A slight change of plans
27/03/12 • 4 Comments

Come Saturday, I will have reached my 3 month milestone. I orginally thought that 6 months was a good period to commit to, but now I think 3 months is better. I have been surprised how easy it has been to not drink at home. In social situations of course, it’s more challenging. But doable. I guess I don’t need to do that anymore to know that I don’t particularly like it very much. That’s not to say that I haven’t enjoyed the process and the discomfort of social sobriety. I actually have. HSM is a programme that I would recommend to anyone wanting to experience a genuine and lasting feeling of improved health. My alertness and general cognition has improved and my productivity and positive attitude towards tasks is better. Much better. I would be very surprised if I don’t end up doing another HSM in the not too [...]

A week in Sydney
17/02/12 • 1 Comment

It’s been a very busy few weeks. Work pressures are full-on and some cracks have begun to appear in the armour. A combination of diet and not drinking has at times made me extremely irritable. Quite short tempered, especially if something at work isn’t going the way I’d hoped. Spending 4 days in Sydney on my own was an interesting challenge. Whilst I really enjoyed the experience and has some really good fun challenging work to do, I found myself to be boring and reserved in the social company of others. This boringness was amplified last night at a surprise 60th birthday party. Eating selectively and not drinking became really tough at dessert time. So I bailed. I found that some of the guests became quite irritating and clingy, which I didn’t particularly enjoy. Oh well! Overall, I’m finding my productivity and concentration really good. My overall health is definitely [...]

A Day at the Races
05/02/12 • 1 Comment

Here is a quick blog inspired by a positive experience today. After attending a Triathlon this morning, a day at the races followed. Corporate hospitality of course! Very much a drinking occasion. Interestingly, the feeling of disappointment and disadvantage was quite noticable going to the Course as a non-drinker. I really felt like having a few. When I settled in after the introductions however, a couple of lemon squashes were more that satisfactory to get me through the day. At no time after arriving did I miss alcohol and I had a great day as my nornal outgoing self. Perhaps the only difference is, I didn’t stant gettting too loud by the end of the day I again was the designated driver for others and now feel great having not drunk. In the last two weeks, I’ve been interstate twice, visited the Australian Open, attended the Australia Day Honours Ceremony [...]

One Month In
02/02/12 • 2 Comments

It’s not that I’ve forgotten to blog weekly, it’s just that I haven’t made time. A bit of a shame because there have been quite a few things I’ve thought to write, but now I can’t remember them. What to report. Well, all seems to be going very well. I’ve had one or two brief instances where I’ve felt the onset of a craving for a drink, but they’ve been mild. Friday nights after work I notice it. It’s clear that I associate alcohol with a reward and after a tough week, well you get the message. Even though I’ve been in very pressured social situations (which I haven’t avoided at all), I’ve found that I get strength from the pressure of others. Almost a stubbornness defending not drinking. I really like a benefits, like not worrying about driving, feeling alert and fresh in the morning and so on. After [...]

My first post
03/01/12 • 0 Comments

I first intended to do a HSM in February 2011. I lasted a couple of weeks. I didn’t feel like drinking, but I visited good friends at their lovely home for the first time and they’d opened a really expensive bottle of wine, just for me. Of course I didn’t want to be rude. I didn’t know that HSMers could have a lapse and get straight back on the wagon. Schoolboy error! I started this current HSM along with many others I guess – on 01/01/12. On NYE I’d managed to get myself satisfactorily merry at a great house party I attended. I had booked a driver to collect me at 1am, by which time I was well and truly ready to go home. I know this because of the emergency stop required on the way home. Needless to say New Year’s Day was a tough going. I intend to [...]