I was doing well, having 2 or 3 days a week not drinking booze and no more than 4 alcoholic drinks on the other days. But I haven't had a booze-free day for 2 months now and I have thought that I will have 3 days off the sauce, i.e. Mon, Tue, Wed. But I doubt my resolve. So I'm posting this intention in the hope that telling you all my plan will help me stick to it ............
I wish you the best of luck. I have cirhhosis of the liver (not from drink, admitedly) and I can tell you it's no fun! I am 24 and feel like my life is already over sometimes. Anything you can do to save yourself from my fate is worth doing.
Best of all, this seems like a reasonable goal. This is achievable, and I am looking forward to seeing posts from you each day about your journey. We are all here if you feel your resolve wobbling. The one thing I would say though, is that if you start getting proper withdrawal symptoms (being sick, shivery, unwell) anything to suggest you have become alcohol dependant after drinking every day for 2 months, (have you been drinking not long after getting up? Do you start feeling unwell before you have the first drink of the day? Or is it just in the evening?) then have 1 drink, no more, and get an appointment with your GP who can help you come off the alcohol safely and without withdrawal symptoms.
I would imagine if you have been drinking mostly in the evenings you have not gotten that far yet. If so, these three days should be a fantastic way to prove to yourself that you do have things under control still. And of course to give your poor liver a break!!! Drinking lots of water will help flush out your liver which would be a bonus. Maybe going back to 2 or 3 dry days each week is a good idea?
Congratulations on putting this in writing, there is no backing out now!
What caused your cirrhosis...if you don't mind me asking. I just wondered why you were posting on this forum if you didn't drink. Don't get me wrong, I am very glad you are posting because you seem very knowlegable about everything to do with alcholism and your advice is more than welcome.
You are very young to have such a terrible illness (my Dad died of it at age 64) he did drink...but not that much.
Looking forward to your reply,
Pat
No I don't mind you asking hun. I have cirrhosis due to a decade of self harming by overdosing. I joined this forum for two reasons, one, because I was at a crossroads once where I was close to becoming alcohol dependent, I very nearly went down that road but was lucky enough to get the right support at the right time. And secondly because I have two close friends that are going through this, so I joined here hoping to learn as much as I can from others as well as offer support as and when I feel I have something useful to add. xxx
Hi just try to take it one day at a time and u will archives your goal ,it takes some will power to stop.
Thanks so much for your post. Up to 18 months ago I'd been drinking pretty much every day for many, many years except for an 8 month period 8 years ago and a 6 month spell 3 years ago. January last year I decided to get things under control and vastly reduce my drinking. I had counselling help for about 12 months and was doing OK but things had slipped again and I want to get back on track. Never a morning drinker - lunch time and then for the rest of the day after I stopped work, just evenings in the week when I was working. Over 2 bottles of wine a day, but I have cut down a lot. Need to get back to the days off the drink. Your friends are fortunate to have you as a friend looking out for them as you do.
Heya,
What's your weekly intake, total?
You didnt mention your weekend intake too.
Also what are your 4 alcoholic drinks/amount?
Its normal for one to relapse, we are only human the fact that u want to try again is a good start.
My 4 drinks are 4 large (250ml) glasses of red wine. As I'm retired weekends are the same as weekdays
Don't mean to be blunt, but 4 glasses of red wine a day probably does you more good for your heart than not.
Why dont you try mixing soda / lemonade / tonic water and make red wine spritzers instead?
Cut to 3 250ml servings of wine topped up with mixer.
Then you can have 6 drinks over a longer peroid and barely notice the difference.
Have you tried selicron .
I am I the early days of it , but I think it is helping .
hang in there H1954!! One more day today and tomorrow and keep trying. Have you reached rock bottom? Sorry to be upfront straight away but most of us who have recovered DID hit rock bottom and we all have different interpretations of what rock bottom is...we are here to help you
Thanks, but for me red wine and soda tastes disgusting, sorry
Yes, but I couldn't cope with the side effects. Pleased you're finding it helpful, thanks for replying.
I have done really well on Selicron , got through the initial bad side effects etc and now a few months later I find I am not drinking much at all. The problem with that is ( as I have said in a previous discussion ) the less I took the tablet as I drank les the worse I was feeling on the tablet and it is spoiling my enjoyment totally of having a drink in moderation. After taking advise on this forum I approached my GP to be prescribed Nalrexone ( similar drug - less side effects ) I have not started it as my GP wanted me to stop drinking completely for 4 weeks first ( rightly or wrongly ) then he will prescribe it. Why don't you look into this ?
I will be posting how I get on in about thee weeks, after which I will have had Naltrexone for a week.