February alcohol free/moderation thread - graduates and flunkies of Dry Jan 2023, new members welcome!

[MeinKraft]

Dry January has come to an end (sooner for some of us than others ) but the alcohol free fun doesn't have to stop there!

Whether you're wanting to extend your drought, moderate your drinking on an ongoing basis or are thinking of going dry for Lent and want to prepare why not join us to discuss all things alcohol free!

In the absence of alcohol induced poor sleep, anxiety, dopey headedness etc, I think I notice how I am actually feeling. I don't think being AF takes away all of the ordinary daily emotions and responses to work, home, children - good and bad - but it does allow those emotions to be noticed. Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, for those on dry Feb you have passed the 25% mark. DJ and DF are 65% of the way there and very similar for 60 days. Those looking to 100 days, which is also 1 day passed the end of Lent, you are over 38% of the way.

And a final thought, if you are reflecting on drinking when you perhaps hoped not to - "Today isn't your only chance. It's OK to try again tomorrow".

Im still going, not had a drink since the party back in Jan. not really thinking about it in the evening although weekends are harder. I'm trying to make it unusual for me to drink rather than usual and habitual.

Reporting in here too.. Nothing new to report..

Another night, another flavoured water 😉

I've even started to, not exactly enjoy , but tolerate my mint tea. I may push the boat right out and go for a herbal one next.

I can't stand mint tea. I drank gallons of it when I was pregnant and haven't touched the stuff since.

But I do like a nice herbal tea last thing at night.

I'm finding Fanta and Sprite quite fun - reliving my childhood! Just need some Dr Pepper and I'm set!

No alcohol since I was out Friday night. That is a HUGE achievement given Dry January is officially long gone. I like the feeling of going to sleep tired, and not alcohol induced. I like waking up naturally, and not sweaty at 2/3/4 am which I blamed on menopause. I like waking up clear headed, and less miserable. I like tasting my food. I like the feeling of looking forward to having a drink on Friday night when I'm out with a friend. I like my skin looking clearer, and my face less puffy. I like the fact that I'm actually quite proud of myself for doing DJ and continuing damp. I really like the fact I can read this thread, and know I'm not alone, and there's others in the same boat.

Checking in.
I've put some wine on the Asda shop (well it is 4 for 3!) and am looking forward to a glass on Friday. I am managing moderation but not enjoying it.

Doesn’t help that DH is sitting there quaffing wine at the moment 😒

After 5 dry weeks I had half a bottle of red tonight. Shared the bottle with my DH. Felt absolutely no effects whatsoever. I’d have been as well having a cup of tea! I can’t even say I enjoyed the taste. Didn’t get a warm fuzzy feeling either, so all in all it was fairly pointless.

Delurking to check in. Managed 5 weeks dry but was out for a comedy night last night and had two pints.

I felt a bit odd about it TBH. I just had tonic water at dinner and would have quite happily stuck to that but when I got to the comedy, everyone was getting drinks in & I felt like I had to join in IFYSWIM. I'm now a little annoyed with myself for drinking instead of sticking to my guns but I also felt like if I hadn't drunk anything I would have been seen to be a bit of a stick in the mud.

I think going forward I may not have a drink until I next go out (which isn't very often)& maybe the key is just to have a couple when I socialise rather than sitting at home & drinking in front of the tv. I feel like I still have a lot to figure out in my head about drinking & how I want to approach it as I really don't want to go back to the binge drinking I was doing before.

REALLY loving the Sort Your Shit Out podcast. Finally some nuance!

I agree re avoiding sitting at home drinking - that was such a habit for me. I'm planning to stay dry Fri and Sat, am out on Sun lunchtime for an girls' lunch and pre booked a small drinks package back in Jan so will see how I feel as two drinks should be more than enough. I'm just not easily able to moderate when I start.

I have a couple of social nights out coming up and am planning to have some wine at at least one of them. It's ridiculous how nervous I feel about it. I can feel the 'abstinence is safer than moderation' mantra becoming slightly obsessive for me, which I really don't want.

@FlyingPandas I'm feeling very similar. I'm almost scared to start again. I've only had one small glass of wine since the end of Jan. I'm finding it easier to continue as I am than try to manage the moderation. Maybe as it takes up far less headspace.
My sleep has started to deteriorate again though, which is a massive disappointment. Or it may be a coincidence that it improved in DJ. Anyway I am enjoying feeling so much better in the morning. It was far harder dealing with poor sleep after wine.

@cashmerecardigans me too on the sleep - and I'm still on the wagon for the moment...

@FlyingPandas yes I relate to this as well. I have beer in the fridge but keep avoiding it.

Yep, this describes me EXACTLY last night.

I am supposedly only allowing myself to drink on Fridays and Saturdays now, but ended up cashing it in early and shared bottle of wine with DH last night.
Didn't feel nice or warm or anything, and I didn't like the taste. Wish I hadn't bothered.

Checking in having caught up with the thread.
Well done everyone on moderating or staying AF.

I've not had a drink since last Saturday night. I made myself a rule of not drinking at home on my own which covers most of the mid week. When I have company it's usually my DP, who doesn't ever drink when he has work the next day anyway, and I don't drink if he's not drinking.

It's definitely helped having a rule to stick to. I think I would have caved last night were it not for that, though I am just beginning to see drinking alone as something I don't want to do rather than something I'm denying myself

Next challenge is the weekend. I'm seeing my best friend and drinking buddy tonight. It's been a while since we caught up as she's been away most of January, so tonight would normally involve numerous glasses of wine. Need to work out my strategy which I think will be soda and lime to start, then spritzers of small sauv blanc and soda. That's still 6 units though if I have 4 spritzers over the evening. I really don't want to wake up anxious, regretful and good for nothing tomorrow morning. Hmm.....

I know I'm boring and settled in my relationship with alcohol, but I just want to say that I had many of the same thought processes you are all going through when I was doing my reset back in 2015 and now here I am. You've all shown such insight and willpower, I just know you can have this too. ❤

Hi everyone just checking in! I'm also not enjoying drinking nearly as much now. I'd much rather have a decent night sleep! Not sure what the weekend will be like here but it will not involve huge amounts of alcohol like it used to

Great news!! Glad your liver is improving.

Keep going everyone! You can do this 💪🏻

Been home from holiday for a week now , had some wine over the weekend, but I realise that I still have no off switch , so no moderating for me just yet
I’m back on the sparkling water
will read through and catch up on all the news over the weekend ,

DH has a tooth abscess and is on scary sounding antibiotics that come with dire warnings about not mixing them with alcohol.

Previously I would have been peeved about this as it would mean my drinking would have been curtailed, or even stopped if I was feeling overly supportive. DH would have been vanishingly unlikely to complete the full course, not being able to drink playing a large part of this decision. Now I'm secretly relieved as that's another 7 days where DH won't drink so I definitely won't (I am far more invested in being AF than he is)

Although he's just shuffled off for a lie down, then come back for his phone "in case he needs to call for help", so it seems there's a chance he may not even make it to 7 days at all 😉

@freshstart2023 how are you going?

Just catching up with this thread. I am in the moderation Feb camp. No mid week drinking and limiting at weekends