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giving up the booze
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Hi All,
Thought you would find it funny.
I'm just pushing it a little with the soft drink and the pub, seein what works what doesn't.
I'm tempted to go and do the same again today. But I'm fightiing that thought, as that's what drove me to the 3 days out of the 10 last week.
I doubt if I will run again today, I think my body doesn't know what has hit it today, with it only having to sober up on this time.
So I'm going to treat myself to fish and chips for my secon time in two days. I know its fatty, but I feel you have to say well done, in not having beer again today.
Glad its all good with you so far.
When I bought my New Ballance yesterday the lad in the shop suggested try and walk the shoe in instead of running straight away. I think if I remember, that it gives the trainers time to settle into your feet.
Hope all is okay?
Wouldn't worry about the fish and chips being fatty...prob the same amount of calories as in a few pints and treats are good. Do they know you're trying to quit in the pub then? Like I say....I'd keep out the way of temptation for a long while.
Hi All,
A couple of them do. I hear you. I'm hoping now not till Wednesday. I would be climbing up the wall by that time, as apart from chatting to shop staff, I willhave noone to chat with.
I feel that is the worst part, realising you drink to be aound people, but when you do have that chance, I generally sit on me own. Thats why this internet is a good thing, but its so important to have real world friends also.
I don't know about other people, I'm starting to get the shakes now, on day 5 of not drinking.
Hope all okay?
I think that's why this country has such a big drink problem generally, socialising = down the pub, having a drink together etc etc. Unfortunatly you can't do that, not for the next few months anyway. It's another thing that makes it harder, cutting down your social life for a while to break the cycle regarding booze. Remember though, this will only be for the short term, a few months. Your friends will hang around if they are actually friends not just drinking buddies.
Shakes are probably just your body's chemical balance shifting, five days is really good going..keep it up!
Hi All,
C P 31, I agree with you, I think historicaly think this country has always had a problem with booze.
My Allen Carr book came through Friday. One of the very first lines reads dont give up till you have read this book.
So I went out and got drunk lol. I don't feel bad about it as if I don't drink till Tuesday, it will only be once in 10 days that I won't have drinked, and if I last till next Saturday once in two weeks.
But I'm worried because its my ON TRAK appointment Friday, and its going to be stressful, I normally go for a few after that.
I may not be on line now till at least sometime Tuesday. I'm having problems with my internet. Another IAP adress keeps running over TALKTALK internet, and I don't know if I'm being charged, or someone else is hacking into my computer. I can't get the technical people til Monday, and today I'm just relaxing.
C P 31 are you doing okay?
Running wise, I managed 2 runs again this week, and will try and push it for a third this week. Another plus running wise, I managed t do 2km, in under 10 minutes, thats a first for me.
Hope people enjoy their Sunday lunch?
Morning, yes all good thanks. Glad you don't feel too bad about friday. To be honest if you can cut it down to 1 day a week then your doing incredibly well and it will become the exceptioon rather than the rule.
Heard good things about the Allen Carr books...give it a good read and keep going!! What's you ON TRAK appointment?
Hey, I have just had a little read through some of the messages on here and I just want to say a couple of things about alcohol use/abuse and withdrawal.
As a Paramedic I give lots of people advice in this area almost every day and deal with many people who want to get off the booze and many who say they do but never will. I've seen people who have hit the drink for just about every reason you can think of, so while I'm by no means an expert I do have a load of experience to share. Some of which may be a touch uncomfortable to hear.
Firstly I will say that some of the stories on here sound a lot like an alcohol dependency has developed. If you drink every day or almost every day then it's time to look at whether you now need the drink rather than want it. I know many of you have spoken about the social thing and I get that but an unhealthy habit can start from there and it becomes an easy excuse to just have another drink.
The second thing I want to say was I have seen mention of proper withdrawal symptoms and the cold turkey approach to getting off the drink. If when you don't drink for a half day/day you start to get shakes or you wake up needing a drink to even yourself out and stop feeling unwell your body has become dependent on alcohol.
If this is the case you cannot go cold turkey and definitely not without medical advice first. It is fairly common for alcohol dependent people to have seizures when they stop drinking out right. They need to ease off the drink slowly. Much like running you need a plan. You can become really ill if you try and come off the drink too fast.
I hope this doesn't sound too preachy, I say these things for your safety and I really do wish you all the best getting off the stuff. I personally stopped drinking 8 months ago. I would never say I was alcohol dependent and I certainly didn't have any withdrawal symptoms. But at the same time my whole social life revolved around alcohol - dates, meals, meeting mates, nights out all had me drinking so I know how hard that part is. But I honestly don't feel like ever turning back.
Sorry if I have said things you don't like and like I say some of that may sound uncomfortable, but alcohol can be devastating to a life and I wish anyone who wants to reduce or remove their intake the very best.
Hi All,
C P 31. It the local alcohol treatment place, for Huddersfield, it designed to help people reach their own personal goals regarding booze, and to help them back to the stage they were in before and fallings down
I'm glad your doing okay.
Medicalet, this site has been started to gain advice and information on what happens, so the information does for me at any rate, an insight into what happens. I'm mega chuffed that for 8 months you have stayed off the stuff long may it continue, or controlled for and you.
I must admit I'm getting the shakes and dull moods,and the body is feels like it going numb, like the annesthetic the dentist give you. Its awful, yet when that passes its like you want to get away from the feeling hence you hit the beer again, even if you do not want to. As for me, thats happenning now. Its true what my psychologist has told me, most of the bad situations and relationships has happened when I have been binge drinking. When I'm like this I remember about the pain I caused those that I loved and still love, yet they had to walk away, because they coudln't cope with me any more. It hurts that I caused them so much pain.
On the plus side, running is helping, I can't stick to a training schedule, but am managing to runs a week, and I'm now getting under 10 minutes for 3k out of a 5k run. Thats not happened not happened since I ran asa 20 year old.
There's so much I want to do sports side, with running swimming cycling, and my sailing, I want to eventually do some adventure runs and ultra runs to. I can't do that sat in a pub for 4 hours or more. I would rather be on the road out there battling the winds. Its such a release out there, whether your sat there with no wind to being in a gale force wind. I even feel when a gust of wind is building up, and where its coming from. I havebeen sailing off and on since I was a Sea Cadet.
Ar well time to go and try and get a couple of hour dozing.
Hope all okay for those that are browsing, and those who occasionnlay post?
Hi All,
I just want toask people, what do they think when vising this thread?
It was not started just for me to blow my own trumpet.
So if anyone would like to see how this thread can gain at least one or two people more it would be appreciated. As it feels like i'm posting to myself.
Y'know if this thread is a help to you Sinbad then that's all that really matters - I read it and I think "good luck to you" - for putting it out there, that can't be easy, admitting to yourself is a big thing. And I think you're trying hard, but sometimes you beat yourself up for slipping, which I understand, we are always our own worst critics, but it's still early days and no-one ever kicked any habit in one go with no slips or accidents. So be a bit easy on yourself, eh?
You sound so committed to getting your life back, let that be the overriding thing that drives you.
It's frightening to think you might need to kick the booze for good, but sometimes you have to be ralistic about what's in store. I know it's not the same but I had about 7 stone to lose, and have had for decades, and it only started working for me once I accepted that it was going to take me 2 or 3 years. Only then did I understand that it wasn't the work of a moment and I had to work really hard at it for a long time. I'm only about half way after 18 months but every day I try. Sometimes I fail, but I have to not let one bad food choice affect the rest of my life. Maybe it would help to think like that for you and drink - if you do have a drink(s), can you make yourself think that you won't let that one slip-up undo all your work and dictate the rest of your life?
However you go on, good luck. Keep posting if it helps, you can track your progress, moods, triggers etc and that's a valuable tool.
Agree with bookwork-airhead... I read this thread out of interest and it reads like a self-help stream of consciousness, which is great. Admitting the problem and taking responsibility is definitely the first big step.
I have a big interest in alcohol and how it affects people's lives, and think there's a huge problem in this country, which stems directly from the attitude that getting pissed is a completely acceptable way to have fun. My Dad is a reformed alcoholic and I watched him chuck his life away and nearly kill himself a good few times. He "lost" his family (I say "lost" because he didn't lose any of us, but the drinking led to my parents' divorce and him leaving the family home) through drinking and very nearly lost his life about 10 years ago.
He did very well to turn it around after that scare and over the course of the next year or so became alcohol free. He lasted about 6 or 7 years and then slipped gradually back into drinking and last year he was drinking heavily again and it caused some more health problems for him. He's totally kicked it again, but the point is that the old cliche "once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic" to me seems very accurate. My Dad can't handle being just a social drinker. He thought he could and at first it would seem like he could but he didn't notice the increase in amount and frequency and all of a sudden he was on the road back to drinking every day.
I made the decision to give up drinking on 1st January 2012. I don't like alcohol at all - I've had a real thing about it ever since I was in my early 20s (I'm 31 now) which stems directly from what I've seen happen to my Dad. I've never had a problem myself other than the same problem that a massive amount of the population in Scotland has - i.e. binge drinking is the norm and completely socially acceptable. I found it difficult to only have a couple of beers without it leading to 6 or 7 or more beers and then the following 2 to 3 day hangover. I don't miss alcohol at all, and I miss hangovers even less. I just hope my Dad stays off the booze for the rest of his life now.
Good luck sinbad.
Hi All,
Thanks for that bookworn-airhead (interesting nickname/ The best of it is i know others that come here, have similarissues to myself. My hope is that it helps those who read these posts that their not alone with their personal battle, that's why I keep posting, hoping that other's can keep trying for themselves, knowing they can come perhaps here, and know what they feel is not just them. But I also know how hard it is to come on here, and not feel judged in any way.
Well done with the eating issue, keep at it.
I went out today as I expected, but have slowly started telling those I trust my intentions. First by going in later in the morning, and increasing my soft drinks, one person I told, I think is unsure where I'm going with booze (my dream is to one day run the sahara desert ultra run, I know beyond me now, but this is what I'm telling people, well I hope people know what I mean.
Hi Calum Crighton/ I understnad what your saying completly, I saw one friend 2 days before he died of booze. I now have a friend in Scarborough (boats, who had a blood transfusion) and told if he touches alcohol again it will kill him.
Thats so easily done with situations like your father situation. Its one reason why I start at ON Tak on Friday. Could you please let e know how your father is doing from time to time. So do I, not just for himself, but for your families sake to.
I'm impressed with anyone that manages like yourself that can stay off the booze.
Thank you.
I just wonder just how many people follow my journey and not post? as theres about 1,000 now give or take?
Thanks for posting, its just that I know people watch, it just gets lonely sometimes. But, if it helps others then thats my determination to keep posting.
I will try for a run again sometime Wednesday. Don't hold your breath though. Thanks for telling me you watch my progress.
My first goal ,is to run the Blackpool 10k end of August. I did the 5k MoRun last year. If that goes well, then I will consider doing a HM. eithe in December or soon after Christmas.
I have npt slrpt now for a good 24 hours/
I hope that all of you sleep peacefully.
Hi All,
I had a break through yesterday, good news for a change.
I didn't go into the pub till 11am. And that Lime and soder before I had a pint. I also told tose that I saw, that I will slowly increase the soft drinks. One friend was a unsure how to take it, another couple just went quiet for a while. To be honest there just people I drink with, rather than friends, and others I just say hi to.
On a plus I went out for a run today, but tell I had had a few beers, I had added on 5 minutes from my last run. But got to start somewhere, after a few beers.
People are welcome to add their own experiences with booze, and how it may affect their running, and lves generally.
Hope everyone is okay?
Hi All,
Just to let you know I spoke to the developers about this again yesterday and they have asked me to provide you the link to this: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/beginners/giving-up-the-booze/43955-1521.html#last original thread and to say that if you could not create any more threads with this title that would help them.
Will keep you update when I hear.
Thanks and apologies for problems here.
Annie
Hi All,
Thanks for that Annie RW. that link does go to the original thread.
I won't post again here.
But, could you please, please, please please. Do everything you can to get the original thread back on he beginners page.
It's back! Have posted it to the top of the beginners page. Sorry for the delay, it disappeared because the creator of it left the site.
Annie