Best wishes to Caroline & hopefully back to full health quickly.
I too did a 'hard stop' on alcohol - when I turned 40 & prompted by an expanded waistline, monthly bills from my wine supplier in excess of £500 and a strong hint from a GP pal that my increased stress from work may not be entirely unrelated.
Within a week I figured that moderation wasn't going to work - it involves making decisions, often when you're pressured by colleagues/friends. An outright 'No thanks' is actually easier - it quickly becomes a habit, no decision required.
Diet coke became my substitute (horrible stuff, bad for you, but satiates the social need to have something in your glass to sip). Within a year I'd stopped this too and just drank horribly overpriced water in restaurants.
Now, 15 years on, I can honestly say I've never felt better. I started drinking alcohol again last year and (aided by some great advice from TM) discovered some lovely craft IPAs. I have one bottle a week - and have broken the habit of feeling that I need another after. I do wonder whether I could have got to that point straight away or whether, for me, the teetotal years were a necessary if extreme adjustment.
