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Alcohol support
Two bottles of wine a night to nothing
Todayisanewday75 · 14/02/2022 09:34
Anyone any experience? I know I want to stop but I’m scared about withdrawal symptoms.
Mybestyear · 14/02/2022 10:26
Hi @Todayisanewday75 - I am more of a binge drinker than a regular/every day drinker. If I've been drinking, say two or three days, I will get some withdrawal symptoms - sweating, panicky, fast pulse and sometimes vomiting. Not full blown DTs or anything like that but you never know so you might want to Google 'tapering off' where you reduce your intake over a few nights/week etc. Probably the safest way to do it. Would you discuss with your GP?
MopHeaded · 14/02/2022 10:33
Yep. Did it nearly two years ago, haven’t touched a drop since. I was drinking 2-3 bottles of wine a night every night, sometimes topping up with vodka.
I didn’t get withdrawal symptoms luckily, but if you’re worried about that, your GP can help.
I did it with AA. I’m not suggesting that’s the only way, but it worked for me and it’s totally changed my life for the better.
brightspice · 14/02/2022 13:49
Yes. See a doctor if you are physically addicted.
AA works for many people.
I took the life coaching route where I got rid of the desire to drink. When you don't desire it, it's easy to not drink it. You don't need heaps of time either. You just need to try new things, be willing to get it wrong, learn and reapply.
You can do it. If you don't believe you can right now, borrow some of my belief until you do 
Todayisanewday75 · 14/02/2022 13:52
Thanks for the replies.
How do you know if you are physically addicted? I did two online questionnaires this morning, one said I was likely to be and the other said unlikely.
Also any ideas how to deal with the voice that says “have one last bottle and start tomorrow”??? It’s driving me crazy
Todayisanewday75 · 14/02/2022 14:03
@brightspice thanks, I could certainly do with some belief! I read Allen Carrs Easyway to quit drinking which is supposed to get rid of the desire to drink but it just didn’t seem to happen to me.
Dollface20 · 14/02/2022 15:19
This reply has been deleted
This has been deleted by MNHQ as we have concerns about its genuineness.
brightspice · 14/02/2022 15:47
@Todayisanewday75 it takes time to practice uncreating desire but that's OK. You are the one who created it and you can definitely uncreate it too! It feels hard because the brain sees alcohol as such a wonderful reward that it will create an urge/craving in you to drink. It will tell you that to not drink is uncomfortable. But that's OK. You can do uncomfortable! Start by being conscious of how you feel in your body when you want to drink.
Bigfathairyones · 14/02/2022 15:52
I'm no expert at all, but what helped me was to deal with each craving separately and understand that it lasted for only 2-3 mins at time. They're really regular at the beginning but you can help them with other things that imitate the feeling. For instance, for me a really cold fizzy drink helped. I had a huge selection of cans of different and interesting flavoured soft drinks and it worked to reduce the craves, esp in the beginning. I'm 2 years clear now and although I wasn't what most people would term an alcoholic, as I stopped to help my DH in the main, I still didn't like the way I felt reliant on a drink most evenings. It wasn't that much sometimes, but that first drink was a need, not a want. Good luck xx
REP22 · 14/02/2022 16:21
I found "The Sober Diaries" by Clare Pooley very helpful. She goes into withdrawal symptoms and her struggles with her inner 'wine witch' (cravings). It's also quite amusing in places and open and honest about her experiences. www.amazon.co.uk/Sober-Diaries-stopped-drinking-started/dp/1473661870?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21. Her blog, on which the book is based, has also been helpful to me: mummywasasecretdrinker.blogspot.com/. The Sober Diaries has a format like a daily diary from Day 001 of not drinking, and it's quite good to read about the writer's experiences as they tally with what you're also going through.
I also found some of the entries on this blog helpful: girlandtonic.co.uk/blog/
I did struggle with withdrawal symptoms to start with, but Scotch was my anaesthetic of choice, so I was fairly deep in. I had the "just one last bottle and start tomorrow" voice on repeat many times over. For me, countering it with "no, the next bottle will be the one that kills me" certainly helped.
I had hallucinations (feckin' massive spiders) and shakes but kept telling myself that it wouldn't last and that if I'd come this far it was a shame to waste the efforts to date.
It is very, very hard. But it IS worth it. Not feeling unwell for much of the time, the increased wellbeing and ability to function better all sounds a bit trite but I do mean it.
Very, VERY best wishes to you. You can do it, and I wish you every success and future happiness. xx
Todayisanewday75 · 16/02/2022 07:48
Thank you again for the advice, support and kind words.
Monday I gave into the one last bottle voice, but of course it was more than one. Yesterday though I bit the bullet and am now on day 2 for the first time in over three years.
I think the cravings were more emotional than physical. Cooking dinner is probably going to be a big issue for me, so used to pottering in the kitchen with a glass of wine. Maybe it’ll be fish fingers and chips for a few weeks!
GeneLovesJezebel · 16/02/2022 07:54
Well done, keep going.
One day at a time, don’t think too far ahead.
Todayisanewday75 · 16/02/2022 08:01
I’ve read a lot of quit lit over the years but nothing seemed to gel with me but now I’ve read the 10 day alcohol detox plan by Lewis David and am going to listen to the audio version every day. I think breaking it down into manageable chunks and lots of practical advice will work for me. After the 10 days I plan to move onto his other books reading a chapter a day to keep me going.
iamyourequal · 16/02/2022 10:37
Well done so far @Todayisanewday75.
I found cooking dinner a tricky one two. I can only recommend common sense things you’ve probably thought of already: try and keep booze out the kitchen; eat very early; don’t play music that makes you feel like drinking while cooking and, crucially, don’t choose meals that go with wine. Have a nice soft drink on hand at all times. If you aren’t out at work all day if can be helpful to do make-ahead dinners, and then do a completely different activity when you would normally be cooking at the witching hour. Good luck.
Bigfathairyones · 17/02/2022 10:57
Well done OP - keep going and even if you think that you can't keep going tonight, just concentrate on a minute at a time. xx
Todayisanewday75 · 17/02/2022 11:23
Thanks @iamyourequal. I did try cooking earlier in the day but then started drinking earlier too, not good. I was doing ok last night until my partner came in to talk to me with a glass of wine in his hand.
Day 3 now. I have put up a 2022 wall planner (DD asked for it for xmas then rejected it) and am hoping crossing off each day sober will be motivational.
brightspice · 17/02/2022 11:41
@Todayisanewday75 Take yourself back to the point when you started cooking. Were you aware you poured yourself a drink or did you just do it automatically? Can you recall how you were feeling when you poured the drink? These are the pieces of intelligence to gather so that you can break the habit cycle the next time.
Todayisanewday75 · 17/02/2022 13:05
Sorry I didn't make myself clear. In the past early cooking made me drink early but yesterday I didn't drink, just felt edgy when I saw my partner's glass of wine.
brightspice · 17/02/2022 13:42
@Todayisanewday75 aaah I misunderstood. Well what you wrote is actually great news on 2 counts:
a) You didn't drink
b) You noticed yourself feeling edgy (awareness) AND you've proven to yourself you can do edgy and not drink!
It's natural you'll feel a bit weird around someone else's wine right now. Nothing wrong with that. But the best thing is you've taught yourself you don't need to act on that feeling. That can be tough. Bravo to you.
iamyourequal · 19/02/2022 09:50
Hi @Todayisanewday75. Sorry I missed your reply. How are you doing now, the weekends can be challenging until you get a bit more used to it.
Northernsoullover · 19/02/2022 09:56
I tried quit lit with no success but then I tried on audible and wow! It sunk in. Craig Beck Alcohol Lied to Me. Listened over two days and haven't drunk since. I was a bottle of wine a night plus gin and tonics (home measures 🙄) I'm almost three years in and life has never been better. The first 7 days were probably the trickiest because I obsessively thought about alcohol even though I felt happy not to be drinking. Gradually it eased off and now I can't imagine spoiling my free time with booze.
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