Thanks for adding value in the comments, guys. For those interested, alcohol and aviation tend to go together a bit too well and I know many pilots who also used alcohol to shut the brain off after a long day which led to dependency. Your comments help others on these videos - I appreciate what you write and thank you for it.
Isn’t it about self control & self discipline? YOU KNOW that you’re having a Beer. YOU KNOW your limit, whether it’s because of upcoming Duty or your location & what mode of transport you’re using. DON’T stick to YOUR LIMIT, STICK to THE LIMIT. Tim, your SELECTIVE RADIAL SCAN should always encompass WHO you are, WHERE you are & WHAT you are doing. Ende
Hi Tim. I'm ex RAF, 43 Sqn groundcrew. Left in 2001 with big drink problem. I'm 3 weeks into my second attempt having done 5 month dry stint last year. I want to let you know how much I appreciate your frank no nonsense talks on this subject, I find them really helpful. Of course love your other content also. Thanks.
When I used to do endurance walking I fast learned to forget about the painful miles ahead, just concentrate on the next small distance, then when you get to the next one, just that small distance. Giving up alcohol was tough, at first. Now, 24 years later, I don't miss it at all. I could look after your booze fridge for you all year and not touch a drop. TBH the last time I had a small bottle of beer, works do with my staff, half that small bottle of beer and I felt poisoned. I'm now 56. I'm pretty fit. I enjoy life. There's one problem....It's just not long enough, it took me till 50 to get the hang of it.
I'm coming up to 5 years without booze, for anybody reading this that is considering stopping or is still early on. It gets so much better, everybody is different with it. I celebrate my anniversary as a second birthday, which has helped me to keep that momentum. Celebrate your wins chaps! Fucking proud of anybody that gets over an issue like that. Hats off Tim, smashing it
Tim, I have never been a drinker and am not an addictive 'type' but , please continue to put this stuff out, because for those that are, these vids are hugely important. Thank you.
I’m an ex Bootneck and have consumed alcohol since I was 16, I’m 61 now, I gave up on December 31. I ain’t missing it at all, I have also stopped eating any form of carb or sugar, I’ve gone from 15 stone to 13.4 in that space of time. My BP is back to normal levels and my basal metabolic pulse rate is 49 bpm. I feel absolutely amazing, my stamina is through the roof, I feel 20 years younger. I was becoming pre diabetic, not any more.
Tim, I spoke with you in Jan and after a colossal fuck up from my med centre after just wanting help. I am still sober and have great days and shit days. These videos have been fantastic and please keep them coming! Well done Tim, you are a sane, normal person that speaks the truth and is so relatable.
I recently (just over a month ago) lost my father to over 25 years of alcoholism. He never, ever admitted he was an alcoholic and as a result was estranged from his whole family. I stayed in contact with him over the years, but kept him away from my son who is now 21. He missed out on so much life of his family, sadly he even lost both his legs to the alcohol. I still loved him as he was my dad, and did see him when he was on his final spiral in hospital. We did give him a good send off last week, but it was so bittersweet due to the pain and strife he caused his family. Sorry for dumping this on your comments Tim, but I just needed to drop it all out of my system, and I deeply respect you for dealing with booze issues and sharing your feelings on it with us. On the plus side though, I looked at all the mistakes my father made, especially with alcohol, and I vowed I would be the best father I could be to both my son and my step children. Thank you for the video, which is so very poignant to me right now. And now I am going to fuck off and cry my eyes out for a bit.
Hay ur never alone !!!!!!!!!!! My father ...........well thats another story ............. Hay I'm here if u need me or to talk Massive respect for what you sed re your own children .......🙏
Lost my mum when I was 24 the same way. It's brutal mate. Deepest condolences to you! Coming up to 5 years sober myself, just want everyone to know that it's possible to break the familial "curse", and live a good life afterwards. All the best
My father was a binge drinker, but only on one day of the week, which he used to say was 'his day.' Sundays became a day my brother and I dreaded, because we both knew it would always end up in fights and grief. Our mother had long given up trying to change him, so she would shrink like a violet every Sunday, pretending not to notice. In his mid-seventies, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which is one of the worst one can have. Once diagnosed he did stop drinking, but frankly it was too little, too late, and despite undergoing a serious operation, he didn't survive long after. The oncologists were unanimous in their view that the main cause was the binge drinking. We'll never know for sure, of course, but my brother and I gave up regular alcohol consumption on the spot after his funeral. Nowadays, we both have just the occasional beer, glass of wine or high quality whiskey. Drinking a limited amount of alcohol is now a pleasurable and sociable past time that we choose to do, and not something we have to do.
Hi Tim - I gave up Drinking 2 years ago, Drank pretty much nightly since my mid 20s (44 now) I had the same "bug" as you , 1 isnt enough. My Job during those times (my civvy job as well as my TA service) Both heavily male dominant, both sets of mates very vocal about work - Pub lifestyle, even both nights a week I was at my squadron (or weekends) we had a bar, it was cheap and to be honest it was a laugh. Hangovers were brushed off and I thought I could cope. This eventually turned into me making sure I had a crate of beer in the house, I thought nothing of doing 6 cans after work. This all changed for me when it turned out my Mums partner was an alcoholic. I watched him utterly destroy his life, and my mum mentally. He would get so drunk on brandy he would black out, wake up the next day and deny it all. After he fell down stairs for the 5th time, my mum gave up, called an ambulance and kicked him out. It was a stark reflection for me, I was and still am I guess, very very fond of Rum. During covid, I was doing 2 bottles a week. I realised that I A: I wasnt far off being classed as an alcoholic and B: I was becoming fed up of hangovers and losing a Saturday or Sunday to eating paracetamol and chugging energy drinks. So I stopped. I did lose weight at the start but its come back. I dont feel any different but unlike you I cant go out and be around people drinking. I still smoke and I have massive association with a beer and a smoke. My mates have been great actually, I get called a lightweight and a letdown but they know how bad I felt about my mums partner and how that ended up. So yeah, Beer/wine/rum free for over 2 years now.
Such a lovely down to earth common sense guy. Could listen to Tim for hours. Keep up the good work. If this just helps one person job done l say. Never too late to turn your life around. Make everyday count.
Well done Tim for putting this video out, I`m certain that it will help people. I was a heavy drinker for years and years (ex squaddie) and quit in December at the age of 70. Drinking took away my time and damaged my health - 25% loss of kidney function. I`m training again, lost 18 pounds, sleeping like I haven`t done in years, got my time back. My time is family time now. If I go out, I drink ginger beer. Like you my attitude is that this is how it will be for the remainder of my time now. Living alcohol free and loving life again. Keep up the good work. 👍
I used to drink a pint of Pernod before I went to work in Germany back in the 70s. I stopped overnight and replaced it with beer. I too couldn't drink 2/3 beers. if there was a crate, it had to be drunk. I took up triathlon and became an ironman. Never felt better in my whole life. I gave up smoking at 40 overnight with no help. Some would say I'm lucky to be strong willed BUT I now only drink about once a month and then I'm afraid it's a box of 18 straight off. No spirits at all. I never drink alone. But that little devil is still sitting there trying to tempt me. I just tell it to Fec* Off and leave me alone. Keep it up Tim, yer doing good dude.👍🤟🙏
I gave up 2 years ago..best decision I ever made. Then went to see pearl jam with my brother in a box at the new coop arena in Manchester…free booze, the works…., got so pissed I remembered nothing and missed work. Immediately on the wagon again with an even more galvanised attitude. Loved this video. And your new ones
33 months since last drink. Have zero urge to drink, also 'thanks' to my hiatal hernia. Drinking messed up my stomach really bad and now being sober I feel much, much better. I still have dreams where I drink alcohol, and I wake up with the anxiety of having succumbed to drinking again. Not drinking has saved me a shitload of money, I have invested well diversified in the stock market. And I cook my own food, which is also a major saver. Keep up the good work.
Well done mate, that's an amazing achievement. I also have big problems with my stomach and was throwing up most mornings, all it would take is for me to cough and then I would be in the bathroom. I've known for a long time I would have to stop and after watching one of Tim's videos I decided to stop, it will be two weeks tomorrow and already I've saved £500 and not thrown up since and my stomach feels better. I'm not going to lie, I hate it, I can't sleep and often awake till 8am but I feel better for it.
@@JagdgeschwaderXJust keep grinding. There are no short-cuts or easy fixes. I had severe insomnia as well, now cured. I sleep like a baby, but took several months. I recon I am fortunate to have very flexible hours, so I don't actually go to sleep until I am tired, and sometimes that doesn't happen until 6 or 7 in the morning, when normal people get up... But I don't care and sleep until lunch-time or later. But I don't just lie and watch the ceiling any longer. Keep watching motivational videos. Worked for me. 'Sober Leon' is a channel I watched.
I've stopped 18 months and as you, took about a year to feel normal. Takes time and have replaced alcohol by eating healthy and exercising every day. I feel great.
I nursed in a drug and alcohol rehab facility. The clients I worried about more than any other were the drinkers. Coming off the booze can be dangerous. The heroin/ketamine/whatever addicts were a pain in the arse but not a great worry. Before you come off booze SEE YOUR DR and be honest. Coming off alcohol has to be done carefully. The big risk is seizures. Your Dr can asses your risk and prescribe medication to help you stay safe. It won’t make it easier. Just safer.
I drank heavily all my life, mainly at mess dos and parties, but fortunately did not evolve into an alcoholic primate. Lucky me. Gave up smoking for my 70th birthday too nearly 20 years ago. Had a brain hemorrhage and later a heart attack, but still getting about with difficulty; thats life! Really sorry for the many hooked on the stuff, but don't know it until they have to give it up.
Ex Army drank way more than I should. Got cancer a couple of years ago and after surgery every time I touched alcohol it made me really unwell so haven’t drank for 2 years and can’t say I miss it but social occasions are hard just to be sat like a lemon when everyone else is getting blootered. Good for you for talking about this way to many ex service personnel leave with drink issues.
Hey love your honest opinions and comments. My fathers a recovering alcoholic he’s not had a drink for 35 yrs he still has his up and down days. He helps people of all walks of life from professional footballers to people in prison but he himself even after 35yrs still struggles some days. I recently lost my older brother to heart failure connected with alcohol abuse. And that really affected him. Where he blamed himself for the addictive nature/nurture. But truth is we all need to take the bull by the horns. And I know it’s not easy I myself had issues with cocaine years ago and I suffered from depression etc but now I’m straight and my marriage is good I’m back playing 7 a side football etc. but even now if I’m in certain situations with certain people I think to myself could I have one more night. No one will know except me. But as you say it’s time,mindset,self motivation and determination. I appreciate your honesty and openness and it’s good to see you achieving your sobriety 1day at a time. My dad always says to my keep doing what your doing you’ll keep getting what your getting. So if your not happy change routine. And sometimes it’s not a day at a time but an hour at a time. Thank you
For me nearly four years in no alcohol, when your have cracked it is when you and everyone around you feel it’s normal for you not to drink alcohol, takes time but you do get there , and when your own mind doesn’t need to justify to you and and everyone else your not drinking it’s just plain normal - not easy but the best thing I have done in years - not relevant really but been a pilot instructor GA and now run very successful unrelated business. Lost contact with all my regular drinking buddies though , but I have accepted that. Still go to pub just use 00, which is now really good. Good luck.
10 years ago I stopped (not an 'alcoholic' but when I did drink I couldn't stop - binge drinking basically). Had no problem stopping really - it was pushing at an open door. The weird thing is that I' have had a couple of beers when out with mates in that time - and after so long not drinking alcohol I really don't like how even one pint makes me feel! I can feel my mood going down immediately and it just doesn't feel like it used to at all. So... I now have zero motivation to even have one. Best thing I've ever done. I think the whole drinking culture in the UK is a huge part of the problem tbh - you were conditioned into it all 100% when we were growing up and getting out - that whole 'going on the lash' culture - the whole 'you can't have fun without getting hammered thing. Terrible really. I do think this is changing fast though, none of my three (now young adult) kids think this way, don't drink at all really and none of their friends seem to either. They only really go to pubs for socialising and eating. No wonder 'boozer' pubs are all closing down now... the younger people just aren't interested.
It will be two weeks for me tomorrow. I stopped (again) after finding one of your videos, I think I found your channel after your appearance on the lotus eaters and had searched for it because you'd mentioned going to an electronic warfare school which I found interesting and I'm glad I did because I found your videos about drinking. I've worked in the oil industry for 24 years and it also was a very 'work hard play hard' environment but I then started working from home 8 years ago and since then drank almost every day. The last four years got out of control because of all the crazy stuff that's happened. I also drank to switch my brain off (it never shuts up) but I started developing physical problems especially with my stomach and most days would throw up in the morning likely due to an ulcer. Anyway, thanks for the inspiration and you are right, it's shit but going back is even shitter especially as it will land many of us in hospital or even worse. Thanks for trying to make a difference in the world and best regards, Nick
Great video Tim ,not sure you will even get to read this because my anti war views seem to have me shadow banned ,no one ever puts likes by what i write ,ahah.. But like you I stress about idiots causing conflict for profit and used to drink to numb pain ,but then realised depression will shorten my life without alcohol shortening it more . Respect ,you seem a very top guy .
I'm reading you loud clear and wish you all the best with your journey good buddy - it's all very individual and good to have another voice out there promoting healthy lifestyles.
That’s it, your mind is racing and you want to slow it down or turn it down or SOMETHING. So let’s stop drinking the beers and conFRONT why it’s running at 110%. Love your stuff - these videos are excellent Tim, please keep going.
Well done for breaking a v. dangerous habit. 5:55 Going to bed when yr not tired is a no-no (unless it's for that "other" reason), all that happens is the mind will use the opportunity to go over every fear & concern that's currently in it which will torment you I've found personally. Carry on working at something productively until your tired instead. Beds are for doing something in, sleeping, work, play, not for lying there conscious but doing nothing.
To everyone on the journey, I just want to say well done. Falling off isn’t failing, it’s learning. Keep at it. I come at this from the other side of the fence. The missus has a problem with alcohol. There is a history of it in her family. She is ex Army which revolves around the culture. She gravitates towards friends who enable her. The last few years she has become aware that it’s at a level that isn’t “normal”. I have tried to help in any way I can but I cannot do it for her and you cannot help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves. We go through months where she won’t drink but as soon as that “just one” mentality comes out it’s back to square one again. She is verbally abusive, a liar, completely unreasonable and irrational. She hides vodka in water bottles, drinks in her car on the drive before coming in, drinks whilst out walking the dogs. Going out anywhere is a ticking time bomb of embarrassment to the point where I just avoid going anywhere with her now. She will be violently ill where she has basically poisoned herself. You are a far better person for trying and there will be someone who appreciates you far more for it
I'm not a big drinker just an occasional social drinker now. I used to love a bottle of wine on a Saturday night but now I just tend to drink diet pops which in fairness aren't particularly healthy either but means I don't wake up rough. I relate to a lot of what you're saying, I live in a house that needs a lot of work but I'm lucky that it does have a garage and I've built myself a half decent gym including lots of weights and a Zwift bike. I also run a couple of 5ks a week and cycle a lot on road and gravel. I feel in better shape physically and mentally at 47 than I did in my twenties. You're right you have to have your own space, bit of music, head clearing, rationalising, pondering life. Good luck to you Tim.
I was in the RAF between 1972 and 1996. For the first 17 years I would have been classed as a functioning alcoholic, but as every section or Mess function revolved around alcohol it was easy to go unnoticed. Non attendance at a section function was severely frowned upon. An early job I had was calculating Officers Mess bar books for application to their Mess bill, it was shocking to see the amounts being consumed . I stopped drinking on the 4th January 1989 single-handed with no outside guidance or advice. I have remained sober since. I received only criticism from senior Officers for going tee-total and had to explain myself to new Flight Commanders on a number of occasions. I understand times have changed in the RAF as regards alcohol consumption and that can only be a positive.
This is my story too drinking wise I never flew but my life was just the same on the drink front I stopped in 2017 I’m 56 and my only regret is that I didn’t do it earlier I know live in the moment and take it one day at a time Never take the First drink 😮 One day at a time And I INTEND to not drink again! Thanks for sharing this video 👍🏻
Don't try to stop. People always try to drag you down to their level. Limit yourself to 1-2 drinks. Even get shandy if you can. If people see you not drinking, they make a big deal of it. Make the objective to be more sobre than to quit. The football method. One or two, that will do. You will cut down in no time. Hanging around drunk people while you're sober you will soon wish you didn't go out. It's that easy. Good luck.
Keep making these videos Tim, it helps people, me included - a 55 year old 5 year sober pilot who is still surrounded by functioning alcoholic pilots. Its part of our industry. Many have said they wish they could stop but can’t. I watch RUclips stop drinking videos regularly and yours are always very good so Thanks! The problem with sobriety 5 years in for me is the lack of that “turn off switch”. I wake up at 2 am sometimes with my mind out of control but the booze isn’t an option to turn it off. It can be tough! But I won’t go back to the poison. I finally lost the craving after so many attempts over the years. I did it by recalling the pain I caused myself and others over and over every time I thought of drinking. Now its gone. I too wish I could drink one beer like some people but I drank to self medicate, and that took many beers daily. My replacement is exercise now and I order appetizers and drink water if I go to the bar with friends, which is not very often - I am not as fun as I used to be I am told! 😊. Thanks again Tim.
It will be there all your life, and the fact that humans have been creating and dealing with this for ten's of thousand's of years speaks volumes of the reality of life on Earth. Turning the brain off is a good reason start, but turning it ON with hobbies, close friends and family is the path...Hang on everyone, we have wild ride ahead of us, let's all hang in and keep looking up!
Thank you for the video. The way you described your drinking pattern perfectly resembled mine. I could easily go a few weeks without drinking but if I had one then that would be it.. a session for the evening and possibly/ probably into the next day. Not sure if you have heard of a guy called William Porter? He has written two books on alcohol - Alcohol Explained 1 & 2. He has also appeared on many podcasts. He is brilliant at explaining the science in an understandable way of why it is extremely difficult for some drinkers to stop at one. He also explains the reasons behind the awful 4 am wake ups when you are riven with anxiety. I have managed to stay alcohol free since early June 2023 and it was William that helped it click for me, I had to understand on a practical level why it is not even worth me entertaining the idea of moderation. Once you know drink is off the table it is time to get to work- stopping is the easy part, staying sober takes commitment. Once again thank you and please keep doing the videos, there aren’t enough men helping other men in the sober community / space.
You Sir are a Legend , you put out more good and healthy things than most channels that I watch . We are both ex Forces from around the same era and Drinking was expected not just the norm . Im now 52 years old a little older than you and I need to give up , trust me for the majority of us at this age and older it's best . How ever I am yet to reach that lovely mile stone of retirement . And I think most of you all ,my age and even younger will agree ....the job isn't what it used to be . I would love to tell you the mental bullshit that we are dealing with yet corporate bullshit stops me from saying ....at some point im sure they will get rid of me a job I have done for 34 years .
8 or 9 years since I stopped drinking - I was drinking minimum 6-8 cans of Stella a day + vodka/rum etc at weekends. As a matelot that was just 'normal' - as a normal person, that's a major drink problem, and I'd turned into an angry drunk. Stopped drinking, started eating cake... now I have a cake problem..... no joke!
Hi . Thanks for your stream very helpfull. I am struggling at the moment and need to stop but everytime i decide this is the day then at night that all goes in the bin and i am back at it. I have to stop . Thanks for your support. 👍👍👍I totaly admire you for what you have done and bringing this subject forwards is the right thing to do. Total respect . 👍👍👍
Good job everyone. I stopped about 12 years ago, and I feel much more balanced, and even. I guess we grew up with drinks as part of our social lives. much better without!
Chocolate = sugar. Alcohol = sugar. THAT is what the body is craving and what truly addicts you. The key is moderation...extreme moderation. Unfortunately, the buzz that drinking brings along with it will cause you to lose control over that 'moderation' and you will over do it. At this point, I've been on the wagon for a little bit over 90s days (longest personal stretch...) I just try to not think about it. I have identified 'trigger' events and times that will cause me to want to drink and I have removed them or 'distracted' myself. Once that time frame slips by...thoughts of drinking disappear. Hardest events are getting together with buddies at the pub...and ordering an iced tea while they are downing beers....but I manage, and I am proud to say that I have remained booze free during those times. Strength to all you gents and gals out there that have decided to stop. You're treating yourself better by not imbibing that poison. HONOR yourselves. God Bless.
Good to hear your doing ok mate, I’ve cut right back and have non alcoholic beers that are good and really have helped me stopping drinking a beer or wine most nights. Your help and inspiration was a key learning for me 👍😀
Hi Tim. Just wanted to say thank you for the videos. My booze has been creeping up and up this list year or so. I can easily drink 8 pints a night and get up for work the next morning after 6 hours broken sleep. But it's catching up with me and I know I need to change habits. I don't know how to stop but I know I need to.
Tim, like you former military, commissioned in the early 90's, a few months older than you, when drinking was just what you did in the mob, except I never really did. My issue was I never really enjoyed it and just nursed a pint to make other people comfortable. A joker of a PMC made me "Wines Member" because it meant that the middle aged Majs would have a duty driver when they wanted to get on the lash on a "wine buying trip". I got to the point I realised that there was FA point having a drink when I didn't want one and so I just stopped and haven't drunk for over 18 years, and I don't miss it. The only time I did and I had to fight really, really hard against an overwhelming desire to have a drink was at a family event when there were about 18 of us sat round the table in a restaurant and I was the only adult on water. I recognise all you say - when you are sober you don't want to be around drinkers come "drunk o'clock", you find other things to do, and other cravings as well. My wife has finally come around to recognising her own bad drinking habits - she was a drinker's drinker (like her dad) and because she would hang around heavy drinkers and drink heavily her world view was that everyone else did too because that's all she saw. Now she's a light drinker she's less combustible and erratic, we fight less and life is generally more harmonius.
Tim, first off, I wish you and your mates who have decided "enough's enough" my best - often it's just a case of getting to a point of admitting that something just isn't fun or worthwhile anymore. Here are just my (layman's admittedly) observations: 1. Drinkers hang around with drinkers (just like gamblers, boy-racers or whatever). It's easy to get into thinking that everyone is like you to a greater or lesser extent when everyone around you reinforces your optic. If you want to break a habit find friends and activities that will support you and won't reinforce that habits you are trying to break. 2. Alcohol (like most drugs) is a depressant. It means you get a relaxed sensation but eventually you need to supplement the lack of buzz. 3. Alcohol reduces inhibitions and self-perception. It's why people argue and fight when drunk, or act erratically without seeing it in themselves. Tensions arise (see point 1) when one of you in a relationship has a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol (or anything). Some points to consider. Be well my friend! @@FastJetPerformance
Most of the fittest , hard drinking men I served with in the Royal Marines had given up drinking by the time they reached 60-this was the same for me. I don’t go to top tables or pubs and find other things to do…..
For a very long time I tried to walk away from drink which is odd as I gave up smoking in a week after 10 years, but now I know that was easy this is a personnel fight everyday it changes
Hi Tim, thanks for your honesty. I was an 18-yr old student pilot at 7 FTS RAF Church Fenton in 1962 and remember being shocked by the performance of more senior people at my first Officers’ Mess Gust Night. Over the following 20 years, I enjoyed all aspects of the drinking ‘culture’ of the RAF, but always felt slightly guilty. ‘Should I really be behaving like this?’ If the present-day RAF - particularly aircrew - can have the same fun and camaraderie that we had in my day, that’s great.
Good vid that Tim. Honest & sincere. Personally the hangovers after a few spirits f’s me up next day…so I choose tea instead. Early to bed.. early to rise 👊😎👊
I started drinking in 6th form in 1987. It continued when I was at polytechnic from 1988. Having a few made me a better DJ. But, I stopped in 1995 - and it was quite easy. However, at the end of 2019, my PhD was going down the drain and the pandemic was the nail in that coffin so I felt I needed something to take the edge off. At first it was great. I could have 3 or 4 bottles, a bottle of wine or a couple of doubles shots (not altogether) and I'd get tipsy which is all I needed. However, bit my bit, my tolerance got higher so I needed more for that 'same buzz' which translated into more money spent. I didn't like the thought of having more for the same experience. Also, in August I felt as though a hot knife pierced my toe. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen didn't help at all - and my toe was inflamed to the extent I couldn't put pressure on it. Both GP and foot clinic said it's suspected Gout and I read one of the causes was alcohol. Also, if you have (as I do) psoriasis, alcohol inflames that too. On top of that, I'd be waking up really late and wasting 1/2 my morning with severe hangovers. So, I decided at the end of last year that I didn't need it any more. For me it was instantaneous. I didn't even feel the urge for one and it's been 2.5 months without. Good news is, I had a blood test a few weeks ago and I don't have Gout! The trick (for me) was... convince yourself you don't need it. Plus, for health reasons, I had that incentive. Perhaps if you need a push, as your GP for a blood test of as much as possible; blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, uric acid etc. and if something comes back borderline... then the choice is yours. Medication for the rest of your life or get healthy (again). Good luck to all.
Hey TD, thanks again for these videos and putting your experiences out there. I stopped drinking mid january , for my health and just to prove to myself i wasnt a functioning alcoholic , which I beleive I was. I was putting away 1-2 bottles of wine every night, starting drinking straight after work , so i was a habitual drinker. I found that you need plan your spare time. so your not twiddling your thumbs. once I got past about 830pm i was mostly ok (mostly) . staring at the ceiling in bed ...yes.. the immeidiate differences I noticed , not to be vulgar but, my gut (kite) got smaller, i was peeing and pooing better within a week which makes you gradually feel better over the weeks. I wont stop drinking alcohol forever but My goal is to be in control and only have a drink at the weekends and odd occassions. Ive Broke the everyday cycle whch was bloody hard. got so sick of drinking water juice and Tea and I like my Tea. (The Tea is Definatly on me TD) Theres alot of us fighting this, to many different degrees. It did help what you said TD about saying F all to anyone about stopping , you keep it as a personal target so other people cant coax you off the wagon. but Yes keeping the brain engaged on other things is a must! replace that drinking time with diy, hobbies, gym, running etc. Your never alone in what you seek. FJP RULES OK🇬🇧 ✈
I’m trying to help 2 friends who I’ve known over 20 years who drink. Both are veterans. Thanks for this. It’s really useful for people like me who don’t have this issue. I have PTSD though, my sleep is shot and I’ve just worked through.
Very nice video Tim sharing your strength unashamedly. So easy to become dependent, I am also from a family where alot of boozing was the norm. My brother was a Soldier and took it to another level. He would come home at weekends and beg me for a sub to go out and get slaughtered. It was very hard. On the one hand I didnt want to give it to him because it wasnt doing him any good healthwise. However I also thought that if anything happened to him and I didnt help him out then I thought it would have been me that stopped him having a good time with his mates. I always gave in what a quandry. Thankfully nothing happened to him other than PTSD and he has a good wife and three lovely children and got it under control. When he met his wife he had something to live for and a new future. Distraction and purpose. Thankfully I have very low tolerance for the stuff and my Mum used to say I only had to smell a brewers apron and I was anybodys. However alcohol is dangerous and can ruin families.
The action part of the cycle of change is the key. Start seeing rewards for changes in habits, behaviours ,attitudes, key relationships and situations..and you'll maintain it. Number 1...End alcohol use. Caveat...you cannot jump over the action stage...try, and the universe will laugh at you.
I have a problem with it. I can relate to everything you just said. Although, I'm a lightweight compared to you, my problem is it's everyday and every opportunity. Even a few hours before I work, I'll sneek a couple. I've been busted a couple of times for that infact, it's just that I have serious long term depression. Anyway, cheers for this. Keep all your normal videos coming too. Love your channel.
I'm still in the dark days - currently watching with a beer in my hand. I'm 22, and at the point now where drinking has cost me multiple relationships with friends because of the decisions I've made while I was intoxicated. I've became pretty good at tanking about 10-16 budweisers a night on weekdays and weekends, alone or with friends, it didn't matter. Getting piss drunk so my mind can shut up for a minute. In the last couple of weeks, I've brought it down to an average of two drinks a night, and then I force myself to try and sleep. Sometimes it works, and I'm thankful, but other times, it's a creeping thought that I need another beer before I can finally get some shuteye. Last week I was five days sober, the longest I'd gone in three years, broke it that weekend. I'm trying to better myself, and get comfortable being uncomfortable, but I know it'll be a long, miserable process. I've just gotta chip away at it, and prove to myself that I have the mental fortitude to achieve my goals.
Hi Tim . I messaged you at Xmas about having a shave and looking younger , that ( iam sure ) will make you feel good and more happier and mentally positive. 😊
I haven't touched Alcohol for 7 years but still regard myself as Alcoholic. Anybody who tries to pressure you into having an alcoholic drink is no friend so walk away. You NEVER get over the mourning of Alcohol Loss so be warned.
Reprogramming the reward pathways is probably the toughest thing a dude can do. We are evolved to be hedonic, and the eudiamonic not so much. Certainly the research I've read on the subject indicates a bigger impact for hedonistic reward habituating quickly, and a lower level but stable for the second. More power to anyone with the strength of will to get through it.
I was same I could not just drink 1 or 2, it had to be 10 pints. And like you I did not touch cake and chocolate and now am in another fight to stop chocolate but bird watching and fishing help
Boss you could do a video 10 hours long and I'd still be engrossed whatever the content, though this video imho highlights your honesty as it is very hard opening yourself up for criticism by a minority. That minority most likely hasn't the minerals to do all what you do, even the bonus of 90 squids😊 keep it up Tim we're here to help you see it through 110%
Thanks Tim for sharing. Shack Lead!! I remember a good friend lighting me up when I was in a 'woe is me' phase. Quote " You're BEST F*^%king thinking" got you to this point in time, buddy!! Traipsing back in time. Stay well and check six lead!
" C.V of life " .....as i get older my body convulsed offa the thought of beer .......well werid ...my brain 🧠 " maybe just maybe " just 1 !!! thats not my brain thats me blagging my brain ............. What a rollercoaster ...........life is
2 years off the sauce and I would just say there is a point when it means nothing to you anymore, it has no grip on you. Stay with it and win for yourself.
I'm 40, ex infantry, gave up smoking and alcohol. If I could roll back the clock to my service time I would find a local yoga class after being dismissed from the company office at 4pm. Just an idea if anyone wants an alternative.
Stopped a few times and I'm lucky being a very nonaddictive person. I've stopped smoking, drinking and sex on a number of occasions, but the only one I have stayed off permanently is smoking. Some of the biggest piss artists I knew were RAF aircrew colleagues, but the norm was increasingly tee-total until I skipped the UK in 1991. You must have been the exception 🙂 When I gave away smoking I felt some benefit almost immediately, after weeks it was a huge improvement and it continued to improve for a year or two. I could never go back to such a stupid habit. Alcohol was different and the benefits were measured in days rather than weeks. If any heavy user quits booze for two weeks and denies that they feel a shitload better, then they have other issues.
Thanks for adding value in the comments, guys. For those interested, alcohol and aviation tend to go together a bit too well and I know many pilots who also used alcohol to shut the brain off after a long day which led to dependency.
Your comments help others on these videos - I appreciate what you write and thank you for it.
9 months for me , I was pretty bad though
Tim, please don't stop the chats about alcohol, even if you maybe open it on a different channel.
Isn’t it about self control & self discipline?
YOU KNOW that you’re having a Beer.
YOU KNOW your limit, whether it’s because of upcoming Duty or your location & what mode of transport you’re using.
DON’T stick to YOUR LIMIT, STICK to THE LIMIT.
Tim, your SELECTIVE RADIAL SCAN should always encompass WHO you are, WHERE you are & WHAT you are doing.
Ende
It took me 19 months to completely not want it anymore. Best thing I’ve ever done
Hi Tim. I'm ex RAF, 43 Sqn groundcrew. Left in 2001 with big drink problem. I'm 3 weeks into my second attempt having done 5 month dry stint last year. I want to let you know how much I appreciate your frank no nonsense talks on this subject, I find them really helpful. Of course love your other content also. Thanks.
Did you drink on the job?
When I used to do endurance walking I fast learned to forget about the painful miles ahead, just concentrate on the next small distance, then when you get to the next one, just that small distance.
Giving up alcohol was tough, at first. Now, 24 years later, I don't miss it at all. I could look after your booze fridge for you all year and not touch a drop. TBH the last time I had a small bottle of beer, works do with my staff, half that small bottle of beer and I felt poisoned.
I'm now 56. I'm pretty fit. I enjoy life. There's one problem....It's just not long enough, it took me till 50 to get the hang of it.
I'm coming up to 5 years without booze, for anybody reading this that is considering stopping or is still early on. It gets so much better, everybody is different with it.
I celebrate my anniversary as a second birthday, which has helped me to keep that momentum. Celebrate your wins chaps!
Fucking proud of anybody that gets over an issue like that. Hats off Tim, smashing it
3+ years, don't miss it at all. Never going back.
Good on you 👍🏻
Tim, I have never been a drinker and am not an addictive 'type' but , please continue to put this stuff out, because for those that are, these vids are hugely important. Thank you.
I’m an ex Bootneck and have consumed alcohol since I was 16, I’m 61 now, I gave up on December 31. I ain’t missing it at all, I have also stopped eating any form of carb or sugar, I’ve gone from 15 stone to 13.4 in that space of time. My BP is back to normal levels and my basal metabolic pulse rate is 49 bpm. I feel absolutely amazing, my stamina is through the roof, I feel 20 years younger. I was becoming pre diabetic, not any more.
Tim, I spoke with you in Jan and after a colossal fuck up from my med centre after just wanting help. I am still sober and have great days and shit days. These videos have been fantastic and please keep them coming! Well done Tim, you are a sane, normal person that speaks the truth and is so relatable.
I recently (just over a month ago) lost my father to over 25 years of alcoholism. He never, ever admitted he was an alcoholic and as a result was estranged from his whole family.
I stayed in contact with him over the years, but kept him away from my son who is now 21. He missed out on so much life of his family, sadly he even lost both his legs to the alcohol. I still loved him as he was my dad, and did see him when he was on his final spiral in hospital.
We did give him a good send off last week, but it was so bittersweet due to the pain and strife he caused his family.
Sorry for dumping this on your comments Tim, but I just needed to drop it all out of my system, and I deeply respect you for dealing with booze issues and sharing your feelings on it with us.
On the plus side though, I looked at all the mistakes my father made, especially with alcohol, and I vowed I would be the best father I could be to both my son and my step children.
Thank you for the video, which is so very poignant to me right now.
And now I am going to fuck off and cry my eyes out for a bit.
Hay ur never alone !!!!!!!!!!! My father ...........well thats another story .............
Hay I'm here if u need me or to talk
Massive respect for what you sed re your own children .......🙏
@@matthewc.419 Thank you matey 🙂
Lost my mum when I was 24 the same way. It's brutal mate. Deepest condolences to you!
Coming up to 5 years sober myself, just want everyone to know that it's possible to break the familial "curse", and live a good life afterwards.
All the best
You are a first class Tim. Brain like a planet, heart of a lion
Man hugs inbound to you Ian, have a lovely weekend.
My father was a binge drinker, but only on one day of the week, which he used to say was 'his day.' Sundays became a day my brother and I dreaded, because we both knew it would always end up in fights and grief. Our mother had long given up trying to change him, so she would shrink like a violet every Sunday, pretending not to notice. In his mid-seventies, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which is one of the worst one can have. Once diagnosed he did stop drinking, but frankly it was too little, too late, and despite undergoing a serious operation, he didn't survive long after. The oncologists were unanimous in their view that the main cause was the binge drinking. We'll never know for sure, of course, but my brother and I gave up regular alcohol consumption on the spot after his funeral. Nowadays, we both have just the occasional beer, glass of wine or high quality whiskey. Drinking a limited amount of alcohol is now a pleasurable and sociable past time that we choose to do, and not something we have to do.
Hi Tim - I gave up Drinking 2 years ago, Drank pretty much nightly since my mid 20s (44 now) I had the same "bug" as you , 1 isnt enough. My Job during those times (my civvy job as well as my TA service) Both heavily male dominant, both sets of mates very vocal about work - Pub lifestyle, even both nights a week I was at my squadron (or weekends) we had a bar, it was cheap and to be honest it was a laugh. Hangovers were brushed off and I thought I could cope. This eventually turned into me making sure I had a crate of beer in the house, I thought nothing of doing 6 cans after work. This all changed for me when it turned out my Mums partner was an alcoholic. I watched him utterly destroy his life, and my mum mentally. He would get so drunk on brandy he would black out, wake up the next day and deny it all. After he fell down stairs for the 5th time, my mum gave up, called an ambulance and kicked him out. It was a stark reflection for me, I was and still am I guess, very very fond of Rum. During covid, I was doing 2 bottles a week. I realised that I A: I wasnt far off being classed as an alcoholic and B: I was becoming fed up of hangovers and losing a Saturday or Sunday to eating paracetamol and chugging energy drinks. So I stopped. I did lose weight at the start but its come back. I dont feel any different but unlike you I cant go out and be around people drinking. I still smoke and I have massive association with a beer and a smoke. My mates have been great actually, I get called a lightweight and a letdown but they know how bad I felt about my mums partner and how that ended up. So yeah, Beer/wine/rum free for over 2 years now.
keep up the good work thats amazing your in control now
Such a lovely down to earth common sense guy. Could listen to Tim for hours. Keep up the good work. If this just helps one person job done l say. Never too late to turn your life around. Make everyday count.
Well done Tim for putting this video out, I`m certain that it will help people. I was a heavy drinker for years and years (ex squaddie) and quit in December at the age of 70. Drinking took away my time and damaged my health - 25% loss of kidney function. I`m training again, lost 18 pounds, sleeping like I haven`t done in years, got my time back. My time is family time now. If I go out, I drink ginger beer. Like you my attitude is that this is how it will be for the remainder of my time now. Living alcohol free and loving life again. Keep up the good work. 👍
Erdinger do a beer that is actually an Isotonic recovery drink - have a look at that.
I used to drink a pint of Pernod before I went to work in Germany back in the 70s. I stopped overnight and replaced it with beer. I too couldn't drink 2/3 beers. if there was a crate, it had to be drunk. I took up triathlon and became an ironman. Never felt better in my whole life. I gave up smoking at 40 overnight with no help. Some would say I'm lucky to be strong willed BUT I now only drink about once a month and then I'm afraid it's a box of 18 straight off. No spirits at all. I never drink alone. But that little devil is still sitting there trying to tempt me. I just tell it to Fec* Off and leave me alone. Keep it up Tim, yer doing good dude.👍🤟🙏
You're a life saver mate.
I gave up 2 years ago..best decision I ever made.
Then went to see pearl jam with my brother in a box at the new coop arena in Manchester…free booze, the works…., got so pissed I remembered nothing and missed work.
Immediately on the wagon again with an even more galvanised attitude.
Loved this video. And your new ones
33 months since last drink. Have zero urge to drink, also 'thanks' to my hiatal hernia. Drinking messed up my stomach really bad and now being sober I feel much, much better. I still have dreams where I drink alcohol, and I wake up with the anxiety of having succumbed to drinking again. Not drinking has saved me a shitload of money, I have invested well diversified in the stock market. And I cook my own food, which is also a major saver. Keep up the good work.
Well done mate, that's an amazing achievement. I also have big problems with my stomach and was throwing up most mornings, all it would take is for me to cough and then I would be in the bathroom. I've known for a long time I would have to stop and after watching one of Tim's videos I decided to stop, it will be two weeks tomorrow and already I've saved £500 and not thrown up since and my stomach feels better. I'm not going to lie, I hate it, I can't sleep and often awake till 8am but I feel better for it.
@@JagdgeschwaderXJust keep grinding. There are no short-cuts or easy fixes. I had severe insomnia as well, now cured. I sleep like a baby, but took several months. I recon I am fortunate to have very flexible hours, so I don't actually go to sleep until I am tired, and sometimes that doesn't happen until 6 or 7 in the morning, when normal people get up... But I don't care and sleep until lunch-time or later. But I don't just lie and watch the ceiling any longer. Keep watching motivational videos. Worked for me. 'Sober Leon' is a channel I watched.
Well done fella, every day is a victory❤
Smashing it dude, really hope you take the time to celebrate these wins!
I've stopped 18 months and as you, took about a year to feel normal. Takes time and have replaced alcohol by eating healthy and exercising every day. I feel great.
Good for you! All the best to you!
@@thepragmatist Thank you
I nursed in a drug and alcohol rehab facility.
The clients I worried about more than any other were the drinkers.
Coming off the booze can be dangerous.
The heroin/ketamine/whatever addicts were a pain in the arse but not a great worry.
Before you come off booze SEE YOUR DR and be honest.
Coming off alcohol has to be done carefully.
The big risk is seizures.
Your Dr can asses your risk and prescribe medication to help you stay safe.
It won’t make it easier.
Just safer.
What an all-round cracking video.
I drank heavily all my life, mainly at mess dos and parties, but fortunately did not evolve into an alcoholic primate. Lucky me. Gave up smoking for my 70th birthday too nearly 20 years ago.
Had a brain hemorrhage and later a heart attack, but still getting about with difficulty; thats life! Really sorry for the many hooked on the stuff, but don't know it until they have to give it up.
Ex Army drank way more than I should. Got cancer a couple of years ago and after surgery every time I touched alcohol it made me really unwell so haven’t drank for 2 years and can’t say I miss it but social occasions are hard just to be sat like a lemon when everyone else is getting blootered. Good for you for talking about this way to many ex service personnel leave with drink issues.
This video couldn't have come at a better time for me, thank you.
It takes 1-2 years to give it up and be proud that you no longer have this 200 pound weight hanging around your neck. Great video mate.
Hey love your honest opinions and comments. My fathers a recovering alcoholic he’s not had a drink for 35 yrs he still has his up and down days. He helps people of all walks of life from professional footballers to people in prison but he himself even after 35yrs still struggles some days. I recently lost my older brother to heart failure connected with alcohol abuse. And that really affected him. Where he blamed himself for the addictive nature/nurture. But truth is we all need to take the bull by the horns. And I know it’s not easy I myself had issues with cocaine years ago and I suffered from depression etc but now I’m straight and my marriage is good I’m back playing 7 a side football etc. but even now if I’m in certain situations with certain people I think to myself could I have one more night. No one will know except me. But as you say it’s time,mindset,self motivation and determination. I appreciate your honesty and openness and it’s good to see you achieving your sobriety 1day at a time.
My dad always says to my keep doing what your doing you’ll keep getting what your getting. So if your not happy change routine.
And sometimes it’s not a day at a time but an hour at a time.
Thank you
For me nearly four years in no alcohol, when your have cracked it is when you and everyone around you feel it’s normal for you not to drink alcohol, takes time but you do get there , and when your own mind doesn’t need to justify to you and and everyone else your not drinking it’s just plain normal - not easy but the best thing I have done in years - not relevant really but been a pilot instructor GA and now run very successful unrelated business. Lost contact with all my regular drinking buddies though , but I have accepted that. Still go to pub just use 00, which is now really good. Good luck.
Good speech helped a lot.
10 years ago I stopped (not an 'alcoholic' but when I did drink I couldn't stop - binge drinking basically). Had no problem stopping really - it was pushing at an open door. The weird thing is that I' have had a couple of beers when out with mates in that time - and after so long not drinking alcohol I really don't like how even one pint makes me feel! I can feel my mood going down immediately and it just doesn't feel like it used to at all. So... I now have zero motivation to even have one. Best thing I've ever done. I think the whole drinking culture in the UK is a huge part of the problem tbh - you were conditioned into it all 100% when we were growing up and getting out - that whole 'going on the lash' culture - the whole 'you can't have fun without getting hammered thing. Terrible really. I do think this is changing fast though, none of my three (now young adult) kids think this way, don't drink at all really and none of their friends seem to either. They only really go to pubs for socialising and eating. No wonder 'boozer' pubs are all closing down now... the younger people just aren't interested.
It will be two weeks for me tomorrow. I stopped (again) after finding one of your videos, I think I found your channel after your appearance on the lotus eaters and had searched for it because you'd mentioned going to an electronic warfare school which I found interesting and I'm glad I did because I found your videos about drinking. I've worked in the oil industry for 24 years and it also was a very 'work hard play hard' environment but I then started working from home 8 years ago and since then drank almost every day. The last four years got out of control because of all the crazy stuff that's happened. I also drank to switch my brain off (it never shuts up) but I started developing physical problems especially with my stomach and most days would throw up in the morning likely due to an ulcer. Anyway, thanks for the inspiration and you are right, it's shit but going back is even shitter especially as it will land many of us in hospital or even worse. Thanks for trying to make a difference in the world and best regards, Nick
Great video Tim ,not sure you will even get to read this because my anti war views seem to have me shadow banned ,no one ever puts likes by what i write ,ahah.. But like you I stress about idiots causing conflict for profit and used to drink to numb pain ,but then realised depression will shorten my life without alcohol shortening it more . Respect ,you seem a very top guy .
I'm reading you loud clear and wish you all the best with your journey good buddy - it's all very individual and good to have another voice out there promoting healthy lifestyles.
That’s it, your mind is racing and you want to slow it down or turn it down or SOMETHING. So let’s stop drinking the beers and conFRONT why it’s running at 110%. Love your stuff - these videos are excellent Tim, please keep going.
Well done for breaking a v. dangerous habit. 5:55 Going to bed when yr not tired is a no-no (unless it's for that "other" reason), all that happens is the mind will use the opportunity to go over every fear & concern that's currently in it which will torment you I've found personally. Carry on working at something productively until your tired instead. Beds are for doing something in, sleeping, work, play, not for lying there conscious but doing nothing.
To everyone on the journey, I just want to say well done. Falling off isn’t failing, it’s learning. Keep at it.
I come at this from the other side of the fence. The missus has a problem with alcohol. There is a history of it in her family. She is ex Army which revolves around the culture. She gravitates towards friends who enable her.
The last few years she has become aware that it’s at a level that isn’t “normal”. I have tried to help in any way I can but I cannot do it for her and you cannot help someone who doesn’t want to help themselves.
We go through months where she won’t drink but as soon as that “just one” mentality comes out it’s back to square one again. She is verbally abusive, a liar, completely unreasonable and irrational. She hides vodka in water bottles, drinks in her car on the drive before coming in, drinks whilst out walking the dogs. Going out anywhere is a ticking time bomb of embarrassment to the point where I just avoid going anywhere with her now. She will be violently ill where she has basically poisoned herself.
You are a far better person for trying and there will be someone who appreciates you far more for it
Johnny, I appreciate the comment and I'll try and address this in another video.
Great content Tim. Stopped on the 1st Jan. The half bottle of left over wine is still on the side as a reminder for me.
I'm not a big drinker just an occasional social drinker now. I used to love a bottle of wine on a Saturday night but now I just tend to drink diet pops which in fairness aren't particularly healthy either but means I don't wake up rough. I relate to a lot of what you're saying, I live in a house that needs a lot of work but I'm lucky that it does have a garage and I've built myself a half decent gym including lots of weights and a Zwift bike. I also run a couple of 5ks a week and cycle a lot on road and gravel. I feel in better shape physically and mentally at 47 than I did in my twenties. You're right you have to have your own space, bit of music, head clearing, rationalising, pondering life. Good luck to you Tim.
Not all about clicks mate! Quality over quantity. 👍🏼
I was in the RAF between 1972 and 1996. For the first 17 years I would have been classed as a functioning alcoholic, but as every section or Mess function revolved around alcohol it was easy to go unnoticed. Non attendance at a section function was severely frowned upon. An early job I had was calculating Officers Mess bar books for application to their Mess bill, it was shocking to see the amounts being consumed . I stopped drinking on the 4th January 1989 single-handed with no outside guidance or advice. I have remained sober since. I received only criticism from senior Officers for going tee-total and had to explain myself to new Flight Commanders on a number of occasions. I understand times have changed in the RAF as regards alcohol consumption and that can only be a positive.
This is my story too drinking wise I never flew but my life was just the same on the drink front
I stopped in 2017 I’m 56 and my only regret is that I didn’t do it earlier
I know live in the moment and take it one day at a time
Never take the First drink 😮
One day at a time
And I INTEND to not drink again!
Thanks for sharing this video 👍🏻
Don't try to stop. People always try to drag you down to their level. Limit yourself to 1-2 drinks. Even get shandy if you can. If people see you not drinking, they make a big deal of it. Make the objective to be more sobre than to quit.
The football method.
One or two, that will do.
You will cut down in no time.
Hanging around drunk people while you're sober you will soon wish you didn't go out.
It's that easy. Good luck.
Keep making these videos Tim, it helps people, me included - a 55 year old 5 year sober pilot who is still surrounded by functioning alcoholic pilots. Its part of our industry. Many have said they wish they could stop but can’t. I watch RUclips stop drinking videos regularly and yours are always very good so Thanks!
The problem with sobriety 5 years in for me is the lack of that “turn off switch”. I wake up at 2 am sometimes with my mind out of control but the booze isn’t an option to turn it off. It can be tough! But I won’t go back to the poison. I finally lost the craving after so many attempts over the years. I did it by recalling the pain I caused myself and others over and over every time I thought of drinking. Now its gone.
I too wish I could drink one beer like some people but I drank to self medicate, and that took many beers daily. My replacement is exercise now and I order appetizers and drink water if I go to the bar with friends, which is not very often - I am not as fun as I used to be I am told! 😊. Thanks again Tim.
It will be there all your life, and the fact that humans have been creating and dealing with this for ten's of thousand's of years speaks volumes of the reality of life on Earth. Turning the brain off is a good reason start, but turning it ON with hobbies, close friends and family is the path...Hang on everyone, we have wild ride ahead of us, let's all hang in and keep looking up!
Life is indeed an adventure!
Thanks mate, good words.
Thank you for the video. The way you described your drinking pattern perfectly resembled mine. I could easily go a few weeks without drinking but if I had one then that would be it.. a session for the evening and possibly/ probably into the next day. Not sure if you have heard of a guy called William Porter? He has written two books on alcohol - Alcohol Explained 1 & 2. He has also appeared on many podcasts. He is brilliant at explaining the science in an understandable way of why it is extremely difficult for some drinkers to stop at one. He also explains the reasons behind the awful 4 am wake ups when you are riven with anxiety. I have managed to stay alcohol free since early June 2023 and it was William that helped it click for me, I had to understand on a practical level why it is not even worth me entertaining the idea of moderation. Once you know drink is off the table it is time to get to work- stopping is the easy part, staying sober takes commitment. Once again thank you and please keep doing the videos, there aren’t enough men helping other men in the sober community / space.
Thank you for the honest video, it's refreshing to see a no BS story.
You Sir are a Legend , you put out more good and healthy things than most channels that I watch . We are both ex Forces from around the same era and Drinking was expected not just the norm . Im now 52 years old a little older than you and I need to give up , trust me for the majority of us at this age and older it's best . How ever I am yet to reach that lovely mile stone of retirement . And I think most of you all ,my age and even younger will agree ....the job isn't what it used to be . I would love to tell you the mental bullshit that we are dealing with yet corporate bullshit stops me from saying ....at some point im sure they will get rid of me a job I have done for 34 years .
8 or 9 years since I stopped drinking - I was drinking minimum 6-8 cans of Stella a day + vodka/rum etc at weekends.
As a matelot that was just 'normal' - as a normal person, that's a major drink problem, and I'd turned into an angry drunk.
Stopped drinking, started eating cake... now I have a cake problem..... no joke!
oh dear seems you have swopped one addiction for another
Well put Tim and great to see you putting it out there to support others ....... 👍
Hi . Thanks for your stream very helpfull. I am struggling at the moment and need to stop but everytime i decide this is the day then at night that all goes in the bin and i am back at it. I have to stop . Thanks for your support. 👍👍👍I totaly admire you for what you have done and bringing this subject forwards is the right thing to do. Total respect . 👍👍👍
Good job everyone. I stopped about 12 years ago, and I feel much more balanced, and even. I guess we grew up with drinks as part of our social lives. much better without!
Chocolate = sugar. Alcohol = sugar. THAT is what the body is craving and what truly addicts you.
The key is moderation...extreme moderation. Unfortunately, the buzz that drinking brings along with it will cause you to lose control over that 'moderation' and you will over do it. At this point, I've been on the wagon for a little bit over 90s days (longest personal stretch...) I just try to not think about it. I have identified 'trigger' events and times that will cause me to want to drink and I have removed them or 'distracted' myself. Once that time frame slips by...thoughts of drinking disappear. Hardest events are getting together with buddies at the pub...and ordering an iced tea while they are downing beers....but I manage, and I am proud to say that I have remained booze free during those times.
Strength to all you gents and gals out there that have decided to stop. You're treating yourself better by not imbibing that poison. HONOR yourselves. God Bless.
God bless this man he is on a good path
Good to hear your doing ok mate, I’ve cut right back and have non alcoholic beers that are good and really have helped me stopping drinking a beer or wine most nights. Your help and inspiration was a key learning for me 👍😀
Hi Tim. Just wanted to say thank you for the videos. My booze has been creeping up and up this list year or so. I can easily drink 8 pints a night and get up for work the next morning after 6 hours broken sleep. But it's catching up with me and I know I need to change habits.
I don't know how to stop but I know I need to.
Tim, like you former military, commissioned in the early 90's, a few months older than you, when drinking was just what you did in the mob, except I never really did. My issue was I never really enjoyed it and just nursed a pint to make other people comfortable. A joker of a PMC made me "Wines Member" because it meant that the middle aged Majs would have a duty driver when they wanted to get on the lash on a "wine buying trip". I got to the point I realised that there was FA point having a drink when I didn't want one and so I just stopped and haven't drunk for over 18 years, and I don't miss it. The only time I did and I had to fight really, really hard against an overwhelming desire to have a drink was at a family event when there were about 18 of us sat round the table in a restaurant and I was the only adult on water. I recognise all you say - when you are sober you don't want to be around drinkers come "drunk o'clock", you find other things to do, and other cravings as well. My wife has finally come around to recognising her own bad drinking habits - she was a drinker's drinker (like her dad) and because she would hang around heavy drinkers and drink heavily her world view was that everyone else did too because that's all she saw. Now she's a light drinker she's less combustible and erratic, we fight less and life is generally more harmonius.
Thank you, important comment - needs to be read by more people.
Tim, first off, I wish you and your mates who have decided "enough's enough" my best - often it's just a case of getting to a point of admitting that something just isn't fun or worthwhile anymore. Here are just my (layman's admittedly) observations: 1. Drinkers hang around with drinkers (just like gamblers, boy-racers or whatever). It's easy to get into thinking that everyone is like you to a greater or lesser extent when everyone around you reinforces your optic. If you want to break a habit find friends and activities that will support you and won't reinforce that habits you are trying to break. 2. Alcohol (like most drugs) is a depressant. It means you get a relaxed sensation but eventually you need to supplement the lack of buzz. 3. Alcohol reduces inhibitions and self-perception. It's why people argue and fight when drunk, or act erratically without seeing it in themselves. Tensions arise (see point 1) when one of you in a relationship has a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol (or anything).
Some points to consider. Be well my friend! @@FastJetPerformance
Thanks Tim, clear since jan but still drinking in my head.
Most of the fittest , hard drinking men I served with in the Royal Marines had given up drinking by the time they reached 60-this was the same for me. I don’t go to top tables or pubs and find other things to do…..
Thanks David, my father was ex-Royal and he stopped at 60 also.
For a very long time I tried to walk away from drink which is odd as I gave up smoking in a week after 10 years, but now I know that was easy this is a personnel fight everyday it changes
Hi Tim, thanks for your honesty. I was an 18-yr old student pilot at 7 FTS RAF Church Fenton in 1962 and remember being shocked by the performance of more senior people at my first Officers’ Mess Gust Night. Over the following 20 years, I enjoyed all aspects of the drinking ‘culture’ of the RAF, but always felt slightly guilty. ‘Should I really be behaving like this?’ If the present-day RAF - particularly aircrew - can have the same fun and camaraderie that we had in my day, that’s great.
Good vid that Tim. Honest & sincere. Personally the hangovers after a few spirits f’s me up next day…so I choose tea instead. Early to bed.. early to rise 👊😎👊
I started drinking in 6th form in 1987. It continued when I was at polytechnic from 1988. Having a few made me a better DJ. But, I stopped in 1995 - and it was quite easy. However, at the end of 2019, my PhD was going down the drain and the pandemic was the nail in that coffin so I felt I needed something to take the edge off. At first it was great. I could have 3 or 4 bottles, a bottle of wine or a couple of doubles shots (not altogether) and I'd get tipsy which is all I needed. However, bit my bit, my tolerance got higher so I needed more for that 'same buzz' which translated into more money spent. I didn't like the thought of having more for the same experience.
Also, in August I felt as though a hot knife pierced my toe. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen didn't help at all - and my toe was inflamed to the extent I couldn't put pressure on it. Both GP and foot clinic said it's suspected Gout and I read one of the causes was alcohol. Also, if you have (as I do) psoriasis, alcohol inflames that too. On top of that, I'd be waking up really late and wasting 1/2 my morning with severe hangovers.
So, I decided at the end of last year that I didn't need it any more. For me it was instantaneous. I didn't even feel the urge for one and it's been 2.5 months without. Good news is, I had a blood test a few weeks ago and I don't have Gout!
The trick (for me) was... convince yourself you don't need it. Plus, for health reasons, I had that incentive.
Perhaps if you need a push, as your GP for a blood test of as much as possible; blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, uric acid etc. and if something comes back borderline... then the choice is yours. Medication for the rest of your life or get healthy (again).
Good luck to all.
Thanks Tim !
Really appreciate this video, Tim.
Hey TD, thanks again for these videos and putting your experiences out there. I stopped drinking mid january , for my health and just to prove to myself i wasnt a functioning alcoholic , which I beleive I was. I was putting away 1-2 bottles of wine every night, starting drinking straight after work , so i was a habitual drinker.
I found that you need plan your spare time. so your not twiddling your thumbs. once I got past about 830pm i was mostly ok (mostly) . staring at the ceiling in bed ...yes..
the immeidiate differences I noticed , not to be vulgar but, my gut (kite) got smaller, i was peeing and pooing better within a week which makes you gradually feel better over the weeks. I wont stop drinking alcohol forever but My goal is to be in control and only have a drink at the weekends and odd occassions. Ive Broke the everyday cycle whch was bloody hard. got so sick of drinking water juice and Tea and I like my Tea.
(The Tea is Definatly on me TD)
Theres alot of us fighting this, to many different degrees. It did help what you said TD about saying F all to anyone about stopping , you keep it as a personal target so other people cant coax you off the wagon.
but Yes keeping the brain engaged on other things is a must! replace that drinking time with diy, hobbies, gym, running etc.
Your never alone in what you seek.
FJP RULES OK🇬🇧 ✈
I’m trying to help 2 friends who I’ve known over 20 years who drink. Both are veterans. Thanks for this. It’s really useful for people like me who don’t have this issue. I have PTSD though, my sleep is shot and I’ve just worked through.
Very nice video Tim sharing your strength unashamedly. So easy to become dependent, I am also from a family where alot of boozing was the norm. My brother was a Soldier and took it to another level. He would come home at weekends and beg me for a sub to go out and get slaughtered. It was very hard. On the one hand I didnt want to give it to him because it wasnt doing him any good healthwise. However I also thought that if anything happened to him and I didnt help him out then I thought it would have been me that stopped him having a good time with his mates. I always gave in what a quandry. Thankfully nothing happened to him other than PTSD and he has a good wife and three lovely children and got it under control. When he met his wife he had something to live for and a new future. Distraction and purpose. Thankfully I have very low tolerance for the stuff and my Mum used to say I only had to smell a brewers apron and I was anybodys. However alcohol is dangerous and can ruin families.
Well done Tim
The action part of the cycle of change is the key. Start seeing rewards for changes in habits, behaviours ,attitudes, key relationships and situations..and you'll maintain it.
Number 1...End alcohol use.
Caveat...you cannot jump over the action stage...try, and the universe will laugh at you.
Thank you for all your vlogs, you are a fantastic person, thank you from everyone who watches all your fantastic vlogs.
Cheers Tim. This is great. Go well.
I have a problem with it. I can relate to everything you just said. Although, I'm a lightweight compared to you, my problem is it's everyday and every opportunity. Even a few hours before I work, I'll sneek a couple. I've been busted a couple of times for that infact, it's just that I have serious long term depression. Anyway, cheers for this. Keep all your normal videos coming too. Love your channel.
Appreciate your honesty Tim. I'm one of those of need these videos.
I'm still in the dark days - currently watching with a beer in my hand. I'm 22, and at the point now where drinking has cost me multiple relationships with friends because of the decisions I've made while I was intoxicated. I've became pretty good at tanking about 10-16 budweisers a night on weekdays and weekends, alone or with friends, it didn't matter. Getting piss drunk so my mind can shut up for a minute. In the last couple of weeks, I've brought it down to an average of two drinks a night, and then I force myself to try and sleep. Sometimes it works, and I'm thankful, but other times, it's a creeping thought that I need another beer before I can finally get some shuteye. Last week I was five days sober, the longest I'd gone in three years, broke it that weekend. I'm trying to better myself, and get comfortable being uncomfortable, but I know it'll be a long, miserable process. I've just gotta chip away at it, and prove to myself that I have the mental fortitude to achieve my goals.
Can i suggest viewers who know a hard drinker could always share Tim's videos .
Smashing that like button into next week
I'm new to your channel. Love your videos on alcohol. Really helpful, thank you.
Hi Tim . I messaged you at Xmas about having a shave and looking younger , that ( iam sure ) will make you feel good and more happier and mentally positive. 😊
Hey Tim , keep going with the videos mate on drinking , they are positive if you take a hit on the rating mate
We need men to help men. Well done Tim.
I haven't touched Alcohol for 7 years but still regard myself as Alcoholic. Anybody who tries to pressure you into having an alcoholic drink is no friend so walk away. You NEVER get over the mourning of Alcohol Loss so be warned.
Reprogramming the reward pathways is probably the toughest thing a dude can do. We are evolved to be hedonic, and the eudiamonic not so much. Certainly the research I've read on the subject indicates a bigger impact for hedonistic reward habituating quickly, and a lower level but stable for the second. More power to anyone with the strength of will to get through it.
Thanks for this.
I was same I could not just drink 1 or 2, it had to be 10 pints. And like you I did not touch cake and chocolate and now am in another fight to stop chocolate but bird watching and fishing help
Struggling…. But you’re sending me in the right direction thank you 🙏
Boss you could do a video 10 hours long and I'd still be engrossed whatever the content, though this video imho highlights your honesty as it is very hard opening yourself up for criticism by a minority. That minority most likely hasn't the minerals to do all what you do, even the bonus of 90 squids😊 keep it up Tim we're here to help you see it through 110%
a brilliant animation called the albatross is a true depiction of alcohol addiction very moving its on u tube
Thanks Tim for sharing. Shack Lead!! I remember a good friend lighting me up when I was in a 'woe is me' phase. Quote " You're BEST F*^%king thinking" got you to this point in time, buddy!! Traipsing back in time. Stay well and check six lead!
That's a really good point, great advice, Jim!
Thanks Tim, I needed to hear this.
Great vid Tim!
Really appreciated this video bud...thank you.
" C.V of life " .....as i get older my body convulsed offa the thought of beer .......well werid ...my brain 🧠
" maybe just maybe " just 1 !!! thats not my brain thats me blagging my brain .............
What a rollercoaster ...........life is
If you are having problems with giving up drinking, please look up Claudia Christian and the Sinclair method.😊
useful, thanks
2 years off the sauce and I would just say there is a point when it means nothing to you anymore, it has no grip on you. Stay with it and win for yourself.
I'm 40, ex infantry, gave up smoking and alcohol. If I could roll back the clock to my service time I would find a local yoga class after being dismissed from the company office at 4pm. Just an idea if anyone wants an alternative.
Yes took awhile but still off the beer. Around 3 years and now do not feel any need for it.
Sat here half cut again😫
It’s Friday though. Then it’s every night.
Thanks mate. I’m quitting
Gave up alcohol over 20yrs ago when I was diagnosed with HCV in the infected blood stuff & even getting rid of the HCV doesn't make things better!
Stopped a few times and I'm lucky being a very nonaddictive person. I've stopped smoking, drinking and sex on a number of occasions, but the only one I have stayed off permanently is smoking. Some of the biggest piss artists I knew were RAF aircrew colleagues, but the norm was increasingly tee-total until I skipped the UK in 1991. You must have been the exception 🙂
When I gave away smoking I felt some benefit almost immediately, after weeks it was a huge improvement and it continued to improve for a year or two. I could never go back to such a stupid habit.
Alcohol was different and the benefits were measured in days rather than weeks. If any heavy user quits booze for two weeks and denies that they feel a shitload better, then they have other issues.
It's only one drink away from beginning the nightmare. . . .