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40 Days Without Booze

jdmoyer.com

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Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#91

Post by jlgreco »

bitops wrote: post #75
hammock wrote: post #71

>I did find it more difficult to remain polite in the presence of people who were actively annoying me, but I managed to hold my tongue in most cases. Recently, I did a 42-day voluntary abstention from drinking. And, unlike everyone else I know who has tried this, I didn't cheat. It was inspired by a 21-day abstention a few months prior, which was due to a backpacking trip on which we decided not to bring any booze.…

The ultimate in self-denial: no computer usage outside of works hours for a week!

The most I've been able to go recently (probably discoverable from my HN post history... cringe) is about 3 days. It felt great but I can't really keep it up. Also, elevated levels of booze was involved.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#92

Post by reustle »

davrosthedalek wrote: post #76
reustle wrote: post #11

Great writeup. As someone who never drinks, and never has, it continues to sound like a drug to me and I want no part of it. That said, I still get questioned about my decision like I have 2 heads.

I know that feeling. It seems everybody sees it as a challenge to get me to drink.

That and the endless questions. I feel like I have it rehearsed so well now :)

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#93

Post by Raphmedia »

a3voices wrote: post #47
ultimoo wrote: post #18

>> ...alcoholism is often linked to highly driven, ambitious, over-achieving personality types... I have come across this point multiple times in the past -- reading or conversing -- but never has a concrete source or study been cited. Not to say I don't agree with it -- anecdotal evidence is not always false. It is really true though? I consider myself very driven and ambitious and also have a drinking habit, but kn…

People who drink alcohol in moderation statistically make 10-15% more money. http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/drinking-statistic...

Sure, but that money goes into booze.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#94

Post by jere »

3pt14159 wrote: post #85
jere wrote: post #60

I've slipped into the habit of drinking almost every single night over the past few months and I'm currently trying to cut it out. It's harder than I thought it would be. Like the author said, I've never noticed any physical withdrawal, but I have a strong urge to have a drink every night (sometimes even in the middle of the day). This is one of the most stressful times of my life and it's so hard not to just say "fu…

Yeah, I assume you are in your late twenties. I've talked privately with lots of people in the Toronto tech scene about daily drinking. I was doing it when I was 27 during a stressful period when the acquisition of a company I started began to fall apart (I only ended up making 9 months of the 4 year vesting). I was told that it either lasts until you have kids, turn thirty, or turn into a full blown alcoholic. I too…

Wow. I turned 27 last week. It wasn't always about drinking because of stress (I happen to really like trying different craft brews), but lately it has been. My wife is going through some serious medical issues and depression, which invariably puts a strain on finances also.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#95

Post by antitrust »

I have learned distrust. I distrust anything that makes me feel good without having achieved something that merits that sensation.

Alcohol is like being wrapped in a comforter. You are warm, the world is soft, and like a child, you trust in everything turning out alright.

This has no relationship to the real world.

While I have enjoyed alcohol many times, and both drunk to excess and been a social drinker, I find that it distracts me. It distracts from what I should be paying attention to, while I'm busy feeling good and safe.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#96

Post by jlgreco »

mumbi wrote: post #25
smsm42 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not "like a drug", it is a drug just like any other substances commonly called drugs. We just integrated it into our culture, and learned to live with it and accept the consequences of its use (on the societal level, personally it is still as capable of destroying lives as any other drug if abused). But it doesn't change neither chemistry nor biology nor physiology of what is happening. So if someone talks to y…

Drug is a political term.

Even in a political sense alcohol is considered a drug. Hell, in the past many countries have even banned it like other drugs. A select few continue to do so.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#97

Post by 3pt14159 »

hammock wrote: post #71

>I did find it more difficult to remain polite in the presence of people who were actively annoying me, but I managed to hold my tongue in most cases. Recently, I did a 42-day voluntary abstention from drinking. And, unlike everyone else I know who has tried this, I didn't cheat. It was inspired by a 21-day abstention a few months prior, which was due to a backpacking trip on which we decided not to bring any booze.…

I do 40 days of no drinking every year starting Jan 1. The only year I didn't was this year because I decided to quit smoking completely instead (haven't had a single cig since, fuck yeah) (also, checkout /r/stopsmoking it is really fun to quit with other people and have people upvote you for bragging about quitting).

Another self-denial one I've done is to not eat anything that came from a possibly harmed-before-butchered animal. Free run eggs/wild fish/well raised beef only. This is much harder than you think, since it basically means vegetarian at most restaurants unless you call ahead.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#98

Post by vacri »

nmcfarl wrote: post #4

My wife is pregnant and as a show of solidarity I’m not drinking around her (which cuts out the majority of my drinking). Which is not quite this experiment, but has shown me one thing where his and my experiences differ: Socializing. As it turns out I socialize a lot in bars - and I don’t like bars at all when not drinking. Mocktails° help - but not enough, and basically no bars serve those in Seattle, only fancy re…

I went 'dry' for a month when I was a bit concerned about my drinking, but still went to my regular pub. Drinking pints of postmix coke and socialising... doesn't really cut it. You get tired of postmix fast, and I generally love soft drinks.

When I had my first beer after that month, it was just a beer. I wasn't especially eager for it. That was heartening.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#99

Post by vacri »

My old boss told me that her brother spends one month a year not drinking, to prove to himself that he doesn't need the booze... but he always did in in February, because it was the shortest month.

Re: 40 Days Without Booze

#100

Post by jotm »

jere wrote: post #60

I've slipped into the habit of drinking almost every single night over the past few months and I'm currently trying to cut it out. It's harder than I thought it would be. Like the author said, I've never noticed any physical withdrawal, but I have a strong urge to have a drink every night (sometimes even in the middle of the day). This is one of the most stressful times of my life and it's so hard not to just say "fu…

Ugh, I used to drink every day to unwind, but then it got out of control. "Just have one" (that's no rationalization, it's how your brain gets you) always turned into two, three, four. Hell, I could say I was an alcoholic, except it didn't really affect my work.

Quitting was pretty hard, too, I could go a week or two without any alcohol, then I just needed to take some.

Somehow, I got the willpower to buy a bottle of wine or beer, then just empty it out slowly in the sink - that was a very strong motivator to let my body know "I don't need this". It took several of these events over the course of two months and I was free of alcohol cravings.

Nowadays, I do still drink occasionally, but never more than twice a month, just in case.

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