I'm giving up beer and wine for a year or maybe forever

Nurses Recovery

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

I gave up wine and beer for Lent, I'm not an alcoholic but it is extremely habit forming for me, and could very well lead to alcoholism. I'm feeling so much better, that I've decided to give it up until at least next Easter, in 2009. I'll reevaluate at that time.

I drink beer and wine to relax and get a little bit of a buzz. I'll give it up for awhile, then start up again with one beer or glass of wine, then two. When I get to three I always get tired of it. I don't drink every day, but there is always an escalating pattern.

I didn't grow up around much drinking, but I was adopted and I found my birth mother's family, and alcoholism runs in the family with a gradual onset. My birth mother was an alcoholic. I never drank much until age 30, but once I started there always was this escalating pattern, which is the same pattern that runs in my genetic family.

One thing about drinking a couple of beers a day is that it is fattening. I'm trying to maintain my weight even though I am going through menopause and am 50 now. I really want to stay healthy for the sake of my family, and also for myself.

So, I'm giving up all beer and wine (I don't drink hard liquor) until Easter of 2009 and wanted to share that here, thanks for reading.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

jlsRN~I have a few thoughts on this, please PM me if you'd like to talk.

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JLS, the escalation you describe is definitely an alcoholic pattern. Just my opinion.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.
I gave up wine and beer for Lent, I'm not an alcoholic but it is extremely habit forming for me, and could very well lead to alcoholism. I'm feeling so much better, that I've decided to give it up until at least next Easter, in 2009. I'll reevaluate at that time.

I drink beer and wine to relax and get a little bit of a buzz. I'll give it up for awhile, then start up again with one beer or glass of wine, then two. When I get to three I always get tired of it. I don't drink every day, but there is always an escalating pattern.

I didn't grow up around much drinking, but I was adopted and I found my birth mother's family, and alcoholism runs in the family with a gradual onset. My birth mother was an alcoholic. I never drank much until age 30, but once I started there always was this escalating pattern, which is the same pattern that runs in my genetic family.

One thing about drinking a couple of beers a day is that it is fattening. I'm trying to maintain my weight even though I am going through menopause and am 50 now. I really want to stay healthy for the sake of my family, and also for myself.

So, I'm giving up all beer and wine (I don't drink hard liquor) until Easter of 2009 and wanted to share that here, thanks for reading.

I just wanted to wish you all sorts of good luck and best wishes. Sending cyberhugs!

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
JLS, the escalation you describe is definitely an alcoholic pattern. Just my opinion.

That's why I just want to give it up. My goal is one year, at which time I'll probably renew it for another year. I feel better not drinking beer and wine and don't want to keep repeating this pattern, it's getting old.

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If I may make a suggestion, giving up alcohol for long periods of time is hard. Giving up up just for today is easier.

:)

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A day at a time, jls. A year is overwhelming.

:)

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I just wanted to wish you all sorts of good luck and best wishes. Sending cyberhugs!

Ditto!

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

I don't think a year is overwhelming. It's an entirely achievable goal.

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I don't think a year is overwhelming. It's an entirely achievable goal.

No, JLS.....what Sue meant is that the AA/NA motto is "ONE day at a time." If we reach for a goal longer than that, the chances of relapse are high. If we just focus on the next 24 hours, we have a better chance.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
No, JLS.....what Sue meant is that the AA/NA motto is "ONE day at a time." If we reach for a goal longer than that, the chances of relapse are high. If we just focus on the next 24 hours, we have a better chance.

For me it's really not much of a goal to make it through one day of not having a beer. I didn't drink every day anyways. I like my year goal better, it works better for me. I definately don't agree with a one size fits all approach.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Good luck to you!!!

A one size fits all approach to quitting alcohol certainly is a recipe for disaster for some of us.

When I was first quitting, I couldn't imagine not drinking, so focusing on the present worked best for me. Sometimes I would say "I'll put off going to the liquor store for one hour". Then the hours turned into years. The same with smoking, I knew I would never quit because I tried to quit 100 times before, so it was enough to say "I'm going to put off that ciggarette a few more minutes." With ciggarettes I had to break it down to minutes. "I will not not smoke right this second." I still refuse to take that first puff, nearly 21 years later.

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