Less Alcohol- July 2018- One Day at a Time

• If you have been drinking daily the first days will be some of the hardest and drinking again will feel like a cure but it delays the relief that only time can provide.
• Some people who ultimately intend to drink less and moderate have said that the initial struggle of breaking free of a daily habit is the same as it is for people who intend to stop drinking entirely.
• If you are not careful there will always be a reason to delay the start of your journey.
• You may have mood swings and anxiety those first two week, but continue to focus on how good you feel
• Many report that initially filling the time they drink with other activities is a helpful distraction. Exercise, taking a nice walk, a new hobby or renewed interest in an old one, and meditation are among some of the favorite alternate activities.
• You may find it easier to isolate yourself from events that will have drinking for a time if you find it too tempting
• Don't let pride or shame keep you from asking for the help you need.
• Sometimes talking it out or posting it helps you work things out for yourself.
• It is okay that you don't always have all the answers
• Some days will be easier than others
• You may have initial/increased sugar cravings
• You should never take a day that you have lived up to your goals for granted
• Do not take smaller victories for granted. Less alcohol is still less alcohol even if you wanted none in that moment.
• Some people find it easier to set small attainable goals to start to help boost confidence.
• There is no benefit to comparing yourself to people who drink freely or people who have made progress towards their less alcohol goals. This is a personal journey.
• Once you begin sticking to your goals for one day to many days you should believe you are capable of the same and more because you are.
• Failure is not giving in and drinking. Failure is to stop trying to accomplish your goals.
• It is possible to believe two contradictory things at the same time. You will know that there are numerous real benefits to sticking to your goal while at the same time think that alcohol is an important part of stress relief, relaxation, celebration, etc.
• Sometimes not drinking feels like a punishment but that feeling fades with time
• Sometimes drinking less or quitting will strain friendships that centered around alcohol
• Having a list of reasons not to drink handy for yourself can be helpful. Some lists have included remembering how bad it feels to have a hangover, having a racing heart during the night, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression.
• It is important to have a plan when faced with either cravings or situations where you might want to drink. For example, if you don't want to drink at a social function, what will be your escape plan, how will you handle it if offered a drink?
• If you are out and your intention is to only drink a certain amount some people will intentionally only bring enough money for the amount they wish to drink. If you do not wish to drink some people will only carry their driver's license with them.
• Self-Reflection is an important part of the journey. Once we figure out why we drink we can hopefully use that information to form new habits.
• Sometimes doing something nice for yourself like a little award makes the journey easier
• When the temptation is really strong consider spending the money you would on alcohol on something else nice for yourself
• For some people counting the alcohol free days makes it easier while others find it makes it much harder
• It is not uncommon for certain activities that were once combined with alcohol to trigger temptation. Many have said that outdoor activities in warmer weather made alcohol very tempting.
• Many that have spent time with no alcohol after drinking again realized that it doesn't enhance experiences like they once believed it did
• Make a list of everything that has gotten better and easier since you started your journey. Use these rewards to return to a better place if you fall off your path.
• Some find that returning to the habit of daily drinking on vacations or work trips makes it hard to quit again afterwards
• For some people it is easier to not drink and even easier to drink. Moderating is the tough thing. Others have found moderating impossible.
  

islandbeez wrote: »

NormInv wrote: »

I am able to completely avoid the beer/wine section at grocery. Are you able to do that?

Here in the Detroit area, our grocery stores don't just have an alcohol section anymore. They put it EVERYWHERE. When you first walk in it's on display, on end caps, near the wine glasses, right now with the picnic supplies, etc. It's in our gas stations, Dollar General stores all sell beer and wine, my local CVS pharmacy just upgraded their offerings to include liquor, in fact the whole last page of their sale paper is booze deals. It's unavoidable everywhere I go, but I have gotten very good at ignoring it.

Anyway, hello everyone :-) Nothing to report here, just staying AF and finding it much easier after 6 months of actively trying to get it out of my life. I am not counting days this time, or even missing it. Perhaps it's happened? I dunno and I certainly am not going to become complacent. I will always be a pickle ;-) Best wishes to you all, whatever your goals.