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The benefits of giving up alcohol

2 lurkers | 282 watchers
28 contributors in last 30 days
Metro_Nome
Metro_Nome
21 Mar
10:18am, 21 Mar 2025
8,017 posts
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Metro_Nome
Morning all. Some of you may remember me from popping in here in the past, always trying to cut back and never very successfully.

I’m now on day 74, which is probably the longest since I started drinking. I still don’t know if I’d say I’ve given up totally- I’d like to think I could have a glass of champagne on my birthday for example, but I also think it’s much easier to just say I don’t drink and I think having a drink could be an instant slippery slope.

The final prompt for me was that I needed to have some blood tests and I was worried they would show I was drinking too much- if that’s not a sign what is! Thankfully they were all clear (from the liver/alcohol point of view) and while I thought I might take that as a sign to keep drinking (past me would have) I took it as a sign that thank goodness I stopped in time.

In the interests of honesty i will say I’m not 100% alcohol free in that I do still like my non alcoholic bubbles and while I try to stick to the 0%, I sometimes have the 0.5% stuff.

I’m still very much ODAAT, so for today, I’m in.
LindsD
LindsD
21 Mar
10:20am, 21 Mar 2025
73,289 posts
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LindsD
Hello. Lots of empathy for you. Absolutely been there.
LindsD
LindsD
21 Mar
10:20am, 21 Mar 2025
73,290 posts
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LindsD
And well done
HappyG(rrr)
HappyG(rrr)
21 Mar
11:29am, 21 Mar 2025
52,209 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Great to have you back M_N.

Empathy is the word from me too - 0.5% doesn't bother me (I know it does many, so not belittling it, we are all different). And being a "non-drinker" for me has become much easier than being a "just one" or any other form of moderation that I found harder than just cutting it out altogether. And it all just works for me now. Becomes natural. Takes a while though.

74 days is awesome. Well done indeed. I'm looking forward to my day today being great, without alcohol. Gym at 5pm I think. :-) G
Derby Tup
Derby Tup
21 Mar
11:33am, 21 Mar 2025
71,223 posts
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Derby Tup
74 days is wonderful. I’m always impressed when people get to a few weeks or months. It’s hard
HappyG(rrr)
HappyG(rrr)
21 Mar
12:04pm, 21 Mar 2025
52,210 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Derby Tup wrote:74 days is wonderful. I’m always impressed when people get to a few weeks or months. It’s hard


heart 100% agree. These are the impressive numbers, starting with most impressive.

1
2
3
...
1,000
...
9,999
...

:-O

:-) G
Musashi
Musashi
21 Mar
12:06pm, 21 Mar 2025
2,805 posts
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Musashi
Congrats on the total days everyone.

Excellent start MN. Don’t sweat about the 0.5% stuff, it is alcohol free (unless you’re an ultra pedantic dick like Piers Morgan who tried to claim 0.5% should still be classed as an alcoholic drink). The University Kaiserslautern did a study of alcohol containing foods, they found (something like) some white bread burger buns & the brown spots in bananas had 1.5% alcohol content. I’m pretty sure if you ate those you’d still be alcohol free.
Looby Loo
Looby Loo
21 Mar
2:16pm, 21 Mar 2025
4,612 posts
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Looby Loo
@Metro_Nome I still can’t commit to giving up completely. It helps if I tell myself I can if I want to. So one day at a time is now almost 2 years.

Well done.
mrs shanksi
mrs shanksi
21 Mar
8:10pm, 21 Mar 2025
16,778 posts
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mrs shanksi
Hi @Metro_Nome welcome back to the thread. 74 days is awesome, you've been through the hardest days. I definitely find not having any alcohol is easier than limiting myself to one or two as I could never stop once I'd started. I have a Nosecco every once in a while and sometimes I have 0 alcohol wine. Keep at it, one day at a time, you've got this and we're here for support.
Corrah
Corrah
21 Mar
9:21pm, 21 Mar 2025
8,878 posts
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Corrah
Hello @Metro_Nome. I think 74 days is great going. I know like Mrs S that I would not just have one. I’m finding it much easier as time goes by and everyone is very accepting of me having Nosecco or soft drinks.

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 medal Contact TBOGUA medal 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 star
Joopsy star

Note: we're none of us experts, but we're happy to listen, to answer any questions and to offer support if you think it would help you. Except star marked above. Who are experts! :-)

(Note II: at Christmas some names may change a bit, but I'm sure you can still find us to fmail!)
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