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Original poster

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

991 replies

ChampooPapi · 23/03/2022 19:06

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

OP posts:
Original poster
ChampooPapi · 26/04/2022 20:59

@Tomlettegregg 🙌 grand going

OP posts:
Nouveaunew · 26/04/2022 22:04

@SAB10
Thank you. I’ve been drinking very frequently: pretty much every day since October with a few AF days here and there. I’ll keep an eye on it. Think it’ll level off as not as bad today

@Onewildandpreciouslife
i love the username. That’s a great line too. I read the Sober Diaries the last time I was determined to quit alcohol but had forgotten about that (probably forgot due to being drunk or tipsey ever since!). It’s true. We do the hardest part over & over & over & over again.

The crazy thing is when I read The Sober Diaries, I thought ‘well I’m not as bad as her so maybe I don’t have a problem.’

Juliecloud · 27/04/2022 01:32

Hello, can I join please?

Like many, my alcohol intake increased a lot in lockdown and I was drinking wine most evenings. I’ve had various spells of being alcohol-free, but always end up going back to it. I have managed to moderate myself a bit since the start of the year by setting myself a limit of how much I will drink in one session, but I’m still drinking more nights per week than not.
I realised that I have a problem when I had to go for an over 40s health check and blood tests a and I was so scared of it showing problems with my liver. I intended to give up drinking for 3 weeks before the blood tests but that didn’t happen! I did cut down a lot though. In the end, I had my last drink last 3 days before the tests. I haven’t drank any alcohol since. I’m on day 8 now. I can’t decide how I’m feeling. Strangely not missing it at the moment. Almost on a high that I am resisting it.

AlloftheTime · 27/04/2022 03:35

Hi @Juliecloud welcome
well done on day 8 and hope the health check was all good. Plenty of newbies here and lots of support and good advice so post away.

SavBbunny · 27/04/2022 06:16

Morning all,
Really sh*t day yesterday. Nothing from the headhunter regarding the new job. I waited all day.
In the end I put on my pj's at 7pm so I didn't go and buy wine. I am proud of myself for managing that. Not a chance I would have be able to resist four months ago. A massive binge would have been self medication for the disappointment and shame.

Kindtomyself · 27/04/2022 06:17

Morning all
Welcome @Juliecloud, hope your tests were all fine.

Managed to do better yesterday with my eating (I think my relationship with eating is all connected to my relationship with alcohol). I tried much more to be mindful of what I was eating and take my time although didn't quite get it right because I was really shaky when I got home from work as if I was going to faint which was unpleasant. There's definitely something in my need to grab a drink or food to satisfy something not quite sure what 'it' is but I'm keeping an eye on it. I have always had food issues

Onewildandpreciouslife · 27/04/2022 08:12

Morning @SavBbunny - well done for holding on yesterday. I bet your body is thanking you this morning?

Welcome @Juliecloud and well done for getting to day 8. Are you reading any “quit lit”? I found it really helpful in getting through those early days.

BunniesBunniesBunnies · 27/04/2022 09:20

Welcome @Juliecloud 😊

SavBbunny · 27/04/2022 09:41

@Onewildandpreciouslife
Body OK but mental health crap this morning. I hate people lying to me. I also have been conditioned not to lose my temper so I have nowhere for those feelings to go.
Therapy tomorrow, hooray. I am going to need it.

BunniesBunniesBunnies · 27/04/2022 09:59

@SavBbunny sorry you’re feeling crap. Feelings have to come out somehow! I use exercise and fresh air to help with difficult feelings, also hot baths and early nights.
What are your coping strategies for difficult feelings?

I’m going through a very busy phase with work and I can tell I’m stressed but I’m so happy I’m not drinking. It would only make things harder. Last night I went for a nice swim and this morning I woke up tired but otherwise okay. I used to think it was normal waking up feeling like death and having headaches🤣🤣🤣

Juliecloud · 27/04/2022 11:57

Thanks everyone. The test results were fine. I’ve not got any quit lit. I will look into it.

SAB10 · 27/04/2022 13:10

@Kindtomyself I have the same issue with food/drink urges. With alcohol, a large part of my issue was the need to constantly be consuming - always with a glass or can in my hand, even though it rarely did more than get me a bit tipsy/fuzzy headed. Now I seem to have the same thing with food - constantly snacking! I'm trying to direct it into a healthy direction by snacking on e.g. fruit, ryvita etc rather than choc/crisps but it really is a psychological crutch for me that I need to work on...

SAB10 · 27/04/2022 13:11

Juliecloud · 27/04/2022 11:57

Thanks everyone. The test results were fine. I’ve not got any quit lit. I will look into it.

Welcome Julie and good news on your test results!

SAB10 · 27/04/2022 13:17

Fingers crossed you hear back from the recruiter today @SavBbunny - they can be so frustratingly crap at keeping candidates updated! My personal favourite was hearing back six months(!!!) after a first round interview to be told 'congrats, you've made it to the next stage'! Funnily enough I was no longer interested at that point...

SavBbunny · 27/04/2022 13:46

@SAB10

I remember that story. I am just so fed up at the moment. I loved my previous job and lost it due to the jealousy of a narcissistic colleague. I came out the other side trashed. And now they are trashing my reputation yet I won my industry award last month. What's wrong with people?

Crunchymum · 27/04/2022 17:35

Another person who struggles with sugar / healthy eating / diet.

It feels quite interlinked (drinking made me lazy and much more likely to scrap the relatively healthy food I had planned for dinner and eat crap instead) but the food issues have not really resolved since I went AF.

In fact I've not lost any weight at all and I am big woman!!!

I don't want to compromise being AF by doing anything too full on, I think deprivation would be a huge trigger for me, but I have started to use MFP again and trying for my 10k steps a day.

I'd love to loose a little weight for my holiday in July but in reality I need to shift a fair amount. Another lovely thing drinking gave me - a beer gut!!

With regards to sober lit, I have read a few things over the years and nothing has really stuck, I did read the 30 day challenge whilst I was in my first 30 days and that helped.

I can't recall which book it was but one of the most powerful things I do recall reading though was along the lines of "I didn't have tremors, until I had tremors, I didn't drink in the morning until I started drinking in the morning"
It just highlighted to me that no matter how much I thought I had it under control and I wasn't a "raging alchie" if I continued to drink, it would only be a matter of time before things got worse and not better.

Juliecloud · 27/04/2022 18:50

I gave up drinking for 3 months last year and must have cut out so many calories from not having wine and crisps most evenings yet I lost no weight at all!

Original poster
ChampooPapi · 27/04/2022 19:36

@Juliecloud welcome to the thread, such wonderful support here, it's an amazing and special place

Checking in day 4 🙌

I'm in the trenches but determined to battle my way towards greener pastures again

OP posts:
Blackberryblossom · 27/04/2022 21:48

total rubbish day and a bit here. The kind of times when before I’d have poured a drink or two but now I have to deal with shit like a grown up. School stuff, so it will all be sorted.

anyway, quick wave to everyone, welcome julie, and congratulations on getting those hard early first days under your belt. Good to see you posting Champ, congratulations on another day done. Sorry for the short post!

Onewildandpreciouslife · 27/04/2022 21:58

@Crunchymum that quote really got to me too - it’s from The Unexpected Joy of being Sober by Catherine Gray

Nouveaunew · 27/04/2022 22:22

Hello to you all. Welcome @Juliecloud … which is funny of me to write as I’m new to the thread too! 😂

I’m on Day 4. I have an intense headache for the past few hours on one side of my head and behind one eye. Been getting these headaches a lot the past few months. I think it’s a combo of too much booze and too much screen time.

I too have always had an odd relationship with food. I was obsessed with food since I was a kid. It’s better now than when I was younger though as I’ve got a better awareness of and handle on my emotions. I used to use food to eat feelings away and I still do but my self control has improved thankfully. Very few people knew just how much I used to eat!

good night and well done to us all for being AF in an alcohol filled world. 😶

Kindtomyself · 28/04/2022 06:11

Morning. Continuing to be aware of my emotional eating, I'm really curious about it now as it's kind of surprised me and really want to find out about the connection with alcohol/smoking/eating and why a person uses them to deal with difficult emotions. Ok I understand alcohol and smoking but I don't really get my eating because I don't generally eat unhealthily and so I had thought that I was fine in this area. However I don't seem to ever stop eating or drinking and when I do I am just shovelling it in like my life depends on it. I've put on about 9lbs since AF though however still in healthy BMI (just).

MangoBiscuit · 28/04/2022 08:44

Morning all. Day 14 for me. Feeling really tired at the moment. Night before last I crashed out as soon as DDs were in bed, and I slept 10 hours straight. I'm trying to make sure I'm hydrated, and get to bed about the same time every night, but the accompanying brain fog is becoming an issue. It makes my ADHD symptoms worse, and I'm starting to struggle at work.

My plan for today is to make all the lists so I don't forget anything else. Get out for a walk at lunch, and use my shakti mat for stress.

I've had a bit of a Google and apparently it's a known side effect. Has anyone else had tiredness after quitting? If so, do you have any tips? Or an idea of how long this might last?

Onewildandpreciouslife · 28/04/2022 09:08

@MangoBiscuit absolutely. When I did Dry January I posted on a group on day 25 about how tired I was, and lots of people agreed with me. I didn’t ever really shake that tiredness before I ended my dry Run.

For me, it was one of things that finally convinced me to try HRT (I’m in my early 50s). On this second dry run I’m not as tired, but I’ve no idea if that’s the HRT or because the tired spell has passed!

Perhaps think of it as your body grabbing back the rest it needs? I found although I was very tired, it felt a “healthy” tired, rather than a “scratchy” tired, if you see what I mean?

MangoBiscuit · 28/04/2022 09:24

@Onewildandpreciouslife Thank you, and yes, scratchy tired makes total sense, and it doesn't feel like that. More like everything is just kind of hazy and I have no get up and go.