The Freedom Thread (Continued) - Enjoying the positives of an alcohol free life *Title edited by MNHQ*

[BunniesBunniesBunnies]

Hello all,

This is a thread for people who have decided that life is much better without alcohol!🤩 These threads were started by @Drybird, and they have changed the lives of many people.

Some posters on these threads have been sober for a long time, and some are only just starting. We are a very friendly and inclusive bunch and we are always excited when someone new joins the thread. The only thing we ask is that our posters have given up alcohol completely. Talk of moderation can be triggering for some people, so this thread is not the right place for that (there are other moderation threads🙂).

I hope to see many familiar names on this thread, and some new ones too! We always welcome anyone to share their feelings, ask questions or simply “check in”🙂

I’d also like to thank @Breathmiller for hosting the last thread (and to ask for your forgiveness for shamelessly stealing your thread title😳) - Thank you @Breathmiller 💐

Thanks all!

Bunnies

I have to say also that I bought an M&S AF rose this week and it is really good if anyone is interested!

@Breathmiller - well done you! That’s a good long time and it’s great to know people like you are still here contributing and encouraging others.

This week I have been thinking - life is much simpler and calmer now! Who would have thought it…..
I pleased I found this place 👍

I'd like to join please. I really want to give up alcohol. Need the support and somewhere to be accountable. Today is Day One. I did sober October and felt great, lost weight etc etc. But then it's crept back in again.

Welcome, @letsgorideatrain. Great to have started.

Welcome letsgorideatrain
That's a familiar story to many of us on here. I've had lots of short periods of time off before I realised I needed to stop altogether. Good luck. You can do this!

Hi All - glad everyone is soldiering on. I've now completed Day 9 of my initial OYNB 90 day challenge (aiming to use this as an initial structure to transition to AF). It's kind of confirmed what I knew - if I don't drink at all, I find it relatively easy not to drink, but if I do drink, I find it almost impossible to moderate, either in terms of quantity in one go (I'm always first to the bottom of the glass) or number of occasions in a week.

I feel calmer and on a more even keel emotionally. Critically, I don't wake up feeling like I'm already behind. I plan better for what the day will hold the night before - I've realised that even a couple of glasses of wine a night was stopping me doing that and my evenings were really unproductive. I also react to bad news more rationally and calmly because I'm actually processing it rather than blocking it out (and then it ambushes me in the morning!)

Next mental milestone is 14 days, which is Friday. No social plans this week so fingers crossed.

Checking in 🙌

I've got some kind of stomach bug, I've not been able to keep anything down since yesterday afternoon. I've never had anything where I threw up other then alcohol induced or pregnancy. Never had food poisoning or any kind of virus where I've been actually sick. It's so horrible! Do you wise ones think it might be covid? Some people seem to have the throwing up thing too who has tested positive?

@letsgorideatrain welcome!!!
@PrisonerofZeroCovid well done!

@ChampooPapi I hope you feel better soon, and @Kindtomyself are you feeling any better?

@ChampooPapi hope it has improved during the course of the day 💐

champoopapi i wrote a post to you earlier but it's not here. How odd.

I did feel terribly nauseous with covid but wasn't actually sick.

I did have food poisoning last year though and it was horrible so I sympathise. I hope it is easing and you are feeling better.

Checking in 👍

Checking in as well. Full on week but glad not to be drinking.

Hello. Third day without wine. Slept like shite last night and snapped husband's head off. Have spoken to a couple of friends who want to help. I am hoping to wls and I know I will just drink if I can't eat. What do people fill the wine gap with at night?

@Savboozer what is “wls”?
What to do with the wine gap…? I now run, swim, knit, walk, dance, go to the pub, watch films, have baths, read books, garden… The list goes on!!! I love my one gap now!!! But in the early days I just wallowed on the sofa feeling sorry for myself mainlining cake!!!😂 It’s early days so don’t expect too much from yourself!

Hello, I have decided to have a dry rest-of-January to give my body a break and take stock. Looking forward to seeing the positive effects!

@BunniesBunniesBunnies

Weight loss surgery.
Very fat from boozing and steriods. Wine makes me eat crap. My lovely son told me no good risking surgery if you use your smaller stomach for wine! Drinker from 14 after trauma. Also have done a few embarrassing things lately! In my friendship group nobody discusses drinking to excess. I need some help from those who understand.

@Savboozer oh good luck with the wls!!! What a great thing to do for your health.
@gelatodipistacchio welcome

Checking in x

Welcome new starts, good to have you with us. Love your name @gelatodipistacchio!
Hi @PrisonerofZeroCovid. I totally relate to how you feel about moderating. I kept trying but if I’d had a drink the night before-even just a couple- I so wanted one the following night that it was torture.
@ChampooPapi. How are you feeling now? Better I hope, sickness bugs are the worst. So incapacitating.
Nothing of note here. Boring day working from home. Family unimpressed so far with my healthy eating recipes. DH passed his first weekend of DJ (he ate a lot of sweets and doesn’t have a sweet tooth- just using up Christmas gifts ).

Anyone struggling, post it and tell us. We are hear, listening.

Thank you for the warm welcome. Only on day two (this time) but finding it ok. I was so ready to give up, actually felt relieved on Saturday when the wine was finished and I could start. I know how easy it is to be tempted though and I'm fully aware that there will be times I really struggle. Just glad it's going ok just now.

One thing I'm worried about. I've got a wine tasting booked in the next few weeks. It was a gift and I'm supposed to be going with one other person who is really looking forward to it. I don't feel ready to admit to others that I'm going completely AF. Feel like the only thing to do is let them down with an excuse not to go...

Oh my god @Breathmiller! 18 months! You are incredibly inspiring and you have supported so many people on here that you certainly have earnt the right to lean on this thread whenever you need, because we are here for you too 💪💜. Thank you for the advise about the belly sickness, and appreciate your messages @iamyourequal and @BunniesBunniesBunnies, and every other brilliant non drinking wise thread treaders.

Much better now, stomach still making odd noises after eating but I am eating and keeping food down which is heavenly compared to throwing everything back up. God knows what it was, negative lateral flows and no fever or anything else. Some virus I suppose. No temptation to drink of course which is an upside.

Feeling weak and forgetful but resolute to stay booze free.

Checking in 🙌

And welcome all new people 🙌

Checking in. Feeling very low today, don't see the point of anything. Wondering if it's the hrt making me feel this way, I'm only on a low dose but I seem to react badly to any amount of progesterone. I've been on it three weeks thought I would start feeling better by now.

Can't even have a bloody drink anymore. Has it all really come to this. Is this as good as it gets.

Sorry you’re feeling low @Touty. Doesn’t alcohol mess up the brain’s usual dopamine levels? It could be that. Or tiredness - remember never to think about anything that matters t you’re tired. Why not tuck in with a cuppa and hot water bottle? Or spray your bedroom with something that smells lovely Try not to fall back into the lie that alcohol actually benefits you in any way.

Helloooooo SparklingLime