On the wagon... Any tips?

[CDNSushi]

I've been on the wagon for almost 5 days... Not a drop of beer, wine, scotch, nothing! I've been a bit surly and had more headaches than usual, (but then again, I've been off coffee too).

Why? Well, two reasons. One, I'm battling a nasty infection that the doctor gave me some medication for and that shouldn't be taken with alcohol (didn't say MUST not... just SHOULD not. Alcohol diminishes the effectiveness of the medicine and that's the last thing I need happen right now)....

And second (probably even more important than the first reason... I want to prove to myself that I can do it. It's just too easy to convince yourself that you don't drink that much or that often and that you could just quit whenever you want for as long as you want. Yeah, right.

As far as that goes, I've really been jonesin'... Hot, sunny day, been doing housework and yardwork, and there's nothing that I'd love better than an icy, cold beer right about now. But I'm stubborn. I won't give in! Doesn't make it any easier though. ARRRGHHH!!!! I'm definitely not ascetic material.

Anyone got any tips on how I can make my jones for a beer go away? Or at least a good way to take my mind off it? I've been noticing that alcohol is so much a part of our society that it's hard to escape... I can't even turn on the TV or a movie because of all the ads, product placement and whatnot.. I'm glad that my abstinence from alcohol is only for a short time and not long-term... How do the teetotalers do it?

[Pleater]

I am not teetotal, I have several drinks in a year. Sometimes five or six - but I could give it up any time, really, no problem.

I try to keep clear of sugar and aspartame - so most ready prepared drinks are out.

I find that herbal teas and infusions are good, particularly if they have a nice scent - mint or sage tea from the actual leaves, served iced are nice in hot weather, something with red berries served hot in the evenings is soothing.

The tea bags can be got from some supermarkets here, I buy dried herbs as packaged refills, or sometimes loose from health food shops, though only those in busy town centres as I have had stale leaves in the past.

You might need to experiment with how long you steep the leaves or teabag to get the taste you like. Once you get that sorted you can make up a batch and put it in the fridge in a jug - pour some out when required and either ice it or warm it in the microwave or on the hob. I'd only keep it one day, but it is convenient when you are busy.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Ozark Ridge Rider]

Speaking as one who has very little experience - I didn't drink at all until in my 50's, and very little now, you're right. On a hot day a cold beer can really cut a thirst.

You might try sparkling water or club soda with a strong shot of fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice in it, enough to make it kinda sour.

I don't much experience with Anne's herbal teas, but I get a lot of loose black tea from Upton Tea Importers. They have literally hundreds of kinds, and lots of herbals, very reasonable.

[blackbeard]

I'll chime in for herb tea. Although I am not a teetotaler, I'm not the heavy beer drinker that I once was. Spearmint is my tea of choice. I find that the bite of the mint is a real refresher. And it makes a great iced beverage.

A word of caution about herbs. Some of them can be as powerful as drugs and several have drug interaction problems. Ginkgo & Echinacea are two that come to mind.

[Streetcar]

I've been a fan of club soda with a dash of bitters on occasion. That and non-alcoholic beer can sometimes fill the gap. Be warned, non-alcoholic beer can be pretty....bad....

[Rex_Tremende]

At times that I've cut back voluntarily, I still tried to maintain the rituals. Like for instance, when I come home from work, I generally pour myself a cocktail. It signals the end of the work day and the start of my time. So, instead of a cocktail, I'd pour a glass of iced tea from a pitcher of kept in the fridge, and spike it with some cranberry juice. The pattern was close enough to the mixing of a cocktail that I didn't really care that it wasn't an actual adult drink. The ice clinked in the glass just the same. I like to have a glass of wine on hand when I balance the checkbook and pay the bills (keeps me from panicking), so instead I'd have a diet soda in glass stem ware.

It also helps to rid the house of what you can't have. Making it incredibly difficult to have a drink goes a long way toward changing your attitude about it.

Good luck and get well soon,
Rex.

[CDNSushi]

Well, I've had the occasional near-beer (hard to come by in Japan) and it's a poor substitute in many ways. But in many other ways, I used to drink that stuff by the gallon when I wanted something beer-like without the alcohol.

I like the idea of bitters... See for me, it's the fact that the wines, beers and whatnot that I usually drink are not sweet. I love the taste of tonic water too. When I went to the regular last night, I just kept drinking one tonic water after another. lol...

About 4 years ago I quite drinking Coke completely. It was for my health (and waistline). I used to drink at least 1 a day, especially at work. Now, 4 years later I never touch the stuff. It's an awful, vile-tasting drink for me now. I completely lost the taste for it. lol.

BTW, good suggestions, Rex. Thanks for that.

[Panache]

... I love the taste of tonic water too. When I went to the regular last night, I just kept drinking one tonic water after another. lol...

As a huge Gin and Tonic lover when I want a non alcoholic substitute I have tonic water over ice with a splash of lemon juice

The drink has been dubbed a "Panache" round our house.

Cheers

Jamie :ootd:

[CoreyMacLeod]

I've been on the wagon for almost 5 days... Anyone got any tips on how I can make my jones for a beer go away? Or at least a good way to take my mind off it? I've been noticing that alcohol is so much a part of our society that it's hard to escape... I can't even turn on the TV or a movie because of all the ads, product placement and whatnot.. I'm glad that my abstinence from alcohol is only for a short time and not long-term... How do the teetotalers do it?

First off, let me say that I RARELY drink. Maybe once a year. That being said, a few things for you:

5 days! GOOD WORK! Stick with it. I am going to Weight Watchers. I am clarly addicted to food. I go to it for many reasons that I shouldn't. I've been in WW for 3 weeks now. Sometimes it's really hard to just walk away, not eat, but I do it. What helps? WATER. That will help you too. Drink LOTS of it. Not too much, but plenty. 8 cups a day? Nay - 16. Stick with it.

Now, to get away from alcohol. This is something I do know a bit about. I grew up with addicts. Several came through my doors when I was a kid. I learned a lot about the sickness, disease, whatever you call it. Get the stuff out of your house. ALL OF IT. Dump the expensive along with the cheap. Next, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go around people who are not going to support you in your efforts.

Want a few reasons to stop? I can help with that. I used to do the surgical recovery of human allograft tissues - corneas, bones, skin, connective tissues, cardiovascular tissues. MANY of my donors were on the table WAY TOO EARLY because of alcohol.

Amongst other things, Alcohol use leads to Cirrhosis of the liver. Taken from the MayoClinic.com site : "Cirrhosis (sih-ROW-sis) is a term used to describe scarring of the liver. Your liver is a large organ that sits in your upper abdomen. The liver carries out several essential functions, such as detoxifying harmful substances in your body, purifying your blood and manufacturing vital nutrients.

Cirrhosis occurs in response to chronic damage to your liver. With mild cirrhosis, your liver can make repairs and continue its role in the body. But with more advanced cirrhosis, more and more scar tissue forms in the liver, making it impossible to function.

A number of diseases and conditions can cause the chronic liver damage that leads to cirrhosis."

One of the results of cirrhosis is ascites, a buildup of excess fluid in the abdomen and around the organs. This is caused by the liver not being able to filter as it should, which keeps fluids in the body rather than passing them out through the urine.

When this happens, high ammonia levels in the blood are common, resulting in an altered mental status. Dealing with someone with this is like dealing with person on LSD.

Alcoholic cirrhosis develops for between 10% and 20% of individuals who drink heavily for a decade or more. There is great variability in the amount of alcohol needed to cause cirrhosis (as little as 3-4 drinks a day in some men and 2-3 in some women). - Wiki

When the liver starts to go it puts a strain on the kidneys. They then start to fail.

One common occurence is bleeding of the varices, which are in the esophagus. These buggers are dilated veins in the throat that often bleed in a person who drinks a lot. They can rupture, leading to death. A very very messy death. You don't want to know how I know that part.

Another common occurence is Hepatitis C. I don't think I need to go into detail about that.

Now, on to personal experiences with a live person.



My wife's uncle is in the hospital. Hep. C positive and what I suppose you could call end-stage Cirrhosis. Every two to three days he is having 7-8 LITRES of fluid drained off of his abdomen. His ammonia levels are increased. He is hallucinating. The doctors are trying to control the bleeding of due to his varices veins. They are not being too successful. His liver is almost completely out of commission. His kidneys are starting to shut down. They have to put him under to scope him and work on the varices. Coming out of this should be no more than a few hours. You've been under or you know someone that has, so you know what I am talking about. Last week when they had to go in it took him 3 days to wake up from the proceedure. He is in constant pain, but he can't be given pain medication because the liver won't filter them from his blood. He needs a liver. Problem is he is not a candidate for a liver because he has been drinking in the last 6 months. His outlook is not good.

Suppose, for a minute, that you have some beginning stage of Cirrhosis. STOP NOW and the liver will be ok, will continue to do it's work. Continued drinking, regardless of how much, will only continue to damage your liver. For your sake, stop. Keep up the fight. Get the urge, go walk. Go run. Call someone who supports you. Find a meeting. Find a sponsor. Take up mountain biking. DO ANYTHING, just don't drink.

God bless you. Keep on fighting.

[CoreyMacLeod]

I just read about "Near-Beer". Nope. Cut that mess out too. Call it a gateway drink. Don't drink it.