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

Hello Everyone,

Checking in on day eleventy hundred.

It's good to see the old hands still here, and new arrivals getting the benefit.

Evening all.
Feeling better this evening. BF tapping up a relative so I am relieved.
So anxious couldn't eat. Had soup.
I bought the M & S botanical and I didn't really like it. It is great in the cans but I must have got the ratios wrong. I will be on the milk later.
Lovely to see you @Drybird2020

@WendyWagon Glad you're feeling better 😊

Hi @Drybird2020

Waves at @Drybird2020 👋 😀

@WendyWagon obviously I don’t know the ins and outs but I would not lend the money!!! You may not even do your friend a favour by lending it to them, if it only leaves them in more debt or if it ruins the friendship. There are other ways to support a friend in need. It’s interesting what you say about “needing to be liked”. Why is that do you think?

@Onewildandpreciouslife that’s a great quote.

@Ilovelurchers welcome! Sorry to hear about your husband, that sounds hard. I’m glad your mum came around. How have you been holding up since? When I’m going through tough times I have to remind myself that drinking never ever helps. It just doesn’t! Sending you strength.

Morning all.
I had a good sleep so feeling much better.

@BunniesBunniesBunnies my mother played us off against each other. If she was still around today I would be posting on mumsnet daily! The need to be liked comes from there. More therapy is needed!
Off out with the DH and I am hunting new af drink to try. Will keep you posted.

Morning wendywagon et al.

Waves to drybird great to see you. Hope you are well.

Hi All,

Ventured to the office today - may / may not have been influenced by a bake sale.

Saw this earlier and I liked it, apologies if it's been shared before:- 'difficult roads often lead to beautiful situations'.

Have a nice day everyone.

Great quote crayonpenny
A bake sale is a fab carrot on a stick I say. 🥕🍰

Internal ultrasound today - that’s a new one. Friend’s funeral tomorrow.
Hanging on to sobriety by my fingertips. And chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

@Onewildandpreciouslife
O Lordy will think of you. X

Hi @Onewildandpreciouslife I am also thinking of you. You are strong.

onewildandpreciouslife even if you're hanging on by one fingertip trust that that fingertip will hold and it will. We're all here to pull you back up.
Hope today wasn't too harrowing and that tomorrow's funeral goes with as much ease as these things can. 💜

Thinking of you @Onewildandpreciouslife. when things are tough it helps to get through one day at a time (and sometimes one hour at a time). Hope tomorrow goes as well as it can go. Xxx

Thanks lads. Still here! My route home last night took me past a lot of bars. Six months ago I would have gone in for one before I got the train home (for many more), and last night I allowed myself to imagine doing the same. Lesson learned.

Hope everyone else is doing ok.

Hi @Onewildandpreciouslife that sounds really strong. Hope today goes ok.

Morning all.
Sending strong vibes to all today.
Off out to lunch but with non drinker so perfectly safe.
Thinking of you @Onewildandpreciouslife

Just a quick check in to say thinking of you @Onewildandpreciouslife and to let you know I had an internal ultrasound and it was fine as a procedure, easier than a smear. I hope you get a good result 💐

Quietly patting myself on the back.

Another milestone crossed.

Day 151

Nice work @DeedIDo ! You should pat yourself on the back loudly😂

Well done deedIdo on your milestone. I am terrible at working out days. Er....is that 5 months?

onewildandpreciouslife I get you on the allowing your thoughts to go into places that are not healthy. In yoga there is a practice of not just being aware of our actions but stopping them at the thought stage. So, when they are a tiny seed that's when you work on them. Much harder when they are a fully fledged thought and then they have more chance to move into an action. I find that really useful. Hope today is okay.

Congrats @DeedIDo that is awesome! You should definitely treat yourself somehow.

Have all the chocolate Onewildpreciouslife* *
I hope you get through today okay, and then tomorrow is a new day x

@Onewildandpreciouslife what a coincidence. I had the pleasure of an internal ultrasound today too! Hope yours went smoothly.

I was feeling stressed and was looking for my usual release once the event has passed. Everything went well. It was my 2nd scan and all looks ok. It’s hard work to keep myself distracted and not press the self destruct button.
Today is a week away from 6 months af.

I’m still amazed that what I thought was impossible back in April actually isn’t!

Hi all.
It's 5.30 in the morning on a Thursday and I still have shuddering anxiety left over from the weekend. I've managed to not drink since Saturday - but mainly because I've drank myself into a chest infection.

I really want to stop. It is time. 40, Constantly ill, constantly anxious, constantly skint.

Weirdly, although my DH drinks, he's not the barrier I see ahead of me. I'm pretty sure he'd not drink if I didn't, but it's my best friends. You know the type. Known each other since we were 9, all the important moments in our life have been drowned in a clink of glasses. I love them very much, we are closer than sisters, but every time I see them it ends with me so drink that I'm crying and overreacting to drama.

I hate drinking. I know it is really hurting me, but I don't know how to break the cycle.

I said to one of my best friends (we are a trio) that I was thinking if doing sober October... Her reply.... Well, we won't bother seeing you until November.

I know she's joking, but I don't know how to tell them how bad it's got for me. I'm now secret drinking at home. I've tried talking about it, but they just tell me to cut down a bit, then book in some fabulous night out with endless GIFs and pictures of tequila and giant wine glasses.

I really don't want to lose my friends, but I really need to stop drinking. They are amazing friends in every way, but our relationship is so tired with booze I don't know how to untangle it and still keep all the wonderful things about our friendship.

How do I get across to them how bad I feel when I drink?

The thoughts get so bad that I'm worried I'm going to harm myself when I have no inhibition.

This weekend we went to a silent disco on the beach and I just remember thinking "If I took my headphones off now, no one would see me walk out to the sea and keep walking until I drown myself".

Help.
Please.

Hi @glindathegoodbitch Im glad you’ve found us. I’m sorry you’re in such a low place at the moment. You sound like you know you need to stop drinking, and to do that you need to shift your focus onto yourself. Be kind to yourself. Look after yourself. It may be hard with your friends, but if you can’t be open with them, are they really friends? I’m 6 months sober, and my life is so much happier than before - you owe it to yourself to give it a go. Post as much as you need to.