Forever Free - a life without booze, 2020 onwards.

[Drybird2020]

This thread is a supportive place for anyone who no longer wants alcohol to be part of their life.
This is the 4th thread in a series. I started the first 30th December last year and have been sober ever since. I couldn't have done it without the tremendous support other posters have given me.
Previous threads are linked below and are useful reading for anyone starting out, as they are full of useful advice, suggestions for reading, and strategies for managing the tricky times. Plus you will see how similarly alcohol affects so many of us, and track the journeys of people who are successfully making the change and embraced a new and rewarding life.

Thread 1
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/alcohol_support/3781133-Anyone-else-stopping-completely-in-2020

Thread 2
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/alcohol_support/3810419-Still-stopped-in-2020-a-thread-for-anyone-abstaining-from-alcohol

Thread 3 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/alcohol_support/3910349-Staying-Stopped-Alcohol-Free-permanently

The only rules are that you are committing to an alcohol free life, and that you have stopped drinking before you begin to post.

If anyone would like to use the new thread to (re)introduce themselves and give a wee summary of where they are at, please do!

@SparklingLime don’t slink off!!! I didn’t see the post, I was probably scrolling through bleary eyed this morning!!!

200 days is absolutely incredible, just wow!!!

Ah, @SparklingLime just found your post. That’s so good you have a nice GP. Did they have any helpful suggestions? I very much relate to your post. I also have mental health struggles and for me quitting drinking doesn’t just make my life magically better. But it does make things better, and drinking would make things worse. I read somewhere the other day that AF doesn’t fix all your problems but it does make you more able to deal with those problems, which I think is really true.

Also, sometimes going AF reveals a whole bunch of issues one suppressed for years by drinking. But ultimately I do believe that by quitting drinking, and revealing those issues, you can start to address them and come out stronger.

@SparklingLime you have done so well and you are a real inspiration on this thread. Do you want to talk a bit about your MH issues? We may be able to help or at least relate.

Keep posting and keep going, you are awesome🤩👍

HI @sparklinglime. You've been on the thread all along the way with me and I'm hoping to see you again. Sorry for missing your post, I think we might have started at New Year too - 200 days is amazing, but you're right, being AF doesn't fix everything. I slept terribly last week getting a few hours at a day (it would be past 4 before I would drop, so dawn had broken) and I didn't want to post about it as I know it might alarm some of the posters who are new to the thread, so I had a lurk in the background.

How are you doing today, lovely?

Sorry to miss your 200 @SparklingLime I was distracted by the poster with the scary symptoms and didn't read back any further

@Ulysses I've had a similar sleeping pattern the last few weeks. Tiresome now.

Well done Sparkling. You must be delighted.

Hi everyone.
I want to stop drinking, a bottle of wine plus a gin every night. Last night I over did it and am
Paying for it today. I feel like utter shite and been sick all day.
I got my first ever pony yesterday and had to coke home from the yard this morning cos I was sick.
I want my pony to be the change of me, the amount I spend on wine each month will pay for her livery fees.
At least it’ll be day 1 for me today as I feel so rough!

Living

I feel like you do. Do you want to never drink again or just totally change your attitude to it?

Ohio, I want a break from it (won’t say never) and to change my attitude towards it.
Do you mean you think I do want to change?

Living

Yeah, that's what I want too. At the moment I think it's holding up everything else I want to change. I'm so fat, can't find the time to exercise. Don't care about myself and its obvious in my appearance. I figure, apart from the obvious hangover etc it would free up time in the evening and make time in the morning where I don't feel groggy.

@LivingMyBestLifeNOT that's what I was drinking ( not the gin though) 140 something days now. @OhioOhioOhio I wrote all those things too..All those things chage when you do.

Running ladies - guess what?! I ran 10k! Today and yesterday - yesterday with friends and today alone for a virtual race - a race I should have been at friday -.knocked 5 mins off yesterday's time and got my quickest time for 10k in 4 years! So chuffed!

Happy Sunday all and welcome @LivingMyBestLifeNOT...a pony is a great motivation.

How are you doing @SparklingLime? Please don’t skunk off, your comments have been helpful to me on here @jess3817 that’s awesome and inspiring for me. Are you aching??! I’m so excited to be enjoying running again. @OhioOhioOhio those things have improved for me since stopping - hence the renewed enthusiasm for running - I’m slowly losing a little weight but several people have commented on how well I’m looking - I think cos I’m not hideously hungover all the time.

I was drinking two bottles of wine plus whatever else every other night or so.

That said...I do seem to be getting more spots??! Is that just me? Maybe cos I’m less bleary eyed looking in the mirror I’m just noticing them more.

Day 58 here.

slink off @SparklingLime sorry!

Hi SparklingLime I’ve been catching up with the thread and hope you are doing ok. Please don’t leave us, you are great company . I sort of understand how you feel. It feels very hurtful to sort of bare your soul about something and then feel you get no response. Perhaps we sometimes need to take more care to remember to respond to people and not treat the thread as a sort of personal blog. I really hope you are doing ok, 200days is amazing btw!!

Well done on the 10ks @jess3817🤩🤩🤩

Well done ladies you are fab!
jess I used to run but kept getting injuries so have stopped but I have a spin bike now.
I have written a daily plan to start tomorrow so I am going to weigh and take measurements in the morning then do a spin session. Go see my pony and then evening I am going to try yoga x

I was inspired to try going for a run by this thread to check whether I still hated it. I do definitely still hate it. BUT am working out in other ways and in best shape I e ever been so can make peace with never being a runner

Enjoy the pony @LivingMyBestLifeNOT!

That made me laugh @Hangingover😂 But you must have felt good after your run?!?

Hello to all newbies and hope you are feeling better @SparklingLime. Awesome on your run @jess3817, if the weather is as bad with you as it has been here that’s truly heroic 😎

@Cyllie33, 58 days! Feels like that has gone fast, hope you are still loving it ☀️Hope you’ve got through the weekend ok everyone, especially @LivingMyBestLifeNOT and @OhioOhioOhio, another week, here we go 😊

But you must have felt good after your run?!?

Nope. I never do. I absolutely hate it. I'd rather do half an hour of HIIT than a run. Tbf though I think it has something to do with my bone disease. Among other things it makes your joints very loose. Within the first ten minutes on even a gentle jog on a soft surface my hip will hurt or my ankle or knee....it's always bloody something. But then the cross trainer in the gym I can happily wiggle away for an hour!

Day 1 for me today. I am going to do a spin class tonight, fingers crossed for me!

@Cyllie33 Im not achy but I've got home from work this morning and shattered lol. I'm not use to 2 back to back 10ks. @Hangingover I don't always like it when I'm running but always feel good after😂 @Ravenswick it's Been quite nice over the weekend - it's been bad where you are then? @BunniesBunniesBunnies thank you.

Hope everyone is ok today
Hope you're still there @Sparklinglime

Fitness Blender absolutely kicked my arse today, I can barely walk. Just had a spontaneous burst of joy - was thinking about how bad the knock on effects of drink are...not just physical and mental health but sleep, self care, food , exercise etc and how everything gets better when you stop. This isn't meant to be a brag at all but my diet is so good now* I don't drink - not eating huge amounts of pizza and chips covered in loads of sauce and salt that I was when pissed and I've never done this much exercise in my life...there are actual muscles now and I look forward to it! Hurrah hurrah hurrah for sobriety.

• There is sometimes pie.

Love your post @Hangingover ❤️ @jess3817 thanks for sending this sun, finally nice here now 😎 Hope spin went well, day 24 done here ☀️

It's nearly 3 am and I have barely slept and still cant sleep. My mind is on overdrive and it is so quiet I keep thinking about someone breaking into my house.
I didnt have any alcohol last night. I ate well all day and did a 45 min spin class!
Just wish I could sleep....