Less Alcohol- July 2018- One Day at a Time
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@NovusDies Wow. Killer job on that man! Appreciate all the effort!3
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Wanted to check in. After 12 days AF, I caved and had some drinks with friends who came to visit from out of town last night. Long story short, I didn’t keep it to 1 or 2 and have a nice hangover to show for it. Sucks.
We all stumble, sometimes fall....the successful are the ones who get up and carry on9 -
It took 7 years of so many strategies and plans to stop drinking. I was taking a large garbage bag of beer cans to return every month. This doesn't include all the bottles of whatever. I was so sick of it and myself. I really don't enjoy the taste of alcohol unless it is sweetened with something so I can't taste it.So many successes and I am sure more failures, I am not convinced. I won't fail again, but I will try for the next minute with help. I think of drinking every day--even if it just passes through my hard head. I try not to dwell on it. I eat candy if I have to. I try to avoid situations where I think I will fall or I have a strategy and a way to leave if needed.IT DOES GET EASIER. I can now pass a liquor store and not notice and then laugh that I didn't notice later. Sometimes I need to eat candy as I pass, lol. I think it through why I want to drink or why I am thinking about it when it occurs. Am I hungry, thirsty, lonely, bored, feeling out of control, upset, depressed, sad, angry, you name it. Is there something I can do about a problem or not. A drink won't solve any of it. It is better for me to be AF. I cannot stop at one. I have seen people drink a half of a glass of wine and stop. I look and think--gees why don't you finish it? I would have to finish it. It is best I don't drink. I am happier without it. I write nowadays for others that maybe they can benefit from it.......
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@ErynVee I am so happy you feel comfortable to vent. We have all been there ! We are in this together. And it’s always good to see a positive (Iike you are doing) and can compare how you felt for 12 day vs. one night of drinking, etc. It’s all part of the journey. Tomorrow when you awaken you will feel better. Thank goodness hangovers go away:) xo5
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@NovusDies Looks awesome! I am looking forward to the next month’s thread , because I have gained immense knowledge from everyone we have met along the way. Thanks to you and @orphia for continuing it. Xo4
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Any objections if I change the name next month to "Less Alcohol - August 2018 - Be Kind to Tomorrow You"?
I just like the idea of that motto being seen by everyone who visits the challenge threads because it relates to a lot more challenges than just ours.6 -
@NovusDies Thanks for the updated resources.
I've saved it and removed the EasyQuitDrinking app bit because there doesn't seem to be such an app.1 -
I just found this great post when looking for that app.
https://thesoberschool.com/stupid-lies/
"3 stupid lies that will stop you quitting drinking"
Don't fall for these myths!
"You need to call yourself an alcoholic, or else you’re in denial"
If you identify with this label and it supports your efforts to change, then that’s great. But if you don’t like this label – and it doesn’t feel good to you – then you really can ditch it. I certainly have.
I consider myself to be someone who chooses not to drink, because that’s what makes me feel my best. It’s a lifestyle I enjoy. I choose not to drink in the same way that I choose not to sniff glue, pop pills, smoke cigarettes or eat cheap burgers.
The problem with the term alcoholic is that it implies it’s abnormal to get addicted to alcohol, when that really isn’t the case. Alcohol is a widely available, well advertised, highly addictive, mind-altering drug that tends to be presented as the solution to all our problems. Who wouldn’t get addicted to that?!
If alcohol is making us feel unhappy – and we’re ready to recognise that and take action – then we should be able to change our behaviour without having to justify ourselves, or be forced into acquiring some new alcoholic identity.
"You need to hit rock bottom"
The idea that you need to wait until your drinking is ‘bad enough’ before you quit is a dangerous myth. I still see this idea referenced in articles today and it makes me mad.
What exactly is rock bottom anyway? It will vary from person to person, surely? There is no definition of it. And doesn’t the idea of hitting rock bottom imply that sobriety is so hideous, it can only be a last resort – something to be considered when your life is falling apart and all other options have been exhausted?
Trust me, you do not need to wait until you’re pouring vodka on your cornflakes in the morning before you decide it’s time to quit. It’s perfectly fine to stop drinking without a collection of booze related war stories.
Ultimately, drinking is all about how you feel, and if alcohol is not making you feel great, then that’s all the information you need. None of us need to be anywhere near rock bottom before we decide to stop hurting ourselves.
"Sobriety will always be a daily battle"
When I was thinking about quitting, this is something that really worried me. The idea that stopping drinking meant entering into some kind of continuous test of willpower made me feel depressed.
Here’s what I’ve discovered since then.
Yes, changing a habit does require effort in the early days. It requires commitment. But alcohol-free living is NOT hard work forever. Honestly – if it was, I would’ve gone back to drinking a long time ago!
I talked last week about alcohol basically being engine fuel. If you want to put this toxic poison up on a pedestal, romanticise the heck out of it and continuously mourn the fact that you can’t have it, you can do. That’s one option.
Alternatively, you can educate yourself about booze and learn about the myths and illusions (i.e. what science tells us alcohol can do, vs what we’re led to believe it can do).
This myth-busting approach makes sobriety a lot easier, because you start to see that a lot of the ‘benefits’ to drinking are really just smoke and mirrors, and a bit of wishful thinking. (We cover the myths and illusions in detail on my stop drinking course)
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Love the first one! I choose not to drink. I don't have to be addicted to alcohol to not want to drink.
And with regards to the last one, calling our thread "One Day At A Time" implies every day is a battle. No!!7 -
@NovusDies Thanks for the updated resources.
I've saved it and removed the EasyQuitDrinking app bit because there doesn't seem to be such an app.
I couldn't find it either but we have had people using it which is how it made its way into the post. I don't know where all the cool kids get their apps so I assumed I was looking in the wrong places.
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Mornin' y'all. Im doing the 16/8 intermittent fasting thing and I am hangry. I'm only eating between 11-7 and its 10:40 am now so the time is fast approaching to be able to eat. Yay! I've been doing this 3 days and have lost 1.2 lbs. Does anyone else do this and has it been successful for you? I hear it's good for all kinds of health reasons, not just weight control.
Interesting!!! I've been doing IF for the past few days...I recently wrote a blog about it asking if anyone had some feedback for me. I never even thought to ask on this forum. I read an article on MSN about it & was intrigued by all the health benefits. I'm also doing the 16/8 fast. So far so good. I was losing at a good rate before, but like I said, it's the other health claims that motivated me to try it. I'm giving it till the end of August to see how it is, but I actually don't mind eating this way. Keep me posted please3 -
@NovusDies Thanks for the updated resources.
I've saved it and removed the EasyQuitDrinking app bit because there doesn't seem to be such an app.
I have the EasyQuitDrinking app on my phone. Perhaps it is a Canadian thing...????3 -
I don't see "one day at a time" as an indicator of a struggle anymore. I see it as a reminder not to take a day for granted for the opportunity it represents and the celebration of how far I have come. But others may not see it that way.
One of the reasons I added the section of "Using Our Thread" is to make it clear that it is not a month challenge. However, some people may never open the thread if they assume that it is. If the title is going to be changed maybe it should make it even more clear.
Less Alcohol - Aug 2018 - Personal Challenge Support
Less Alcohol - Aug 2018 - Personal Goal Support
Challenge Yourself to Less Alcohol - Aug 2018 Support Thread
Less Alcohol - Aug 2018 - Long Flowing Hair Found Here
I am not offering these as a debate against "tomorrow you" just as another possibility for consideration. I still like the original too but I am a bit sentimental so you can ignore me.5 -
lorrainequiche59 wrote: »@NovusDies Thanks for the updated resources.
I've saved it and removed the EasyQuitDrinking app bit because there doesn't seem to be such an app.
I have the EasyQuitDrinking app on my phone. Perhaps it is a Canadian thing...????
Well it is definitely "cooler" up there so I was right.
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lorrainequiche59 wrote: »@NovusDies Thanks for the updated resources.
I've saved it and removed the EasyQuitDrinking app bit because there doesn't seem to be such an app.
I have the EasyQuitDrinking app on my phone. Perhaps it is a Canadian thing...????
Can you post a link to it on the App Store or Google Play?
The only references on Google seem to be to here and a couple of forum posts elsewhere. No app links.2 -
JulieAL1969 wrote: »@NovusDies Looks awesome! I am looking forward to the next month’s thread , because I have gained immense knowledge from everyone we have met along the way. Thanks to you and @orphia for continuing it. Xo
I don't deserve any credit for continuing it. @Orphia is the one who will be doing all the work hosting and the members are doing such a great job greeting and congratulating people.2 -
Hmm, interesting thought about this not being a month challenge.
Maybe we could just call the thread "Less Alcohol" and continue it indefinitely, or until the resources OP desperately needs updating, and have a bit in the OP about joining for however long you need.
Or is that the complete opposite to where you were heading?
I probably think too much, and am remembering what I read about people thinking Dry July etc means binge drinking the rest of the year.1 -
@NovusDies Wow. Killer job on that man! Appreciate all the effort!
It feels more complete now. The only thing that is bothering me still is there is not really enough there for moderation goals. Nothing can be done about it for August now. Maybe if @orphia doesn't mind we can look at it again next month and see if there is something we can do about that.
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I personally like One Day At A Time. It has been very motivational and kind of a motto for this group I feel.
Also, I don’t like change
with anything. I’ll drive a car til it doesn’t run. Keep a cell phone til its stops working. And so on. Told you guys I’m a curmudgeon! 7 -
Hmm, interesting thought about this not being a month challenge.
Maybe we could just call the thread "Less Alcohol" and continue it indefinitely, or until the resources OP desperately needs updating, and have a bit in the OP about joining for however long you need.
Or is that the complete opposite to where you were heading?
I probably think too much, and am remembering what I read about people thinking Dry July etc means binge drinking the rest of the year.
I highly recommend against continuing it indefinitely. I know for a fact that some message board users will completely avoid "monster" threads (threads with a very large number of replies). The reason I felt like the resource post was important was to keep past wisdom and information from disappearing with each new thread. I wanted us to have a better way of building on what has already been done.
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Fair enough. If it ain't broke, no need to "fix" it.
I look forward to next month.2
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