Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Alcohol support

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Dryer than a Tena Lady - DJ2022 #2

559 replies

MyGhastIsFlabbered · 11/01/2022 19:26

New thread for those of us attempting Dry January.

OP posts:
Crunchymum · 18/01/2022 09:15

It was her heart by the way. Sorry. My post didn't actually answer your question.

NorthernChinchilla · 18/01/2022 10:11

Similar here with Mum not having the greatest MH. Hope your Dad and sis got some counselling (you too?) after doing CPR... there was a thread about it on here recently about how traumatic it is, and several professionals said they had rules in their line of work that you HAD to take time off work after a medical event.

But DJ I hope will give us both time to reflect and establish a healthier, more moderate relationship with alcohol (or none at all)

Onwards and upwards Flowers

Lushmetender · 18/01/2022 10:41

Many sad stories! I think for me always likes a drink. Went to Oz before lockdown and drank oodles of wine with my best friend who lives there. Came back and in lockdown! First year ok but hard on kids and we drank oodles of wine watching box sets but workload increased significantly with trying to get Covid vaccines. Last year had significant birthday and felt old! Then broke my ankle, kids has covid and then the ultimate- thinking mum had chest infection but really heart failure.
Saw quick decline over a few weeks in hospital until saw it was a heart valve that wasn’t working. Tried to stabilise for surgery but BP
Just went in intensive care. Same day (13 dec 2021) dad get his terminal cancer diagnosis.
Drank loads at Christmas and New Year’s Day was awful! So needed to go af. 18 days today! Yay

pointythings · 18/01/2022 11:35

I lost my mum in 2019. She turned to alcohol when my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's dementia and after he died, she deteriorated massively. I believe she was trying to end her life. In the space of 5 years she drank herself into full blown Wernicke-Korsakoffs and there was nothing we could do about it. She died from a fall down the stairs at home while getting up in the wee small hours for a top up - she wouldn't keep a bottle by her bed, that would have been admitting she had a problem.

Between losing her and my husband to the drink, DJ is always poignant for me.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 18/01/2022 12:14

Hello all. Not been on for a while but have been on another thread and still AF! Day 23 because I stopped on 27th dec. glad to see everyone doing so well!

Giviningup · 18/01/2022 12:57

Day 4 complete.

Today is day 5 Smile

guineapigs · 18/01/2022 17:14

Day18 going well. I went to get more corona cero because it works. I don't think I go back drinking corona extra. The only thing is that our weekly delivery comes from sainsburys and they don't stock af corona so I need to go separately to Tesco to get some.

NorthernChinchilla · 18/01/2022 18:00

Blimey @pointythings, I've seen some of your other threads (not a stalker, honest!) about your husband, but that's awful with your Mum as well, I'm so sorry.

I'm still finding being AF fine... think I needed DJ to break the habit of should or must. Done various things where I haven't had a drink, and the world hasn't ended- who knew!

Hohofortherobbers · 18/01/2022 18:47

Wow! Only 2 more full weeks to go! This is going very fast. I'm beginning think about staying dry for longer. The difference in energy levels and sleep quality is incredible. I think my skin is improving too and my waist feels slimmer. No weight loss, but my weight doesn't ever change.

pointythings · 18/01/2022 19:02

No worries, @NorthernChinchilla, I'm quite open about my husband and anything alcohol related because it might help someone else on these boards leave if they're living with an addict. And in fact it has done, so I'm fine with it. I share in RL too, as part of the group I started attending for my own support. I'm now someone who provides support to people who are where I was (and I still need it too).

My mum just feels like more of the same - bereavement, bad coping choices, inevitable bad ending. My husband had undiagnosed mental health problems, my mum had lifelong undiagnosed compex PTSD as a result of her WW2 experiences as a very young child. Life just hammers some people more than others.

NorthernChinchilla · 18/01/2022 21:46

Well, we're all still here and managing DJ, whatever day we're on, wobble or no, and we should be proud. We've made a commitment to make a positive choice in the face of varied crap, so let's keep it up Smile

H1Drangea · 18/01/2022 21:59

Still going strong
Still surprised I can do it !
Loving all the support and experiences , makes me feel quite lucky in that I have a boringly relatively normal family life .

whoopstheregoesmyshouldet · 18/01/2022 22:15

Today was the first day I didn't think about alcohol until gone 9 and even then only after a late work finish and bad day
Had two teas and an alcohol free gin that tastes of nothing so effectively a tonic water but in my nice glass and felt nice

CrumpetswithMarmite · 18/01/2022 23:03

Proud of everyone!

It was a close shave today. Last 3 days have been shitty in my relationship and caused a lot of stress. I went to the shop and bought wine. I really was done I thought. But. I didn't drink it. I sat and thought about how bad I would feel afterwards. I also thought about how much better it is to be sober, present and clearheaded. I also did think that I don't want my first drink to be so pathetic too lol. I've come so far and I owe it to myself to keep going no matter what the stress of around me.

ChangeMustCome · 18/01/2022 23:34

Crumpets well done. Thanks for the bday wishes. I had a nice day (took day off work!) and I have booze left from Christmas (miraculously) and nearly opened something... But, like you, I reflected on it, how far I've come and how rubbish I would feel, also that a may not stop at one drink, or even one day, and decided against.
I'm sorry you've had a crap day and I really hope your partner makes an effort tomorrow and you have a lovely birthday. 🤞🎉

Floydthebarber · 19/01/2022 07:33

Yesterday was the first day where I really wanted a drink in the evening. It had just been a crappy day, I popped into the Coop and saw chilled white wine and just thought, "ooooooo!" But I felt smug that not buying it saved me seven or eight pounds. I'd have loved a beer cooking dinner as well. But I am glad I didn't. My skin looks better, I have cheekbones back and my wrinkles have plumped out, it's great!

Floydthebarber · 19/01/2022 07:52

Well done crumpets. It is a good feeling when you realise you just chose not to drink isn't it.

NorthernChinchilla · 19/01/2022 07:54

Can anyone tell me why, after weeks of lovely AF sleep, after a 12 hour working day, interviewing late into the evening, when I was knackered, and when I'd not turned the alarm on, I woke at 5.45 ConfusedHmm

H1Drangea · 19/01/2022 07:58

@CrumpetswithMarmite and anyone else with stressful relationships
There was a quote at the beginning of January
Something like
🌸There is no problem that alcohol cannot make worse 🌸
Here’s hoping that a clear head and no hangover helps you think clearly about the way forward

Ijustneedtosleep21 · 19/01/2022 08:15

Day 17's here all. Feeling strong. I can relate to the relationship issues and it's a major factor in me drinking. Baby only woke me up twice last night and my Smartwatch tells me I had lots of restful sleep in between. Doesn't feel like it this morning but I usually feel worse the more sleep I have after years of DC induced sleep deprivation!

Mybestyear · 19/01/2022 11:49

@pointythings

I lost my mum in 2019. She turned to alcohol when my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's dementia and after he died, she deteriorated massively. I believe she was trying to end her life. In the space of 5 years she drank herself into full blown Wernicke-Korsakoffs and there was nothing we could do about it. She died from a fall down the stairs at home while getting up in the wee small hours for a top up - she wouldn't keep a bottle by her bed, that would have been admitting she had a problem.

Between losing her and my husband to the drink, DJ is always poignant for me.

TRIGGER WARNING - POST DISCUSSES SEXUAL ABUSE

@pointythings - this is so sad about your mum. My dad drank himself to death (organ failure) in a few years from my mum dying. He had been a moderate drinker up until them despite being very much a 'working man' and socialising in working men's clubs.

My mum was an alcoholic most of my adult life. I left home as soon as I could to get away from her. When I was growing up, she was a great mum and I remember a feeling of feeling sorry for other children as they didn't have 'my mum'. When I was twelve, a distant relative came back into our town and my mum started drinking. I wasn't aware of the relative's return at the time. All I knew was my once-lovely mum became a horrible creature who was drunk every evening. She never drank before 4pm as drinking in the day was for alcoholics, but she started at 4 on the dot and was blind drunk every night. Her and my dad went to pubs at the weekend and we lived in a small town and I would see friend's dad's manhandling her into a taxi with my dad to get her home. It was excruciatingly embarrassing and more so as she was a woman. It was a 'man's pub' and she was the only woman who went in.

Anyway - she died of heart disease exacerbated by alcoholism when I was 21. I thought it would give my dad a new lease of life. I myself felt relieved when she died, almost happy. My dad started drinking and ended up in an early grave. At his funeral, a friend of his spoke and said he's always said "there's a wee woman up in heaven waiting for me".

Decades later I found out that my poor mum had been subjected to horrific sexual abuse from the distant relative who came back to the town, when she was an older child/young woman. Only he wasn't distant - he was her brother. And apparently their father / my grandfather used to laugh about it. It totally broke me and I myself hit the bottle hard. It was during lockdown and I was WFH so it was easy to drink nearly all day some days if I had no meetings.

I felt so sad for my mum but also angry that I'd never had the chance to understand her and maybe help her when she was still alive. My dad knew all about it so he had great compassion for her and truly loved her.

Ironically I swore to myself when I was about 16 that I would never put my children through what she did. And yet, there I was doing the same thing to my DC. It's truly awful what alcohol can do to make a bad situation even worse.

My best wishes to everyone who has experienced loss through drink and drugs Flowers.

Day 19 DJ/ 24 AF for me and still going strong.

Lushmetender · 19/01/2022 13:35

Ah mybestyear - sad topics. We’ll done for being AF. Seems to be triggers in all these stories. Day 19 af. Been craving some lovely vino but drinking AF which helps! Hope everyone having a lovely day.

Itsnotover · 19/01/2022 14:36

Day 15 here. I am not missing wine as much as I thought I would. Occasionally I get a twinge of wanting a glass but then I think about having a fatty liver and it goes out of the window.

iloverock · 19/01/2022 15:57

Day 19 for me.

Just split from boyfriend of 3 years and feeling pretty bloody crap. Trying not to crave and open the bottles of wine that sat in my kitchen.

I know that if I open them I will probably end up in a blubbering heap and feel worse but it is so tempting to think 1 glass will be fine. But of course I can't do just 1 glass.

guineapigs · 19/01/2022 19:41

Got my blood test results and they were fine. I am on high risk medication and have three monthly blood tests. I was worried that my autumn boozing would show somehow.

I went to a pub lunch today and I had AF Stella. It was surprisingly good.