Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

[Chi]

I've been posting on these boards about cutting down my AL the last year while on bac. I'm glad about the reduction, but I still average about 4-5, sometimes 6 drinks a night. A drink is one light beer. My bac does is between 50 and 75mgs per day.

I know I need to get the last of this monkey off my back, so I've been seriously considering going AF.... and upping the bac. My biggest problem is I am so attached to having "a few drinks" every night with my husband. It is such an ingrained ritual, and unfortunately one we still enjoy very much.

My question for you all is what was the GOOD part of going AF on bac?? How did you replace the drink time? Was it difficult? Do you miss the drinks? Does your partner drink?

I welcome any and all opinions on this.

Thanks.

[Seethepony]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Hi Chi,
Sounds like you need to take the baclofen dosage up a notch or two. If you're drinking every night, the baclofen isn't really working.
Most of the time I have no trouble whatsoever not drinking - the word "indifference" crops up a lot but it's an pertinent one. I don't spend the whole day waiting for the 6 o' clock kickoff when I used to crack open the first beer of the evening. Also, I have no sense of crisis when my wife drinks a glass of wine while watching some crap on TV. (She is one of those enviable souls who can savour one or two glasses of wine and leave it at that. I start drinking wine, pretty soon I find one bottle just ain't enough...)
How do I replace the drink time? I don't know - I do the same things as usually, I just don't do them drunk! (Shagging happens quite a lot more that it used to, and I still buy complete crap on ebay that I don't need...)

So I guess you're going to have to get more baclofen and tell your husband he'll have to drink by himself from now on. Unless you want to sit there sipping lemonade while he knocks back the Jack Daniels or whatever it is. Actually when I hit the switch last August we had some good drinking friends staying with us and they got plastered every night as usual while I sat there drinking milky cups of PG Tips, to our collective astonishment. When you're indifferent, you're really indifferent. At least that's how it worked for me.

Good luck!

[Lo0p]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Like I was walking on air. I went from being overwhelmingly suicidal and in a dark cold endless night to watching the sunrise for what seemed like the first time and recognizing this chance to be in this body holding me as a holy experience.

Go higher.

[Longshot]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

I'm sorry I can't consider 6 american light beers as drinking.

[Guest]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

The side effects reduced massively. If I drink on Baclofen I am severely debilitated some hours later, often lasting well into the next day. Without alcohol the sides are minimal.

[beatle]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Longshot;1071395 wrote: I'm sorry I can't consider 6 american light beers as drinking.

I think "light beer"in American is different than in Europe. I'm not sure, but I think that "light" in the U.S. means light in calories, not in alcohol. So 6 real beers then? Still not so crazy, but not so very little either?

[Chi]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Got home from work about two hours ago. Not a usual shift for me and hubs is sleeping. I had two beers while reading the news, but I don't want anymore, in the past I can't imagine that....I only did 40 of bac today due to my work schedule, so my desire is also getting stronger since I had low bac today and don't want anymore AL. I came here to see if there were responses and I am very thankful!

I'm going to try and go up tomorrow and do it AF. I've been 50-75... more 50ish than 75 so I think I will try 80.

My husband may not want to join me right away, but he will still be supportive because he wants to stop the madness too, and has reduced .... still his time line has to be his own.

I'll report tomorrow.

[Chi]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

beatle;1071447 wrote: I think "light beer"in American is different than in Europe. I'm not sure, but I think that "light" in the U.S. means light in calories, not in alcohol. So 6 real beers then? Still not so crazy, but not so very little either?

By the way the beer I drink is 4.2 ABV. Not sure what that really means in comparison to other drinks... maybe it doesn't matter, I get drunk on it, that is the main thing.

[bkyogagurl]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Chi~ to me... yep I miss them... alot sometimes.. I used to be a beer drinker but went on Topa and it took care of my beer craving now I love wine... ugh... I am currently making an attempt to go AF for awhile. We will see how well I do...

I usually try to do more activities with my kids or exercise. Anything you might like... go to a coffee shop, meet at a friend doing anything you can think of that you might enjoy beside going to a bar.

And you drink what you drink.. its your deal. We are here to support you.

[Murphyx]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Chi;1071241 wrote:
How did you replace the drink time? Was it difficult? Do you miss the drinks? Does your partner drink?

Real life (sober life) just seems to fill in the previously drunk time. I don't sit around thinking about what to do, it just happens. It's not something I consciously consider.

Lo0p;1071372 wrote: Like I was walking on air. I went from being overwhelmingly suicidal and in a dark cold endless night to watching the sunrise for what seemed like the first time and recognizing this chance to be in this body holding me as a holy experience.

I said you were a poet!

Lo0p;1071372 wrote:
Go higher.

I agree.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Hi, Chi
I completely agree with Seethepony, Lo0p and Murphy.

My husband drinks. It doesn't faze me.

I've got more things to do than I have time to do them. I'm only sleeping about 6 hours, max, and wake up eager to start the day. (Social things I couldn't commit to before. A long list of things I'd been 'meaning' to do for oh, a couple of years. A love of exercise and preparing food. TV and movies that I can now actually watch and remember. Time on the phone or out after the witching hour.) You won't believe it.

Life is so much richer now than it was just a month ago!

Go up!
:ls

[beatle]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Chi;1071545 wrote: By the way the beer I drink is 4.2 ABV. Not sure what that really means in comparison to other drinks... maybe it doesn't matter, I get drunk on it, that is the main thing.

That is what I was getting at. In Europe, at least Scandinavia, "light beer" means low alcohol beer. I think that's what Long meant with his comment. Six "light" beers where I come from would be the equivalent of 3 regular beers. So I understand Long's skepticism.

And he may not even consider six beers "drinking" in his experience, but for many people that would indeed be a problem. especially if it was every day over a long period of time. Even three beers would be problematic for many if it were every day over a long period of time.

Personally, a 3-beer day for me is a triumph, but I still consider it "drinking", and will still consider that I have a problem (a disease) if I am still drinking 3 beers every night next year. Next month, for that matter

Great news on you Chi for not wanting (and not drinking) more. I think I would have powered through at least one more beer, even if I didn't feel like it. In fact, I do that every day. uch:

I don't know if your name refers to the dragon of Chinese mythology or the life-force; either way, I think you are very strong and that bodes well. (Even if Chi means something else)

[Chi]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Thanks all for the encouragement. I can't believe I sit here and worry --- what I will do without my beloved alcohol?? What a messed up way to think, especially knowing all the bad that goes with it like hangovers, blackouts, ridiculous behavior, lack of motivation etc...

Still, I'm motivated to find out for myself what life can be like AF.

I have 10mg bac pills and 25 mg bac pills, so today since my goal is to go to 80mg, I'm doing 2 10mg pills four times. Already did it twice, and I'll take my next 20mg about 4:00PM. My worse time will be between 6-8PM. I was planning on taking my last 20mg of bac before bed, but if I feel weak, I will take it in that 6-8PM period. Hopefully I'll be okay. I have things prepared to cook for dinner, and a movie for us to watch. If I don't crack a beer before the movie when we are hanging around catching up on our day I will be okay.

I'm so thankful for this place, there is no other place in the WORLD I could be admitting this stuff.

[Chi]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

By the way, Beatle I know exactly where you are coming from. For a good part of the last year I considered anything under a six pack a triumph. Prior to bac I could easily drink a 12 pack just about every day, and I am not a big person. I just developed incredible tolerance over the many years of drinking. Funny how hubs and I could each drink 12 packs and take out all the garbage so we didn't have a massive amount of empty bottles hanging around. Like that made it seem okay.


The reduction to about half is how I know the bac works. I didn't want to face that half still wasn't good enough, but eventually I did. All the people here who have been able to go AF has been very motivating for me to try and do it too. You will get there when you are ready. I'm hoping if I can do it then that will motivate my husband too. Just starting this experiment so I guess I will find out.

[bleep]

Going alcohol free on bac, how did you feel?

Ya, this forum is great, no doubt about it.

I chose to moderate my drinking after hitting the switch, so can't be said to be booze-free. The difference, however, is startling. Whereas before, a booze-free night was a triumph, now it's normality. Tonight, I had one glass of wine when I got home from work, didn't want anymore. I've even started pouring half glasses, as I find that's normally enough.

I couldn't even consider a life without booze pre-switch. Now, the thought holds no terror for me, should I ever decide to go that way. My perspective has changed completely. I keep vacillating between going completely AL free, and moderating, but wither way, it's no big deal to me anymore. I love it.

Chi, if you are going to go for the switch, I wouldn't let a few beers between now and then bother you over much. Once you hit the switch, all the worry will have been for nothing anyway.

Good luck friend.