117_https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvoNEuwcbwk_reducing alcohol consumption
gpt
Hello, nice to meet you again. And, uh, and what seems to be the-the problem or what-what prompted you to come along?
human
Uh, just I'm sick of my drinking. I'm drinking too much. Um, I just thought, uh, maybe I need someone to talk to, get some help about it.
gpt
Okay, so you feel as if drinking is a problem for you at the moment?
human
Yeah, it's just- it's just got worse over the last six months?
gpt
Okay. Wh-What makes you say that it's gotten worse?
human
Well, I guess, I drank, you know, like most people do before, um, but I broke up with my boyfriend, uh, about a year ago and then six months ago I guess I wanted to go out again and see if I can meet people.
gpt
Okay.
human
And I've been, yeah, getting into this habit of going out every Friday and Saturday, now, uh, drinking a lot.
gpt
Yes.
human
Um, to try to meet guys.
gpt
Sure.
human
And, uh, in the last few months I've been, you know, just drinking even more on week nights, and I never even used to do that before.
gpt
Okay, okay, so you've noticed over, I guess, uh, the last six months in particular since you decided, you know what? I'm going to take a risk and-a-and go out to try to meet a-a-a pot-potential partner again that it's with an increase in drinking.
human
Yeah. Well, I just, I don't feel comfortable talking to guys normally. [chuckles]
gpt
Okay.
human
I don't know what to say, um, and I just, drinking helps.
gpt
Sure, sure. So you're noticing that the drinking at the moment is a way of perhaps calming the nerves?
human
Yeah, for sure.
gpt
To-to-to speak to-to potential partners?
human
Yeah, definitely.
gpt
Who-who-who, boys?
human
Yeah.
gpt
Okay.
human
I mean, I guess, like most people do when they go out they drink.
gpt
Okay.
human
I've been doing that and just drinking more and more I guess.
gpt
Sure.
human
Um, and it's just-- it's not even working, I'm not really meeting people and I just end up with massive hangover for the rest of the weekend and—
gpt
That's interesting isn't it? You-- 'cause you kind of mentioned it there, like, you know, on one side of the coin, um, it helps calm the nerves to get yourself get out there and-
human
Yeah.
gpt
-talk to guys at the same time, on the other side it's not working you're finding. And i-i-it results in hangovers or?
human
Yeah, I mean, I've maybe talked to people but it's just, uh, that I've just I think I'm just too-too drunk and I just, my friends drive me home and just the end of the night I don't-- yeah.
gpt
Okay, and so I guess, you know, what would you like to do given the circumstances?
human
I guess I just wanna stop. I just feel like I'm drinking more and more 'cause I'm doing it now in the weekdays-
gpt
Yeah.
human
-and I mean, I just don't-- I don't wanna do that every now and now I just think it's a bit too much.
gpt
Okay.
human
Yeah, I'm just I'm not eating properly anymore, I'm just eating less or just getting takeaway, getting crap food and-
gpt
Okay.
human
-um, I'm just, I feel like I'm not exerc-- well I'm not exercising like I used to. So, I just wanna cut, you know, stop drinking so much.
gpt
Okay, okay, so, uh, sounds like you really want to stop drinking, particularly during the weekdays?
human
Yeah. Yeah I do. Yeah.
gpt
Right, because you're noticing it's having a negative impact on what you're eating.
human
Yeah. I don't wanna- I don't wanna, I mean, I don't wanna stop altogether, so.
gpt
No, I get it. Yeah. I mean, you know, it sounds like it's, it is helpful to a degree for you when you go out because it makes you feel a little bit more calm to talk to-to guys is that right?
human
Yeah and just and all my friends go out and drink. Like I-
gpt
Yeah.
human
-I'd have no social life if I didn't.
gpt
Yeah.
human
If I just said-said, "No, I'm not drinking at all," and, you know, I don't feel like I'm an alcoholic-
gpt
Sure.
human
-or I don't feel like I need to
gpt
Yeah, yeah. So, you've got, you know, some benefits there then, you know. The social element, hanging with friends and-and going out together is something which is-is quite enjoyable. So, it's not a case of removing it completely but it’s a case of, "Okay, I’m noticing this is impacting on me more than what I’d like to." Yeah. Yeah, okay.
human
Yeah, it just got a bit out of control.
gpt
Has there been times in the past where you’ve tried to cut back on drinking?
human
No, this hasn’t happened before.
gpt
Oh, this is the first time anything like this has come up?
human
Um, due to just circumstance of, I mean, I just yeah, had my boyfriend for six years before that and-
gpt
Yes, yes.
human
Um, before that yeah just my friends weren't drinking so much, and yeah it’s just not, it's just new. Yeah.
gpt
Okay, yeah. Well, it’s great that you’re able to identify, you know, what’s going on at the moment and you've-- not only know that, you almost picked up on a bit of a pattern too you're in-
human
Mm-hmm.
gpt
-as to why you’re-you're drinking. In terms of looking at cutting back on-on drinking, you know, on a scale of 0 to 100 and 100, uh, meaning it’s tremendously important for you and 0 not important at all. How important is it for you to cut back on the drinking?
human
I believe 80, I mean I guess that’s why I’m here so—
gpt
Okay, yeah yeah sure, you're already taking a huge step forward in many ways by coming along to-to start talking about it.
human
Yeah.
gpt
Um, I guess 80 is quite high, what makes you say an 80 over say 50?
human
Um, I don’t know, I just-just I don’t know, it just sort-- it just got up to a point where just, um, it seemed just too much, like no-nobody else is really drinking as much in the week as well and-
gpt
Okay.
human
-it seemed, as just, yeah, for the reasons I was saying, just seeing like I need to do something about it now.
gpt
Okay, yes, so you’ve got this real sense of, "I've gotta do something."
human
Just seeing it’s just gonna get worse, uh, wha-- that’s what it seems like.
gpt
That’s what it seems like.
human
Yeah.
gpt
So, at the moment, it's been a case of the last six months, this is a pattern that you’ve been noticing more and more, um, a sign that it has had negative impacts on your lifestyle which you’re not happy with and you are in you're in a position where, you know what? I wanna do something about it.
human
Yeah.
gpt
Okay, I mean what do you think that next step is?
human
Um, I guess that’s why I’m here. [chuckles]
gpt
Yeah.
human
Just to, uh, but um-- I is-is-- I think the weekdays is what I really need to do.
gpt
Okay.
human
Um, and then, I don’t know, try to plan it out a little bit more on the weekends-
gpt
Okay.
gpt
-so it just doesn’t go crazy.
gpt
Okay, okay, so you’re thinking about perhaps looking at trying to keep weekdays free of alcohol? Was that what you were saying?
human
Yeah, yeah. Yep.
gpt
Okay, how does that sound like a first step goal for you?
human
No, that’s good, that’s-that's, yeah, that's- that is definitely what I’m gonna do.
gpt
Okay.
human
I just, you know, I'm so out of the routine, not exercising, I need to get back into things.
gpt
Okay, you sound really mad about it to-to turn it around.
human
Yeah, but I mean, I guess, just talking about it makes me think oh yeah, I need to- I need to do something about it.
gpt
Okay, oh, that-that's excellent, okay.