Have You Given Up Alcohol? If So, What Have Been The Benefits?

[vincentbal]

Cool to hear other succes stories, here's my own.

Since I started with pd I've had a few things on my list that needed improvement and I worked on each of those points but drinking was difficult for me to give up. Not because I can´t quit but because of my social life, everyone I know drinks and most of them a lot.

Since januari I quit smoking, caffeine and sodo. I became a vegetarian and started excercising. All of these things were easy to do. I quit smoking with the book of Allen Carr and he has a book about quiting with drinking too. I read the book and knew I wanted to quit but still didn't took the step. But what did change was that I was drinking more consiously and didn't get any satisfaction out of drinking anymore now I know the truth about drinking.

On august 14th was the last evening I drank, but it took me till august 26 to decide that I would quit forever. I've had a few parties, and other activities since then and could quit easy although I still get a lot of strange looks from my friends. I can talks about more interesting things with other people but once everybody get's drunk the fun is over with all those zombies.

I'm really glad I quit, I was drinking more and more over the years and don't want to know where I would have ended if I did not quit. I'm looking forward to making new friends and searching new activities that don't include drinking. I also look forward to the advantages that not drinking will bring me, no more hangovers and saving money starts right away but I'm interested in the longterm advantages.

[bluedragon]

Originally Posted by brettk

Hi bluedragon.

It sounds as though you are fortunate to not have addictive tendencies. Unfortunately there are many of us out there who struggle with alcohol and other addictive substances on a daily basis. For me, I could see my addiction becoming stronger and stronger. My health and self worth going backwards at a rate of knots. Not to mention the financial cost. (approx $1000 per month for both my wife and I at our peak)

For me though, I have no regrets with my decision. I fully understood that alcohol is a progressive disease and had I not have made my decision my life would've been cut dramatically short.

Since giving up, my health and life have improved immeasurably whether you decide to believe me or not. I have no gain by telling mistruths. My sole purpose in writing this post is to help others who are in a similar situation to realize there is hope for them. Thanks though for your perspective on the topic.

Brett.

Maybe I will also give up alcohol 2 or 3 months later. Or maybe I will stick to no more than 1 drink per day. Or maybe I will only drink in social situations and never at home. But I am still investigating.

For now, giving up movies for a while seems to help me much much more than giving up alcohol, cause alcohol doesn't seem to have any negative effect on me.

[zumanity]

Hi guys, im an alcohilic and have been pretty much drinking to excess most nights for over half of my life.. Im 33 years old and started drinking around 17 on and off. then when i hit 18 which is the legal age to drink here in australia i started to get slowly and progressively worse throughout my adult life. # Failed relationships due to drinking WAY too much, the most recent breakup being 3 weeks ago which is hurting me to the core right now as she has met someone and moved on and i feel stuck going around in the same circles as i have done all my life so far.
Over the last 8 years or so there has hardly been an evening
that i havent drunken myself into a stupour and just flopping into bed and falling asleep... hardly any wonder
why my relationships havent lasted.

I am heading to an AA meeting tonight and will be trying to start on the path to recovery and maybe find out who I am after all these years and start to live again!

This is my honest and frank story and you guys have been a wonderful source of inspiration for me thus far and i look forward to keeping up with this topic Thankyou

[elucidate]

I just came to really dislike the taste of most alcohol, and the healthier I got from good food, the more I became aware of how my body reacts to everything I put in it...so, it became really unpleasant to drink and get drunk, on a refined healthy body. You basically really 'get' that you are poisoning yourself. It's a poison after all, it's just that our bodies are so full of crap and preservatives that we don't really feel the effects these things can have.

I do like infused vodka in winter though, and sake nights are always fun, and merlot red wine, but basically I don't like alcohol that much.

[Orangetuesday]

Hi Brettk

Thanks for your honesty and to all the others who have shared their experiences. They have been a little different to mine but I've enjoyed the insight you've given me.

I decided on 3rd Sept to moderate my drinking. I've gone from drinking a bottle or so, 3-4 nights a week to drinking one glass per night, 3-4 times a week (plus a few night out where I've drank 2-4 drinks).

The biggest benefit so far has been Time. I wake up fresh and don't have that 'drag' feel in the day now. I'm also more positive about things and seem to be getting things done more quickly.

Alcohol is pretty cheap here in the Netherlands, so I won't say I've saved much money by moderating.