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!

@bumblebees you wont regret it! I've seen alot of other people have experienced poor sleep the first few days but that hasn't been the case for me I seen nothing but great benefits immediately

My sleep was better straight away. And I was less anxious, more able to mange stress calmly. The other benefits took longer to arrive but I'm now thinner, richer and fitter! Plus I have self-respect.

Annie Grace's 30 Day Alcohol Experiment is free and a good place to start.

Welcome to all the newcomers, you have definitely come to the right place!

Yes, the Annie Grace 30 day alcohol experiment is great. It gets you thinking about why you drink, your reasons and triggers. You will have to be prepared to delve into your emotions and past drinking history, but it is so worth it. Thanks mainly to her blog and these threads, I am now seven months alcohol-free, and I enjoy life so much more.

In the meantime, take it one day at a time, keep reading and posting, so much good advice on here.

Hi -welcome to all the new comers 👋 definitely come to the right place. Day 83 for me, like the others say, one day at a time and post on here, it's helped me hugely. My trigger time was between 5 and 7pm also - a nice long bath at 6.15 got me through until the feeling passed.

Welcome newbies🤩 Hope you all made it through the first evening okay😊

I like Annie Grace by the way, I listened to the This Naked Mind audio book (not all the way through) and thought it was good.

Well I had a surprisingly easy day 1, kept busy in the garden and drink nothing but Diet Coke and fizzy water. My triggers on a day like this would be sitting in the garden in the sun and cooking/eating dinner where I would be tempted with beer/wine respectively. However managed to do both today without having a drink and don't feel deprived at all. Looking forward to waking up tomorrow without a hangover, and hopefully getting a decent nights sleep tonight without waking up parched at 3am.

I've started listening to the Annie Grace podcasts and it definitely resonates a lot with me and has given me food for thought. I actually feel like I don't want to drink rather than feeling I ought not to drink iyswim?

I've had a first good day too.....apart from eating ALL the carbs!!!

Started reading Allen Carr's Easyway as his smoking book helped me years ago.

Treated myself to some Rhubarb and Ginger Bottlegreen cordial which I will enjoy with some tonic.

I don't usually start drinking until at least 8:30pm on a weeknight, so I've found that having a nice soak in the bath at around that time helps.

Day 2 tomorrow!

Consecutive Day 28. 83 days this year in total.

Just got home after a long evenings work and need to be up at 7am for a full day's work.

I'm shattered but if I was drinking I couldn't have kept up with these crazy hours.

Cravings have gone now. I'm feeling like I did after dry January and went on to do dry February.

For all you newbies, it does get MUCH easier. Not drinking becomes the new normal and boy does that feel good. You feel free.

I feel great this morning! Still woke up at 4am for a wee but I think that is more habit now. What I didn't have is an insatiable thirst and "the fear" so managed to get back to sleep again and woke feeling refreshed just before my alarm went off at 6.30. I've had coconut yogurt and fruit for breakfast whereas usually I'd wake up craving toast and carbs.

Long may this continue!

Well done everyone! Successful first day here too. I kept myself occupied through the tough early evening period. I didn’t sleep great but that was down to a trapped nerve I have in my shoulder (caused by sleeping in wine induced awkward position obviously...) but I still slept some quality sleep and was up at 6.30am. Have done some HIIT and yoga and looking forward to my coffee now.

Hi everyone
Back at work part time this week - some of my customers want me back, horrah! This will be my first week back at work whilst not drinking every night ( the first 10 days or so before lock down I didn't notice any benefit as was walking round like a zombie I was so tired ) I can safely say that after my first day back today, I'm bliming glad I'm not drinking anymore. How did I use to do it all day after sinking a ton of wine the night before?!

The 13th October 2020 will be my 3 years sober. Sometimes I crave just one, but then I think about my Dad just before he died in November 2018, saying he was so proud of me for giving up the booze. I promised him just before he took his last breath that I would never touch another drop; I'll never break that promise ❤

3 years is incredible well done. So sorry about your dad but thats a great promise to make.

@InOmniaParatus13 that's a very important promise to keep, for your Dad and for you. I know what you mean about the idea of just one, but I know it couldn't and wouldn't ever be just one.
@jess3817 congratulations on your first day back at work, and all the changes you've made since you were last there.
I've been soaking up the sun like a lizard today. I feel great. 😁. Loving the sober life.

@Moonlite thank you so much! I'll never break that promise 😊

@Drybird2020 - it really is such an important promise to keep. I'm the same as you, I could never have just one!

Well done @InOmniaParatus13 - nearly three years; that's fabulous.

Day 2 - all good so far.... but know it's going to get hard.

Three years is wonderful and brilliant you have been able to keep your promise. Day 2 done - I have to say I was tempted but I pushed through. Really struggled to sleep but I think it’s because I find it hard to switch off at night and wine was an easy fix for going to sleep easily. At least I didn’t have the 3am panic wake up which is good.

Day 10 for me today! Does anyone else feel extremely tired during the day? I feel great but have noticed I'm so so tired despite getting 9 hours solid undisturbed sleep at night! I'm thinking it may be because have no anxiety and so am just very relaxed but i can barely keep my eyes open!

How are you managing with feelings of anxiety after stopping?

Day 3!

Not sleeping very well, but my body has probably got used to having a couple of glasses of wine to help me.

Trying not to think too far ahead to holidays and things like that! Probably not an issue this year anyway!

Day 10 for me too. Strangely I can’t sleep at all, I’m suffering with restless arms and just can’t get to sleep. I used to really enjoy the nights in between drinking when I would sleep like a log. I really hope this is a temporary thing.
I’ve been binging on sober podcasts which are really helping.

@Moonlite the tiredness is normal - I was like a walking zombie on some occasions. I asked on here to when it was affecting me, it seems we all go through it. It does lift I promise.

Thanks @Drybird2020

@jess thank you! I've been drinking coffee to try and keep my eyes open as I have young kids to run after and cant be this tired all day! Lol hoping it passes soon!

I was in semi-hibernation for the first two months of this year! As I remember it I stayed in my pyjamas on the sofa, eating Nutella with a teaspoon from the jar, but I suppose I must have gone to work and taken care of the kids and stuff.
It does pass.

Hello new thread!

Welcome to all the newbies, you’re in the right place and you will find help and support here from people who know exactly how you feel.

Day 147 here, and I have come through a difficult couple of weeks with sobriety intact. It hasnt even really occurred to me to have a drink to “help me cope”. Because I absolutely know that isn’t a thing, it doesn’t work like that.