alcohol detox

Ok, so I am a sophomore in college and most of my free time is spent drinking. This is generally one of two nights of the weekend and the rest of my time is spent studying and working. But last night I drank way too much than I had planned on (i am trying to stick to 3 beers maximum) 

After thinking about it though, I feel terrible. Drinking is just a cover up for me and I am not having fun with it anymore. Plus the next day I always feel terrible.

Do you guys have any tips to stop drinking? I still want to spend time with my friends but I know i'll be faced with the temptation. I think my strategy will be to not drink unless it is a special occasion (birthday, friend in town, etc)

help me please!! i want my life back! :)

what helps me is club soda w/extra lime... it's also good for watching calories, I also have been avoiding social situations - to help me while I'm in detox mode...hope this helps.. oh and also, I dont' know if you like any of the tart red juices but I do pomegranete juice in a wine glass, it delicious to me...hope this helps, good luck...

get pregnant!

haha no jk! but i did have a drinking problem! then i got pregnant stopped drinking and since i had my daughter i hardly drink!

If I do drink I sip on water and vodka with a lime and it is only like 60ish cals.

Start small....  Aim for just 1 week without drinking anything at all and treat it as an objective experiment.  What alternative drinks did you find you liked?  What did you say when someone says 'oh go on, one won't hurt'?  What were the pressure points?    .... and all the positive benefits e.g. how much better you felt the next day, the sense of accomplishment in being assertive and self-controlled.

If you go just one week it's not 'for ever' but it's a great start.  And 'no drinks' is much easier to manage than '3 beers'... which tend to turn into 5 or 6 beers quite easily.   You'll probably find that many of the things you're worried turn out to be pretty manageable.  Although I warn you now that when you're not drinking but others are, you quickly see just how bloody stupid they look.... and then you realise that used to be you! (D'oh!)

haha yeah, last night i gave it a try. and let me tell you, it was not easy! everyone pretty much laughed in my face when i told them what i wanted to do. but i found that if i had a water in my hand in a red cup, i didn't feel so out of place. and OH MY GOD everyone looked SO dumb. that's one of the big reasons why i want to cut back, i hate how stupid i get when i am drunk.

and i felt so much better when i got home and was able to spend like an hour before going to bed studying. i was coherent and i didn't feel like throwing up!

anyways thanks guys, i know it'll be a little rough over winter vacation but i am definitely going to try and severly cut back

create different habits. It is hard, but here are some suggestions. Instead of going drinking, go out to a movie, or for a run. Join a social club on campus that doesn't involve drinking or take up a new hobby. I was in the same boat when I was a college freshman, except I only drank once a month, but when I did, it was bad...really bad. Then, I gave my life to God and became a Christian, but I still wasn't able to kick the habit right away. I wanted to stop, but it seemed like no matter what I did, I still ended up drinking. It came down to priorities, friends, and what I really wanted. Most of my friends partied...all the time, and didn't want to do anything that didn't include drinking. It got boring, and stupid, and I hated who I was when I drank.  I've lost most of those friends along the way, because I no longer went out, partied, or put myself into situations where I knew there would be alcohol. But, I made some great new friends, that could go out and have a great time without drinking.  If you really want to stop, it won't be easy, but it can be done. GOod luck to you!

I just recently exited the traditional college experience. I lived in the dorms for 2 years and then got an apartment with a few friends. I understand the temptation to drink during free time.

But, it suonds like you've got a pretty good head on your shoulders already. Which is a great start. Most sophomores in college drink far more than one night a week, and even less spend the majority of their time studying. These are good things.

It sounds to me like you're "over" the whole partying/drinking phase of your life. That hit for me too, around junior year of college. Unfortunately, most of my friends had strict parents during high school; and wanted nothing more than to cut loose all 4 years of college. I, however, got most of it out of my system by junior year. So it was difficult to always be put in situations where I was tempted to drink. Like you, I'd end up hating myself the next day (or later that night) for having drank far too much.

Advice really depends on your situation and where your friend's minds are at this point. If you've got a group of friends who would be equally as happy seeing a movie, going to a show, shopping... Doing something other than drinking - Try to spend more time with those people. But dont cut the others out of your life. It will just be a temptation test for you when you do go out with them. At first, you'll seem a little out of place not drinking. But after you realize how incredibly annoying intoxicated people can get, and after taking care of a drunk friend every other weekened... You'll lose that temptation and desire to drink that much ever again.

Best wishes,

You could also be the DD if the need arises. You could charge 3 dollars a person to cart their drunk behinds around! And if you go to a bar you'll usually get free soda/water if you tell the bartender you are a DD.

You seem to have a good plan already, so don't let anyone make you feel "uncool" for not drinking.  Just have some water or soda in hand, and sip it through out the night.