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Original poster

Has anyone successfully become teetotal?

125 replies

dinny · 02/09/2006 22:09

I'm seriously considering it. Had such a heavy night last night with a friend, drank far too much, ended up smoking and I still feel vile. Really feel like doing my body and my finances a favour and just stopping drinking. Anyone done this? Interested to hear and exp!

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 02/09/2006 23:58

I left my native country. For good. And moved to Scotland. Where I knew a total of one person. Bit extreme. But it worked .

zippy539 · 03/09/2006 00:02

Thanks expat - good answer. I wonder am I prepared to go to those extremes? Actually, thinking about it, I already live in Scotland and only seem to know one person but can't say it's doing the trick!

SherlockLGJ · 03/09/2006 00:03

Was that one person your glorious DH ?

expatinscotland · 03/09/2006 00:04

I didn't have kids and was divorced and had some money.

It wouldn't work for me now, though, obviously.

But nor would tanking 3 bottles of wine in a night.

expatinscotland · 03/09/2006 00:05

Nope, Sherlock!

It was a young woman I'd met who was a tour guide. She and her partner have since emigrated to Australia.

But she'd come thru the US w/her man and I'd taken them climbing a few times.

She knew DH. He needed a lodger. The rest is history .

SherlockLGJ · 03/09/2006 00:06

EPIS..................Have emailed you, now redundant, but I did, honest.

expatinscotland · 03/09/2006 00:08

Would it still be there?

SherlockLGJ · 03/09/2006 00:11

What the e-mail ??

Most deffo ...........

Went to K...............K............@..............

Amanda1 · 03/09/2006 00:11

Message withdrawn

Californifrau · 03/09/2006 00:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

dinny · 03/09/2006 07:34

well, am having one of those nice mornings without any booze in system from night before...definitely a feeling worth not drinking for!

didn't mention that I have also applied for the London marathon next year, so (fingers crossed) that will be extra motivation to not drink as will be training.

OP posts:

PinkTulips · 03/09/2006 09:58

good for you dinny! your a braver woman than me... runnings never been my thing... i'm a champion sitter on the couch though

Original poster

dinny · 03/09/2006 19:57

hmmm, think I may have been slightly over-ambitious in applying, Pinktulip...

OP posts:

SSSandy · 03/09/2006 19:58

Yes but it wasn't a big deal for me, I wasn't a heavy drinker anyway. I stopped to support a friend with a drinking problem who gave it up. I don't miss it TBH.

SSSandy · 03/09/2006 19:59

I found it harder to give up coffee - bad headaches, jittery legs, nausea. I keep falling back into the habit. Wish I didn't though. Had none of that when I stopped drinking alcohol because I wasn't addicted

Original poster

dinny · 03/09/2006 21:23

have you given up coffee now, SSSandy? do yu till drink tea or did you get rid of all caffeine? that'll be the next thing for me to ditch, lol

OP posts:

mawbroon · 03/09/2006 21:51

Sorry, haven't read the whole thread but I haven't had a drink for 19 months.

My motivation was a BFP. I always said that I wouldn't drink a drop whilst pregnant and then when it came to having a drink after ds was born, the truth is that I couldn't be arsed and a gut feeling that babies and hangovers don't mix!

I am tempted just to stay off the booze for good. I would say that I had alcoholic tendancies, for example, it was easier to have none than just one. I also was a binge drinker in my day.

dinny - I would say go for it. It has certainly done nothing but improve my quality of life and I feel so much healthier for it. Good luck

Original poster

dinny · 03/09/2006 21:55

Mawbroon, what's a BFP (sorry!)

yes, I think I am a binge drinker and really have a feeling I must knock it on the head before it spirals, iykwim

and children and hangovers don't mix - was so much happier when bfing ds a lot in the night and not drinking except th odd glass. now he doesn't wake till the am and I've sloly but surely increased the amount I'm drinking a lot

OP posts:

mawbroon · 04/09/2006 08:30

Oh sorry, a BFP is big fat positive. ie pregnant

I think that I knew for years that I was drinking way too much and I would be better off teetotal but somehow wasn't able to do it for myself, but could do it for my unborn baby. That probably relates to self esteem issues - not valuing myself enough to do if for me if you see what I mean.

admylin · 04/09/2006 08:34

I'm the same as californifrau, if I sip a glass of wine I go red and after a whole glass I am drunk. Cheap nights out if I had any! A bottle of wine lasts a week in our house!
I used to be able to drink loads and everyone says it's just because I have to practise more but I can live without the side effects and the thought of one of those headaches..

lazycow · 04/09/2006 09:55

Not completely teetotal but I went out last week for dinner with a friend and had two (admitedly large) glasses of wine for the first time in about 9 months. I was giggly and felt very happy but that was it really. I probably won't now have another drink for ages.

I don't really drink at home at all, Dh has the odd beer in the evening but an opened bottle of wine can sit for so long at our home that it gets poured away as it has turned vinegary.

I'm not really sure where this attitude comes from as I was brought up in a household where wine was served at every meal (except breakfast ) and from a very young age I was offered very small sips of alcohol at a meal.

My dad always offered me a glass of watered wine with my meal from the age of about 8 years old. I just didn't like it and I can still rememeber the 'have some wine', 'no I don't want it' conversations

Although I drank a reasonable amount in my 20's I would almost always stop when I got that slighty woozy/giggly feeling. That seemed fun to me but on the odd occasion I missed the signals and drank too much I didn't enjoy it at all.

I just don't seem to need alcohol that much. Dh is pretty similar and once gave up completely for a year as a sort of gesture of solidarity.

Now if only I could cultivate the same attitude to cake - I'd be fine

lazycow · 04/09/2006 09:58

sorry - mean to say 'as a gesture of solidarrity with his brother who is an alcoholic'

SSSandy · 04/09/2006 10:01

Yes dinny, I gave up coffee completely. I had withdrawal symptoms for about 7 days I think, first three days horrible headaches. After that uncontrollable shaking legs, pain in the hips. Weird altogether.

I felt a whole lot better without caffeine after that first week, much calmer, slept better, more positive all in all. I didn't drink coke or tea either. Read an article from a mental health organisation in the US claiming that coffee lies behind a great deal of mental illness (particular anxiety related) and one psychiatrist wrote that he could pack off half his clinic patients back home if he could get them off coffee! Can't judge the truth value in it.

Fallen back into the habit the past 10 days since I haven't been sleeping (worrying about things) and had to be fit for dd's start at school (getting up at 6 etc). Am going off it again as of next week though.

riab · 05/09/2006 13:05

Yes, twice for periods fo time.

For two years I gave up nearly all caffine (only drining two cups of leaf brewed earl grey maximum) no coke, chocolate or Coffee and no alchohol.

I gave up when I was pregant too with few problems.

I now only drink about 3-4 units a week and apart from the occasional latte I am coffee free. 3-4 cups of strong tea though!

Do it! you'll be permenantly dehyrated if you drink alot of alchohol and caffiene. If oyu give upa nd drink loads of water and herbal tea instead you'll be amazed how much better you feel.

I never actually see the point of getting legless anyway. I mean whats it for? you pay good money to get dizzy, lose the ability to speak properly, make a right tit of yourself, lose your house keys, get off with a stranger oyu woulnd't look twice at normally, throw up and the next day remember very little of it?!?

joelallie · 05/09/2006 13:17

Have to say that I've discovered the joy of going to bed and getting up sober! I've never drunk falling over amounts of alcohol but there have been times when I felt like I was in a permanent haze of alcohol - drinking a few glasses every night. I now drink 2 or 3 units most nights at weekends. I have considered giving up but the problem is that I love the taste of wine and I enjoy being mildly drunk but not hammered. I'd prefer to keep drinking moderately if I can stick to it.

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