Well it has been two months without alcohol. I have not had a beer, wine or anything else for the last two months. I made it through thanksgiving without a social drink, and Christmas should not be a problem either.
My cravings for beer went away after a few weeks. That was the hardest part. The increased sugar and carbohydrates my blood system was used to really would scream out for a beer. But after a few weeks, it seemed my body went back to normal.
The benefit of no alcohol I noticed first was my ability to sleep better. When I used to drink I would wake in the middle of the night, or when I woke I would still feel tired and exhausted. This stopped almost instantaneously when I removed alcohol from my diet. I now woke feeling like I slept all night and refreshed. I can't explain why this is, but WOW it felt nice.
Now I was never a drunk (at least I didn't think so). I can't remember that many times in my life that I was ever drunk. However, I always seemed to have a drink. I would have beer while I was working around the house, relaxing in front of the TV, or doing whatever. I slowly became a habitual drinker.
This is why in my opinion it was even harder to stop drinking. None of my friends thought "I had a problem." many people looked at me strange or have started to treat me a little differently since I stopped drinking. Even people close to me that have commented in the past about drinking, have said "well you can have beer once and a while." I am really surprised at the reactions of some people. Giving up alcohol for the benefit of yourself and your family is almost treated like a communicable disease. I have to go cold turkey and stop for good, or nothing would have happened.
I have also noticed an increase in my productivity. I am able to focus on more tasks and complete more things than I used to. Also I notice is a more positive relationship with my children. They look up to me more since my decision, and that is what matters most.
