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Less Alcohol- April 2018- One Day at a Time

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Replies

  • Alzzi76
    Alzzi76 Posts: 504 Member
    donimfp wrote: »
    Ouch. OK. So many of us were feeling it in January and now sort of despairing in April. I can’t speak for anyone else but for myself I have to look in the mirror and say “Girl, you can’t drink.” I absolutely HATE that thought. But it’s reality. That doesn’t mean I won’t drink. It just means I’m being honest out loud. I appreciate a place to say that without fear of judgment.

    Im with u here!!.. Im in the same boat im afraid. I hate the thought of limiting or totally missing out when everyone else in the place is drinking leting loose, totally enjoying themselves. But the facts is the facts, we r responsible for our actions.
    Thanks for your post btw, nice to read everyones post again, it's btw a while, i hadnt forgotten though. :)
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,233 Member
    Gingergal12 wrote: »
    It’s amazing what triggers the “I’d like a drink” response.
    Almost gave in this week but instead went to bed early and had one of those long, convoluted dreams about a Russian mafia guy dressed in disco outfit posing as a college Professor of a class I didn’t know I was taking, hahaha.

    Funny dream! Hope the dreams turn more pleasant! Xo
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,233 Member
    Skyweigh wrote: »
    Moderators, please read no further.

    This is a very long article, courtesy of Hip Sobriety's FB post ....and, last year, I wouldn't have read it myself. It challenges prevalent notions about supposed benefits of moderate alcohol consumption.

    Those who are looking more or less toward being AF than A-less, less-A or less is more, but none is better.... read on why "The science is clear that alcohol raises the risk of cancer, but boozemakers don't want you to know."

    DiSCUS has helped many of us look forward to "wine o'clock" through the past years. To quote from the article: "The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States “is working to ensure cultural acceptance of alcohol beverages by ‘normalizing’ them in the minds of consumers as a healthy part of a normal lifestyle,” the group’s CEO said in 2000. Those who are curious to know more:
    https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/04/did-drinking-give-me-breast-cancer/

    That's true! The big business of alcohol did a good job normalizing it. Remember the ad about the "Most interesting man in the world." And now making bottles of whiskey attractive to females. Everything comes down to money. It's all about the money.
    My friend who is an alcohol counselor just changed jobs. He worked at an impatient program place for teens. But it was so emotionally taxing on him. It was a revolving door. A teenage alcoholic would come and get services for awhile, leave clean, and then come right back a few weeks later. I think alcoholism is most alarming in young people who have many decades ahead of them fighting the wolf waiting in the woods.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,233 Member
    Polo265 wrote: »
    Hi Everyone. I haven't posted in a while, but I just wanted to check in. I'm on my 95th day alcohol free. The article from Mother Jones is certainly an eye opener. It's articles like this that make me wish I never drank. My weight is beginning to creep up. I'm getting careless with my food and it seems without the alcohol, I'm always hungry. I'll have to work harder and buckle down. I hope everyone is doing well and hanging in there.

    Thanks for the update ! Day 95 - bravo!
  • Skyweigh
    Skyweigh Posts: 113 Member
    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    Skyweigh wrote: »
    Moderators, please read no further.

    This is a very long article, courtesy of Hip Sobriety's FB post ....and, last year, I wouldn't have read it myself. It challenges prevalent notions about supposed benefits of moderate alcohol consumption.

    Those who are looking more or less toward being AF than A-less, less-A or less is more, but none is better.... read on why "The science is clear that alcohol raises the risk of cancer, but boozemakers don't want you to know."

    DiSCUS has helped many of us look forward to "wine o'clock" through the past years. To quote from the article: "The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States “is working to ensure cultural acceptance of alcohol beverages by ‘normalizing’ them in the minds of consumers as a healthy part of a normal lifestyle,” the group’s CEO said in 2000. Those who are curious to know more:
    https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/04/did-drinking-give-me-breast-cancer/

    That's true! The big business of alcohol did a good job normalizing it. Remember the ad about the "Most interesting man in the world." And now making bottles of whiskey attractive to females. Everything comes down to money. It's all about the money.
    My friend who is an alcohol counselor just changed jobs. He worked at an impatient program place for teens. But it was so emotionally taxing on him. It was a revolving door. A teenage alcoholic would come and get services for awhile, leave clean, and then come right back a few weeks later. I think alcoholism is most alarming in young people who have many decades ahead of them fighting the wolf waiting in the woods.

    @JulieAL1969 Years ago, I worked at a group home for troubled teens ...and in those days, I had no interest in drinking, but the rest of the staff used to drink very heavily, IMO, at parties. Julie, I got a kick out of the typo ("impatient" program, not to criticize, of course, but teens are very impatient to become adults ... making them ripe for marketing exploits).

    The title of the article suggests it is about cancer risk from alcohol, but it deals with so much more than that. Before this year of seriously trying to cut back and look at my own drinking history clearly, I've been blown away by the information provided, mostly through this thread, about the cultural complexity of alcohol use.


  • Skyweigh
    Skyweigh Posts: 113 Member
    Last night, my daughter texted, asking if, now that more than 3 months have passed, would I be having wine again? I sent a lengthy reply to her, trying my best not to be preachy. She has already told me she "knows all that" --- about the harm from alcohol. I could only say that perhaps I'd want wine again, but at this point in my life, I've had enough! Yet there is no commitment to myself to be permanently AF. However, the more I learn about how great it feels to be AF, there does not seem to be much payoff, or any benefit, really, for rekindling my friendship with chardonnay. I do not know how I will fare with this if we have a summer camping trip, or time at a cottage, with all my memories and ideas about the pleasure of drinking on the dock, drinking at the campfire, etc. According to the "stop drinking expert" these activities, fun in the sun and love of nature are pleasurable in themselves, without alcohol. Of course that is true, I know, but it will be different this year. I guess the incentive to remain AF comes from the idea that a drink just does not have the goodies in it that I've attributed to it, and I would not likely enjoy that first drink much at all.
  • kittybenn
    kittybenn Posts: 444 Member
    @lannakin - wow, what an amazing accomplishment! You have friends and supporters here for sure. WTG!
  • SunnyDays930
    SunnyDays930 Posts: 1,513 Member
    @lannakin Welcome! I quit smoking several years ago and know what a monkey on your back that is. It helps that it is frowned upon now in society (unlike alcohol). You will be so happy to have that out of your life. Best of luck to you.
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,233 Member
    lannakin wrote: »
    Might be too late to join but I haven’t drank any alcohol in 3 weeks and quit smoking 9 days ago. Not drinking any alcohol for 2 months

    Not too late at all! You are doing amazing! Wishing you success. You can do it! Just think how healthy you are becoming inside and out.
  • salleewins
    salleewins Posts: 2,308 Member
    lannakin wrote: »
    Might be too late to join but I haven’t drank any alcohol in 3 weeks and quit smoking 9 days ago. Not drinking any alcohol for 2 months

    Good for you! You sure will be saving a bundle, too!
  • wigi41
    wigi41 Posts: 42 Member
    Hi everyone, I am still here, trucking on :) still AF since Jan 1, minus a beer on March 15. I am continuing to follow this thread, and to learn so much from all of you. Thanks to those of you who gave the link to that article "Did drinking cause my breast cancer", it was so eye-opening (and scary!). I agree with what others have said, there continues to be a wealth of information on this thread!

    I finished "This Naked Mind" this week, and also re-read Alan Carr's book "The Easy, Illustrated Way to Quit Drinking", and those resources, coupled with some of those others that you guys have shared, have really helped to cause an internal shift for me, I think.

    I also wanted to let this group know that, after writing and sharing "An Ode to Tea" here, I got the itch to continue writing poems (something I used to do a lot of, but not in many years). I got so into it, that I have been fooling around with a blog of poems (there was lots of technical learning for me to do around this - still have lots to learn!!). I have made a commitment to myself to write a poem a day. I cannot emphasize enough that I really don't think that this is something that would be happening if not for being (mostly) AF! And, if not for this thread, and everything I have learned here. I don't know if I will remain AF forever, but for now, I am enjoying so much of this experience.

    (For those of you who are interested, you can take a peek at it at "your-daily-verse.com." If you do take a peek, 'Shout Out' and 'Erasure' might be of particular interest to people here. :) )

    An ongoing thank you to you all!!
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,233 Member
    edited April 2018
    wigi41 wrote: »
    Hi everyone, I am still here, trucking on :) still AF since Jan 1, minus a beer on March 15. I am continuing to follow this thread, and to learn so much from all of you. Thanks to those of you who gave the link to that article "Did drinking cause my breast cancer", it was so eye-opening (and scary!). I agree with what others have said, there continues to be a wealth of information on this thread!

    I finished "This Naked Mind" this week, and also re-read Alan Carr's book "The Easy, Illustrated Way to Quit Drinking", and those resources, coupled with some of those others that you guys have shared, have really helped to cause an internal shift for me, I think.

    I also wanted to let this group know that, after writing and sharing "An Ode to Tea" here, I got the itch to continue writing poems (something I used to do a lot of, but not in many years). I got so into it, that I have been fooling around with a blog of poems (there was lots of technical learning for me to do around this - still have lots to learn!!). I have made a commitment to myself to write a poem a day. I cannot emphasize enough that I really don't think that this is something that would be happening if not for being (mostly) AF! And, if not for this thread, and everything I have learned here. I don't know if I will remain AF forever, but for now, I am enjoying so much of this experience.

    (For those of you who are interested, you can take a peek at it at "your-daily-verse.com." If you do take a peek, 'Shout Out' and 'Erasure' might be of particular interest to people here. :) )

    An ongoing thank you to you all!!

    This is so WONDERFUL! I am reading your poems right now. I love them! I love Grateful and Shout Out and will read some more!
    I am impressed and applaud you for these beautiful introspective poems.

    I saw ODE to Tea and smiled! I can relate in so many ways.
    Love these poems!
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,233 Member
    jecky74 wrote: »
    Today is 7days AF. Haven’t done that in a long time. It was nice to have my Sunday evening. I normally look at Sunday like my “last chance” before the grind of the workweek and begin earlier in the day, then by 8 I’m sleepy and haven’t done half of what I wanted to get done. No alcohol this weekend at all and I got so much more done. Yay me.

    Awesome!!! I find waking up refreshed and clear is a reward, too. So happy for your success!
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,233 Member
    I was at Nordstrom Rack browsing. Not my fav store but I still went. I saw some cute wine glasses with monograms, and next to them was a large clear glass with the word "Sober" on it (it looked like a dictionary entry). So, I bent down to read what it said.

    The glass etching said:
    "Sober" adj. This person is the opposite of playful or drunk. They are possessed of iron will, but often lack a sense of humor. Helpful with doing dishes, finding CD's and lifts home. In need of several stiff drinks!

    I think I stood there looking like I just saw a ghost. First, it was such a ridiculous thing to put on a glass. Second, what was the point of it? Third, who would buy it? Fourth, Huh? I just don't get the humor.

    Am I missing something? Is this a movie quote or reference? I seriously don't get it.
  • salleewins
    salleewins Posts: 2,308 Member
    JulieAL1969 wrote: »
    I was at Nordstrom Rack browsing. Not my fav store but I still went. I saw some cute wine glasses with monograms, and next to them was a large clear glass with the word "Sober" on it (it looked like a dictionary entry). So, I bent down to read what it said.

    The glass etching said:
    "Sober" adj. This person is the opposite of playful or drunk. They are possessed of iron will, but often lack a sense of humor. Helpful with doing dishes, finding CD's and lifts home. In need of several stiff drinks!

    I think I stood there looking like I just saw a ghost. First, it was such a ridiculous thing to put on a glass. Second, what was the point of it? Third, who would buy it? Fourth, Huh? I just don't get the humor.

    Am I missing something? Is this a movie quote or reference? I seriously don't get it.

    I don't get it. The glass is sitting there--so maybe no one is going to buy that....

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