Share your drinking habits with me please

[gulp]

Because I would like some examples of responsible drinking as I think I am on the verge of starting to drink too much too frequently. An idea of real-life responsible approaches to it would be very helpful. Thank you.

I know that exercise helps me. I used to exercise in the evenings, and afterwards I would be buzzing so much that I didn't need or want a drink. Didn't want to undo the good effects IYKWIM.

Shall we do this together? Could do with some moral support and a kick up the backside...

yes, let's do it together, would really help. I am going to have a couple of white wines this evening in the sun though

then start afresh tomorrow. and am going to keep a journal. can't think for a strategy for when dp is away though - maybe an exercise DVD.

Yes lets do this together and encourage each other to stop drinking. It will be hard but just think how much healthier we will be, how much weight we will loose, and we will live longer lives .

real;ly stressing it's too late - will drastically cutting down now really reverse any damage done?

I have bought myself loads of different herbal teas (bit like choosing a wine :-) which are actually quite nice!

Ok if I join as well! They say that to break a habit you need not to do it for 28 days so maybe we all should have a virtual glass in 28 days!

gulp - if you are really worried you could always go to your GP and ask for a liver and kidney test (there is a name for it). It's a simple blood test done by your practice nurse and the results are back within two weeks. Mine were ok surprisingly .

I have been drinking heavily since my 20's, now in my 30's.

Time to stop.

This will be such a great help Feel very hopeful now..

Gulp, I've been reading about liver regeneration. It seems to depend on how much and for how long a person has been drinking for. But the liver does seem to have an amazing capacity to regenerate. One doctor said you could take away 90% of the cells and the liver would grow back! But it's dependant on how badly damaged the liver is i.e. and that is different for each person. It's scary really.

mawbroon - exactly how I feel. I was getting to the stage I was driving home from work looking forward to having a glass of wine, more than seeing dh or the children... I don't like to think of myself as being alcohol dependant but perhaps I should stop fooling myself. My grandad was an alcoholic and I think my sister is although she won't accept help from anyone and won't admit to how much she drinks . I think I was heading down the same path.

gibberish - are you boozing tonight?

Have had a rather boring wine-free evening, and it was no effort due to monstrous post-anniversary hangover!

Re the liver thing, I've read in the past that to get cirrhosis, you need to have a certain gene, so only 1 in 7 heavy drinkers will get cirrhosis. Though that doesn't help much if you ARE that 1 in 7 IYSWIM.

Personally don't think I am at a stage where I'm ready to atttempt to go 28 days without a drink. Might see if I can manage 2 consecutive days for a start!

Shall we start our no more drinking alcohol campaign today?

I'm off to tesco to buy some fizzy water to drink instead.

Hello everyone

Yes, I am ready to start today - fed up with feeling thirsty, one glass never being enough, guilty when pouring another glass, spending money on alcohol, fuzziness in the morning. And I do think I have alcohol dependency in my extended family, so really want to be careful.

I have a friend coming to stay on friday and then we are away the weekend - just don't know how it will be to not drink! am tempted to say I have started getting a bad reaction to alcohol (aka lower down on this thread).

Going to go for a run today I hope as my exercise class isn't on due to bank holiday. I am looking forward to losing weight effortlessly if I drop the booze (and the accompanying crisps etc) - just worried IO won;t stay focused and will think "sod it" and before I know it, have had a drink! ARGH!

it's so bloody hard isn't it? You could tell your mate that old chesnut 'I'm on antibiotics' or just tell her the truth - you are off the booze for a while.

The hardest time for me is around 6 o'clock when we are having our eveing meal, its a habbit to crack open a bottle of wine and polish it off. The problems is, I end up cracking open another (really not good). I just don't know when to stop.

It will be a lovely feeling to wake up in the morning and feel fresh and healthy.

The real test will be 6pm. I will post on here then to take my mind off drinking.

Dh was cross with me for opening a 3rd bottle of wine. I don't expect we'll drink anything tonight. I have a lot of health worries and problems on top of everything else. It's pretty bloody awful really.

Well it's going well so far - 2nd day and not a drop of alcohol in sight. Been drinking LOADS of water in an effort to flush out all the toxins (probably need to drink a whole reservoir to get rid of them all lol). Feeling very positive and not even wanting a drink tonight Woke up this morning early which is unlike me lately. (Barbiegirl - no I wasn't boozing yesterday but my posts probably sounded like I was ).

Someone this morning asked me if I was alright as I have been looking very tired lately... Not having any more of those comments again.

Hope the rest of you are having a good day

Hello! Managed to get out for a power walk earlier today and feel quite OK but a bit apprehensive, really. Not sure why I do. Scared I am going to suddenly let myself be taken over and pour a glass of wine! Can't decide if I should give up totally or plan in social drinks....

Gibberish - well done! Hellobello, go for it! And BarbieGirl - am very tempted to factor in a dirnk with my friend else I will think "sod it. you know?"

I am so annoyed with myself. I went to tesco and bought some britvic sparkling juices to drink tonight, I drank 2 bottles and they tasted ok (not a lover of fizzy soft drinks), by 6.30pm my DD asked to go to the park at the pub so we went and I ordered sparkling water (so far so good), then get home, bath the kids, me and DH have a massive argument and guess what - I am drinking wine & soda .

Tomorrow I am 100% not drinking again. (how many of us have said that and do). Seriously, I am going to have to have more willpower or will be six foot under by the age of 40.

oh, BarbieGirl, all is not lost - how many have you had?

I have drunk half a bottle so far. I think I must hate myself to drink all the time. Why can't I handle every day stresses that most people just learn to cope with?

I am happily married have 2 lovely kids so why oh why do I feel the need to drink alcohol all the time?

Glad to here u have abstained from the booze though. Well done.

BarbieGirl, it's not YOU, it is that alcohol is a very addictive drug and the more regularly you drink the harder it is to break the habit.

I always ask myself why I feel the need to drink and I don't know - except that it is a habit and I hadn't realised how potent a substance it really is.

please don't feel bad - make yourself and cuppa maybe and have something to eat to stop yourself? You'll feel much happier tomorrow if you have stopped at half a bottle, more in control.

Try 2 months alcohol free and then see what you think.

2 months gives your liver a reasonable break aqnd breaks your existing drinking habits.

yeah, I am going to try my hardest not to drink for at least 2 months maybe even longer. Maybe I will have one on Christmas day (yeah right - just one).

think liver would have repaired any damage in two months, IDOD?

don't be too despondent, BG - tomorrow is another day!

gulp - i have posted on the dependent drinkers thread also I think the more support I can get the better.

Tommorrow I am NOT going to drink, or the next day, or the day after that........

I am on day 2 of not drinking (not making any promises or commitments, just taking it a day at a time!), but I feel really miserable and bored .

BarbieGirl, a day when you've been rowing with your DH is probably not the best day to start a new clean-living regime. And at least your diluting the wine with soda! Just start afresh tomorrow, it's a brand new day.