Quitting Drinking

[Boombats]

Crap or Not Crap? It's my New Year's Resolution, and it'll be the first one I know I can keep, at least for a few years. EDIT: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA TRY SIX MONTHS, FATASS It should be good for my health and wealth, but I do get weird when I'm sober for very long periods of time. I'm concerned I might become a sexaholic like last time and jeapordize my relationship. I know I'll go through an antisocial phase until I can deal with being at drinky events without feeling too tempted.

I don't drink anywhere near what I did in my 20s but it's still got to go. Losing weight will be easier without the beer. Alcohol is definitely not an expense I can afford since I'm only working part-time. Plus my great friend and drummer just admitted he had a problem and quit, so I want to back him up. There's another recovering alcoholic in the band plus a guy whose only drug is sugar and nicotine, so if I clean up we'll have only the singer, who does need to come to terms with his drinking and pill habit.

Dec 31st will be my last boozing. I anticipate a joyous evening of rock n roll and liver abuse, followed by gastric recrimination and rectal flaming. Bring it on.

[a. james]

not crap but i'm not gonna.

[johnnyshape]

I'd say pick a shorter distance than "a few years".

Something concrete. Six months or a year.

I reckon this might be easier to stick to (as it's not nebulous) and by then you will be feeling any positive effects and will know exactly how to proceed.

[Benny]

go for it.

[cjh]

Hiya Adam! it's the thread that should never be revived!

Me? I'll be having my usual month off after the excesses of the Yuletide, something I've done for the last three years although with miss being up the duff there's been far less opportunity to drink lately. Having some time away from it is great, definitely to be encouraged but I agree you should opt for a fixed period to begin with rather than trying for unending sobriety.

Edit and just to qualify: Here I am considering feeling yuck after an extended period of drinking too much rather than identifying a problematic relationship with alcohol which is another kettle of booze entirely and worthy of more serious consideration.

[Mark Hansen]

Not crap Boombats. My drinking has fallen way off lately as well.

[Boombats]

I'd say pick a shorter distance than "a few years".

Something concrete. Six months or a year.

...I agree you should opt for a fixed period to begin with rather than trying for unending sobriety.

That may be good for you, but based on my knowledge of myself I won't be marking any dates on the calendar. I falter under that sort of pressure; for example, if I say I'm going to hold my breath for 60 seconds, I'll be ready to burst by 45. If I just see how long I can go, I'll make it to 120.

Anyway I don't need plans and I can't predict the future. As they say, One Day At A Time (yu,k,I hagely-hate A.A. slogans).


I think I may be voting Crap though as I wanted to loft a beer with a few PRFers and I doubt I'll get the chance before the end of the year. Better go check out Col. Panic's "In NYC for the holidays" thread!

[simmo]

Quitting alcohol seems like a sterling idea, and you seem determined so I think you'll be fine, Mister Bats. If you feel like the pros would outweigh the cons, you should definitely go for it!

I've never really considered quitting alcohol for good - I enjoy it far too much. I derive far too much pleasure from a good beer or fine glass of wine. Plus there's a massive dearth of soft drinks that I actually like, beyond water and orange juice.

I go in and out of phases of drinking too much. Alcoholism runs in my family and I often feel like I'm flirting with it. Luckily I think I'm too sensible to ever let myself go too far down that route. And very, very slowly I'm getting more reasonable in my old age. I used to drink a helluva lot more, but age and wisdom are creeping up on me. I still drink too much, but not as much too much as I used to, if you follow that sentence. Drinking less will as ever be one of my new year's resolutions. I generally reduce my intake by much less than I'd hoped each year, but by some all the same.

good luck though mate! And wish me luck with my continued search for reasonableness.

[Boombats]

I don't have any alcoholics in the family (at least none that I've ever been around). I've just always felt there was a certain amount of lifetime you could play with your health, and then you have to cut the crap and take shit seriously. Some people think that growing up means you can drink as much as you want, but I think it means you don't need to anymore.

Alcohol nicotine THC opiates amphetamines hallucinogenics entheogens

these are all medicines, not vitamins.

[Marsupialized]

I used to drink to pants wetting unconciousness nearly every day. I barely drink anymore, I get what would be considered 'drunk' maybe once every 3 months at this point.
I started taking lots of pills that would make me violently sick if I drank on them so that made me stop drinking, then I stopped with the pills and the drinking didn't come back.

[Boombats]

I used to drink to pants wetting unconciousness nearly every day. I barely drink anymore, I get what would be considered 'drunk' maybe once every 3 months at this point.
I started taking lots of pills that would make me violently sick if I drank on them so that made me stop drinking, then I stopped with the pills and the drinking didn't come back.

At first I thought you were talking about those prescription drugs that are made to Clockwork-Orange you into sobriety. My drummer is trying to get on those. His friend has been taking the same shit, but for opiates, but apparently it has the same effect on alcohol (or is mixed with something that does). My dudeman was pissing himself a bunch too.

Now I see you were talking party pills. That can work too I guess!

[Marsupialized]

I used to drink to pants wetting unconciousness nearly every day. I barely drink anymore, I get what would be considered 'drunk' maybe once every 3 months at this point.
I started taking lots of pills that would make me violently sick if I drank on them so that made me stop drinking, then I stopped with the pills and the drinking didn't come back.

At first I thought you were talking about those prescription drugs that are made to Clockwork-Orange you into sobriety. My drummer is trying to get on those. His friend has been taking the same shit, but for opiates, but apparently it has the same effect on alcohol (or is mixed with something that does). My dudeman was pissing himself a bunch too.

Now I see you were talking party pills. That can work too I guess!

Narcotic painkillers by the handful, and I never actually pissed myself that was a figure of speech...woke up covered in puke and blood many times but never piss

[chet]

I barely ever drink anymore.

I have a lot more fun, and I've lost some of that beer gut. Not hanging hangovers ever is amazing. Like being able to actually do stuff in the morning...so nice.

Not Crap!

[Nico Adie]

Not Crap, though I don't think I could ever do it.

I have, however, replaced "quantity drinking" with "quality drinking". That's a really good way to cut down.

[zom-zom]

Are you going to make a "Soda-Pop Helmet" "video"?

[tommydski]

I quit drinking in my own country.

This is working out pretty good so far.

[Nico Adie]

Are you going to make a "Soda-Pop Helmet" "video"?

"Probably not".

[zom-zom]

I was not asking "you".

[ubercat]

Moderation. A little wine never hurt anyone.

I think it's a natural evolution for drinkers; over-drinking early, then leveling off after a bunch of years.

I would say crap, because moderation includes drinking...

[Boombats]

Are you going to make a "Soda-Pop Helmet" "video"?

"Tea Helmet"