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A while back, I told the 4 or 5 of you who actually read my tweets that I’d do a #DryJanuary thread about why I quit drinking at the end of September. Well, here goes. 1/
For several months, my wife and I had felt we were drinking too much. Not like Skid Row bums, but in a way that I’ve seen described as “gray zone drinking.” Too many hangovers and days wasted feeling sick and lethargic. 2/
We didn’t drink every day, but we did drink 3-5 nights a week, generally starting around suppertime and extending until we went to bed. If you were to ask us at the time, we’d probably say “eh, we have a few drinks a week, and that’s about it.” 3/
Well, as Peter Drucker said, “what gets measured gets managed.” In late August, I downloaded an app to my phone called DrinkControl. It allows you to enter the drinks you consume. 4/
It’s pretty great. You can choose the type of drink (beer, wine, cocktail, etc.), the size in ounces and the alcohol percentage. (I was a beer guy.) 5/
So … How did my numbers turn out? Well, in one month, I consumed 104 beers! However, because they were of different strengths and sizes, DrinkControl showed that I had actually drank the equivalent of 138.9 “alcohol units” from August 28 to September 27. 6/
What is an “alcohol unit”? In the U.S., it’s also called a “standard drink.” It’s basically a 12-ounce beer that’s about 5% alcohol – a Budweiser, if you will. So I drank the equivalent of nearly six cases of Bud in 31 days. 7/
That’s 4.5 Buds a day! However, since I “only” drank on 16 of 31 days during that month, it was more like 8-plus Budweisers a day, four days a week. That’s … not good. 8/
Needless to say, my wife and I were shocked. So we decided to do something about it. We agreed to follow the goals of @ModerationMgmt, a non-profit “dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol.” MM is not about AA-style abstinence; it's about drinking less. 9/
MM begins by “doing a 30” – quitting alcohol entirely for 30 days, then working on ways to drink in a healthy manner after that. Well, we “did a 30” – and kept going. 10/
We’re now over 100 days without a drink, and I have never felt better in my life. My mind is clearer. My SKIN is clearer. I feel less stressed out. I’ve lost a little weight (was hoping for more). Same results for my wife. 11/
Quitting was easier than we thought. We had no withdrawals, though we did gorge on sweets for a while (I’ve read that is not uncommon). My wife and I both found that craving a drink wasn't always the hard part; it was missing and mourning the places where we drank. 12/
For the most part, bars are warm, buzzy, friendly places. The soft lighting, the laughter, the smiling faces, a game on the TV. Hopefully, we can get to a place where we can return to bars and either drink far less or choose non-alcoholic options. We're not there yet, though. 13/
We have set a tentative goal to maybe begin drinking again in April. Or not. We might not return to booze. The key thing is that if or when we do, we want to do it in a controlled, sensible manner. 14/
Can we do that? I think so. I also think I could go without drinking permanently. I’m 55; I drank fairly heavily for almost 40 years, starting in high school. Permanently quitting would probably be good for my health, at the very least. 15/
And my wallet. That was another eye-opener. When you go out to eat 3-4 nights a week and each person has 4 drinks or more, that is a tab well in excess of $100 per night. We have a LOT more money in our checking account now! 16/
Anyway, thanks for reading. I'll post updates from time to time. 17/
OK, I just remembered more benefits of quitting drinking:
1) Best sleep I've had in years. This includes a lot less jaw-clinching.
2) Approach the workday with a lot more energy and engagement.
3) Greater appreciation for the "little things" -- sunsets, long walks, etc. 18/
1) Best sleep I've had in years. This includes a lot less jaw-clinching.
2) Approach the workday with a lot more energy and engagement.
3) Greater appreciation for the "little things" -- sunsets, long walks, etc. 18/
Some coping mechanisms for me:
1) Diet ginger ale. Drinking it "feels" like drinking booze.
2) CBD oil. Choose a good "calming" formula. It helps.
3) Sweets. Go ahead and eat them in the early weeks of quitting. They help. 19/
1) Diet ginger ale. Drinking it "feels" like drinking booze.
2) CBD oil. Choose a good "calming" formula. It helps.
3) Sweets. Go ahead and eat them in the early weeks of quitting. They help. 19/
My wife has struggled for many years with depression. Quitting drinking has helped TREMENDOUSLY with that. She has cut her medication in half. 20/
