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..........

Morning n1&2, spooky timing, I was just about to write... Well done you for resisting - why the pressure (if not TMI)?

I am feeling GREAT! Had a fairly stressful evening with DP and work but just kept on with the water, apple juice, peppermint tea. Woke up this morning and the sun was shining and remembered that horrid white wine hangover (all pervading sickness and headache) and was so happy not to be there. I'm sure this must be psychosomatic, but already feeling fitter and healthier, bright eyes, better skin etc. If that's not a good motivation, I don't know what is!

How are you this morning Bella - feeling good?

Lulu and the rest of you ladies, role call please?

Well done everyone! I managed a 3rd wine free night! I can't remember the last time that happened. The early part of the evening I was absolutely gagging, and could barely think of anything else. After dinner, DH made me a cup of tea and I got the biscuits out . I avoided the PC and snuggled on the sofa. So the rest of the evening wasn't too bad. I actually slept surprisingly well.

Tonight I NEED to go to the supermarket, so will have to resist temptation! I wish I could say I felt all bright and healthy, but I feel weird. Not sure how much is in my mind though.

dh was out and i watched mistresses on i player. every scene had a glass of wine and fab sex !

DH and I have been lacking a bit in that dept lately. Cant imagine what its like to let one's inhibitions go when not drunk and I feel so fat ....

PLP thats what I have been doing, Stuffing biscuits and choc orange left over from Chritsmas and then doing nothing all evening. Start gym induction on Sun am and I will have distraction in the evenings then.

keep posting ladies. This really is a lifeline.

xx

Then well done you for having the willpower to stick to your guns and not give in n1&2!

Porto, why not buy lovely fruit juice from some of your wine budget and crack that instead?

I think in a way this is a transitional phase. Once we get more used to not having wine in our systems every night, life (and all activities within ) will seem more normal without...

AND if we can swap wine for gym (or even some wine for some gym or other exercise or healthier eating) I think we'll start feeling healthier and fitter and sexier and it'll come naturally...

The gym sounds like a good idea. Trouble is DH isn't usually in til 7, then I find it difficult to motivate myself to go out. The pool is open late on a Thursday so maybe I need to get DH home early one night a week at least.....

The worst bit is definitely the early evening for me. Usually once dd is bathed/fed/in PJ's out comes the wine. Last night I found that once I had got past that point, it wasn't too bad. I was thinking of doing some ironing tonight. Anyone got some useful distraction techniques?

morning everyone - glad to hear that some of you do so well - I have now got to my 3 day mark no booze has passed my lips since Sunday evening so feeling a little smug - dont know how long it will last - its my b'day at weekend (47 yuk) and doubt I will get through that without a bottle of my beloved vino!!! Not giving it up for lent in fact decided I am not giving up anything like booze/choc just trying to be more positive instead of the negative old bat I can be - keep at it girlies

Well done all, I found it easier than expected though did have a slight wobble wanting a large brandy (my favourite tipple)as it got later - held out though and had chewing gum instead! Very classy...

Am not feeling brill this morning because it took me ages to get to sleep - have other people found it hard to sleep without booze in your system? Am hoping it will be a temporary thing. Still at least am not tired AND hungover ...

well done Bellabelly - I found the opposite with sleep that I sleep better without it but think others have had the same problem - will get better soon I am sure - keep going you doing really well

Great news lulu and bella! I found sleeping tricky when I first decidced to cut down (tho I ended up cheating and using Xanax ). Do feel I'm sleeping better now and wake up feeling SO much better.

I find it really hard to GET to sleep. It's more a case that my brain whirrs round and round and I'll lay there worrying about stuff eg work, or my overdraft instead of just passing out. Actually, and sadly, not sitting on the PC all evening MNetting etc, but watching crap on the TV instead made a difference as I was more chilled out..

Congratualtions for your bday lulu. If you've been good all week, a treat shouldn't hurt I guess? I'm debating with myself if I should have some wine at the weekend, or not.

Cor! This thread is becoming the Health Freak thread

I'm really beginning not to notice whether or not we have any alcohol in the evening. It's quite nice feeling a bit more in control, but it's really tiresome trying to count units.

I don't know if vit B does anything at all. I've been taking it for nearly a year now as was advised by doc for my various diseases.

Dh went to genetic councelling yesterday and they said that nobody really has any idea how much alcohol you need to drink before it becomes dangerous. I think we all know that alcohol is a poison, and that it's not a very good idea to poison yourself too often.

We need to go shopping today and I have 1.5 bottles of wine to drink before Sunday. It's not that much really - another 3 nights.

Well done everyone who is staying off it.

If you feel rubbish when you stop, this is normal and soon passes. If you have previously been drinking every day, then, without realising it, you have been continually delaying/mitigating a hangover. You are now, for the first time in a long while, seeing that hangover through. Symptoms you can expect, depending on how long and heavily you drank, are:

sweats, especially night sweats
shakes
loss of appetite
irritability
insomnia combined with fatigue
listlessness
"busy brain"
nightmares
nervousness, anxiety, or fidgets
delirium tremens (shakes with hallucinations - only in extreme case)
desire to drink!

The list is not exhaustive. The good news is that, in most cases, these symptoms are gone or very much reduced after three days tops. The deisrie to drink may hang around longer, but will decrease if you let it.

Hang on in there - even withing those three days, it gradually gets better, and you will feel so much better once you're out the other side, I promise.

i slept very badly to start with but it gets better.

Its very hard and we are all making good steps forward. I truly do not want to be teetotal. But i do want to drink sensibly and I know i have to be strict with myself as a result!

I've been trying to think about what started me off, maybe in the hope that this might help with the stopping. Say 10 years ago, I used to go out at least 3 nights a week, but I would drink a few halves of lager, and I rarely drank at home.

I think when i got together with DH, even before dd, he was more of a homebody and we didn't go out quite so much. I think I was just a bit bored, and the odd glass made the evening a bit LESS boring. Then after dd, we went out even less, and the days were more stressful, so a large glass of wine became my treat in the evening. And it gradually built up and up.....

And when we moved to Belgium, I didn't know anyone, we only have 2 UK channels, the evenings became VERY boring and wine is half the cost of the UK so I just drank twice as much! I think instead of making the effort to get out and meet people, and force DH to do more stuff, I have just retreated into the bottle. And fooled myself that I am in fact perfectly happy on the PC every night with a glass of wine. And feeling in good company on MN! When in fact I think I am lonely and bored rigid. So to avoid the slippery slope I HAVE to do something to change this. But where to start....?

Sorry - waffling a bit. Is this the "busy brain" on the list above?

Hiya Portofino I think we all drink for different reasons bored/loneliness probably on a lot of peoples lists - I used to drink purely at weekends and even then only 2 glasses on a Saturday/Sunday never a whole bottle at a time. My drinking has gotten progressively worse over the last 4/5 years due to dcs father's affair and the detioration of our relatioinship and yes loneliness as he no longer lives with us and I spend loads of time with just me and dcs. Oh no this is becoming an epic post!!! Be interested to know why others began their unhealthy relationship with alcohol?

Mine was / is just the sheer volume of stuff I have to get through in one day both at work and home and a lot of the time through utter exhaustion.

Treating myself with the wine and then it numbing the pain of having zero time for me and having to work at twice the pace of those around me!!

Well I hope everyone is doing well this evening. I have large glass of fizzy mineral water and am really, really wanting a drink. It is quite scary - cos it forces me to face the fact that the drinking really IS a problem.

I just remembered too that i am due to go for lunch with a supplier tomorrow so that will be difficult. I've told myself I can have ONE bottle tomorrow night as i haven't gone 4 days without for years. And next week it will be 5 days!

I am still at work and kust about to go off to parents evening...........will be exhausted when I get home. Can I allow myself a drink tonight..........? I am going out both Fri and sat and driving so will not be able to drink then.

BUT I have to be at a breakfast meeting 12 miles away at 7am tomorrow so maybe not LOL

DH is out tonight and for some reason that is making it harder. Am sipping tonic water and just TWITCHING to put some gin in there...I feel just like you portofino - it's forcing me to face up to the fact that it's not just about being "sociable" any more...I'm intending to drink moderately at weekends (for now) so it's really only tonight I have to "get through" - shouldn't even be thinking in those terms, really...

bellabelly - "get through" is exactly how I would put it. I think if my DH was out, or away tonight I would have succumbed. But as he's not I know he would have been so disappointed if I'd got some on the way home. I am going to bed in a mo though - I'm an hour ahead, so might go and get tucked with Crimewatch.

Dear 1&2

You're probably going to hate me for doing this, but I've watched your postings since this thread started and I recognise my old self in them - especially in their progression.

Here is a selection in reverse order. PLEASE read them again.

Mon 23 Will only allow myself to drink on Fri / sat night but then I can have what I want.

Mon 23 I am now off it for 2 weeks again.

Tue 17 the urge to drink is passing slowly.

Tue 17 My problem is once I have a tsate for it I cant stop

Mon 16 Cant stop at one and at a party I just go round mine sweeping until I fall over.

Craving a drink like mad but I am determined to stay strong.

Sun 15 Intend to continue for some time now.

Fri 13 It?s a slippery slope and one I will not let conquer me if I can.

Fri 13 I want to get to the stage when I can indulge on Fri/Sat night only but I know i am not there yet.

Wed 11 its going to be hard for many a week to come I know

Tue 10 I am determined to be normal and control this before it controls me.

Tue 10 I don?t think my life would be so bad if I had more energy and no hangovers..........

Tue 10 I am so ashamed I have got myself into this situation.

Mon 9 I really do not enjoy anything anymore especially the drinking.

Mon 9 I am an all or nothing girl.

Mon 9 I?ve tried cutting down and it doesnt work. Once I have the taste thats it.

Mon 9 I would like to be able drink socially and stop after a few but where I am now I can?t and so I have to cut it out at the moment and learn to live again. I just want to wake up without a hangover.......

Mon 9 I need some help and fast..........

If this was a stranger posting, would you think they were sane for considering a drink tonight?

Would you find them consistent, or would you think they were kidding themselves?

Would you say to them, "well, it really sounds like you've licked this in the less than three weeks you've been posting - you can safely go back on it"?

Have you thought any more abot getting help, like you said you would at the beginning?

Your life could be a lot happier if you would let it.

Wow! Well you've definitely given ME food for thought! And you're making me think about the bottle I promised myself tomorrow.

If you feel safe to have a drink, then allow yourself. You can work out how much you can drink and be sober enough to drive in the morning. The body metabolises about 1 unit per hour.

I don't like all the control I am imposing on myself.

BladeBla

I hope neither you nor 1&2 are like me, then - the last time I tried counting units in a driving situation I ended up in a car with a snapped axle, a crushed passenger footwell and a strong smell of petrol; then in a police cell with no shoelaces or belt; and then in a magistrate's court getting a two year ban.

I hope that, unlike me, you (and the OP) can stop when you want and control your drinking; and that, if you can't, you find out before you start playing silly buggers with cars.

Morning all I have just ready all the recent poss ManIfeellikeawoman - know where you are coming from we all delude ourselves at times that we are back in control and I think the truth is we are all on this thread because we either have or are recovering from a problem with alcohol.

I know I have a problem with alcohol in that I can only stop at 2 glases when I am being watched my dcs father ie. we are sharing a bottle but if he is not there then I will drink the whole lot I have lost control and I dont think that will ever come back. So when we make the decision to drink then we should know that the problem is still there we havent gone back to normal dont think that will ever happen

Drinking and driving is as you have put is so well is crazy DONT EVER DO IT.

Will check back on later today - have good weekends everyone and good luck with abstaining if that is what you have decided to do for me its my b'day so I will not