The benefits of giving up alcohol

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33 contributors in last 30 days

GeneHunt59 May 2022 6:59am, 12 May 2022 3,395 posts	0 GeneHunt59 I'm in. Great post RunningAF!
Derby Tup May 2022 7:14am, 12 May 2022 55,386 posts	0 Derby Tup In. Hi RunningAF
Looby Loo May 2022 8:00am, 12 May 2022 2,437 posts	0 Looby Loo Hope you enjoy your run RunningAF and great post. Morning everyone I’m here today. A spooky 666 AF days today. 😜
HappyG(rrr) May 2022 8:43am, 12 May 2022 42,295 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Wow, what a lovely post to come to. Welcome RunningAF, glad you are enjoying sobriety and running! It does feel to me that people tend to want to post here when everything is "fixed" and going well. Might be in the title of the thread?! I'd certainly encourage anyone who is watching and reading, and who is unhappy with their relationship with alcohol but hasn't been able to address it for whatever reason, to also come and say hi. Think of it like trying to get a 5K time. You've been trying for months. You know what you are doing isn't working, you either keep getting injured, or just can't get the improvements you are looking for. You wouldn't have any concern at asking on a training forum, "What could I do differently that would help me?" Ask on the thread or fmail any of the names in the sidebar, if you'd rather. Please shout out if you are keen to make a change... for the better! (But then, I would say that!) G (P.S. Not trying to discourage the good news stories, by the way. It's fantastic to hear of people who have had great successes. Keep those coming too! )
Diogenes May 2022 8:50am, 12 May 2022 69,638 posts	0 Diogenes Thanks, G. Do you know where I can buy some willpower?
Totriornottotri May 2022 8:57am, 12 May 2022 2,188 posts	0 Totriornottotri I find that sometimes I just want to talk to someone. Hit us up if, as the sun blazes down, you find yourself wavering. I am reading Tony Adams book which I am enjoying as a reminder of how we all have different bottoms.
HappyG(rrr) May 2022 8:59am, 12 May 2022 42,297 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Lol Dio! You've done so well, so many times. Doesn't it just feel better when you don't drink? There are so many scholarly articles about willpower. I'll jot down my couple of ill-informed thoughts. * Don't rely on will power - want power is much better! What I mean is, identify what you want, what you have to happen. Not just what you'd quite like. If not drinking is essential to you, that's an important start. * Alternatively (or additionally!), don't think about using will power to overcome something. Just do the something (spending an hour not drinking). Then repeat. Forming good habits is compelling, compulsive and successful. But to form the habit you have to do the action. And in our case, the action is: anything that isn't drinking alcohol - drink water, eat a snack, take up knitting, go to bed etc. And repeat. Suddenly... good habits! Please, others, add your tips... Gotta go. I'm coming back to this one and I'll seek out some links with better language! G
RunningAF May 2022 9:01am, 12 May 2022 2 posts	0 RunningAF Hi everyone, thanks for the warm welcome! When I was reading this thread, I didn't know I wanted or needed (consciously anyway) to stop, but was keen to learn more about sobriety, especially from the running community, but I guess when you are under the spell of addiction, it's hard to see a way out or know where to turn. For me, there was no rock bottom moment, just thousands of just off the bottom ones, and I woke up one morning and just had enough of my own crap, feeling terrible and battling through life/hangovers and decided if I wanted to the fulfilled life I was craved, the alcohol had to go. After drinking for 35 years, this was/is a huge change for me and everyone that knows me, but that time had just come for me and I knew it was the right thing to do. Best decision I ever made though, and not looking back!
Diogenes May 2022 9:06am, 12 May 2022 69,642 posts	0 Diogenes Want power is a good thing to keep in mind.
RunningAF May 2022 9:09am, 12 May 2022 3 posts	0 RunningAF When I went sober, I didn't want to white knuckle it, so I threw myself into as much reading about alcohol as possible, and they all say will power is like a muscle, it will tire and wear out. It has to be a mindset change, you have to do the work to figure out what perceived benefits you think alcohol adds to your life and work on changing that mindset, I now look at alcohol as a poison/disinfectant, toxic substance thrown into nice tasting fluids, with attractive packaging, that view, combined with the overwhelming positives of a sober life, makes it much easier for me to never want to drink again. This is just what works for me though, we're really swimming against the tide here with nearly everyone drinking, so it's hard work, for me it's something I need to remind myself of and work on daily, there's so many slip ups out there if we're not careful.

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