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?

Hi all, how are you?

Welcome LivingMyBestLifeNOT! Do you want to stop completely or just cut down? Some of us are doing the former, some the latter (I am in the cutting down camp at the moment).

I had a horrible dream that I got up one morning and had a drink then had to go out and worry about breathing fumes over everyone at 9am. I was SO thankful when I woke up and it wasn't real. Is my subconscious trying to warn me?

Oh, I have not had a drink since Sunday and won't be drinking tonight.

Welcome ScarletPixie and LivingMyBestLife!

Thank you everyone.
Cherrybakewell, my children are 17, 13 and 5 so not really young but I dont get much of a break although my 17yr old is very good at babysitting.
I dont know my long term goals. I want to cut down at the moment so only drink fri and saturdays, I think that would be a good start for me.
Monday evening I was AF, did a spin class in the evening and some yoga and felt good although slept rubbish. Last night I had wine, slept great but am kicking myself today!

@Darcysshirt I think your subconscious says you've spent too long on mumsnet and mixing the stories in your sleep 

@LivingMyBestLifeNOT I've found going from every day to 5 days off alcohol REALLY hard. It's only day 3 for me but this is the longest AF stint I've done since December (and that was only AF as I was pregnant so had no choice!) Maybe aim for tonight and tomorrow AF and then enjoy the weekend? Then perhaps next week aim for Monday - Thursday AF but also remember one blip in that stint isn't horrendous.

Cherrybakewell I did think Sunday to Friday will be hard! I am also tempted to swap to gin so I don’t down a whole bottle of wine...

@Scarlettpixie that’s brilliant, well done!!!

@LivingMyBestLifeNOT welcome! Good luck with it. Is today your first day of not drinking? It’s so worthwhile. You’ll feel so much better and save a fortune! In terms of the “treat”- it helps to think if all the negatives that alcohol brings to your life. You must feel pretty shit in the mornings? You must spend a fortune. No one ever woke up and said I wish I’d had more to drink last night.

Good luck and keep posting. Get some nice AF drinks in and try a different evening routine to break the triggers/habit.

Thank you raining! Can anyone recommend nice AF drinks please?

@LivingMyBestLifeNOT

Thank you raining! Can anyone recommend nice AF drinks please?

I like sparkling water with cordial (ginger for me), also the AF lagers are good (Peroni is my favourite) and Tesco do AF pre mixed gin and tonics.

Hi and welcome to all the newbies! I have three kids too - maybe three is just too many to be sober

I'm a single mum but share custody - it's the time without them when I really struggle not to drink.

I find Heineken zero great and have seedlip and a clean gin for when I fancy that. Day 42 a think I'm now officially aiming for 100 days but not sure still.

I started wanting to reset which I feel I have now but I'm almost afraid to have a drink now - I feel so much better but also struggle to contemplate a life without alcohol. Which is probably all part of the process

@fluckityfluckfluck keep going! I was at your stage a month back and now (nearly 6 months in) don’t feel sad about never drinking again. More- I feel sad for others feeling they need to drink

@Cherrybakewellard ,
I was coming home from working in night clubs at silly oclock when I went into the market pub and like you have worked in and been the landlord of may pubs , I also did a lot of relief work for Holts and Hydes as a temp landlord , you really need to be able to hit the floor running in that game !
You would think we would learn by watching the customers make idiots of themselves after drinking to much that we would take heed and stay away from it

@LivingMyBestLifeNOT & @Scarlettpixie welcome to the thread .
The first week or so is hard but it does get easier , but if you have a blip , don't worry . Don't think well that's the whole week wasted I may as well carry on drinking , just write that one night off and hop back on board .
I dont gen drink wine and never gin (how am I even allowed on MN ? )
My go to AF is beer , Brew dog - Nanny state & Punk , Adnams - Ghost ship . Cider I like Stowford press ( in bottles ) Kopperberg do mixed fruit and a pear cider to but they are to sweet for me .

Well done @fluckityfluckfluck , I am on about 4 weeks , I cant actually remember what day I stopped , I don't plan on giving up for 100 days but who knows I did about 80 days last year with only a few hic-ups during that time,

@AlCalavicci you're so right, you'd think the drunk idiots I was paid to be around would have been enough to swear me off alcohol for life!

So. Confession time. Late yesterday afternoon husband finished work early so we took the kids out alone the beach. Saw so many people in the beachfront bars having a beer or a glass of rose and I caved when we got home. However, I had probably half a glass (so about 125ml at most) and I thought 'why am I wasting calories on this?' And tipped it down the sink. I got zero pleasure from the wine.

That's awesome cherry. I think far harder to do that then not have one! Massive success.

I've had a real shitey day and am feeling proud that I haven't reached for the wine that would have been my go to in the past, so huge progress. Doesn't change the crappy day tho!

But I know alcohol wouldn't either!

I'm the same @NeedAUserNameAllTaken. Hard day at work and got gone over hungry to an empty house and no plans. I cooked a healthy-ish tea then had a magnum and a huge bag of giant buttons - but with 2 af beers not two bottles of wine.....

I've come to bed to stop eating and resist temptation. At least tomorrow at work I will be able focus and not feel like death and worthless post wine.

And I agree @Cherrybakewellard that's an amazing achievement well done you x

Sending a hug fluckity, yes we will be so glad we aren't hungover x

Tomorrow.
Missed a word 😂

My friend who is a recovering alcoholic said “no one ever woke up wishing they’d had a drink the night before”. So true!!! Stay strong ladies 💪🏻

So true!

I was catching up with a friend last night (via text) and she was very supportive and impressed with the AF thing. She's NHS clinical staff and admitted that she's probably used alcohol as a bit of a crutch to help see her through this period. She reckoned she might give AF living a go, which is fab.

@fluckityfluckfluck - I'm also starting to feel that 'afraid to have a drink' thing too. Not because I'm worried I might start drinking every day again, but because I really, really don't want to tarnish my lovely sober streak! Weird...

Anyway, I've finally lost some weight I am about 4 pounds down from a month ago when I started. I don't think it's necessarily just because I've stopped having wine calories, I think that's more because I do 18:6 and fasting is so much easier to stick to when you're not hungover.

I've also lost my puffy booze face - I can occasionally detect cheekbones now!

Morning everyone. I'm increasingly anxious about my housewarming/40th thing tomorrow night. Ideally I'd rather not go but I don't want to let my friend down. The thoughts of drinking is making me anxious but so is the thoughts of dealing with not drinking - ARGHHHHH

@fluckityfluckfluck

Morning everyone. I'm increasingly anxious about my housewarming/40th thing tomorrow night. Ideally I'd rather not go but I don't want to let my friend down. The thoughts of drinking is making me anxious but so is the thoughts of dealing with not drinking - ARGHHHHH

@fluckityfluckfluck what is it that’s making you anxious particularly? Try some positive visualisations. At the end of the day if you’re not enjoying it you can leave!

I'm just not good at doing anything new or different - first time things freak me out , have an actual pain in my chest all day and didn't sleep well last night, which is standard first night without the kids anyway I guess.

Forcing myself out the door for a walk now, it's the only thing that may shift it apart from wine

I walked 10k and got home to realise my gym pants were on back to front. Winning at life me

You did 10k though! That's a win!