Serious subject - How to cut your alcohol consumption?

by quellycatface 30 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  quellycatface

  I am drinking too much wine EVERY night - I blame it on the Borg!!

  How can I cut down without going teetotal? I love the taste of wine, I'm not fussed with other drinks but just need to rein in it a bit.

  Going wine-free tonight and tomorrow, as I'm out socially.

  I also need to shift a few pounds.

  Thank you, everyone.
• 

  Laika

  Reduce your access to it by getting rid of all/most of the bottles you might have around the house and buying less when you go grocery shopping.
• 

  Frazzled UBM

  Hmmm - I do two alcohol free nights a week plus 4 of the remaining 5 are two glasses or less. I love wine too and would hate to have to give it up.
• 

  blondie

  It's not how much you drink, more when and why.

  http://www.ncadd.org/index.php/learn-about-alcohol/alcohol-abuse-self-test

  Yes or No: Decide whether your answer is YES or NO and then check the appropriate space. Please be sure to answer every question.

  NCADD Self-Test: What are the Signs of Alcoholism?

  1. Do you drink heavily when you are disappointed, under pressure or have had a quarrel with someone?	Yes No
  2. Can you handle more alcohol now than when you first started to drink?	Yes No
  3. Have you ever been unable to remember part of the previous evening, even though your friends say you didn’t pass out?	Yes No
  4. When drinking with other people, do you try to have a few extra drinks when others won’t know about it?	Yes No
  5. Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable if alcohol is not available?	Yes No
  6. Are you more in a hurry to get your first drink of the day than you used to be?	Yes No
  7. Do you sometimes feel a little guilty about your drinking?	Yes No
  8. Has a family member or close friend express concern or complained about your drinking?	Yes No
  9. Have you been having more memory “blackouts” recently?	Yes No
  10. Do you often want to continue drinking after your friends say they’ve had enough?	Yes No
  11. Do you usually have a reason for the occasions when you drink heavily?	Yes No
  12. When you’re sober, do you sometimes regret things you did or said while drinking?	Yes No
  13. Have you tried switching brands or drinks, or following different plans to control your drinking?	Yes No
  14. Have you sometimes failed to keep promises you made to yourself about controlling or cutting down on your drinking?	Yes No
  15. Have you ever had a DWI (driving while intoxicated) or DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) violation, or any other legal problem related to your drinking?	Yes No
  16. Do you try to avoid family or close friends while you are drinking?	Yes No
  17. Are you having more financial, work, school, and/or family problems as a result of your drinking?	Yes No
  18. Has your physician ever advised you to cut down on your drinking?	Yes No
  19. Do you eat very little or irregularly during the periods when you are drinking?	Yes No
  20. Do you sometimes have the “shakes” in the morning and find that it helps to have a “little” drink, tranquilizer or medication of some kind?	Yes No
  21. Have you recently noticed that you can’t drink as much as you used to?	Yes No
  22. Do you sometimes stay drunk for several days at a time?	Yes No
  23. After periods of drinking do you sometimes see or hear things that aren’t there?	Yes No
  24. Have you ever gone to anyone for help about your drinking?	Yes No;
  25. Do you ever feel depressed or anxious before, during or after periods of heavy drinking?	Yes No
  26. Have any of your blood relatives ever had a problem with alcohol?	Yes No
• 

  Heaven

  Just stop drinking it. Replace it with some other beverage, preferably water.

  If you can't stop I suggest getting help. Hypnotherapy might work. This worked for my ex's mother who wanted to quit smoking.
• 

  Witness My Fury

  Will power. Self control. Sheer bloody mindedness. Whatever you choose to call it.

  Hey, I got NO for 1 - 25 and a YES for 26 on Blondies test.
• 

  tornapart

  Same problem for me quelly. I've tried replacing it with cranberry juice or making some fruit smoothies and just allowing myself something alcoholic a couple of times a week. Sometimes I find myself slipping (like now LOL) but I give it another go. Slip back, try again... just keep trying!
• 

  blondie

  BTW, my mother was an alcoholic, my grandparents on both sides. I wondered if I was doomed. I'm not but I recognize the danger for me and monitor why I am drinking. If a person is an alcoholic, "will power" is not the long-term answer.
• 

  cultBgone

  Here's a good rule...don't bring it into the house. If you only allow yourself a glass when out with friends, you'll enjoy it more and buy it less.
• 

  Pams girl

  I've recently cut right down. If I want a drink, I set myself a limit and stick to it. I am in control of the alcohol not the other way around. I drink for pleasure now not to get rat arsed and forget my problems (when did that ever work, right?) I stopped telling myself I deserved a drink, using it as a reward...and telling myself other people had a bottle of wine 3 days a week, and sometimes a bottle of vodka spread out on top of that...so why shouldn't I?? I now enjoy a few glasses on a Sunday with my husband as we cook lunch and listen to the radio...but I know my limits and stick to it.

  Next to fat, alcohol is the most calorific, so if you cut down you will be doing your body and brain a favour and will loose excess weight with ease, and even more with a healthy diet. The key to change, is changing your routine. Instead of reaching for the wine bottle, do something else. Changing your behaviour is hard, but as your new behaviour emerges and that becomes routine, you get used to it as normal. You are already taking positive steps by deciding to go wine free while out socially...a great start. Well done.

  Paula x