Will I stop being CRANKY without being tipsy...?

[Allycat659]

Hi all - I've been toying with the idea for some time to quit this supid drinking habit I have. I ordered the book and the supps & CD's quite awhile ago, tried listening to the CD once and just felt like it wasn't working for me (when I was going "deeper" I was going down a set of stairs but in my head, the stairs kept "ending" LOL). Anyway, I realize I must do something. I have 11 year old twins and while I normally don't drink until they go to bed (I've got it in my head that I can't sleep without drinking myself to sleep...), on the weekends, I will have a few glasses of wine in the afternoon, which always turns into a LOT of wine by the end of the night. Problem is, when I'm not drinking, I'm fairly often short tempered and kind of "snappy" at my precious kids and I'm just not very much fun. In my stupid brain, I actually feel like I'm a much better mom when I've had a few glasses of wine! I'm much happier, and much more in tune with what they want to do, so much happier playing board games with them, or going on walks, doing gymnastics in the park, etc, etc when I've had a glass or two of wine. The problem is (as it is with so many of us...) I don't stop at one or two, and the more I drink, the MORE I drink. So, while there are a few hours in which I feel like a great mom, I don't stop and eventually, I wake up the next morning and realize I drank so much that I don't remember going to bed. My kids never mention anything about my acting "different" or "drunk" and their friends think I'm the most fun mom on the planet and they ALWAYS want to spend the night so I think I'm a VERY good functioning drunk but I'm now seriously getting tired of living this way and I want to at the very LEAST, cut WAY back and get things under control. My question is, did anyone else feel CRABBY when you didn't drink? If so, when you stop drinking, does the cranky feeling ever go away? I've recently started running again (which feels GREAT) and I'm eating a whole lot better but I swear, this drinking is like a big freaking monkey on my back and I SOOOO want to get it off but when I don't drink, I feel blah. I know I'll feel happy after I get a few days or weeks under my belt without the alcohol, but I just wonder if I'll ever feel as awesome as I do when I hit the "sweet spot" of being just slightly tipsy, but not drunk. Help...?

[startingover]

Will I stop being CRANKY without being tipsy...?

Hi Allycat.
Well done on making a decision to get this under control.
When I first stopped drinking, I did suffer with extreme anxiety. I think this is fairly normal. After a few weeks that abated and I began to feel better about myself.
I can honestly say I am MUCH less bad tempered now I am sober.
When I was drinking I was often short tempered due to hangover, withdrawal and/or waiting for my next session.
My happiness now is also true happiness and not generated from a bottle.
I always say that the natural highs I can experience now are sooo much better than any from alcohol or a drug.
Give it a go, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[scrubbly]

Will I stop being CRANKY without being tipsy...?

Oh boy, the crankiness. Do I know it.

Starty hit the nail on the head, and she is also right that it does get better.

One thing that can help a lot are the supplements if you are doing those at the time that you do your 30 days of AF to get started.

A lot of people SWEAR by taking another supplement not mentioned in the book too, that is L-Theanine, another amino acid that people say really helps with the anxiety and crabiness in those first few weeks when your body is getting used to being without AL.

Good luck to you...you are a good mom to begin with, and you will be a better mom when you get a good handle on your drinking!!

[Allycat659]

Will I stop being CRANKY without being tipsy...?

Thank you both for responding - I really appreciate it!!! I haven't started taking the supps yet but am going to, starting tomorrow morning! Luckily, I don't have any kind of anxiety when I don't drink but I find myself "thinking" about having a glass of wine very frequently when I'm not drinking. I am going to dust off the CD's, and the book, and pull the supplements out of the back of my closet tonight and give it a whirl. I'm not sure I will start with the 30 days AF yet, but I will try to cut WAY back. If that doesn't work, I will have to consider the next step and go for the complete abs route for some period of time. The other problem I have is my BF and I drink together and everything we DO involves drinking somehow. I'm sure he has a drinking problem too, and while we've talked about it, he sort of dances around the "quitting" thing. We've been together for 8 years and we drink every time we're together so this is really going to be a tough adjustment for me. Yet another reason I am going to try the "slow way down" route before "quitting altogether". Who knows - it may not work, and I may have to completely quit because I refuse to have another night of not remembering how my evening ended, especially when I have my kids with me. Not only that, I don't want to die from this disgusting habit and it HAS to be reaking havoc on my insides...

Scrubbly, did you start taking the supps right away and did they really seem to make a difference? I'm a tad nervous about adding all of these new "things" to my body when I don't really know what they are. I will research the L-Theanine too - thanks for that!

And Starting Over - how IMPRESSIVE that you not only quit drinking but also recently quit smoking. You must feel like a WHOLE NEW PERSON!!! Kudos to you, and thank you both for your input. Having this board makes it feel like it'll be so much easier with all of the support from you fine folks... )

[cacky]

Will I stop being CRANKY without being tipsy...?

Ally, wow 11 year old twins. I have 10 year old twins (almost 11). Im not sure about your two but my two absolutely know when i am drinking and they dont like it. for a while they wouldnt say anything about it. now i cant get them to shut up about it so i chose not to drink around them.

Anyway, my understanding is that you are going to get cranky coming off AL. we are so used to hiding behind AL and hiding from our emotions. I think the sups will help especially l-glut or kutzo.

Anyway. welcome and good luck

[LilBit]

Will I stop being CRANKY without being tipsy...?

Ally and Cacky -- twins! Wow, you guys are saints!

Ally, it took a few days for the L-glut to really get into my system but it began to help the cravings immediately. The L-theanine helped to calm me down right away. I was PMSing and in a terrible state. 'Felt calmer within 20 minutes. I wouldn't worry too much about "adding the new things to your body." There seem to be no ill effects with the supps (although it's a good idea to balance them -- see the toolbox for more info). Good luck to you, and let us know how it goes!

[Angelcakes]

Will I stop being CRANKY without being tipsy...?

Very interesting Allycat...I've been fighting the 'I'm a better Mum when I've had a few' thought for a while...I know it's the booze talking and I'm a much better person when sober. Good to hear that after a few weeks you can return to 'normal un-chemical enhanced happy'!!!

[The New Me]

Will I stop being CRANKY without being tipsy...?

Allycat
I also had a relationship that was based on drinking. I found it very difficult to stop when I was with this person, for many reasons - one that, to some extend, I blamed him on my drinking (what a crack of s***t that was)
But, he would not do anything else with me other than drink.. This is who he was. He forgot how to have fun without drinking. He brought me down, for I compied with his life style, instead of trying to force my own, such as going out to movie, church, ice cream, jogging - you name it.
I am out of it now, but the blame is no longer there - time to face your own problems. However, hanging around someone who drinks too much and you no longer wish to, is not going to make it easier.