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Cutting down on alcohol

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Right.

I think I've had enough of constant boozing, and I'd like to cut down quite a bit. In all honesty, it's good to have a social drink now and again(somebodys birthday, family event etc) so I wouldn't want to be cutting it out completely, but I'm almost 24 and I'm proper sick of the hangovers and stuff and it doesn't seem worth it.

Last night I was ripped on a work night out (and we had done two pints and three tequila slammers each within 45 minutes of leaving the office last night) and don't know how I made it home, Wednesday night I was drunk for the football and got lost on the walk home and ended up on some dodgy council estate, and I dunno if this is the way I want my life to be? I'm a total knob when I'm drunk too.

I know it's an easy answer - don't go to the pub as much, but I do like socialising with people, all my mates drink a lot and like I say it is nice to have one or two with friends and have a good chat. But then I'm not sure if I've got the willpower to cut down or to go home when I've had two or three or whatever? Then I worry that I've got a drink problem.

Not even sure what I'm asking, but anybody got any ideas for how to cut down and stick with it? I'm useless at not giving into tempation when there's a session on the go, like I say I usually enjoy it and don't get noticebaly more drunk than anybody else (usually) but it'd be nice to drink less and be a bit healthier, y'know?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think there's drinking... and then there's drinking like a nobhead. I was watching a programme the other night about these lads and their typical night out on the town. They start dead early on a Friday and drink like 6 doubles and some shots in 2hours. And then they're all loud mouth and twattish, shouting at girls as they walk down the street. I really don't like guys like that. I mean I'm all for gettin drunk!! But a lot of people do it to excess week in week out, and when you get drunk so quickly in such a short space of time you're gona act like a nob - no doubt!
    So I think my advice to you would be to still go out with your mates as much as you do but skip the shots and calm it down a bit :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If your stomach pumping, and hangovers and guilty feelings about what you did on prior nights out ain't gonna stop ya - then what is?

    Day by day - go out if you wish, but in the morning say to yourself that just for that one day you won't go out - if you can keep that going, you'll stop going out every night and just go out occasionally.

    Failing that, drink yourself into an early grave :thumb: you'll die a nobody - except "oh, that stupid kid who drunk himself to death? Yeah, what was his name again? ........" and nobody will know :p


    /dramatic
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i found that switching what you drink makes it easier to slow down

    for instance i used to drink cider almost all the time, being from the westcountry, but when i wanted to cut down i switched to drinking some bottled beers etc. it was all a new taste to me and i found it less easy to drink quickly so i cut down. also you can alternate one drink, one juice, one drink etc - the fruit juice helps your system to deal with the alcohol and is good for you. once i totally stopped for a month, just to prove that i could, and since that i've felt that will power has been greater than the need/ desire to drink.

    like you, i'm all for binge drinking but i think you'll enjoy it more if you do it less frequently. you coulda watched the game at home, with some mates to be social, and just had say 4 bottles of beer which isn't that much 'cause they're small bottles as opposed to 6 or whatever pints at the pub. its cheaper too. the less you do it, the more fun it is when you do. having said that i worried myself by being at oktoberfest and not drinking anything. whats that about?!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Try to not mix your drinks as this will always make you hangovers worse. So cut out the shooters as they do more harm then good. Drink slower, so rather then rushing to get a drink in every round try to have one every other round. Alternating alcholic and non alcholic drinks can get help, and is you drink that right things (water and fruit juices rather then fizzy drinks) will help your hangovers as well.

    Have you thought about telling your friends that your cutting back on booze, they might be quite supportive.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Here mate good luck with the whole enterprise think I'm doing the same.

    See this drinking all day all night craic, has to stop. Spent the guts of £500 this week on partying. Wrecks yout head and your body. Been planning on cutting down for a while but never seems to materialise, maybe this uni craic will help me. :chin: :banghead:

    Good luck with it anyway! :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    aye im trying to go off it for a week and see how i go....but as soon as i get back to uni its so hard not to go out and get hammered!:banghead:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm doing the same too, I havent had a drink for 5 days today, will have 3 or 4 cans tonight then try and do another 5 days off til my sisters birthday next Saturday when i'll get muled lol/

    Just gotta be strong mate and not be a pussy, its that simple IMO.

    Avoid the people/temptation if possible for a bit, get a new hobby, I am doing extra exercise instead lol.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There might be some useful tips in these articles:

    drinking preparation.

    Pace yourself

    Plus, have you checked out the Drink Aware website? It's got some useful interactive tools, like a unit calculator - it's pretty scary when you add up all the units you drink - that might shock you into cutting down! You can also fill out an online drink diary.

    Part of the problem is facing up to the fact that you're drinking too much, so good on you for realising that and wanting to make changes. Good luck!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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