Obvious things for me when I was dealing with my binge drinking was not to hang out with the friends I drank with!! I also would just go to bed at 7:00 if need be & read (I love to read) & get cozy & "self-medicate" in other ways like that.

I also would remind myself how much better I would feel in the morning & how proud of myself I would be & how much money I would be saving (not only on alcohol but VISINE eye drops for my red eyes!!) & that I would no longer look like Nick Nolte's mug shot first thing in the morning.

Plus if there were ever a fire, chemical spill or evacuation of some kind I might actually hear the sirens & wake up (not probable when I was passed out) & actually go out to shelter or wherever directed without being totally embarrassed because I looked like Nick Nolte's mug shot, smelled of alcohol, had blood shot eyes, slurred my words, & probably acted strangely...

Didn't do "drunk dialing" or "drunk emailing" where I would let all sorts of emotions & inappropriate stuff spill out & either not remember it or if I did, regret it. Then if the person talked to me about it at a later date I had to try to gather clues as to what I had revealed, etc. without letting on that I didn't remember. I had many, many blackouts--actually pretty much every time I drank. You may not be so bad, but if you are having signs of trouble now, do take action to prevent getting to where I was. You end up humiliating yourself & hurting the ones you love.

Saved a bunch of calories & people noticed my face wasn't so puffy (fat) in a matter of days (I was drinking a lot). Proud of not following in my parents' footsteps (both raging alcoholics) & being a good role model for my children (my 1st child was born 2 1/2 mos. premature due to my smoking & drinking while pregnant--you don't want that kind of guilt).

Keep posting. You are making a great decision & all sorts of new things will open up for you once you have cleared your mind & body.--Suzy