The freedom thread ( continued ) Riding the rollercoaster of an alcohol free life! Alcohol support for those wanting to give up drinking.

[SavBbunny]

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 @fortheloveofgodwhy for hosting the last thread 💜
And here’s to the next 40 pages grin

Good to see you @Endofmytetherfinally , and well done on getting to 3 weeks. That feeling in the pub is very familiar- I used to get grumpy: why can they all drink and I can’t? It gets easier - I went through a stage of thinking how weird it was that everyone drank, and now I don’t notice. Going AF is a journey of lots of “firsts” without alcohol, but each of those gets easier over time.

I like the quote that going sober isn’t just about stopping drink, it’s a “careful and gentle untangling of all your attachments to alcohol”.

Hi everyone,

Hi @Endofmytetherfinally goodness the grumpiness / resentment resonates!

@Onewildandpreciouslife How are you doing today if you don't mind my asking?

Feel so tired today despite taking thiamine, St John Warts etc. any tips apart from copious amount of coffee????

Morning lads.
@Crayonpenny try eggs, bananas and orange juice.
I have woken up knackered myself. Bloody workman outside. Been going on since Christmas. I know what I want to do with their drill!
@Endofmytetherfinally well done.

Thanks @Crayonpenny - feeling a bit better today. Realised my mind was racing on, and I just need to focus on the present. Sound familiar?!

On the tiredness, are you getting enough rest? Sometimes we just need to roll with it (and drink plenty of water!)

Good morning!

Having refused a glass of champers for a toast yesterday and been issued with elderflower cordial instead, I later picked up the wrong glass and sipped. Ugh! Horrible!

As it was an accident, and only a sip, I'm not counting it.

Have a safe and sober weekend everyone

Day 146

Hey team haven’t caught up with all the messages but just wanted to say I’m sorry about the procedure you need @Onewildandpreciouslife. I can only imagine how angry and disappointed you must feel. Big hug x

@TheOtherHotstepper no need to count it. On the previous thread it was mentioned that we don't drink for the taste. I disagreed at the time. When I had my post sacking binge the old namesake poison(Sav B) tasted like socks! I admire you turning down the shampoo.

@Onewildandpreciouslife
Big hug.

@TheOtherHotstepper similar happened to me at around 6 months with a beer I THOUGHT was AF!! It wasn’t and I was so upset! Don’t count it obviously, it wasn’t your fault!👍

Hi,

Thank you for the tips. Eggs an orange juice have been consumed, along with much water, and slightly feeling more with it. I seem to be having 11 hours sleep a night, maybe that's too much?!!

@Onewildandpreciouslife absolutely re racing mind! I was thinking about Christmas the other day and thought woah no need quite yet for this, think of the now!

Hi @Onewildandpreciouslife sorry to hear your news but how amazing are you not reaching for the poison? Well done x

Sorry to hear that onewildandpreciouslife these things are always such a worry but as you say it doesn't help when the mind starts to go into overdrive. Well done at not drinking.

The taste thing is funny, my drink of choice was red wine and I thought I would never get over the longing for the taste. But now the thought actually makes me feel ill. Eww..no thanks. Rather have a glass of fizzy water ij my winr glass, something actually refreshing and rehydrating like liquids are supposed to be.

On my digestion, I'm not on any meds but do have a history of IBS and food intolerances. I don't eat wheat or dairy and haven't for a long time. But I have suddenly taken a reaction to...some fake cheeses (i don't each much if this anyway), quorn, edamame beans, raw cabbage (in coleslaw) and other things that I haven't figured out yet. I get a violent food poisoning type reaction fir hours and then more worryingly a lot of blood (tmi apologies) . I have had it checked out before at a particularly bad episode and no one seemed that bothered (gp and OOH at the local hospital) but it's happening too frequently now and I think it needs properly investigating. I have been screened for bowel cancer and there are no flags so I'm not worried about that but my mum and my gran had diverticulitis so that is there as a potential in my kind I suppose.

@Breathmiller I think that definitely warrants some investigation, it sounds like you have already cut out quite a lot due to your IBS. Your reaction sounds quite extreme though, I can't believe the GP and OOH have both dismissed such symptoms.

Do you have an allocated GP? Or could you see if another is more sympathetic? (I'm with a big urban practice and you don't see the same GP each time. Took me until GP numer 3 to get a referral to rheumatology when I needed it). Is going private an option?

Red wine - a specific Rioja - was my poison. Earlier I used a miniature bottle in my bolognese, wowser it smelt like paint stripper!! How could I be drinking that by the large bottle?

Thanks all. On the plus side, just think how smug I’ll be filling in the admissions form with a big fat zero against weekly units of alcohol!

I've returned. A fairly broken woman but ready to rebuild. I had a bit of a breakdown over the summer and drank practically every day. Today is day one. I'm giving myself 90 days t total. Its all I can think of handling right now.

Is it still okay to join you wonderful people?

Thanks crunchymum.
Yes, i agree it does seem odd that they were so blase. Well, they weren't at the OOHs but the first gp was worse than useless, he seemed very embarrassed about the whole thing! What an oddball.

I also have a practice with many gps. I asked specifically for my own one and apparently she retired in December! Haha. On the ball. I did have another female one last year who sorted a different issue I was having, menopausal related so I have decided to wait on a routine appointment so I can guarantee it's her. The emergency ones it's more pot luck.

Well done on the wine in cooking. I do it sometimes too but never with red wine in case I'm too tempted. I think maybe I could do it now. Bolognaise is so much better with it. (Sorry if this is triggering for anyone, I know some choose not to cook with alcohol)

Welcome back champoopapi I'm so sorry to hear you have had a difficult summer.

I think it's absolutely fine to have a goal of 90 days and still be here. I think if it was "I'm doing a dry 90 days and will spend the last 30 of them counting down to when I can drink again on day 91!" then no, it wouldn't be appropriate. But I don't think that's the case with you? I think it's more that you dearly want to stop but 90 days seems doable, forever sounds too scary.

So it's certainly okay with me.

I do hope that you can get through these first days and weeks and start to see the benefits for mental health. It's such a vicious cycle..feel shit mentally and emotionally/drink more to hide from it all/feel more shit because of the alcohol....on and on and on in an ever decreasing circle emotionally.

Welcome back @ChampooPapi, and sorry you had a difficult summer. Hopefully not drinking will soon start to make a positive change to how you’re feeling (even though it doesn’t fix everything).

@Breathmiller i do hope those symptoms are taken seriously soon! It’s such pot luck with GPs sometimes!

@ChampooPapi hello old friend. Personally I have had a name change from Sav. Think a day, a week, a month.
We have lost a few I think but you are most welcome back. Your jolly posts were helpful to me. X

Welcome back @ChampooPapi good on you for having the fortitude and strength to come back. We are all works in progress.

@Breathmiller I didn't even think about the wine in cooking being triggering. Apologies if its offended anyone. I am generally okay with having alcohol in the house but I can't and won't have "my" wine in. When I use it for cooking I buy it on the day, and make sure it's in the food before my brain even computes it's "my" wine.

I'm having an absolute sugar fest at the moment. In fact I'm following my wine pattern but with sugar (every Monday I swear I'm going sugar free, then I spend the whole week in angst about it all before I give in, eat shit and then I'm in the sugar pit again.... until I stop sugar for a week or two and it all begins again. This was my exact M.O with alcohol). So I've traded one addiction for another???? Worrying!!

@ChampooPapi
big welcome back from me!
so sorry to hear that your summer has been so difficult. Pleased you are here and facing the right direction. Hope you are getting support irl and that you have polished your toolkit in readiness.

Much admiration for you 💐

Morning all.
I am cottage happy and hopefully our offer will be accepted today!
Very excited and playing fleebay antique shopping.

I have bought the full size Marks botanical spirit (faux gin) as the cans are £1.50. I will let you know if it lasts longer than the Gordon's!

@Crunchymum I am not a sugar fan so can't really advise. Sweet fruit works for me and it is plum time so lots about. Figs another thing to try perhaps?

Fingers crossed for the cottage @WendyWagon

Glad to see you back @ChampooPapi

That's exciting @WendyWagon I hope it all goes well. Look forward to your report on the M&S cans!

Soft play for me today - just to clarify taking my children so not me personally going on my own - which should be fun. A visit while I'm getting tyres replaced on a car. Why is everything so expensive at the moment?!!

Hi @ChampooPapi

Morning all

crunchymum I did exactly the same with sugar to begin with and put on weight.
I have also spoken about my issues with food on here and in the same way I had to face the fact I had a difficult relationship with alcohol, in this last year I have accepted my difficult relationship with food and know they stem from the same root. It took me a year of being sober til i could address not only my sugar addiction and eating disorder but to focus on what the root actually was and to make sure I stopped swapping one thing for another.
I can say now that I do feel I have achieved this, although like not drinking I realise it will be a constant work in progress. It has taken a lot of work in many different ways and I couldn't have done it while drinking.
The biggest thing that I have done is to give myself a break from the constant inner critic and like myself. Turns out I don't then need to "punish " myself with unhelpful practices. I'm alright actually. No worse or better than anyone else. Just a regular human being with strengths and weaknesses. And that's okay. Welcome to the human race Breathmiller et al.

wendywagon everything crossed for you and your cottage. Looking forward to hearing about it. I am in the (loooong drawn out) process of some major building work in our house with a limited budget but I can kind of/sort of/verrrry tentatively see the end in sight. In fact so much so I'm off today to buy a print I like with some birthday money I got. Not got a plastered wall to put it on yet but it's a-coming.