Alcohol, hints, tips, advice etc.

oldhamblue said:
I play a lot of pool so spend a few evenings in pubs/ snooker halls and I've got used to having a Coke zero, Pepsi Max when out. It's the nights in where I feel bored and drink for the sake of it. The Mrs has a bottle of Cava every night then half a litre of Bacardi with coke every night for the last ten years
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I play pool for my local and when we play away matches i drive, sometimes twice when there's between 8 and 10 turn up. I drink pints of orange squash with ice and not only is it refreshing it's only 60 p a pint in most pubs! : )

When i drop the lads off back at our local i take the car home and go back in. I get between a fiver and a tenner which come out of our weekly subs and then I usually get bought 2 to 3 pints, maybe 4, and a few games of pool.

I've cut down my drinking in the last couple of months though mainly due to cost. Nipped in my local at 11-30 last night and had 4 pints, first time for over a week. Today I've drank no alcohol. I just don't fancy any although i always have beer and spirits in, just in case. It's a bit like a comfort blanket knowing i can have a drink anytime, which i can.

But, having been a past alcoholic I'm really happy i am the master of alcohol and not the slave i used to be.

Drink and be merry blues, or stay sober. Cheers.
 
Posted on here before about my brother who had his problems with drink and drugs , he passed away last month and waking up today and knowing I wasn’t going to talk to him was the worst feeling I’ve felt . As a family we did our best to get him on the right path but he chose the wrong one . Listening to you guys with your struggles makes me think of him and how he struggled with his demons . Please stay strong fellas and reach out. , there’s people who need you as much as you need them
 
My mate is in AA and active in it. Never told him but really proud of him. About 6 years sober and he was a proper pisshead but mainly drinking at home. Affected his family life and he stopped overnight. I think his wife who is the most lovely person gave him an ultimatum. He is a better person for it. Couple of years after sacking the booze he had a mild heart attack. Probably a combination of family history and shite eating and drinking habits. I love a drink especially the old whisky. Questioned myself if I drink too much but then he tells me horror stories about those in AA and then I am just relatively normal. He tells me that and he should know. I never get shit faced just merry.
 
The problem with alcohol is that it is so accessible. If you get involved in drugs then you have to find a dealer. If you want to drink then you can just go to the local shop/supermarket and buy as much of it as you like. Nobody ever limits what you drink. You could walk out with a trolley full and no one would question you.

Both my parents indirectly died from alcohol addiction. No one would know as it is not down as a cause of death on their death certificates but for me it was their primary cause of death.

It is a hard habit to break though. I like a drink but try to limit it to a reasonable amount. Still more than 14 units a week though!

Good luck to everyone !
 
Millwallawayveteran1988 said:
The problem with alcohol is that it is so accessible. If you get involved in drugs then you have to find a dealer. If you want to drink then you can just go to the local shop/supermarket and buy as much of it as you like. Nobody ever limits what you drink. You could walk out with a trolley full and no one would question you.

Both my parents indirectly died from alcohol addiction. No one would know as it is not down as a cause of death on their death certificates but for me it was their primary cause of death.

It is a hard habit to break though. I like a drink but try to limit it to a reasonable amount. Still more than 14 units a week though!

Good luck to everyone !
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Same with me but I can limit it. Unfortunately a lot can’t and a change in circumstances can change that like a close family death or a marriage break up. You just don’t know why some people end up pissed up
 
crublue1 said:
Great post. No words really mate, other than your honesty will help many on here, including myself.
Thank you.
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I'm not an alcoholic, but I definitely was a binge drinker with a really poor relationship with booze.

Other than the amount of time you win back without it (seriously, you don't realise how much time you lose whilst pissed and on autopilot for days after), you realise things about yourself and your personality.

I've been out a fair few times sober this year, and realised some of my problem was a bit of social anxiety. I'm quite a chatty person but the need to almost have a prop in my hand like a pint or a cigarette. Quite a fast drinker so that can turn into a 20 or 30 drink night on the piss. Now I'll have 3 or 4 pints of diet coke and be ready for my bed. You do become the taxi service home for your mates though.

One thing I hated when drinking (I only drinked to excess, blackout drunk or none at all), was the feeling of dread the days after a session when you're piecing together what you've said and done around people you know. I got that same feeling of dread walking back to the car after a sober do last week. That must be years of binge drinking that's conditioned me to feel like that.

You maintain your authenticity and your dignity when you have control of your sobriety. That allows decent relationships to flourish and not so decent ones to die out. As I say, by no means am I an alcoholic but I did have a poor relationship with it. 12 months ago I was feeling like a kid opening their Christmas presents when I had a pint of Guinness in front of me, and trawling pubs after last orders for "one more beer mate, come on". Quite proud of the progress I've made and feel quite confident saying I'll never have a drink again in my life.
 
Millwallawayveteran1988 said:
The problem with alcohol is that it is so accessible. If you get involved in drugs then you have to find a dealer. If you want to drink then you can just go to the local shop/supermarket and buy as much of it as you like. Nobody ever limits what you drink. You could walk out with a trolley full and no one would question you.

Both my parents indirectly died from alcohol addiction. No one would know as it is not down as a cause of death on their death certificates but for me it was their primary cause of death.

It is a hard habit to break though. I like a drink but try to limit it to a reasonable amount. Still more than 14 units a week though!

Good luck to everyone !
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As I always say, if it was invented today, it would be banned by Monday.

So cheap to buy off the shelf in the supermarkets too. It's an endemic in UK, a lot of us don't realise that until we travel abroad and broaden our horizons. A lot of us and our mates use alcohol as a God and the centre of all social events.
 
Millwallawayveteran1988 said:
The problem with alcohol is that it is so accessible. If you get involved in drugs then you have to find a dealer. If you want to drink then you can just go to the local shop/supermarket and buy as much of it as you like. Nobody ever limits what you drink. You could walk out with a trolley full and no one would question you.

Both my parents indirectly died from alcohol addiction. No one would know as it is not down as a cause of death on their death certificates but for me it was their primary cause of death.

It is a hard habit to break though. I like a drink but try to limit it to a reasonable amount. Still more than 14 units a week though!

Good luck to everyone !
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It’s a legalised drug
 
Avenue Blue said:
I'm not an alcoholic, but I definitely was a binge drinker with a really poor relationship with booze.

Other than the amount of time you win back without it (seriously, you don't realise how much time you lose whilst pissed and on autopilot for days after), you realise things about yourself and your personality.

I've been out a fair few times sober this year, and realised some of my problem was a bit of social anxiety. I'm quite a chatty person but the need to almost have a prop in my hand like a pint or a cigarette. Quite a fast drinker so that can turn into a 20 or 30 drink night on the piss. Now I'll have 3 or 4 pints of diet coke and be ready for my bed. You do become the taxi service home for your mates though.

One thing I hated when drinking (I only drinked to excess, blackout drunk or none at all), was the feeling of dread the days after a session when you're piecing together what you've said and done around people you know. I got that same feeling of dread walking back to the car after a sober do last week. That must be years of binge drinking that's conditioned me to feel like that.

You maintain your authenticity and your dignity when you have control of your sobriety. That allows decent relationships to flourish and not so decent ones to die out. As I say, by no means am I an alcoholic but I did have a poor relationship with it. 12 months ago I was feeling like a kid opening their Christmas presents when I had a pint of Guinness in front of me, and trawling pubs after last orders for "one more beer mate, come on". Quite proud of the progress I've made and feel quite confident saying I'll never have a drink again in my life.
Click to expand...

Drinking is such a massive part of our culture in the UK it's insane. Which is one of the reasons it's so hard to give up.

I was a binge drinker myself, I don't miss that anxiety of feeling like I've acted a twat or done something wrong.

I'm confident I can get till June without drinking but then I go Cyprus for 2 weeks and at night time that will be a tough test.
 
Avenue Blue said:
I'm not an alcoholic, but I definitely was a binge drinker with a really poor relationship with booze.

Other than the amount of time you win back without it (seriously, you don't realise how much time you lose whilst pissed and on autopilot for days after), you realise things about yourself and your personality.

I've been out a fair few times sober this year, and realised some of my problem was a bit of social anxiety. I'm quite a chatty person but the need to almost have a prop in my hand like a pint or a cigarette. Quite a fast drinker so that can turn into a 20 or 30 drink night on the piss. Now I'll have 3 or 4 pints of diet coke and be ready for my bed. You do become the taxi service home for your mates though.

One thing I hated when drinking (I only drinked to excess, blackout drunk or none at all), was the feeling of dread the days after a session when you're piecing together what you've said and done around people you know. I got that same feeling of dread walking back to the car after a sober do last week. That must be years of binge drinking that's conditioned me to feel like that.

You maintain your authenticity and your dignity when you have control of your sobriety. That allows decent relationships to flourish and not so decent ones to die out. As I say, by no means am I an alcoholic but I did have a poor relationship with it. 12 months ago I was feeling like a kid opening their Christmas presents when I had a pint of Guinness in front of me, and trawling pubs after last orders for "one more beer mate, come on". Quite proud of the progress I've made and feel quite confident saying I'll never have a drink again in my life.
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Yet another post that shows us all what we're up against and how good it feels when we try. The positives are outweighing the negatives here, and it's a great comfort to read.
 
Avenue Blue said:
I'm not an alcoholic, but I definitely was a binge drinker with a really poor relationship with booze.

Other than the amount of time you win back without it (seriously, you don't realise how much time you lose whilst pissed and on autopilot for days after), you realise things about yourself and your personality.

I've been out a fair few times sober this year, and realised some of my problem was a bit of social anxiety. I'm quite a chatty person but the need to almost have a prop in my hand like a pint or a cigarette. Quite a fast drinker so that can turn into a 20 or 30 drink night on the piss. Now I'll have 3 or 4 pints of diet coke and be ready for my bed. You do become the taxi service home for your mates though.

One thing I hated when drinking (I only drinked to excess, blackout drunk or none at all), was the feeling of dread the days after a session when you're piecing together what you've said and done around people you know. I got that same feeling of dread walking back to the car after a sober do last week. That must be years of binge drinking that's conditioned me to feel like that.

You maintain your authenticity and your dignity when you have control of your sobriety. That allows decent relationships to flourish and not so decent ones to die out. As I say, by no means am I an alcoholic but I did have a poor relationship with it. 12 months ago I was feeling like a kid opening their Christmas presents when I had a pint of Guinness in front of me, and trawling pubs after last orders for "one more beer mate, come on". Quite proud of the progress I've made and feel quite confident saying I'll never have a drink again in my life.
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Fantastic attitude mate. I really hope you keep it. Be strong because it is well worth it.
 
Scottyboi said:
Drinking is such a massive part of our culture in the UK it's insane. Which is one of the reasons it's so hard to give up.

I was a binge drinker myself, I don't miss that anxiety of feeling like I've acted a twat or done something wrong.

I'm confident I can get till June without drinking but then I go Cyprus for 2 weeks and at night time that will be a tough test.
Click to expand...

If you've put those positive habits in place over a sustained period, being on holiday doesn't change them. I've been all over the place since I knocked the drink on the head fully and haven't been tempted once. You enjoy the time on holiday more.

The only time I've craved it was a few times seeing a fresh pint of Guinness, and saw Corona on draught in Wetherspoons recently, which I've only ever had out the bottle, so was curious for a few seconds.

Lad at work gave me a champagne filled chocolate last week without realising I was teetotal. Turned my stomach biting into that, don't think I'd have eaten that even when I was a drinker.
 
Mindlessly supping on pints gets you nowhere. We are all chasing the same feeling of the first pint. 3 pints in is a great feeling when in good company. Then it becomes 20 pints, silly. Then silly becomes dangerous more often than not.

You have to ask the man in the mirror why you are drinking. Delve deep inside your mind and ask yourself "what can I change in my life that I have control over?" and "what is making me suppress my feelings and use a substance as a mask?" The answer never lies at the bottom of a pint glass, believe me.

Is it a bereavement, your hate for your current career, boredom? Only you have the answers. A few lads have approached me on nights out recently crying out for help. Firstly, I can give advice but you have to help yourself and secondly, having that conversation when intoxicated is a non-starter. If you can have a couple of beers in moderation then crack on. If one leads to 20, or a packet up the nose, brothel and going missing for days on end, you probably need a change before it's too late.
 
Drink has been the bane of my life.
It's been there ever since I can remember.
From that first sip of cider when I was a kid, I was somehow, unexplainably hooked.
I've spent all my life fighting it.
Some of us are built that way I guess.
I spent most of my life in pubs, watching pissheads throw their lives away. I thought I was somehow cleverer than them, and I'd never turn out to be that guy.
How wrong I was.
At times I was one phone call away from telling the truth, no I haven't got a cold boss, I was lying, I've drank a bottle of vodka and it's only dinner time, I've pissed the bed and nearly drowned in my own vomit, I'm off to the offy.
Luckily I have a skill that keeps me employed.
I've got away with it.
Won't last forever so here we are.
X
 
Avenue Blue said:
I'm not an alcoholic, but I definitely was a binge drinker with a really poor relationship with booze.

Other than the amount of time you win back without it (seriously, you don't realise how much time you lose whilst pissed and on autopilot for days after), you realise things about yourself and your personality.

I've been out a fair few times sober this year, and realised some of my problem was a bit of social anxiety. I'm quite a chatty person but the need to almost have a prop in my hand like a pint or a cigarette. Quite a fast drinker so that can turn into a 20 or 30 drink night on the piss. Now I'll have 3 or 4 pints of diet coke and be ready for my bed. You do become the taxi service home for your mates though.

One thing I hated when drinking (I only drinked to excess, blackout drunk or none at all), was the feeling of dread the days after a session when you're piecing together what you've said and done around people you know. I got that same feeling of dread walking back to the car after a sober do last week. That must be years of binge drinking that's conditioned me to feel like that.

You maintain your authenticity and your dignity when you have control of your sobriety. That allows decent relationships to flourish and not so decent ones to die out. As I say, by no means am I an alcoholic but I did have a poor relationship with it. 12 months ago I was feeling like a kid opening their Christmas presents when I had a pint of Guinness in front of me, and trawling pubs after last orders for "one more beer mate, come on". Quite proud of the progress I've made and feel quite confident saying I'll never have a drink again in my life.
Click to expand...

This described my relationship with drink. I had an illness over 10 years ago where I needed to watch what I ate & drank. Thoughts of how will I cope without a social drink changed to most of my problems are caused by me in drink.

Not had a drink for over 12 years & go out socially & drink the zero beers. My kids are also have a different relationship with drinking.
 
crublue1 said:
Drink has been the bane of my life.
It's been there ever since I can remember.
From that first sip of cider when I was a kid, I was somehow, unexplainably hooked.
I've spent all my life fighting it.
Some of us are built that way I guess.
I spent most of my life in pubs, watching pissheads throw their lives away. I thought I was somehow cleverer than them, and I'd never turn out to be that guy.
How wrong I was.
At times I was one phone call away from telling the truth, no I haven't got a cold boss, I was lying, I've drank a bottle of vodka and it's only dinner time, I've pissed the bed and nearly drowned in my own vomit, I'm off to the offy.
Luckily I have a skill that keeps me employed.
I've got away with it.
Won't last forever so here we are.
X
Click to expand...

Sounds like you are on the path to turning it round. Best of luck mate.
 
Wow ma
crublue1 said:
Drink has been the bane of my life.
It's been there ever since I can remember.
From that first sip of cider when I was a kid, I was somehow, unexplainably hooked.
I've spent all my life fighting it.
Some of us are built that way I guess.
I spent most of my life in pubs, watching pissheads throw their lives away. I thought I was somehow cleverer than them, and I'd never turn out to be that guy.
How wrong I was.
At times I was one phone call away from telling the truth, no I haven't got a cold boss, I was lying, I've drank a bottle of vodka and it's only dinner time, I've pissed the bed and nearly drowned in my own vomit, I'm off to the offy.
Luckily I have a skill that keeps me employed.
I've got away with it.
Won't last forever so here we are.
X
Click to expand...
Avenue Blue said:
Mindlessly supping on pints gets you nowhere. We are all chasing the same feeling of the first pint. 3 pints in is a great feeling when in good company. Then it becomes 20 pints, silly. Then silly becomes dangerous more often than not.

You have to ask the man in the mirror why you are drinking. Delve deep inside your mind and ask yourself "what can I change in my life that I have control over?" and "what is making me suppress my feelings and use a substance as a mask?" The answer never lies at the bottom of a pint glass, believe me.

Is it a bereavement, your hate for your current career, boredom? Only you have the answers. A few lads have approached me on nights out recently crying out for help. Firstly, I can give advice but you have to help yourself and secondly, having that conversation when intoxicated is a non-starter. If you can have a couple of beers in moderation then crack on. If one leads to 20, or a packet up the nose, brothel and going missing for days on end, you probably need a change before it's too late.
Click to expand...
Wow mate
 
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