Thinking of giving up drinking

[reddog]

I went out with colleagues on Thursday night, and had the equivalent of about  4 pints, had to get up and go to work the next day.  

 

I was ok at first, but felt gradually worse and worse.  Friday evening was ruined for me and I didn't feel great on Saturday, I ended up eating loads of unhealthy stuff just to give me enough energy to go on.

 

I'm 41 now, and this has been getting worse and worse since my mid 30s.  I drink, what would have previously been nothing, and it takes me a couple of days to recover.

 

Seriously thinking of stopping drinking, but in my social group it may be tough.  I am bound to get lots of comments about why aren't I drinking, also the idea of spending a whole night with certain friends without drinking is not appealing.

 

Any one got any tips? even what should I drink?  I don't like the idea of a whole evening if drinking cokes.  

 

I have got a big pissup for a friend's birthday coming up in a couple of weeks, which I am now not looking forward to

[longgone]

lighter the alcohol the lesser the hangover 

 

vodka and soda with fresh lime not cordial.  least calories too 

less congeners less hang over.

i find the older i have got the lesser the hangovers

 

[nothernsoul]

In a similar sittuation,  i normally drink pints of shandy, either lager or bitter, equal parts lemonade and beer, then a pint of water at the end of the evening. You will still feel your having a pint, not stand out for not drinking among friends, but lower your alcohol content over the course of the evening. 

[Mikhail Liebenstein]

I wouldn’t stop drinking, as actually moderate consumption has many health benefits. Top on my list is that regular alcohol seems to protect against nasty bugs like H.Pylori which can cause stomach cancer. But also moderate drinking protects the heart and seems to reduce things like Alzheimer’s.

I do add that means moderate drinking. Two pints of session beer, 3 or 4 nights a week is better than being a teetotaller.

Civilized humanity has essentially been brought up and evolved with alcohol, indeed it is speculated fermentation using yeast as a means of preserving food was invented before bread, and enabled the first towns/villages to survive. Also evolutionwise the human liver is amazing, we eat far more plants, different meats and substances than any animal. Just take the human passion for chocolate as an example, and then contrast that with giving chocolate to a dog.

[Renewed Investor]

Try Gluten free alcohol, most Cider falls into this category. I used to get terrible hangovers until I made the Gluten free switch, now I only get hangovers if I go overboard on the drinking. In the past I would feel like I was dying the next day if I had more than 3 pints of beer and turned out it was all the grains, the gluten etc messing me up.

[Byron]

Tell them you are on antibiotics.

[juvenal]

The older you get the more unpleasant the after effects. Thus you don't see many pensioners getting arseholed.

[Mark Uttley]

Read "Easy Way to Control Alcohol" by Allen Carr.

[Riedquat]

That sounds like quite a reaction to four pints, although if I react less to it (and I'm over 40) maybe that's just a sign I drink too much. Four pints and I'll feel it the next morning but be fine by lunchtime. Still, it's more than I should be drinking regularly, and as said upthread a couple of pints three or four times a week is probably better.

[reddog]

18 minutes ago, Riedquat said:

That sounds like quite a reaction to four pints, although if I react less to it (and I'm over 40) maybe that's just a sign I drink too much. Four pints and I'll feel it the next morning but be fine by lunchtime. Still, it's more than I should be drinking regularly, and as said upthread a couple of pints three or four times a week is probably better.

Yeah, I do wonder if there is an underlying health issue.  Part of the problem is, my sleep is disturbed with alcohol, this makes me feel run down days later, and also leads to me eating lots of sugary and fatty rubbish to give me an energy boost.

[afly]

Gave up booze last year. Haven't missed it all which surprised me. The almost instant physical and psychological improvements were pretty stark. Drinks wise, lime soda tends to be cheap and not too sugary so you can happily match pints if you need to

Literally the only downside is everyone else as we have an almost obsessive drinking culture in the UK. It's not something you can do without everyone asking you why all the time and an eye opening amount of people can't seem to do anything social without it being booze centred. If you're looking for and easy excuse you can drive to the event but the sad reality is that if you're not drinking it tends to be a bit of a borefest. You'll quickly find yourself leaving such events early before TSHIF :/

 

[afly]

One quick word of advice. When asked, don't say you stopped drinking for any virtuous reason like health/wellbeing/personal choice. Some people seem to be on the defensive from the moment they find out you're sober and that just pours petrol on the fire. They will badger you all night about it. You may as well of declared you are vegan.

[reddog]

9 minutes ago, afly said:

One quick word of advice. When asked, don't say you stopped drinking for any virtuous reason like health/wellbeing/personal choice. Some people seem to be on the defensive from the moment they find out you're sober and that just pours petrol on the fire. They will badger you all night about it. You may as well of declared you are vegan.

Yeah, I was thinking there could be quite a lot of badgering.

 

So if I don't give a virtuous reason for not drinking, what reason should I give?

[mspL4]

Same age as you, quit drinking completely 11 years ago.  Best thing I ever did tbh.  OK, it does kick your social life to death if all of your friends drink, (as mine do).  Trick at social events is to arrive early, get around as many people as you can, and bail once they start repeating themselves as they won't remember any conversation beyond that point anyway.

Sometimes you almost feel drunk by hanging out with people who are, plus it discouraged me from drinking even more when I saw what state it gets people into.  Plus you save loads of money.  I think drinking is considered some kind of Rites Of Passage,  but all it really is for most people is the purchase of a temporary license to act like a t1t and create some drama to consume their perceived boring lives.  I can't be bothered with the drama for the sake of it now, or the idiotic monologues of aforementioned drunken people.

Having said that, I do like a smoke.

[juvenal]

44 minutes ago, reddog said:

Yeah, I was thinking there could be quite a lot of badgering.

 

So if I don't give a virtuous reason for not drinking, what reason should I give?

Alcohol reacts badly with your priapism medication...

[Riedquat]

1 hour ago, reddog said:

Yeah, I was thinking there could be quite a lot of badgering.

 

So if I don't give a virtuous reason for not drinking, what reason should I give?

Just don't fancy a drink? And how much do you want to hang around people who'll keep on at you about it anyway? Your biggest danger is probably getting treated like a taxi service.

[Sledgehead]

22 hours ago, reddog said:

I went out with colleagues on Thursday night, and had the equivalent of about  4 pints, had to get up and go to work the next day.  

 

I was ok at first, but felt gradually worse and worse.  Friday evening was ruined for me and I didn't feel great on Saturday, I ended up eating loads of unhealthy stuff just to give me enough energy to go on.

 

I'm 41 now, and this has been getting worse and worse since my mid 30s.  I drink, what would have previously been nothing, and it takes me a couple of days to recover.

 

Seriously thinking of stopping drinking, but in my social group it may be tough.  I am bound to get lots of comments about why aren't I drinking, also the idea of spending a whole night with certain friends without drinking is not appealing.

 

Any one got any tips? even what should I drink?  I don't like the idea of a whole evening if drinking cokes.  

 

I have got a big pissup for a friend's birthday coming up in a couple of weeks, which I am now not looking forward to

Man up?

[Sledgehead]

3 hours ago, reddog said:

Yeah, I was thinking there could be quite a lot of badgering.

 

So if I don't give a virtuous reason for not drinking, what reason should I give?

Seriously, are you f**king kidding?

You sound like the worse kind of wuss - the kind that nobody worth their salt would bother with. So why would these 'friends' care what you are doing anyhow?

You make it sound like some gang thing where you are obliged to take part in a crime - i dunno, say, gang-rape - to guarantee you won't grass on everybody else in the gang. Yet all they are doing is drinking. It really makes me wonder what you would do in that much more pressured environment of gang crime.

Just man-up ffs.

[reddog]

Seems like a bit of an over the top reply Sledgehammer.

 

In was merely pointing out I am getting sick of drinking, but at the same time in any male social group, if you say I'm not drinking tonight, the chances are there are a couple of people that won't shut up about the fact that shock horror, you aren't drinking.

 

As this is an anonymous internet forum, maybe I was being more honest than I would be in real life, but I don't think I am alone in my feelings.

 

Pubs and clubs are closing all over the place, so I'm probably not alone, it would actually be better if these places tried to foster an atmosphere conducive to drinkers and non drinkers.

[Errol]

Best way if you want to disguise your lack of drinking is to have one drink (if you must) and make it last a long time. Or go to the bar and get lemonade/water with ice and say it is Gin & Tonic.

[opt_out]

I'm just remembering all those great sober nights out with my mates over the last 30 years.....

... nope. Drawing a blank there.

 

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

Found that drinking anything like dark beer, wine, port etc basically puts me out of commission the next day.

Few things I've learnt. First, go for bottles/cans rather than draught pints. They are smaller and for some reason don't give me as bad a hangover. People in the past have said something about "pipes and cleaning". I remain skeptical. Also, if you do have to go for draught, remember there is a wide range of stuff on offer in terms of alcolhol content. Most pubs will do a 3-4% beer. You don't have to drink 5.5% through the evening. Finally have some sugar before you go to bed and some hydration. Can of coke. The sugar helps you process the alcohol and the fluid is needed to re-hydrate.

As regards mates and drinking, I know what you mean. I used to have some mates who were always into rounds and drinking a shitload. If you wanted to step out you got a load of abuse. In the end I realised they just wanted me to fund their drinking habit because I bailed out early. Realised I didn't have much in common with them anyway. Lost the mates and found some new better ones. You go out to enjoy yourself, not have shit thrown at you.

Still enjoy a pie and pint in the pub though and really like beer. Just not drinking 10 pints at a time of it.

[knock out johnny]

1 hour ago, reddog said:

Seems like a bit of an over the top reply Sledgehammer.

 

In was merely pointing out I am getting sick of drinking, but at the same time in any male social group, if you say I'm not drinking tonight, the chances are there are a couple of people that won't shut up about the fact that shock horror, you aren't drinking.

 

tell them you've been hitting it hard, have had a liver function test  come back with a flag and you're temporarily calming down until your liver test comes back 100%

[SillyBilly]

You could just drink less, if you feel bad after 2 pints then stop after 2 pints. You may still retain the social benefits then, cop a bit of a flak for being a "lightweight" no doubt but wake up with a fairly clear head. Personally I can admit to at times being as judgemental of some non-drinkers as I can of those who are out to get paralytic. One group can like too much control (and can come across as very serious/ bit of a bore on an evening out) and the other has no control (and can ruin it for those who just want a casual catch up and a bit of a laugh). No desire to be sat round drinking squash or lining up the shots, few pints and I'm happy!

[wasbuckers]

I always did a dry January (I worked in sales and Nov/Dec were heavy). Then one year I did out to March just to see, really glad I did. Sleep far better.

I now drink very moderately*, really enjoy it. I've lost over 3st in the last 2 years, had to buy new wardrobe. I don't eat stuff like KFC, pizza, etc like I once did which obviously helps.

If I were you I'd have a quick checkup with the doc (make sure no underlying stuff) and then do a month and see if you feel good for it.

*I was the sort of person who could regularly get through 10 pints Guinness on a night out, a few times 15+ These days, 3 pints of nice beer and I'm flying along nicely but the next day I feel fine.