The benefits of giving up alcohol

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iaincr Dec 2019 10:59am, 6 Dec 2019 602 posts	0 iaincr Was 6th Janaury 2013 for me, after a particularly heavy christmas/NY period. Remember how tougt it was first wee while, so glad i stuck with it. Dio, know what you mean about the guilt, I think it is probably something a few of us feel in here. At the start of a relationship with our partners, probably one of the attractions was a shared love of Alcohol, in my case my drinking escalated more than my partners, so when I gave up it was hard for my wife becuase all of a sudden she has lost a drinking buddy (even if it had ended up in arguments over the level of drinking sometimes), So I think we need to be empathic to them and try to understand that they may have mixed feelings about a non drinking partner. This is particularly true if you had managed to be a functioning drinker (and hid the worst excesses of it).
LindsD Dec 2019 11:09am, 6 Dec 2019 31,517 posts	0 LindsD You have exactly written what I wanted to say but couldn't put into words.
bundance Dec 2019 11:09am, 6 Dec 2019 18 posts	0 bundance Hi Homer, I didn’t mean it’s the same for everyone. Just knowing myself, I get easily frustrated by people for many reasons in many situations. Or frustrated with the world in general. Drinking was a great medicine, things don’t seem so bad but nothing changes. I feel a responsibility to support and help change where it’s desired rather than let things be but to do that I need to be able to transform the frustration in myself.
Homer! The Herald Angels Sing Dec 2019 11:14am, 6 Dec 2019 13,529 posts	0 Homer! The Herald Angels Sing Great way of putting it bundance
Nicholls595 Dec 2019 11:24am, 6 Dec 2019 18,504 posts	0 Nicholls595 59 not out One of the signs that I had maybe had one too many, was (according to Mrs Nico) that I got very opinionated. It seems that I have still been just as opinionated these last 59 days, but not quiet as loudly. And with fractionally less swearing.
g1ngerrevolution Dec 2019 11:27am, 6 Dec 2019 8,042 posts	0 g1ngerrevolution On occasion I find my self irrationally irritable after having stopped drinking for more than a couple of days. Sort of like being hangry. It passes fairly quickly.
Merry Christmas & Happy New G(rrr) Dec 2019 11:41am, 6 Dec 2019 33,564 posts	0 Merry Christmas & Happy New G(rrr) The only thing I am annoyed about is that I am not able to drink a bit and enjoy it like (some) other people seem to be able to do. I know I can't and I'm much happier not drinking at all than drinking and being all the things that I was when I drank. And there really are only a very small number of times that I think it would be nice to be like that other person. So overall, pretty lucky and happy. It's just like looking at someone with more money or a better runner and thinking "that would be nice". But pretty minor stuff. Luckier than 99% of the world. I also don't believe that most people who drink actually get much happiness from it. There might be a happy few, for whom there's a sweet spot that they can afford it, they didn't have anything on on the Sunday morning anyway and the headache isn't too bad, and they got just the right amount of "merry" and everyone enjoyed their company, and they enjoyed everyone else's and it was an easy, safe and affordable journey home on public transport or taxis and they didn't do anything embarrassing or lose or damage anything and they enjoyed it in a way that they wouldn't have had they been sober and had a better time. Some maybe. Not many! G
Wombling Plodder (Welsh Womble) Dec 2019 11:47am, 6 Dec 2019 2,712 posts	0 Wombling Plodder (Welsh Womble) Thanks everyone, I am feeling warm and fuzzy @Homer, by all accounts a couple of wombles eloped from Wimbledon to the Valleys and the rest is history Sounds better than a girl originally from Wales marrying a Wimbledon fan who then converted her into one! Iaincr's words have really hit home - I met my OH many years ago, I was young and a binge drinker whereas he wasn't a big drinker. He could quite happy just have 1 all evening and always knew when to stop. For many years he has come across (in my eyes at the time) as the disapproving non drinker but in reality he has been the concerned one who has had to keep an eye on me or collect me from some other train station where I have missed my last train home. We have even had arguments where I have been the designated driver and he has only had 1 bottle of beer - I would resent him for it as he could have driven and I could have had a drink (or several). It is going to be an eye opener seeing it from his perspective. In the past I have been out and not been drinking, and everyone else has been really annoying so goodness know what he has put up with for all these years.
Merry Christmas & Happy New G(rrr) Dec 2019 11:52am, 6 Dec 2019 33,565 posts	0 Merry Christmas & Happy New G(rrr) Great testimonies all - I completely concur with these. I'm v lucky that my wife drinks very little. My 2 exes wouldn't recognise me - we met through drink and lived on drink! Those relationships would not have survived (and probably good for both them and for me that they didn't!) G
LindsD Dec 2019 1:01pm, 6 Dec 2019 31,522 posts	0 LindsD I'd be surprised if anyone's night was like that HappyG

About This Thread

Maintained by HappyG(rrr)

Looks as though this thread has become popular again, here in 2010 (it's now 2024, and it started in 2008, so I think "ever popular" might be more apt! :-)

G )

Good Luck everyone.

A recent plea for those struggling to "reach out" as they say in US of A!

"Anyone not feeling strong and confident, please shout out. Or fmail. Or any other comms that works. Don't drink alcohol when you don't want to, for lack of someone to talk to. Pick up the phone, not the bottle."

Some acronyms, in case people use them:
JFT - Just for today
ODAAT - One day at a time
KIS - Keep it simple
TBOGUA - The Benefits Of Giving Up Alcohol (the title of this thread!)

New feature: article/blog of the month (period may change randomly!) Swittle's wonderful 14,611 days blog: (see links below)

Linking Joopsy's 17 year blog too, cos it's awesome!

There is a GREAT article summarising some of the benefits, to save you having to trawl through the thread (includes links to helpful apps and other resources).

And a great list of Alternative Drinks started by the lovely LindsD:

Please add to these articles and make them as valuable as possible! Thanks! :-)

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And one from way back when...
Dirt Monkey's brilliant blog on TBOGUA too - go try this...

Rebel has recommended a couple of good books:
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
by Catherine Gray

The Alcohol Experiment: 30 Days to Take Control, Cut Down or Give Up For Good
by Annie Grace

A great response from a health professional in Ireland responding to a question from a Guardian reader about why the warnings on alcoholic drinks that are coming in:

theguardian.com

"Alcohol is responsible for at least 1,000 cancer cases every year in Ireland, with one in eight breast cancer cases arising from alcohol use. Even one to two drinks per day increases the risk of developing cancer, and that risk is the same whether those drinks are wine, spirits or beer. Unfortunately, there is a very low level of public awareness that alcohol has been classed as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it is carcinogenic to humans. That is why Ireland has passed legislation that provides for health information labels on alcohol products, including warnings about cancer, liver disease and the danger of drinking in pregnancy. It is unsurprising that the alcohol industry, which promotes its products with carefully crafted myths of good times for all, is objecting to the mandatory provision of facts (Anger brews in Italy over Ireland’s plans for alcohol health warnings, 12 January).
Dr Sheila Gilheany
CEO, Alcohol Action Ireland
"

And the all important fabulous services:
Alcoholics Anonymous
National Helpline (FREE) 0800 9177 650
help@aamail.org

Al Anon
020 7403 0888

medal

Contact TBOGUA medal

We're adding in our own Fetch offer of one to one contact too, for anyone who doesn't want to post in the thread for whatever reason. Please feel free to fmail ANY of the names listed below.

- - - -
HappyG(rrr)
( Oscar the grouch RIP )
mrs shanksi
Derby Tup
iaincr
Love Lettuce
DocM
LindsD
GeneHunt59
GregP