11 days sober

[Pikaso]

How is everyone doing? I’m on day 11 - feel fantastic!! I used Alcohol free beer on the first week but I’m getting by with less of that now and using sparkling water instead.

What day is everyone on and how do you feel?

Hello. I am day 14 and well, got struck down with covid a few days ago, so could be better :) But I am on the mend from covid, so feeling pretty good this morning, just fatigued when I do things. IT was like a mild cold flu.

I am sure I would feel fantastic and full of energy if I did not get sick with covid along with my 3 kids and dog....no joke....dog was vomitting all day the day I got struck down....not fun cleaning dog vomit from carpets when no energy myself! But being sick has distracted me so no thinking of wine. I have found it pretty easy not to drink.

I am looking forward to returning to the gym once I recovered completly.

I am on day 1.

Hoping so much that I can say I have done 11 days like you.

Well done! I am sure you feel fantastic.

@Giviningup

I am on day 1.

Hoping so much that I can say I have done 11 days like you.

Well done! I am sure you feel fantastic.

You will! Post on here if you start getting the urge, I’m always online as I have no life 😂

Actually just got back from gym, feel fantastic! 11,000 steps done today already ☺️

How are you all doing? Day 1 again for me today after a patchy Dry Jan. I really want to stop my wine habit but it's so hard as I like that feeling of a glass or two! Reading Alcohol Explained at the moment which is helping but I just worry that I'm going to miss it so much!

Hi can I join? I'm also on day 1. Im just done. I know it's easy to say on day 1 but I really can't do this anymore.
I've also just got the alcohol explained audio book but I can't bare to listen to it today, I already feel awful so I know I won't drink today.

I'm just wondering how I'm going to get through the summer, you know when it's Friday night, garden bbqs, the World Cup, street parties for the queen's thing... I know it's a long way off but I want to be realistic about giving up for good.
I'm thinking of some sort of reward system like give myself £ for every day that I don't drink or similar..?
I've never posted on this topic before but I'm hoping this will make me accountable.

@chickenninja do you use Facebook ? There is a group there called the Sober Cafe which I'm in. There are people at all stages of sober living. If you aren't or don't want to join then I recommend a book Alcohol Lied to Me by Craig Beck which makes you realise that you can live an Alcohol free life and be bloody happy about it. I'm nearly 3 years booze free and never going back.

I'm on day 20. This is not my first attempt!

I do feel different this time though. Not sure why. Think it is because I did most of dry January and then had a planned weekend with wine as thought I could modealrate after the break, as I have in the past. This time, I didn't drink moderately. The best part of a bottle of wine every night for three nights. Stopped on 1st Feb and I'm not planning to drink again at all.

I’m day 2 I know I will manage today but tomorrow is a different story I always struggle and break day 3 or on the occasions I don’t lay awake all night because I can’t sleep do others struggle day 3

Thank you for the recommendation @Northernsoullover I will definitely get that book.
I am on Facebook but I think I'd feel a bit embarrassed if people noticed I'm on that group. For me its not admitting I've got a bit of a problem which I find embarrassing, but keep falling off the wagon. I keep saying to people I think I've got a drinking problem but I'm surrounded by drinkers so they don't take me seriously.
I've been drinking since I was a teenager and to be honest I don't know how to have fun without it. And it's not just having fun, I drink to celebrate things, to tolerate people, because I'm bored etc etc
I need to read these books to learn to cope in these situations

I should say its a private group. I've noticed a few people I know in there. We are all in there for the same reason .

Day 51 here.

Did Dry January as I do every year, and have just kept going.

Survived a 50th birthday party a couple of weeks ago and a weekend with my best friend just gone, without drinking.

The way I am approaching it is 'never say never'.

I think trying to plan too much whether I am going to drink or not at various occasions is too stressful and actually I have given myself permission to drink if I want to, and to decide at the time.

so before the aforementioned 50th, I was stressing for a while as to if I was going to drink/was it going to ruin all my good efforts during Dry January/would it be weird as most people there would be getting hammered etc etc...

Then I just decided to stop thinking about it, and see how I felt on the night. Fully expected to have a few, but when OH went to the bar and asked if I wanted a drink, I actually decided I didn't and stuck to diet coke all evening.

This weekend, as usual as I arrived at my best friends house, her husband was already opening the Prosecco (my weakness) and pouring out 3 glasses. I declined and stuck to some AF fizz I'd brought with me.

I realllllllly fancied some Prosecco when I first got there, even smelled it in my friends glass! But noticed that the craving went within about 15 minutes, and then didn't want it anymore.

I woke up hangover free this morning, whereas poor BF and her husband both had banging heads!

What I am trying to say, is I have not decided I am going to be teetotal forever.

I really love wine and fizz..and a G+T, but I have been unable to moderate in the last few years, so needed to re-set myself.

I hope at some point to be able to have a couple of glasses of wine at a party/dinner party/BBQ/on holiday etc, but without drinking the whole bottle..then another..etc.

At the moment I am happy to be AF, but if I decide I want a drink, then I'll have one..when I feel I am in control of my drinking..not the other way around.

Hope you are doing well, thanks for all the words of wisdom. I'm on day 6. This time last week I was dangerously drunk and it didn't even make me feel happy.
Really enjoying the alcohol explained book, I've been listening to it a lot and I think it's brilliant. It's really making me see clearly about why I was feeling so anxious all the time.
I need to remember to listen to the book if I'm tempted. He's right, alcohol doesn't calm you down, it's the total opposite, makes you more anxious.

Hi everyone. I’m on day 15 and feeling good about it. I would totally recommend The Sober Diaries by Clare Pooley. I’ve tried a few of the more technical quit lit books but they’ve not really resonated with me. I felt I could relate to Clare and the book is really amusing as well as informative. I dip into it whenever I am having a wobble.