Hello sober sisters (and anyone else who is reading)! Day 16 for me and finally finding the time to catch up with the thread properly post the all-inclusive holiday that I survived alcohol free (although largely due to being on Antabuse – I’m past kidding myself that I can be in control of alcohol).
@nomoremalbec – sorry to hear about your sister. My older sister is an alcohol abuser too (I personally don’t use the term alcoholic) and ironically, me and DH used to feel sorry for her and I hated spending time with her. Sadly I became more of a problem drinker than her – she drinks from around 4pm until she passes out at bedtime so probably a bottle/bottle and a half of wine every single day, but she keeps quiet and doesn’t cause too much upset other than drunken rambling phone calls which I now ignore. But unlike me, she’s never been drunk at work, found in a hedge, stolen alcohol from friends etc. So no-one really says anything about her drinking anymore, its just quietly tolerated. She is also a heavy smoker and her chest sounds horrendous – she claims to have developed asthma but I’m sure it’s the start of COPD.
@WendyWagon n – well done on dealing with your sister – sounds very challenging. And good luck with the house move – how exciting (although stressful and heaps of work too!!) and what a great way to really cleanse your life and create the life you want. I’m not a gardener at all and we only have fake plants, but I sometimes wish I was as I see others gardening and it looks really therapeutic. But I don’t have the patience!
@Onewildandpreciouslife ous life – thank you for the support and encouragement. I got the Unexpected Joy but I just couldn’t get into it – I see lots of rave reviews for it on the various forums I frequent but I just didn’t click with it. I have no idea why, but it just annoyed me as I was reading it lol! Maybe I wasn’t in the right place to read it so I will give it another go and see if it clicks this time.
@REP22 22 – I must admit, I expected the weight to fall off me on the various times I’ve gone a few weeks sober. I read all about the liver being fatty through alcohol which stops it working as efficiently making it much more difficult to lose weight and I read on the NHS website that abstaining from alcohol for 2 weeks should clear a fatty liver (although after reading some scientific papers, I suspect it takes a helluva lot longer than 2 weeks) so I thought after 3 or 4 weeks off, I would have a fully functioning liver, be taking in heaps less calories, going to the gym etc and I would lose lots of weight ……………never happened. But I am definitely sticking with it this time round – I need to manifest my inner goddess as my knees are getting more and more painful and the nearly 3 stone excess is not helping.
@TheOtherHotstepper otstepper – my mum (also an alcohol abuser) also had a stroke but surprisingly did not experience any weakness etc and went on to make a full recovery and keep drinking. I’ve also said the thing that scares me about a stroke is surviving it and being left very incapacitated – I honestly think I’d rather not survive it. I have high blood pressure since my forties (not helped by the weight gain) so it is something that is on my mind. Your friend’s situation is so sad – it’s truly shocking the damage alcohol can do yet it is still so massively promoted in society.
@Fortheloveofgodwhy – 444 is amazing!!! I dream of getting into treble digits. Go you and bring on the 500!
@Crunchymum um – wow 14 months and counting. I hear you re the weight loss – I had an early menopause and it is so easy to just pile the weight on now. Pre menopause, if I overdid it on holiday, 2 days of cup a soups on returning home and my weight would be back to normal. Now it is so so hard to shift it. The only times I’ve lost any weight have been after a 3 or 4 day bender when I don’t eat anything then also don’t eat for another few days as I’m too ill/anxious. But no way am I going down that route again – I will tackle the weight loss slowly and sensibly – in fact, I’m going to the gym after this catch up. It will only be some brisk walking on the treadmill and maybe a few light weights, but it is a start. Weather is too horrible to go out for a walk so the gym it is.
@ everyone else!! Apologies for anyone I’ve missed who is reading. I find it hard to keep up with all the posts but I am going to try and take 10 minutes every morning to keep up with the thread as I do find it helps massively. I sometimes post on other threads but this is the one that helps the most and which I am going to continue to commit to.
Happy Thursday everyone. Hope it’s a good one.