Going 'dry' for 4 weeks

[CurlieSue]

Hi, I have a real problem with wine. I find it hard to admit but I'm addicted to it. I can easily drink a whole bottle without even feeling drunk and often drink a bottle and a half in the evenings. Spirits I can take or leave, I don't actually like most of them, but there is something about wine that I find so addictive. I have to do something because I'm so worried about the effect on my health - mental and physical. I'm fed up of feeling tired, sluggish, feeling overwhelmed by day to day stuff like housework. I've decided that starting tomorrow, I will do my utmost to go dry for 4 weeks. Does anyone want to do it with me or is there a 'dry' support thread I can join? Thank you.

I'm with you! There's DRY 17 and Brave Babes Battle Bus - if you do a search, you'll find different them. I'm desperate to stop - I'm so much happier and healthier when sober but I feel caught in a bit of a spiral right now. But it's absolutely doable - I didn't have a drink for four years! Let's do this.

Find them even, stoopid phone!

I'm the same, I feel at the moment I have to have at least a few glasses every night. I love the way it just relaxes me and I feel much more chilled.

There's a wonderful forum on Reddit.com called /stopdrinking. It's incredibly supportive and very busy.

I also recommend a book called This Naked Mind by Annie Grace. It will help you view alcohol differently so that the appeal is gone.

You can get a free PDF of it on the reddit forum above or buy on Amazon for kindle.

Thanks just-I've had a quick look and it sounds pretty good.

Hi I'm with you.
I'd planned to give up for lent anyway. I had a baby three months ago and I've been slipping back in to my old wine drinking ways mainly in an effort to self medicate my post natal anxiety and OCD.
I'm sick of it though and its making me feel like shit so I'll join you in this if you dont mind

hot Yep, know the old self medicating theory only too well!

Its crap isn't it Jess?
And rationally drinking loads of wine and feeling like shit the next day doesn't do my MH any favours.

I'm struggling to think of any favours wine has ever done for me!

Ive never had an 'off' switch with alcohol in general and most bad decisions and wasted opportunities in my life are directly related to my drinking but I'm getting too old for it now. I was 34 at the end of December and I need to grow up and do some sober adulting

I'm glad ive found others going through the same. I often read the BB threads but everybody seems so familiar with each other and I dont want to impose and make a tit of myself

Thank you all for your replies and help. I know I have to stop/cut down drinking for the sake of my daughter who is just a toddler. It seems like most days I'm knackered. I look forward to her nap time, so I can sleep too. I can't get through the day without a nap and this never used to be the case. I focus all my energies on my daughter but I neglect myself and I know that whilst I am drinking I can't be the best mum I can be. I am really scared about going dry for 4 weeks as I doubt my own strength and willpower, but I know that I absolutely must do this because I don't want to continue like this. I've decided that to help me get through this, I need to start going to bed early. It's only at night that I want a drink, so the less hours I'm awake at night, the easier it will be. Also, I am convinced that wine gives me insomnia so I am really hoping that I'll sleep better once I go dry.

My thing is the heart palpitations - I never have them sober but when I drink (my demon is vodka) I wake up at 6am with them and then tell myself that if I can just get to teatime, I can have another, which is insane cos then I'm just saving the withdrawal for another day! I stopped in December and I felt absolutely bloody brilliant - and then used Christmas /New Year as an excuse to carry on.

Curly your motivation sounds good and early nights are the way forward. I would be following suit but the baby is still very nocturnal.
I know that when I don't drink I feel great in the mornings when I can jump up and get the DC ready for school without feeling foggy headed.

Jess palpitations sound really scary, hope youre ok.
Its fab that youve managed to quit before. Means you can definitely do it again.
I hardly drank last year due to pregnancy and when I did obviously wasn't more than a small glass or two so I know that I can do it too.

Drinking is just a way to get away from intrusive thoughts and to feel momentarily carefree. Its not worth it though. The price is too high.
If alcohol was a credit card you wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
Three hours of feeling great to be repayed with fifteen hours of feeling monumentally awful. I need to keep reminding myself of this.

Would you like to do a 4 weeks dry with me JingleJess? I haven't experienced heart palpitations, but I've noticed other effects from drinking like blotchy skin, massive hunger pangs the following day (I suspect the sugar rush from the wine leading to a big drop in insulin and cravings for sugar/carbohydrates) and terrible insomnia.

three hours of feeling great to be relayed with fifteen hours of feeling monumentally awful This - this, exactly!

When do you want to start? I can feel the anxiety coming on even over setting a stop date! Agree that I look tons better after not drinking - I actually enjoy taking my make up off, moisturising etc. Lately, I wake up and look like I've spent the night in a boxing ring.

I'm planning to start tomorrow, do you want to start tomorrow too? If not, that's fine, we can still do it together and I'll be with you all the way xxx

When I became pregnant with my daughter, I stopped drinking a month before she was conceived (which was through IVF) and for the duration of my pregnancy, I never touched alcohol. I actually found it incredibly easy, so I know I can do it, but now it feels so hard.

Hello, could I please join you for the next 4wks? I'm already at 3 bottles of wine and night but amazingly not a fully fledged alcoholic..yet! This means I can stop drinking without having withdrawals and I am desperate to tackle my serious alcohol problem before I cross that line.
Lowest point of my life happened on Thursday when my 16yr old told me I was an alcoholic. No words can describe the pain of failing to be the mum I thought I was and I don't know if my son will ever let go of the anger and hatred he has towards me.

I think it's obvious why I need to join a support network and hope I can support you too as we take back control and choose not to drink!

I hope you will have me x

Hello, I've given up for Lent. I'll cheer everyone on from the sidelines if you like.

My motivation is not to become like my mother! .

Perhaps your son has done you a massive favour Nomadali? They say you need to reach rock bottom (or a very low point indeed) to shock you in to action.

Thanks for the support, any and all is appreciated. I have no support network and wish I could have avoided letting my son be the one to see how bad things have got.
I have to do this!!!

Please can I join?

I didn't drink all last year so in theory know I can do this! But a bottle of wine doesn't hit the sides at the moment.

I just simply can't have one glass, so I'm hitting the restart button tomorrow with you too (Monday)
Felt truly great (and looked great) without alcohol. It happens so quickly, one week, five days even, and then it's easy.

It's the first few days which are so hard.

We can do this Nomadali, it's surprisingly easy once you start and I was drinking alot too.
I am sure you are a great mum, prove it by giving up for four weeks!

CurlieSue, me too with the wine. I can take or leave anything else. It's the wine!

CurlieSue wine was my nemesis too, could drink rivers of the stuff. I decided to give Dry January a go and haven't really looked back, I've had no wine since December 30th now. I do know I was ready to give it up and need to stay very vigilant of my trigger points though.
I am on the Brave Babes thread and we are a very welcoming and supportive bunch if you think it might help you.
Good luck with your goals, if I can kick it anyone can

Hi again, sorry for not inserting names I'm not used to forum etiquette or if there's any shortcuts for replying to individuals on the thread. Please bear with me as I learn the ropes I really hope this is going to be my breakthrough effort. 2mths ago I couldn't even go 1 day without drinking but I've now got to 2 days. My biggest barrier is 3 days and I feel if I can get through that I'll have turned a physiological corner in my addiction. I'm Cava, Prosecco and sometimes beer. I can have bottles of any other alcohol in the house and won't touch it, but with my choice of drink I have no control whatsoever. I'm doing well if I stop at 2, but have recently been out bought and drunk a 3rd without even knowing I did it!! That scared the shit out of me

Then it's just a bad habit Nomadali, if you can do 2 days, you can do 5 days, etc.
Also, if you have other alcohol in the house and can take it or leave it then the same!

I'll hold your hand, we'll do a week, day by day, at first and then see what happens!

I would imagine that ordering from the online Alcohol-Free Shop would help some people trying to quit alcohol. www.alcoholfree.co.uk/alcoholfree-wines-c-2_46.html

Many of the beers are very good - taste just like beer.

Alcohol-free wine tastes a bit thin when drinking it on its own - its the alcohol which gives it body - but it still tastes like Cabernet, or Pinot. Better when drinking with a meal. Some AF brands are better than others, so get a tasting pack.

When you order it comes very quickly. I don't work for them, I've just appreciated their range, on the occasions I've given up booze (for Lent).

I really appreciate your support Dan, we will do it!! I have to make this work for the sake of my health and my 2 boys.

I've had non-alcoholic beer in my fridge for nearly 2yrs now. I think it's fair to say the non-alcoholic substitute doesn't work for me. Thanks for the info though, may be helpful for the others