The continuing support thread for living alcohol-free. Everyone welcome.

[Blackberryblossom]

Hello and welcome to the alcohol free support thread. Many thanks to @wendywagon for holding the reins on the last thread, and to drybird for starting the original thread about 3 years ago.
We’re a broad community who have all chosen to live alcohol free for good. There’s support here whatever your stage on that journey. Whatever you’re going through, someone here will have gone through it too. Don’t be shy about posting, we love all the successes of whatever shape and size, and have all been there too when things get challenging.
Thank you too @rep22 @onewildandpreciouslife for offering to back up host too. I thought there was someone else but I can’t find the post.

Thank you for the welcome. I feel supported on here!
Im doing fine today, the evening is stretching before me, but I’m going to find a good film, possibly the second Top Gun, Maverick. I bought nice things to eat and some 0% Estrella, which tastes exactly the same. I recognise the risk in drinking 0% in that it might make me fancy the real thing, but I’m not a beer drinker really anyway.
My quitlit books arrive tomorrow.

@Blackberryblossom massive congratulations on such a milestone.

@SoosanCarter great name! I found the William Porter book Alcohol Explained, a massive game changer for me. Clear and logical. it has really stuck with me.

well I am on holiday with my 3 kids solo, first time since separating from my H. It’s lovely being AF. I feel present and am really appreciating time away with the three most important people in my world.

@SoosanCarter I feel I should introduce myself. Trusting Kenton and Jolene have plenty of AF drinks in at the

I'm drinking AF Asahi. I don't find AF drinks tempt me weirdly. I like Leffe zero too.

@stilldumdedumming ,
I haven’t listened to the Archers since Kate made them sell Home Farm. Unbelievable plot line.
Tonight was fine, it was pleasing to fill in my Try Dry app at 10pm.

Morning all. Big sleep last night and new larder cupboard sorting today.

I noticed Tesco were selling the pink AF gin ready mixed cans.
Perhaps the new booze tax will encourage more AF wines? I found the presenters talking about their right to cheap drink partically fascinating.
Alcohol kills more people than UPF yet it only took two days to fill a 'fat bashing' thread on MN. Hum.

Hope you enjoy your holiday @threeandmeandthedog ! Is the dog with you too?
Congrats on day 1 in the bag @SoosanCarter . You'll find out what your triggers are over time, they differ for all of us. Mine are mainly situational rather than related to a specific drink. I drank gin, wine, cocktails. I can't stomach the smell of wine any more and it has to be an actual 0% beer. I know that technically the 0.5% ones can still qualify as AF but I don't like the taste.
Lovely dinner last night. I had a seedlip spice and tonic, then AF sparkling rose with the meal. There was an AF section on the wine menu!

Posted too early. @WendyWagon I wonder if the price of AF versions will actually come down? They always seem to make the argument that making the AF version incurs extra costs. And yes, as a society we have such a blind spot to the harm caused by alcohol.

@Blackberryblossom i would have loved to have bought my dog! However not practical on easy jet to Italy 😂 He is with my exH, much to exH’s horror.

I have found a lovely drink in Italy called Crodino (I remember my mum drinking these in the 80s)- little bitter Aperitivos, a little bit like a Aperol or Campari but AF. V nice. I shall be hunting these out when back in the UK.

@stilldumdedumming I just got your name too- bit slow on the uptake. My mum used to listen to the archers… I started listening avidly 14 years ago, when DC2 was born and never slept… recording is of the omnibus kept me sane in the middle
of the night. I lurk on the archers threads but rarely post.

I hope the price of AF does come down- I doubt it though- it’s a large market now. It always annoys me that Decaf tea is more expensive too- no caffeine should
make it cheaper 😂

Hope there are more AF wines soon- I like a slow sipping drink, the AF ones I have tried have not been very good so far. I am a fan of AF beer and gin though. AF drinks make me feel like I am joining in, where as soft drinks don’t, so I think AF versions work for me right now.

I bloody love Crodino! There’s another one called Gingerino which is nice.

You can get Crodino in Sainsbury’s.

Have a great time.

Hi all! I've been lurking for a while (and I may have posted a very long time ago on an earlier thread) and thought I'd say hi. I've been on the other abstaining/moderating thread too but some of the versions of moderating there are fairly similar to my normal drinking so it just makes me feel justified in continuing to drink 🤣
I'm in the process of quitting (streak day 4 today although I didn't drink Monday or Tuesday either). I probably don't drink as much as some did (2, sometimes 3, medium glasses a night) but as I get older the effects of drinking are getting worse (particularly for my mental health but also I can get a brutal hangover off 2 glasses if I haven't eaten enough) and yet I can't ever seem to stop for more than a couple of days. I've been trying to stop on and off since January but it just doesn't stick. I even drank during a nasty bout of covid when I couldn't even taste or smell the wine!!
So now I'm throwing the kitchen sink at it. I've been to two AA meetings (don't really know how I feel about that but I know I can't do it on my own - at least it keeps me accountable) plus I'm rereading allll the quit lit and I've started doing a hypnosis thing at night. Got lots of lovely AF drinks in too. God, I really really want it to work this time. Just really sick of drinking and thinking about drinking/not drinking...

@whodatdare
We're here

Hello @thepurplepenguin ! I think I remember you from earlier threads. Welcome back! It’s so lovely not having to make all those decisions. It takes up so much less headspace once you just decide “I don’t drink”

Ah @threeandmeandthedog that makes sense! I'm sure ddog will be delighted to see you all when you get back!

@rothbury I did not know about Crodino in Sainsbury's, I will have a look. Thank you. Lidl had an AF Italian aperitif in a couple of months back, it was lovely with ginger ale or tonic water.

Hello and welcome @thepurplepenguin . Your story sounds familiar. I was never a huge drinker in terms of units, but it was relentless and I really struggled to skip even a night. It clashed with my hr, woke me up at night, exacerbated my anxiety, made me puffy faced... Really not worth it! It sounds like you're organised, and the support here is first-class.

Hi AF gang

@Blackberryblossom - amazing - 1000 days, incredible!

hello also to @thepurplepenguin @SoosanCarter - welcome!

Day 31 for me today, just had 3 days away with my son - sat on a sun-lounger and read for most of the time - bliss! I read Again, Rachel. A slow start but by the end I had cried and laughed. So much of the addict behaviour resonated with me. I was slightly perturbed by the idea that addiction is always there ready to creep back in. I guess I will have to keep on keeping my guard up!

Day 2 completed. Not too difficult although tonight I watched a wonderful documentary about Nina Simone, and I would normally have enjoyed a glass of wine with her wonderful voice. But then probably not remembered what I’d watched!

Hello all, sorry I have been quiet! AF has quickly become the norm for me and I don't even think about it much anymore.
A friend popped round tonight with a can for us both and I declined politely, saying I would have an AF free IPA instead (had some in the fridge, just in case). When he had the second, I had a cup of tea.

DH and I were just saying how much better we feel, how we are sleeping better and not being so grumpy. He is doing remarkably, and on Monday we were at the village fete, friends bought wine and he stopped after a couple of glasses as he felt dizzy!

It's a great example for the kids too, they have noticed and talk about us not drinking alcohol any more.

So all positive here. I shall catch up on the posts I have missed soon!

Good afternoon lads.
Nowt to report. I am having another hair cut tomorrow. I am going for the sharon stone.

Really inspiring reading all of your progress and successes! I’m on day 4 after daily drinking 3 weeks out of 4 (I’ve always managed to stop drinking for the 4th week when I’m on call for work, but as soon as I’m off rota the wine would be poured). Have been drinking pints of orange squash in replacement which probably isn’t great for me either! Looking forward to chatting with others going through the same stages.

I’m on evening 3. Tanqueray 0% is very pleasant.

How’s the haircut @WendyWagon ?

I had mine cut into a bob a few months ago and I kept stopping and staring at myself every time I passed a mirror. Took ages to get used to it.

All going well this end. Got a Wild Girls Holiday coming up in a few weeks which should be great fun and a chance to totally relax. I won’t be the only one not drinking professionally as my WLS friend is coming, and she will only be able to drink very small amounts, if anything.

I wish it didn’t make such a difference that I won’t be the odd one out, but it does.

Morning lads.
No dramas last night. DD can stay in halls for year 2. Finding a house wound have been a farce.
A friend didn't arrive for lunch but I was actually relieved. I hadn't made anything special and she doesn't drink anyway. I resisted the corner shop.
I am not sure it is easier or it is just not part of my routine (I was always calculating the time I could sit with a drink). 1 year, 7 months today. I'm still a work in progress but so much better re my mental health, relationships and boundaries.
Thank you to all those who have supported me.

Well done Sav on your one year and 7 months.. routines make a huge difference at least to start with.
I've not been posting much had some health stuff going on, but boy has it felt good to answer NO! to 'do you drink or smoke?' I admit I have been a little disappointed not to be challenged on it 😂

Evening all! Excellent day yesterday, less so today but I didn't drink and everything turned out OK.

How's day 4 going @SoosanCarter? And @WendyWagon that is good news for your dd. Congratulations on your 19 months! How's the new haircut? Hello @thepurplepenguin and @TheWildRumpyPumpus

I think I might have forgotten to change my hrt patch on Sunday which would explain why I'm nearly dozing off on my feet now!

Sorry for the quick post. Time to sort out laundry, hrt and a book to take to bed!

Day 4 is ok, thank you! @Blackberryblossom .
My lovely friend came round. I had told her about zero Tanqueray, so I asked if she wanted to try it. Very impressed with it.
This is evening is going slowly but pizza and cheesecake have helped.

Day 6 in the bag. This evening was fine as I went to the gym, came home, cooked and then cleaned. So no time to drink (although I would normally have drunk instead of cleaning!). Yesterday was a tricky day and the call of the corner shop was strong, but I made it by the skin of my teeth.
If people like pink gin, the Gordons 0% is really good and once it's mixed with tonic it tastes almost exactly like the real thing. I'm mostly drinking the Trip drinks though, the Lemon and Basil is bitter enough that it doesn't taste like a conventional soft drink. Plus they do make me feel a little mellow, but it's probably a placebo effect!