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.

Amazing, Spongeface, well done! I don't other people care that much about our drinking, and if they do, it's their issue.

Don't worry about the Becks! I drank that when I was pregnant (it really helped the nausea), and remember checking scroupiouly that it was low enough to be safe.

We have a family event tomorrow but I'm driving.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

Morning everyone, I've been awake since 4, but am thankful that it's just straightforward insomnia and not a wine induced, sweaty, self loathing session. I'm enjoyjng the quiet time to read and think, and have updated the weekly shop order with Becks Blue, tomato juice, Grapefruit squash and fizzy water. Plus limes to slice and freeze as recommended upthread, thank you to whoever made that suggestion 😘

@Spongeface, congratulations on tackling the party like a BOSS! That's a huge achievement so early in the journey, well done.

Things have quietened down here at last so I'm spending the weekend on the delights of laundry and finding school bags, shoes, gym kits etc. Actually it's quite nice to be getting on top of the mudance tasks now that the Christmas Circus has left town.

What's everyone got on today?

Hi everyone, really good to see so many of us here and the support is fab! Have nearly managed a whole week! Day 6 today. Really struggling to get off to sleep though, staying asleep doesn't seem to be a problem and I'm up every morning at 6am to walk my antisocial dogs and am loving knowing any grogginess I feel is not down to alcohol. I feel for you @Drybird 2020 I usually suffer horribly with period pain and am due on too, usually doped up with codeine for 48 hours and drinking on top of that makes me feel truly grim!
Working my way through all the 'posh' tonics atm!
Working today and tomorrow will be the sorting off school stuff, making sure all homework is done ( it won't be ) Anyone else hate gym kits?!

Good morning @Drybird2020 I'm also up early and enjoying a quite coffee in bed whilst the rest of the house snores away..! My first dry Friday night done and dusted, H cracked open the wine as soon as he walked in the door yesterday.. went to pour me a glass which I refused 🙌 he sunk a bottle and a half whilst I had tonic water with frozen lemon and lime. Feel good this morning! Like you I'm planning to get the school bags sorted (must remember PE kits) and have a tip run to do with all the Christmas packaging and tree (currently on the lawn looking sad) I'm also on the hunt for a journal today. I want to keep track of how I'm feeling and my progress. I'm hoping when the witching hour descends I can take a look and remind myself why I'm AF.

Tomorrow I'm having a well deserved morning break at the gym.. body pump and steam/jacuzzi session. I deserve it!

Have a great weekend all xx

Thanks everyone. Very glad to hear my panic that Becks blue was just a panic.
It's so strange this. Awake and fresh on Saturday with our whole days ahead. I love the idea of getting the house sorted and caught up I think I will do that too. Possible a seaside walk too. Break the normal routine!
Grapefruit juice is a good shout! Will add that to my order too thanks.

Morning everyone!!! Congratulations to everyone for doing so well! Feeling really good here too. I’m a woman on a mission!! I feel seriously motivated. Like you @dottydolly72, DH cracked open the wine last night but weirdly I wasn’t even tempted.

Strange thing happened last night. I got up to use the loo in the middle of the night. Every Friday night ( and Saturday and every night over Christmas) for as long as I can remember, I’ve woken up during the night and I’ve felt so awful - really groggy, with a bad headache. I usually can’t remember falling asleep. And I always get this wave of disgust when I realise how much junk I ate the night before. So I woke last night and for a second expected to feel all that. And instead I felt great!! A real victory at 3am!!

@Drysunshine I'm sporting a NYE injury too. Very painful and stopping me from exercising.

Struggling a bit now. The NYE hsngover/fear has passed and the idea of drinking is becoming more and more tempting.

I'm trying to remind myself how many days I've lost due to hangovers and the health benefits of not drinking. I think that is better than saying 'I've got a drinking problem', which is very blaming and makes me feel like it is a personal flaw.

@bigbopboo it’s awful isn’t it. I’m due to start a new running group this week that I agreed to ages ago but not sure if I’ll be fit to. DD also wanted to go swimming which I declined due to bruising. We’re off shopping today instead.
Hopefully you’ll be back up to speed soon. Keep reminding yourself how you’ve felt over the last few days and good luck!

Well done everyone who survived AF Friday night, especially if you were out out!

This article is good: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7850467/Former-drugs-Tsar-PROFESSOR-DAVID-NUTT-calls-orders-national-epidemic.html

Just read that Growing.

Well done all of you.

Top tips I found worked for me

Put the wine glasses out of sight so you don’t have to push past them to get a tumbler for a soft drink.

Little bowls of sweets to suck, a lady at AA told me I’d crave sugar at the start (wine has sugar) and so a suck on a chocolate lime helped.

I’m 2 years sober/AF in Feb.

@Drysunshine we're off shopping too!
It's running I'll be missing too. I've hurt my ribs and I think I might be out for a good couple of weeks.

Hope everyone had a good Friday and is enjoying waking up with a fresh, clear head.

Please can I join this group? I have a problem and am sick to death of the thick head every morning, the false positivity that today will be the day I get things under control and then the hours of debating whether or not to have a drink...it's exhausting and I just want it to stop. I'm totally clear in my mind how much I will benefit from not drinking - I'll exercise more, eat better, save money, feel great...so why oh why do I crack the wine open night after night after night? I have a glass left in a bottle from last night (second bottle) while I am going to pour down the sink. I'm done with feeling like utter shit.

Welcome Waiting! Thumbs up with pouring the wine away. Drink lots of water today and take care of yourself.

Thanks Moving, I will. Going out for a long walk with my husband and toddler so hoping that'll clear my head and boost my mood. Onwards and upwards I hope.

Hi @bigbpoboo totally agree. Focus on the upsides of not drinking as it has lots of benefits. One suggestion is play it forward - I feel like a drink tonight but how will I feel tomorrow morning? That often helps me get past the witching hours.

Clare Pooley is quite good on looking at the benefits of being AF, I liked watching her videos as her focus is on being positive. Also if you read some of the sober lit like Annie Grace etc you can focus on the issue being not that a person has a problem with alcohol but that alcohol itself is a dangerous substance for lots of people.

Loving this thread as it really helps me know other people are going through the same thing.

I slept 10 and a half hours last night! Can't remember the last time that happened.

Welcome @WaitingforToto your in the right place. I'm the same, not sure where the past 3 years have gone to be fair.. 🙈 I need to be more motivated by life and get sh*t done instead of holding my head in my hands going over the vague details of the night before. I'm on AF day 4 and feeling very motivated this morning (2nd wash on already) hold onto the positives here and join us x

Hey, I'd like to join if I can. Has anyone found they have felt quieter since giving up? I feel ok inside but not as chatty in the evenings. The time between about 6 and 8 are the most difficult.

I'm sleepng ridiculous amounts too @ProfessorPollington - even though I barely drank before. Very odd, not that I'm complaining! I feel completely exhausted. Wish I'd done this sooner.

Good tip about the sweets @maddiemookins16mum - I horrify myself, the amount of sweet stuff I get through at night after supper! Not fussed about it, as giving up booze means I can do more running as I'll never have a hangover. But last night was two Creme Eggs, a Ferrero Rocher, and a hot chocolate, after quite a big dinner!

According to an app I've downloaded ive saved 967calories and I'm only on day 4 any wonder I'm knocking myself out at the gym and still not losing weight!

Treating the kids to a tim hortons later and will enjoy a lovely coffee, then going to look for a good thriller book on my kindle for tonight,, will be nice reading and actually remembering what I've read the next day.

Hope everyone has a great day

Afternoon ladies 😁
Slept for a solid 8 hours last night. After two nights of not sleeping it felt very good!
Sat up until 3am watching The OA (I'm a night owl anyway but we just lost track of time)
Feeling positive today!
Glad you all stayed on track, well done to us all! Massive well done @Spongeface, I did think about you last night and hoped where ever you were you were smashing it (rather than smashed 😂)

Boots I have an app which is logging calories, units and £ saved. It's rather telling, isn't it? I've not had time to really read much other stuff yet (saving it for when I'm in need of fresh motivation), so I'm finding the app really helpful.

I feel tired but ok, it's this bloody lingering cold. DP taking DS out now so I can catch up on some work. Later I'll be starting jigsaw number 2 and enjoying some AF beer.

Well done everyone else, really loving the stories and tips.

Hi all. I gave up in July 2018 and remember the early days were hard so sending you all encouragement. It does get easier and you will feel better but possibly not for a bit. I look back and can't believe how much and how often I used to drink. It's very freeing in the end to let it go.

Smashed it not smashed @Saltypotato that can be our motto!
Have done tons so far today! I'm loving the idea of a jigsaw. Crochet tonight here.

Well done Sheila that's a great accomplishment! Cant wait to be at your stage.

House it's crazy just how much money we waste doing something that makes us feel like s#%t! I'm excited to see how my weight loss journey goes now that I'm removing all those unnecessary calories