Anyone attempting to stop drinking?

Almost onto my 3rd weekend...

[werty]

With all the talk of quiting smoking I was wondering if anyone has attempted to stop drinking?

I was a hardcore weekend warrior and would go out at least once on the weekend and close the bars(in chicago that is 4am/5am on sats). I would enjoy this but sometimes would be really sore the next day. Well for the last 3 weeks I decided to give it up... Main reason is to lose a bit of weight and save some money.

And I no longer have a social life. I do not miss the drinking, but I do miss going out. What is there to do when all your friends are drunks?

I have started to just spend money and stay at home. I have purchased more cds in the last 2 weeks then in the last year, and a new stereo to play them on.

I also seem less productive on the weekends then when I was drinking. I have not really gotten anything done as far as my affiliate sites go in about 3 weeks.

My goal is to not drink until Halloween, and I can make it if I want...but do I want to?

Curious to see if anyone else is in the same boat.

[agerhart]

I have drastically cut down on the amount I drink and go out.

I haven't quit, but definitely cut back.

[ganderla]

First, congrats on not drinking, that is a big deal.
Second, if you set a goal to not drink until Halloween and can not make until then, you might look a little further into the issue.

[werty]

See I have tried that before, but usually I whip back the first few and the next few slide in without me noticing. By this time I am feeling fine and ready to keep going.

Another option would be to drink soda or something and I have also tried this. It works at the first few bars, but by the time I hit the late night bar I need to knock back a few to deal with the place.

The other bad thing is that when you tell people you are not drinking or trying to quit/cut back you start getting all of your drinks for free. And who can resist a free drink?

I could easily make it to halloween, or next halloween. I have given up the sauce for 4 years before. It is just a matter of finding other things to do. I guess the logical choice would be find some non-drunkard friends. I would miss the night life as well as my friends.

It is not that I am sitting home on a Friday craving some booze, I am craving some activity/social interaction, too bad they come carrying drinks.

[topr8]

hey well done - its great to have a break, you get a different perspective.

given all the talk around here of barcon and pubcon and the occasional mention of beer in foo you might be suprized to find there are a fair few non drinkers here! some might be a little shy though, but they are around, either because they are friends of Bill Wilson or just because they prefer not to.

i think its harder than smoking though because with smoking everyone agrees that its good to stop, but with drinking you get kindof weird looks from people when you say you're giving up!

[martinibuster]

You can always tell people that you're on anti-biotics for a tooth infection. Or that you're the designated driver.

[ritualcoffee]

I just wander around with cranberry juice and no one is the wiser.

[rcjordan]

>cranberry juice and no one is the wiser.

Tonic with a twist.

[dragonlady7]

You have to set goals that are more specifically tied to what you actually want.
If you want to be more productive, set that as your goal. If you want to spend less, set that as your goal. If you want to cut back on alcohol, set that as your goal.
But saying that by quitting drinking and socializing, you'll save money, lose weight, and be more productive... well, if that's not happening, perhaps you need to re-evaluate your methodology.
I always viewed alcohol as something that was either there or not. I drink at home, I drink out-- or I stay home and don't drink, or I go out and don't drink. Drinking is not tied to fun, it is something I enjoy for itself. I've thrown parties and everyone came and had a blast and simply forgot to have a third beer, and the fridge was still full of beer the next morning. It's not the alcohol that makes the party, it's the party that makes it.
If you have to have a couple drinks to deal with the late-night bars, then they don't sound like they're worth being at.

It sounds like you don't have a problem with alcohol-- but more of a problem with knowing what you really want.
Good luck figuring it out!

[Robino]

Do a ton of sit-ups (as many as you possibly can) and you wont want to drink as much anymore. You'll just feel better and the desire to drink may be drastically reduced. It has worked for me when I've needed it to.

good luck!

[mivox]

So, if I understand it: You like going out, all your friends drink when they go out, you don't want to drink so much, but it's hard to say 'no' given the circumstances?

I had a friend in college who'd alternate one beer, then one glass of soda, then one beer, then a glass of soda, etc... I often woke up in the mornings wishing I was as sensible as he was. ;) Others in the thread have suggested similar things: cranberry juice, tonic with a twist, etc.

To avoid bars altogether, check the local event listings, and see if there are any groups meeting with similar interests to your own... I'm possibly going home to an empty house after my vacation, and the "what to do in the evenings" question is a bad one. I'm thinking of starting TaiChi classes or some similar group activity sort of thing, so I'm not stuck sitting at home alone every night.

The advantage of the group activities is that you tend to meet new people, many of whom may have less alcoholic recreational habits than your current pals. :)

[caine]

usually i'm out about four or five times a week, getting quite drunk most of the time.

However due to an increased workload, and other non-work related demans, i have at the moment cut this down too 2 times a week. Certainly have a clearer head about everything, getting more done.

[werty]

I will have to try the alternating between drink and non-drink and see how that works for me. I am still going to be sober until halloween, at which point I will paint my hand like the devil and fight my liver.

I have tried a new hobby, working out, which has helped influence my decision to stop/cut back on the drinking. The last few weeks I have hit the gym instead of the bar on friday night.

It sounds like you don't have a problem with alcohol-- but more of a problem with knowing what you really want.
Good luck figuring it out!

Eaxactly...drinking helps me stop worrying about what I think I may want.

Have any of you ever read Modern Drunkard magazine?

[ogletree]

My docter says I got to quit for 6 weeks. I don't drink that much so it won't be a big deal.

[Robino]

I think Milk Thistle (pills at GNC) is supposed to help protect and keep your liver healthy.

Werty, now that the Cubs are done there wont be as many hot girls out anyway. ;)

[Watcher of the Skies]

I like the anti-biotics comment, MB - used it before but only when it was the truth.....now, this sounds like a nice shortcut to not always having to explain one's self to the peer group vacuum........hey, we do what we can......i stopped a 50-marlboro's-a-day habit four years ago and gained 20kg..........lesser of two evils, for sure BUT.....time to attend to that, and drinking's a part of that, of course....

[dragonlady7]

>drinking helps me stop worrying

Hm. But, it's not the alcohol so much as it is the going out with buddies and the drinking and so on, right?
So you just need something to divert you.

Heh, good luck. I don't really have anything that distracts me from worrying, so I don't know which of us is in a better boat.

[Nick_W]

I'm afraid I'm with caine. You can take away ANYTHING EXCEPT my booze ;)

Nick

[Mardi_Gras]

The advantage of the group activities is that you tend to meet new people, many of whom may have less alcoholic recreational habits than your current pals.

Very good point. Since I became a non-drinker (March 4), I find that I tend to stay away from my friends who recreate through alcohol. I have the willpower to say no, but I just prefer to be around people who have more on their minds than getting intoxicated.

For those who are quitting, I can offer these words of encouragement - I have yet to wake up in the morning and think, "Gee, I wish I had taken a drink last night." It is never as important as it may seem when all around are sipping martinis...keep saying no and you won't regret it.

[Ivana]

I went through a massive drinking binge during the first two years at Uni (which strange as it may seems coincides with meeting Nick_W...) and when I wasn't drunk, I tried to be really healthy to sort of counterbalance the drinking.

I was a vegetarian, I went swimming sveral times a week and my bicycle was my main form of transportation (also when drunk!), I stayed off sweets and took multi vitamins. My philosophy was
that if you stay healthy and fit 4 days of the week and drink for the remaining 3, you don't suffer so much from the after-effects of drinking.

And it actually worked.

[mivox]

I like the way you think Ivana... now, if I could only figure out an agreeable way to get that 'exercise' thing going. hehehe

[Ivana]

Oh, don't I know what you mean! The pool I went to was part of Uni, olympic size and free for students, so there really was no excuse.

On the other hand, the Uni Friday Bar was also part of Uni and beer was very cheap there...

I now have to kick myself to go running a couple of times a week, I'm not veggie anymore, and guess what, I really suffer the next day!