Giving up booze

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Tomwoodbury
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Giving up booze

Post by Tomwoodbury »

After pretty much 20 years of regular drinking, a big increase since having children and a bigger increase since Covid I am going to have a stab and going dry. Done a week now and yet to feel much different other than having this strange feeling of being present in the evenings instead of being half cut!

The sun was tempting yesterday but some non alcoholic beers put paid to my urges.

I know there are a few non drinkers on here, so would you be kind enough to share your experiences/ thoughts / benefits of giving up for inspiration?

Cheers
redefined_cycles
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by redefined_cycles »

Hey up Tom. Well done. I shall email you my personal 'thingy' but will ask my mate Andy (not Warhol) to message me his exp and share on here for you...
Last edited by redefined_cycles on Sun Jul 18, 2021 9:54 am, edited 2 times in total.
lune ranger
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by lune ranger »

I’m probably coming at this from a different angle than you. I gave up drinking because my drinking had become destructive. I was down to the level of necking 1/2 bottles of corner shop vodka in one swig and my life was crumbling around me.
If your drinking is at all problematic - only you and those closest to you can define that - I would strongly recommend staying well clear of alcohol free beer.
If you want to chat please feel free to PM me, I’d be happy to help.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

My story is perhaps different to most. I drank socially which was most weekends but never at home and rarely during the week. I began to suffer some severe after effects that went beyond a 'normal' hangover and after a couple of months of thinking 'it'll sort itself out' went to the doctors. Long story short - transpired that without knowing, I'd broken my neck some time previously and alcohol was making those things holding everything together, relax and let go (proper medical explanation there) The result was severe pain and blinding headaches until they manned back up and got a grip - usually 3 days.

The pain wasn't worth the drink, so I stopped drinking. For the first few months I remember missing it a little or perhaps I believed that I was missing out but it didn't take long before it became normal. I now find the taste / smell of alcohol off-putting (even in food). I also largely avoid pubs unless I'm eating and avoid social gathering where I know there'll be a lot of drinking ... only because drunken people are a PITA when you're sober.
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redefined_cycles
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by redefined_cycles »

Here wego Tom. Andys story/reflection below.

------------------------
Yes, would be happy to,

I stopped because a mate of mine admitted to having a problem with drinking, I then decided to read, or rather listen, to a book by craig beck "alcohol lied to me" after listening to the book once I decided to stop drinking alcohol fully. I realised that as craig said, it's just "attractively packaged poison"

I stopped and have been stopped about a year and a half, I realise I'm not an alcoholic because I've managed pretty well.

Alcohol is a highly addictive drug, otherwise we'd all stop at "just the one" and we all know that's never the case. Also it's an actual depressant, and I realised that it's probably not a good idea to take a drug that would make me feel chemically depressed, and the effects don't just last the next day.
I, like craig beck, (I think there's some evidence out there somewhere), believe there's a two week withdrawal of alcohol, and here's the crux of it....

When I stopped I didn't get any kind of noticeable withdrawal as I wasn't "that bad" (as everyone says), however after 14 days I felt incredibly depressed and horrible for no reason, I could only put it down to the withdrawal of alcohol, and thats it's last ditch attempt at bringing you back in. It wore off after a couple of days. Then I felt normal, and I want to keep feeling normal.

So when I think about having just one or just a night of it, I think is it really worth feeling that terrible, and riding out 2 weeks of possible feeling down or rubbish, no it's not, and I feel much better now, I don't want to take a drug that will make me feel down, hungover, and will poison my system: but the main motivation is that 2 weeks, I don't want it.

So keep it up whoever decides to quit the "attractively packaged poison" and if you slip or have one or two or get absolutely trolley'd, don't beat yourself up, just get through your next two weeks and enjoy the other end of it.


Hope that helps?

P.S. alcohol gel kills nearly all germs, so why do we drink a derivative of it? Weird isn't it
Lazarus
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Lazarus »

I was never a big drinker and just drifted away from drinking . I dont ever remember making a big decision to do this-many people assume you are a recovering alcoholic if you say you dontdrink which tells you a lot about the UK and its reationship with alcohol.
I also follow this for the same reasons.
I also largely avoid pubs unless I'm eating and avoid social gathering where I know there'll be a lot of drinking ... only because drunken people are a PITA when you're sober.
I remember one new years eve where they were stood trying to light fireworks with their kids nearby when the instructions were to bury the firework box and be 40 ft away.I had to go to peak apeshit to get the "adults" to see sense and move them and their kids to a safe place. Loads of stop stresing dont be a party pooper it wil be fine, why are you so angry [ because i am not pissed and you are endagering your kids ] etc from the drunks :roll:
turfroof
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by turfroof »

Borderline type 2 diagnosis and a general feeling of "I should drink less" - decided to try a month without, a couple of weeks in, I thought why not just stop. Much happier and fitter now (6 years later 👍)
Stick with it Tom
Tomwoodbury
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Tomwoodbury »

Thanks all this is very helpful.

I wouldn’t describe my drinking as problematic, but I do feel as though I lose a lot of productive time due to alcohol. The older I get the less spare time I have and like most people on here, I want that time to be on the bike.

It is crazy how drinking-centric our culture is. Any social gathering, family or otherwise just means booze for most people. I don’t really do anything with my non cycling friends other than go to pubs and drink beer.
Gpl23
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Gpl23 »

Being a member of AA and having had no booze for 24 years, giving up alcohol gave me a brand new life which would definately not have happened had i kept on drinking. I drank to deal with life, when i stopped, life got worse so i started again. For me i needed help to learn to live with out alcohol, best thing i ever did.
Tomwoodbury
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Tomwoodbury »

Pretty amusing the next active topic in the feed is ‘what are you drinking now’
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GregMay
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by GregMay »

Similar to a lot of others, history with alcohol in the past (not a positive one), I tend to go through periods of being "overly social" with regards to drinking, but this year has helped that somewhat as I've been able to avoid the pub. Problematic that it's quite easy to sit at home with a beer or two of an evening, every evening, for a week, or two, or a month.

I go through phases of not drinking, usually two to three months on the lead into a race I want to do well for. That has gone to sub standard this year. I've noticed that I am happily drinking of a work night - not good as a teacher, so that I've stopped. TBH, on holidays next week - already planning not to drink for the holidays and treat it as a massive 6 week training camp!

All I can suggest is:
- sparkling water, not non-alcholoic beer
- find something productive for evening, not sat in front of telly
- physically put the cash you'd have spent in a jar, watch it grow, then spend it on something useful
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

which tells you a lot about the UK and its relationship with alcohol.
Something else I notice a lot which (a) seems completely alien to me and (b) perhaps adds to John's point, is just how many photographs I see on wildcamping / bikepacking / etc sites that all feature alcohol. I really can't imagine wanting to lug 6 cans of beer up a mountain?
find something productive for evening, not sat in front of telly
This ^. Even when I drank, I never did so in the week or at home and that was mainly because I never had the time.
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whitestone
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by whitestone »

I've been very varied in alcohol consumption, way too much in my late teens and early twenties, but have then had periods of near total abstinence - I think 18 months was the longest.

We usually do the "token" dry January but this year it extended a bit - to the end of April! I even had a dry birthday. Last night we had one bottle of beer each and even then it was made into lots of shandies. In my "active" drinking weeks I'll have a max of 6-7 units over two or three nights.
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voodoo_simon
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by voodoo_simon »

What happened to moderation?

Any diet thread (and I guess I’ll include alcohol in this as it’s consumed) always ends up with the extremes, either have plenty of this and none of that. What about having a bit of that and a bit of this?
Lazarus
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Lazarus »

what happened is that people who eat and dont put on weight and drink and are comfortable with it dont start threads [ or contribute to ones ] on " problems" with these things

also the OP asked this

I know there are a few non drinkers on here, so would you be kind enough to share your experiences/ thoughts / benefits of giving up for inspiration?
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RIP
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by RIP »

voodoo_simon wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 11:42 am What happened to moderation?

Any diet thread (and I guess I’ll include alcohol in this as it’s consumed) always ends up with the extremes, either have plenty of this and none of that. What about having a bit of that and a bit of this?
Prospective abstainers could also consider abandoning all "processed" and animal-derived foodstuffs which have an equally substantial body of evidence about their effects on health and environment.

I quite like voodoo's "bit of this and that" ploy.

BUT this is a reasonable thread about how to give something up, so both of our comments are OT and a little unfair.... so good luck with your aim Woody.
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Tomwoodbury
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Tomwoodbury »

Moderation is my parents argument to me when I’ve suggested going teetotal. My parents are both lifelong regular drinkers and Type 2 diabetics.

Everyone is different, with a unique life story and find certain things they are good at / bad at. I’d love to be able to have one glass of wine and leave the rest in the bottle but I don’t. I really do love beer and wine and am fortunate enough to be able to afford to have it whenever I want it.

So for me moderation would mean restricting to one drink one night a week, then the next week I’d justify to myself having 4 because it’s the only ‘fun’ I get etc and before I know it I’ll be back to 1-4 drinks 6 nights a week.
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Ray Young
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Ray Young »

You will develop a much better and healthier sleep pattern which will lead you to not feeling tired the next day and you should notice an increase in energy and wellbeing.
Drinking is easy entertainment and giving up can mean you find yourself bored so always have something to do in your free time.
Good luck.
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voodoo_simon
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by voodoo_simon »

RIP wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 12:17 pm
voodoo_simon wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 11:42 am What happened to moderation?

Any diet thread (and I guess I’ll include alcohol in this as it’s consumed) always ends up with the extremes, either have plenty of this and none of that. What about having a bit of that and a bit of this?
Prospective abstainers could also consider abandoning all "processed" and animal-derived foodstuffs which have an equally substantial body of evidence about their effects on health and environment.

I quite like voodoo's "bit of this and that" ploy.

BUT this is a reasonable thread about how to give something up, so both of our comments are OT and a little unfair.... so good luck with your aim Woody.
Reg, you’re right. Apologies to Tom, didn’t mean to derail the thread nor have a pop at you.
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RIP
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by RIP »

:-bd
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ton
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by ton »

I don't think I will ever give up beer.
I like the taste far too much.
And it is also one of my enjoyments in life. Along with cycling.
I plan rides around pub visits. I plan touring holidays around pubs and micro breweries.

I love beer as much as I love bikes. They just go together perfectly in my life
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Verena
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by Verena »

I gave up nearly completely for a while, as an act of solidarity, when a couple of people close to me had real problems with alcohol and that drove home just what an evil drug it is/can be. The Craig Beck book by the way was life changing for one of them, and worked.
Now, I have the occasional alcoholic drink. This weekend/my recent posts being perfect examples: We have a visitor this weekend, so Friday night I had a couple of pints, enjoyed them, felt pissed as a fart, and Saturday morning not hungover, but slept in later and had less energy than I normally have (as others have said, I look back and realize how much time I wasted in my twenties through alcohol). Last night I was more than happy to be designated driver, and my two pints were soda and lime. Felt great this morning and went for a little run.
So for me these days, it works to mostly not drink alcohol, but not be completely puritanical about it, and occasionally have a bit when I really fancy some (it's usually a disappointment big I'm honest). Alcohol free beers work well for me too.
I apply the same to food by the way, mostly pesco vegetarian, but sometimes when I really fancy some meat, I just have it and enjoy it.
Not a great fan of rigid either/or or black/white views on anything really.
ton
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by ton »

Can I ask the folk who have given up because they were drinking too much
'why not treat beer like a normal daily drink like coffee or tea or water. Try to drink for the taste and not for the affects.
You don't have to get hammered every time you have some beer.
ton
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by ton »

Can I ask the folk who have given up because they were drinking too much
'why not treat beer like a normal daily drink like coffee or tea or water. Try to drink for the taste and not for the affects.
You don't have to get hammered every time you have some beer.
lune ranger
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Re: Giving up booze

Post by lune ranger »

ton wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 3:04 pm Can I ask the folk who have given up because they were drinking too much
'why not treat beer like a normal daily drink like coffee or tea or water. Try to drink for the taste and not for the affects.
You don't have to get hammered every time you have some beer.
Some people can’t, it’s as simple as that.
It’s not lack of moral fibre, it’s not a matter of choice.
Alcohol is not a normal every day drink for those people.
When did you see someone drinking 8 pints of tea, vomiting, then drinking 4 more?
With alcohol it isn’t the 10th drink that causes the problem, or the 8th, 5th or 2nd. It’s the first drink that does the damage.
If you are going through hell, keep going.
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