For me it helps to look at all the positives of not drinking, the intended ones and unintended ones. I live in a house with 2 other people and they consume a lot of beer in the evenings, lucky for me they drink Budweiser beer. Not something I would ever buy, swill is what comes to mind with that brand ... lol. A couple times I have went to the liquor store to get them some beer and have not been tempted to buy any for myself. A small hurdle but one I managed so it is a win in my books.
Having several reasons to not drink is a good thing. Saving money, losing weight, and better eating habits are all good benefits of not drinking. Alcohol can have an affect on blood sugar but I think everyone is different when it comes to alcohol triggering food cravings. I know some people that as soon as they start drinking, they won't eat anything. You've got to find what works for you because in the end it's your journey!
I have stopped before although not totally. For about the last 30 years I poured about 3/4 of an ounce of kahlua in my morning coffee. Several times in the past I have quit all other drinks when I went on a diet except my coffee routine. I have done that several times in the last 15 years for a couple months at a stretch. This time I have completely stopped and I am retired. Before I retired I owned my own business and it took a LOT of my time, a 10 hour work day was not uncommon and more during the busy seasons. I think more free time equaled more drinking time.
My main reason for quitting is the money issue other benefits are bonuses. I am hoping also to drop some pounds (20 - 30) as a even extra bonus. Not dieting but not eating any more than I did before, in fact I also quit eating all junk food when I quit drinking. Chips, buttered popcorn, pretzels and such may have equaled my calorie intake to the vodka I was drinking. I am finding I don't miss the junk food at all and it may have to do with the booze not messing with my blood sugars. I read somewhere having a drink or three can greatly increase your appetite.
Wow, I was going to write a quick reply, this is turning into a novel..lol
Keep the faith and keep the replies coming. This forum does help me organize my thoughts better and we are stronger as a group than we are alone.
Congrats on getting started. It sounds like you are ready for a change and ready to have more money in your bank account :). I think one month is a great goal; however, I also agree with the other members, three months is the minimum time recommended. This is because it takes that long to learn new behaviours and ways of living. It has taken many years to ingrain alcohol into your daily life; therefore, it will take time to learn new patterns. The choice is yours though, one month is still an admirable goal. You decide what is right for you.
I am looking forward to reading more about your journey.
Hello High Tower and welcome! I agree with hors controle about waiting 3 months. I too thought I would reevaluate after only a month only to learn that addiction counselors recommend 3 months. Yikes! 3 months, there is no way! Or so thought. I found there is a way and that was 4+ years ago. I truly believe if I had drank after a few weeks, a month, or even 2 months of being alcohol free I would be drinking again now.
Congratulations on 9 days, that is a great start! Good luck to you.
Cigars has started me smoking after 16 years... very tricky.
About AA meeting. I went to a few meetings over the years but never found one I was comfortable with until about 3 weeks before I put my mind into stopping to drink. There is no speaker but member suggest some subject of discussion and people who feel like it talk about that subject.
I think you have to go to different meetings until you find the one you like. I have been back only once since then but I am planning to go to get my one month sobriety token. For me, it was a nice feeling getting that first 24 hours sobriety token. Felt like I made the first step toward freedom.
Good for you Hors Control ! For me it nice just to look at my bank account and not see it drain down to nothing as I spend money on booze. I just recently moved back to Canada after living in the US for 20 plus years. I now need to create a credit rating as I have none. I hate not having a car but it should only be a short term problem. Man, it is crazy how we let alcohol rule our lives and not even realize it until we are neck deep.
It has been 9 days and I was shooting for a month, I may have to rethink that goal now reading your 3 month habit thing.. I may be to addictive to drink again. When I quit smoking around 2000 I promised myself a cigar if I lasted a year. When that year came up I knew if I had that cigar I would be a full fledged smoker in a week or two. 19 years later and still no cigar but that is ok as I am so happy I don't need that crutch anymore, nasty habit even if I did enjoy it . lol.
Foxman - I spent several hours looking over AA sites and such. Nothing I found seemed to resonate with me at this time. If I find I am unable to keep to my goals I would consider revisiting the AA avenue. Thank you though for the advice and response to my post when you are reaching out to people it is nice to know that there are others out there. This site is quieter than I expected.
Alcohol does take a good chunk of our budget. I quit September first and I transfer one quarter of the money I used to spend on wine in a special bank account I cannot touch.
It feels good to see the money accumulates and think about what I am going to do with it.
And you are right, just switching to drink something cheaper or other type of alcohol does not do it. Eventually, we go back to what we like drinking.
I am aiming for 3 months. They say it is the minimum to change a habit. In 3 months, I will reevaluate but for now, I feel great, better than I had been for the last 15 years at least.
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