The support thread (continued) for an alcohol free life. All welcome.

[WendyWagon]

Hello and welcome to the alcohol free support thread. We are a welcoming bunch. These threads were started by @drybird some three years ago.
We are a mixture of sober sisters (and the odd gent) who want to lead a alcohol free life. We chat about everyday things that we use to drink to manage. No question too silly. Someone will have done/thought or been through the same.

@2023forme - yes. My adult dd is having a tricky time. She doesn't always feel supported, and it's priceless to be able to pick up the phone and say I'll be there asap.

I have just done Friday night and drinks at home afterwards AF. I'm too interested in which workout I'm doing in the morning!

Evening all. Am on day 26 here - almost the big 30.

Anyone looking forward to the Coronation - I am not an ardent royalist but am really looking forward to watching all the coverage tomorrow. It's a once in a lifetime event I think.

I spent a lot of time in the supermarket aisle of shame (that came from a previous DJ thread) flip flopping between thoughts of "I'll get some Nosecco" vs sneaky wine witchy utterances (won't put them down here as they were very triggering). That coupled with the fact that the shelves were bare of all other healthy treats (who knew that grapes were a top street party item) so I had to go to another supermarket put me in a really bad mood.

But I got past it. Came home and vegged out in front of BBC Coronation build up with pizza and green tea drink and felt much better.

A bottle of something called Noughty is in the fridge and the nice thing is knowing that even if I drank the whole bottle to toast the new King, it's is not going to turn the rest of the afternoon and evening into a knackered headachy haze.

Have a great day tomorrow all. 👑👑

@WendyWagon - did you see the thread about drinking milk? Seems you are not alone - could be a whole new drink trend.

Morning all.
Two days of professional move done with one storage unit emptied and just my garden pots to come. Thursday saw me drink at least two pints of milk @Cherrymix, it's the new fashion then!
My granddad had a dairy farm and I have always loved milk and yoghurt. When I don't know what to eat I have a pint of milk and nuts. I was a vegetarian for 23 years. I gave it up when pregnant with DS who is a massive carnivore. The DH even went out late last night and bought yoghurt for my breakfast. The difference now is we have shops not just a Onestop.
All the moves we have done over the last few years have been horrendous. This week it was OK. We have had some pretty shit landlords including the stalker. We have not been able to leave peacefully and have had in the past to put up with daily pressure after giving notice (viewings, maintaince visits etc) so the landlord could re let immediately. Absolutely no give or take or thank yous for all the extremely expensive rent in our chichi market town. I did get myself pretty worked up but luckily I didn't go on a bender. One of the first boxes out of store had photos of my brother, it broke my heart. He would have been with us for the last two days with his tool kit and I miss him. He looks like a young David Cassidy in his Yr 7 photo. I am not handing that snap over to anyone!
I shall watch a bit of the coronation as I like to see the outfits. Clothes obsessed me. After that I need to get my kitchen sorted.
Have a good day my friends.

Sorry I've been really non contributing to the thread. Life, plus a nasty virus got in the way. But today (or maybe yesterday - I've not had a wink of sleep) marks 6 months since my last alcoholic drink. This is the longest I've ever not drank apart from when I was pregnant.

And like everyone else I miss the 'nice' drinks and do regret those that I'll never have but then I think about what I've gained in these 6 months and suddenly it doesn't seem such a sacrifice.

Morning all. Day 6 for me today and enjoying not having a slight hangover this morning. It wouldn't usually be bad but just a niggly annoyance that I'd just accepted as par for the course on weekend mornings.

I did something last night that makes this different from the times in the past I've tried cutting back or giving up - I told DH the truth about how I'm worried about losing control and that I need to stop. He's so lovely and supportive but I've always been too embarrassed to admit this even to him. Plus also, wine has been a big part of our life for a long time in one way or another. Saying it makes it much more real.

Hope you all have a lovely bank holiday weekend planned

@MyGhastIsFlabbered congratulations. Six months is amazing.

Well done, that's amazing!

@BraveMaeve well done. Is it a bit like a feeling of letting the genie out. It won't go back in.

My dp comes from a long line of alcoholics and we are the binge drinking generation. Fantastic times in the pub. No need to arrange anything, no mobiles. Just go down one of a couple of pubs and have a great night. He really thinks I make a fuss. But I can feel it in me. And I dont like that craving.

@WendyWagon kitchen sorting is a nice part of moving. I rent and it's beginning to get to me. The last landlords kept all of the deposit (I'm disputing) I looked after the place better than they did, and although I know it's not relevant, I also gave them £90k!!

I am day 6. Boxing workout done and Dawn telephone chats with my ds.

@WendyWagon I'm so sorry you lost your brother and your move sounds really stressful. Sending positive thoughts (and admiration for being so strong!)

Oh and also my health. I'm 50 next month. I'm quite overweight, and I have a condition that means I can't really walk. But I am healthy. I eat 30 different whole foods a week, my lung power is such that I can blow up any amount of inflatables, my digestion is amazing, and my joints are supple and strong (even my knees carrying all this weight!). So AF can only help all of this.

A lot of people rely on me and I have chosen for now to put myself at the centre of their needs. Wisely or not. But it feels true to me. So I need to be able!

Hello all! Hearty wave to you all.

@stilldumdedumming well done on getting to day 6. That's fantastic and a tough climb not to be underestimated.

I had a desperate, desperate evening last night. It was a grim day in a couple of ways (if it's not one thing it's your mother) and I had a bit of a meltdown on my dog walk in the afternoon. Fortunately the dog's fur is very absorbent for tears and he's a lovely and patient listener. In the evening I had enough time to get to the shops before it closed to get bedtime vodka and I was so tempted it almost hurt. But I managed to keep it together, straight indoors and pyjamas on before I could change my mind and was into the chocolate milkshake before the distant shop doors clanged shut for the night.

Very glad of it this morning. Clear head and all that.

We have watched the coronation (dog deigned to wear the replica crown that I bought at Buckingham Palace a few years ago for a patriotic photo-op in return for the promise of a bit of chicken) and I have made some Slimming World Quorn coronation chicken for the street party tomorrow. That will be a challenge as the cocktails there are free-flowing and mighty. Although if the rain keeps up as it is here, the temptation is likely to be short-lived.

Hope all is going well with you. Strength and love. xx

Congratulations @MyGhastIsFlabbered - 6 months is awesome!

Well done on talking to your husband @BraveMaeve - that was a courageous thing to do.

Glad you held firm @REP22

Ive had a pretty full on day and am knackered now. I’m staying in a hotel tonight and I’ve got past the temptation points (which are mercifully brief and easy to ignore these days) so am looking forward to watching TV in bed later - a rare treat for me. I’m so rock and roll 🤣

Thank you @Onewildandpreciouslife 💐 Enjoy the hotel. For real Who/Stones-level debauchery, you could leave the cap off the little shampoo bottle in the bathroom. Wild times 😉

Hey @MyGhastIsFlabbered we almost share a soberversary! I hit 6 months earlier this week and for the first time in ages had a wobble. Tough week at work, traveling with my team and I ordered a mocktail at dinner which arrived with alcohol in it. I took a sip and the voice in my head was going crazy, telling me just to drink it. I sent it back, but it was like that voice wasn’t giving up. I ignored it, I’m never going back. Stay strong ladies!!
welcome newbies! I rarely post but lurk on here a lot and it never fails to make me feel hopeful. You can do this.

Hi all. I’m new to this thread. Thanks for having me. It’s about 13 months since I last had a drink. I’m relieved, but taking nothing for granted. I’m looking forward to having a daily read in here, and I hope you’re all well.

Hello @Sudokufail, welcome. I'm fairly new myself. Lots of lovely wise friendly people here. Congratulations on the 13 months, that's brilliant. x

Thnaks @REP22 :)

Hello all. Bought my favourite wine at the supermarket tonight. Dp has just opened it. I'm having a bit of a stress time but I am holding firm. Just checking in to get me thru!

@stilldumdedumming

You won’t just have a small glass. You’ll finish the nice bottle, and then want another one.

Then you’ll wake up feeling like shit.

Hello! Congratulations on your move Wendy, I hope it’s not too long before your plant pots join you. Happy 6monthiversary Ghast and Shanster, congratulations! Stay strong rep and stilldumdedumming, and everyone who’s having a hard time.

I’m planning an early night. Quietly proud that not so long ago a coronation would have been the perfect justification for drinking. I didn’t even miss it, only remembered when I noticed how much space there was in the fridge.

@rothbury exactly! He offered me a small glass. So I made a joke that it would end in me trying wrestle it off him. I want to work out in the morning and then get on the road to see ds (who lives with his dad about an hour away).

PS thank you for jumping in @rothbury - it helps!

@Blackberryblossom the drinking around the coronation is insane!

Good morning sober sisters.
I had a massive 'f*ck it' moment yesterday and my DD who has anxiety calmed me down. We had to drive from one side of town to the other for her prescription as Boots are now saying you have to wait 7 days for fullfiment. Get some staff people and stop trying to pay minimum wage. We got to the other location and some arse pinched the DDs parking money out of the machine. We ended up in the Marks but luckily I was steered away from the booze isle. I had coffee cake when I got home instead.
More kitchen stuff to retrieve from our flat today and I am trying to make sense of the kitchen. It is badly designed but the rest of the house is fab. I put our booze cupboard in the storage room and it will stay there, ditto the wine rack. I had a marks tinny with lime. Plastic tumbler but it tasted good.
@stilldumdedumming well done for resisting.
Well done to all the anniversaries.

Good morning!

Can I join?

My drinking got really out of hand a few years ago due to my ex-husband being abusive (even though I was divorced from him, he got worse) and while I've been far more moderate for a good two years it occurs to me that I look after myself so well, run, eat an amazing diet etc - why on Earth do I still drink?

Doesn't make any sense. So I'm done. I have a busy day of allotment organising planned today and tomorrow as well which should keep me busy and tired and I'll take some lovely chilled kombucha with me to keep me refreshed in the sunshine!