How do I stop myself from drinking too much?

[billd766]

On 1/14/2021 at 1:39 PM, Neeranam said:

Good luck with staying on the wagon!

 

60 years is a ling time; I drank for only 20 years, however for the last 2/3 years, drank 2 large bottles of whisky and a few Chang per day. 

Just over 8 months now and still no alcohol consumed.

[Don Chance]

The paradigm has changed now. It was always assumed that to quit alcohol was too difficult. It was accepted. The drunk in your family, friends etc. How do I stop myself from drinking?  It is now easy. You just need to take some pills every day. There is no longer an excuse. You don't have to worry about staying on the wagon an more. Those days are over.  Baclofen is one drug and there are other drugs mentioned on the forum which i have heard work too.

On 2/8/2021 at 1:44 AM, billd766 said:

Just over 8 months now and still no alcohol consumed.

Unfortunately alcohol takes a long time for your body reset again. Don't be surprised if you relapse after some time, even a year, and go back to same routine of drinking everyday. I believe alcohol and drug addiction is a metabolic illness or dysfunction.It is just a matter of letting your body and brain heal and they will forget the addiction.  Baclofen is a drug to treat the withdraw symptoms which will last about 4 years. After that you won't need the baclofen. You won''t be addicted to alcohol. If you can white knuckle it for 4 years all the power to you. But this rarely works. You can try some faith healing with AA but that also has a poor success rate.

 

Don't be scared about Baclofen, it is actually a light drug and not very heavy, safe and has been studied for decades . It has some side effects mostly short episodes of drowsiness.  If you just want to drink less, Baclofen will work that way too. You can just take 20-30 mg per day and that will help you cut down to 2 drinks a day.

[billd766]

5 hours ago, Don Chance said:

The paradigm has changed now. It was always assumed that to quit alcohol was too difficult. It was accepted. The drunk in your family, friends etc. How do I stop myself from drinking?  It is now easy. You just need to take some pills every day. There is no longer an excuse. You don't have to worry about staying on the wagon an more. Those days are over.  Baclofen is one drug and there are other drugs mentioned on the forum which i have heard work too.

Unfortunately alcohol takes a long time for your body reset again. Don't be surprised if you relapse after some time, even a year, and go back to same routine of drinking everyday. I believe alcohol and drug addiction is a metabolic illness or dysfunction.It is just a matter of letting your body and brain heal and they will forget the addiction.  Baclofen is a drug to treat the withdraw symptoms which will last about 4 years. After that you won't need the baclofen. You won''t be addicted to alcohol. If you can white knuckle it for 4 years all the power to you. But this rarely works. You can try some faith healing with AA but that also has a poor success rate.

 

Don't be scared about Baclofen, it is actually a light drug and not very heavy, safe and has been studied for decades . It has some side effects mostly short episodes of drowsiness.  If you just want to drink less, Baclofen will work that way too. You can just take 20-30 mg per day and that will help you cut down to 2 drinks a day.

I am not bothered about taking meds as I am on 11 tablets a day for blood pressure and arthritis, Its that I didn't need any to start drinking and I have no real interest in taking any to stop. I have already stopped since 1st June 2020 and I can't be bothered to start again.

 

Perhaps if I can find a decent bottle of port I may have a couple of glasses for my birthday on 23 May or perhaps 31st May to celebrate 1 year of being dry.

 

I have got plenty of whisky, wine and rum in the house, but I don't feel the need to drink alcohol any more.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

Ignore all sources of booze. 
Stop going to bars.

Stop buying booze to bring home.

No booze at home or restaurants.

Join AA ?

[impulse]

7 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

Ignore all sources of booze. 
Stop going to bars.

Stop buying booze to bring home.

No booze at home or restaurants.

Join AA ?

 

I added it all up and I've saved around $250K USD over 32 years by doing exactly that.

 

[ding]

On 4/26/2021 at 7:09 AM, impulse said:

 

I added it all up and I've saved around $250K USD over 32 years by doing exactly that.

 

Nice. The math's in line with my reality.

 

Of course, booze was much cheaper at the start of that journey than it is now. Then we can figure in all the indirect savings, like actually going to work, not pulling out the wallet to show the ladies how big it is... etc.

lol

[DrJack54]

Rather than start a new topic, hopefully I can ask advice in this thread.

So description of my situation. 

Heavy drinker (the word heavy varies I guess). So about 2liters of Chang and 350ml whisky EVERY day. Don't drink during the day. Never just keep drinking so it's about 5pm till ~ 11pm or less every day.

I had been reading about the 14 day quarantine and how difficult it might be. 

So anyway with some concerns about high blood pressure and weight, I decided to give the booze a break.

So to my question..... I realize it's only been a month but I have had ZERO desire to have a drink. I mean it hasn't even thought about it.

Spoke with my son 30yr and we both were talking about so much of it is habit.

Even now if I had some friends coming over from Oz, I would catch up and even travel together and of course they would be drinking. If I went back to Oz for a break my friends there also on weekends get together and have a booze up.

Difficult to fit in. 

In some ways with covid it's very easy.

Another thing about the habit side of things. At nights I have had a few Heineken zero alcohol cans watching movie or whatever.

Is this normal or am I kidding myself.

Thanks for any input.

[impulse]

A lot of us were binge drinkers.  I was one.  I never got physically addicted to alcohol, could go for weeks without drinking, and didn't really miss it when I stopped.  My problem was that, after the first drink, I could not predict what would happen next.  I might stop at one, but usually when I ran out of cash, got thrown out of the bar at 2:00AM, or passed out.

 

Simple (not easy) solution was not to have that first drink.  Which I've been not having since 1988.  Bad news...  I'm not cured.  I have a temporary reprieve until I pick up that first drink.  Good news...  My choice.

 

[Broken Record]

On 6/22/2021 at 7:35 AM, DrJack54 said:

Another thing about the habit side of things. At nights I have had a few Heineken zero alcohol cans watching movie or whatever.

Is this normal or am I kidding myself.

Thanks for any input.

Heineken 0.0 is a great substitute, I have been to get togethers with people drinking and I thought I would be feeling left out, pressured by drinkers to join in, so I bought some Heineken 0.0, I can be around drinkers and I don't get pressured into drinking beer as I'm already drinking beer, it's just that I won't get drunk or stopped for drink driving or wake up with a hangover and I'll be able to remember the night before.

Having that beer in the hand takes care of the habit issue.

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, Broken Record said:

Heineken 0.0 is a great substitute, I have been to get togethers with people drinking and I thought I would be feeling left out, pressured by drinkers to join in, so I bought some Heineken 0.0, I can be around drinkers and I don't get pressured into drinking beer as I'm already drinking beer, it's just that I won't get drunk or stopped for drink driving or wake up with a hangover and I'll be able to remember the night before.

Having that beer in the hand takes care of the habit issue.

Thanks for reply.

Can I ask how was stopping for you......meaning difficult or easy? 

I just always assumed it would be difficult. As stated, I previously drank every day. It's been a walk in the park. Didn't expect that.

[owl sees all]

It's all a matter of discipline.

 

My friend from Liverpool - Everton supporter by the way - seems to have the answer.

 

He strictly limits how many big bottles of beer he drinks in a day. No-matter what, he will not drink more; even if it's free.

 

Last time I visited him, it was two in the afternoon, and I suggested  a beer. "No! Owl can't! I've already hit my twelve bottle quota for today." That was earlier this year. Still on twelve a day, so he is hanging on in there.

 

Way to go; discipline.

 

 

[JayClay]

On 12/9/2020 at 4:15 PM, denvemosc46 said:

issue got solved

 

And everybody in the thread was too wrapped up in their own advice and personal arguments to congratulate the OP for resolving the issue....

 

Well done. How did it get resolved? (if you're still reading this...)

[sarjug]

On 11/7/2020 at 1:39 PM, teacherclaire said:

20 year old male here

 

Tell your mama to stop giving you money and the problem is solved. 

 

Honestly, a 20 year old guy in LOS? Where do you get your money for alcohol from?

 

    Have you eve had sex before? Reading your post, I doubt it.

 

   Perhaps time to sober up and get a girlfriend? 

 

  

Interesting.