Current Events > I'm going to try and go a week without drinking.

(+) Yeah! (+)

At least, up until new years because it's new years.

Been getting concerned about my drinking for a while now. I think I'm a low level alcoholic. This will be a good test to see just how bad things are.

Last drink was monday night, so about 40 hours ago. I don't know if this restlessness and weird fuzzy feeling is me being a hypochondriac or experiencing symptoms.
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its just hypochondria! you can do it!
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Good luck
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I think you drink a bit less than I do, and I can tell you that you will notice an improvement in the quality of your life

if you ever watched parks and rec where Andy loses weight to start doing movies and they have a conversation about it and he says all he did was stop drinking beer... that shit is real when you drink as much as we do
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I always find it weird when my friends say this as if it's a hard thing to do. Like, I literally have beer in my fridge that's been there more than 6 months
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eston posted...

I always find it weird when my friends say this as if it's a hard thing to do. Like, I literally have beer in my fridge that's been there more than 6 months

And I'm sure there are some things you find difficult that other people can also do easily, that's just life, we all have different struggles.
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But you are Scottish
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I did this and was worried Id have symptoms. I was fine. Im abstaining from alcohol after NYE until I go to Mexico in April again like I did last year. Does wonders for the physique.
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Link HT posted...

eston posted...

I always find it weird when my friends say this as if it's a hard thing to do. Like, I literally have beer in my fridge that's been there more than 6 months

And I'm sure there are some things you find difficult that other people can also do easily, that's just life, we all have different struggles.

I'm pretty much perfect tbqh
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Got the rationalisation is insane. I keep thinking up ridiculous reasons why I need to have a drink. One of them just now was "you're going to watch the new star wars tonight, you don't want to be irritable and unable to concentrate during that do you?"

Asherlee10 posted...

Make sure you have something planned to fill the time when you usually grab a drink.

Good idea.

Balrog0 posted...

I think you drink a bit less than I do, and I can tell you that you will notice an improvement in the quality of your life

if you ever watched parks and rec where Andy loses weight to start doing movies and they have a conversation about it and he says all he did was stop drinking beer... that shit is real when you drink as much as we do

I'd like to say I'm a "2 beers after work" kind of guy but honestly it's probably more like "3-4 beers after work and maybe a glass or two of wine after that" kind of guy.

The calories are real. I could get in an extra meal or two if I didn't drink.
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consider buying a case of sparkling water

it helps with the oral fixation
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the low level alcoholism, is that even when youre alone or when youre with other people?
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Darkman124 posted...

consider buying a case of sparkling water

it helps with the oral fixation

Will give it a shot.

Parappa09 posted...

the low level alcoholism, is that even when youre alone or when youre with other people?

It doesn't change regardless of who I'm with or what I'm doing. In fact the only thing that changes is I have to consciously tone it down when around people because it feels embarrassing to be the fastest drinker and the least drunk person.
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Good luck, man. You can do it.

If you need inspiration, just look at NewportBox100s. I mean...you clearly don't want to be him, right? XD
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fenderbender321 posted...

I've noticed I'm much better at games when I'm not drinking or getting stoned.

Funnily enough, I always found I did better when I was smoking. I think it helped me focus on the game and tune out the distractions that came with having 4 roommates in a college apartment. I distinctly remember many times turning my game on for a bit and playing like absolute garbage. And then one of my roommates would get home, we'd smoke, and I'd immediately start dominating match after match. I kinda miss it, tbh.
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fenderbender321 posted...

Good luck to you.

I'm in the exact same situation as you. Last drink I had was Monday....probably a low-level alcoholic, have about 2.5 drinks a day on average. And I've been thinking about quitting altogether.

Gonna be hard...but I'm gonna get some serious gaming done to keep me distracted...I've noticed I'm much better at games when I'm not drinking or getting stoned.

And you.

I think I've decided that if symptoms are just mild irritability or lack of concentration I can ignore them. If I start to get a racing heartbeat or can't sleep or god forbid hallucinations then I'll need to do something more drastic.

Aristoph posted...

Funnily enough, I always found I did better when I was smoking. I think it helped me focus on the game and tune out the distractions that came with having 4 roommates in a college apartment. I distinctly remember many times turning my game on for a bit and playing like absolute garbage. And then one of my roommates would get home, we'd smoke, and I'd immediately start dominating match after match. I kinda miss it, tbh.

Games freak me out when stoned. Not good vibes for me, too stressful.
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eston posted...

Link HT posted...

eston posted...

I always find it weird when my friends say this as if it's a hard thing to do. Like, I literally have beer in my fridge that's been there more than 6 months

And I'm sure there are some things you find difficult that other people can also do easily, that's just life, we all have different struggles.

I'm pretty much perfect tbqh

See, delusions of grandeur, most people don't suffer from those. You didn't have to prove my point so immediately but thanks anyway.
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Just do it, whats the fucking problem.
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Be careful man

Do you have any benzos to help you get by the first day or two? If not, maybe buy some kava or some kinda GABAergic.
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Good on you TC I'm two months in myself but I quit because im a legitimate alcoholic and I was ruining my life.

Trying substituting drinking with working out or taking a walk and it'll do wonders for your figure if you care about that at all.

Also try keeping your motivation to not drinking for the day rather than for a whole month or however long you intend on staying dry for. It's a lot more manageable that way.

pinky0926 posted...

I'd like to say I'm a "2 beers after work" kind of guy but honestly it's probably more like "3-4 beers after work and maybe a glass or two of wine after that" kind of guy.

The calories are real. I could get in an extra meal or two if I didn't drink.

most definitely the boat I'm in. it's not literally every day, but some days I'll drink much more than that, even on a week night so that is probably about my average

pinky0926 posted...

fenderbender321 posted...
Good luck to you.

I'm in the exact same situation as you. Last drink I had was Monday....probably a low-level alcoholic, have about 2.5 drinks a day on average. And I've been thinking about quitting altogether.

Gonna be hard...but I'm gonna get some serious gaming done to keep me distracted...I've noticed I'm much better at games when I'm not drinking or getting stoned.

And you.

I think I've decided that if symptoms are just mild irritability or lack of concentration I can ignore them. If I start to get a racing heartbeat or can't sleep or god forbid hallucinations then I'll need to do something more drastic.

the main thing for me is that playing games and drinking is what I do after work, so if I play games I feel like drinking. also true of stuff like netflix. too habituated to it
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if you find yourself drinking more than you anticipated or wanted, that's a big red flag that you may have a drinking problem.

if you find yourself blacking out, that's a big red flag you may have a drinking problem

if you find yourself preoccupied with alcohol, that's a big red flag you may have a drinking problem.

i find this simple, 12 question quiz to be a very good indicator as to whether someone has a drinking problem. while i don't prescribe to AA for my own, personal reasons, i like their quiz.

https://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/is-aa-for-you-twelve-questions-only-you-can-answer

aside from your own personal desires to drink, i find the biggest hurdle to get over is the social pressure. drinking booze is such a commonly accepted thing in our society and those who don't do it are often given bad labels by those who do. fortunately for me, my family and friends are fully aware of my struggles with booze and totally respect (and actually admire) my dedication to refrain from booze. it's a hard road, especially at first, but it gets easier and the rewards are obvious and motivation (for me) enough to stay dry.

good luck with your decision.
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Why not go hard in the last few days of 2017 and den stop on jan 2nd and go a week without it den
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pinky0926 posted...

I think I'm a low level alcoholic.

not shit, you're scottish.
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Giant_Aspirin posted...

if you find yourself drinking more than you anticipated or wanted, that's a big red flag that you may have a drinking problem.

if you find yourself blacking out, that's a big red flag you may have a drinking problem

if you find yourself preoccupied with alcohol, that's a big red flag you may have a drinking problem.

i find this simple, 12 question quiz to be a very good indicator as to whether someone has a drinking problem. while i don't prescribe to AA for my own, personal reasons, i like their quiz.

https://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/is-aa-for-you-twelve-questions-only-you-can-answer

aside from your own personal desires to drink, i find the biggest hurdle to get over is the social pressure. drinking booze is such a commonly accepted thing in our society and those who don't do it are often given bad labels by those who do. fortunately for me, my family and friends are fully aware of my struggles with booze and totally respect (and actually admire) my dedication to refrain from booze. it's a hard road, especially at first, but it gets easier and the rewards are obvious and motivation (for me) enough to stay dry.

good luck with your decision.

I got 6 and 6. Seems like all my yes answers were for the less serious symptoms, but it's still 6 I guess.
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You shouldnt have hallucinations or racing heart if youre honest about how much you drink. Definitely expect some irritability and insomnia. Also, trazodone is a miracle drug. It fights the insomnia and just makes you lose the desire to drink. I usually take it for a couple days when I stop to avoid the insomnia/irritability.
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pinky0926 posted...

I got 6 and 6. Seems like all my yes answers were for the less serious symptoms, but it's still 6 I guess.

assuming you were honest with yourself about the answers (i dont see why you wouldn't be), it doesn't seem like you're too far along. but definitely keep yourself aware of your consumption as alcoholism is a progressive disease. it's not like i woke up one day and immediately started putting down a 5th of whiskey every day. it took me about a year to progress from "one or two beers a day" to that point.

HydraSlayer82 posted...

You shouldnt have hallucinations or racing heart if youre honest about how much you drink. Definitely expect some irritability and insomnia. Also, trazodone is a miracle drug. It fights the insomnia and just makes you lose the desire to drink. I usually take it for a couple days when I stop to avoid the insomnia/irritability.

i was prescribed that the last time i detoxed. it definitely helped.
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I answered no tkevery question but drink often lol
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The withdrawal symptoms you mentioned are what people who have 12-15 drinks a day and stop go through, not people who have three or four.
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JBaLLEN66 posted...

I answered no tkevery question but drink often lol

my mom has a glass of wine every day but she's very far from being an alchy.
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The good thing about going from drinking every night to drinking like twice a month is my tolerance got way lower. I can get a pretty good buzz off 3 drinks now instead of having to do 5 shots in like the first hour
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Ive gone a legit 5 months before. When I got drunk again it really was...different.
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Giant_Aspirin posted...

i find this simple, 12 question quiz to be a very good indicator as to whether someone has a drinking problem. while i don't prescribe to AA for my own, personal reasons, i like their quiz.

https://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/is-aa-for-you-twelve-questions-only-you-can-answer

Interesting! I only answered yes to 3 questions which means I'm not an alcoholic! Woo!

I totally am though
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Good luck pinky
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Giant_Aspirin posted...

JBaLLEN66 posted...

I answered no tkevery question but drink often lol

my mom has a glass of wine every day but she's very far from being an alchy.

Exactly, the only time I get drunk is in appropriate social situations.
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r4X0r posted...

The withdrawal symptoms you mentioned are what people who have 12-15 drinks a day and stop go through, not people who have three or four.

This.
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How many years can someone go drinking 4-8 beers (or the equivelant) a night before they have bad liver issues or other issues?
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Capn Circus posted...

How many years can someone go drinking 4-8 beers (or the equivelant) a night before they have bad liver issues or other issues?

Thats really dependent on the person. Just physiologically those numbers would mostly be concerning for average or smaller sized women. The main thing is that everybody should ideally give their livers a couple days to recuperate naturally if youre gonna be downing a wine bottle or 6 pack. Also depends on genetics.
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I used to drink most of a 750 of rum or jack every night, I'm pretty sure my liver is fucked when I get older
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thronedfire2 posted...

I used to drink most of a 750 of rum or jack every night, I'm pretty sure my liver is fucked when I get older

if you quit drinking you can definitely recover. my blood tests were all sorts of fucked up when i was in the hospital for detox. a year later, at my annual physical, the doctor told me everything was back to normal.
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pardon my extreme narcissism but did i trigger this

because if so you're like the fifth person who decided they had a drinking problem and took action to resolve after i decided to be open about mine and quit

regardless you're smart for doing this now rather than 5 years later when it's much more deeply ingrained
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Darkman124 posted...

pardon my extreme narcissism but did i trigger this

because if so you're like the fifth person who decided they had a drinking problem and took action to resolve after i decided to be open about mine and quit

regardless you're smart for doing this now rather than 5 years later when it's much more deeply ingrained

I've been thinking about it for a while but I'd say your comments about it added to a pile of internal thoughts and comments from other people. Not long ago I thought I'd just cut my drinking in half and go once every two days, but that fell apart pretty fast and I just ended up getting blistered on those "on" days. Made me think that maybe there's more to this than casual drinking.
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pinky0926 posted...

Not long ago I thought I'd just cut my drinking in half and go once every two days, but that fell apart pretty fast and I just ended up getting blistered on those "on" days. Made me think that maybe there's more to this than casual drinking.

this sort of thing is exactly what made me quit

i'd make rules for myself and then break them asap
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