7 Comments

Best decision I ever made. Your experiences are so similar to mine. And Iā€™m still a bit of a dick šŸ˜‚

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I found myself telling people like my own mother that I was just trying out not drinking. That lasted 6 months, now I just make people aware at a reasonable point, like when I'm being invited out for a drink, that I'll turn up but I'm a recovering alcoholic so I might leave early. Seems to be working really well, I never get invited out any more and could not be happier!

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Thanks again Sam for another absolute belter.

Would drink on my days off, often after 10 shifts straight, as a then highly qualified & uber-responsible nurse manager. I wouldn't thank you for any kind of drink between days off, but would be bladdered each and every days off stint, drinking on my home balcony, usually alone, until hammered & falling off the chair, as my partner anxiously awaited me to stop.

In 1995, at age 39, and with an enlarged fatty liver plus diabetes & hypertension diagnosed, I decided enough was enough, the finest decision I ever made, giving away the then lifelong smoking habit on the same day.

The thoughts of not being able to enjoy another beer or whatever seemed far more daunting that it actually was - the decision to do so is allowing me to type these words, I am very happy to say, and encourage, along with Sam, anyone to make the changes necessary to reclaim your life. There are, quite simply, better things to do with all that time.

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I remember going to a garden party (which was fucking awful in itself) and being offered a beer by the twat whose house it was - I told him I didnā€™t drink and was, for the rest of the evening, treated like a pariah.

It made me nervous and awkward about telling people I donā€™t drink for a fair while.

luckily, like you Sam, I really donā€™t give a shiny shit nowadays - itā€™s liberating to be free of the baggage that comes with drinking- thanks Sam, keep emā€™ coming!

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Iā€™m meeting up with a bunch of old work colleagues this coming Friday and all the chat has elevated from being good to catch up to ā€œcanā€™t wait to have a drinkā€ so Iā€™m making the obvious excuse about driving but genuinely a bit anxious about it now as itā€™s likely to turn in to a piss up rather than a gentle fun reunion. Oh well.

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Loved this. Mother in lawā€™s eh? Mine asked me if Iā€™d ever considered speech therapy. Cheeky cow.

So pleased youā€™ve been able to rise above it all. People need drinking partners to alleviate there own guilt. Itā€™s theres to own, not yours.

Thank you.

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The dangers of commenting when itā€™s time for bed. It was elocution lessons *their guilt *theirs to own

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