a lot and become loud and dance a lot.
I become very confident and say things I wouldn't normally.
I would like to get a little merry and laugh but not be chewing everyone's ears off and wanting to go clubbing and stay out til 4am.
How can I do this because when I get one drink down me I really like it and think to myself what the hell.
I only go out drinking prob about once every 2 months.
Any advice??

Remind yourself before you go out and at regular intervals that you dont like how you behave when pissed and that you hate hangovers.

Eat a proper meal before you go out.

Drink a glass of sparkling water or something like cranberry and soda between each alcoholic drink.

Set yourself a time when you'll leave and stick to it. Pre-order a cab or set yourself a phone reminder or something.

Its do-able. And once you have done it a few times, it becomes much easier to set those boundaries.

Advice from someone who has made a tit of myself one time too many and suffers four day horrors after drinking

When I went off to university my mum gave me a good piece of advice about drinking.
'When you can't feel your face stop drinking'.

there was a phrase on one the Bus or Dry threads that really stuck with me - something like "replay the end of the movie".

Basically remember THAT time, the time you got too drunk and remember either what you did when drunk or the hangover the next day. Picture it in your mind, in graphic detail before you go out and remember it each time you go for another drink. I find it slows me right down....

You aren't drinking very often and that might mean you don't have a high tolerance, this is a good thing
I'm sure you've heard all the usual stuff, have something to eat , make every other drink water etc
What are you drinking?
I don't drink wine when I go out because I drink it too quickly but I'm fine with vodka & soda for example.
Don't start drinking before you go out. I know someone who is always a good 3 drinks ahead of everyone else and its a recipe for disaster.
Are you getting much much more intoxicated than the people you're with on the same amount of alcohol?

On a similar theme to Jackie, I find being sociably late helps. People tend to drink their first couple quickly and then slow down, so in a round situation, if they've had the first two before you get there, you'll drink more sensibly.

I wish I knew how to do it too. I need to stop a long time before I can't feel my face or I'll be rotten in the morning and I really begrudge those wasted days but I really enjoy the night before!

I have this problem too.

However a recent tactic that seems to work is have occasional breaks to go to loo/ get some fresh air and have a few seconds to think how drunk am I? If I'm starting to feel a bit unsteady then that's when I need to get on the diet coke. For some reason when I'm with others /dancing I don't notice how drunk I'm getting and keep going until I become unwell.

Oh and don't do rounds as I findo I drink far more that way. My friends know I can be a "lightweight" and have seen the result of me drinking so don't mind me pacing myself

I quit drinking 13 years ago when expecting my daughter. My father was a high-functioning alcoholic and I have never looked back. Would you consider going teetotal? Once people get used to the idea of you not imbibing, it can be really quite fun.

I have recently stopped drinking because I make an arse of myself every time I go out. I let my mouth run away with me and annoy people.

I definitely found changing my drink worked but I'd never stick to it hence why I've given up completely.

I used to drink vodka and red bull and I was unbearable. I would be ill for days afterwards and have 'the fear' for a while. I changed to vodka and coke but I'd drink it far too quickly and easily and get absolutely smashed hours before everyone else making me the lone pissed idiot who nobody wants to sit next to. I would be so hungover and my stomach would be agony the next day.

I then moved on to cider and I was so much better. I could have a few pints, feel merry and go home without any drama and I woke up not too bad the next morning. I enjoy a cider but I would have one pint then move on to cocktails and vodka and the cycle would go on.

I treat every night out as a mission to get smashed, and I drink to get drunk rather than socialise. My friends would be happy just sitting chatting and having a few, whereas I'd be restless wanting to move on to the club or another pub with music etc. I have lost a few friends over my actions on nights out and gigs, they are embarrassed by me and I can now see why. I'm not going out for a bit.

My advice is try changing your drink or drink or start on soft drinks and start drinking later on.

it's very simple - if you don't tolerate alcohol then don't drink.

Not being able to know when you're over your threshold is a dangerous slope to go down especially if you actually enjoy the feeling at the time so don't actually want to stop.

I am more or less teetotal because on the whole I don't like the taste of most alcohol, but this also means that I have a very low tolerance to it, so on the rare occasion when I do have anything to drink it takes very little (we're talking two glasses of wine max) to get me to a point where I feel that I'm not sober, and I don't have a middle ground so it's like flicking a switch. I don't get aggressive either just a bit more chatty/confident but I don't actually like the feeling either.

Result is that on the whole I don't drink, or if I ever do, then only ever if I'm with someone who I trust to spot the signs before I do and suggest that maybe coke is a better idea.

I wish I knew!

Actually going dancing is good for me as I only drink wine and it's usually horrible in nightclubs so I get one to be sociable when we get there but don't drink it. Prefer dancing to drinking.

I can drink a lot with meals. Try to remember to drink water but that never lasts long!

White wine and soda works for me when I remember.

Great advice everyone thanku.
I drink wine
Planning on having vodka lime and lemonade. Not sure if that's ok.
I do get on a mission and do get bored sitting chatting. I can't wait to get the next drink and move on to somewhere else.
I'm definitely going to take myself off to the loo and think hard how I feel.
I used to drink pints years ago and was ok ish.
Has become worse since I started on wine about a year ago.
I do also have drinks before I go out to make me feel more comfortable. I like that I can let go and relax but need to find a happy medium.
Don't want to give up because I lack confidence and get nervous before I go out. Dumb I realise

Dont drink before you go out.

Dont for GOD's sake drink glass after glass of wine. Everyone gets pissed after three pub sized glasses of vino!

Single vodka and soda, then a soda, then a single vodka and soda etc. you could have six drink in an evening and onoy three would be alcoholic.

Well tonight's the night ??
No wine. I'm having a bottle of bud before I go out

Had 6 rum and cokes and water.
Came home at midnight and felt great BUT have had anxiety all night long and haven't slept a wink!

Read the Allen Carr book, "Easyway to stop drinking". It busts all the myths about the false "benefits" of drinking. Really, there are none.

I'm seriously considering going t total

The lack of sleep and palpitations could be from the coke with your rum.

Dh and I are like this, personally we get stupendously ill the next day and end up losing a whole day and I can vomit for 24hrs.
Last night we had a do and went out fairly determined to be sensible.
We ate a big pasta meal before.
Didn't drink at home beforehand.
Stuck to vodkas and asked for tall glasses with extra mixer.
Stopped drinking when we felt pissed.
We are ok today but I have also been awake pretty much all night so will feel crap all day anyway but at least with no puking.

The every other drink thing works for me. If I consciously try to take it easy I find no effect at all from the alcohol and hence it seems like a waste of money. But if I think "What the hell!" then I get drunk very quickly and easily and it's unpleasant.

And yy avoiding wine unless at home.

I too really suffer the next day with terrible anxiety and palpitations. Drives me insane. It's starting to spoil going out. I don't feel that hungover just massively on edge

Also ....I found putting headphones on and listening to a meditation app really helpful because I always fall asleep listening to it and often feel better when I wake up.

I get the anxiety and palpitations all night too sometimes, it's miserable. Tbh, I very rarely drink much at all as a result. When I do, I find I'm better off drinking at home, in a more sociable environment. Lots of water and lots of food helps. I find when there's a bigger gap between drinking and bedtime works for me too- so I might drink earlier in the evening then stop and switch to water or soft drinks so I'm nearly sober before bed. It is difficult though and people can be really pushy about it. Do you have a friend that you're regularly out with that can help you? I've done that before with someone else who asked me to, gently reminded them to stop drinking at a certain point.

Another one saying swerve the wine. I now stick to bottles of bud or vodka tonic in a tall glass with LOADS of ice .
To combat 'The Fear' I have a couple of mugs of weak tea before I go to bed.

Felt completely sober when I got home. Felt really happy. Went to bed couldn't get to sleep got up for a bit then tried again. Then it hit. The thinking of everything possible. Going over the evening.
I have cancelled my next night out and am not looking forward to going out again.
Really do look forward to it but now things are changing.
The next time I'm not going to drink and see how it goes.
Glad I'm not alone on this. Feel like a weirdo