The benefits of giving up alcohol

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25 contributors in last 30 days

AdrianB1066 Oct 2021 6:39am, 4 Oct 2021 8,454 posts	0 AdrianB1066 Morning all. In for today.
Derby Tup Oct 2021 7:12am, 4 Oct 2021 52,033 posts	0 Derby Tup I’m here today
GeneHunt59 Oct 2021 7:14am, 4 Oct 2021 1,881 posts	0 GeneHunt59 Morning everyone. I'm in.
LindsD Oct 2021 7:25am, 4 Oct 2021 49,972 posts	0 LindsD I'm here
HappyG(rrr) Oct 2021 8:08am, 4 Oct 2021 39,895 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) In today too. After some great weekend stories, have a great week everyone. G
Looby Loo Oct 2021 8:17am, 4 Oct 2021 1,519 posts	0 Looby Loo I’m also in today. Going to Ireland to see my 90 year old Dad on Thursday. First time I’ve seen him since covid. I’d normally visit him every 8 weeks or so. We normally spend the whole week boozing the evenings away so not sure how the week will go.
WA Oct 2021 8:50am, 4 Oct 2021 9,110 posts	0 WA Morning all! Lovely to see so many people in here. I'm in today Good luck Looby. Having a plan in mind might help, but that sense of it's what we always do is difficult- I keep thinking about the next time I see my sister. Boozing together is what we do and she's already asked if I'll be drinking at Christmas. I'm being a bit of an ostrich about it at the moment tbh 9 months sober for me yesterday. The longest I've ever gone without a drink.
Maclennane Oct 2021 8:57am, 4 Oct 2021 27,780 posts	0 Maclennane Well in WA. I had a couple of beers on Saturday, but not to excess. I'm happy enough with that. I suspect I'll never have the opportunity to get through another bottle of whisky with dad, as he won't travel this far and I'm always driving when I see him, but that would be a thing for me. I could handle it when a hangover was the default position for the morning, now I don't think I could cope with the contrast.
Derby Tup Oct 2021 9:08am, 4 Oct 2021 52,035 posts	0 Derby Tup Nine months without a drink is fantastic WA
HappyG(rrr) Oct 2021 9:12am, 4 Oct 2021 39,896 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) I have a memory of possibly the only time my Dad visited me and my then partner in Edinburgh, when I was in my mid 20s, having a colossal drinking session late into the night and him setting off the next morning, early, and I decided it was a good idea if I drove our car ahead of him to get him towards the motorway and pointing back home to London (or Manchester, or wherever he lived then. London actually.) Both probably still drunk or at least over the limit. I had stopped drinking for a couple of years by the time he died. I suspect after the cancer he would have considerably reduced his drinking too. But I'll never know. I am very glad I wasn't still a drinker, at his funeral. It was hard sober, but it would have been disastrous and very damaging, had I been my drunken self. Have a lovely trip Looby Loo. G

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! :-)

G

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