New need the tips!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 1
New need the tips!
Hi All,
So I've been drinking over 5 years now. Got heavier and heavier.
It's usually every other day, sometimes will be a few days in a row, around 90 units a week.
The past year and a half its got this bad, it was usually every 2-3 days a bottle of cider or so.
I've found I've gone from 12 stone to 16 stone in weight, partner is always complaining about the drinking.
It's on a night time, it just makes everything better.
I want to stop but after a day off find myself buying another bottle of cider or whatever.
Just really want to know what is the best way to quit, I have my reasons it's just the cravings and how I feel so much better!
I find it hard to write how I feel exactly but any advise please!
So I've been drinking over 5 years now. Got heavier and heavier.
It's usually every other day, sometimes will be a few days in a row, around 90 units a week.
The past year and a half its got this bad, it was usually every 2-3 days a bottle of cider or so.
I've found I've gone from 12 stone to 16 stone in weight, partner is always complaining about the drinking.
It's on a night time, it just makes everything better.
I want to stop but after a day off find myself buying another bottle of cider or whatever.
Just really want to know what is the best way to quit, I have my reasons it's just the cravings and how I feel so much better!
I find it hard to write how I feel exactly but any advise please!
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 2,872
Hello and welcome 
If you really want to stop, as you mention, and find you can't you may have a problem.
I drank heavily for thirty years and I couldn't stop and it all just kept getting worse. More to drink and unable to stop.
You'll find a lot of support here. If that's not enough a lot of us find face to face meetings helpful, like AA.
But you're not alone as you can see. Not many of us would be here if we didn't have a problem with drink.
I would try your best to cut down. You may not be too far gone to be a full-blown alcoholic yet.
Believe me, it'll save you a lot of misery if you can stop now.
Best to you and I hope you stick around here.
If you really want to stop, as you mention, and find you can't you may have a problem.
I drank heavily for thirty years and I couldn't stop and it all just kept getting worse. More to drink and unable to stop.
You'll find a lot of support here. If that's not enough a lot of us find face to face meetings helpful, like AA.
But you're not alone as you can see. Not many of us would be here if we didn't have a problem with drink.
I would try your best to cut down. You may not be too far gone to be a full-blown alcoholic yet.
Believe me, it'll save you a lot of misery if you can stop now.
Best to you and I hope you stick around here.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,909
It's on a night time, it just makes everything better.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Georgia, USA
Posts: 2,229
It helped me to join the 'thirty day experiment' by Annie Grace. It's free and you can look it up online. It helped mostly because I found I couldn't go anything like thirty days at first. I had to get really desperate to quit. But, not everyone is like that, there are a lot of people who don't have nearly the problem with alcohol that I had but who just want to get healthy, lose weight, live life more. It's a good site for that.
SR is the best help I've found. I hope you let us know how you're doing!
SR is the best help I've found. I hope you let us know how you're doing!
Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 3,944
Hi Andy, I’m in the UK too. I understand 90 units.
(Roughly, 10 units is a bottle of wine).
Clearly you’re not happy drinking that amount, and it’s right you want to stop. Unfortunately, it sounds like you’ve become alcohol dependent now, so the only answer is to totally quit as trying to moderate is nigh on impossible now. The good news is quitting is easier than trying to moderate.
But what to do about it? Firstly, accept you’re dependent and need to stop. If you go to your GP and be honest about the 90 units (most people give vague figures, you’ve been very precise which is good), they’ll help. I was prescribed tablets called Campral to reduce alcohol cravings. Tell your GP you want to quit. GPs might not take someone so seriously if they only want to “cut down” on drinking.
I very occasionally drink alcohol free cider, which is way too sweet for me. Have you tried that to wean yourself off the real stuff? The real battle here is knowing that quitting is the only way. It’ll probably be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but after a matter of weeks, you’ll be over the worst.
Me, I was a 48 year old on 70 units a week. I weighed 110Kg (BMI 32) and wasn’t in a good way. I lost 20Kg within six months from exercising and not drinking. I couldn’t sleep to start with and the cravings were excruciating, but nearly nine months on, I really don’t want to drink. Good luck.
(Roughly, 10 units is a bottle of wine).
Clearly you’re not happy drinking that amount, and it’s right you want to stop. Unfortunately, it sounds like you’ve become alcohol dependent now, so the only answer is to totally quit as trying to moderate is nigh on impossible now. The good news is quitting is easier than trying to moderate.
But what to do about it? Firstly, accept you’re dependent and need to stop. If you go to your GP and be honest about the 90 units (most people give vague figures, you’ve been very precise which is good), they’ll help. I was prescribed tablets called Campral to reduce alcohol cravings. Tell your GP you want to quit. GPs might not take someone so seriously if they only want to “cut down” on drinking.
I very occasionally drink alcohol free cider, which is way too sweet for me. Have you tried that to wean yourself off the real stuff? The real battle here is knowing that quitting is the only way. It’ll probably be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but after a matter of weeks, you’ll be over the worst.
Me, I was a 48 year old on 70 units a week. I weighed 110Kg (BMI 32) and wasn’t in a good way. I lost 20Kg within six months from exercising and not drinking. I couldn’t sleep to start with and the cravings were excruciating, but nearly nine months on, I really don’t want to drink. Good luck.
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