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!

@myhandsareverycold that doesn’t sound a great situation. How are things otherwise with your partner? I hope your evening was okay.

I’ve just eaten a lot of mint chocolate to celebrate dry day 31. I’ve done dry Jan before but always started again on Feb 1st...so tomorrow is a whole new world for me of day 32. I’m rather proud/excited

@BunniesBunniesBunnies @Cyllie33

I've left him there. All three drinking. I've been offered red wine, a lovely cold Chablis they bought especially, gin and pimms.

Said no with conviction. Feel fine. DP said nothing. Will see what is said later.

Screw what is said later by your husband, @myhandsareverycold... you made your decision, in the face of temptation, and so the benefit of sobriety/smugness/clearheadedness is all yours!! 🎉🎉

Yeah I agree, it's all about your good decisions not his weird controlling "rules"

I need to remove wine from my life, I know how good it feels to be without it because I did dry January and Feb! Lockdown has not been good for me on the drinking front and today I'm putting a stop to it. I'll be back later for more of your lovely motivational words and I'm making a big promise to myself today that it ends now. I refuse to be that person anymore!!

Well done @stoptheride for recognising this, and well done on your previous streak which shows you can do this!!!

I am 79 days alcohol free and this thread has helped enormously. I feel fitter, calmer and happier than I have done in years, and most days I don’t even miss the booze. Come and hang out on the thread!

Thanks for the wild swimming and paddle board info @BunniesBunniesBunnies and @Hangingover. I've found some taster sessions at an activity centre on the coast so I think I'll try that first. I've added the book to my Wish List for extra inspo - thanks @Drybird2020.

I'm feeling grateful for not drinking today.

Oh I hope you guys enjoy Waterlog! It's one of my favourite books.

@BunniesBunniesBunnies can I ask which training plan you used for 5k to 10k? I really liked the C25K app but have not yet come across one that does the same thing for the next part of the process. I particularly liked how I could use any music player while using it. I'm running just over 5k every other day and would like to build on that.

I'd like to try paddle boarding too! Don't you just fall in the whole time?! 😁

I made a few observations yesterday evening whilst sitting around a table with everyone else drinking

1 Their behaviour did change. They weren't 100% in control. Nothing major, they were just a bit looser. I left before the second bottle had been opened.
2 There was a lot of conversation about alcohol. It's effectively an expensive poison. Why do we associate it with good times try and persuade others to drink when they say no? I suppose it's a bit like food. They were also trying to get me to eat all the time (I've lost weight but I'm happy with that). Is it hospitality? Yes, in this case it probably was.
3 OH tossed and turned all night and was awake three hours before the alarm. I slept well
4 OH was in a grumpy mood this morning. After effects of booze?
5 I'm not tired today. I don't have drinkers remorse. Going there was one of the occasions where I would sometimes drink too much. Nothing like that this morning.

Conclusion - the benefits of not drinking are palpable. I think I'm slowly becoming a convert even although it wasn't my choice.

@sparklinglime thank you. My halo is shining today

@stoptheride
Welcome. I've never met anyone that said they regret not getting hammered the morning after the night before.

If you start on a big board and flat water you'll be grand. DP manages to stay on his little board with 5ft waves smashing into him! Strident evening last night with our friend; she said she thought about what I'd been saying and she wants to stop drinking for a while too! We all had ginger beer. Some cravings today but had an apple and it went...I'm finding this craving/hunger thing very very interesting - definitely seems to be a thing!

32 days! The longest I’ve been sober in 20 years!

@Drybird2020 I’m trying an app called 10K runner - it takes you from 5k to 10K and I can listen to music same as with C25k.

@myhandsareverycold that’s v insightful seeing how drinking unfolds when you’re sober. You definitely sound the winner.

Oh and @Hangingover that is so true. I had a craving from nowhere today and ate a burger. It went, I might try an apple too next time tho....

@Drybird2020 I think it might have been the 20k runner app mentioned above! But to be honest I don’t think I stuck with it religiously. At that time I was running three times a week (5k), and I made one of those runs a little longer every week (6k, 7k, 8k etc). Worked really well for me! Though I should say I wasn’t bothered about speed, I just wanted to be able to do the distance.

Hi all.

Welcome stoptheride. :)

My neighbour's jack russell joins him on his paddleboard. I like watching but doubt I could do it msyelf!

Good on you myhandsareverycold.

I had a wobble today. I have been invited to a birthday party- socially distanced bbq in 2 weeks time. I'm scared to go out and see people and be social without booze. I have done ti ebfore, but it is scaring me and truth is i don't want to go to any sort of party socially distanced or not. But it is not an invitation i can comfortably turn down due to the people dynamics. It's worrying me.

Evening all, checking in gone past 8 and not a drop has passed my lips! Day one is going well. Interesting you all talking about paddles boards.. I bought one yesterday, been eyeing them up down the beach and seem so much fun. Like hens teeth to get hold of so I snapped it up ☺️ it's sitting in the boot of my car H doesn't even know I've got it.

Hi everyone, hope you're all doing ok?

119 days today for me. I want to say thankyou to whoever it was for the visuals of horrible manky feet last week ( I'm sorry I can't remember who it was) have had a bit of a stressful time last week, and I found myself saying 3 times I don't need wine- it's what I use to repeat to myself in the early days when the wine witch called. I wouldn't have drank but it goes to show, even for a moment when I got stressed it was my default thought so to speak , but having the image of the manky puss filled toes crushing the grapes for the wine literally makes me heave😂 anyway..Much less stressful week this week but just wanted to say that came at just the right time for me.

@GreenMintTeaMug can understand you being nervous..I'd try and get out of it but know you can't . Can you go, show your face then try and leave early?

119 days is epic!

That was myhands with the manky feet. well- not personally with the feet you understand...

I am (counts) 18 days since my slip. I need to think how to get out of the bbq. I really like the people, and I sort of have to go. But I'm not ready. But, Hangin has had similar thoughts on this thread I know, and then has absolutely rocked it. :) I shall think of her example.

stoptheride congrats on Day 1!! I find my real danger points are 5.00 pm until dinner is finished.No more. Those days are over.

On another note... One of the other school mums I like alot.... she is also on club soda and on clare pooleys' facebook page. I'd like to be closer friends with her... I know she must know we share that in common because of how facebook algorithms (or whatever they are called) work. But I am too shy to sort of say anything.

what is everyone doing tonight? I am in bed already. I am so so tired. I'm sleeping so well though. That is the joy of sobriety. Except for odd dreams about Harrison Ford which frankly I'm okay with...

have a great evening. x

@GreenMintTeaMug thank you! Ah yes I remember now.18 days is fab well done. I will have to catch up with the thread to find out what Hangin said. Maybe just say hi to her and it might encourage her to say something?
Just relaxing listening to the quiet after celebrating my son's 9th birthday today

I'm downstairs alone watching 24 hrs in A&E ironically one chap has been going on benders over the social club and he's had a bad fall.. My H is in bed already after downing a bottle of red in less than an hour (quite normal).. I'll have to listen to his snoring for the next hour no doubt. Pleased I've stayed strong and not joined him drinking, far to easy to do so!

Very well done stoptheride. How did you sleep?

Happy birthday to your boy jess. :) 9 is such a terrific age.

I have been keeping my hands in the evenings by painting cards. It;'s a bit of fun.

Hope everyone is okay and has a wonderful day. :)

Just checking in to say WOW🤩🤩🤩 @jess3817, 120 days!!! You rock!!!

Morning all.! Lovely nights sleep. No waking and gasping for water, no headache before I went to bed .. bliss. I remember how wonderful I felt last time round, I need to keep reminding myself!!

It's good to read about everyone's successes. Particularly the joy of sleep, I always feel that if I can get enough sleep, I can do anything.

It's my 6 month Soberversary today 😁