The benefits of giving up alcohol

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22 contributors in last 30 days

Wombling Plodder (Welsh Womble) Jun 2020 9:23am, 4 Jun 2020 3,073 posts	0 Wombling Plodder (Welsh Womble) Morning all Good luck sweetpeas, and fingers crossed not gallbladder xx @Diogenes - I have just started a healthy notebook and am also ticking off the non alc days. I was using the App when I allowed myself so many units a week. I am not very good at cricket speak but I am stepping out to bat for day *10
Derby Tup Jun 2020 9:37am, 4 Jun 2020 42,644 posts	0 Derby Tup You’re doing great Wombling P I’m in today. The weather has turned cool and damp - not drinking weather at all
Scorge Jun 2020 9:38am, 4 Jun 2020 650 posts	0 Scorge gobi - no need to bugger off at all, very pertinent question. i've seen them as a transitional thing rather than a crutch, some of them do taste alright but after a few years i no longer see the point in them. whatever the reason for having them, the zero/low stuff is still infinitely better than poisoning yourself. grounds bat after strolling through for another single
Oscar the Grouch Jun 2020 9:38am, 4 Jun 2020 1,611 posts	0 Oscar the Grouch The Drink Aware app is very good
Oscar the Grouch Jun 2020 9:40am, 4 Jun 2020 1,612 posts	0 Oscar the Grouch I tried a different one which I felt was telling me off for having a drink. This one very much says, have you considered cutting from 4 to 3, have you got trigger locations or days... we can warn you about those... or not. Your choice.
LindsD Jun 2020 9:42am, 4 Jun 2020 37,458 posts	0 LindsD That sounds good. For me, and for OH, the n/a beers are a really important weapon in the armoury. Like the taste, feels like a treat. OH, in particular, was a habitual drinker - same time of day, just what he did. The n/a works just as well and solves the problem. They are not for everyone, it's true. But they are for us. For now.
McGoohan Jun 2020 10:09am, 4 Jun 2020 45,617 posts	0 McGoohan Re: the counting up. Years ago when I was trying to cut down, I was doing a weekly running total. I can't remember what the 'recommendation' was at the time, but I think it was something like 'no more than 21 units per week' for me. So I'd log how many units I'd had per day and how many I'd had in a rolling week. The trouble was, this was a bit of an enabler. "Wha-hoo, I saved up my midweek units, so I have plenty to spend this weekend!"
Derby Tup Jun 2020 10:16am, 4 Jun 2020 42,650 posts	0 Derby Tup 21 units isn’t a huge amount if you’re drinking in the week and at the weekend. It’s like 21 miles of running
McGoohan Jun 2020 10:26am, 4 Jun 2020 45,618 posts	0 McGoohan It might have been 28 now I think of it and 21 for women?
Diogenes Jun 2020 10:27am, 4 Jun 2020 49,441 posts	0 Diogenes pints or bottles

About This Thread

Maintained by Merry Christmas and Happy NewG(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! :-)

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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