No-Alcohol Challenge Update?

[HighlyVolatile]

Apologies, this is not really much of a question but I had people asking me how I'm doing on the 8-day, no-alcohol challenge @NathanDavis gave me. I thought maybe it's overkill to write a MyTake to update everybody (MyTakes seem to encourage lengthy posts with lots of pictures to spice them up).

So I'm on the 4th morning of the 8-day challenge. So far so good! I ended up drinking some no-alcohol beer on the second day which warded off the craving. I've also been drinking a lot of black coffee which seems to halfway hit the spot.

I feel slightly under the weather but I think it's because I got the third dose of the COVID vaccine a couple of days ago rather than alcohol withdrawal. The first couple of days weren't so bad but I think I ended up sleeping with my weight on the shoulder last night and that might have irritated something. It feels like the shoulder pain has sort of radiated around a bit and also giving me a very mild headache.

Anyway, I'm doing all right so far! I might ask for another challenge after the 8 days are up.

Updates

+1 y

As an update, my wife just joined me! She wants to do the same and just came home with another six-pack of no-alcohol beers: Asahi Dry Zero to be specific:
i.ebayimg.com/images/g/dVAAAOSwMMNdCXxG/s-l640.jpg
I didn't ask her to join me since she doesn't go overboard as I do once she starts. But I think she got inspired to join. That should make things a lot easier!

Updates

+1 y

I'm thinking now with my wife joining me, 4 more days seems easy! We can get rid of all the alcohol in the house. Maybe I can aim for the whole remaining month of April and maybe all or most of May. The one tricky part of May is that I have a birthday coming up and my friends will probably throw me a party. Maybe I want just one exception for the birthday party.

Updates

+1 y

Update: I messed up not the 8-day challenge but the extended one on April 10th (the 9th night bleeding into the 10th) and two days ago on the first of May! I will try to tighten it up! Really sorry about messing that up. On a positive note, I only messed it up going out with friends and also my sister where I caved in and drank a few. I switched back to no-alcohol beer when I got home and didn't just drink like a madman... not an excuse but I'm doing a bit better even when I mess up!

[zeitgeist057]

Hell yeah, great job mate! That's great your wife is joining in and supportive :) very cool. If I could make a suggestion for day 8, maybe go out for an (alcohol-free) evening at a nice restaurant? If you think about all the drinks you would order on a binge, that amount of money saved more than justifies a fine meal! Plus, it is a good practice for being out in a social environment and having the habit of exercising the option to keep it alcohol free.

Just an idea, I don't know what your life and schedule are like. Just thought it would be a fitting reward on Day 8.

[HighlyVolatile]

Cheers! Unfortunately, the restaurant experience has plummeted since COVID lockdown here: temperature checks, plastic compartments separating each customer, masks on when not eating: mask on, mask off, wait for next course, mask on, mask off. I might be able to do something fun at home instead.

[NathanDavis]

gotta refocus and distract that mind... redirect it to something engaging

[NathanDavis]

keep it going till your birthday party... at least

[NathanDavis]

@highlyvolatile doing much better than before... . that is most definitely a win, keep that up

[DenizLikesTennis]

You'll make it 👊 do never give up. I have had a similar issue but with chocolate milk instead every evening. So I dipped the powder inside the milk and then ate about 5-6 spoons of them with each 2 glasses.

My parents would call me abnormal 🤣. Well, now I have finally stopped by doing smaller challenges. I replaced it with Green Tea mixed with Honey

[DarkCarousel]

I’m not trying to influence on any way but I’m on my third beer. I think it’s important to build up a stamina against hearing others drink. Ironically enough, I only drink once every few months. I like the buzz but the morning after is a slightly dehydrated state, regardless if I have one or four. I want to encourage you but I also want to tempt you. Fight the temptation. FIGHT. It makes you stronger. I’m rooting for you.

[AviatorTom]

Best of luck. I'm not much of a drinker (grew up in a dry family) and can easily go 8 days sans alcohol.

[HighlyVolatile]

I used to have no problems going even a couple of months pre-COVID lockdown but I was strictly a social drinker back then. So all I'd have to do to avoid drinking for a couple of months is avoid going to bars for a couple of months. After COVID lockdown, I made the mistake of starting to drink at home, and I think that's when I started to develop my worst habits.

[HighlyVolatile]

Hoping I can get back to that place where I'm just a social drinker no longer drinking at home. Anyway, thanks very much!

[Staximus]

Why the hell are you still taking that fucking useless quack vaccine?

[HighlyVolatile]

Unfortunately, it's been made mandatory here in Japan. I'm getting sick of it along with the masks we're required to wear everywhere.

[Staximus]

That sucks. I figured after the 3rd one, the government would realize it's snake oil

[HighlyVolatile]

From my blunt perspective, bureaucracies seem to operate in ways that result in the worst of world compromises and, collectively, function more like the combined stupidity of everyone involved rather than their intelligence.

[HighlyVolatile]

* [...] worst of [all worlds] compromises, sorry.

[Staximus]

Yeah that's true for most countries, but I figured the Japanese were smarter than that

[Shamalien]

Mandatory in japan? Seriously?

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien At least as far as I understand, for NHI we have to take it. I don't think anything is mandatory if I put up a fight, but I didn't feel like it for this one.

[Shamalien]

@highlyvolatile it’s not mandatory at all from what I’m reading

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien It might be "soft-mandatory" in a way that's hard to describe, like masks in my area. Maybe it is not illegal to avoid wearing masks, but everyone still does.

[Shamalien]

@highlyvolatile I am from Canada, we had real mandates, still do for travel. You said unfortunately you had to take it cause it’s mandatory. That is a lie. You took it because of social pressure

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien You use some strong words, fuck-face. For my job, it's fuckin mandatory, you stupid piece of Canadian girly shit.

[Shamalien]

@highlyvolatile LOL I use strong words? Look at you. It’s okay, I’m used to people reacting this way when they get called out. Nobody wants to be a weak bitch who caves under pressure then makes irrelevant excuses but hey we can’t all be strong like me eh

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien I use the strong words back! We have a dispute over "mandatory' as I see it which involves being unemployed in Japan vs. being employed. "Mandatory' is a nebulous word if we use it that way, so I was hurt a bit that you used it that way. I don't want to be homeless on account of refusing "social pressure".

[Shamalien]

@highlyvolatile I didn’t use any strong words with you. First you said the NHI made it mandatory, now you’re saying your employer did, so which is it? Get your story straight. You’re telling me there’s not a single employed person in Japan without the jab? I happen to know a couple of guys that refute this argument

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien I apologize for being so rude but I really didn't want the first vaccine let alone the second let alone the third. From a practical point as I see it, I have no choice. The kind of social pressure is very strong in ways I don't think you can understand if you would render me into a liar (the part that most hurt me).

[Shamalien]

@highlyvolatile I live in Canada and haven’t taken a single jab even when it was mandatory for restaurants and even though I could die from not being provided medical care. I think I well understand.

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien If you can point me to some jobs here and even just people without any vaccinations doing fine and working with people, I will retract all I've said. But I've been to government offices and at the very least, heavily persuaded, if not forced, to keep NHI to get these doses of vaccines. I'm admittedly no expert on Japanese law.

[Shamalien]

I don’t live there, but two of my favourite youtubers who are unjabbed do. Lots of jobs on the internet these days

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien My bad for getting angry a bit. I'm fiery and explosive sometimes. Perhaps you're right but you might have confused a possible ignorance on my part with deception which made me very angry for a moment. I don't know the nuances of Japanese laws. I go to the government office and they say I have to take the vaccine and I call it "mandatory", possibly out of ignorance, but not a desire to deceive. I'm sensitive about that. I'm also possibly ignorant about the nuances of Japanese laws being only half-Japanese. i usually don't cave into social pressure but there's a threshold.

[Shamalien]

@highlyvolatile Were I you, I would also be angry. I would fucking die before taking this shit though.

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien Cheers! My bad, my friend. I also never wanted to take the vaccine. I hope you'll forgive my temper. I didn't mean anything I said. I am like bull -- fast to get angry and slow to think. :-D

[Shamalien]

You are forgiven. I stopped drinking recently too, temper is difficult to control when detoxing

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien I'm down for any rebellions against this misery if you got a plan!

[Shamalien]

@highlyvolatile First thing’s first u gotta take care of ur health and neutralize the spike protein. Apparently pine needle tea helps, but if you go on telegram or bitchute or any alt sites you’ll find more info on ways to stay healthy through this poison. As far as rebellion... non compliance is key. If nobody is disobeying in your area then you must be the first. You may be attacked or yelled at. I’ve nearly been beaten up before and definitely been screamed at and kicked out of places. You need to show those around you that you are not afraid and inspire them. Not wearing a mask and having a big smile is a good way to advertise this. I wish I had more ideas but it’s difficult to change ppls minds, ultimately it is the fault of those who obey the measures that we continue to live with them though. We must disobey en masse. However we organize that

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien That's badass! I fancied myself one but maybe I am conformist a bit here in Japan. Everyone wears the mask, I wear the mask, everyone gets the vaccine, I get the vaccine. You were right when it comes to social pressure even if it hurts me a bit. Maybe I just need to summon proper energy. Set an example or die trying -- that's a good way to die!

[Shamalien]

@highlyvolatile they won’t kill you for disobeying, and eventually you will meet people like yourself. I know James Corbett lives there, check him out, he’d be much more knowledgable than I on how to organize and rebel. It is badass dude. You will find new strength when you face the pressure and remain the rock in the river while everyone else is swept away to god knows where

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien I will check him out! Cheers!

[HighlyVolatile]

@Shamalien Apologies again for my crankiness! I worked things through with my wife between our last conversation and realized that what I thought was mandatory wasn't, although still a practical requirement to get around here. One of the problems for me even though I'm from Japan is that I missed my teenage years growing up here and I only know a fraction of the kanji that most Japanese know.

So when I showed up at the government office without being able to properly read all the paperwork and forms, I ended up getting the staff there explaining things to me very tersely and I think they tried to hurry me along by just telling me I had to get that third dose at the town office and fill things out there and sign things there and made the mistake that I thought it was mandatory even to continue receiving healthcare.

I also failed the no-alcohol challenge yet again the night we talked 4 days ago and was already intoxicated by that point. I'm starting to get depressed over the prospect that I might never be able to see and talk to new faces in person without masks. Anyway, apologies again for my bad behavior!

[Shamalien]

@highlyvolatile it’s okay buddy, I know what they’re like, government cucks, they try to convince you to do what they want even if there is no law mandating it. Cops are the same, they’ll try to trick you into giving up all your rights through manipulative language. Never trust these people. I’ve gone from 15 beers a week to 2 in the last cpl months, sometimes going absolutely 0 alcohol is a dangerous path, especially if you had a lot before. Try just having one or 2 beers on fri or sat and what I do is I slam them so I get my buzz. Good luck!

[LovingLoverReturned]

No alcohol beer to the rescue... keep it up.

[LovingLoverReturned]

Sweet 😍

[HighlyVolatile]

Cooking up a pot roast now using up the remaining wine we have. I need to do something with the whiskey -- maybe some pork sort of dish cooked in whiskey.

[LovingLoverReturned]

What about ice cream? Lol, there are some nice desserts with alcohol.. a you know food helps prveent drunkenness this is why? ... unless your plan is the evaporate it the alcohol so this is why cooking

[HighlyVolatile]

Hoping to evaporate away all the alcohol -- just use it for flavor.

[LovingLoverReturned]

Not bad... I believe part of progress is not being too strict. You know, When a person is cutting off coffee or sugar, they sometimes add less. Weaning hehe :)

[HighlyVolatile]

I failed again just tonight. I need a way to update without waiting a whole week! :-D

[LovingLoverReturned]

Well being out was understandable. How many bottles of alcohol do you have at home?

[sensible27]

Yayy, glad this challenge exists

[sensible27]

Yayy

[xJayleenx]

Awesome im so proud of you 😎

[xJayleenx]

Awww that’s so great

[xJayleenx]

Your wife is cool

[xJayleenx]

You got this!

[Xtendable]

Great to hear! Halfway there!

[Apulu_Imback]

4 days more to go!

[bigpauly]

Awesome, great job!