Giving it a go
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spain
Posts: 2,004
Giving it a go
Hey,
Last year I tried to get off alcohol. I did this for a lot of reasons but I don't think I was quite ready for the idea of going through life without EVER having another drink. I lasted nearly a month before trying to go back to "moderate" drinking. Mistake. I've never been a really moderate kind of person!
I'm trying again now. Today is day 5. Last night was the soccer world cup final and we had friends over to watch the game. Plenty of alcohol around and a good time was had by all...except me! I was just holding on! I made it, but only just, and I realized that I won't be able to do this on my own. I've never been much for AA or anything like that so I decided to try to get support from the online community. It's good to be here
Last year I tried to get off alcohol. I did this for a lot of reasons but I don't think I was quite ready for the idea of going through life without EVER having another drink. I lasted nearly a month before trying to go back to "moderate" drinking. Mistake. I've never been a really moderate kind of person!
I'm trying again now. Today is day 5. Last night was the soccer world cup final and we had friends over to watch the game. Plenty of alcohol around and a good time was had by all...except me! I was just holding on! I made it, but only just, and I realized that I won't be able to do this on my own. I've never been much for AA or anything like that so I decided to try to get support from the online community. It's good to be here
Realising my life
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Dorset, England
Posts: 3,656
Welcome, amp 
You've come to a very supportive place 
Many congratulations on reaching Day 5, especially when one of those days was the World Cup Final!
For me, abstinence is so, so much easier than moderating. I found trying to moderate deeply unsatisfying and totally exhausting. Now that I have chosen never to drink, I feel free.
Here to support you on your journey
You've come to a very supportive place Many congratulations on reaching Day 5, especially when one of those days was the World Cup Final!
For me, abstinence is so, so much easier than moderating. I found trying to moderate deeply unsatisfying and totally exhausting. Now that I have chosen never to drink, I feel free.
Here to support you on your journey
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spain
Posts: 2,004
Thanks for that Headlump! Great to reach out and see that someone is actually there!!! I see that you've been sober for over a year and a half now! I am in awe! Do you think the firat weeks were the hardest?
Realising my life
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Dorset, England
Posts: 3,656
Yes, the first weeks were definitely the hardest. For me, it got a lot easier round about 3 months when I started to feel all the physical and psychological benefits. And it's got much easier since! 
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Gatineau, QC, CA
Posts: 5,100
Welcome!
You are not alone, we are many.
Personally I try not to put myself in situations that involve Alcohol. I don't particularly feel comfortable around loud drunken crowds anymore. It appears that the real me is a pretty quiet guy after all.
Glad you found us. About AA, I'm at my 3rd meeting and love it. It's nice to be surrounded by people like me.
You are not alone, we are many.
Personally I try not to put myself in situations that involve Alcohol. I don't particularly feel comfortable around loud drunken crowds anymore. It appears that the real me is a pretty quiet guy after all.
Glad you found us. About AA, I'm at my 3rd meeting and love it. It's nice to be surrounded by people like me.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spain
Posts: 2,004
Thanks for the tip Thepatman. What you say about not putting myself in difficult situations brings me to another point. I think that most people I know would file me under the category of "enjoys a drink". Over the years I have invested much time and energy in misleading myself and others to give the impression that there is no problem or case to answer...so now it's a bit weird choosing a soft drink or saying "no thanks". People think I'm joking! I guess the best advice is, as you say, steer clear of potentially difficult situations, but sometimes this is inevitable. I don't think my wife understands the extent of my problem and also feels slightly embarrassed by the thought of explaining it to her family, etc. I'm English but she's Spanish and from quite a traditional family in which this stuff doesn't really happen to people...or if it does it's swept right under the rug.
So... I guess my question is this:
What do I tell people now? So far i've just said that I'm getting bad hangovers recently and it isn't worth the trade off as I need to get a lot of work done and it interferes with my Running trraining program. I'm hoping that people will just fall into the idea that I don't drink little by little without making a big deal about it.
Is this a sensible way to be going about things?
So... I guess my question is this:
What do I tell people now? So far i've just said that I'm getting bad hangovers recently and it isn't worth the trade off as I need to get a lot of work done and it interferes with my Running trraining program. I'm hoping that people will just fall into the idea that I don't drink little by little without making a big deal about it.
Is this a sensible way to be going about things?
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Gatineau, QC, CA
Posts: 5,100
I think we tend to feel bizarre about not drinking but the other people simply don't care if we do or don't.
Someone really pushy with you to drink probably has an issue of their own and you were probably their excuse to feel their drinking is normal.
my 20 cents ;-)
Someone really pushy with you to drink probably has an issue of their own and you were probably their excuse to feel their drinking is normal.
my 20 cents ;-)
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