Lord Ba'al
Supreme Deity
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I like: Cats; single malt Scotch; Stargate; Amiga; fried potatoes; retro gaming; cheese; snickers; sticky tape.
I don't like: Dimples in the bottom of scotch bottles; Facebook games masquerading as godgames.
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Post by Lord Ba'al on Aug 7, 2015 20:56:00 GMT
Well your fiance was right, a little hair of the dog can certainly help recovery from a hang over. But one should never pressure anyone into drinking anything they don't want to drink. Making a suggestion is alright of course.
You seem to be doing pretty well so far. You also appear to be going out for dinner a LOT. I wish I was going out for dinner. I don't know if that is standard practice for you guys or if that's just because of the upcoming wedding.
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Post by Crumpy Six on Aug 7, 2015 21:30:11 GMT
We do love going out for dinner, but not quite as excessively as this. This week has been exceptional as far as meals out are concerned. I went out for lunch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, and out for dinner on Tuesday and Wednesday (and again tomorrow). it's due to a variety of spontaneous things all happening to come up at the same time. It's a good test of will power when you're trying not to drink! I'm hardly ever a designated driver, as we normally go out locally and ride our bikes.
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Lord Ba'al
Supreme Deity
Posts: 6,260
Pledge level: Half a Partner
I like: Cats; single malt Scotch; Stargate; Amiga; fried potatoes; retro gaming; cheese; snickers; sticky tape.
I don't like: Dimples in the bottom of scotch bottles; Facebook games masquerading as godgames.
Steam: stonelesscutter
GOG: stonelesscutter
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Post by Lord Ba'al on Aug 7, 2015 23:15:29 GMT
If you make it through this week alright, which you appear to be doing, I have no doubt you'll make it through the rest of the month.
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Post by Crumpy Six on Aug 8, 2015 9:17:45 GMT
There are going to be two major challenges this month. One is a big corporate networking event I have to attend on the 18th. It's a full day and includes an overnight stay, with endless free food and drink. I don't think I'm going to know anyone else who's attending, so I'm going to be feeling quite shy and self-conscious. I'm also afraid that without a bit of social lubrication I might miss out on important networking opportunities. I'm almost thinking about making an exception for this date, though that would rather defeat the purpose of dry August.
Another challenge I can foresee is once I'm a few weeks in to this month, I will begin to wonder what the point is. I'll already have proven to myself that I can function without alcohol so why continue for the whole month? I think that's going to be very difficult, especially since I know my fiance will feel the same way (he is rather more values-driven than me though, so he is more likely to be able to resist and then I will resist too).
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Lord Ba'al
Supreme Deity
Posts: 6,260
Pledge level: Half a Partner
I like: Cats; single malt Scotch; Stargate; Amiga; fried potatoes; retro gaming; cheese; snickers; sticky tape.
I don't like: Dimples in the bottom of scotch bottles; Facebook games masquerading as godgames.
Steam: stonelesscutter
GOG: stonelesscutter
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Post by Lord Ba'al on Aug 8, 2015 9:26:58 GMT
If not for yourself, do it for your friends!  |
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Post by morsealworth on Aug 8, 2015 10:57:00 GMT
Well your fiance was right, a little hair of the dog can certainly help recovery from a hang over. Russian national recipe involves drinking brine from cucumbers or cabbage. There're also hardcore Swedish cans killing hangover and you as well in the process. But I prefer pickles. Not that I ever felt hangover, but pickes are delicious. |
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Post by hardly on Aug 8, 2015 23:42:58 GMT
There are going to be two major challenges this month. One is a big corporate networking event I have to attend on the 18th. It's a full day and includes an overnight stay, with endless free food and drink. I don't think I'm going to know anyone else who's attending, so I'm going to be feeling quite shy and self-conscious. I'm also afraid that without a bit of social lubrication I might miss out on important networking opportunities. I'm almost thinking about making an exception for this date, though that would rather defeat the purpose of dry August. Another challenge I can foresee is once I'm a few weeks in to this month, I will begin to wonder what the point is. I'll already have proven to myself that I can function without alcohol so why continue for the whole month? I think that's going to be very difficult, especially since I know my fiance will feel the same way (he is rather more values-driven than me though, so he is more likely to be able to resist and then I will resist too). My wife has done a no-sugar (not 100% no sugar obviously, but no treat based sugar) month a couple of times since she doesn't drink and sugar is her vice. This has usually occurred because she has reached a level of sugar consumption that she feels uncomfortable with. While you are not addicted to alcohol, all these substances sugar, alcohol, cigarettes are addictive. Especially with sugar the more you are used to having the more you want. So what is the point of dry August (its dry July here for some reason)? The point I believe is to accept that you have a complex relationship with alcohol that needs to be carefully managed. Hopefully by abstaining for a month you get a better understanding of the pros and cons of drinking and will use that understanding to better moderate your drinking in the future.
That sounds very negative and judgy but its not my intent. Let me explain in the context of sugar which is my vice. If I don't constantly think about my sugar intake it gets out of hand. At one point I'd east half a block of chocolate at work and then more at home in the evening. I was eating about 3 quarters of a block a day, plus other sugar in milo (hot chocolate) and other products. This is equivalent to your drinking level, it wasn't seriously harming me, I wasn't addicted, but I was stuck at a high level of consumption and needed to cut back. Not only was it unhealthy but it was a waste of money as I was spending $20-$30 on chocolate per week. The interesting thing about sugar is the less you consume the sweeter a given portion tastes.
I'm not explaining this very well but the idea I think is that at the end of the month you are your fiancée should be able to point to a level of alcohol consumption that you want to stick to. It will be higher than dry August, and lower than BAU before dry August. Through dry August you will have learned that you can socialise without alcohol, play board games without alcohol, visit the in-laws without alcohol. You wont always do these things without alcohol but you will do them without alcohol more often after dry August.
The real test is: can you achieve a new more moderate level of alcohol consumption and maintain it? If you cant then you have a problem. You need to be constantly vigilant about honestly determining where you think a healthy and affordable level of alcohol consumption is and adhering to it regardless of the external factors that are in play. If you can achieve this you will have succeeded post dry August.
This idea of moderation isn't exclusive to alcohol or chocolate. It extends to everything, including shopping. I have seen so many people (including myself at times) dependent on the high of purchasing things. Shopping like everything else can become an unhealthily habit. So whatever you are doing ask yourself am I doing this at a healthy level or is it a crutch or high that I am dependent on? If it is the later you need to transition to a lower level of indulgence.
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Lord Ba'al
Supreme Deity
Posts: 6,260
Pledge level: Half a Partner
I like: Cats; single malt Scotch; Stargate; Amiga; fried potatoes; retro gaming; cheese; snickers; sticky tape.
I don't like: Dimples in the bottom of scotch bottles; Facebook games masquerading as godgames.
Steam: stonelesscutter
GOG: stonelesscutter
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Post by Lord Ba'al on Aug 9, 2015 0:39:35 GMT
There are going to be two major challenges this month. One is a big corporate networking event I have to attend on the 18th. It's a full day and includes an overnight stay, with endless free food and drink. I don't think I'm going to know anyone else who's attending, so I'm going to be feeling quite shy and self-conscious. I'm also afraid that without a bit of social lubrication I might miss out on important networking opportunities. I'm almost thinking about making an exception for this date, though that would rather defeat the purpose of dry August. Another challenge I can foresee is once I'm a few weeks in to this month, I will begin to wonder what the point is. I'll already have proven to myself that I can function without alcohol so why continue for the whole month? I think that's going to be very difficult, especially since I know my fiance will feel the same way (he is rather more values-driven than me though, so he is more likely to be able to resist and then I will resist too). I was gonna say, if you're considering making an exception for that one day while it is still 9 days away, you are already starting on a slippery slope. You should try to take this realization and turn it to your advantage. Make it your prime goal to get through that one particular event. I'm pretty sure you won't need any social lubrication and in retrospect you will look at it and wonder what all the fuss was about. I think the idea proposed by Qetesh earlier of having regular non-alcoholic drinks that look like an alcoholic drink would be great for a night like this. Perhaps you could talk to the bartender at the event and tell him about your plan. Surely he'll be able to fix you up something stunning without alcohol. Might be a nice challenge for him.  Tell your fiance about the way you're feeling too and make sure that he knows that you need his support to keep you straight, especially when the times get tough. |
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Post by Crumpy Six on Aug 9, 2015 9:31:43 GMT
Sunday 9th AugustLast night, after a full week of doing really well, the wheels came off. I'm disappointed and embarrassed, especially after checking this thread this morning and seeing supportive, constructive and encouraging posts from Lord Ba'al and hardly. Total damage: two thirds of a bottle of wine, a pina colada and half a pint of lager. After the first glass of wine a defeatist attitude definitely took over and that's how it turned into a binge. It was a lousy day. We started by taking one of our cats to the vet for a routine appointment and ended up with a bill for £160. I love my cat and I don't mind paying his vet bills, but it was an unexpected expense. We also got told off by the vet because she noticed from our records that our other cats are long overdue their vaccinations. The rest of the day was to be spent laying a patio to serve as a base for our new garden shed. Like most DIY projects we take on, this turned into a massive performance. We ended up taking 4 separate trips to Homebase to buy supplies, after forgetting paint, buying the wrong quantity of mortar and being sold the wrong size of tile. In our frustration we became irritable with each other. We needed refuse sacks for moving topsoil. We used to have a bunch but I'd thrown them away. My fiance went to buy more but he got the wrong kind and the bags split. We hardly ever argue or fight, but the atmosphere was becoming frosty. The job was nowhere near finished by the time we had to down tools and get ready for dinner, so we tried to cover up the unfinished paving with tarp but within minutes the cats were frolicking in the unset mortar. So what can I say. Even as we cycled to the restaurant, my fiance said he intended to have a glass of wine. Then it seems the floodgates opened. I'm getting back to work on Project Shed today, but need to decide how to proceed with Dry August - whether it's going to become "alcohol management" August or whether we're going to resume 100% abstaining. It's a disappointing turn. Sorry to everyone who has been following this thread and had confidence in me. Only making it as far as August 8th is not very respectable.
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Lord Ba'al
Supreme Deity
Posts: 6,260
Pledge level: Half a Partner
I like: Cats; single malt Scotch; Stargate; Amiga; fried potatoes; retro gaming; cheese; snickers; sticky tape.
I don't like: Dimples in the bottom of scotch bottles; Facebook games masquerading as godgames.
Steam: stonelesscutter
GOG: stonelesscutter
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Post by Lord Ba'al on Aug 9, 2015 9:46:06 GMT
It is a setback. Lord Ba'al is very disappointed in you. [/strictoverlord] All is not lost however. I don't think you should give up. How about this idea... For every day that you drink during this project you add 7 days to the end of it. This means that if you drink once a week the project will never end. The longer you go without drinking, the sooner the project ends. |
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Lord Ba'al
Supreme Deity
Posts: 6,260
Pledge level: Half a Partner
I like: Cats; single malt Scotch; Stargate; Amiga; fried potatoes; retro gaming; cheese; snickers; sticky tape.
I don't like: Dimples in the bottom of scotch bottles; Facebook games masquerading as godgames.
Steam: stonelesscutter
GOG: stonelesscutter
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Post by Lord Ba'al on Aug 9, 2015 9:50:15 GMT
Also, go back to the hardware store, buy an end of wood and a box of nails. Put the two together and show it to your fiance. Then put on a strict face and tell him not to talk about drinking anymore. Bad fiance! Bad fiance!
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Post by Crumpy Six on Aug 9, 2015 17:03:41 GMT
There are going to be two major challenges this month. One is a big corporate networking event I have to attend on the 18th. It's a full day and includes an overnight stay, with endless free food and drink. I don't think I'm going to know anyone else who's attending, so I'm going to be feeling quite shy and self-conscious. I'm also afraid that without a bit of social lubrication I might miss out on important networking opportunities. I'm almost thinking about making an exception for this date, though that would rather defeat the purpose of dry August. Another challenge I can foresee is once I'm a few weeks in to this month, I will begin to wonder what the point is. I'll already have proven to myself that I can function without alcohol so why continue for the whole month? I think that's going to be very difficult, especially since I know my fiance will feel the same way (he is rather more values-driven than me though, so he is more likely to be able to resist and then I will resist too). My wife has done a no-sugar (not 100% no sugar obviously, but no treat based sugar) month a couple of times since she doesn't drink and sugar is her vice. This has usually occurred because she has reached a level of sugar consumption that she feels uncomfortable with. While you are not addicted to alcohol, all these substances sugar, alcohol, cigarettes are addictive. Especially with sugar the more you are used to having the more you want. So what is the point of dry August (its dry July here for some reason)? The point I believe is to accept that you have a complex relationship with alcohol that needs to be carefully managed. Hopefully by abstaining for a month you get a better understanding of the pros and cons of drinking and will use that understanding to better moderate your drinking in the future.
That sounds very negative and judgy but its not my intent. Let me explain in the context of sugar which is my vice. If I don't constantly think about my sugar intake it gets out of hand. At one point I'd east half a block of chocolate at work and then more at home in the evening. I was eating about 3 quarters of a block a day, plus other sugar in milo (hot chocolate) and other products. This is equivalent to your drinking level, it wasn't seriously harming me, I wasn't addicted, but I was stuck at a high level of consumption and needed to cut back. Not only was it unhealthy but it was a waste of money as I was spending $20-$30 on chocolate per week. The interesting thing about sugar is the less you consume the sweeter a given portion tastes.
I'm not explaining this very well but the idea I think is that at the end of the month you are your fiancée should be able to point to a level of alcohol consumption that you want to stick to. It will be higher than dry August, and lower than BAU before dry August. Through dry August you will have learned that you can socialise without alcohol, play board games without alcohol, visit the in-laws without alcohol. You wont always do these things without alcohol but you will do them without alcohol more often after dry August.
The real test is: can you achieve a new more moderate level of alcohol consumption and maintain it? If you cant then you have a problem. You need to be constantly vigilant about honestly determining where you think a healthy and affordable level of alcohol consumption is and adhering to it regardless of the external factors that are in play. If you can achieve this you will have succeeded post dry August.
This idea of moderation isn't exclusive to alcohol or chocolate. It extends to everything, including shopping. I have seen so many people (including myself at times) dependent on the high of purchasing things. Shopping like everything else can become an unhealthily habit. So whatever you are doing ask yourself am I doing this at a healthy level or is it a crutch or high that I am dependent on? If it is the later you need to transition to a lower level of indulgence.
Thanks for sharing this, and for the advice. I can completely relate to your sugar habit, because this is another of my own (growing list of) vices. I'm generally ok with chocolate, but if you put a bag of sugary sweets in front of me I can't leave them alone. I'm particularly fond of the kind of sweets I used to eat as a child: Refreshers, Fruit Salads, jelly babies, pink prawns, flying saucers, candy sticks, wine gums... just typing out that list is giving me a craving. I buy my lunches from the supermarket every day, so there's always plenty of opportunity to indulge my sugar addiction. What's particularly unhelpful is that our usual prize at the pub quiz is a large box of Haribo. So in one night I get to combine my drinking habit and my sugar craving. Given my lack of impulse control where food and drink is concerned you might expect me to be enormously overweight, but this is not the case. I've always had a slim build, though when I recently made a concerted effort to cut down on my sugar consumption I did notice a fairly prompt difference to the fit of my clothes. I've managed to get out of the habit of buying sweets with my lunch, and have substituted sandwiches for salads. Something that helped me was working out how many calories were in each individual sweet. A single fruit pastille worked out as something like 50 calories, and when you multiple that by however many I might manage to eat in a single session, it's quite amazing how much I was putting away without even thinking about it. I also think it's a good point that many people have something in their lives that they indulge in excessively to the point of becoming somewhat dependent. Shopping is a good example, as you said. Another is video games. |
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Post by Qetesh on Aug 9, 2015 17:51:04 GMT
You know what is weird about Alcohol in general? "Going Out" alcohol versus "Hanging Out" alcohol are two totally different beasts. I think smoking is even worse. I can abstain from smoking without much problem most of the time when home alone working, playing, cleaning, petting cats, whatever. I walk 5 steps out of door to even go to store here in Belfast and see 20 people in pub patios and sidewalk smoking on way and back and I am dying for one! You really should not be going out so much while you do a serious attempt at a dry month. If you opt to try again, you might want to push till after your big day. Weddings are full of hoopla and parties, afterwards, it is just life. If you wish to stop, then might be best to do in what will be your everyday life and not in this time when you are out so much. A night out means smoking for me, so I stay in while trying to quit. I love getting out of house but we rarely do and so I have been smoking about 2-3 days a month, somewhere around once every 2 weeks out of house plus maybe a day extra in there. Also, If Ba'al would quit smoking at some point my resolve would be "us against it" and it would be much easier, until then it is a very steep uphill battle watching him jump outside for his smoke breaks I miss so much. Take strength you have your fiancee with you in this. If you get down to it, life is full of crap and there will always be a reason for a drink. More crap will come, know this in advance. Could be twice as bad as yesterday, will you drink again? Prepare in advance for being dry in the good and the bad times, just like marriage.  |
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Post by hardly on Aug 9, 2015 19:18:24 GMT
It is a setback. Lord Ba'al is very disappointed in you. [/strictoverlord] All is not lost however. I don't think you should give up. How about this idea... For every day that you drink during this project you add 7 days to the end of it. This means that if you drink once a week the project will never end. The longer you go without drinking, the sooner the project ends. Ba'al's idea is solid. If you want to continue with the dry August effort you should consider an extension to compensate. This comes back to my earlier post about deciding where you want to be post dry August. At this point I'd focus on all the events you got through without booze and less on the one failure you did have. Your point about reading the sugar content of lollies and chocolate is true, that is how I started to obsess about it which led to me cutting back. Have you ever considered the calorie content of alcohol? Thinking about that might help. |
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Post by Crumpy Six on Aug 10, 2015 7:30:40 GMT
You know what is weird about Alcohol in general? "Going Out" alcohol versus "Hanging Out" alcohol are two totally different beasts. I think smoking is even worse. I can abstain from smoking without much problem most of the time when home alone working, playing, cleaning, petting cats, whatever. I walk 5 steps out of door to even go to store here in Belfast and see 20 people in pub patios and sidewalk smoking on way and back and I am dying for one! You really should not be going out so much while you do a serious attempt at a dry month. If you opt to try again, you might want to push till after your big day. Weddings are full of hoopla and parties, afterwards, it is just life. If you wish to stop, then might be best to do in what will be your everyday life and not in this time when you are out so much. A night out means smoking for me, so I stay in while trying to quit. I love getting out of house but we rarely do and so I have been smoking about 2-3 days a month, somewhere around once every 2 weeks out of house plus maybe a day extra in there. I can see how this would be helpful for quitting smoking, which has a strong chemical element (and therefore the longer you abstain, the greater chances you have of cutting down longterm). But for us, drinking is something that has become very much integrated into our lifestyle. We need to be able to show ourselves that we can go to a restaurant, a pub or a friend's house without drinking. Otherwise, after this month is up we'll fall right back into our old habits. Doing this together is the only way this is working. My fiance suggested doing it in the first place, and even though it had never occurred to me to do anything like this before (and honestly I didn't want to at first), I went along with it. If one of us cracks, the other almost certainly will. You're doing amazingly well to be able to cut down on smoking on your own. It is a setback. Lord Ba'al is very disappointed in you. [/strictoverlord] All is not lost however. I don't think you should give up. How about this idea... For every day that you drink during this project you add 7 days to the end of it. This means that if you drink once a week the project will never end. The longer you go without drinking, the sooner the project ends. Ba'al's idea is solid. If you want to continue with the dry August effort you should consider an extension to compensate. This comes back to my earlier post about deciding where you want to be post dry August. At this point I'd focus on all the events you got through without booze and less on the one failure you did have. Your point about reading the sugar content of lollies and chocolate is true, that is how I started to obsess about it which led to me cutting back. Have you ever considered the calorie content of alcohol? Thinking about that might help. As for what I want to get out of dry August, I think it's fair to summarise that as follows: - I want to realise the health benefits of reduced drinking to help me make healthier choices in the future.
- I want to understand the role alcohol plays in my life and make sure I'm happy with it.
I'm not sure about setting extension penalties. It's a good idea, but realistically I'm not convinced I'd stick to that! Later today I'm going to have a critical look back on the first 9 days of dry August, including an estimate of how many calories I've avoided. That is likely to be quite motivational. = |
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Casinha
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Post by Casinha on Aug 10, 2015 8:50:01 GMT
The issue of adding days when you drop off the wagon is then your motivation for not drinking becomes "so I can drink sooner," which seems to defeat the point. Stick with your month, but make sure you take note of any days you gave in and reflect on them. Next time you try for a dry month (if there is an intended next time) you look back at the last time you did it and make sure you don't make the same mistakes. I think I may need to do something similar to a "dry month" to curb my own spending habits (which are appalling), or at least put my expenditures in perspective Use Sunday as motivation for the rest of the month. Stress piled up and the disappointing part is that you couldn't get through it without alcohol, but I don't think anyone would blame you for that. It sounds like it was a really sucky day and it's only natural to seek familiar comforts. Look on that moment of weakness as the reason you're doing this. You've already discovered that an acquaintance of yours hasn't seen you sober in years, who knows what else could change for you if alcohol isn't the third wheel of your relationship? tldr; Keep on truckin' and turn that frown upside down. Make this setback an opportunity! |
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Post by morsealworth on Aug 10, 2015 9:23:23 GMT
So what can I say. Even as we cycled to the restaurant, my fiance said he intended to have a glass of wine. Then it seems the floodgates opened. That's what I didn't want to tell you to avoid discouragement. You see, the whole "temporary abstain" idea sets you in the mood when the moment you allow yourself to stop abstaining, you go into a binge. And normally it's a binge way bigger than things you drink (eat, smoke) regularly. |
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Post by Crumpy Six on Aug 10, 2015 10:22:32 GMT
Monday 10th AugustLast night we went to our friend's house for games. I was fully expecting we'd drink, since we failed yesterday and were in the mindset of "screw it, we've been doing DIY all day and we already failed dry August, let's enjoy ourselves". My fiance even said he was planning on having a glass of wine, and when we arrived we were offered a choice of wine or gin. In the end though, we both stuck with water. I think the residual effects of the morning's hangover might have helped but I'm still pleased. Roundup: First 9 daysWe succeeded in not drinking 8 out of 9 days. Since we're partly driven by wanting to lose body fat, here's an estimation of what I would have typically had to drink and a calculation of the calories saved. Saturday - weekend - 3 small lagers and half a bottle of wine: 690 Sunday - board games - 5 small lagers - 625 Monday - Rewarding ourselves for DIY efforts - 1 small lager: 125 Tuesday - Visiting my parents - 2 lagers and half a bottle of white wine: 575 Wednesday - out for dinner at the steakhouse - 2 bottles of lager: 300 Friday - Friday! - a lager and half a bottle of white wine: 440 Sunday - games, plus Sunday, plus DIY - 5 small lagers: 625 Total calories: 3380
I don't think I'm shocked by this number, as I've always known alcohol is very calorie-dense. The recommended daily allowance of calories for a woman (which I realise is a bit of a vague concept) is 2000. I've got an extra day and half's worth of calories from my drinking across a 9 day period. It's worth noting again that Monday, Thuesday and Wednesday wouldn't normally be days where we'd have a drink so the figure is slightly higher than it might have been. It's not quite as black-and-white as "I'm now 3380 calories down". I try to slightly adjust my meals when I'm drinking to account for the extra alcohol calories. Also, not suffering from a hangover, my appetite is now better in the morning so I'm more prone to snacking or eating a bigger lunch. Still, there's no way this balances out. I take in a LOT of calories from drinking and it would be extremely unhealthy to try to change my diet to fully account for this. Next steps
On Saturday we had a pretty major 'slip' (i.e. a binge). This was due to a combination of having a rough day in which we got annoyed with each other, and going out for dinner with another couple. "A glass of wine" turned into half a bottle, a cocktail and a trip to the pub. This doesn't mean I'm going to give up on Dry August, but I might slightly move the goal posts to make it more achievable whilst effectively getting the same benefits. My new proposed idea (which I think my fiance agrees with) is to allow ourselves ONE drink, one or two times a week. This means: - We can still get to enjoy a drink on appropriate occasions.
- We will drink it slower and enjoy it more, because it's the only one we're allowed.
- Most importantly, if we give in to temptation, we won't get into a defeatist mindset where we feel like we might as well keep going because we've already 'failed'.
This is the most wiggle-room I'm prepared to allow myself. I think it should be perfectly achievable without hugely compromising on what we've set out to achieve.
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Lord Ba'al
Supreme Deity
Posts: 6,260
Pledge level: Half a Partner
I like: Cats; single malt Scotch; Stargate; Amiga; fried potatoes; retro gaming; cheese; snickers; sticky tape.
I don't like: Dimples in the bottom of scotch bottles; Facebook games masquerading as godgames.
Steam: stonelesscutter
GOG: stonelesscutter
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Post by Lord Ba'al on Aug 10, 2015 10:38:11 GMT
I hope you can stick to your new plan but I would be very impressed if you did. There generally is no such thing as "one drink". The drink will be gone before you know it and then you'll be sitting there with no drink and the taste of drink in your mouth. I think you're only making it harder for yourself. But time will tell.  Perhaps ordering a non-alcoholic drink simultaneously with your alcoholic drink so you have something that's good to go right after you finish your drink might be a good idea. And make sure the empty glass from the drink is not still sitting in front of you after you finished it. That might help a little. |
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Post by Crumpy Six on Aug 10, 2015 13:16:14 GMT
One of my colleagues said the exact same thing this morning! Is it possible to just have one drink? I guess I'll find out. Ultimately, this is something I need to learn to deal with if I'm going to make sustainable changes to my drinking habits. On a day where I typically binge (e.g. pub quiz) I am likely to go straight back to my old habits in September. But if I've learned I can have one drink, or at least alternate with soft drinks, that will have a long term positive impact. A good achievement would be to drink on fewer days, and on days when I do drink, drinking less. A fully dry August would help with the first goal but perhaps not so much the second.
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