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!

jess3817 me too. I assumed it was my liver as well and, terrified, eventually went to the doc. The MRI of my liver was normal. The endoscopy revealed duodenitis and gastritis. Of course I'd lied about how much I drank. Turns out if you continually pour a known irritant into your gut and never let it heal it just keeps on being irritated - who knew!

@OrlandoInTheWilderness bet it was - know what ou mean though, I've only just told my close family to for that reason but they've been really supportive. @Hangingover lol, yeah funny that. How are you feeling now? I have been thinking about trying to see a doc and maybe getting some blood tests or something because I've been getting a funny dull type of stitch pain on the right lower side of my ribs the last few weeks and it comes and goes, and been feeling sick on and off too ( not preggers or any of that type of thing lol) anyway..Sorry for the over sharing people 🙈 I for one am glad I don't drink anymore especially with this heat going on this week, just think how nicely clear headed we will be enjoying the sun.

Right sided pain here that I told myself was NOT liver pain or pancreatitis or whatever. It was so bad I could not even lie on that side in bed.

All gone. :) When I slipped last week the twinges came back with a vengeance.

@GreenAfternoonTeaMug yeah mine was really tender to lay on too. Hope the twinges have gone again for you

I've been getting routine blood test but was always relieved when my liver functions ones came back within the normal range.

This chat reminds me though that I did get this awful red blotchy face and chest when I had drunk too much. It was never consistent so couldn't tell if it was an allergy but it made my whole face turn beetroot and I'd get these patches of red across my chest. I'd usually be too half cut to worry too much about it but looking back it was awful.

Thanks jess yes - all gone. :) So pleased. I am hoping the wine tummy goes down too.

The whites of my eyes are whiter too which is nice.

Do go and see a doc jess. Better to know than not know.

@GreenAfternoonTeaMug I will. 🙂 @Ulysses oh god🙈 I was always red and blotchy for a while before I gave up and it got worse when I drank. When I use to run , my face would literally go beetroot and everyone use to comment on it, my kids would say mummy why are you sunburnt😂 I'd be like, I've been running, but knew it worse because drink. So, one thing I was looking forward to is not looking like a beetroot and taking 3 hours to return to normal colour now I don't drink. Turns out, I still go the shame shade fgs😂

I also get a red face whilst running @jess3817! After a good 10 minutes of googling it turns out the blotchiness is a sign of alcohol intolerance and could be a sign of high blood pressure (and heart attacks and strokes according to a Daily Mail byline).

Good job I am adamant about giving it up for good then. It actually gives me a bit of a cause to say that I have given it up as I can no longer tolerate it when I let others know.

It really was awful and I genuinely think I forgot how bad it was because I was so drunk at the time. It's frightening really the damage you do to your body. My blood pressure is fine and my bloods are fine but I think it would be peace of mind for yourself to get checked out @jess3817.

I like to think of them as an MOT, I've had a few dizzy spells recently and I'm sure it's connected to my iron levels. I had been prescribed iron but my GP said they had returned to normal levels but I think without a supplement the levels slip back into anaemia.

It's so frightening to read about how many of us have a been a hair's breadth away from doing ourselves serious damage. I feel nauseous when I think of how badly I've cared for myself and how I took my body for granted. And the stupid thing is I knew all this, inside. But the overlay of booze was enough to filter it out. It's the drug of denial.

@jess3817, do go for a check up, Lovey. Or just a phone consultation for now.

@Ulysses I didn't know that! I think I'm going to need a double appointment or phone call whatever it is at the moment by the sounds of it. I'm the bliming lightest and healthiest I've been in years and have all these 'ailements' I've lost 8lb just not drinking. And am now fitting in a size 12.

Oh I wish i had lost 8 lb! I seem to have dieted myself up three stone. i would give anything to be back where I started!!

I am focusing on cutting portion size in a major way.

Day 12 since I fell off the wagon the other week. :)

I actually had to count back to figure it out. But I have decided that this time not counting seems to be working for me and I am going to mark things by the month now. So 12th of the month marks another month. It feels different hsi time. Maybe because I felt so lousy on a few days drinking.

I am sleeping better too... slept all the way in until 5.18 this morning!

Hanginover how are you doing with sleep right now?

Morning all. Just checking in for accountability really. I know I am doing all the right things (not drinking, not smoking, exercising) but sometimes doing the right thing is hard, and it’s hard to see the point. I know I’m just tired from lockdown and being up with small children, but my mood is very meh today. Hope it picks up.

@BunniesBunniesBunnies I understand where you're coming from, things feel dreary at the moment. Covid, lockdown, kids, work, repeat.
But imagine if you were hungover as well... 🤢
Not drinking, not smoking, exercising will all pay dividends but sometimes it's just about putting one foot in front of the other until bedtime.

Morning everyone! It's a beautiful day here! Everyone okay?

Hello everyone. Slept like a baby thanks green ! Such bliss not waking up at 3am. Even if I do wake up in the night I tend to drop back to sleep really easily.

I feel nauseous when I think of how badly I've cared for myself and how I took my body for granted

I. Hear. This! There is so much breast and bowel cancer in my family too - how dare I do so much self inflicted damage to my lovely healthy body I literally watched my mum die a long and hideous premature death from cancer - I should have known better!

Having a very very lazy day here. DP working and I've done tonnes of exercise in the last few days so just pottering about, doing laundry and reading. We're getting ready to get back on the road day after tomorrow...first since lockdown. We're driving north for 10 days and camping in some of the really remote spots of West Aus where it's 31 degress even though it's winter! When we were on the road before I was constantly directing us into pubs and always made sure we had a case of beer and a twenty pack in the tent so I'll be interested to see how easy/hard I find it! I'm sure the wine helped me get off to sleep in the campsites which are quite noisy/boozy but then I'd wake up a few hours later and not get back to sleep - hence I was in a pretty vile mood most of the time...

Oh also am on day 25 AF, about day 20 smoke free but sadly, in about an hour's time, will no longer be pie free. 🍰

....the pie was excellent I regret nothing.

Hi, I'd like to join you all, if I may? I've known I drink too much for a while, but during lock down it has really got out of hand. I've barely moved all day because I feel so rough, I can't carry on doing this damage to myself. So... Here I am on day one! I'm a bit worried I won't sleep tonight but I'm hoping I'll sleep better longer term.

@Hangingover Je ne regrette rien😂😂😂

@Catonaroof welcome and well done on Day 1! I’m 10 weeks in now and waking up refreshed and not hungover is such a brilliant gift! This thread is super friendly so keep checking in/ask away if you like:-)

@Hangingover, your life sounds lovely. Pie and all! So many adventures and wonderful things to do. And you'll be able to remember it all, now 😊

@Catonaroof welcome. The first bit is shitty for a lot of people and then things get better and better. I check in here daily, it's part of my plan and it works, I have not had a drink in 2020.

Thank you both! I've just washed up after dinner and now I'm NOT reaching for the wine. I could potentially do a lot with my evening, or I could just read a book!

@Catonaroof welcome!

I love the extra time not-drinking offers.

@Hangingover your trip sounds great! Will you be able to post while you are away? We shall miss your posts if you are gone- but will look forward when you return. :)

@BunniesBunniesBunnies
@OrlandoInTheWilderness
How is everyone doing?

@Catonaroof I can guarantee you will soon have the most wonderful sleeps. :)