Abstinence

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For the month of May I am to give up caffeine, alcohol, and fizzies in order to determine their effect on my seriously painful stomach. I can (possibly) handle going without a drink for this long, but I do not believe I have gone without coffee for a single day in the last seven or eight years. I'm already starting to feel irritable and grouchy, and minor problems have suddenly become insurmountable ones. I hope things get better in the next few days. Any other ILXers had to go cold turkey on a favourite food/beverage?

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 10:22 (twenty-three years ago)

You should take up smoking, then try and give it up to distract you from the hell of your other dependencies.

― Alex K (Alex K), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 10:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Gave it up three year ago - but it's starting to seem quite attractive again.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 10:33 (twenty-three years ago)

DO NOT FUCKING DO IT. Really.

― Alex K (Alex K), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 10:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Gave up drinking, improved life -75%. In order to sleep or even cope I am forced to deal with dealers of illegal substances (everyone knows how fun THAT is) plus I live on an island where nobody does anything except drink all the fucking time which means social life is now nonexistent. So why stop in the first place? I guess the difference between being actively shunned/legally persecuted and just being ignored and invisible. But if it makes you feel better go ahead and do it, you might not live longer but it'll sure seem like it

― dave q, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 10:38 (twenty-three years ago)

the caffiene withdrawal will probably take a week or so to fade out...i went cold turkey when i ended up working at a camp that served juice and water only, and i realised that i was pretty addicted to pop (coke,pepsi, soda, whatever you call it) when i was getting screaming headaches every afternoon. drink lots of water and don't relapse, otherwise you're basically starting from scratch. good luck!

― colette (a2lette), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 10:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Thanks!

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 13:17 (twenty-three years ago)

After June, I am abstaining from work.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 13:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Is it gonna be a pinch, h? Do you have to find another job pronto or can you afford to take a break ?(often a good thing after leaving a job - I know).

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 13:49 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll have rent for June. After that, I don't know. They say they're going to help me find something else, either within the Bank or elsewhere, but I'm not holding my breath.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 13:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Also, if they tell me the only positions I'm qualified for are in other cities, I'll tell them to go fuck themselves.

(sorry for hijacking the thread)

I actually am going to try to take most of this week off from booze. Let's see how I do.

― hstencil, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 13:58 (twenty-three years ago)

I am going crazy with this required abstinence from booze and sex while I am on these darn meds!!!!!!!

damn! and right after I voluntarily gave up Mission of Burma during Lent. This is totally unfair.

― BurmaKitty (BurmaKitty), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:08 (twenty-three years ago)

i am possibly giving up housing for july

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:12 (twenty-three years ago)

sorry for hijacking the thread

No problem. I did ask...hope you're okay.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:13 (twenty-three years ago)

(what sort of thing do you do, hstencil?)
I gave up booze (mostly), caffeine (except for an occasional chocolate in the morning, and nutrasweet (never again). But all of those were because I was starting to have very unpleasant reactions to them--especially nutrasweet, which is why I won't touch the stuff anymore. It's not that hard to stay away from the substances themselves, as I know there's consequences if I lapse. Staying away from chocolate, though, drives me crazy sometimes.

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:14 (twenty-three years ago)

i have already given up housing for may:/

― gareth (gareth), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:18 (twenty-three years ago)

are you living in a tent?

― alix (alix), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:22 (twenty-three years ago)

No, he's on some super-playa limo tour of the USA. Don't give him any sympathy! :p

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:24 (twenty-three years ago)

(julia I do web training stuff for an investment bank)

― hstencil, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:32 (twenty-three years ago)

(a friend of mine is just leaving her job doing web stuff for citibank in manhattan. designing/programming stuff for their interoffice system, i think.)

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 14:58 (twenty-three years ago)

I developed a pretty severe (but not life threatening or anyfink) allergic reaction to caffeine a few years ago, went cold turkey from diet coke, coffee, tea etc but I've never managed to give up chocolate completely. Have to say after the withdrawal was over I did notice a big improvement in my health. I was able to sleep better and my digestive system is erm, how do I put this…much more efficient. I also have to steer clear of fizzy drinks and alcohol should really be out but I can get away with clear liquids, anything with colours and it’s back to square one. Anyway, hope some of that helps, you’re not the only one and it’s shitty but you’ll feel better in the long run, you’ll adapt, honest. Good luck.

― smee (smee), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 15:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Every time you're tempted, just imagine Bela Karoli saying "Yu ken du EET!" in that voice that brought Kerri Strugg Olympic gold.

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 15:27 (twenty-three years ago)

(Julia - maybe her and I could swap jobs?)

― hstencil, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 15:43 (twenty-three years ago)

hey nordicskills, i'm giving up booze. forever. its only been a week and a half so far, but i feel pretty good about it, i've been more motivated than i've been in months. i've realised i don't really like my drunken incarnation. the tough part was playing a gig last friday... i usually use booze for faux-confidence. good luck, and i hope your tummy feels better for it.

― di smith (lucylurex), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 19:44 (twenty-three years ago)

For the month of May I am to give up caffeine, alcohol, and fizzies in order to determine their effect on my seriously painful stomach.

Hrmmm...I'm not sure that this is the best way to detirmine that. Maybe you ought to try giving up one at a time? Also, that might be easier.

Oh, and what are fizzies?

― mouse, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 20:09 (twenty-three years ago)

soda

― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 20:16 (twenty-three years ago)

after reading "Bartleby" last weekend, I've decided to abstain from everything.

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 03:50 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd like to kick drinking, smoking and codiene but I fear if I do all three at once it just wont work. Like right now I can sit here at my desk mid afternoon and say "yeah, I dont need to smoke" cause I only smoke in the evenings... but I know as soon as I get home, the habitual way my day goes means the cigs will come out. Its the habit rather than the cravings that trips me up :(

I had to give up loads of foodstuffs on an allergy-testing diet once. No spices, sauces, dairy, fruits (cept pears), preservatives, chocolate, msg, bread, yeast, etc etc etc. All it showed me was I had a minor sensitivity to salicylic acid and msg, and instead it made me really hypersensitive to everything I hadn't been previously. Grr.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 04:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Nordicskillz, get youirself down to the doctors and get yourself checked out for an ulcer. Do it now before you move to the states, remember its free here and getting insuranc in the states will be hell if you have a pre-existing condition.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 06:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Thanks, Ed - actually I have already been diagnosed with Crohn's disease, which is a real bitch. I am aware that insurance companies in the US are going to avoid me like the plague. More on this later.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 10:36 (twenty-three years ago)

My dad has Crohns as well as one of my good friends. Its a bitch.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 10:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, my ex-wife had it too. It's an awful one, but it can and does go into remission for very long periods - I don't know about recently, as we've not been in contact, but when we split she had been free of it for about 13 years.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 11:17 (twenty-three years ago)

My father has had about 5 surgeries for it. Last one they told him he can't have anymore.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 12:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Ouch.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 12:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Damn.

There's a new med out for Crohn's. I know someone who was doing very badly with Crohn's and it's helped him considerably. Naturally, he still has to do the superstrict diet, etc. but he's more comfortable anyway. (I know close to nothing about Crohn's...just about this friend's experience, really)

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 14:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Inspired by Di, I have also been 20 days w/out caffeine, carbonate, or alcohol. It's not too bad, but coffee shops smell so goooood! :(

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 20 May 2003 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

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