need to cut back on alcohol !

[skyking1]

I look them right in the eye and say no thanks, I don't drink. it is high time we elevate the discussion beyond questioning why a person chooses not to drink a potential poison that does not agree with them.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Sky king, you are definitely right! My close friends and family know the truth. Some of them quit shortly after I did.

 

[Koolau]

I always say I am the designated driver.

Heh, heh, meaning all your passengers are (all together now) "designated drunks!"

Went to a stuperbowl party once and each arriving car was required to designate a driver. As usual, I was it for our car (my car.) Said driver was issued a baseball cap labeled "designated driver." Someone found the box of hats behind the bar half way through the party and, quickly, there appeared hats on bobbing and weaving heads with "driver" marked out and relabeled "Designated Drunk." A good time was had by all. Lots of future stories.

Forgot to mention each driver was required to leave their keys with the host who later made at least a cursory determination of sobriety before returning said keys to the designated driver. Not fool proof but not "80 proof" either. YMMV

 

[pacergal]

I look them right in the eye and say no thanks, I don't drink. it is high time we elevate the discussion beyond questioning why a person chooses not to drink a potential poison that does not agree with them.

Absolutely. No reasons, no excuses. Simply "No Thanks, I don't drink". People need to respect that

 

[mystang52]

I look them right in the eye and say no thanks, I don't drink. it is high time we elevate the discussion beyond questioning why a person chooses not to drink a potential poison that does not agree with them.

Until I was 30 or so, when I discovered Rum, I did not drink at all just because I did not like the taste of alcohol. I never had a problem simply saying "no thanks" when offered a drink.

 

[skyking1]

Ah yes, rum. I poisoned myself several times with rum in the bad old days.

 

[jollystomper]

I look them right in the eye and say no thanks, I don't drink. it is high time we elevate the discussion beyond questioning why a person chooses not to drink a potential poison that does not agree with them.

+1
I have always preferred the direct approach. I never understand the folks who get offended when you express this personal preference when it differs from their own.

 

[Koolau]

+1
I have always preferred the direct approach. I never understand the folks who get offended when you express this personal preference when it differs from their own.

I agree. Making a big deal about "insisting" that someone else have a drink says much more about that person than the one who quietly says "no thank you" or "I don't drink."

 

[albireo13]

Hi all. Just checking in.
I have been doing better overall with drinking but, still have the occasional "date night" with a bottle of wine. It is much less frequent though. My stress level is lower as well, which helps. It is wine, mostly red wine, which is my achilles heel. Beer I enjoy but, 1 or 2 glasses of beer and I am good. With red wine, once I start I keep going.

I am going to stop trying to cut back and just go cold turkey.

 

[street]

Drinking is one thing I never did much of. In the last 40 years I haven't even come close to a drink a year. Never got into drinking and maybe because the cost was part of that mind set.

 

[mystang52]

Hi all. Just checking in.
I have been doing better overall with drinking but, still have the occasional "date night" with a bottle of wine. It is much less frequent though. My stress level is lower as well, which helps. It is wine, mostly red wine, which is my achilles heel. Beer I enjoy but, 1 or 2 glasses of beer and I am good. With red wine, once I start I keep going.

I am going to stop trying to cut back and just go cold turkey.

It's been some 3 years since your first post, and "1 or 2 beers" along with occasional(?) bottle of wine is frankly not much progress. I commend you for now trying cold turkey; however, based on this track record you should do the cold turkey with help from A.A., or your doctor, or some other expert in alcohol addiction.

 

[Ronstar]

About 10 years ago, I drank bud and Miller beers. Maybe 2 a day back then. Then I acquired a taste for good beer and have only had a few bud and Miller beers since. I do enjoy craft beers when I find something new that satisfies my palette. Had a couple pale ales at the Oak Creek Brewery in Sedona, az. Yesterday

 

[Car-Guy]

I've really cut back in the past several years. Almost no hard liquor anymore and a 6 pack of beer will last me a month. And if it not a Corona Lite, I won't drink it.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Hi all. Just checking in.
I have been doing better overall with drinking but, still have the occasional "date night" with a bottle of wine. It is much less frequent though. My stress level is lower as well, which helps. It is wine, mostly red wine, which is my achilles heel. Beer I enjoy but, 1 or 2 glasses of beer and I am good. With red wine, once I start I keep going.

Could you clarify what is "date night" with wine? Is that when you go on a date with someone else and share a bottle of wine with them, or is it when you make a date to get buzzed by yourself with a bottle of wine?

It sounds like your stress level due to family pressures has been relieved. You're not drinking to excess every night. You have made progress, which is great. You are aware of your situation. Just knowing what is the trigger is a big part of being able to control the urge.

I am going to stop trying to cut back and just go cold turkey.

You can do that, sure. But, as a first step you might try to cut out the wine. You don't seem to have a problem with beer.

 

[bloom2708]

In my 50s now, I avoid alkohol. Essentially poison to the body.

As you age, things catch up to you. I may not be able to avoid everything, but I'll try.

https://youtu.be/q-fgx5ktr2s

 

[Qs Laptop]

In my 50s now, I avoid alkohol. Essentially poison to the body.

As you age, things catch up to you. I may not be able to avoid everything, but I'll try.

https://youtu.be/q-fgx5ktr2s

That was great! Thank you!

 

[pacergal]

Hi all. Just checking in.
I have been doing better overall with drinking but, still have the occasional "date night" with a bottle of wine. It is much less frequent though. My stress level is lower as well, which helps. It is wine, mostly red wine, which is my achilles heel. Beer I enjoy but, 1 or 2 glasses of beer and I am good. With red wine, once I start I keep going.

I am going to stop trying to cut back and just go cold turkey.

Glad your stress level is lower and you recognize a problem with the red wine.
Going cold turkey is fine, can be difficult, though, depending on how much your intake is daily.
Do you have a support system to help? i.e. family members, AA, your dr., if they are aware of your concern about your alcohol intake.
Even if you don't think you are alcoholic, AA is a great place to get support and encouragement. Some folks don't like the spiritual aspect of AA, though.

Good luck to you and thank you for the update.
Take Care.

 

[waynezo]

Hi all. Just checking in.
I have been doing better overall with drinking but, still have the occasional "date night" with a bottle of wine. It is much less frequent though. My stress level is lower as well, which helps. It is wine, mostly red wine, which is my achilles heel. Beer I enjoy but, 1 or 2 glasses of beer and I am good. With red wine, once I start I keep going.

I am going to stop trying to cut back and just go cold turkey.

Thanks for checking in. When I drank no matter what it was I did not want to stop after the first drink. Hard liquor I would be wiped out after a couple of hours, beer I could drink all day, wine somewhere in between. Sounds like you are experiencing "loss of control" with red wine. That is not for me to say. You will make your own judgement on that. The medical community has now decided that no amount of alcohol is healthy.

I hope you do quit. Life is much better without it.

My Mom died of natural causes last October. My sisters and I took care of her for 10 months of home hospice. I am so grateful I am sober. Other wise I would have been worthless and a basket case. This month I celebrated 33 Years of sobriety and I haven't missed a thing!



This is my original post from 3 yrs ago. I hope there is something in there you can relate to. You seem to be self aware





At age 28 my Alcoholism was easy to define once I came out of denial. For me one was too many and a thousand not enough.

The NIAAA and the DSM-5 refers to Alcoholism as "Alcohol Use Disorder" to reduce the stigma. People who are on the spectrum of AUD are not morally bankrupt or less of a human being than those who are not. If you are a social drinker once you feel the effect you don't want anymore. Any one else is on the spectrum of AUD and at risk for alcohol dependence.

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-he...-use-disorders

The NIAAA states that 80% of the people who get sober and stay sober for the rest of their life do so without counseling or support groups. They become sick and tired of being sick and tired. My father was one. The NIAAA states that AA works great for those who want to be there, but has little effect on those who don't. I went to AA when I got sober and I highly recommend it. I had already decided to stop drinking when I went to AA. I found that AA taught me, not how to not drink but, how to live life on life's terms without alcohol. AA is not for everybody nor is it a panacea, but it is a great place to start. I apply the principles of AA to my life everyday. I like to say my sobriety is not dependent on AA but enhanced by it. My Christian faith and the philosophy of Buddhism also play a role. AA borrows from both teachings. AA has been around for about 85 years, Christianity about 2000 years. and Buddhism about 2400 years. Alcohol abuse has been around for probably 10,000 years.

Ancient Chinese Proverb "First the man takes a drink. Then the drink takes a drink. Then the drink takes the man"

It is easy for me to not take a drink because I no longer see alcohol as a solution.

If you decide you are on the AUD spectrum it will get worse since it is a progressive disease. The good news is once you decide to get sober, no matter what method you use, your life will get better! You may decide you don't miss it at all!

 

[waynezo]

In my 50s now, I avoid alkohol. Essentially poison to the body.

As you age, things catch up to you. I may not be able to avoid everything, but I'll try.

https://youtu.be/q-fgx5ktr2s

Kewl video

 

[Exchme]

Hi all. Just checking in.
I have been doing better overall with drinking but, still have the occasional "date night" with a bottle of wine. It is much less frequent though. My stress level is lower as well, which helps. It is wine, mostly red wine, which is my achilles heel. Beer I enjoy but, 1 or 2 glasses of beer and I am good. With red wine, once I start I keep going.

I am going to stop trying to cut back and just go cold turkey.

Cold Turkey sounds like a good idea for you. Our choice of words often reveals truths we hadn't recognized. We "date" what we desire, so a "date night" with alcohol and the statement that you cannot stop drinking once you start, suggests that you know there is still a problem.

 

[Winemaker]

DW and I do dry Tuesdays, just because we can, not for any particular reason. We do drink wine with dinner.

 

[Koolau]

Hi all. Just checking in.
I have been doing better overall with drinking but, still have the occasional "date night" with a bottle of wine. It is much less frequent though. My stress level is lower as well, which helps. It is wine, mostly red wine, which is my achilles heel. Beer I enjoy but, 1 or 2 glasses of beer and I am good. With red wine, once I start I keep going.

I am going to stop trying to cut back and just go cold turkey.

Thanks for checking in. I applaud your decision to quit cold turkey. Check back in often. Blessings and aloha.

 

[Going camping]

A few months prior to my retirement I read an article called "Sober Curious". Apparently, this is becoming a movement of sorts.

I also listened to an interesting Huberman Lab podcast titled "What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain, & Health." Here is the link to the YouTube video. Pretty 'sobering' information.

I've quit alcohol for long periods throughout my life for health and fitness reasons and went 10 weeks alcohol-free this year. I always feel great when not drinking. I lose weight and save money. Now to figure out if I should keep returning to that cold beer after setting up the camp site or wine in the evening. I guess if I could do these things in moderation there wouldn't be the need for contemplation.

Great thread! I have enjoyed all the comments and stories shared.

 

[Scuba]

I think going cold turkey will be a helpful approach. We used to be regular “social wine drinkers” with friends, but totally stopped drinking for several months after DH’s heart attack last year. We found we felt great and really didn’t miss our wine. We saved money and we both lost weight.

Over the last few months, we have increased our consumption marginally, but still limit ourselves to special occasions such as our wedding anniversary dinner. We order by the glass instead of a bottle now. It’s great never feeling like we can’t drive safely or waking up with a hangover after a night of overconsumption. On the very rare occasion that I have wine at home now, I limit myself to one glass with dinner. I used to drink a glass while cooking and enjoy a couple of glasses with dinner on a regular basis. That really adds up, both in calories and money.

I’ve learned to order club soda with lime when out at restaurants with friends, and at home I’ll make myself a club soda with a splash of Diet Cranberry and Diet Ginger Ale in a champagne flute if we have friends over. That way I have something festive looking to drink while they have their wine or champagne.

Best wishes for success on your journey.

 

[Chuckanut]

I am a somewhat lazy guy. So I looked for an easy way to control my weight. I found that the “Don’t Drink Your Calories” rule is a lot easier to follow than avoiding all sorts of foods I enjoy. My drink of choice is now tap water. For a treat I have Italian mineral water. If I’m hungry I have a small glass of milk to avoid picking at bad foods.

I still down wine/beer two or three drinks a week total when I know I won’t be driving.