is there an alcohol support thread here?

[MuchLessTiredNow]

can anyone link me - can't find it!

I have just had a call from dd2 telling me her arrangements for this evening. Now it means that I do not have to go and collect her and my first thought was "great I can have a G&T (or 3) while I am making tea". Don't need to look at the drinkulator results to know that it's worrying when that is my first thought.

So good we can be honest on here.

Also interested to know whether others comment on your drinking (it was one of the questions in the quiz). I think my friends know that I "enjoy a drink" but I am quite often driving so I am not always the drunk one in the group. My dp drinks a fair bit but I think he finds it easy to stop after one drink, and I don't think he has a dependency problem. He probably thinks I drink too much sometimes, but he probably doesn't know the extent of my drinking. Like you F2B, the wine box hides a multitude of sins!

I've asked dh about my drinking and he doesn't seem to think there's a problem. Anyway, I am now on the list for CBT to help with it. Frankly I'm very cynical about CBT(cognitive behaviour therapy). The govt have rolled it out as though it's a magic cure-all, mostly for mild depression, and it's not.

Government like CBT because it is often offered as a 6 session contract and therefore they know the cost of it, unlike more open-ended counselling or psychotherapy.

I know CBT can be good for some behavioural change issues but I would have thought alcohol problems were more complex. I do know a couple of people who have found hypnotherapy or NLP helpful if changing their alcohol habits.

I know a guy in Glasgow who is a wonderful NLP therapist - he provoked an astounding change in someone I knew who was self-harming and suicidal.

Another good night last night - not a drop.

Keep posting everyone. How are we all doing?

Hi, I haven't done as well as I would have liked to over the last few days. Shared bottle of wine with dh on Sunday so that brought last week's units to 25 in total. I can't seem to find my will power this week and have had 18 units already, eek! Aim is to stay under the 25 this week then go for it next week and get under 20 units. I would be happy enough if I was drinking between 10 and 20 units over a week so that will be the next goal.

Keep going everyone, you're all doing well

Nothing last night either. I can't believe a week ago I felt out of control and now I don't even want a drink. It's so strange but I'm quite happy about it!

Have I killed this thread?

No, you haven't! I drank nearly a bottle of wine last night, then dh polished off the last glass or so. I think our tummies were well lined with chicken kiev beforehand!

I'm going to try to only drink 2 bottles of wine a week. That means no booze tonight, then maybe some on Saturday. I haven't drunk all week until last night, but I tend to drink far too much all at once.

That's great that you are breaking the habit, georgimama. Well done!

I had one small glass of red last night with dinner (an old fashioned pub sized glass - 125ml? - long time since I drank wine in a glass that size!) and whilst it was OK, I wasn't that bothered. Certainly didn't want any more.

I am starting to accept white wine and I can no longer be a part of each other's lives.

Sometimes I feel the same, and sometimes not. It's the sometimes not that I am trying to do something about. It's usually when I'm with other people. It's not a confidence thing, as I can feel my confidence draining away with each glass.

Mixed week for me.

Couple of nights with nothing, couple of nights with shared bottle, and a couple of nights when, like Bla, I was with other people and I had too much.

SIL coming over tonight for great dinner, chat and a few glasses, but rest of the week is less sociable, so perhaps I will be strong willed.

Nothing on Friday night, small glass of white on Saturday night and a white wine spritzer on Sunday lunchtime.

I think in the last week I have had about five units of alcohol, so I am really pleased.

Haven't noticed any weight coming off yet - must weigh.

Very sober weekend here. Nothing on Friday, 2 glasses of wine on Saturday night, nothing last night. But overall I drank 27.5 units last week so went slightly over my 25 target. More effort required from me, I think!

This week's target as 20 or under (which will be a challenge seeing as it's half-term in a few days)

Keep going everyone

I drank about 25 units until Sunday then had a couple of glasses of wine at lunchtime on Sunday. Tonight I am going out, but driving so I won't be able to drink. I don't really like the feeling of being out of control, so I should be ok.... Will keep posting! I am going to try not to have any alcohol till Friday. We'll see how it goes!

I had a small (125ml) glass of white last night. It was nice but I wasn't that bothered.

Will try to have nothing at all again tonight.

Hi all, checking in again with my unit count for the week to date. Have shared bottle of wine last couple of nights so 10 units so far this week. Planning not to have any until Friday or Saturday now. I REALLY want to get to the 20 units or less this week.

Georgimama, I started using those little wine glasses too a while ago after realising that our big goblet-style ones could hold up to 1/3 bottle! I can have 2 or 3 glasses now and know that it'll only be a half bottle of wine or less. Also I stick to the slightly lighter wines, 11 or 12% rather than the heavier 13/14% ones so 8 to 9 units a bottle rather than 10 or more. I am turning into a unit-geek - will be plotting my weekly consumption on a graph soon

We haven't had any alcohol in the house this week. I'm not sure what to make of it. It's hardly as though drinking makes us into better people. Well done, yella, you're doing well. I feel as though I want to get my drinking under control a bit more so I can put a bit more energy into my nicotine addiction. I don't think it's a great idea to do both at once.

Another mixed week (isn't that a similar pattern for many of us).

I know what you mean yella about being a unit geek. And all the stuff about setting targets, failing to keep them, trying harder next week etc.

I think that at least by doing this (and sharing on here) we are acknowledging more and more the levels we are actually drinking so it is becoming less hidden (at least to ourselves), and by setting moderate targets and not achieving them, we are becoming aware of how difficult it can be for us to cut down.

I look forward to the time when I don't have to think about cutting down, and when having a drink has really stopped mattering to me.

You are so right, beinghonest. My dh doesn't think I drink too much, but I don't like what it does to me and frankly I do drink too much. I would like the sting to be taken out, so I don't feel driven to get as pissed as possible sometimes. When I am with my parents I use alcohol as a means of escape. When I am working I don't really drink at all because it affects my judgement. At the moment I'm not working, and I have almost forgotten what to do