Author Topic: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!  (Read 307884 times)

slackmax

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1100 on: July 15, 2021, 07:21:21 AM »
Just checking in to offer congrats to all who are still on the sober path and encouragement to all who wish to try.
I passed the 11 year mark recently and can't imagine returning to alcohol.
Once you have quit for awhile you will really notice the heavy societal pressure of our western culture to drink. It is embedded in most all of our celebrations, achievements, and relaxation.
To step away can seem disorienting at first.

Congrats on the 11 years, Sven.

I have noticed that many of the the recently released movies have lots of smoking. Often, when
 there are 2 people in a scene, both are puffing away.  I would guess the movie producers get paid
by the cigarette lobby to have lots of smoking going on.

Oh, lots of drinking too, of course.

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1101 on: July 15, 2021, 07:43:22 AM »
Just checking in to offer congrats to all who are still on the sober path and encouragement to all who wish to try.
I passed the 11 year mark recently and can't imagine returning to alcohol.
Once you have quit for awhile you will really notice the heavy societal pressure of our western culture to drink. It is embedded in most all of our celebrations, achievements, and relaxation.
To step away can seem disorienting at first.

Congrats on the 11 years, Sven.

I have noticed that many of the the recently released movies have lots of smoking. Often, when
 there are 2 people in a scene, both are puffing away.  I would guess the movie producers get paid
by the cigarette lobby to have lots of smoking going on.

Oh, lots of drinking too, of course.

I have noticed an uptick in smoking in movies and tv shows. For awhile it almost disappeared, but lately smoking has returned as a way to connote "edginess". I guess it's cycled back.

But yeah, the amount of drinking on tv is astounding, especially middle aged characters. It drives DH crazy seeing ultra fit middle aged characters on tv drinking like fish. In his 40s he learned that he had to choose between alcohol and visible abs and he chose abs, so I think he gets a little offended, lol.

But he's not wrong. Media sets this insane standard that it's totally normal to drink constantly, and that you can do that in your 40s with no damage, and no impact on your appearance. Meanwhile, I've now developed a really good eye for "drinker's face".

Petuniajo

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1102 on: July 28, 2021, 07:51:15 AM »
I've been reading and following this thread for some time, but am just jumping in now. Over the years, I have been the kind of drinker that loves beer, but hates being drunk. So I never really had a problem with blackouts, or doing stupid stuff I regret, or drinking interfering with my work, or anything "serious" like that. But since I love beer, I would drink it often (several nights a week), stopping when I started to feel a buzz. Of course, over time, the amount that took increased and I found myself drinking 2 or 3 beers a night, probably 3 or 4 nights a week. A few years ago, I started participating in "Dry January" each year to reset and never found it particularly difficult, but always returned to drinking afterward. One year, I also did the 30 day alcohol experiment, but it really didn't resonate with me because it really felt like it was pitched to people who drink to get DRUNK and have more serious problems with alcohol, and that just didn't resonate with me. And I never really felt that different after 30 days sober than I did when I was drinking - sleep wasn't bad even when I was drinking, no changes in energy, etc.

As I'm starting to get older (39 now) though, my body is just not aging well, which is common in my family. Even though I didn't have the "serious" problems associated with drinking, I know the cumulative effects of drinking as often as I do are not good. So I decided to experiment with 6 months instead of just 30 days to gather more data to see how I feel with a longer period of time sober. I'm about 2 months in now and still really haven't noticed changes in weight, sleep, energy, back pain, etc. But I also haven't found it very difficult and certainly even if I don't feel healthier yet, I know it is a healthier choice in the long term.

I actually thought it would be a lot more difficult to give up my evening beers (the habitual drinking) than it is. Mainly where I have missed it is for special occasions (e.g., celebrations, vacation, etc.). I just returned from vacation and was wanting a poolside drink, but wasn't tempted to actually buy one. Then I won a free drink in a game and decided what the heck, I'll have this one to see how I feel. I didn't feel any different, and wasn't tempted to have even one more drink the entire vacation.

I can see this being a pretty long term change for me since it really hasn't been hard and I know it is a healthier choice, but I'm hoping that over time I will start to SEE some of the benefits of being sober in terms of weight loss, energy, etc.!

Highbeam

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1103 on: July 28, 2021, 02:32:47 PM »
Day two of the "30 day Alcohol experiment", I love it so far. I really like the idea of not focusing on what you're giving up, but what you're gaining.

Has anyone else concurrently given up caffeine along with alcohol? I feel like they both contribute to higher levels of anxiety and we use them to balance each other out. So I'm curious to stop drinking coffee as well!

I received a high blood pressure diagnosis and didn't want to go on drugs so I stopped alcohol, caffeine, and went low carb all at once while verifying with a fitbit that I was getting the 150 minutes of low intensity cardio per week. No big deal. Easily lost about 25 lbs and BP dropped fast. Now I have high cholesterol and a pill though! Being 44YO was my health turning point.

Oh and decaf coffee (order an americano) with heavy cream and sugar free syrup is delightful. Diet caffeine-free soda is delightful but not many options.

I was a moderate daily drinker for decades before the BP issue and then decided that I don't need it and my liver is already going to be taxed with a statin. It's too bad, I homebrew beer and love the tastes and feelings. Never any of the excessive drinking issues.
 

LeftA

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1104 on: August 02, 2021, 07:57:37 AM »
I’m a couple of days away from it being 4 months since I decided to cut out alcohol.

I didn’t really have a set goal, I just wanted to see how I’d feel if I cut it out. I was having a glass of wine with dinner most nights, and on Fridays I’d often have 2 to celebrate end of the COVID work week.

I have not been 100% alcohol free during these 121 days. A handful of times I’ve tried having a glass to see how I feel. Out of these time, only once did I enjoy it, at all. I’ve pretty much lost the taste for it, and it’s kind of gross now. I didn’t expect this!

During this time, I have entertained in my home and gone out for dinner 3 times and have not had the urge to drink whatsoever. My friends have all been supportive and most recently also decided not to order wine with dinner!

My life is definitely changed!

Here are some of the ways:
-I feel happier and more in control of my life.
-I have more energy
-I feel less anxious
-My stomach is flatter
-I feel more mental acuity
-I’ve saved money
- I never think about drinking in the context of making any plans (i.e., being able to drive somewhere). I can’t believe I ever let alcohol affect me in this way!
-My libido has returned - I had NO idea how much alcohol had killed it! No one here has mentioned this, so this was a revelation to me!

The only thing that has NOT happened yet, is that I thought cutting out alcohol would help me loss weight. When I first cut out alcohol I did compensate by eating more sweats. But, that passed after about a month. Since then I’ve been eating better and started being much more physically active. I think the weight loss may still come as a result. It may just be slower because I’m only a few pounds from ideal weight.

Thank you for being here to support me along the way! I may not have taken that first step and kept going (in the early days) without it!


« Last Edit: August 02, 2021, 07:59:18 AM by LeftA »

Cassie

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1105 on: August 02, 2021, 09:39:40 AM »
That’s great news Left! I am 5 days away from one year. I was fat so the weight loss started right away.  I love being a healthy weight now.

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1106 on: August 07, 2021, 07:15:58 PM »
Just breezed past the 30 day experiment, that was much easier than expected! Like @Petuniajo said above, it's definitely geared for people who actually have problems with drinking, but still was pretty educational. I have no urge or desire to go back to drinking, although I won't rule it out in very intentional moments! (Going to Ireland soon, how can I NOT try a Guinness there?!)

AlanStache

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1107 on: August 10, 2021, 02:05:05 PM »
Have enjoyed reading over the last bunch of pages.  Am about 1 week into a 30day no booze stretch, so far no worries.  A number of times in the recent I past I have not drink for up to 4 weeks, did not feel hard but I also did not notice any changes in body or mind.  In the last few years drinking has mostly been limited to 0-4 beers between friday evening and sunday evening, so going down to zero is not a huge change.  But in past when I have paused there has been a slight thought of it would be nice to have a beer with dinner on Friday after the workout. 

I do have a family history of alcoholism so I am trying to be careful there and generally find that having booze around the house makes it harder to stick to the 0-4 beers per week.  But I also dont keep ice-cream, cookies and cake abound to make it easier to not consume those. 

I think it might not be the best for me to decide to be 100% no alcohol forever as my personality is on the less social side and adding in a new obstacle to me getting out and being around people is probably not optimal for total quality of life. 



Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1108 on: August 10, 2021, 02:39:43 PM »
Have enjoyed reading over the last bunch of pages.  Am about 1 week into a 30day no booze stretch, so far no worries.  A number of times in the recent I past I have not drink for up to 4 weeks, did not feel hard but I also did not notice any changes in body or mind.  In the last few years drinking has mostly been limited to 0-4 beers between friday evening and sunday evening, so going down to zero is not a huge change.  But in past when I have paused there has been a slight thought of it would be nice to have a beer with dinner on Friday after the workout. 

I do have a family history of alcoholism so I am trying to be careful there and generally find that having booze around the house makes it harder to stick to the 0-4 beers per week.  But I also dont keep ice-cream, cookies and cake abound to make it easier to not consume those. 

I think it might not be the best for me to decide to be 100% no alcohol forever as my personality is on the less social side and adding in a new obstacle to me getting out and being around people is probably not optimal for total quality of life.

Don't worry about that at this point. Just focus on figuring out what relationship you want with alcohol, and then it will just make sense what role you want alcohol to play in your future.

There are phases. You kind of have to go through a period of getting to know yourself without alcohol first, then decide what to do moving forward.

I don't drink at all, but DH drinks socially when out without me, but limits himself to two drinks. I'm prone to frequent drinking, while he never drank often, but when he did, he was a light weight and always got way too drunk really quickly.

So after being totally sober for a few months, we each determined our own path forward.

I don't drink because I really, really don't want to, not because I feel like I shouldn't. Give it some time, get used to sobriety first, and then figure it out from there.

You literally can't make decisions for your future self, so leave it up to them. This decision isn't on you right now.

youngwildandfree

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1109 on: August 16, 2021, 05:22:17 AM »
I’m booze free for at least the next couple weeks! The spouse is on-call this week and I would like to be more supportive than I was last time. 😳 Making it a two week minimum to give myself a chance to really evaluate how much booze I’ve been consuming. It hasn’t been every day, but most days I have 1-3 drinks.

I’m actually really looking forward to chasing some natural highs. Just started a new workout schedule and I plan to replace happy hour drinks with fizzy water and lime. I’m not a big sugar fan, but nuts and dark chocolate can hit the spot. Wish me luck!

Cassie

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1110 on: August 16, 2021, 09:23:31 AM »
Young, you might want to be alcohol free for a month to really experience the benefits. I think it can take 10 days to totally be free of the negative effects. Some people don’t feel better until at least 30 days. Malcat will know since she’s a doctor.

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1111 on: August 16, 2021, 09:28:30 AM »
Young, you might want to be alcohol free for a month to really experience the benefits. I think it can take 10 days to totally be free of the negative effects. Some people don’t feel better until at least 30 days. Malcat will know since she’s a doctor.

Yep, it's different for different people, but 2 weeks will barely get someone out of the direct effects of alcohol and those first 10ish days are by far the worst, so that length would really miss out on all of the benefits and make it feel like sobriety is pointless.

30 days really is what it takes to get a grasp on how alcohol is affecting your body.

In addition, if someone can't manage 30 days, that tells them a lot about their relationship with booze. The more someone struggles with 30 days, the more they really NEED to take at least 30 days.

youngwildandfree

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1112 on: August 16, 2021, 11:05:49 AM »
Young, you might want to be alcohol free for a month to really experience the benefits. I think it can take 10 days to totally be free of the negative effects. Some people don’t feel better until at least 30 days. Malcat will know since she’s a doctor.

Yep, it's different for different people, but 2 weeks will barely get someone out of the direct effects of alcohol and those first 10ish days are by far the worst, so that length would really miss out on all of the benefits and make it feel like sobriety is pointless.

30 days really is what it takes to get a grasp on how alcohol is affecting your body.

In addition, if someone can't manage 30 days, that tells them a lot about their relationship with booze. The more someone struggles with 30 days, the more they really NEED to take at least 30 days.

Ah! Thank you to both of you. I will change my plan to longer. I do have a bachelorette party to attend in 28 days...I don't intend to make myself sick, but it seems like a poor time to put my foot down in a social setting. Would 28 days with that party being the first day make sense? I'm not worried about not drinking at home. It's just the social settings that give me pause. I do like the complex taste of different beverages, but I don't drink alcohol just to drink it.

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1113 on: August 16, 2021, 11:08:36 AM »
Young, you might want to be alcohol free for a month to really experience the benefits. I think it can take 10 days to totally be free of the negative effects. Some people don’t feel better until at least 30 days. Malcat will know since she’s a doctor.

Yep, it's different for different people, but 2 weeks will barely get someone out of the direct effects of alcohol and those first 10ish days are by far the worst, so that length would really miss out on all of the benefits and make it feel like sobriety is pointless.

30 days really is what it takes to get a grasp on how alcohol is affecting your body.

In addition, if someone can't manage 30 days, that tells them a lot about their relationship with booze. The more someone struggles with 30 days, the more they really NEED to take at least 30 days.

Ah! Thank you to both of you. I will change my plan to longer. I do have a bachelorette party to attend in 28 days...I don't intend to make myself sick, but it seems like a poor time to put my foot down in a social setting. Would 28 days with that party being the first day make sense? I'm not worried about not drinking at home. It's just the social settings that give me pause. I do like the complex taste of different beverages, but I don't drink alcohol just to drink it.

My personal experience is that I quite just two days before several major open bar events. It was hugely beneficial to me to realize that it was the anticipation of not drinking that was harder than the actual not drinking at the parties. The parties were fun and distracting, I only thought that not drinking at them would be an issue, but it really isn't.

Not telling you what to do, just sharing my personal experience where having my norms tested was really beneficial.

youngwildandfree

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1114 on: August 17, 2021, 02:49:09 PM »
Young, you might want to be alcohol free for a month to really experience the benefits. I think it can take 10 days to totally be free of the negative effects. Some people don’t feel better until at least 30 days. Malcat will know since she’s a doctor.

Yep, it's different for different people, but 2 weeks will barely get someone out of the direct effects of alcohol and those first 10ish days are by far the worst, so that length would really miss out on all of the benefits and make it feel like sobriety is pointless.

30 days really is what it takes to get a grasp on how alcohol is affecting your body.

In addition, if someone can't manage 30 days, that tells them a lot about their relationship with booze. The more someone struggles with 30 days, the more they really NEED to take at least 30 days.

Ah! Thank you to both of you. I will change my plan to longer. I do have a bachelorette party to attend in 28 days...I don't intend to make myself sick, but it seems like a poor time to put my foot down in a social setting. Would 28 days with that party being the first day make sense? I'm not worried about not drinking at home. It's just the social settings that give me pause. I do like the complex taste of different beverages, but I don't drink alcohol just to drink it.

My personal experience is that I quite just two days before several major open bar events. It was hugely beneficial to me to realize that it was the anticipation of not drinking that was harder than the actual not drinking at the parties. The parties were fun and distracting, I only thought that not drinking at them would be an issue, but it really isn't.

Not telling you what to do, just sharing my personal experience where having my norms tested was really beneficial.

Thanks for the additional feedback Malcat! I'm a little shocked at how much I'm thinking about cold beer and red wine tonight. Seems like I really needed this! Now to find a distraction...

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1115 on: August 17, 2021, 03:17:46 PM »
Young, you might want to be alcohol free for a month to really experience the benefits. I think it can take 10 days to totally be free of the negative effects. Some people don’t feel better until at least 30 days. Malcat will know since she’s a doctor.

Yep, it's different for different people, but 2 weeks will barely get someone out of the direct effects of alcohol and those first 10ish days are by far the worst, so that length would really miss out on all of the benefits and make it feel like sobriety is pointless.

30 days really is what it takes to get a grasp on how alcohol is affecting your body.

In addition, if someone can't manage 30 days, that tells them a lot about their relationship with booze. The more someone struggles with 30 days, the more they really NEED to take at least 30 days.

Ah! Thank you to both of you. I will change my plan to longer. I do have a bachelorette party to attend in 28 days...I don't intend to make myself sick, but it seems like a poor time to put my foot down in a social setting. Would 28 days with that party being the first day make sense? I'm not worried about not drinking at home. It's just the social settings that give me pause. I do like the complex taste of different beverages, but I don't drink alcohol just to drink it.

My personal experience is that I quite just two days before several major open bar events. It was hugely beneficial to me to realize that it was the anticipation of not drinking that was harder than the actual not drinking at the parties. The parties were fun and distracting, I only thought that not drinking at them would be an issue, but it really isn't.

Not telling you what to do, just sharing my personal experience where having my norms tested was really beneficial.

Thanks for the additional feedback Malcat! I'm a little shocked at how much I'm thinking about cold beer and red wine tonight. Seems like I really needed this! Now to find a distraction...

Habits are powerful motivators. They don't feel like it because they're subconscious and automatic, so you have very little awareness of how strong the habit is because you just do it. You only realize how powerful a habit is until you try to break it.

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1116 on: August 23, 2021, 08:56:30 PM »
Neato, my phone tells me I've hit 600 days today.

I'm also not sure if I mentioned this, but since I quit, so have most of the people around me. Not completely quit, but my DH, my mom, my sister, and a collection of my closest friends are all essentially non drinkers now except for very rare occasions.

With covid limiting my exposure to humans, it's created this illusion for me that almost no one drinks. It still strikes me as so odd now seeing everyone at a restaurant drinking alcohol, in my head I'm like "Oh, did no one tell you? That's not a thing anymore."

BikeFanatic

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1117 on: August 24, 2021, 07:42:25 AM »
Me too! It felt so odd to go to a restaurant/bar when everyone was drinking and alot of people were roudy and drunk. It was a little shocking as I have been hiding with covid and I have not drank in 2 years, and everyone around me has either quit or cut back,  and even though I tell them to do otherwise, they do not drink too much around me. My not drinking has had a positive  impact on many of my close family and friends. One friend has said, I see you at parties and you never drink, so I thought maybe I do not have to drink at parties either! So it has been an educational period for me and the people I surround myself with.

Really 2 years will be on monday, I thought previous to this,  that after 2 years,  I will have a beer just to try but Now I am like, Naw I'm good. I may even quit the non alcoholic beer, too expensive.
This thread has been enormously helpful and I do want to thank the contributors.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2021, 10:15:14 AM by BikeFanatic »

wenchsenior

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1118 on: August 24, 2021, 09:43:55 AM »
Young, you might want to be alcohol free for a month to really experience the benefits. I think it can take 10 days to totally be free of the negative effects. Some people don’t feel better until at least 30 days. Malcat will know since she’s a doctor.

Yep, it's different for different people, but 2 weeks will barely get someone out of the direct effects of alcohol and those first 10ish days are by far the worst, so that length would really miss out on all of the benefits and make it feel like sobriety is pointless.

30 days really is what it takes to get a grasp on how alcohol is affecting your body.

In addition, if someone can't manage 30 days, that tells them a lot about their relationship with booze. The more someone struggles with 30 days, the more they really NEED to take at least 30 days.

Ah! Thank you to both of you. I will change my plan to longer. I do have a bachelorette party to attend in 28 days...I don't intend to make myself sick, but it seems like a poor time to put my foot down in a social setting. Would 28 days with that party being the first day make sense? I'm not worried about not drinking at home. It's just the social settings that give me pause. I do like the complex taste of different beverages, but I don't drink alcohol just to drink it.

I'm late to this, but I strongly agree with the need for at least 1 month with no booze. (It can take even longer for longtime frequent drinkers).  I didn't really start to see benefits until I was at about 26/27 consecutive days with no drinking (I had been a drinker of about the equivalent of a half bottle of wine per day for decades).  If I'd done two weeks only, I would have made a huge mistake in assuming drinking hadn't been negatively affecting me b/c I hadn't seen positive benefits by then.  When the benefits started kicking in, it was quite eye opening.  It still is, 2.5 years later!

Cassie

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1119 on: August 25, 2021, 12:32:05 AM »
I quit a year ago and my best friend and her husband a week later. One of my sons shortly after that. Social situations no longer bother me. I felt better immediately but it took a couple months for my friend to feel better.  We are all different.

sonofsven

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1120 on: August 26, 2021, 09:28:12 AM »
Young, you might want to be alcohol free for a month to really experience the benefits. I think it can take 10 days to totally be free of the negative effects. Some people don’t feel better until at least 30 days. Malcat will know since she’s a doctor.

Yep, it's different for different people, but 2 weeks will barely get someone out of the direct effects of alcohol and those first 10ish days are by far the worst, so that length would really miss out on all of the benefits and make it feel like sobriety is pointless.

30 days really is what it takes to get a grasp on how alcohol is affecting your body.

In addition, if someone can't manage 30 days, that tells them a lot about their relationship with booze. The more someone struggles with 30 days, the more they really NEED to take at least 30 days.

Ah! Thank you to both of you. I will change my plan to longer. I do have a bachelorette party to attend in 28 days...I don't intend to make myself sick, but it seems like a poor time to put my foot down in a social setting. Would 28 days with that party being the first day make sense? I'm not worried about not drinking at home. It's just the social settings that give me pause. I do like the complex taste of different beverages, but I don't drink alcohol just to drink it.

I'm late to this, but I strongly agree with the need for at least 1 month with no booze. (It can take even longer for longtime frequent drinkers).  I didn't really start to see benefits until I was at about 26/27 consecutive days with no drinking (I had been a drinker of about the equivalent of a half bottle of wine per day for decades).  If I'd done two weeks only, I would have made a huge mistake in assuming drinking hadn't been negatively affecting me b/c I hadn't seen positive benefits by then.  When the benefits started kicking in, it was quite eye opening.  It still is, 2.5 years later!

It took me (longtime frequent drinker) about three months to really notice the changes, one of them being NOT  waking up with a low grade hangover every day, I thought that was just "waking up and need my coffee".

OurTown

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1121 on: August 26, 2021, 10:47:08 AM »
Hi everyone.  Earlier this month I blew past 5 years.  Never looked back.

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1122 on: August 26, 2021, 12:25:22 PM »
Hi everyone.  Earlier this month I blew past 5 years.  Never looked back.

Awesome

mspym

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1123 on: August 26, 2021, 04:02:55 PM »
Hi everyone.  Earlier this month I blew past 5 years.  Never looked back.
I just hit 4 years of "taking a break". I don't think I'm ever going back.

BikeFanatic

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1124 on: August 26, 2021, 05:26:10 PM »
5 years that's amazing

Cassie

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1125 on: August 27, 2021, 11:15:48 PM »
Congrats Our town and Mspym!!  I quit drinking in my late 20’s and didn’t drink for 20 years. Then I got a divorce, moved, new job and friends and started again. It was a huge mistake. So just don’t get complacent. It was much harder to quit a year ago than the first time when younger.

AlanStache

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1126 on: August 30, 2021, 09:34:45 AM »
I am about 4 weeks in, had half a pint of cider some week and a half after the start (social event where I did not want to get into a discussion of not drinking).  With this recent dry spell and past ones I have done I really dont feel a difference after about 10 days.  I was surprised to feel a small difference with even the half a pint but that only took a few days go away and to get back to what feels like steady state.

Before this test I was drinking relatively little and only on the weekends, but past tests I was drinking more and it still felt like I got to SS after a bit over a week. 

I have 1.5 weeks till the end of the dry period I set on the calendar, will see how I feel then but I expect I will go back to a beer or two on some weekends.  May extend the test past intended end date to get closer to a full 30 days with zero alcohol but I dont expect to see a difference in the extension. 

Steeze

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1127 on: August 30, 2021, 11:11:13 AM »
Hello, my name is Steeze. I’m an alcoholic.
...
...
...
Congrats to all the sober people here!

Coming up on 1-year sober on 09/06/21

I believe this is only the 2nd 1-year sober celebration I have had since I started boozing in high school, and the only one that wasn't court ordered. Let's hope this sticks! Cheers to all!
« Last Edit: August 30, 2021, 11:20:01 AM by Steeze »

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1128 on: August 30, 2021, 12:26:34 PM »
Hello, my name is Steeze. I’m an alcoholic.
...
...
...
Congrats to all the sober people here!

Coming up on 1-year sober on 09/06/21

I believe this is only the 2nd 1-year sober celebration I have had since I started boozing in high school, and the only one that wasn't court ordered. Let's hope this sticks! Cheers to all!

Big congrats!

wenchsenior

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1129 on: August 30, 2021, 12:57:39 PM »
Congratulations to everybody on these milestones!

I am currently dealing with the incredibly tiresome and depressing fallout of having an emotional connection to someone with severe alcohol use disorder, who is currently spiraling down to terrible outcome for about the 6th time in past 10 years (after several years of relatively good and stable sobriety), and am reminded just how brutal the endgame of 'regular, moderate drinking' can be. This person started out as a 'single cocktail before dinner'  drinker for decades, then 'cocktail + wine with dinner' for decades, before the bottom fell out and now their entire life is fucked.

It's always an eye-opener as to the possible path I was on with my daily 2 glasses of wine.

Padonak

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1130 on: August 30, 2021, 01:32:55 PM »
A few rules I have when it comes to booze:

-No drinking alone. A couple of exceptions to this rule: (1) getting a couple of drinks before going out and (2) celebrating a major milestone such as hitting certain net worth number.

-No drinking before sunset.

-No drinking with colleagues. If I have to, limit to 1-2 drinks or just order water.

-Obviously no drinking and driving.

-Limit going out for drinks as much as possible. Helps if you live in a HCOL area where drinks are expensive.

My friends also told me that weed helps to avoid excessive drinking, so if it's legal in your state or country it's another option to consider. Though some people get addicted to that too, so gotta be careful.

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1131 on: August 30, 2021, 02:17:48 PM »
Hello, my name is Steeze. I’m an alcoholic.
...
...
...
Congrats to all the sober people here!

Coming up on 1-year sober on 09/06/21

I believe this is only the 2nd 1-year sober celebration I have had since I started boozing in high school, and the only one that wasn't court ordered. Let's hope this sticks! Cheers to all!
High fives! You've got this!

Sibley

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1132 on: August 30, 2021, 02:33:38 PM »
I don't not drink, but I don't drink much. Except I had a glass of wine last night, and I had a weird reaction. Turns out my new allergy meds don't play well with alcohol. Considering that these meds are working way better than the old ones, I might just not drink.

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1133 on: August 30, 2021, 02:57:05 PM »
Hello, my name is Steeze. I’m an alcoholic.
...
...
...
Congrats to all the sober people here!

Coming up on 1-year sober on 09/06/21

I believe this is only the 2nd 1-year sober celebration I have had since I started boozing in high school, and the only one that wasn't court ordered. Let's hope this sticks! Cheers to all!

sending Woot Woots to you! Congrats.

Tester

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1134 on: August 30, 2021, 05:19:32 PM »
Stopped drinking last Saturday.
Not planned, but I was feeling the same as before quitting smoking a long time ago:
I was waking up saying: today I won't drink anything (won't smoke a long time ago).
Then, in the next 5 minutes I would think about a beer in the evening.
And I would think about other types of drinks during the day...
This Saturday I just did not drink. yesterday it was harder, a lot of triggers, plus "one day I did not drink, let's celebrate".

For now my plan is to not force quitting completely, but at the minimum only drink with other people and at most two drinks in a sitting.
This would mean I would only drink Saturday and Sunday (maximum, not mandatory both days) and only two drinks maximum.

I will decide later if I want to give it up completely.

Last time I did not drink was several years ago when I had a medical condition, did not drink for 2.5 years.
When my medical condition improved (it is not "healed", it is just not manifesting), I got back to drinking.

I wrote this here as I realized I was thinking about a drink for this evening, this should make me get over today too :).

Simpli-Fi

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1135 on: August 31, 2021, 10:05:16 AM »

For now my plan is to not force quitting completely, but at the minimum only drink with other people and at most two drinks in a sitting.
This would mean I would only drink Saturday and Sunday (maximum, not mandatory both days) and only two drinks maximum.


this is a good plan...I find the only "diets" that you can stick to are the ones where you have a "cheat" night.

Its tough, but you will start to feel so much better Tuesday - Friday Morning...this alone will help you stick to the plan.

Internet Strangers are proud of you

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1136 on: August 31, 2021, 10:44:03 AM »

For now my plan is to not force quitting completely, but at the minimum only drink with other people and at most two drinks in a sitting.
This would mean I would only drink Saturday and Sunday (maximum, not mandatory both days) and only two drinks maximum.


this is a good plan...I find the only "diets" that you can stick to are the ones where you have a "cheat" night.

Its tough, but you will start to feel so much better Tuesday - Friday Morning...this alone will help you stick to the plan.

Internet Strangers are proud of you

It actually really depends on the person.
For some people "cheat days" are just a slippery slope, and further create psychological value for the very thing they're trying to cut back on. Making the cravings for that things even worse.

That's where something like the 30 day Alcohol Experiment is so valuable. It really helps people figure out their particular relationship with alcohol.

For me, I was quickly happier not drinking at all. For DH, extreme moderation where he only drinks when out of the house, and only two drinks, works best for him. We had very different relationships with alcohol, and continue to.

Steeze

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1137 on: August 31, 2021, 11:04:57 AM »

For now my plan is to not force quitting completely, but at the minimum only drink with other people and at most two drinks in a sitting.
This would mean I would only drink Saturday and Sunday (maximum, not mandatory both days) and only two drinks maximum.


this is a good plan...I find the only "diets" that you can stick to are the ones where you have a "cheat" night.

Its tough, but you will start to feel so much better Tuesday - Friday Morning...this alone will help you stick to the plan.

Internet Strangers are proud of you

It actually really depends on the person.
For some people "cheat days" are just a slippery slope, and further create psychological value for the very thing they're trying to cut back on. Making the cravings for that things even worse.

That's where something like the 30 day Alcohol Experiment is so valuable. It really helps people figure out their particular relationship with alcohol.

For me, I was quickly happier not drinking at all. For DH, extreme moderation where he only drinks when out of the house, and only two drinks, works best for him. We had very different relationships with alcohol, and continue to.

Yeah a cheat day for me is almost guaranteed to end in being blacked out drunk at some point in the future. Could be years down the road...

Tester

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1138 on: August 31, 2021, 12:05:08 PM »

For now my plan is to not force quitting completely, but at the minimum only drink with other people and at most two drinks in a sitting.
This would mean I would only drink Saturday and Sunday (maximum, not mandatory both days) and only two drinks maximum.


this is a good plan...I find the only "diets" that you can stick to are the ones where you have a "cheat" night.

Its tough, but you will start to feel so much better Tuesday - Friday Morning...this alone will help you stick to the plan.

Internet Strangers are proud of you

It actually really depends on the person.
For some people "cheat days" are just a slippery slope, and further create psychological value for the very thing they're trying to cut back on. Making the cravings for that things even worse.

That's where something like the 30 day Alcohol Experiment is so valuable. It really helps people figure out their particular relationship with alcohol.

For me, I was quickly happier not drinking at all. For DH, extreme moderation where he only drinks when out of the house, and only two drinks, works best for him. We had very different relationships with alcohol, and continue to.

Yeah a cheat day for me is almost guaranteed to end in being blacked out drunk at some point in the future. Could be years down the road...


I am trying to apply the same things I did with smoking.
It took me two year to quit smoking, reducing first.
Did not smoke for one year, then smoked again one year, then quit suddenly.

I am not trying to get on the first round, to reduce quantity and frequency.
If I will see that "occasional" and "at most two" transforms into "I don't remember anything from yesterday" I will look to quit for good and look for specialized help.

For now I got triggered because I was constantly thinking about "oh, after I finish all this hard work I will get a drink/perhaps two?" - which sometimes transformed into hours spent on playing games and drinking.
Things like these tell me I need to change something, this was the trigger for smoking too.
It is like this thing is controlling me, I can't control it - that means I need to do something to get back in control.

For now it is working well, I am fresh in the morning and I am really productive at work. I am also getting more done in the house again.
So far so good, feels good for now.

LeftA

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1139 on: August 31, 2021, 03:35:03 PM »
@Cassie, thank you for your encouragement last time I posted. Congrats on your one year anniversary!

@Malcat, you had posted that you past 600 days awhile back. What a nice milestone!

@BikeFanatic, 2 years already! I know what you mean about positively influencing others. I suspect that the other woman in the couple we recently went over for dinner with skipped wine because of my influence.

@OurTown, 5 years?! Wow. When it comes to abstaining from alcohol, I don't look too far into the future. But, it looks like you were a very similar age to me when you quit drinking. So, one day I could be like you! (BTW, I'm curious, what was the impetus that made you stop?).

@msypym, 4 years is amazing! Pretty cool how you feel no need to go back.

@Steeze, congrats on hitting 1 year! Keep going!

@wenchsenior, sorry to hear what you are dealing with. Everyone, I mean everyone around me was telling me they didn't understand why I was concerned by my drinking. It was moderate and they didn't see an issue with it. While I typically *only drank a glass of wine with dinner" most nights, I was NOT liking how frequent it had become. Glad I decided to make a change. My life is so much better without alcohol!

In a few days it will be 5 months since I decided to try to abstain from drinking. I remember how difficult the 3-7 day marks were and then it got easier. A few times between weeks 8 and 12, I decided to try a glass of red and then white wine. Of these handful of times, I couldn't drink more than a sip or two without being totally turned off. I recall on July 11th I had about 1.5 glasses of a white wine, and thought okay maybe I can occasionally drink.
But, then I tried a sip of white wine a few days later and it tasted awful. So, since then I haven't had a drop - even on a recent short getaway with just hubby - at a place where I've always had wine with dinner. In fact, I actually felt comfortable enough to declare myself a "non-drinker." In truth, I cannot say I'll never drink again, but I feel no desire to start again.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2021, 10:51:22 AM by LeftA »

Tyson

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1140 on: August 31, 2021, 03:51:53 PM »
I am just checking in.  7.75 years booze free.  For me the key was finding a support group like Lifering, which was more science based and not faith based like AA. 

BikeFanatic

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1141 on: September 01, 2021, 06:48:13 AM »
@Tyson, that is a good amount of time, congratulations on that. Left a,  I like your plan, it does take time
To get adjusted to life without alcohol.  Now I know people who have never seen me drink, and they
Believe in me as a non drinker.  My old friends who drink still feel I was
Not needing to quit. But I was certainly addicted,  and I just love how I feel in the morning.
Lately I feel like maybe I should try a beer now that it has been 2 years, but why bother?
I am working on giving up the non alcoholic beer, too expensive and is it a crutch?
« Last Edit: September 01, 2021, 10:53:58 AM by BikeFanatic »

Steeze

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1142 on: September 01, 2021, 09:18:43 AM »
@Tyson, that is a good amount of time, congratulations on that. At left,,  I like your plan, it foes take time
To get adjusted to life without alcohol.  Now I know people who have never seen me drink, and they
Believe in me as a non drinker.  My old friends who drink still feel I was
Not needing to quit. But I was certainly addicted,  and I just love how I feel in the morning.
Lately I feel like maybe I should try a beer now that it has been 2 years, but why bother?
I am working on giving up the non alcoholic beer, too expensive and is it a crutch?

A close friend of mine was sober for years after struggling with alcoholism for some time in his 20's / 30's. Some time in his 40's he started with NA beer. Then a single craft beer here and there a couple years later. Fast forward 5 years and there were beer cans falling out of his car when you opened the door and Jack Daniels bottles stashed all over the house. He ended up going to a rehab (resort?) for a couple weeks and has since been sober again, going on 2 or 3 years now.

Personally, after seeing that train wreck, I am hesitant to have even a NA beer.

TrMama

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1143 on: September 01, 2021, 12:23:54 PM »
Neato, my phone tells me I've hit 600 days today.

I'm also not sure if I mentioned this, but since I quit, so have most of the people around me. Not completely quit, but my DH, my mom, my sister, and a collection of my closest friends are all essentially non drinkers now except for very rare occasions.

With covid limiting my exposure to humans, it's created this illusion for me that almost no one drinks. It still strikes me as so odd now seeing everyone at a restaurant drinking alcohol, in my head I'm like "Oh, did no one tell you? That's not a thing anymore."

This is my experience too. Well, my parents don't drink as much anymore anyway. My dad and I used to enjoy craft beer together. Even before quitting entirely, we were both lightweights and would frequently just split a bottle between us. Since I quit, he doesn't really have anyone to split fancy beers with anymore, so his consumption is way down too. DH also drinks less, which to me is more surprising since he and I had pretty different tastes in booze.

I'm also just as baffled anytime I see evidence that other people drink. I've made a couple trips to the recycling center lately to drop of packing material. These centres are also where many people go to drop off their empties for refund. I'm always blown away at the huge sacks of beer cans some people have. Seems like a ton of work to schlepp all those full cans home and then schlepp the empties to the recycle centre.

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1144 on: September 01, 2021, 12:38:05 PM »
@Tyson, that is a good amount of time, congratulations on that. At left,,  I like your plan, it foes take time
To get adjusted to life without alcohol.  Now I know people who have never seen me drink, and they
Believe in me as a non drinker.  My old friends who drink still feel I was
Not needing to quit. But I was certainly addicted,  and I just love how I feel in the morning.
Lately I feel like maybe I should try a beer now that it has been 2 years, but why bother?
I am working on giving up the non alcoholic beer, too expensive and is it a crutch?

A close friend of mine was sober for years after struggling with alcoholism for some time in his 20's / 30's. Some time in his 40's he started with NA beer. Then a single craft beer here and there a couple years later. Fast forward 5 years and there were beer cans falling out of his car when you opened the door and Jack Daniels bottles stashed all over the house. He ended up going to a rehab (resort?) for a couple weeks and has since been sober again, going on 2 or 3 years now.

Personally, after seeing that train wreck, I am hesitant to have even a NA beer.

Yeah, this is another one of those really individual things.

For me, I have absolutely no interest in alcohol anymore, and having NA options of drinks I used to like makes it so that I don't feel at all like I'm missing out on anything.

For some people it makes them want the alcoholic version more, for me it makes the alcoholic option irrelevant.

My position is that if the person still finds themself at all romaticizing alcohol, the NA drinks can be a slippery slope, because it's a place holder for "the real thing" and a constant reminder of what you could have.

For me, I have no concept that if I were to drink alcohol that I would enjoy it. So the NA drinks aren't "lesser" versions for me. If I'm at a restaurant or pub that doesn't have NA beer, that doesn't make me want alcoholic beer, that makes me cranky that the establishment doesn't have good options for me and expects me, an adult, to drink children's beverages or just water.

In my mind it's like a restaurant only having dishes that include raw onions, which I find gross and can't digest. I don't eat dishes with cooked onions because they're the closest I can get to raw onions, or that every time I'm eating cooked onions, I'm wishing they were raw. No, I don't like raw onions, so it would piss me off if the only dish on a menu that didn't have raw onions was the chicken fingers for kids.

So alcohol for me now is like raw onions. I don't like it and it makes me feel ill. Cooked onions and NA beer are great though.

As I mentioned, my mom quit, but she just told me that she's been drinking wine at restaurants now that they're re-opened, but only if they have her favourite kinds.

So for her, alcohol is still special, it's still romanticized and abstaining is still a hardship that requires discipline. For her, NA drinks could be a slippery slope, because it's just a sad imitation of what she would rather.


Tester

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1145 on: September 01, 2021, 01:18:14 PM »
I might post a lot in the next period, I find it helps me get through these initial days of not drinking so please bear with me.

Regarding NA beer - I would rather drink water.
I just don't like the taste, I think I only found one which was almost good tasting for me.

If I want to eat steak, I eat steak, although lately the incredible burgers are really tasty - but even those, I am not eating them because they replace meat, I eat them because I like how they taste. When I want a meat burger I eat a meat burger. Everyone is different, this is how it works for me.
The same for alcoholic/NA versions: if I want/crave alcohol, I either drink alcohol or get rid of alcohol if the craving is too much/too addictive.
If I don't want to drink alcohol I am not drinking the NA version, especially because I don't like the taste of NA beers.



My main "concern" is that yesterday, after a really hard day, I was exercising the: "get a drink?" thought and I caught myself cringing at the thought of drinking - even a beer, which is my favourite alcoholic drink.
I hope all is fine, I know at the medic I am asked if I suddenly lost interest in some favourite activities - drinking beer was a favourite activity, I just stopped on Saturday.

I will see if this Sunday I will be able to enjoy a beer, as I will have a good occasion to do it.
If I don't enjoy it I will talk with my therapist to be sure this is a good sign :).

sjlp

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1146 on: September 05, 2021, 12:51:50 PM »
Hey Tester, Post all you want! This is a great thread and it's interesting to see how you think through things.

Hm, I think it makes good sense if you suddenly lose interest in drinking. Earlier you said, "It is like this thing is controlling me, I can't control it - that means I need to do something to get back in control." That seems like a great reason to be uninterested in something... Very different from losing interest in activities like exercising, spending time with friends and family, typical hobbies, etc. And I also like your idea to talk to the therapist about what all this means, of course.

As an update, I'm about 6 months past the day I had my epiphany and lost interest in drinking. Still very happy with the decision. For what it's worth, I have enjoyed the NA beers and mocktails when we've been out. But I used to be more of a wine drinker, and I have not been interested to find a non-alcoholic wine... that seems gross, haha.

Though I can certainly see how for someone in a different situation, NA might be a gateway to drinking again. Maybe some people are really sensitive to the 0.5% content. Maybe NA opens up some unhealthy thinking or behavior patterns, or their own self image as a drinker. Or, maybe they are using willpower to resist something that they feel like they want. In my case, I have very little willpower in general, I tend to cave easily to the things that I want. But alcohol is no longer a conduit to having fun, being social, relaxing, reducing stress, feeling good. On the contrary, it gets in the way, and thus has little appeal.

I continue to be astonished that no one cares at all that I decided to stop drinking. I was really expecting some blowback or uncomfortable moments. Recently, someone said to me, oh it's so great to meet someone else who likes IPA! I was like, well I do, but this one is non-alcoholic. And she just laughed and said, well that's great too! There was no awkwardness or anything.

Thanks everyone for the updates, and great job all!

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1147 on: September 05, 2021, 12:56:05 PM »
Are NA beers still 0.5%?

I haven't seen any 0.5% for years, everything here is 0%

sjlp

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1148 on: September 05, 2021, 01:26:17 PM »
Are NA beers still 0.5%?

I haven't seen any 0.5% for years, everything here is 0%
Here we have both types, very low alcohol and zero alcohol. Perhaps the regulations are different. Though when I think about it, seems silly not to take all the alcohol out! People are choosing NA for a reason...

Metalcat

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Re: Give Up the Hooch: Booze Free for as long as you please!
« Reply #1149 on: September 05, 2021, 01:35:44 PM »
Are NA beers still 0.5%?

I haven't seen any 0.5% for years, everything here is 0%
Here we have both types, very low alcohol and zero alcohol. Perhaps the regulations are different. Though when I think about it, seems silly not to take all the alcohol out! People are choosing NA for a reason...

I was under the impression that the old NA beers were labeled 0.5% because old school alcohol removing technology wasn't able to remove all of the alcohol.

Granted, I have no idea where I learned that, so can't account for the validity.