Anyone else stopping completely in 2020?

[Drybird2020]

I don't mean moderating or cutting down, I know that I can't control my drinking this way and I need to stop.

I have stopped for periods of time before and enjoyed the peace of not thinking about alcohol, or stressing about my consumption, or negotiating with myself about whether or not to get a bottle of wine on the way home on a Wednesday night.
There's no point in doing dry January, because I will just use it to justify a wet February.

There used to be a series of threads for total abstinence, think it was in Relationships but it seems to have tailed off. I could really do with a place to talk about this, but with an emphasis on being dry, not moderate. And if nobody else is keen I can use it as somewhere to witter away to myself.

Growingboys it also has David Tennant in it, and I quite like him.

Sorry about your mum and her friend, but your lunch sounds fantastic!

Dry I need to walk up some hills more!

Testing I am always exhausted by 9pm!

Good morning, super chilly here on south coast and long walk to work, used to cycle but fractured right arm. Anyhow, only day 2 but I guess it's a start....wishing you all a wonderful day 😊

Morning all, bed take. Over by the dog and two boys so I gave in and got up early..!

Day 20 AF which I'm pleasantly surprised at. Much fresher faced for definite which is an added bonus. I hand realised how battered I'd looked beforehand.

Welcome to the newbies here 🙌 this is a lovely positive thread with no judgement.

Busy week ahead including a trip to London tomorrow for the team building cook off event .. determined not to have even a sip of alcohol. H is continuing to drink but he's definitely cut down which is a start I guess. I think he thought I'd have caved by now which makes me all the more determined to stay AF.

Happy Monday all, have a great day xx

Morning all, another sober week begins

I struggled a bit yesterday afternoon, I make a bit of a production of Sunday lunch, and I could have murdered for a g&t or nice glass of red while I was cooking and eating it. Had a proper catch-in-the-throat full bore craving that lasted ages. Tried to smother it to death with Heineken 0% and fevertree with angostura, but it was very persistent. A Mumsnet Very Hard Stare finally saw it off

I have managed to lose about a kilo of the 1.5 kilo Christmas gain, which is good. Boring old calorie counting and running- not drinking definitely makes staying under calorie target much easier, I don’t have to add on another couple of km to “earn” a glass of wine any more...

Morning folks, day 28.

Thank feck that weekend is done with. DP was very morose and apologetic (that'll be the monster hangover then!) over his drunken stupidity, I didn't shout and scream as I haven't a leg to stand on with drunken stupidity antics but I was cross over the no call and rocking in at fucking stupid O clock. He isn't drinking much at all week to week but when he does deink, they are massive blow outs - I wonder if it is because I'm sober and he isn't fretting over my intake? Hmm.

Anyway, he couldn't drive anywhere yesterday so we trained it to the city and he had to walk around the shops while I bought nice "essential" things *evil cackle.

New fresh week ahead.

Halfsun - bloody well done on day 2 - keep it going!
It is FREEZING today brrrr!

Morning and well done to everyone for their AF weekends!

I'm enjoying the Claire Pooley book - so much resonates eg. Buying own brand for essentials at the supermarket but always having a very healthy wine budget, hating clothes and shopping so dressing to be invisible, waking up every night at 3am etc, I thought this was just me!

Morning all - it's certainly frostier today, though very pretty.

Welcome halfsun - every day is a bonus, so keep going. We're all here to support you!

Teaches - nope, me too! I'm starting to feel happier in myself since giving up. And so much mney saved - I'm booking a facial for the beginning of Feb!

Morning all
Day 24 for me, and we had a lovely weekend at the coast - weather was beautiful and it was hard to come back to the city. My DH didn't drink either which was so helpful, and we definitely talked more, and more meaningfully, which he noticed too.
I'm catching up with the thread, and welcome new posters.
the early days seemed to add up so slowly, and now they seem to be totting up a bit more quickly which is nice.

Can I join? Day 1 today after yet another afternoon of excess. Not that I can remember much of it. My husband is, naturally, livid. Our young child saw me. Absolutely horrific and I have spent the day mortified and full of self loathing.

I am going to stop drinking for 100 days and then take it from there.

We live overseas in a place where there isn’t a huge amount to DO at the weekends. So insane levels of drinking have been normalised. It is really good to read the inspiring posts from you all.

Welcome @vagmons - we are all here for various reasons including ending up mortified and full of self-loathing, so you're in the right place!

I binged on quit lit at the beginning and found it very helpful, so have a look at Annie Grace, Clare Pooley, Kevin Vale and Allen Carr. In terms of you not having much to do, I have been reading SO MUCH since stopping booze - it has been a real joy, and thanks to suggestions on here, I've bought my first Kindle which is a treat.

I am also thinking about aiming for 100 days. Day 39 here so not getting ahead of myself by any means.

Good luck with it all!

Thank you @Growingboys. I have been reading around a bit today and think I will download a book. I am lucky in that although I live in a heavy boozing culture, I have a great friend who is AF and a couple of others wanting to try it. I feel excited and pretty confident I will make 100 days. Maybe I am being naive at how hard it will be..maybe I am desperate to quit.

*Waves to vagmons!

Hi, hi, hi vagmons and welcome!

We're all in the same boat, so feel free to post and vent as much as you need to.

Hi Vagmons - you are very welcome here and we all understand the horror of looking back and regretting what we’ve done under the influence.

I’m on day 22 dry today - what a gorgeous day!

I’m also loving my kindle, GrowingBoys - have read about a book a day since I got it - I seem to have so much TIME without drinking!

Can I join? I've spent the last year or so toying with the idea of quitting booze. I don't think moderation is for me. I developed an awful habit at weekends when my DC are at their dads of drowning out the loneliness with several bottles of white wine. It's just not serving me anymore (not that it ever did!) I was so hungover today I could barely work. It's just a horrible cycle that I'm desperate to cut free from.

I'm determined to become alcohol free this year. The posts on here are really inspiring me.

Hello, the naked mind is here and also bought three hours - nothing to do with being sober but sounded it interesting! Home alone as boys with their father ... pint of green tea and blanket over my lap!

Thank you for warm welcome

Hello, bookbotherer - jump on in! It's lovely to have new people, and you are right, the posts are so inspiring!

I'm only 24 days in, but I can not tell you how much happier, calmer, less bloated, more energetic, patient and generally sparkier than I have felt in years. As for the sleep - once it all settled down it's worth every drop of wine I've given up.

You can do it!

@housetornado me too - I quit Dec 29th and my husband can tell the difference in my face. My stomach is less bloated and I have a wonderful sense of energy each day from far superior sleep. I feel so healthy! I am eating more ice cream though ;)

Thank you Housetornado for the welcome feeling quite low and cross with myself today but know that's the alcohol in my system from yesterday. I feel so good and in control when not drinking but then I think I can 'reward' myself with some wine as I've been good. I'm so tired of it all.

I want to quit so I can be the best mum I can be. I'm certainly not that when I'm hungover; just snappy and tired.

I want to quit so I can be good at my demanding creative job. I've worked so hard to get where I am but it just takes a day like today when I start doubting myself and fall behind.

I want to quit so I can start looking after my poor, abused body which I've been neglecting and abusing for so long.

There's so much I want to do and alcohol is just holding me back. Why does it have such a hold over me!

Anyway apologies for the self indulgent post. It's nice to know I'm not alone and there's somewhere to vent.

Congratulations to everyone so far on the sober journeys.

We live overseas in a place where there isn’t a huge amount to DO at the weekends. So insane levels of drinking have been normalised

I don’t live that life any more, but expat drinking culture was where my drinking really took off, vagbons, so I hear you on that. My first expat stint was too boozy because I was in with a real party crowd, and the second was because I couldn’t find my crowd and was bored rigid - either way, booze was the crutch!

Day 19, and feeling good. My skin is looking good, and I’ve got a bit of a glow.

Just checking in, as I've resolved to do daily, even if there's nothing to report.

Hello and welcome to the newbies, you'll find plenty of quitspiration here, plus cheerful chat about books, box sets and gardens.

Day 21 for me 😊

Hi everyone new! And everyone continuing. Keeping on going and for the first time getting home after work I didn't want a drink! Wow.

Oh and thanks to everyone that recommended claire pooley... Wasn't tempted by some smug tea totaller telling me how easy it was... But she seems great. Approachable and relatable. Thanks

I’m just checking in at the end of day 19. I’m so tired. I’m poorly. I’m overstretched and I just need to stop. January is so busy for me.

The last few days I’ve not been tempted at all. I think the weekend will be hard- our first for ages without ‘children’ (some are adults but staying with us temporarily and needing a bit of loving). It would actually e lovely just to share a bottle of wine in our hotel room.

I can moderate for one day but I don’t get wasted, I just drink every day and so I end up drinking moderately and wanting more, every day!