Stopping drinking for a while

[Patbutcherismyhero]

Throughout lockdown I've gradually started drinking more and more. I now usually only have one day off a week. Last night I drank way too much and was sick, slept terribly and today I just feel awful mentally and physically. I need to cut back. It's become far too much far too often.

I hate waking in the night with anxiety and having to check my phone to if I put any shit on social media. I don't usually get hangovers but I always feel tired and lacking in motivation. Alcohol has become such a big part of my life but I know it's not healthy and I really need to stop for a while. Anyone else?

In the same boat. Lockdown with little kids and PND has been hard and the end of day reward drink turns into a bottle. I definitely need to address it as I'm irritable and less tolerant the next day and DH hates it, which suggests I'm an arse after a few drinks. Happy to be drink free buddies too.

@Patbutcherismyhero - celebrate your huge improvement. Going from a bottle to one glass is great.

In the last week I've had 2 glasses of wine, 5 bottles cobra and a G&T. I'm keeping it at this level or below.

Whenever I feel like I want a drink I've committed to having a zero alcohol gin to see if it's a nice drink I want. Usually is. Going to have to pop by Lidl as the bottle is almost finished. It's only £10 a bottle though

I've found it very hard today, first day with the kids at their dads. My norm would be to open a bottle of wine as soon as in from work and drink at least one bottle, sometimes more.... I've had a seedlip and tonic and an ice pop. Trying to hold out, will be in bed shortly at this rate 😂

@fluckityfluckfluck that will be my problem at the weekend. Standard to have a binge (or more of a binge than usual I should say) on a Friday and Saturday night.

I usually start drinking while cooking the dinner and then finish off the bottle while watching tv after. So if I can just wait and have one drink while watching tv and leave it at that it will be a massive improvement for me.

So if I can just wait and have one drink while watching tv and leave it at that it will be a massive improvement for me

You may find if you can hang on that long you don't really want it... I definitely find once I'm full of dinner I'm no longer interested in the booze

@Hangingover quite possibly. I think now we are creeping towards the weekend I will start to struggle. I've been really good this week. Have easily halved what I would usually drink, probably more. It I can keep that up through the weekend I'll be pleased.

Try and remember the trigger acronym HALT: Hungry, Angry, Tired, Lonely, might be useful to identify when cravings strike 👍🏻

Gosh I haven't heard HALT before. Mine is definitely lonely - hence when the kids aren't here and lockdown has made it far worse.

I've done 50 mins on my spin bike watching homeland and am now cooking tea. Would def have just opened the wine last week. Hoping to get through today alcohol free which will make it 8 days and have a couple of beers/gin tomorrow after work but stay away from wine.

Well done Pat - slow and steady wins the race

Another one who has drunk way too much since lockdown started. I usually try to buy alcohol as and when but when everyone else was stocking up on toilet roll I was stocking up on wine. And then have been 'weekend' drinking during the week and more at the weekend with only one or two days off a week. I've spent too much money, put on a good stone and feel awful. Today is day 4 AF. I've been reading the 30 day alcohol experiment and definitely recommend it.

Weirdest thing, I had told myself if I wanted a couple of drinks last night I would have them (just no wine) but I didn't actually feel tempted at all. I cooked a lovely tea of a chorizo and pea risotto and had a mars ice cream watching tv - drank sparkling water.

I feel strange. Maybe because I knew I could if I wanted it took away the craving? But also, how much have I just been drinking out of habit even if I didn't really want to?

@fluckityfluckfluck that's really good :) well done you. As you say it's probably because you gave yourself permission rather than denying yourself it. And when it came to the crunch you just weren't that bothered. Keep going!

I had a couple of G&Ts last night with it being Friday but I haven't touched wine all week which is good for me because I can never just have one or two wines, it has to be the whole bottle. I feel a lot better for it.

Thanks Pat. I'm not sleeping well though which is the opposite of what I would expect but hey-ho, at least I'm not battling that morning after feeling. I am rarely hungover but it really impacts my mood and ability to concentrate etc the next day.

Well done you, no wine is a massive achievement - have you anything nice planned for the weekend? My kids come back at noon so the massive danger zone for me has passed now until Wednesday.

Wine is the massive trigger with me-I like the taste, I like the feeling, but I never seem to m so when to stop.

I also drink far too quickly, so it’s gone before I realise. Drinking beer or long drinks with mixers do at least last a lot longer.

What is it about wine that’s so nice though?!

I'm the very same fedup. When I want a drink because I feel like I need a drink only wine hits the spot. I like beer and gin but never need it.

1.5 coronas for me last night, didn't want the last bit of the second one as it had got a bit warm so tipped it. Feel good that I could do that.

Fair play craving! My mother always told me it was against our religion to waste alcohol... but to throw half away is great, not sure I've ever done that

@Fedup21 wine is my vice. It's just nice isn't it? It gives me that chilled feeling without being too pissed. But like you I tend to drink it too quickly then move onto other things. And that's far too many units for one night. I was shocked to learn how fattening wine is as well. No wonder I put weight in when I was having a bottle 4-5 nights a week. There's about 1000 calories in a bottle!

How many units were you drinking a week before lockdown, and recently?

5 bottles a week, for example, is 45 units, way, way above the recommended max of 14.

It sounds like you don’t want to abstain, even for a short time, but to cut back. That might be unrealistic if your intake has been v high and/or there’s some dependency.

Gosh I’m in the same boat. Last Monday I thought I’m not going to drink this week. And I didn’t manage one fucking day. It’s worse in lockdown because I start earlier! At least work used to force me to wait.

I need to at least not drink 3-4 days a week, I’ve actually got that horrible fat tummy that you only get from booze. I don’t really like gin and tonic, is there another long drink that’s nice? I might get some AF beers. I think if I can just get over the habit part then I might be ok.

I’ve done it before. I’ve just slipped back into bad habits.

@Dozer I haven't been drinking to that level for some time now. I had a bit of a rough patch about 18 months ago and that was when I was drinking 5 bottles a week. I have definitely reduced my intake since then but during lockdown it's crept back up again due to the boredom and stress of being stuck at home. I usually have 2 totally drink free days a week but still drink wine, gin or cider while cooking and settling down with a film.

I don't think I have a dependency as I'm able to go without but I just enjoy the feeling and ritual of having that drink in the evening. Last weekend I had a binge with dp and got through a bottle of wine and 2 gins and felt rotten the next day. So that's prompted me to look at my alcohol intake again and make steps to cut back which I gave definitely managed to do this week. Just need to keep it up.

I'm a stone and a half over my ideal weight flying.... I've started 16/8 along with trying to reduce or stay off the drink. Naturally inclined to exercise more when not drinking. Have four chins and loads of back fat

@Flyingagainstreason what do you usually drink? Gin or vodka are the least fattening spirits and quite refreshing with a nice mixer.

It's so easy to slip into old habits during lockdown. I think a lot of people are in the same boat.

Try a flavoured gin flying - the raspberry one by Whitney Neil is fab, you can try lemonade instead of tonic too

Oh OP, I woke up this morning intending to start this very thread! DH and I have been drinking pretty much every night since lockdown and it just has to stop. I'm ashamed to say that last weekend I was throwing up on the morning of a family funeral after having got absolutely trollied the night before . But even that hasn't stopped me, clearly, as last night we drank a bottle of wine each.

Stupid thing is, I fast, do regular exercise, eat healthily. I do everything right, except for the booze. Wine at the end of the working day is my downfall. We open a bottle whilst cooking dinner or relaxing in the garden after work, and then all bets are off and before I know it we've gone through a couple of bottles. I then feel crap, sleep badly, wake up feeling awful, can't focus at work, vow I'll stop, then do it all over again. It's ridiculous.

I hope you don't mind if I join your thread, as I really need it.

@BoxAndKnife welcome! You sound a lot like me with your habits and the consequent hangover symptoms the next day. Are you hoping to stop completely or just cut back?