The freedom thread ( continued ) Riding the rollercoaster of an alcohol free life!

[ChampooPapi]

Adm1010

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🙂).

We are a supportive welcoming bunch. No question is ever to “ silly “ and their is generally someone around if you are struggling

So just come here to chat or vent or check in . Whatever you need as you ride the rollercoaster of an alcohol free life smile

Thank you to @Adm1010 for hosting the last thread 💜

And here’s to the next 40 pages grin

Morning all. Sun is shining. Back to work today after a weeks break, had a lovely time with days out and pottering.

Good luck with your interview and everything else  @SavBbunny

Hello again @Touty ,glad you're feeling better than previously. HRT sounds like it has made a difference.

Checking in at 143 days! For any newbies, it's gets so much easier once you pass the 3 month mark. My main trigger was tiredness so I'd drink and lose track of time, staying up until the early hours and being even more tired! It was fun in the moment but not good self care at all. I'd be tired after work on Friday and even more tired on Monday morning! Now I get the sleep I need and feel so much better for it.

@SavBbunny how did your interview go? Hope you have good news!

touty glad to hear things are feeling easier for you.

One thing that keeps coming up a lot is fear. Seems to be a common emotion for a lot of us.

I think I was fearful pf a lot of things. I was fearful of not being the life and soul anymore. I was fearful of what it said about me to others. And to myself. Fearful I would fail. And ghere was a lot of projection into the future. Fearful about how I would get through certain events in the future. You hear it so much on here. "I am not drinking at this particular moment but what about my birthday next month? or Christmas? Or on holiday? Or Friday after a long week?" What I realised was that I could only work on this moment. And if I wasn't drinking at this moment then that was all I needed to do.

In my work I come across it all the time. People ruminanting over the past, often with a critical voice and/or worrying about the future. But right at this moment, this present moment is the only moment I have available to me to maoe better choices.

So, not only can I drink any amount of drinks I want, just not the first one. I can also do whatever I want in the future, I just can't drink at this particular moment. That thought really helped me through the first few weeks and months.

And then every big event that you get through strengthens your resolve. If I can do two Christmases dry, if I can do my 50th dry, a summer in the garden, bbq's etc..if I have done them once then a little voice in my head says I can do this. We get better at what we practice so I have decided to practice not drinking

@SavBbunny best of luck for the interview!

Thanks @Onewildandpreciouslife and @Piglet89. I'll check out the book recommendation. I suppose I'm just worried that I'll end up swapping an unhealthy but rather fun life with lots of friends, outings etc. for sobriety and boredom. Need to think about how to make my life fun without alcohol!

Good luck @SavBbunny, both in the interview and in life!

@Breathmiller that's a great post and really resonates with me, thank you

I agree @Breathmiller. Very wise words there.

I am very guilty of "future worrying / future planning" (not so much with the past though?) and it's affected my ability to be present and mindful. It's something I am working on.

I love this quote, it sums things up for me.

Sorry to see you bowing out @SavBbunny, I’ll miss your posts. All the very best with your interview today.

It’s lovely to see everyone and their milestones - I can’t believe you’re so close to 150 days @Newmum738 !

I’ve had a couple of rides on my 500days AF bike, it’s lovely. The plan is to ride more errands/school bus type stuff so I can spend less on petrol and get a bit fitter.

Sitting in an airport (domestic flight). Tough not to go for a glass of wine after getting through security- I know it’s just habit, but blimey it’s hard to fight it!

onewildandpreciouslife these grooves in our mind are hard to get out of. Can you do something else that's a bit of a treat? Go buy yourself some perfume? Or something nice for your holidays. Sunglasses? Change the habit to something else entirely.

I'm going for another swim tonight. Youngest has cricket in the nearest town and it was either going to be a case of coming home then going back out for him. Or sitting in the car or in the rain 'til he finished. So I booked a swim instead. I can see how this can get addictive. I'm slightly apprehensive as it's lane swimming and although I'm booked into the slow lane, there's obviously slow and there's sloooow

@Breathmiller I thought of the perfume idea but I’m hand luggage only. So I went for a walk to try to close my active ring on my watch!

Enjoy your swim

Oh well done. Wee dopamine hit from the phone thingamy whatchit.

@Breathmiller enjoy your swim! Don’t worry about the lanes, in our pool anything goes in the slow lane! Where else are slower swimmers supposed to go? Just have a fun time and enjoy yourself!

Thanks bunnies I loved it and I was pretty average in speed. Some faster, some slower and it didn't matter a jot. Met someone I knew and also had a chat with someone else near the end. Wee one loved the cricket so we're both going to make a routine of cricket and swimming on a Tuesday evening.

Just waiting on the website updating for next week so I can book again. I feel so much better than sitting on the sofa after dinner scoffing wine and crisps.

Checking in - well done on all the fab milestones people!
@ChampooPapi how are you this week?

Aargh. Day 32 and the whacky dreams are back. Dreamt I had a glass of wine and was so upset I woke up at 5.15.

Morning all just checking in as haven’t been on for a while. Well done everyone for the milestones! I am approaching six months now which I can scarcely believe. I have reached a point where I don’t really like the thought of it any more although also have some challenges coming up - birthday and holiday. But I feel ok. I recognise a bit of a mindset change which happened to me when I eventually managed to give up smoking. Starting to think of myself as a non drinker and see a future where this is the case which doesn’t seem scary. One day at a time still obviously.

onewildandpreciouslife drinking dreams are weird and not pleasant. Just your mind's way of processing stuff I suppose. I have one very rarely now but when I do I like to think it's a great reminder of how I would feel if it hadn't just been a dream. There is such a visceral reaction when I wake up and then when I realise it was only a dream I can be grateful of the reminder.

sliverpeacock fantastic! Huge congratulations on your 6 month milestone. And not only that but a change in mindset. It comes at different times for everyone but it does come. And then it's no real effort. Well done. Once I hit that change of mindset and it became effortless (for 99% of the time) thats when I felt that the work to get there had really been worth it. I thought it would always be difficult, always be a massive fight. But it isn't anymore. And that is life changing.

Big congrats on your upcoming milestone and your fantastic attitude @SilverPeacock

I’ve been feeling absolutely awful. Must have some kind of stomach bug which is just so unfortunate as I have some time off with the kids. The youngest has it too. My usual coping mechanisms (mostly exercise) are not an option and so it’s fair to say I’m feeling very depressed and overwhelmed. Glad I’m not drinking as that would only make it worse but oh boy I feel low.

I know I need to be patient and be kind to myself but I hate myself right now. I’m so lethargic and grumpy I must be awful to be around. There’s no point to my post other than to wallow in self pity.

I like reading about all your milestones and kick ass attitudes and swims though! Hopefully I’ll feel better soon and have something more positive to contribute.

well done all, keep going!

Thank you both. Sorry you are feeling so crap @BunniesBunniesBunnies I hope it passes soon. Stomach bugs are miserable.

Sorry to hear you're feeling so bad bunnies. It's horrible to have a stomach bug, so depleting.
Wallow away on here. Hope you and your household feels better soon.

@BunniesBunniesBunnies that sounds rough, hope it eases soon, wallow away you never know it might help!

Thanks all I do feel a bit better today as does my youngest! Maybe it did help to wallow @AlloftheTime 🤣
Stomach and mind feeling a bit calmer. I had a good night sleep too.
Thanks all for being kind. Hope you all have a good day

Morning bunnies so glad that it has eased and talking on here helped. Take ot easy today.
It's such a beautiful day here, blue sky.

I have a full day at work, won't finish til 8.30 but I feel all refresed after my holidays and ready for it. Very lucky that I love what I do and get to do it in a gorgeous space.