Today is my day 1

[Savethebesttilllast]

I drink too much!!, way too much.
I have all the best intentions of starting my week off with no alcohol and say to myself that I won’t drink until Thursday or Friday then one thing will happen and the wines open and I’m drinking.
I’m fed up of always thinking next week I’ll start again, I hate the feeling of being drunk I don’t know why I do it. I went out last night and I honestly feel terrible today I have the worst anxiety the day after and I make a complete idiot of myself in front of family and friends.
Anyway enough is enough I constantly walk round telling myself I hate myself and I know I’m doing harm to my body drinking all the time. I look at my dc and my heart breaks thinking I could be making my life a lot shorter with them by the amount I drink I also don’t want them to see drinking as the norm.
TODAY IS MY DAY 1 I need to get this right this time any tips for getting through things are welcome.

I'll join you, same boat. I manage three week/ month long sobriety then fall off the wagon hugely. I hate myself as well and anxiety is through the roof.

Well done both of you, good luck!

That’s me, I did dry January I was really chuffed with it and then I’ve drank nearly all the time since.
Tonight’s been the first night in a long time I haven’t drank and I know I will feel so much better.
WE CAN DO THIS!!!

Good luck to you both. xx

What helps take your mind off it?

Hi, I'd like to join you! Yet another boozy Sunday lunch with friends has lead to a banging headache and crashing anxiety today. I'm sick of who I am when I drink, I don't even like feeling drunk and I achieve so much more when sober. I need to stop, maybe not forever but I need to get a grip right now xx

The anxiety is the worst, I’ve had to spend today trying to avoid people who saw me out at weekend. I need a good run of being sober then hopefully I can manage it. Day 2 though and I don’t want a drink today I’m more determined this time

Day two done. Hope you guys are ok we got this.

@Savethebesttilllast I'll join you. I'm in the worst mental and physical state of my life. Tired and anxious all the time. Like you I start with the best of intentions but it goes south. I find some accountability really helps. And having replacement activities pre-planned.

@Savethebesttilllast day one passed easily as always as I felt like shit. Day two now, feeling much better for a good night's sleep and I know that tonight I'll be eyeing up the wine bottle... just need to keep remembering how awful it makes me feel.

I am on day 9 - can I join in?

I have been drinking ginger ale and non-alcoholic cocktails, watching bridgerton and going to bed early.

I have also kept an open bottle of wine in the fridge - it helps to remind me that this is my choice, that it is there if I want - but I don't.

Good luck to us all!

@RHOShitVille I couldn't do that with the open wine - I definitely don't have your willpower! Well done . DH is still drinking but I've asked him to stick to beer for now as I don't like it!

Day 3 nearly in the bag 😁, I really could have drank today but managed to keep myself busy and really thought about how crap I feel after I’ve been drinking and how anxious I feel the day after.
@RHOShitVille that wine would have been drunk if it was in my fridge😂 well done, I think I need to not have any in the house then there is no temptation.

Day two was fine, no urges whatsoever but to be honest I often have booze free weekdays anyway. It's the weekend that's the struggle...

I honestly have no idea where the willpower came from, other than having my own personal rock bottom and knowing I could not continue as I had been.

DH has now thrown the wine away as we were running out of room in the fridge. He is drinking - but a lot less, as really I swept him up in my excessive drinking to make me feel better.

There is wine in the house, but I will gradually give that away as people have birthdays :) Not having any in the house has never stopped me before, I would make sure I got some somehow to be honest!

I am not really missing it, I don't miss the self-loathing, the knowledge I was killing myself. I know it would be very very easy to have another drink, but almost impossible to stop. I often think of the character in the Wire who says that they know that they have one more high in them, but they don't know if they have another recovery... I have stopped and started so many times, but I feel that this one needs to stick.

I’m in 🙋
I also did dry Jan, managed 44 days and felt amazing. Have since slipped back to old habits. I have been gradually reducing it down over the last couple of weeks but I’m going to try and beat my 44 day run.
Had one glass of Prosecco on Saturday night and stopped. I just don’t want it in my life anymore.
Day 4 and feeling motivated. I’ll be back on the thread on Friday night though. It’s the weekend I go crazy.

Day 4 and still going strong 💪, hope everyone’s ok. Off shopping tomorrow to find some nice af drinks for the weekend

@Savethebesttilllast I really love the Robinson's 'posh' squashes in the glass bottles. The lime and mint one is gorgeous with soda water and the pear and elderflower one is lush too. I'm not a fan of alcohol free 'booze' - I just compare it to the real thing! Also DH says the AF Heineken is the best he's tried.

although not also

It's started...that little voice saying 'it's Friday...just one glass of wine...you don't have to give up completely, just have less...' oh God I'm so tempted.

@JessieEssex stay strong 💐

I stopped on Boxing Day for the same reasons. Can highly recommend reading the Annie grace book as previously I have stopped for a bit then started again. I'd had enough of the anxiety and being a dickhead

@JessieEssex , play it forward and think how you'll feel tomorrow. Awful if you cave, but proud if you don't.
Also, you say just 1 but it's never just the one. Can you do something to take your mind of it ? Have you eaten ?
I know what you mean about weekends, but once I started having af weekends, I couldn't believe how brilliant they were and how productive I was.
You can do this - I'll help you. As will people on this thread.

@teaandtoastwithmarmite , hey, how are you? Forgotten which thread we 'met' but recognised your name. Hope you're doing OK.

@Amdone123 thank you - the urge has passed and I've moved on! I actually found a bottle in the cupboard and put it in the fridge but now I've taken it out and had a big glass of squash. Feel very proud that I rode it out

I’m nearly at 4 years. It really is possible.

I would recommend mutual aid, NA in particular. Or SMART recovery ❤️‍🩹