alcoholicalism

Are you saying that you could be an alcoholic, agrote?

I gave up the booze a little more than a decade ago. You should list mentally for yourself all of those activities during which you do not drink. Then do those things. If that means spending six hours a day in the library--then learn to love reading. Consider also your acquaintance. There are many in your life, when you drink, whom you might call friends, and who might name you as such--but if you stop drinking, they will lose interest in your companionship, and some will also grow hostile (i was about to write "may grow hostile," but i've seen it so often--there will be those who will resent you if you stop drinking).

I was fortunate as i had never taken strong drink while at home, so i simply stayed home and read, watched videos, etc. If you drink at home, then i advise you find non-drinking activities away from the home. I heartily encourage you to persevere--you will save money, you will waste a great deal less of the "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" creeping in their petty pace which makes up life, you will save brain cells, and best of all, you will discover those among whom your true friends will number, having dropped those of your acquaintance who were only "drinking buddies."

Good advice, thanks! I don't think losing friends is an issue - they're not just drinking buddies, so that's good. I hardly drink when I'm not at university, so the holidays are an oppurtunity to sober up. But here I have trouble resisting the temptation to go out often and drink an unhealthy amount. Spending more tiem doing things that I normally do sober is a good idea, I'll try that. And although I'm sure that I will go out a few times this week I'll try and drink less than usual - I tend to reach a nice peak of happy confidence and sociability, then have another couple of pints and pass out somewhere, so I'll try and avoid that.