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Howdy,
Week 3 ends with a success. Out of thse 3 days I was offered drinks twice.
On day 6, saturday, I was at my friends home for dinner along with other friends. It was most difficult to refuse that day. Each and every person was insisting too much. They even prepared my drink along with theirs. But all they got is a no from my side.
Days have become much more easier now. I have ample time to get involved in other acivities now. Coding (which is my first preference) and reading. Good going.
Alcohol Quote of the day:
I’m very serious about no alcohol, no drugs. Life is too beautiful.
-Jim Carrey
Hi folks,
Days are going on well. Am living happily without alcohol. This time when I am writing this post, I am being offered a drink. Good old “Old Monk” rum. Earlier I could not refuse any such offer. But now I have no difficulty and I am giving company by sitting with friends but not taking a sip of this liquid.
Think I have no more withdrawal symptoms now except the difficulty in getting sleep. It still takes at an hour or so to go into sleep. I don’t know what to do with this.
Probably time will fix it up.
Alcohol Quote of the day:
Man has evil as well as good qualities peculiar to himself. Drunkenness places him as much below the level of the brutes as reason elevates him above them.
Today I present to you some links which I found useful about alcoholism, quitting alcohol and withdrawal symptoms etc. Hope they are useful for you too.
- Alcoholism on about.com
- Alcoholism explained on wikipedia
- Alcohol withdrawal syndrome -Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome is the set of symptoms seen when an individual reduces or stops alcohol consumption after prolonged periods of excessive alcohol intake. Excessive abuse of alcohol leads to tolerance, physical dependence, and an alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The withdrawal syndrome is largely due to the central nervous system being in a hyper-excitable state. Unlike most withdrawals from other drugs, alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. The Withdrawal syndrome can include seizures and delirium tremens and may lead to excito-neurotoxicity.
- How to quit drinking alcohol – Good article which provides stepwise instructions to assist you.
- How I quit drinking – Real life story of a person who quit alcohol.
- Long term and short term effects of alcohol.
Alcohol Quote of the day:
The first thing in the human personality that dissolves in alcohol is dignity.
Day went smooth. I was expecting that my body will demand some alcohol today but that did not happen.
Good signs. I am happy.
Alcohol Quote of the day:
Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.
—Ernest Hemingway
I will be lying if I say I was not excited about Day 6(Saturday). I was going to reward myself with couple of drinks after an abstinence period of 13 days. Not bad, as it was I who has increased this period from weekly to fortnightly.
Moreover, had to attend a marriage that day with M. M had requested me not to have any drinks before function but I was overly excited to listen to any advices.
Took some strong RUM that day. Old Monk, 7 years blended. Since I drank after such a long gap, it showed its effects almost immediately and I was in a state of mind that was quite familiar to me couple weeks back.
Saturday is over and with that my 2nd installment of abstinence starts. I am increasing this period again. Will have the next drink on 17th December, my birthday. This will be a gap of 27 days.
Wish me success and good luck for the same.
Alcohol Quote of the day:
Every inordinate cup is unbless’d, and the ingredient is a devil.
– William Shakespeare, Othello, Act II Scene III
It is a customary for friends to ask for a drink on Fridays and Saturdays. I can say this because I have done this with friends and vice-versa.
Reason: It’s Friday evening -weekend starts. We were busy whole week. So let’s enjoy now. But the truth is different. Not to talk of weekend, we have been drinking every evening.
I think that happens with all. Does not matter whether you are a light drinker or heavy, you will be given reasons that since it is weekend, you should drink. Don’t fall pray to this. Weekends are not meant to drink. True that you should enjoy on weekends but drinking is not the *only* way to celebrate.
Go watch a movie, read a book that you have thrown in a corner after reading first chapter. All because you were too busy drinking. That is the case with me. Reading used to be my hobby. But sadly, alcohol drowned it.
Now when I have quit I am realizing that I have lots of time. Earlier I used to go home drunk or had drinks while preparing dinner. After finishing dinner, all I did was throw myself into bed without caring for anything. The next morning I would wake up with a hangover. Feeling like there is a thin layer of something wrapped all around my brain.
Nowadays, all has changed. I go home in time, prepare dinner, eat heartily and the best part is that there is a lot of time left after it.
I have started reading again. There are so many books that I have read only 20%-30%.
I am glad that when I wake up there are books by my bedside rather than an empty mug.
Alcohol Quote of the day:
It were better for a man to be subject to any vice, than to drunkenness: for all other vanities and sins are recovered, but a drunkard will never shake off the delight of beastliness.
— Sir Walter Raleigh
Yesterday I was chatting with a friend. A college friend. After talking about other things our conversation turned towards drinking. As we have not met since a long time, he was inviting me, along with other friends to his home for partying.
Following is an excerpt from that chat:
Sati: hi
me: hello
Sati: how are you man?
me: am fine. what about you?
Sati: haven’t met since a long time
me: yes it has been too long. ab to daru bhi chhor di hai maine
Sati: I guessed so. You put various anti alcohol slogans on social networking sites these days.
me: ha ha
Sati: tell me, have you really quit?
me: yes. I am trying to. Today is my 10th day without alcohol.
Sati: ha ha ha ha. I thought you have quit for real.
me: @#$% @#!
You may laugh reading the last line but this is what others think about regular drinkers(read “about me”). A loud laugh is the first reaction of every person whom I tell I am trying to quit. Some other reactions are:
- Probably you are drunk. Thats why you are saying so.
- Good joke.
- Can you remember a single day in past couple of years when you did not drink. You will not be able to keep your words.
- You have gone mad. You will die without alcohol.
- What do you want to achieve or prove by quitting?
- Its not possible for you not to drink even a single day.
- I could not even imagine that Mr. XXX’s (my fathers name) son would drink like a fish.
the list goes on…
Only person not reacting this way my friend Hridayesh. He encouraged me to keep my resolution. He is the same guy whose email I quoted in a previous post. He himself was a heavy drinker but has quit successfully now.
Moreover, if I meet or talk to someone after a long time, their first question to me(after exchanging wishes) is – Are you still drinking daily?
WTF.
I consider these reactions as my most embarrassing moments. Though these reactions are not reasons for my giving up daily drinking but they do make me uncomfortable. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn what people say about me. I quit because enough is enough. Alcohol was affecting my brain, health, family life, finances and everything else.
Huh. Have written all my pent-up feelings. Feeling better now.
If you are also an alcoholic and care about what others say, quit drinking. Nevertheless, quit even if you don’t. It is not that difficult.
See you tomorrow.
Alcohol Quote of the day:
Of all vices take heed of drunkenness; other vices are but fruits of disordered affections—this disorders, nay, banishes reason; other vices but impair the soul—this demolishes her two chief faculties, the understanding and the will; other vices make their own way—this makes way for all vices; he that is a drunkard is qualified for all vice.
All is well. My body is not craving for alcohol anymore.
Alcohol Quote of the day:
All excess is ill, but drunkenness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans men. It reveals secrets, is quarrelsome, lascivious, impudent, dangerous and mad. He that is drunk is not a man, because he is, for so long, void of reason that distinguishes a man from a beast.
Yesterday went fine without any problems.
Today was a bit successful in my day job compared to last 7-8 days (I am a web developer by the way).
Yesterday I wrote about lack of productivity. I was trying to make a web page functional. I started it last week on Monday and my efforts of full week failed.
Today, I managed to complete it in one go. A 4 hour job which ate my at least 25-30 hours.
Feeling better today but still I am unable to concentrate one thing or topic for long.
Now that I have extended my abstinence period to once per fortnight I have this new fear called Kindling. Wikipedia gives the following definition of kindling:
Binge drinkers may initially experience no withdrawal symptoms but with each period of resumption of drinking followed by abstinence their withdrawal symptoms intensify in severity and may eventually result in full blown delirium tremens with convulsive seizures.
Let’s see what happens. As they say, we will cross the bridge when we reach it. But definitely no drinks today. Will watch Shaolin Soccer instead.
Cheers!!!
Alcohol Quote of the day:
Beware of drunkenness, lest all good men beware of thee; where drunkenness reigns, there reason is an exile, virtue a stranger, God an enemy; blasphemy is wit, oaths are rhetoric, and secrets are proclamations.
Week 2 starts. No drinks for 7 consecutive days. Thats awesome. It was difficult for first couple of days as I was unable to sleep for hours but improved gradually in later days.
Today I realized something which I had been overlooking since last week. My productivity has suffered badly. I am unable to concentrate on one thing. Even others have have noticed it at my workplace. A task assigned to me was due last Wednesday but I have not completed it yet. Not that I don’t want to but I am unable to.
I read this somewhere yesterday: “Couple of weeks is a long time to feel ill, especially when you know you can make yourself feel better just by having a drink.”.
I do not know how long these symptoms are going to last but one thing is sure. I am not going to change my decision of once per fortnight.
Alcohol Diary 