Anyone gone teetotal after heavy drinking..if so how did you do it and for how long have you kept it up ??

[no1andno2]

Anyone ? I need some help and fast..........

Dude.....what an inspiring post. That is how I want it to be.

Right now I cant envisage a night without alcohol and once its open its the whole bottle.

So far I am 56 hours without cold turkey style and as far as symptons go I feel ok just tired and tearful.

being in control is a big thing for me. I want to be able to have a small amount if I want but to take it or leave it.

the funny thing is when I was at uni I was hardly a drinker at all and when I left uni and started work I really hardly drank at all.

It was only mid 90's when career talk off and the Dc's arrived that the pressuer piled on and its a way to let off steam.

This is so so so interesting...

This was so true for me, "Right now I cant envisage a night without alcohol and once its open its the whole bottle."

I realised I couldn't remember the last day I hadn't had at least something to drink. I was bored of waking up every morning feeling some kind of effect.

So, I've stopped. For 10 days now (OK, had a few glasses of wine at a dinner on Friday night and felt DREADFUL on Saturday morning, which has only encouraged me further).

Had been cutting down gradually for a while, trying to break to daily cycle. Got a bit twitchy in the early evenings at first, but stuck through it. Had a few days of toxic headaches. But am feeling great. Nice to wake up in the morning. Even the whites of my eyes look clearer. Am trying to eat really healthily too and make it a whole process. And truly I am feeling more energetic and more positive and dealing with all kinds of crap that's been hanging over me for months.

Also agree with you on the "I am an all or nothing girl" absolutely, in every way. But am really hoping I will get to the point where I can drink like a grown up and have A glass of wine once in a while. If not guess I'll have to re-think the plan, but right now this all seems a very do-able and positive process.

Stick with it...

CB we are not alone. IN RL I suspect I know lots of people like me but we would never admit it to each other IYSWIM.

I am hiding away for a while. Work funtions are easy as I usually drive and at lunchtime the culture now adays is def just mineral water.

Its long evenings at home esp friday and Say night.......The ive had a hard dayy/week and I deserve it mentality.

But then I deserve to live happi;y and healthily and without a hangover.

And guess what. I dont think my life would be so bad if i had more enrgy and no hangovers..........

thanks for all your support. What I need to know more than anything is that I am not the only one....

We are definitely not alone.

Perhaps some would say it's denial, but I'd like to think there's no harm in having a glass of wine or two in the evening at the weekend, if I'm not drinking every night during the week.

Question is, can I stop at one or two? Not sure. Time will tell. But stopping drinking during the week for now can only be a good thing, in every way.

Hang in there. Drink lots of water (is helping me).

You are definitely not the only one.

well so far im trying.........and succeeding. had a slimline tonic with my dinner and now a cup of tea !

I am determined to be normal and control this before it controls me.

Well done, you! Hope you are not feeling too rough .

In response to you earlier post (I read it, but RL got in the way of response), please, please do NOT feel ashamed. 'Tis the brave, strong thing to ask for help when you need it, and in itself an admirable act.

See how you get on, but do not let shame/pride/embarressment get in the way of getting support.
You may have guessed I am a Gp and I live in the community I work in, so I am familiar with your dilemma. Obviously I have no idea who chooses NOT to come and see me as they know they will bump into me on the school run or similar, but those I have seen with personal problems seem to think because they have seen me on bad hair days (are there any others?)/shouting at my kids/putting junk food in my trolley at the local supermarket that I can relate to their problems.
Also you would not believe how common your dilemma is... like I said, the AA is not full of smelly old men .
Anywhooo, good luck, you are doing so well.

Well done n1/2!

I had steak and a big glass of fresh berry juice. Not my normal choice of red, but yummy and am clear headed this morning.

yes feel clearheaded and focussed this am. Evenings are my danger time and its going to be hard for many a week to come I know but the longer I can focus I feel that the easier it will become and hopefully some balance will return to my life.

I am away next weekend in a hotel but DH will be supportive if we dont drink. He is often happy with one pint of cider. Its usually me who encourages the guzzling of wine.

Its funny I had always looked on wine as the soft option. Spirits being the hard stuff but wine is evil stuff. Its take hold of you very quickly and is far more alcoholic in its volume with the amount we drink than most things.

Thanks for all your support. The fog is starting to clear as Im stumbling through.

Keep posting CB. We can do thsi together.

How's it going n1&2? Some friends came for dinner and I was hoping they might have brought wine, as I fancied a glass. But they didn't. And I stuck to water and juice. And was fine. I wonder how long that craving will last?

I think wine has become my downfall too. So easy to drink. Tastes so good with food. So socially acceptable! But lethal on an empty stomach. And horrendous hangovers - don't forget those...

ok cb. Sat with my slimline tonic and enjoying it !

the trouble with wine is I just quoff it like slimline tonic !

I truly beleive my face tells all though........puffy pale and pasty. Yuk.

Managing ok. Craved tonight but fought it. Just keep focussing on how crap I feel in the morning and that is really helping.

We are doing well........you longer than me but Im proud of my 4 nights. That is over half a week. Un heardof unless I am ill in bed and cant make it to the kitchen to de cork the bottle!

post tomorrow night. Feel like I have new best friend.....keep in touch

how are you doing CB ? Im still on track. Slimline tonic again tonight.

not sleeping too well but I think that will come.

will I get through friday night ??? Hope so

Uh oh. I was hoping you wouldn't ask...

I had 2 glasses of red last night.

Without wanting to splurge my personal life all over the interenet (tho hang on this is MN).

I had a massive work deadline yesterday which I had managed to achieve, but left me exhausted and in need of relaxation.

DP has been away with work and got back last night. We have a number of ishoos right now, which we had a really good chat about over a bottle of red (one of which was the fact that we both drink too much).

So; Bad that I crave alcohol when tired and in need of relaxation and as a reward. Good, that I only had 2 glasses and have talked some more about the role it plays in my life...

Bit of a cloudy head this morning (!!!). Have a work function tonight, dinner with DP tomorrow and a BBQ here on Sunday and haven't quite decided where alcohol is going to fit in with all that and what I deem acceptable use right now. Hmmm...

Well, I drank a bottle of wine last night, having had nothing since Sunday. It feels more like a smothering cloak than a comfort. It's good to be able to stop at 2 glasses. Were they tiny glasses or rather large?

work has a lot to answer for but I have used it as a massive excuse to drink in the past and hoping to change that.

I am a lawyer by the way and top of the tree in a 160 employee frim. Only women and all that Jazz.

I am amazed I have got this far. Always given in before but I am determined this time to cut it out for a while and then try and learn to drink sensibly again.

CB sounds like you have done that. Stopping at 2 glasses is good. If DH and I share wine its always 2 bottles so we have ishoos that we both drink too much and thereore if we both abstain the fog lifets. DH also off the booze to be supportive though he is off to the rugby isn cardiff tomorrow but without me thank goodness.

BDB smothering cloak is a good description.I feel my life has been smothered for a while and I want to change it.

BBQ...............where inthe world are you CB ??? Its chucking it doen here! LOL

Hi there n1&2, and CB. Good to see you on here and supporting each other.

I have been posting on another alcohol thread but I have been away with work this week and haven't managed to get on-line.

You are so right that there are lots of women like us in real life who know that we drink too much and that our relationship with alcohol is unhealthy. We are not alone, and we are not alone in our embarrassment.

I have had a mixed week (again). I always drink less when I am busy - and particularly when my hands are busy. I am making dp an embroidered valentines card at the moment so can't easily sit nursing a glass of red. So I've only had one really bad day this week. Like you I find it difficult to stop at one drink, so it's a much better tactic if I can find things to do that prevent me having the first drink (I think that avoiding the first drink is pretty much one of the standard AA approaches).

I am also trying to be conscious about how much I actually enjoy the wine I am drinking. Sometimes the first sip gulp can actually taste bitter and sour. If I notice that then I can stop at half a glass. If I don't notice it then I find it's an "acquired taste" and I go on to finish the lot.

Hi n1&2 (new BFF) and welcome to our club bla and being honest ;)

Well, 2 glasses were still half a bottle and probably the only reason we didn't have a bottle each is that there was only the one in the house! In fact, I wanted to buy a bottle on the way home, didn't, then went out later specially to get one...

Bla, I originally lifted the huge goldfish bowl goblets out of the cupboard, then put them back and used slightly more reasonable ones.

Beinghonest, sad to say, the first sip was delicious, nectar (and we're talking cheap Merlot). But I think it would do my mind and body good to have a break for a while. And then I need to learn to drink in moderation.

I do enjoy alcohol. But I need to learn to how to keep enjoyable and not to swiftly descend into oblivion. I suspect there's some kind of personality / genetic link as well as work / emotional pressures.

I def agree there is a personality/genetic link with it all which amkes it harder for us to fight it.

I know tonight will be really hard for me. I want to get to the stage when I can indulge on Fri/Sat night only but I know i am not there yet.

If I drink tonight I will have broken the sepll and I wont be able to stop after tomorrow so I have to go for a longer period of abstinence before I introduce it again.

Im very tired. Think that concentrating on not drinking has taken more of a tiredness toll than I imagined it would. Mad really when I live the type of lifestyle that would see most women on their knees after a few days. I swear it was the alcohol that kept me going!

Ha ha! Goldfish bowls on sticks ha ha We just have "containers" of various (rather capacious) sizes.

I'm pleased to have 3 booze free days during the week - for me, that's good! Drinking this much less really makes me realise how much I was putting away before. Bloody hell.

The law is quite a boozy profession from what I understand. I'm in the arts, but so out of the loop these days.

Hi no1andno2, my SIL has been heavily drinking since she was 15 and she is now 38, she got to a point were everyone would tell her she drank too much and was to the "an alcholic" or "alcohol dependent" (she needed it to fall to sleep), she has since been to the doctors and asked for help, they have put her in touch with a therapist who has her in a group (not like AA though-she goes when she needs to), she was advised not to give up all together as she would be prone to DT's whatever that is (she get's the shakes.

All anyone can say is take it at your own pace, and surround yourself with good friends, and you will be ok, sending my gud luck to you hun.

Thanks izzy matt mum. I am amazed I havent hadmuch in the way of withdrawals. Not even a headache. Im jsut tired as Im not sleeping too well.

Hope you SIL is ok ?

Its a slipperry slope and one I will not let conquer me if I can.

If anyone elso needs support please post on here..........

I know what you mean about a slippery slope, and one that you can sort of get onto without noticing. Are you taking extra vits, No1&no2? I had a friend who took horse-size vit B when she was sober enough which was prescribed by her doctor. I remember her almost shaking herself to pieces when she didn't drink and I didn't understand the extent of what was going on.

Alcohol does affect sleep patterns, and even a glass of wine can be detrimental.

For me, it's quite a big thing actually DOING something about cutting down,and keeping going with it, rather than having an occasional "sensible" week.

how are you doing CB and bla de bla ?

Still abstaining here. sleeping a bit better now and happy I have managed 7 days without alcohol.

Intend to continue for some time now. This week going to tackle my eating and try and be more sensible on that front too. I do beleive some balance is returning to my life.

Had champagne on ice ready for Valentine's dinner (and other wine too), then dd phoned and asked if we would go collect her from a party at midnight.

Sensible parenting has led to enforced sobriety - makes a change from the days when pissed lovemaking had the potential to lead to pregnancy.

managed to say no to wine at sunday lunch at a friends house so very pleased .

Its hard though .

Ha ha BH. I know what you mean !

Well, I have been utterly useless. Had a couple of drinks at work thing on Friday night (in my defense it was deadly dull, however...). Then a couple of ciders and some red wine with DP on Sat night. But last night managed to put away way too much wine at the party, so many open bottles around am not even sure how much - just kept topping glass up.

Have had hideous hangover from hell all day, but also feeling disgusted with self. Ugh.

Defintely no drinking this week. And no more social drinking unless I can manage to stay within moderation. One or two glasses with friends once a week would probably be fine, even if breaking my self-imposed rules. Getting to the point where I feel like this is not good...