The Freedom Thread (continued) - A thread for people wanting to enjoy an alcohol free life. Everyone welcome!

[BunniesBunniesBunnies]

This is a thread for people who want to live an alcohol free life! These threads were started about three years ago by @DryBird2020 and they have been a continued source of support for people at all stages of sobriety. Whether you are one day, one month or one year sober - You are welcome! The only thing we ask if that you have committed to stopping drinking when you join the thread (as talk to drinking or moderation may be triggering to some of our posters).

My name is @Bunnies and I am almost 1000 days sober, in no small part thanks to this amazing supportive community. I hope to see many new and old posters on this thread!

Happy sober 2023 all!

the comeback is always stronger than the setback

I really like this. What a fabulous, snappy little line!

I'm a weekend drinker, but thoroughly fed up with it. I've drunk fairly heavily every weekend for about the last 30 years, but it's obviously making me unhappy. I'm now going to try a 31 day break, to see if I can do it (and hopefully make my username a misnomer). Wish me luck! Only day 2 so far.

Been to the doctors today. Signed off for a bit and prescribed anti depressants. Might be a bit quiet for a while but following along in the back.

Morning, early start for me.

@SillyLittleMargaret hope you're ok, with no alcohol you will start to feel so much better. I'm amazed how alcohol makes us feel so shit but I just hadn't recognised it before I started on this journey. You will be stronger now. Keep posting if it helps, we're here to support each other so it seems that you might really need that support right now

Morning all.
Welcome 'Grande Bottom123'. You do shrink a bit when you stop drinking, you lose the bloat. Lots of us drank from a lack of self confidence even a big, bold woman like me. I am still a bullied little girl inside but I'm working on it.
First tea down and off to London this afternoon for a dinner.

I had a dream last night that I was drinking. God it was so real... It was my wine in my glass, it was in a real life place, it was with real life people. The worst thing is in my dream I was thinking 'fuck it, I don't care, I don't give a shit' as I was drinking my wine.

I woke up very, very distressed and sad. It was horrible.

I am having a serious funk anyway at the moment. I have been feeling pretty crap since probably before Christmas and I realise it's linked to my eating habits - particularly my sugar addiction. I guess my dream is a manifestation of this.

I recognise I have transferred all the issues and behaviours and feelings I had around alcohol to sugar. I make promises to myself everyday not to eat crap and have sugar, I then feel guilty and rubbish and angry when I "fail", I over indulge, I make moves to stop and I can't and I hate myself and the cycle just continues.

I feel so annoyed at myself that a year in, I am still in such a bad way. Fat, unhappy and still being governed by a poison.

I cant afford therapy, I don't want to be medicated, I don't have time to read self help books or listen to podcasts [excuses I know]

I notice I am having killer PMT now too, doesn't help? I wonder if I could be Peri? I am 43 soon.

Arrghhhh - sorry for such a negative post.

Sorry you’re feeling so rubbish @Crunchymum . Have you passed your 1 year mark yet? I always get a bit weird about milestones.

Youve done so much for your health by stopping drinking and come so far. Can you look back at your early posts to remind yourself how well you’ve done?

Im sorry everything feels so overwhelming at the moment but please don’t beat yourself up. Can you start to carve out some time for yourself- just 15 minutes for a walk?

Ah crunchy it could well be peri, i start peri in my 30s! I am sort of better with sugar, not totally resolved, in the mind fuck of moderation ... oh how i know this path....

in other news i am officially 1 year sober... bring on the fanfare .. or maybe i'll just have another cuppa and satsuma to celebrate.

Actually Sav suggested reading back on my old posts here to see how far I have come, i think maybe that will be tonight's task. I wouldn't go back that is for sure!

Congratulations @Fortheloveofgodwhy

What a wonderful milestone to reach!!!! Sending you fanfare and fireworks.

One year - amaze-balls xx

Thanks @Crunchymum when is yours? next week?

Yep - 13th Feb - so I am just a wee bit behind you.

It's flown for me, despite all the moaning I have done along the way 😂

Congratulations @Fortheloveofgodwhy !

Congratulations @Fortheloveofgodwhy . That's totally amazing. Hope you enjoyed your satsuma! Really impressed tho. U fully deserve a huge self care treat in the coming days.

Congratulations! 10 days here ... loving how positive I feel about life

Morning all.
Lovely to hear that @halfthesun

Turns out I’ve broken my wrist. Really wanted a drink when I got home from A&E last night, but luckily had bought cake in the way home (with apologies to those tackling the sugar demon)

Congratulations @Fortheloveofgodwhy 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 1 year is an epic milestone!!!!!!!!!

Morning lads.

Big congratulations @Fortheloveofgodwhy you look good on it!
@Crunchymum can you not swap the sugar for fruit? I ate that disgusting dairy milk last week and I am back on the plums!
However I did buy the DH some Leonardos chocolate for valentines and I like those. Very posh, very delicious.

I had an excellent day yesterday with the funding rolling in for the bath and body line (I have bought an established brand) We have also created the outline charity that will work with us. Very exciting and grown up. No more bully boys for me.
My RA is very bad at the moment so I took my stick into London. Surprisingly I had lots of offers of help. Perhaps the world is changing?
Have a good day all.

I am a very proud Londoner @WendyWagon glad to hear lots of people wanted to help.

Problem with London is that a huge amount of people you encounter aren't actually from London 😂 (nah we're quite a salty breed!)

I am one of those weird people who don't like fruit - any fruit. I know most odd.

I have successfully lost weight before, I followed a low GI programme and lost 3st (this was 15 years ago now)...... Have gained a lot more than than back over 3 pregnancies and having psoriatic arthritis. My PsA manifests in my feet so when I am poorly I cannot walk. And the steroids..... Argh! Not good for weight at all.

BUT it's all just excuses really. I know all the theory, I know how to lose weight, I even know I can as I have done it before but my brain just isn't engaging.

Anyway this isn't Fat Fighters so enough of me moaning 😆

Thanks for the love. So good to have somewhere to share.
@Onewildandpreciouslife hope the wrist isn’t too bad.
@WendyWagon good work on the funding!

@Crunchymum sorry you are feeling down. I keep having nightmares about drinking. I make an arse of myself and get anxious about the hangover…then I wake up and feel relief that it’s just a dream.

@halfthesun stick at it! You’ll continue to feel better
@Fortheloveofgodwhy brilliant, good for you! I am inspired! I just past the 3 month mark and am amazed by how much better I feel. Why was I so terrified of stopping in the first place???
@WendyWagon great job on the funding

im having a nightmare at work, and took today off (not something I’d do normally). I caught a bug the youngest two had, and feel crappy. I don’t have a fever, and normally would soldier on, but I’m embracing the whole ‘be kind to yourself’ concept. My throat is raw, DH and DD are off with the same. DD just finished a dose of antibiotics and steroids for pneumonia yesterday, so I’m worried about another relapse with this bug. Life is still hard, but so much easier without the wine.

Just realized I’ve probably had worse hangovers and struggled through a day at work but feel justified in taking a day off now for a bug. #Perspective

Day 'too many to count now!' It's about 2 years and 2 months. I've had a stressful day at work and poured just a drop of wine. It tasted awful now that I'm no longer used to it so I chucked it away. Result!

Can I join please… I am 41 days AF. I’ve done a party sober in January. Have a challenging weekend ahead with my partner who has booked an overnight for Valentine’s Day. Drinking was our thing. He still drinks and is disappointed I’m not. Worried it’ll make the overnight boring.

Welcome @Pollypower and congratulations on your 41 days AND a sober party! Sorry to hear your partner isn’t supportive. It’s a completely false narrative that we need alcohol to have fun, be entertaining etc. but it’s possibly a big change that just you both just need time to get used to. But don’t compromise your hard-won sobriety for anyone.

Morning all.
Bad news yesterday re the house but I didn't drink and had a reasonable sleep bar the cockerapoo.
Our seller has thrown his toys out of the pram as we are not ready to complete. The date was 28 February and that apparently is not quick enough. I resisted the urge to say you can stick it and booked to see a cottage as backup. I really hate being threatened, it feels like bullying to me. The husband hid but there was a new bottle of Gordon's AF waiting for me this morning!