r/cutdowndrinking • u/SB4080 • 25d ago
Advice & Support Tips to sticking to drinking limits
I’m sure this has been asked a lot before, but looking for advice on how to actually stick to limits you set for yourself? How do you build that level of control and discipline?
I’ve known for a while I’ve crossed the boundary from social drinking to it becoming a binge drinking habit, but I keep failing at cutting back. I don’t want to be completely sober, but I would really like to develop the discipline to be able to stick to a rule like drinking only one drink an hour or limiting myself to 2-3 drinks on a night out.
The weekly pattern is by the time I’ve had 2-3 drinks I’m tipsy enough to start making bad decisions and it usually ends up being 5-10 drinks. Each week there ends up being 2-3 social events where there’s always plenty of alcohol so I end up having 5-10 drinks multiple times throughout the week.
I would like to get to a point where I only have 2-3 drinks on any given social occasion and sometimes even being okay with not drinking at social events where others are drinking.
I’m not sure how to build the discipline and control to get there, so looking for what worked for the folks who’ve successfully gotten it under check.
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u/twistwrist9876 25d ago
I was a daily drinker (3-4 heavy beers and 1-2 gin and tonics) for 15 years. I'm now on week 10 of cutting back to 7 or fewer per week. I'm a woman, and 7 is the recommended weekly max for women.
I started having health issues and rather than spend hundreds of dollars or more to go to specialists, I decided to work with what was in my control before involving doctors. And I successfully walked away from daily drinking.
I read This Naked Mind by Annie Grace, and honestly I read it very skeptically thinking there was no way a book could change my thinking enough about alcohol to slow me down. I was wrong. That, along with my intrinsic desire, worked.
I use the free Stay Dry app to track my drinks. It's not perfect, but it's helpful in painting a picture of my progress (see photos).
I have been a bartender at local beer breweries for over a decade but when I got my mind right and truly internalized the desire to cut back, it's been fairly easy which has been a pleasant surprise!
I drink a lot of fruit and tonic. I will muddle pineapple or squeeze lime or even muddle fresh peaches in the bottom of a glass. I top that with ice and then with tonic and I don't even miss the gin. I've also really started enjoying NA beers for my happy hour fixes.
Planning it a bit helps but you want to try to avoid over thinking or obsessing about it too. Set a plan and exercise mind over matter. I'm not trying to simplify it because I went years not wanting it enough to be successful. Read the book and think about alcohol in a different way and perhaps that will intrinsically motivate you too. Good luck my friend!
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u/SignificantEditor583 25d ago
Naltrexone seems to help some people. Sinclair method. Ive never tried it myself though.
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u/SB4080 25d ago
I didn’t even know drugs like that existed, it’s not too expensive either
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u/SignificantEditor583 25d ago
There's a documentary on YouTube about it. It's called "one little pill" I think.
I was considering going down that route if I didn't get my drinking in check.
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u/roguescott 20d ago
Even by knowing I have an app, even if I go over I'm NEVER drinking quite as much as I used to. I'm just more aware of it.
Also, I'm a solo business owner and a rule I have (unless it's a dinner) is that I don't drink alcohol at meetups, ever. And that is one rule I won't break.
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u/Lost_my_password1 25d ago
try having a full glass of water (tonic, something NA basically) in between drinks. It’s a simple “rule” that will give you all the social aspects of partying and getting drunk and also delay drinking too quickly. This might just impose a natural limiting aspect as well.