Giving up alcohol

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Ya I would just add if my just stop advice was flippant it wasn't meant to be. If it has took a grip at all deffo seek professional help rather than us eejits but for general tips we have tonnes of that 🤓

[Would ye whist]

Thank you tbrick, good helpful tips there

I asked the experts on here as it feels like a safe space where even though we nark at each other everyone (well most) will come with well intentioned comments/advice

Ladies & Gents,

Bit of a personal one here, however with the stress of work and other issues I have found myself getting to fond of the aul drink to the extent it is causing issues with the wife and I

Have any of you given it up or cut back a lot? If so any tips?

Grateful in advance

I'd say that at least in the short term, avoid situations where drinking would be normal - visits to the pub, social events etc. Just until you get comfortable with not drinking in those situations.
The home drinking is a difficult one, but the first thing I'd do would be to get rid of any drink in the house. Make it difficult for yourself to just have one or two. Have something else you "must" do which would mean you cant drink.
For me, I haven't given up drink but over the years my circumstances didn't lend themselves to being able to drink.
Ill family members, kids needing looked after, school runs in the mornings etc. So couldn't risk drinking the night before if I'd to drive early in the morning for example.

Now, for me it's just more bother than its worth. I keep a bottle of whiskey in the house, would last me months, just take the occassional one.
I tend not to go to very many social events, but I'll drink when I do. Couple of times a year maybe - and I enjoy it.
I guess for me, it's drink for the right reasons and not when you feel bad as thats a slippery slope.

Depending on where you think you are in terms of dependency, maybe speak to your GP too or even give AA a go, and I'm not making assumptions about you here but I do know some people who'd swear by AA.

Whatever road you go down, good luck with it and fair play for taking the first steps by asking the expert GAABoard. 

[Taylor]

Its a tough cycle to break - thats for sure.

The home drinking is the killer - simply because it is much easier to do and to hide.

Mrs and kids go to bed and you can drink until your hearts content - you arent in the pub where people see you drinking/pissed and you arent away from the family home.

First step is to do something which stops you drinking at home - someone mentioned it already but driving is a great way to cut down on home drinking.

Unless you have a clinical problem its all about breaking the habit and take it day by day

[Ethan Tremblay]

Without knowing the extent of how much you consume, if you think its a bad habit rather than an addiction, then the two main things I would do are:

Don't take drink into the house - sounds obvious, but just like a multipack of crisps/chocolate, if they aren't there to begin with, you can't consume them. 

Plan your weekends - if you have interests outside of work (like sport) or kids, plan the weekend mornings to do those things.  You will find a reason not to drink Friday/Saturday nights. 

Going cold turkey might be the worst thing you could do, as you may break it, and binge more than you would normally take.  I have seen a few friends who have alcohol issues try that approach and end up on it for days at a time. 

Best of luck with it all!

[Puckoon]

Ladies & Gents,

Bit of a personal one here, however with the stress of work and other issues I have found myself getting to fond of the aul drink to the extent it is causing issues with the wife and I

Have any of you given it up or cut back a lot? If so any tips?

Grateful in advance

Packed it in completely 5 years ago

Best decision I ever made

I was put on a 30 day course of medication where I couldn't drink.  After 30 days I'd lost a few lbs, had zero hangovers and life just felt better all over

My advice would be, assuming you're a beer drinker, switch to Heineken or a Guinness Zero. That way you can still go out and socialize in the normal manner

The hardest part was explaining to people why you weren't drinking so have a cover story ready

Do we really need cover stories? Is there something inherently wrong with saying, I'm trying not to drink or limit my alcohol intake? I think the need for cover story ties in with the Irish psyche that surrounds drinking. That if you don't take a drink there's something wrong with you. I definitely think it is one of the hardest parts of alcohol overuse in our culture.

[imtommygunn]

It's a culture thing but is very different among younger people these days. I like going out for beers but we rarely touch it in the house.

[Father Murphy]

If you're really struggling check out The Sinclair Method.

Read about it years ago and then more recently it was featured in a Sunday magazine.

You take a pill before drinking which basically nullifies the euphoric effect and over time you lose interest in alcohol altogether.

[DrinkingHarp]

Gave it up almost 4 years now.

Getting too old to have a 3 day hangover, body aches and general blah after a night out. Plus I drive all day for work and don't need a chance of having my income removed because of something so ordinary.

I do have a caveat if I want to drink: my birthday, my golf league championship and St Baldrick's Day. Have not drank except to get my head shaved for the liquid courage needed on St Baldricks Day to support the cure for childhood cancer.
My golf league is essentially a drink fest with golf thrown in every Monday night. The other guys in the league questioned me for the first 3 weeks and then it wasn't a subject since.

At first I "hid" away from any gathering/party or going out in general because of the environment and not wanting to go through the same conversation 10+ times each time but now I realized it was a waste of time "hiding" from the inevitable questions.

My typical answers in the beginning:
No, I am not in AA
No, I am not on medication
No, I am not dying
No, I am not anti-fun
No, I am not doing drugs instead of drink
It gets funny and insane with the questions you are asked.

I feel better and enjoy the savings plus I can help out any family member or friend with a ride since there is no chance of getting a DWI/DUI.

Not drinking at a establishment or party sheds a light on how bad you may have acted in the same environment.

Good Luck

[tonto1888]

My advice for what its worth
Find your "why". Why do you want to stop? If your reason isnt good enough you wont stop. After multiple failed attempts I found my why and got sober almost 9 years ago. 6th August 2015 to be exact.
If you dont want to drink in the house dont have any alcohol there which you would drink. Have the conversation with your wife. There is no reason for her to stop but make her aware that you want to and why.
There is also no reason to stop going out. I let a few close friends know I had quit and that if I disappeared without saying anything that was why. Have an exit strategy but dont be afraid to go to the loo and just keep walking also.

Good luck with it

[ONeill]

My advice:

There's no point in telling you anything about someone giving up alcohol or any of that, as it means nothing to you. You don't go off it cos someone else did.

First tip: if drinking at home, earn it. Don't drink Sun-Thurs. Or Mon-Thurs. If that's progress, think about it.

Next, check your overall health. If there is weight you can lose, go on an achievable programme for a month. Say you decide to have a complete health kick in September, do it and earn your beer or whatever in October. There's a chance you get to Oct and want to extend it. Seeing any health benefits will give you serious motivation. Don't say you're off it permanently. Small goals and small rewards.

It's the same for food. If I want a Chinese or something on a Friday, I'll try to earn it by exercising harder or dieting better the days before. Same with alcohol. Earn your weekends. There's always a chance when you get to it, you're happy to extend it one more day.

But cut it out Mon to Thurs if you already don't. If you simply can't seem official help.

If it's badly affecting your daily life or harming relationships, that's a bigger matter. Seek official help. Ballsy to do it but same as addiction to anything.

[Would ye whist]

Well all thanks for your input on this, so far a week in and no drink taken, I can say it was tough with the warm weather and the All Ireland final but we are still going. I know it is nothing major however is a start

Had a very honest chat with herself and she laid out how that one too may ruins too many important events and if I can't learn my limit the limit should be nothing which I suppose is fair enough

[NAG1]

Well all thanks for your input on this, so far a week in and no drink taken, I can say it was tough with the warm weather and the All Ireland final but we are still going. I know it is nothing major however is a start

Had a very honest chat with herself and she laid out how that one too may ruins too many important events and if I can't learn my limit the limit should be nothing which I suppose is fair enough

Good man WYW fair play

[toby47]

Well all thanks for your input on this, so far a week in and no drink taken, I can say it was tough with the warm weather and the All Ireland final but we are still going. I know it is nothing major however is a start

Had a very honest chat with herself and she laid out how that one too may ruins too many important events and if I can't learn my limit the limit should be nothing which I suppose is fair enough

Fair play, it's fairly major in my book. Keep it up!

[Captain Scarlet]

This is a great thread and fair play to the OP and everyone else. It's all what you reckon.
In my college days I was a header but I suffered from insomnia, so it took f all to set me over the edge.

I went on a few dry phases too, but I have tended to avoid certain mates who I just can't keep up with as there were a few days out where I was in bits with them.

I go to monthly counselling to just dump shite and not be bringing it home to the wife all tge time and now I mist say I enjoy a few quiet ones much more.

But, back to the original side of things it's brilliant to be looking at what is going on yourself before it gets too out of hand and people are always much more helpful than you think. Well done.

[Norm-Peterson]

I decided to quit alcohol or at least learn to stick to a few beers when I made a fool of myself at a recent concert. There have been other bad memories too for example in London when I was trying to get to the O2 Arena and I blacked out in the underground. Next thing I remember it is midnight and I am walking around one of the most dangerous towns in south London.