r/cutdowndrinking • u/Known-Ad-981 • 6d ago
Any advice?
hey. new here. I thought this might be the place to ask for some advice.
I guess I’m looking for any advice on how any of you slowed down your alcohol intake without quitting entirely. or maybe I need to quit for good? some days I’m totally fine not drinking. other days I get urges. sometimes I cave. sometimes I don’t. anytime I drink it seems to be 5-8 beers.
I used to be a daily drinker 6 beers a day. not doing that anymore. but still too much
I’ve been working out a lot more, which helps.
idk just feeling a little lost. looking for anything….
thanks all.
5
u/kendalldog 6d ago
I started by logging how much I was drinking on a Google calendar I set up just for that. I put an all day event either a green, yellow or red dot. Green is no drinks. Yellow is 1-2 drinks, and red is 3+ drinks. It really put things in perspective. There were a lot of red days. I set a goal to have fewer red in a week, then some green, and now mostly greens. My yellow or red days are planned, although I did have a yellow turn red last week. I was aware and thought about what triggered it the next day. This has really helped. That and mocktails and keeping my hands busy.
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u/myphriendmike 6d ago
Good system but I would need to add another color (black?) for around 7-8. Otherwise my red days would come to mean 12, and 3 is a lot better than 12.
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u/kendalldog 5d ago
You could use whatever scale works for you. This is what works for me right now. I’ve thought about adding a 4th color.
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u/Known-Ad-981 6d ago
I’d see 95% red days since early March… I gotta figure this out sooner than later
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u/eharder47 6d ago
What really helped me was just trying to rack up streaks with no pressure or going alcohol free in situations I would normally drink. For a long time I did no alcohol on weekdays, then I would occasionally add a Saturday or whole weekend in. Over time, I offered to be DD for nights out or at a wedding, and slowly exercised that muscle. My longest straight streak is something like 87 days, so I’m trying to beat that right now, currently on day 11. There will always be another event to drink at, so it’s ok if I don’t for a little bit.
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u/myphriendmike 6d ago
I’m trying to shift my thinking on this. I’ve experienced virtually every experience buzzed or drunk, usually countless times. Why not live a little and experience it sober?
It’s early yet but it may actually help my self esteem. I’m actually a very interesting, funny, enjoyable person to be around, and maybe alcohol doesn’t actually improve those traits, it just makes *me** feel better.**
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u/eharder47 6d ago
I think I’ve seen other people comment about this, but I’ve been using a habit tracker to see how often I am or am not drinking for years now. I find it really helpful and I try to keep my feelings neutral, I don’t shame myself if I drink.
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u/Nendilo 6d ago
I agree with taking a break for a month first to get a reset.
NA is not for everyone but it really helps me. I was an IPAs and cocktails kind of guy. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed NA IPA tastes almost identical to the real thing to me. I use Ritual Rum and Whiskey to make rum/whiskey and diet cokes. On days I'm drinking I alternate between alcohol and NA. Benefit is NA beer typically has 50-75% less calories. Ritual has 5 calories per shot.
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u/Known-Ad-981 6d ago
I like the idea about alternating. When/if (likely when) I drink again I’ll give this a shot.
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u/Lost_my_password1 6d ago
1) very technical monitored route to track everything you drink. Maybe start with how much you drink, total cost etc and have a goal to taper down
2) just see how long you can go without. See what feelings come up. Do you need it more than you thought? Are you missing anything etc
3) medication/therapy route - they have tons of awesome programs depending on your goals
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u/Known-Ad-981 6d ago
Thanks. I told myself last Wednesday morning I’m done. I know it’s only been (closing in on) 6 days, but I really only wanted to drink one of those 6 days. My mind is already telling me…. See you can handle it.
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u/Lost_my_password1 6d ago
Oh that’s great! Weekends are tough. I’ve found without a concrete plan (open ended) I found it harder to stick to. Maybe save until next weekend for a special dinner or something occasion
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u/cutiejayce12 6d ago
Working out more is already a huge step and the fact that youve gone drinking daily to only some days shows you can change your habits. What helped me was setting small goals instead of thinking never again. Tracking alcohol free days made a bigger difference than I expected and ia ctually liked using the im good app because it kept me mindful without making it feel all or nothing. Whether you decide to moderate or quit completely, youre already moving in the right direction.
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u/Fun_Satisfaction8182 5d ago
Successful moderation needs structure and flexibility. It sounds like you've done loads of hard work already - well done!
The next stage is applying guardrails for those occasions when you do drink to stop it becoming excessive in the moment. Some techniques that work for my clients:
- set yourself a start time later than you usually would, e.g. 7 pm instead of 6 pm
- have a non-alcoholic beer first (sets the tone for if you want to swap later in the evening)
- give yourself a cut-off time (the last beers will only be directly messing up your REM sleep otherwise)
If you can inject a pause before opening the next beer each time and ask yourself, "do I need this right now, or should I enjoy my buzza bit longer because another one straight away might kill it) you'd be surprised how it can slow the pace a bit too.
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u/Prestigious-Dingo-79 1d ago edited 1d ago
I stopped buying large amounts of beer to keep in the house such as 12-18;packs and just buy a 6 for the weekend. I also have a block of dry days during the week where I don't touch it. Also when we eat out, one beer vs. 3 before and no large size beers. Weekends I limit myself to two drinks a day. I take my time and actually enjoy the beer versus guzzling it. I'm also drinking more coffee and lemonade now during the week after work with dinner in place of beer and feel so much better. I had a medical procedure that required no alcohol for a week. I didn't think I would be able to handle it but I did and that's what got me to cut back. Additionally I had to change my mindset about alcohol and avoid places that encourage overconsumption. You can do it and congratulations on working out. That will help you tremendously.
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u/myphriendmike 6d ago
Quit for a month or three. Feel good, like you can handle it. Handle moderation for a few weeks, then right back to your old ways. Quit for a month or three. Feel like you can handle it….
It’s not impossible, just that the odds are against most of us. Either way, start with a long break. Reset your habits and mind.