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

Morning everyone
Day 4 for me, going out for dinner with a friend tonight. Her and I usually meet for dinner and quite a few drinks, but I've told her I'm not drinking at the moment and she seems ok with it. The place we are going to has a good few AF options, I'm just hoping the conversation flows as freely as it did when we were drinking.
Hope you are all doing well. I've gotten some great recommendations from the earlier threads for AF ideas to add to this week's grocery shop at weekend!

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven’t been on much , actually wrote a huge big post yesterday morning and lost it in posting. You may be glad, it was me going berserk ranting about how much bloody work Christmas is!!
But I’m feeling a little less of a princess and a lot happier today as I’m 💯 days AF today !!! Highs, lows, but made it. And right here and now I solemnly commit to another 100 so you guys can keep my accountable.
Welcome all newbies & returners (lovely to have you back!). I’ve been reading most of the thread and glad to hear how you are all doing, I’m just keeping low in the posting. Take care all and keep going those just starting. It does get easier X

Congratulations, @iamyourequal, that’s fantastic! 🎉🎉

Thanks @SparklingLime. How are you doing?

Plodding!

Yeah, it’s that time of year @SparklingLime. Even plodding feels like an achievement some times in darkest December! Take care.

Checking in, heading into 2nd weekend! Glad to hear positive things from everyone else. I ordered some nice AF wine to take to friends houses when we go to Christmas meetups, im looking forward to trying it as I normally find AF drinks a little too sweet and sickly. If it's nice I'll post a link I can't remember the name right now. Keep going everyone were doing great

@iamyourequal 100 days is a huge milestone🤩🤩🤩

Hello @SparklingLime😁

@Kindtomyself kombucha is pretty straightforward once you get your head around it. Mostly it's about waiting.

👋 @BunniesBunniesBunnies

iamyourequal well done on your 100 days.
And panther fantastic to hear you are on your second weekend. Keep us updated on the AF drink?

Nice to see you sparklinglime. Sometimes life is a series of plods.

I would like to try to make kombucha but I'm put off by the cheap tins I once bought and they tasted like bin juice. 🤢

Celebrating my first week of AF. Had 2 bottles of rose in the fridge but I poured them out today as I just can’t have them in the house. DH said he’d drink them but hasn’t and it just feels like playing with fire. I’m sure in the future I can have booze in the house but now is not that time.

@Newmum29 you are doing amazingly, it’s so impressive. Well done for pouring it down the sink👍

Yes @pantherinapantsuit I look forward to hearing about the AF wine, I’ve tried so many and they’re all to sweet for me!

Thank you @BunniesBunniesBunnies and @Breathmiller. I can’t believe I’m finally joining you guys in triple digits. It’s taken me long enough! Your encouragement means a lot (plus @SparklingLime). Nobody in RL knows I’ve hit 100 days as DH has put me off telling anyone as my counting days embarrasses him. He knew it was my 100 days yesterday and he didn’t even congratulate me. Is what it is I guess.

I think you did the right thing @Newmum29. It’s not ideal having alcohol in the house (mine is currently full of it as DH building up a Christmas drinks cabinet) If rose is your thing, get shot of it! I gave away a fancy bottle of champagne gifted to me. Fizz was always my thing and I just knew there was no point keeping it and tempting myself. The recipient was overjoyed to get it actually so all worked out well. I hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend.

Sorry your husband is funny about you counting days @iamyourequal. Maybe he is just jealous of your iron willpower🤣🤣🤣 In any case you should definitely treat yourself! Doesn’t have to be big or expensive (though it could be😉) but just a small token of appreciation towards your awesomeness is well deserved I think. I’m going out tonight and was berating myself for wanting to go in an Uber rather than walk. Then I thought - in the olden days I would have spent 3x the Uber fare on booze on a night out! So I’m getting an uber!

In admiring awe of you guys in triple digits! I'm only day 5, so very early days and it just seems like the worst time of year. But I managed great out with my friend last night, ordered some mocktails which were delicious and woke up this morning after a fantastic sleep. Struggled at first as I could smell alcohol as soon as I walked in and my friend's glass of wine looked delicious, but the amazing mocktail sorted that right out.

Good on you @Drybird2020 for getting that Uber, you are quite right, think of what you would have spent in the old days! Enjoy your night out

@BunniesBunniesBunnies. I will treat myself good idea. Have a lovely night out, whether show, dinner or party!

@BunniesBunniesBunnies i dunno how I managed to tag Drybird instead of you! Enjoy your night out and good on you for the Uber!

@iamyourequal big congrats on your 100 days! I'm so sorry DH didn't acknowledge it. Please don't be embarrassed about counting days, 100 is a milestone and you are doing amazing

Ugh I'm feeling sorry for myself. Had a work lunch which I thought would be easy enough but they were all drinking and then at one point couple of them saying just have a small one. Newish colleagues and I want them to like me. Then all taking about their own relationship with booze but how it isn't a problem etc I didn't drink but it was hard and I feel like shit.

The main thing is you didn’t drink, @SilverPeacock! That’s really something in the face of that situation. Imagine how you would feel now if you had drunk?

Do you know why you feel shit now? Do you have similar situations again soon?

Well done for getting through it @SilverPeacock you have done amazingly. You can feel very smug now with zero early evening hangover. I tried the new AF drink I ordered (it was kambucha, I thought it was AF wine apparently its something different) I was pretty disappointed. It would be fine for those times when you're at an occasion and really want a glass in your hand, but frankly it smelled like old socks and really didn't hit the 6pm spot at all I was really looking forward to it as well. I've decided to create a new Friday evening treat instead and am going to find a stand up comedy show on TV somewhere and watch it with a cup of tea and mince pie. Any recommendations?

@iamyourequal 100 days is amazing well done. What have you noticed as positive changes?