Drug Sabbatical Support & Appreciation Thread

[The Kid]

Though the lychee soda might still be a little ahead of its time...

...aye...that and the Sinclair C5.

 

[masaz]

I stand by my decision to purchase a fleet of C5s

 

[The Kid]

I stand by my decision to purchase a fleet of C5s

Hahahahaha

 

[koneko]

2 days straighter than straight - and this includes no alcohol too

Day 3 here I come... I think I'm on a roll and even have things available to tempt me and still... better not speak to soon eh

Snolly facing temptation and not doing it deserves a gold star (and fleet of C5's) and big hugs!

*hugs*

A' the best to those on the holiday Change is as good as a rest like...

 

[masaz]

*hugs*

Go Kate! Tis mighty good if there's still stuff laying round, think I'd not be able to resist. Had to chuck my last beers out the window Should have probably donated them to parents looking back. Oops.

 

[cherrycolouredfunk]

Day two of no Alcohol.

Although last night I discovered that I cannot drink Codeine Linctus as it contains ethanol which my body seemed to have somewhat of an unpleasant reaction to. I'm used to taking around 270mg's and normally get through the sickness and get a nice nod. Not this time. I did get a wonderful sleep though. Looks like I'm going to have to read labels on EVERYTHING from now on. Even mouthwash and facial toner!

 

[Inso]

I've decided to give the sabbatical the fuck off tablet.

I've cut down my boozing loads since the start of the year, and my coke intake has never really been an issue, so as long as i don't go too mental on too regular a basis then i'm happy with the current intake.

Your situation is very good actually, only having access to coke every now n then on trips to the UK. Do you think you might have a bit more of an issue with controlling use if it were regularly accessible in the local area though? Availability an exposure to a drug had a lot of influence on how problematic use can become, specially coke, as I know from experience. When I could get more at 7 am it wasn't good.

 

[masaz]

Day two of no Alcohol.

Although I have discovered that I cannot drink Codeine Linctus as it contains ethanol which my body seemed to have somewhat of an unpleasant reaction to. I'm used to taking around 270mg's and normally get through the sickness and get a nice nod. Not this time. I did get a wonderful sleep though. Looks like I'm going to have to read labels on EVERYTHING from now on. Even mouthwash and facial toner!

How you finding it otherwise? Was gonna say watch out for mouthwash

Oh man and tell me if you get the booze dreams so I know it's not just me feeling oddly guilty in the morning.

 

[The Kid]

Your situation is very good actually, only having access to coke every now n then on trips to the UK. Do you think you might have a bit more of an issue with controlling use if it were regularly accessible in the local area though? Availability an exposure to a drug had a lot of influence on how problematic use can become, specially coke, as I know from experience. When I could get more at 7 am it wasn't good.

Yep, there's a high chance it would be an issue. 99% of visits to London over the past 5 years have ended up with various amounts of chang. However i guess you never know until you're in that situation. If I lived in the UK with my wife and kiddie, then i'd probably have less opportunity to get on it, and i'd also be put off by the kiddie waking up at the crack of dawn each day!

So living on a little island has some advantages (although Gordon Brown seems to want to make us all pay more tax...so fuck you Gordon!)

 

[cherrycolouredfunk]

How you finding it otherwise? Was gonna say watch out for mouthwash

Oh man and tell me if you get the booze dreams so I know it's not just me feeling oddly guilty in the morning.

It's too early I think to tell so far. I did serve somebody a pint at work the other day right at the end of my shift and think to myself Ah I could just drink that, but only as it was a nice cold pint. If i'd been in the house I wouldn't have been bothered. The hardest time is going to be in social situations. My close friends all understand though so it won't be that difficult. I know I can't drink, but sometimes people don't understand.

My dreams will probably start coming back now I'm not drinking so I'll tell you as soon as I get a booze related one - which I think I will

 

[cherrycolouredfunk]

No No fucking No! I think I'm giving up on this not drinking thing. It's turned me into a social recluse. The anxiety I have had to endure at work today was excruciating. I know it's just my mind and body adapting to not having alcohol in my system 24/7.

I've just had to say no to going out to the pub with Treacle and some of his friends because I'm too anxious, and where's the fun in being the only one not drinking surrounded by people who are drinking? I don't think I should have to explain myself to any who says 'Oh why you not drinking' like its some huge crime not to be, if I was sat there racking up lines of coke on the table they would be horrified yet it's fine for them to drink a socially accepted drug!

It's been hard enough this week trying to deal with cravings. And seeing alcohol in the house around me. Working with it everyday.

Said no to going out with friends last night when I really really wanted to go out but the thought of going to a club that i'm usually always totally fucked in and being stone cold sober was not really appealing. One of my friends ended up sending me a really drunken text that basically implied I was boring and always make up lame excuses for not doing things with her. So yeah, would have been great fun being sober around her.

So now I'm sat in all on my fucking own and SO BORED I can't stand it. And I still can't drink! If I knew I wouldn't be violently ill If I had a drink I would be off to the shop right now! I'm not stupid enough to do that.

This is really really hard. I've been sober 7 days. I've only ever managed 10 days sober in the past 5 years.

 

[masaz]

Man it is a fucker at first, turned me into a bit of a recluse too to be honest. Just been hanging out with mates who don't drink. Best friend gave up with me so that really helped. I guess just stick at it. Going out sober is kind of odd, but it's not as boring as you'd expect. It is harder to communicate with people though. Does sound like you've got it hard though, seven days is fucking good however so you can at least be encouraged by that even if it is utter shite to go through!

Hehe dunno what to say really Can you not get Treacle to quit with you, or at least not have booze in the house? Having someone else not drinking is really helpful as there's less focus on booze and less of it around. Plus it's easier to find stuff to do that doesn't involve the stuff.

I am now of the opinion that alcohol is thoroughly evil but I do really miss it on occasion.

 

[Na Boa]

Had a real strange night on Thursday. Basically made a bit of an arse of myself, upset 2 work colleagues (both of whom also made an arse of themselves too, possibly worse than me) in front of my real mates and some randoms, pretty much just didn't feel very good about myself on the way home then had another fairly lengthy drinking session and did some pills the next day.

The long and short of it is that a) I've realised that alcohol is really not doing me any favours, I don't really like the person I've become and I need to leave my job / this town asap before ithe situation gets any more fucked up and b) I've decided to give up alcohol and other drugs for the forseeable future. The shit thing is that I've got 3 beers in the fridge and half a bottle of wine and am feeling really anxious about having to go back into work on Tuesday due to what's been happening so I'm really, really tempted to have a drink, but I also know that I need to learn a bit of self discipline.

Truth is, I've been going through some really awful things with my family since Christmas but can't really bring myself to talk about it with anyone at work or where I live now so I think people just think I'm being an arsehole but I'm really not myself. I can't figure out if I'm just being paranoid or not and everything will be alright next week but the temptation to have a few drinks and forget about it all is strong. I really feel that I need to do this though.

 

[cherrycolouredfunk]

Man it is a fucker at first, turned me into a bit of a recluse too to be honest. Just been hanging out with mates who don't drink. Best friend gave up with me so that really helped. I guess just stick at it. Going out sober is kind of odd, but it's not as boring as you'd expect. It is harder to communicate with people though. Does sound like you've got it hard though, seven days is fucking good however so you can at least be encouraged by that even if it is utter shite to go through!

Hehe dunno what to say really Can you not get Treacle to quit with you, or at least not have booze in the house? Having someone else not drinking is really helpful as there's less focus on booze and less of it around. Plus it's easier to find stuff to do that doesn't involve the stuff.

I am now of the opinion that alcohol is thoroughly evil but I do really miss it on occasion.

He said he was going to the first week I stopped, but it ended up not happening. He said he's going to stop starting from tomorrow. But it's different for him, he knows he can drink if he needs to if a mate asks him over for a drink or for anxiety reasons or whatever. I can't as I take something that means I can't just say 'oh one day wont hurt' and that's what I'm really struggling with.

Every social activity my friends do involves drink, drugs or both combined. It's just this massive cloud of anxiety that's descended on me that's difficult to cope with. I've been self medicating with alcohol for too long now I suppose.

I also hate being around drunk people if I'm sober. Yeah, communication becomes difficult.

I might just see how I do this week before deciding if I'm going to go back to drinking.

 

[koneko]

[/QUOTE]if I'm going to go back to drinking.[/QUOTE]???

is it fucking home, is it fuck

 

[cherrycolouredfunk]

^ It has been for a long time though. I feel like I've got to get to know the sober me all over again and how I am around people and I don't like it.

 

[masaz]

Yeah, I guess giving it time is the only way. Sort of takes a bit to get used to cos you have to find other stuff to fill your day with and booze is way more prevalent than I ever imagined.

Suppose the antabuse is a curse and a blessing, interesting one that. Owt you can do for the anxiety? Found being on meds has helped me over that but I'm still wanting to get pissed in social settings. Dreading seeing everyone from college cos I've never been in a social situation with them before without being arseholed. The first few weeks of re-discovering sober you is bizarre, but it's also kind of nice, in a way. It's introducing it to other people that's the thing.

Bah, give it a go for another week and see how you feel, you've done well to get this far so least if you go back to it if you try stopping again in the future you'll know you can get so far, at least.

And good luck with your new sabbatical, Na Boa! Know the feeling all too well. Sort of dark pit of doom sort of thing.

 

[cherrycolouredfunk]

It's introducing it to other people that's the thing.

Yeah, a lot of my friends have been very supportive. But it is going to be difficult to get used to being the only sober one if only drinking is involved.

I will end up back on meds when I demand to be seen by a decent doctor. However, my recent interaction with Mental Health around here was not successful. I've been denied access to Mental Health by a middle class judgemental nurse who I first spoke to. She decided that as I confessed to taking MDMA and other drugs about 3 times a month that I have a heavy substance abuse problem so are not willing to deal with me until I don't take any drugs. I'd really like to see what she classes as a serious drug problem if she thinks mine is heavy!

I've been on and off medication for years, years before I'd ever taken a drug in my life! They should be able to see that from my medical records - but oh, they have gone missing!

So yeah. My anxiety will probably pass I just need to be strong and ride it out!

 

[Na Boa]

And good luck with your new sabbatical, Na Boa! Know the feeling all too well. Sort of dark pit of doom sort of thing.

Cheers, mate. That is EXACTLY how I feel right now.

Good luck to everyone in their own sabbaticals too.

 

[TheSpade]

If I knew I wouldn't be violently ill If I had a drink I would be off to the shop right now! I'm not stupid enough to do that

What are you taking that causes that? Seems quite extreme but could be an effective way to stop drinking for sure.

I can't figure out if I'm just being paranoid or not and everything will be alright next week

I'm the type of person who worries about everything and anything. I worry and worry and worry about things and then wonder why I bothered as nothing is ever as bad as I anticipate. I bet you'll go to work and it'll either be forgotten or not such a big deal. Especially if 2 other work mates made bigger cunts of themselves. What exactly did you do btw? Might help us put it into context and tell you whether to continue worrying or not.

I've got 3 beers in the fridge and half a bottle of wine

If your serious about not drinking you need to pour these down the sink or drink them now and then quit after that. I've decided not to drink as much as of tomorrow, I have a bottle of cider almost every night and then a load more cider and spirts at the weekend, even though I'm not addicted and it's not causing any problems I feel that I'd rather not drink as much and not drink every night anyway. So decided to finish off the cider I had in the fridge and don't plan to buy any this following week, if a social event comes up I'll certainly have a drink but much less drinking at home. Shame too as I really, really enjoy an ice cold refreshing cider when I come in from work / in the evening and I'll just end up substituting it for fizzy drinks anyway.

Anyway good luck!