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.

Thnaks @DancingSober . I am so sorry you had a lousy day at work. Hope next week is much better for you.

Does anyone else think their eyes are whiter?

Checking in at the end of day 6 dry!
I've just had headache after headache this week. Practically every day. I've given up coffee as well as alcohol so imagine it's that, as I would have several cups each morning and didn't decrease at all before stopping (which probably wasn't wise with hindsight).
Got through this evening quite easily, despite DH getting through a bottle of red.
I've enjoyed reading all the updates. I didn't manage to keep up with the stair pounding once I went back to work but the diet is going well and I've upped my fruit and veg intake massively.
Hope to feel/see some benefits soon.

I've survived my first dry Friday night since I can't remember when. Feeling quite proud that I've done 6 dry days, saved over 40 quid and 3500 calories plus 45 units.
Sleeping still not great, body clock all over the place but I'm hoping that settles next week when kids are back at school and we're back in a routine!
Hope everyone is doing ok!

Morning!

Had a good sleep so hopefully less tired today. Hope everyone is fine.

I am not sure how many cals I have saved as yesterday I ate the entire fridge. Alot of which was cheese. . Despite this my stomach does not feel as bloated as it usually does, so that must be good!

best wishes to everyone today!

@coodawoodashooda mine are definitely whiter. I looked in the mirror yesterday and thought they looked brighter and less tired!

I usually like to stay in bed on a weekend but I am up ready for an exercise class at the gym and then going on to do my hobby straight after.

My DH was very shocked I actually got up this morning haha

I have to confess though I was in bed asleep by 9.30 last night... which helped with early start. And the baby slept through/or I just didn't hear her. Which is rare.

@oneonelife22 haha same, I shocked my husband by getting up early too! Feels good.

Morning all!

I was up early (for a weekend) and am just getting ready for my class at the gym too. Amazing to see all the early risers here.

I had headaches during the first week off booze@NoTimeForWine. I am not sure if that was related but I think you're the second person other than me who has mentioned headaches, so maybe it's part of it.

I haven't noticed the whites of my eyes specifically. I'm allergic to EVERYTHING airborne so I tend to get red eyes rather than yellowish. I have noticed just looking a bit nicer. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly, but definitely in the face I look less haggard 😄

@TimeAndSpace yep, I had loads of dreams like that, to be honest I quite enjoyed them - and the relief when I woke up and realised it wasn't reality.

I'm up and awake and chatty - think I'm annoying my DH who had a few glasses of red last night 😁

Yeah I have a 'can't put my finger on it' feeling about how my looks are changing too. I'm fat but not giving a shit about extra calories from food at the moment. One thing at a time. I also don't feel so solid.

Good morning everyone!
Yesterday was tough. I had that Friday feeling after work and I was so tempted to have some wine. It was quite a powerful feeling, but I kept thinking about how I’d feel this morning. I thought of the anxiety I’d feel and the washout my weekend would become. After about an hour the feeling was gone and I had a productive evening. I think Friday evenings will be my toughest time!

Have fun at your gym class @DancingSober. Isn’t it amazing to have time again to do things that are good for our minds and bodies!

Morning all, day 8 here and the weather is miserable! Was supposed to play a tennis match later, but have asked the others if we can rearrange as I really don’t fancy playing in the rain and wind.

Well done for not giving in @TooSunny.

They do say to play it forward to remember how you'll feel the next morning etc, so I think that's a good tactic.

I also remind myself that I won't have one glass of wine and I actually don't even want one glas of wine. My inner boozer wants several 😂. I rarely stop at one, so when people say they want to be able to moderate I don't usually agree as moderate drinking sounds crap to both the angel and the devil on my shoulders!

Gym class was really fun, but I felt it! Quite out of breath and red in the face by the end, but smiling as it was a fun class.

Weather is horrible here too. Won't be doing too much outdoors if I can help it! It's also very dark and my lights are all on, which is depressing for ten in the morning.

Morning everyone and @dancingsober glad you enjoyed the gym class.
I wasn't an earlybird at all and woke up at 10am, feel ok though.

I also can't moderate and know just the one will be the start of the decline again. I looked awful in the mirror first thing and wondered when I might start seeing see benefits, but I took a make up selfie just like last week and I was surprised to see I do look less puffy faced so that's cheered me up.

I do feel different this dry jan compared to others, my mindset is to create a new happier sober life, not just cling onto af drinks till the end of the month to prove I'm not addicted

Hello everyone, I failed this morning on getting out of bed and doing a Yoga with Adrienne practice in favour of reading in bed, but thankfully am still on for Day 6 of being sober 🥳.

My fingernails are beautiful, giving myself mini-manicures in the evening has been a good distraction technique. I look less puffy in the face and have dropped 3.5 lbs and saved god knows how many £££s. I feel definitely through the physical craving, still have reflex thoughts about wine when I get home, but have seen them off.

Good to see so many of us sticking with it, I can't post much during the week (teacher with marking!) but I follow when I can.

I am still doing well. No cravings at all, but I think my nightly quit lit readings help with that.

I am trying to draw parallels between this and when I quit smoking. Knowing that the craving is just my body missing it's usual chemicals, and that the "high" is just an end to the craving brought about by taking the addictive substance in the first place. When I see people drinking on TV, I just flip that image to them smoking. It may sound weird but it's helping me so thought I would share

I do still have this tic in my eye which is so annoying. It must be alcohol withdrawal related as nothing else has changed.

Well done everyone - it's great knowing you look a little better, even if you aren't quite sure how.

@DottyDry I also can't moderate.

I know as soon as I have one glass it's a bottle. The more I drink the more my tolerance builds up too so over Christmas it was 1-2 bottles. Far too much.

I also feel differently this dry Jan. I am also usually just counting down til the end of the month however I have a weekend away first weekend of Feb and I'm just thinking about all the things I'll have the energy to do instead of feeling lethargic.

Sleep continues to be much better, although not perfect. Thu was very irritating as I kept being lurched out of sleepiness whilst listening to the hypnosis track by various external noises during those 20 mins. One made me annoyed (teenager related!) so rather than being asleep by 11 pm it was gone 1 pm (and up again at 6.30 am). Wasn't that tired the next day though.

Not drinking in the evening is starting to feel like some kind of super power. I still have the odd craving/desire to escape various emotions/boredom/laziness with alcohol but learning to do more productive things instead. The benefits already from not drinking are something that I really want to hold on to...everything seems to be going better. I know it has only been a week though and there will be a lot of challenges to overcome.

I'm craving badly this evening for the first time. My life is such a mess, I just want to get lost in a bottle of white. I know it won't help anyway, but the fuckit is strong tonight.
If there's anyone around, can you talk me down please?

@HappyHealthy23 sorry to hear you're struggling!

I think sometimes taking booze away can reveal some things going on in our lives which we've been covering up with alcohol. The thing is that even if you drink tonight, the problems will still be there and you will be less able to deal with them due to the brain fog and lack of motivation which comes with drinking.

Sorry life is hard ATM.

I'm having some work related issues (and some "should we sack it all off and leave this area" issues) and it's very tempting to just get oissed to forget about it. But, I am really going to try and deal with them with a clearer head.

Also, things seem even worse when you've been drinking (or the morning after hangxiety)

I know if I get pissed, I'll start taking out my resentment on DH and that won't help any.
I just want to scream.
But no, I won't drink tonight.

Sorry to hear about your work troubles, @DancingSober . Would it help to moan about them here?

Thanks @HappyHealthy23, but I honestly am boring myself with it, so can't summon the energy to talk about it!

What about you? Would having a moan on here help? Please feel free!

Yes, Happy maybe we can help if you explain? Or at least sympathise?

In a lot of the quit lit they go on about "remember how you always had such a great time socialising before you started drinking alcohol, playing with friends etc" and it always upsets me because no, I didn't. Because of my abusive childhood, I always felt "less than" and discovering alcohol which gave me a very false sense of confidence was marvellous. It also helped me forget the abuse, for a while at least.

So I agree with Dancing Sober that taking the booze away can force us to address unresolved issues.

Eh. Long story short, we started building a new house abou five years ago. Dh is a tradie, so was meant to be doing all the work inside it himself. But he then got sick and can't do the work, so we've been living in the temporary accommodation since. And for financial reasons, we're stuck here until he finishes the damn house. He has good days, where he's able to work, and bad days. There's been so many more bad days than good days recently, but they can't find anything wrong with him, so...yeah.

Anyway, I angrily made soup earlier, which Dc has declared the Best Soup Ever, so that's a win. And I didn't drink.

Thanks @DancingSober , I appreciate it. 🙏