Alcohol

Eventually your body tries to tell you it’s poison. At what point do you listen? Is anyone here sober? Either by choice, religion or necessity? The longer I delve into a WFPB diet, the harder it is to ignore all those signals. I’d love to hear your stories.

Posted by alexscaries

I'm probably going to knock it on the head this year. I did dry January and had my first drink mid February it was the worst hang over ever and I only had two 5% beers.

There's habits I've stopped already like trying other people's drinks if offered to me.

For the 6 weeks I stopped after the first month my mind seemed clearer.

I’m a bartender and it’s hard for me to fathom going completely sober. It’s a fine line. Being able to drink builds a camaraderie with the clientele. It helps me recommend drinks, when someone gives me a style or a flavor profile. I’m also very aware what my limits are, because at the end of the day, my job is directly dealing with other people’s money. I consider a dirty, gin martini to be one of life’s simple pleasures and wax craft beers like some people talk cars.

But I know my body is trying to tell me something and I’m trying to figure out what those parameters mean to me. 😬

What spurred you to take this first step? I know alot of people do Dry January as a type of cleanse or something, but I’m a Cappy so the concept of not drinking during my birthday month is lost on me. lol

Posted by Arielle83

I was a bartender for 15 years.

I stopped staying for staffies.

Went to beach every wkd morning by 7am.

I couldn’t afford a headache.

Alcoholism runs in my family.

I used to go to AA meetings with my uncle as a teen.

But in my early 20s Id go thru bad phases when I was upset.

Just changed habits when sad

I hear ya. Substance abuse runs in my family as well and I definitely have what could be considered an addictive personality. I’ve identified it within myself. Hell, I’ve written here on numerous occasions that I had to stop drinking after my mom died, cause I’d drink too much and take it out on Bill. Even typing this I know I need to reevaluate my relationship with alcohol. I can make excuses with the best of em. It’s part of my job... I live in the beer capitol of the country... blah blah. At the end of the day, I know something needs to change.

Posted by Arielle83

I was a bartender for 15 years.

I stopped staying for staffies.

Went to beach every wkd morning by 7am.

I couldn’t afford a headache.

Alcoholism runs in my family.

I used to go to AA meetings with my uncle as a teen.

But in my early 20s Id go thru bad phases when I was upset.

Just changed habits when sad

Wait. Are you completely sober now or just more mindful of your limits? Sometimes I think all or nothing is easier than moderation.

Posted by Arielle83

Posted by hippiecrite

Posted by Arielle83

I was a bartender for 15 years.

I stopped staying for staffies.

Went to beach every wkd morning by 7am.

I couldn’t afford a headache.

Alcoholism runs in my family.

I used to go to AA meetings with my uncle as a teen.

But in my early 20s Id go thru bad phases when I was upset.

Just changed habits when sad

I hear ya. Substance abuse runs in my family as well and I definitely have what could be considered an addictive personality. I’ve identified it within myself. Hell, I’ve written here on numerous occasions that I had to stop drinking after my mom died, cause I’d drink too much and take it out on Bill. Even typing this I know I need to reevaluate my relationship with alcohol. I can make excuses with the best of em. It’s part of my job... I live in the beer capitol of the country... blah blah. At the end of the day, I know something needs to change.

I know it’s cheezy but exercising or just beach walking or running or just waking up early and paying attention to myself helped.

I also ghosted every friend I had and went full loner and found new friends elsewhere.

It’s cheezy to say exercise, but it makes you feel better than the high from drinking.

And if you work on your body, you don’t want to pollute it.

Also I’m already very blunt normally, drinking makes me worse. Sometimes.

That feeling of doom the next day would immobilize me.

I’m not completely dry. I’ll have wine at home, but I won’t go to a pub and stay there all Sunday anymore.

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About 6yrs ago, I was religiously going to the gym. Ruined my bliddy knees! But I quickly realized that wherever I went, I attracted the same kind of people. We’d exercise and then do bottomless mimosas for brunch. But I hear you. Have been getting back into yoga and mindfulness. Hence the post. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Posted by Arielle83

Posted by hippiecrite

Posted by Arielle83

I was a bartender for 15 years.

I stopped staying for staffies.

Went to beach every wkd morning by 7am.

I couldn’t afford a headache.

Alcoholism runs in my family.

I used to go to AA meetings with my uncle as a teen.

But in my early 20s Id go thru bad phases when I was upset.

Just changed habits when sad

Wait. Are you completely sober now or just more mindful of your limits? Sometimes I think all or nothing is easier than moderation.

I don’t drink during the week.

Friday I’ll have a wine or two with partner.

I can’t believe I forgot, but after I got back from Canada two years ago, and I was struggling to file for divorce with my husband, I had a few wines and drove to get a pizza.

Cops stopped me as I pulled into pizza shop and got random breathalyzed and lost my licence for 8 months.

I need my licence for my government job, plus a 35km commute to and from.

So I had to get a lawyer and fight in court for an extraordinary licence to drive at work.

I could of lost my job that I worked so hard to get.

That was wake up call.

That night I thought I was under the limit, but I never ate when I had a drink.

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Had a friend whose roommate had a breathalyzer on his car. My friend was running late for work one day and asked to borrow said car. His mouthwash kept him from blowing under the limit. Had to go back in and gargle water till the car turned on. It’s scary just how little one can drink and still be over the limit. Especially us ladies.

Posted by alexscaries

Posted by hippiecrite

Posted by alexscaries

I'm probably going to knock it on the head this year. I did dry January and had my first drink mid February it was the worst hang over ever and I only had two 5% beers.

There's habits I've stopped already like trying other people's drinks if offered to me.

For the 6 weeks I stopped after the first month my mind seemed clearer.

I’m a bartender and it’s hard for me to fathom going completely sober. It’s a fine line. Being able to drink builds a camaraderie with the clientele. It helps me recommend drinks, when someone gives me a style or a flavor profile. I’m also very aware what my limits are, because at the end of the day, my job is directly dealing with other people’s money. I consider a dirty, gin martini to be one of life’s simple pleasures and wax craft beers like some people talk cars.

But I know my body is trying to tell me something and I’m trying to figure out what those parameters mean to me. 😬

What spurred you to take this first step? I know alot of people do Dry January as a type of cleanse or something, but I’m a Cappy so the concept of not drinking during my birthday month is lost on me. lol

In all honesty mainly for the challenge and I knew a lot of people doing it. I wanted to go longer and avoid being one of those wankers who drink four bottles of wine the day it finishes.

Added to that I'm getting older and I don't really enjoy the effects anymore. I really like craft beer and dirty martini if done right, 5ml brine.

click to expand

Yeah... after recommitting to a clean, food diet, the bloating from drinking has been bugging the shit outta me. Like when you go to close your fist and you’ve got that sausage fingers feeling. Not cool!

Ugh. So I basically went vegan. Haven’t had meat or dairy in so long, it’s changed my tastebuds. The fella and I went for dinner and thought I’d cheat and get my favorite- a dirty, gin martini, with bleu cheese stuffed olives. It was horrible! Legit had to ask him if it tasted off. That stuffed olive tasted how a dirty nappy smells. If only the booze tasted off as well, I wouldn’t be here right now. 😂

I've been on the wagon for years. As a young woman I'd get loaded every weekend and always had horrible hangovers. When I got pregnant, I gave up smoking and drinking.

Alcohol is so toxic to the body and dehydrating. I now drink lots of water.

I’m practically dry. Will only have one or two quality craft beers every few months or so. Quality being the operative word.

Didn’t drink anything till I was 28. Then had my party phase for 5 years and thus drank way way too much. No regrets though. Now I’m just back to ‘normal’

I do not and have never had an urge to drink.

I also do not intend to ever have "just one won't hurt" social drink to fit in.

Add: I'm not perfect.

The thought came to me recently; if I met someone that liked a glass of wine with dinner or to unwind in the evening, I could just because.

I have since decided no I can't. I can't take the chance. I don't sip, I guzzle everything I drink, water cool aid, Mt. Dew, even if I'm too full I will still have the urge to guzzle something. I'm afraid if I drank anything I would too easily drink too much.

I have been in recovery for many years. When I was younger I drank and did drugs to escape from reality. At first I was forced into meetings and staying clean, but within the first year I realized the reasons behind the why I did it was not normal. Yes I’m an alcoholic. A clean and sober one. I can’t imagine my life drinking. I do get asked, you were so young, don’t you think it was a phase? My response- not worth risking everything for just one more. I can be around others who drink occasionally but sometimes it gets to be too much and I dip out.

I've never really been a drinker. On occasion I'll have a couple but all it does is makes me tired so I never really saw the point. Plus both of my parents were alcoholics and I vowed to never go down that road. I saw way too early on what it does to people and families. Also I don't like losing control of myself and I like to be alert and aware of my surroundings pretty much at all times.

I drink socially mostly, but really after my ex husband almost died from alcohol I hardly drank for 14 years with him. For him he’s quit twice, when it almost killed him. For me, it’s not that important I could take it or leave it. It’s fun. It’s a nice relaxer at times. But not necessary. I typically drink more around people who drink. None around people who don’t and once in awhile on my own ( with dinner).

I don't drink at all. And when I did it was never much except a few times of being blacked out. I'm a control freak, there is really no other reason. I mean it's not like it tastes great either but ya

Posted by nanorobot

My last relationship was with a man who was an alcoholic. Didn’t realize it, or I guess chose to be willfully ignorant to it, if I was being honest with myself. I just told myself “oh his family does this, his friends do this, it’s a cultural thing.” No. I started to realize that everything we ever did had to be centered around alcohol, I would be forced to stay out til 6-7am in other countries. By the end of each night, it was normal for him to have consumed probably 20-30+ beers.

There was lots of flirting with other women when he was drunk, fist fights with his best friend who was also drunk, and overall doing stupid shit in general that I have no tolerance for.

One of the biggest shifts in my feelings for him was one night, after we went to a music festival (we had literally been drinking all day from about 1pm and it was now 1am). I had a horrible headache and I just needed to lay down and go to sleep. He did not care, wouldn’t give me keys so I could go home. I had to sit in a bar with him and his buddy while I had this skull splitting headache, so that they could drink even more. That was probably the moment when I realized that this was going to be a huge problem for me, and it was something I couldn’t ignore anymore.

I don’t have an addictive personality type. I have always had really good boundaries and knew when it was time to stop because I listened to my body. And when I have been hungover, it makes me feel like garbage for 2-3 days. It’s just not worth it and there is not really a reason to be getting black out drunk on a regular basis. Call me a control freak, but I hate feeling a loss or control over myself in my environment. When I feel that slipping, I know it’s time to stop and start drinking some water or soda.

Belgians do have a reputation for abusing beer, I mean they do have the best beers in the world lol

That last thing you mentioned..that’s exactly how I am these days. In the rare occasion I drink one or two good beers, I start feeling euphoric which is my cue to start drinking water and lemonade!

I’m actually kind of proud of my current relationship with alcohol. Last weekend in Berlin I went partying with my buddy (and his German friend) I hadn’t seen in 20 years and I was so excited and happy the whole time that I knew this could have turned into a night of more than two beers, but it didn’t. After the second strong beer, I knew I was reaching my limit as far as how tipsy I wanted to be, so I just decided to drink water and lemonade for the rest of the night. To my surprise I had a lot more fun that way than I would have had if I kept drinking.

Posted by BoomShakalakaBoom

I’m actually kind of proud of my current relationship with alcohol. Last weekend in Berlin I went partying with my buddy (and his German friend) I hadn’t seen in 20 years and I was so excited and happy the whole time that I knew this could have turned into a night of more than two beers, but it didn’t. After the second strong beer, I knew I was reaching my limit as far as how tipsy I wanted to be, so I just decided to drink water and lemonade for the rest of the night. To my surprise I had a lot more fun that way than I would have had if I kept drinking.

that's what I'm think @OP - is there any way you could try abstaining at work here and there just to see that it's ok - you could still be having a good time and have that camaraderie with your patrons

I read a few articles recently that there are more young people with liver damage from drinking. I read a lot of medical posts daily and have seen this. I think it's something we need to watch for.

Not sober.

Have a glass of red every day (for health 😉). We usually go through 2 bottles per week, give or take.

Nights out is when I go for a cocktail, usually of the mojito variety. Although current fav is this yummy green tea gin concoction that is fire. But I only drink until I feel the urge to dance (which is why we are out to begin with) and then pound water for the duration of the night.

My body can't bounce back as quick now that I'm in my 30s and I hate the feel of being hung over and losing time the next day. My granpa was an alcoholic and died of liver failure. Not a fun way to go, left a huge impression on me.

In general I'm more of a smoker than a drinker and I tend to land the dd role in the group which I am super fine with. I gotta be in a particular mood to day drink. I'd rather light up then get lit.

Your in a unique situation in that your part of drinking culture for work. Tricky tricky.

It is worse for women than men on a physical level. It literally acts like a poison on women so should be mostly avoided besides like wine. I should have listened to my body ages ago haha bc mine always said No thanks! But I kept trying to keep up with friends sooooo....

No more! Now I have friends who smoke instead of drinking and I fancy that much better. Doesn’t make me feel like 💩 haha and I always have to remember to drink plenty of water!! Doesn’t mean I won’t occasionally have beer with my food or something, but I don’t often go out drinking with friends—rather the few times I do now, I know my limit and don’t give in to pressure. I love my Frangelico in my coffee in the am tho!!! Doesn’t even taste like alcohol hee hee mmmmm hazelnut.....

I drink socially and every weekend practically. Just hung out with a friend last night and polished off a full bottle of wine while he drank beer.

Beer and Wine are my go to's I don't really drink the hard stuff.

The only thing my body tells me about it is whether I'm full from the hops in the beer.

I think wine would go better with the diet you're doing.

I'm doing a Mediterranean diet right now, so wine is what I've been drinking lately. Trying to cut out fast food and processed crap is so hard

i rarely drink and if i do its mostly wine and maybe sometimes rum

and i watch to never get drunk

Posted by colliereborn

i rarely drink and if i do its mostly wine and maybe sometimes rum

LIAR

Posted by TurnedOn

Posted by colliereborn

i rarely drink and if i do its mostly wine and maybe sometimes rum

LIAR

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lol

Suppose if there’s one good byproduct of COVID-19 and being indefinitely unemployed, it’s that I’ve had the chance to dry out and stop smoking. Curious to see how long it lasts, when things get back to “normal”. Sure I’ll find myself getting lax again, if I’m not careful, just because that’s the nature of routines. That said, it’s the perfect chance to create a new normal and new routines and that’s exactly what I’m going to strive for.

Thanks for your stories, suggestions and kind words. Hope you’re all well.

Posted by hippiecrite

Eventually your body tries to tell you it’s poison. At what point do you listen? Is anyone here sober? Either by choice, religion or necessity? The longer I delve into a WFPB diet, the harder it is to ignore all those signals. I’d love to hear your stories.

My taste of alcohol done deceased unfortunately. I wouldn't say it's sending me signals of body poisoning. Me being a dumbass still drink only when friends come around. But I don't get the enjoyment from it anymore than I used to when I was younger. I guess I'll learn someday.

Posted by mars_in_cappy

I have given up alc during this cv crisis, for two reasons: my mental health and to help strengthen my immune system

We’ve brought a few non barrel aged things up from the cellar. Nothing crazy. Cigarettes were cold turkey tho. Not the time to be irritating the respiratory system.

Posted by alexscaries

Posted by Jumpin_Jupiter

Posted by hippiecrite

Eventually your body tries to tell you it’s poison. At what point do you listen? Is anyone here sober? Either by choice, religion or necessity? The longer I delve into a WFPB diet, the harder it is to ignore all those signals. I’d love to hear your stories.

My taste of alcohol done deceased unfortunately. I wouldn't say it's sending me signals of body poisoning. Me being a dumbass still drink only when friends come around. But I don't get the enjoyment from it anymore than I used to when I was younger. I guess I'll learn someday.

When you're younger it's not just the alcohol, it's meeting new people, going to new clubs\pubs\bars\restaurants and the possibilities of connecting with people. After a while it becomes familiar.

With regards the rest, your body gives you clues. I've massively cut down over the years and plan to stop completely. I like trying new drinks, ut don't enjoy it like I used to and do find it leaves me tired and lazy. The challenge was being able to stop when drinking which I can do now, but that took a lot of time to be able to do.

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Yeah I used to frequent bars a lot back in the day. That was my go to place when me and my ex used to argue a lot and getting off from a hard days work. I have notice as I've gotten older I became a loner drinker. And I have found that a nice cold alcoholic beverage on a hot summer day was the thirst quencher. It was then i hit the peak of becoming distant. But yeah I'm not gonna lie. I had lots of fun and met lots of beautiful women and flirted with the two short tight skirted female bartenders.

Sadly I don't find a nice cold alcoholic beverage a thirst quencher too much anymore. I still drink but only during occasions and with friends. And the bad thing about that is once I do start drinking I keep going on and on and don't know when to stop. It has came to a point where all my friends stopped drinking for the night I was still at it till the very next day with no sleep.

I don't want to say that I'm a recovery alcoholic but I've slowed down quite a bit.

Posted by alexscaries

Posted by Jumpin_Jupiter

Posted by hippiecrite

Eventually your body tries to tell you it’s poison. At what point do you listen? Is anyone here sober? Either by choice, religion or necessity? The longer I delve into a WFPB diet, the harder it is to ignore all those signals. I’d love to hear your stories.

My taste of alcohol done deceased unfortunately. I wouldn't say it's sending me signals of body poisoning. Me being a dumbass still drink only when friends come around. But I don't get the enjoyment from it anymore than I used to when I was younger. I guess I'll learn someday.

When you're younger it's not just the alcohol, it's meeting new people, going to new clubs\pubs\bars\restaurants and the possibilities of connecting with people. After a while it becomes familiar.

With regards the rest, your body gives you clues. I've massively cut down over the years and plan to stop completely. I like trying new drinks, ut don't enjoy it like I used to and do find it leaves me tired and lazy. The challenge was being able to stop when drinking which I can do now, but that took a lot of time to be able to do.

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Yes! When I go out, one and done is hard, but doable. If I have a second, it’s bad decision time. The problem with work is, I’ve already had a few over the course of my shift, so I’m more likely to just stay out after I get off. A habit I’m hopefully leaving in the past.

Posted by hippiecrite

Eventually your body tries to tell you it’s poison. At what point do you listen? Is anyone here sober? Either by choice, religion or necessity? The longer I delve into a WFPB diet, the harder it is to ignore all those signals. I’d love to hear your stories.

I haven't gotten properly drunk for a long while, eight years or so i think. I do enjoy a glass of wine, a beer and some spirits though. Specially if there is food involved and good company.