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

Morning all.
Not doing so well health wise. Nowt to do with the booze but mental health and my RA. Needing hugs and not getting them.

Morning @WendyWagon Sorry to hear that - have a virtual hug. Living with your RA must be so hard - I’m impressed you’re pushing through with your sobriety in the face of everything else.

@Onewildandpreciouslife
I fell off the wagon. I didn't want to trigger anyone and was so ashamed I stopped myself mid wagon fall. I am having a spell of trouble. Son involved in an accident Sunday (he is OK, his friend not so. Grace of God and all that). Daughter let down by someone who should know better. Bffs sister died Sunday. I want to hide. Not a vintage week.

Oh @WendyWagon I’m so sorry to hear that. You’ve got a lot on your plate. It’s really positive you stopped halfway through though: You know deep inside alcohol is not the answer.
Falling off the wagon could happen to any of us, it could happen to me and if it did I hope I would still be welcome here. You are very welcome here and if you want to talk a little more about what’s happening to you we are here to listen.
Think about this (you don’t have to share the answers of course but it may help for you to think about it)

• What exactly happened before you fell off the wagon?
• What were your feelings and how did you respond to them?
• What could you have done differently?

Do stick around on the thread to receive some of that much needed support which you are always so generous with yourself. And be kind to yourself today.

Not caught up with the thread fully yet but wanted to say how lovely it was reading your update about your relationship with food @Breathmiller. I’m so pleased for you and you’re such an inspiration. I still struggle in several areas of my life and I seem to be unable to transfer my achievements and coping skills with booze to those other areas of my life. Please tell me your secrets!!!
I’m especially struggling with my emotional relationships with other people. It is not always easy for me to “connect” with people and I fear I’m an awful friend/daughter/partner. I guess I have low self esteem at the moment.
Anyway huge well done @Breathmiller.
Hope everyone else is well too.

Oh @WendyWagon - have a bigger hug! That all sounds very tough. As for your wagon wobble, can you park it as a blip and move on? Be kind to yourself today x

Thank you @Onewildandpreciouslife and @BunniesBunniesBunnies
I feel I can park it as a blip. I am not interested in my old ways.
I do feel very vulnerable so may take to my bed later and resist the urge to engage on other threads!
I have missed having colleagues by not working. I don't do well wfh or not working at all. I need people as long as they are not bullies or sexist pigs😁

Morning All,

Sorry to hear how much you have going on Sav @WendyWagon it sounds quite intense and tough. Stopping half way is something though, acknowledgement that you didn't want to continue. I hope you manage to relax today and have some self tlc, you deserve it.

Blips are part of life, how we deal with them are more of a choice.

I feel confident you are able to make good choices for yourself @WendyWagon

Look how far you have come. Don't let this defeat you or set you back on negative pathways x

Sorry to hear of your troubles wendywagon. Be gentle with yourself today,. Tick it off as a learning curve to remind you of how you don't want to react to difficult situations. You are doing so well. A mere blip in your journey. Don't catastrophise this. Do what you need to do to get through today and then dust yourself off. You have a lot on your plate, no need to add to it by berating yourself. No one needs that shit.

Thanks bunnies. Always supported by you and your words. I do hear you on the self esteem thing. I think that's what I worked on most. I did a few things like online hypnotherapy to help with my binge eating disorder (amongst an array of things this past year) and the biggest thing that came out of it was that I needed to be kinder to myself. I needed to stop being so harsh on me! I have also gone through an intensive therapists training course over the last year and a half to further my career and this has helped me with this too. It wasn't easy, nearly done me in at one point it felt like, but I have come out stronger. I've learned (am learning) about boundaries with other people and myself.

And the biggest thing is giving myself a break from the inner critical voice. Do I make mistakes? Yes, of course. Am I an arsehole sometimes? Yes, sometimes I am. But, for the most part I'm like everyone else. A human who tries to get things right but sometimes gets it wrong. I've started forgiving myself a lot more and accepting that some days I won't find that easy and I do lots of nourishing things to soothe me instead of things to punish me (like binging alcohol or food). Other days I will rock it like a fucking pro. 🤘 Such is life, and such is being human.

TL:DR? - like yo'self! when you get it right! And like yourself a little bit more when you get it wrong. That's when you need it most.

Sending hugs and gold stars to anyone who needs one today. 🥰⭐

Thanks lads.
Done the marks run. Cried on on the way there, avoided the poison! Bought lovely ice cream and English Home mag. I also got a novel which keeps me out of trouble.

@WendyWagon Marks ice cream sounds lovely!!

@Crayonpenny
Coffee. I don't drink coffee but I like coffee ice cream and cake. Weird.

I LOVE coffee ice cream. I've yet to find a dairy free one though. Enjoy

My mouth has seriously watered at the thought of coffee ice cream! Since a small person, I have always had coffee cake as my birthday cake. Even now, my other half and the kids don't like it, meaning more for me (what a shame!).

@Breathmiller I have a feeling Waitrose might do something like that? I've not tried it though but hopefully it tastes nice.

I just googled it to find it and yes Waitrose has it. Yayyyy!! 🥳🥳🥳 But I don't have a Waitrose anywhere near me. Boooo!! 😢😢😢

Life is a rollercoaster sure enough.

That is pants @Breathmiller !! Hopefully it will pave the way for other chains to stock it / similar. We have a Waitrose in the next town but I'm not sure how well a tub of ice cream would fair being couriered to you!

Just popped out to pick up some dinner as other half 40th today, it is absolutely baltic. Anyone else just want to stay in and hibernate??!!

Hope you've managed to relax a bit today Sav @WendyWagon and enjoyed some of your ice cream and your magazine / novel.

Thanks for the thought crayonpenny I feel a road trip to a Waitrose is in order at some point.

Yooohooo.. I'm knocking about but had a total break from Social Media and the online world. Some may remember me.. 🥴

Still rocking the sober lifestyle by the seat of my pants estranged from my not so dear husband but winging it with my lovely kids.

How you all getting on? Going to read back and see how the land lies. Much love xx

Good to hear from you @rockbottombird !

Day 200 today. A nice round number

Morning all,

A better sleep last night. I didn't even have a faux G & T. Too tired.
@rockbottombird great to see your post. I had been thinking about you.

Congratulations @Onewildandpreciouslife

I have a lunch planned and a catch up with my BF. I am in two minds about having more therapy as I was paying to discuss houses in the last months. I had 6 months worth. Anyone thoughts dear people on timescales?

Thanks for your wise words @Breathmiller. Not feeling a whole lot of self compassion at the moment. Not feeling much of anything really.
@rockbottombird nice to see you here.
@WendyWagon I want some ice cream now!

@BunniesBunniesBunnies you are the chief bunny. You provide huge insight for all the poor souls on here. Never a sharp word, just compassion. You should be feel proud of yourself for your support if nothing else. Sometimes we are sent to help people and it can be the turning point in their lives.
Chin up m'dear.

Hi Everyone,

@WendyWagon Good to hear you had a better sleep and lunch sounds nice. Given the amount you've had / have on your plate then perhaps more therapy wouldn't be a bad shout, no idea if they do in blocks etc?

Hi @rockbottombird

Hope you're ok @BunniesBunniesBunnies Is there anything making you feel like this do you think? It's a funny time of the year I think and I've certainly noticed people feeling a bit disorientated as we've gone straight from warm to cold without a nice interim period. I think you should have ice cream for breakfast!

Great milestone @Onewildandpreciouslife ! I was on leave yesterday so walked back into chaos at work today so hope you don't mind me saying now - slightly premature - that hope everything goes ok tomorrow.

Sorry @BunniesBunniesBunnies name change thing. I didn't want the trolls searching on a board about alcohol dependancy and dismssing me as a booze addled nutter. The other name was for a a political piece.
My sentiment remains, you are a star.