Staying Stopped - Alcohol Free, permanently.

[Drybird2020]

This thread is a kind and supportive environment for anyone committing to an alcohol free life.

From Day 1 onwards, you are welcome here for support, encouragement, tips and chat. There are many of us, at different points on the journey some have been sober for years, months, or weeks, others are just starting out, but all are
committed to an alcohol free life and the freedoms it brings...

Freedom from the tyranny of booze and the effort of figuring out how much to drink, and how and when to procure and drink it.

Freedom from guilt, self loathing, and 3am wake ups, and the fear of what might have been said and done the night before.

Freedom from the pervasive sense of dread and shame.

Freedom to embrace life with energy, and to face challenges with an uncluttered head, a lighter heart, and a lighter recycling bin.

If you've not yet decided whether total abstinence is for you, do feel free to hang out and ask questions but please be aware that discussion of drinking can be triggering, especially for those in the early stages of sobriety.

If you are still drinking, or planning on moderating (and this includes occasional or once in a blue moon drinking) have a look at the moderation threads, which might be a better fit for you.

I check in here every day as part of my recovery. It has kept me accountable, and the wonderful posters who contribute have helped me more than they could possibly know. This is day 137, and I'll be here for a long time!

@BunniesBunniesBunnies nicely saved! Well done ! 🙌

@iamyourequal I need chocolate Brazil’s now!!!

And what are sweet peanuts? Honey roasted?

Made my own granola too with lots of almonds and honey and seeds, yum!

Oh no Bunnies they are naughtier than that. They are hard butterscotch type sweets the size and shape of monkey nuts, but inside there are little chunks of salted peanuts. I used to buy quarters of them as a kid.

So figured if i am stopping drinking i better quit the ecig also. Need to be strong on. Both counts or whats the point.. So day 4 AF, Day 1 no ecig (best of it is i didnt evem smoke just started that when i was drinking) so gave myself a bit of a challenge here. No thoughts about wine 2day cos i am consumed with smoking thoughts aaaah. Had an amazing night with kids in the woods, playing around in the rain home soaked to the skin then pjs and chills. That is most definetly what it is all about and what i will try to keep in my mind to get me through! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend ☺️ x

Oh please forgive me and take me back! I fell off the thread-,but not the wagon!! I think I’ve just been so busy- working, studying, trying to make sure dc are ok and looking after dp. I feel a bit torn in several directions and mainly I want to lie down on the earth herself!

Anyway checked the app and I’ve saved over £1000! I have spent this on books and of course dp can’t work now do our income has halved but still...

Morning sober pals, so happy and frankly amazed I've passed the three week mark. As of getting face tattoos, bleaching, invasive Dr appointments and the dinner werent enough to test my tolerance of anxiety today me and DP are taking a trip to a place that does flying trapeze classes on a proper massive outdoor rig. I did some classes a few years ago but I bet I've forgotten it all. I'll post a picture later if I'm not in the hospital.

@BunniesBunniesBunnies, thank you, it really helped to hear that. I've given myself a stern talking to and I'm feeling 100 x better. Sorry you had a difficult day but well done for not spiralling.

That's brilliant Jess, and such a good idea to quickly give it away so you can stop thinking about it.

@iamyourequal I love your toddler list! You can definitely have a prize (gold star).

Happy Sober Saturday everyone!

Lovely to have you back, @StillDumDeDumming. You’re resilience is amazing!

@StillDumDeDumming it's so good to hear from you, worn out but sober is still good going. I hope you can get some chill time over the weekend.

@iamyourequal ; rhubarb and custard, flying saucers,, cola cubes, bootlaces... It is all about nostalgia for me! 😊

@iamyourequal ohhh those nuts sound good!

@StillDumDeDumming nice to see you pop up on the thread🙂🙂🙂

And to @Jlou0712 - Well done on quitting the cigs!!! For me I have more cigarette cravings than alcohol cravings but it’s getting so much less already, often I don’t think about cigarettes for hours. And I’ve been running lots which I can’t when I smoke😳😳😳 You’re doping amazing, hang in there💪💪💪

Just wondering if this is putting unnecessary pressure on yourself, @Jlou0712:

“So figured if i am stopping drinking i better quit the ecig also. Need to be strong on. Both counts or whats the point.”

It might just be the way you worded it, but there is definitely a massive point in stopping drinking whatever else you are doing. Don’t want it to end up as a ‘well I had an e-cig, so I might as well have a drink now’ situation. I speak from experience... 😏

I'm in awe of so many on this thread...you dig deep and resist temptation or plan accordingly.
I have failed AGAIN. Got invited to social distancing drinks in a friend's garden last night. Had over half a bottle of wine and a late night.
Feel like crap and a bit low.

I'm fine during the week, it's just weekends. I'm hopeless at this.

Thank you for the welcome back. I’m so in awe of everyone. Including the newbies. It’s the hardest bit.

@teazels relapse means rethink. Keep going - you will get there. Why is it you want to quit drinking and what do you gain by having a drink?

My birthday tomorrow- yes solstice child - it’s a bit of a toughy. Dp and I are sociable but he can’t cope with people talking too much as he can’t understand them. And we’d normally go for a walk in e woods but he finds that really hard at the moment and needs a proper path.

Happy birthday StillDumDeDumming.

The swets sound amazing. I think we have chocolate covered brazil buts left over from christmas (DH is a hoarder) so i might drag them out.

Dh is an odd one. he hoards food that he does not eat but panics if I do. I will see how long it takes him to notice I have brought the brazil nuts out. Most of the time I call the larder the 'art installation' because it has things in there untouched for literally 10 years.

chocolate covered brazil buts.

I assume my meaning was clear

I type too fast and need to spell check.

@sparklingLime

Def see your point there. I usually always say one thing at a time, but last night just decided to go all in... Drinking is main concern i drink less than i smoke but it causes me the most problems although i would like to be free from all my addictive behaviours... Need to stop eating 2 if thats the case 😂😂😂

TBH I am in awe of anyone who tries to stop smoking as well, or any other addictive behaviour at the same time. Hats off.

Morning all. Welcome back StillDumDeDumming
GreenTeaMug: chocolate covered brazil buts very funny thought 😁!
Teazels don’t beat yourself up. Just keep trying and any time you ‘fall off’ analyze if it was worth it, whether that lovely hour or two is worth feeling rubbish and disappointed for hours after. Gradually I’ve begun to see it’s not worth feeling like crap 3am to noon just to have had a buzz 7-9pm or whatever. Annie grace is really good on this topic.

Anyway. Lovely and sunny here today, blitzing the housework now do I can lie in the garden like a beached whale all afternoon. Enjoy those sweets Drybird

i agree totally SparklingLime , giving up booze alone is a massive achievement in itself. There is an element of risk trying to combine it with giving up other things. I’ve never smoked but know it’s a really tough one to quit. Good luck all who are trying and don’t make things too hard on yourselves.

It’s hard knowing whether to quit things at the same time or not. For me it helps to quit both as there is such a strong association between both, but equally over the last 10 weeks I slipped a few times with cigarettes and gave myself a break, not drinking was my main priority.

Yeah not drinking is my main priority aswell. Actually feel not so bad with the smoking was a very low nicotine liquid i was on so think more about the habit and the cravings. Hope everyone has a lovely AF and SF weekend. 🤞

That's how I felt. Smoking can ruin your health but drinking can ruin your whole life. Giving up either is bloody hard but we can do it.

Checking in chaps. Survived flying trapeze!

Is anyone using any sleeping aids? I'm still having trouble dropping off but I definitely sleep through now. Am trying melatonin and Valarian 🤞🏻

I am not using sleeping aids, but I get up about 4.30 thanks to an incontinent elderly dog so come 9 pm I am embarrassingly exhausted.

I have used melatonin in the past for long haul flights.

I have in the past used meditation cds on my portable cd player.... also, Tara Brach has downloadable meditation podcasts. Some of them last about 20 minutes. There is a gong sound at the end which wakes me up but I use it to just then turn off the computer and roll over.

I have had a fun day spendking my not-drinking money. I have bought 3 bunches of roses; lime sorbet icecream, some acrylic paints and 100 ivory coloured cards with envelopes because for some reason I think I can make enough money handpainting cards to jack in my job. (Or at least keep my hands occupied in the evening).

darn. Sadly my much-anticipated chocolate covered brazil nuts had a best before of 2009. :(

I have comfort eaten half an apple, half a tin of peaches and a trifle instead.