Alcohol free in 23

[DancingSober]

Hello!

This is the thread for doing a whole year alcohol free beginning tomorrow (although some have started a bit early).

This isn't a moderation thread, so it isn't for cutting down. It's absolutely no alcohol for the whole of 2023.

That said, slip ups happen and I will not be throwing anyone off the thread if they have a blip, (or several blips), but please don't post if you're planning to have a few drinks here and there, as it may affect people who are struggling to remain AF but want to.

Tagging everyone from the initial thread:

@SerialMover
@Metalhead
@nancydroo
@blondie87
@TooSunny
@Preparedforjobnottolast
@thenewaveragebear1983
@limitededitionbarbie
@afaloren
@hashbrownsandwich
@Wantmyownbed

I think that's everyone, but please join if you want to (it's open to everyone) and huge apologies if I have missed anyone with my tagging.

Hi all!

Will post properly later as I'm just at work.

But wanted to hop on to say welcome to @Steppered and condolences to @hashbrownsandwich

I have had a tough day today and it's the first day I have really wanted or felt I needed a drink.

I was stuck working in a city away from home and trains were cancelled/delayed. I left my house 14 hours ago and I'm still not home.

I haven't drank but I've been arguing with myself the whole way home!

Well done on your resignation, @DancingSober ! Nice one!

@Wantmyownbed put them in the garage for now, definitely so at least you don't have to look at them. You can decide what to do with at a later stage.

@Wantmyownbed that's really hard. I think I would find someone to regift them to?

@Coppergate thanks for the mocktail recipe links! Will definitely have to make some this weekend. Restaurants are definitely getting better at including mocktails and AF drinks on their drinks menus.

@Steppered yes, I find blackouts horribly scary. I had one after a very alcohol filled work lunch years ago and this honestly should have been my rock bottom, never drinking again moment (but it was not).

@metal

Argh posted too soon, sorry!

@Metalhead and @SnowAndIceLobelia well done for staying strong. I have had those thoughts too and it's really hard

And thank you all for the kind messages re me resigning. I hope it's as good an idea as I think 😂😬

Thanks @DancingSober Today was hard and i am tired and I have put myself to bed and left DH to sort everyone else out.

Congrats on the resignation!

@onelife22 I hope you are home soon!

to everyone. Hope everyone is fine.

When you do get home, get changed into lounge wear immediately and make yourself a nice cup of tea and some toast. You will get the "and now relax..." cue without drinking alcohol. Sorry for your tough day.

@SnowAndIceLobelia thank you, home now.

@HappyHealthy23 I've crashed ok the sofa. Grabbed a takeaway on the way home and treated myself to a can of full sugar coke!

Oh, a takeaway is an even better idea! 😃 well done on getting home without giving in. You're going to be so pleased in the morning.

@onelife22 well done on not giving in. I also had a can of proper coke today. Really isn't something I normal drink but really fancied one.

Thanks @SnowAndIceLobelia. I hope you get a good night's sleep.

@DancingSober thank you. I've just got in bed and I know I will thank myself tomorrow. The coke was a nice treat though.

I've been on a diet since new year so enjoyed my takeaway and coke and will get back to it tomorrow. Usually I would have had the day from hell, bottle of wine on the way home which probably would have lasted an hour and a half, takeaway, chocolate then thought F it it's Friday tomorrow and carried on the rest of the weekend like that.

12 days dry here and i had my first lunch out today too and didn't touch a drop! I offered to be designated driver and everyone was really shocked!!
I actually enjoyed it!

I'm 12 days alcohol-free and thought I'd join this thread. Even though my post is anonymous it's hard for me to admit that my drinking has been out of control for the best part of two decades, knocking back an entire bottle of red wine to myself most evenings. Drinking was my 'reward' and helped me switch off from the day's stress. I've tried to quit before but suffered such bad insomnia I always slipped back into thinking 'one drink won't hurt' and then it escalated.

But of course, it has hurt me - I've piled on weight, my face and stomach are bloated and I've eroded most of the enamel on my teeth. I dread to think of the damage I've done to my throbbing liver, or how much money I've wasted over the years.

It reached the point where a bottle of wine didn't even get me drunk anymore, I just spent the following day feeling shattered and irritable until it was time to block it out again with more drink.

My DH was drinking heavily in the evenings too so it became the 'norm' in our house, only he was able to function far better the next day as it didn't affect his sleep or his mood. I'm currently going through perimenopause which hasn't helped. I felt so low for so long that it became my default mood. But reached the point at Christmas that I was feeling rock bottom, despite having so much to live for.

On NYE I realised enough was enough and I wanted to break the cycle and go sober for 2023. DH decided to join me and so far we're winning the battle.

Almost immediately my mood lifted and my concentration improved. All the tension held in my muscles has dissipated, my skin no longer itches from an overload of toxins and I feel far less bloated. So far haven't physically craved a drink once although it's been difficult to adjust my mindset to not having my 'reward' and finding new ways to fill my evenings.

I was feeling really self-conscious about the broken capillaries on my cheeks caused by the drinking. I'd been covering them with makeup but every night when I washed it off my reflection screamed at me 'I'm an alcoholic.' I've recently had a session of laser therapy at a skin clinic and already the capillaries are dissipating. It's a huge incentive for me not to drink again, as vain as that may sound.

The main thing I'm struggling with is lack of sleep. After a bottle of wine, I'd fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, but it's taking me at least four hours to get to sleep without my 'off' switch. I don't know how long it will take for me to settle into a normal sleeping pattern but I'm determined to stick this out long enough to find out and finally get my life back.

@Daechwita welcome and I completely get you with the not feeling drunk on one bottle anymore.

I also have a broken capillary on my face and it has already become much less noticeable now my skin has improved from not drinking.

Day 13 now, Friday is a tough day for some.

I am so grateful for not giving in last night. I slept solidly last night and so did my kids....and I still feel exhausted 🤣 so hate to think how I would feel with alcohol and less sleep on board!

Welcome @Daechwita.

Great that you've got this far without any alcohol.

I have to admit that vanity is a big reason I want to give up too 😬. I'm no stunner, but I look a million times better when I'm not drinking. I also have a lot more motivation to exercise. I'm doing a lot more healthy activities now and I think it shows.

Well done @onelife22! A good night's sleep makes a big difference to me too

Joining as going through a stressful time and alcohol amount is massively increasing. Well done all, you are an inspiring bunch.

Welcome @Moomoola. Lovely to have some new 'faces'! I hope that continues as the year goes on

Hi to @Moomoola and @Daechwita.

It's Friday night, what are everyone's plans? My husband is on nightshift , so I'm planning an early night (my 8 year old likes to sleep in with me when his Dad is at work) with a book.

I always used to try and read whilst a bit pissed. Absolutely pointless! So I'm excited to get stuck into some really good books this year.

@TeeNoG Friday is my badminton club night, so I’m looking forward to getting some exercise!

I know what you mean about reading when under the influence, and the same with watching TV series - I often thought “should I know what’s happening here?” because I’d drunk-watched or read the night before and completely forgot what happened!

@TeeNoG well, I used to read Quit Lit when I was pissed! Not sure whether to laugh or cry about that...!

@Daechwita so much of what you say resonates with me. 1 bottle wasn't enough here too. Well - actually, it probably was - but I "felt" fine. Well done, you are doing so well.

Badminton sounds great! Might look into that myself. Friday night plans for me are finish work, clean the house and relax. Might do my nails; will definitely do some reading and might have a "Fat Coke" as mentioned upthread.

I hope everyone else has a coping plan for the weekend, can be a testing time.

@Steppered welcome! My headaches were daily until 2 days ago. Finally feeling better and hoping to stay headache free going forwards.

Welcome @Daechwita too. I'm so paranoid about the redness in my face being a giveaway, especially my nose. I also hide it with make up. I'm hoping to see an improvement in this area, although it's not apparent yet.

Welcome @Moomoola!

Talk in the office turned to alcohol yesterday. Lots of comments about how it's nearly the weekend, so why not, or having a bath with a glass of wine. It really irritated me so I went to an exercise class in the evening to take my mind off things. Walked home feeling quite proud of myself.

It's not that I want to drink, it's the feeling of missing out or not being able to join in the conversation. They know I'm doing dry Jan too, so I did find it a little insensitive (although I appreciate I'm probably being OTT there). I just keep telling myself they are probably trying to make themselves feel better about hitting the bottle on a Thursday night.

Day 13 and I'm confident I will stay dry tonight. Good luck everyone this weekend. It's definitely the hardest part of the week for me.

@onelife22 well done for not drinking, that journey sounded stressful.
@hashbrownsandwich so sorry for your loss. Well done for being the designated driver. Sometimes it's easier not to drink when the decision is taken out of our hands.

Oh and tomorrow is day 14 so I'm going to weigh myself to see what the scales say about 2 weeks of no alcohol and eating like a rabbit

I may not have lost weight but I can definitely feel a difference around my waist. Much less bloated.

@NoTimeForWine good luck on the scales tomorrow! Sounds like you've been very good and deserve a loss!

@Metalhead badminton sounds great, a healthy way to spend the evening with the added bonus of working off any frustrations 😁

@Steppered - I relate entirely to reading Quit Lit whilst pissed. It's a bit cringe but I think probably best to laugh it off, can't go back and change it now - hopefully it will be a lighthearted anecdote one day, rather than cringe......... I know for certain I've started watching films and realised half way through that I've 'watched' them before too........

Day 13... tonight I am binge-watching The Traitors USA instead of binging on wine.

I weighed myself this morning and was hoping for at least a 2lb loss but the scales haven't budged. Strange, because I definitely feel less bloated around my waist. I probably haven't lost anything because for once, I'm not dehydrated.