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.

Thanks @WendyWagon, @SarcasticIntrovert, @Blackberryblossom, @Onewildandpreciouslife - I'm feeling much better now I'm passed my birthday. I kind of 'ruined' it by doing this but very glad I did, hopefully next year I'll be in a much better place. Having got through all that I really don't want to go back to the start and have that all be for nothing.

We're having some friends over for an impromptu dinner tonight - these guys coming over was what broke my streak last year but I'm not worried, I'll be fine.

Well done, very inspiring!

@BraveMaeve you can do this. Good luck tonight and enjoy yourself. Make a fab pud.

@Stopdropnroll welcome! I'm new also and the support on this thread has been amazing. I've had the same sorts of thoughts in terms of social situations and that's held me back previously. So far I'm just saying (if anyone asks which they actually haven't yet!) I'm taking a break to lose weight and get healthier (which is also true).

@Cherrymix I think you're being very sensible counting the coronation as a blip. If you forced yourself to go back to day 1 that would be really demotivating, and you've come so far!

I'm facing my first Eurovision sober...I love Eurovision but it's generally involved eating lots of snacks and drinking excessive Prosecco. I'm going to go all out with snacks and get some nice AF drinks instead and still make an event of it.

I guess all the first AF times are tricky, hopefully they get easier. I was thinking about my drinking earlier. I've been posting that I miss the 'nice drinks' but now I wonder,,.usually the first would be necked so quickly it didn't touch the sides and after that the effects would be blurred by the previous alcohol. So were those drinks ever really had?

Ghast I'm really looking forward to Eurovision! Last year we got in pink nosecco, raspberry lemonade and fondant fancies. Just me and the girl as the mister doesn't see the magic. It was excellent, and I didn't fall asleep waiting for the results or curse myself the next morning.

Checking in and wishing everyone a fab Friday.

Day 11 and a hectic weekend ahead. Have done some hardcore resisting this week. Hooray!
My adult but teenage daughter is expecting her first baby at Christmas and wants me as a birthing partner - so that's my sober Christmas sorted. (Not thrilled but we are moving with the positive because what else can I do?)

Sorry not thrilled that she's so young and is just getting going, completely ok about sober Christmas!

Hello all, hope you're doing OK. Nice to read all your updates.

I've had the most bonkers week in a long time. Sheep! Trains! Arrests (not mine)! More sheep! Accounting hell! Cows!! Tractors!!! Oh, for an Eastenders-style drumkit...

I didn't fail to recognise that I would not have been able to manage and cope with half of it had I been in a drinking fog. A good learning experience.

I haven't been watching Eurovision, but I suspect the dog would enjoy it. Going by all I know of him to date (not had him that long), if he had his way he would be in tight spangly lycra shorts gyrating on a podium to the Euro techno-beats.

Strength and love to you all. Have a great weekend. xx

AF alert Gordon's AF gin £10 in tesco. I recommend with huge lemon slices and tonic. I also have a special glass.

@stilldumdedumming your daughter will be fine. Her decision and therefore I recommend joy is given. My DD is 19 and I would be shocked if she said she was having a baby but you know it is a gift (from God, the universe, mother earth etc). Not everyone is fortunate to have children. Young mums with the right support do well. No creaking knees and usually easier births, congratulations to her and you x

Ooo thanks for the heads up. Thanks for the congratulations. Yes. Fully embracing as what else to do. I agree, there are disadvantages but life is very twisty turny and so who really knows what is best. It is a shock. Failed contraceptive injection no less!

@stilldumdedumming it must have been a huge shock but I think it's best just to take the positive. What a compliment to you that she wants you to be her birthing partner.

My sister had a baby at 19. She is now in her 30's (and has 4 children in total) but is almost qualified as a MW. She is a fantastic mum and has more energy and patience and enthusiasm than anyone I know.

She also had our mum as her birthing partner.... was an amazing experience for them both.

Just in case anyone needs to hear this tonight …

@Onewildandpreciouslife love that, thanks for sharing.

Like a few PPs I'm used to having a good few drinks during Eurovision, we watch it every year. Another first I guess!

It's day 11 for me today, I hope it gets easier because it's been quite difficult so far. Just keeping going one day at a time, I don't want to go back to the beginning.

Looking forward to Saturday morning feeling well rested and not even a little hungover.

Ahoy shipmates. Captin Wendy at the bridge.
I love a quiet dawn without a hangover. I have put a wash on, unpacked glasses (no wine ones) and guzzled two Yorkshire teas.
It occurred to me this morning I don't eat cheese anymore. It was my go to with Friday night wine. I have the same piece of mousetrap in the fridge from weeks ago. I love cheese but have lost my need to scoff. We had fish and chips last night and I froze my chips again. I was always a hungry person and being overweight it shows but I really can't eat what I use to. Booze of course is a digestive. I need to change doctors next week when we hand back the keys to the flat. I am hedging my bets as to who is likely to give me the new jab. Posh market town with mainly London skinnies or large village with plenty of big girls and some idea if it works ?
My cousin is visiting today but luckily lunchtime. They are big drinkers such that I had to give up staying with her when I worked close by. I actually couldn't function the next day. God knows how they do.
However she is super generous and will bring pretty flowers etc. I shall give her a fake gin if she needs a glass as no booze in the house yet.
Have a good weekend my Hearties.

Morning!

I am jumping aboard this here sober ship - ahar mateys!...ahem...sorry, (I took your "ahoy shipmates" and just ran with it).

This has been something I've been toying with for a while now and I need to give it a go. It helps that my worst influence / best friend / relative / drinking partner recently had a health scare which means he has stopped boozing. He is just the male version of me and it did kick me up the bum when he told me.

Hoping to have a healthier life mentally and physically and it needs to start with alcohol.

Thanks for the supportive thread!

Can anyone give me a hand back on the wagon? I have fallen off and I don't like it here.

Honestly, what a crap habit it is.

Good to have you back @MerylSqueak . Just get through today. You know you’re going to feel “off” for a few days, so be really kind to yourself - plenty of water and rest x

Having a blip isn't the end of the world @MerylSqueak it's what you do afterwards that counts.

For me, a blip used send me on a downward spiral and I'd be in self destruct mode. It's why I know I can never touch booze again. I had a very all or nothing relationship with alcohol.

Many others here have successfully dealt with blips and come back stronger and more determined. A blip has reinforced why they want and need to be AF.

Be kind to yourself. It's takes a lot of grit to do this AF malarkey.

Thank you. I thought it wouldn't hurt but it did.

@MerylSqueak Last year I did Dry January and then went back to drinking - I couldn’t imagine not drinking so just thought I’d see what happened. Well, the inevitable…..
I realised I really missed the sober me, so I did Sober Spring (20 March to 20 June), and then just carried on.
So I drank on 16 days in 2022, and I did my best learning in those days. Someone on a previous thread called it “feedback not failure”.
What matters is what you do next - good luck

Good morning shipmates! This is all reminding me of the old “pirate speak” button on Facebook.

All good here. I did have a little urge yesterday when I finished work. I stopped. Analysed it. Decided it was a habitual Friday thing, and I was a bit bored.

Dismissed it and the urge just vanished because I looked hard at it.

The sun is shining and I need to run a few errands which I will walk to, rather than using the car. 😇