To drink or not to drink.... ?

[EmJay]

... what is the answer?!

[sue52 3 YEAR WINNER]

For me personally it's not to drink, it would be way to difficult to stop smoking otherwise. I never drank much though, my vice was the cigs, i'll wait a while before i do have one, probably xmas night, if i want one then

[Wonder]

I was in for a penny and in for a pound. stopped smoking 10 weeks ago and not had any booze for coming up 3 weeks. I really find the not drinking harder as it's socially acceptable and people honestly think you've gone nuts for stopping drinking. Everyone says well done for cracking the no smoking but can't accept drinking too much as just as damaging. I'm not saying I won't ever have another alcoholic drink again because I possibly will .... but saying that I've feel so much better every morning and wake up at 7 am no problem. I was drinking every night apart from Mondays and lets face it ... the more you drink ... the more you can tolerate it ... so with any addiction you start having more and not less. I have my drinking under control for now .... my husband is drinking less as I'm not being his boozing buddy. I have had a very emotionally and low time last week so am so pleased I did not use this time as an excuse to go back to smoking. Really feel that chapter of my life is over..... I'll keep you all posted on the drinking situation and see if I can be happy sober

[Finley2012 30 Months Winner in reply to Wonder]

Hi Wonder - I stopped smoking six weeks ago and last Tuesday decided it was time to seriously reduce the drinking too. I was also drinking (wine) just about every night and like you say, you do become tolerant to it. I'm not actually aiming to stop drinking alcohol completely, but to limit it to one bottle of wine a week (not all in one go - lol) and so far have managed to get through only 3 glasses of wine since I made my decision. In my quitting, I have been using a sticker chart, which really helped (must be my inner child) and so I made a 'mood' chart for the alcohol too. I just thought it would be interesting to be aware of whether/how I felt differently. I'm getting through lots of fizzy water but honestly have felt more energised and positive this last few days, despite having had all kinds of NRT related difficulties recently. Let me know how you're getting on?

[Wonder in reply to Finley2012]

I really think I have changed with the not drinking all the time. I feel so much more happier every morning, I drink a lot of tea and have cut out the chocolate to go with it now. I still feel relaxed at night by having a diet coke or a cup of tea and don't think I must have wine to relax. The not drinking has been a bigger life change as people think you are nuts for stopping (or cutting down) as it's socially acceptable to drink. I do think though that I tried to do too much too quick and suffered a rapid bout of depression (but this maybe down to other factors) and I have not gone back to my old ways as being nicotine free and in control of alcohol is positive and benefits the whole family too.

[Finley2012 30 Months Winner in reply to Wonder]

Hi Wonder - glad to hear it's all going well - stick at it girl, you're doing fab I've carried on with the alcohol control as well, and like you say, I feel sooooo much better. I am drinking loads of fizzy water in the evenings and the last four evenings I haven't even thought about having either a fag or a glass of wine. It's absolutely true what you say about the difference in people's attitudes towards smoking and drinking though - when I stopped smoking my mates (even the smokers) were like "Well done, that's great" and some even admitted they wished they could do it. When I've declined a glass of wine or a beer with friends, they look at me a bit oddly Well, I don't care. I'm just saying that since I gave up smoking it seems to make sense to take care of my overall health and that's what I'm doing. Great to know other people are feeling the same

[Hidden]

Cant help on this one because I have not had a drink since I was 18 years old, tried it but didn,t like the taste or the way it made me feel. Over the years I,ve been called miserable, unsociable, etc: because people cannot believe you can enjoy yourself without Alcohol, its never interested me, and I did go clubbing, partying etc: and enjoyed myself. Each to there own, a little of what you fancy. I,ll stick to my tea and water ( Boring ) it suits me better.

[Lenne LONG TERM WINNER in reply to Hidden]

I sit at home with my tea and water also, with my 4 cats and prefer to cross stitch and read than go to the pubs and clubs- who cares what other people think as long as you're happy right? If people call me boring I remind them I am not with a rude response

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer]

Aup madmad, good on you gal good on you!! you enjoyed yourself and thats all that matters, ha ha i can remember my first drink of beer i didnt like it either, if i remember right the flower pot got more than i drank,ha ha. That was bitter, just couldnt get on with that, tried lager & lime for a bit, then my local was the first pub in Derby to get draught cider, i loved it, strong stuff it was, i can remember one time i went out with my mates, i think we had quite a few that night and they lost me!! it wasnt untill they were walking back to the pub the next day that they found me in a shrubury, ha ha i'd slept there all night and all the next day. So i went back to my lager it was safer, and been on it ever since. Sorry madmad i go on a bit dont i?! i bet your bored stiff gal im sorry, i will go and bore somebody else, bye

Pete.

[Lenne LONG TERM WINNER in reply to monky]

A shrubbery! Haha brilliant!!! Could go all Monty Python soon....

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to Lenne]

Honestly thats where they found me the NEXT day!!!! ah thats how you spell shrubbery, thankyou

[Lenne LONG TERM WINNER in reply to monky]

*hugs* it's still cooler than a traffic cone

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to Lenne]

cooler than a trafic cone!!!!!

luv it!!!!!

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to Lenne]

I'm cracked up with laughing here gal, is it right you are saying that i am cooler than a traffic cone???? if so thankyou for your compliment.

Pete :I

[Lenne LONG TERM WINNER in reply to monky]

LOL no!! Shrubbery sleeping is way cooler than getting drunk and bringing home a traffic cone

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to Lenne]

bin thier done that got the tshirt,the cap and everthing else that went with it

[Lenne LONG TERM WINNER]

When I was in my teens I drank most nights, smoked and developed quite a serious drug habit and this went on for a couple of years. I managed to kick the drug habit first, then I quit drinking (I've been teetotal and drug free for about 10 years now) and finally kicked the smoking to the curb too. I FEEL GREAT!

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to Lenne]

Lenne I cant fault you gal,you have kicked drink--drugs--now fags into touch, I bow down to you Lenne, and you say that you feel great!! do you know why ? because you ''are'' great!!! thats why.

See you soon Lenne, luv ya gal.

Pete

[Lenne LONG TERM WINNER in reply to monky]

*blush* Cheers Pete, you're pretty awesome yourself! I am still classified as "nuts" (not my docs definition haha) and definitely a work in progress, one day it would be nice to go to the shops on my own without freaking out but as they say, one step at a time. What we are all doing here, fighting the battle against smoking is an epic step and look at the determination and amazing willpower everyone has here- even if it's hour by hour or day by day! We are winning

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to Lenne]

Plus hopefully we can have a laugh on the long road to freedom!!

If your nuts i havnt got a clue what i am!!

just aint got a chance gal

Stay in there, we can all help each other on this site!!

: i

[jane58 31 Months Winner in reply to Lenne]

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT - WELL DONE !!"

[EmJay Partner]

Something very strange seems to have happened... Last night before I left the office, I posted up this question which also included my own views on whether or not to carry on drinking through the early stages of stopping smoking... It seems to have not posted the content?!

However, (always looking for the positive) it has created quite a lot of discussion and hints and tips between yourselves

As drinking can affect us all in different ways and depending on our personalities as to whether smoking and drinking is a no-no or not will depend on the decision we make as to whether to carry on or not. At the end of the day, we all know ourselves better than anybody and so can make the best judgement for ourselves as to what to do in terms of drinking or not.

Thanks so much for all your input everybody. You really are helping each other to help yourselves

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer in reply to EmJay]

I thought it was a bit of a short blog Emjay!!!!!!

Pete

[jane58 31 Months Winner]

Now I dont smoke I have to have one vice I love this site its so supportive and very entertaining at times! Jane

[Andi1965 3 YEAR WINNER]

I don't drink very much on a week to week basis but do tend to blitz it every now and again. My decision is not to drink until I feel strong enough to have a drink without a ciggie as well we all know it can be so easy when your guard is down to go back on the dreaded weed.

Andi x

[monky Administrator Cake sniffer outer]

Hi Andi, i drink every day and i tell you it is one of my hardest times, so i thought that i would quit drink as well as fags, no chance not after last night, i now know that i will take Emjay's advice and kill the weed first!!!!!, when thats dead and gone, then i will kill the drink. Nice to see you here gal.

Hi Jane, nice to see you gal, you know the traffic cone that Lenne was on about yesterday !!!! well i've found out today that it's a lot brighter than i am gal

[Finley2012 30 Months Winner in reply to monky]

Hiya. I didn't even think about knocking drink on the head (or at least giving it a gentle slap!) until I'd been 6 weeks smoke free. I think it was the confidence of 6 weeks without a fag which gave me the bottle (pardon the pun :D) to think about whether my alcohol intake was actually putting me at risk. Best of luck to all

[regntcy]

HY FOLKS EVERYWHERE.

i am 74 and drunk to 20 years ago. im in my 12th week with out a fag, i found that smoking whilst having a pint, was like having the bacon wihout the egg.

talk about keeping it simple

[regntcy]

I will come back and correct the above, when i get my breath back

siiiy old me.

[EmJay Partner in reply to regntcy]

Hi regntcy,

lovely to hear how well you are doing. 12 weeks stopped, that's 3 months long - which means you have now stopped for a quarter of a year! Brilliant

74 years young too :D, just goes to show, you are never too old to stop!

Why don't you pop onto our daily chat blog and have a natter with everyone else, it would be lovely to have you join us

Well done to you

[regntcy]

Thanks emjay I will do as you surgest.