Christmas and alcohol

B

Bristolboro

Well-known member
the associations between Christmas and alcohol consumption are quite a challenge for those trying to give up, like me. I've tried to give up completely this year ( to see if I could) but must admit it's tough especially when socializing and everyone seems to be off their faces. Like smoking, I realize it's all about associations and habits formed over years. A wise person once said it's actually not the alcohol you crave but the strong sensations the idea of alcohol generates, obvious but true. This means it can only be defeated through control of mind and body sensations, yet old habits die hard. Yet, through periods of abstinence I realized that alcohol induces anxiety, but it has such a power to tempt us back.

Any tips on how to have a dry Christmas, or anyone else out there want to share their relationships and personal battles on giving up?
 
Could the social element help? Do something else sociable that doesn't involve alcohol, maybe a couple of social groups that meet up regularly that support each other
 
Personally I avoid situations where alcohol is the focus of the occasion such as work nights out or other Christmas parties as eventually I would give in to the desire to drink. Tell myself I will just have one and then a bucket full later I would realise I'm in deep sh/t.

Dealing with the fomo of missing such events, I will arrange family things on the same night or the following day. This distracts my mind but also reminds me I'd have missed out on this moment had I went and got off my face instead.
 
1finny said:
Join in with the the zero brands?
Sounds like a good option these days. The taste has improved significantly.
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recommend any? I usually drink the Lidl stuff Perlenbacher which I find ok when very cold. That and Brooklyn special effects though I can only manage a couple of them.
 
Having a night out with family or friends isn’t about alcohol, it’s about the social interaction. There are many good alcohol free drinks on the market these days that can give you that same taste but without the side effects of alcohol.

The one problem you may come across is peer pressure where people try and get you to drink alcohol. My advice is make it clear you don’t intend to drink and anyone who tries to make you do otherwise is not worthy of your time and is not a real friend that you should have in your life. I no longer associate myself with two people who I had known for many years who tried to do just this and my life is so much better for it.
 
Bristolboro said:
recommend any? I usually drink the Lidl stuff Perlenbacher which I find ok when very cold. That and Brooklyn special effects though I can only manage a couple of them.
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Corona Cero best imho, Peroni zero very good too also Bavaria zero.. all 3 very good.
 
bizarrely, I am a very regular boozer throughout the year, but hardly drink over xmas & new year. thats cos I don't care for xmas (normally go away on my own, partner goes back to her family), I really dislike busy pubs, and I don't like the xmas pubby atmosphere.
 
I sometimes drink Erdinger Alcohol Free, it’s Gorgeous. In most supermarkets and Wetherspoons sell it.

I dropped one of my interests as drinking 3-4 pints there seemed to be the "thing", it's like going to the Races or Darts these days, drinking as much as you can more important than the sport.
 
I now have had 3 sober Christmases/New Years and they have been the best I have ever had (just wish I could do it for the other 300 odd days of the year).
I see other people hammered and makes me thing, fk me was that me? Yep and worse. People around me know I no longer want to drink, I am open about my issues with alcohol and my depression. My 1st year I drank so much fking juice and grape juice I wanted to puke. Now I am a happy 0-0.5% beer drinker. I had a normal IPA a few months ago and I felt ill as it was too strong for me now, it used to be my favourite IPA.

I watched a Guinness advert the other day for their 0%, tag line was (I think) have a Christmas to remember. It is bloody good stuff.

Just enjoy and don't get dragged into the drinking crap. One reason why I NEVER go on work nights out, particularly around Christmas.

People like a drink but it is rammed down us at this time of year. I popped into Tesco and before I got into the car park, it was all about vodka/whiskey/etc at a knock down price.

Good god I do ramble on about this subject!! Just be you and don't get dragged into anything you don't want! You are a better person who takes control.
 
I don’t drink that much these days due to more often not being the designated driver or just having too much on I can’t afford to write a morning off hungover. I’ve found lucky saint both when on draughty or in bottle form to be a good alcohol free alternative.
 
I drink pretty much every day (wine). I like it, I don’t have a problem with it, I like the taste, I Don't over indulge and I enjoy my life, I can afford what I drink and where neccesary the transport costs associated, I have no health issues with it, in fact at 62 I’m quite fit and healthy, not overweight, why wouldn’t I enjoy a glass or two. I’m never a problem, if I occasionally have a bit much I fall asleep, happy daze. Can’t see any reason to not do what I enjoy.

Equally fair play to those who choose a different path.
 
Ingleby_Flash said:
I drink pretty much every day (wine). I like it, I don’t have a problem with it, I like the taste, I Don't over indulge and I enjoy my life, I can afford what I drink and where neccesary the transport costs associated, I have no health issues with it, in fact at 62 I’m quite fit and healthy, not overweight, why wouldn’t I enjoy a glass or two. I’m never a problem, if I occasionally have a bit much I fall asleep, happy daze. Can’t see any reason to not do what I enjoy.

Equally fair play to those who choose a different path.
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I absolutely love this. Why wouldn't you? Every person is different. I used to be you, until I wasn't. This is what I love about about us, we can and are different and change.. Jesus, I will never ever forget the bottle of pinotage we had in a back water in Gansbaai, South Africa. It was pure pure amazing. and cost about £3. I wish I was still that person but I am not.

Good god that wine was so good. Not for me now but still MMmmm hmmmm
 
Ingleby_Flash said:
I drink pretty much every day (wine). I like it, I don’t have a problem with it, I like the taste, I Don't over indulge and I enjoy my life, I can afford what I drink and where neccesary the transport costs associated, I have no health issues with it, in fact at 62 I’m quite fit and healthy, not overweight, why wouldn’t I enjoy a glass or two. I’m never a problem, if I occasionally have a bit much I fall asleep, happy daze. Can’t see any reason to not do what I enjoy.

Equally fair play to those who choose a different path.
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I'm like you and reading threads like this makes me realise how lucky I am to be able to enjoy drinking alcohol (Guinness and red wine mainly - not together ;) ) without it talking hold of me.

I have to say that the Spanish approach to drinking and the general lifestyle helps - the Spanish don't (generally) go out to get smashed, they go out to socialise in family or friends groups, and having a drink (in moderation) is just part of that.

The expats, thankfully quite rare in Malaga city, and we don't mix with them anyway, are a different matter

Having said that, on a recent trip back, I tried the Guinness "0" as I was driving and it was superb - honestly couldn't tell it wasn't "proper" Guinness
 
Malaguena said:
I'm like you and reading threads like this makes me realise how lucky I am to be able to enjoy drinking alcohol (Guinness and red wine mainly - not together ;) ) without it talking hold of me.

I have to say that the Spanish approach to drinking and the general lifestyle helps - the Spanish don't (generally) go out to get smashed, they go out to socialise in family or friends groups, and having a drink (in moderation) is just part of that.

The expats, thankfully quite rare in Malaga city, and we don't mix with them anyway, are a different matter

Having said that, on a recent trip back, I tried the Guinness "0" as I was driving and it was superb - honestly couldn't tell it wasn't "proper" Guinness
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I am sure I posted before about this. We were in a small bar in Verona about 20 years ago. (Wine was cheap, very cheap!) full of 20 year olds, all drinking coffee at 1am. We were WTF. Cultures are so different....
 
I think the desire to imbibe, to take a break from always being 'on', to ease the weight of the human condition, is quite natural.

It helps me write some of my better stuff and I come up with plenty of interesting ideas (and some terrible ones) that I look into in more detail in sobriety.

I have more friends now who are quitting entirely or abstaining for longer and longer periods and I am fully supportive of them and would not drink in their presence if it was their preference.

I like a drink, it has done harm in my life on rare occasions of misjudgement but it has also done a lot of good.

I am a far less angry man after a beer and less angry than I was in my youth. I also enjoy the culture around drinking, it's actually really interesting and I'm exploring the possibility of trying to produce some form of documentary on it here in Hanoi.

Each to their own.

I hope everyone has the best of Christmases and that drink doesn't ruin it for them.
 
Last Christmas fell in a spell where I was having a 3 month dry period.
Not one bit of me looks back and thinks that would have been better with a few beers.
I also went on holiday in that period. Again I don’t look back and consider the holiday as a bad one because it was sober, in fact it was mint.
The alcohol companies like to create a bit of FOMO for obvious reasons.

With various months or longer off i probably spend half of the year dry. The funny thing is, today I wouldn’t be able to easily recall which months of the year were dry and which weren’t. Which tells me exactly how much beer enhances things!

I’m currently not in a dry spell, and I’m enjoying a few beers now and again.
I tend to only have one or two though as I get crippling hangovers from having too many.
I find that since having lots of time out I no longer default to beer in certain situations.
Last night for example, I’d had a very long day and reached into the fridge and pulled out a Guinness zero rather than a proper beer.

I don’t think I’ll ever go fully teetotal as I do think some beers really do have their place.
But not spending a large chunk of my disposable income on pints I didn’t really want has meant I’ve been able to spend the money on some brilliant experiences for me and the Mrs instead.
Some mates take the **** a little and say it’s boring. Then go to the same boozer every single f****** weekend. 🤷‍♂️🤣🤣
 
Bristolboro said:
the associations between Christmas and alcohol consumption are quite a challenge for those trying to give up, like me. I've tried to give up completely this year ( to see if I could) but must admit it's tough especially when socializing and everyone seems to be off their faces. Like smoking, I realize it's all about associations and habits formed over years. A wise person once said it's actually not the alcohol you crave but the strong sensations the idea of alcohol generates, obvious but true. This means it can only be defeated through control of mind and body sensations, yet old habits die hard. Yet, through periods of abstinence I realized that alcohol induces anxiety, but it has such a power to tempt us back.

Any tips on how to have a dry Christmas, or anyone else out there want to share their relationships and personal battles on giving up?
Click to expand...
I found when socialising there are some excellent alcohol free beers to enjoy. It’s not all Barbican and Kaliber now. Look for

Guinness 0
Impossibrew
Lucky Saint
Erdinger Frei
 
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