When I say I've stopped, I've cut right back. I don't think I ever had a problem, as such, I'd often go weeks without a drink, but when I did drink, I drank a lot. It became my "personality" the thing people knew about me was I liked a drink/party. It wasnt helped by the fact that following DH's death I was taken under the wing of a group of lovely people, who got me out of the house and kept me busy, but also really like to party.
Anyway, I decided to change it and now haven't had more than two drinks in an evening for months, often none at all. This has had an impact on the things I like to do. Just hanging out at the pub has lost it's appeal and I really don't want to go back to the hangovers.
I have parties every weekend until Chridtmas. All events that I would previously been very much looking forward to.
I have two concerns. One is that friends don't love the fact that I've cut back will either try to twist my arm and/or consider me less fun than I used to be. It's true I won't want to be dancing as much and won't laugh so easily as mediocre jokes! I know people will say they're not good friends but they were very good to me and exactly what I needed at the lowest part of my life - a time when people I'd previously thought of as good friends disappeared.
So, I've enjoyed drinking less by doing quieter things I enjoy. For the next few weeks I need to find a way to be lively without a drink. Any techniques....?