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.

@YouJustDoYou I prefer the Gordon's AF. I squeeze half a lemon into it and top with schweps tonic. The martini AF tastes like martini to me. Noughty wine is pretty good if you like fraescatti. I am on the diet Pepsi tonight.
Some swear by Cordino AF.
The best fake wine I ever had was from Asda. Sparkling Sav blanc but I never go there.

@Thepeppapigfanclub ah I work in the beauty industry so people always ask due to my skin (no lines). This was a man though so that is rare. I bet he wanted to know about any surgery/fillers (none, I thank you).
My face is my calling card, ditto the nails etc. No fags ever, spf 30 but lots of booze in the past!!!

@WendyWagon I wish I could say the same. 😂I hope this quest will have at least some positive results. I'm planning on a bit more self care in the next few months - because I'm definitely not looking my best at the minute. Any tips?

I'm currently on the low cal bitter lemon in a large gin glass (72p from coop) because despite spaffing thousands and thousands of pounds on wine over the years, I was too tight to pick up a bottle of AF gin today. 😂I am going to get one tomorrow though as a 'reward'.

What will everyone else be drinking?

Morning all.
@Thepeppapigfanclub I am the same with AF drinks, very expensive to me. The exception is the Gordon's.
I use to love the Marks botanical and tonic can but it has been discontinued. Was £1.50.
I think I worked out I had saved £5k in my first year. I had three sessions of laser on my red veins. £180 plus about £1200 of therapy.
Add in all the clothes shopping whilst pissed and I have still saved a fortune.

And good morning everyone, happy Friday 🎉

Good morning all and Happy Friday! I do have the Friday feeling so will be getting something nice in for dinner and something with some fizz. What will you be doing?

@WendyWagon In all honesty it's only this week I've started even thinking about the financial aspect of this drinking. It's always been seen as a necessity. I've saved £50 this week alone (at least!). I'm going to plan on a bit of pampering and sorting out how I look over the next month. I might even rejoin the gym...AGAIN.

I'm only on day 5 but a week of not constantly berating myself has been nice. It's been calmer in my head. There's a long way to go but my eyes are looking less dead and I'm a bit less bloated. I'm so glad I'm doing this and I am very grateful for threads like this. So much of it resonates.

Good luck for tonight @Mummykins54

Happy Friday my lovelies, the sun is shining and life is good!

Welcome @Thepeppapigfanclub@Mummykins54@YouJustDoYou and good luck on your AF journey! I have found a new love for elderflower cordial topped up with sparking water - hits the fizzy spot without being overly sweet! I haven’t got in to AF beverages but hear there are some good ones out there!

Day Hawaii 5-0 for me today - unbelievable! I have survived a week of two lots of exam results and seeing my children safely through to the next steps in their life adventures - phew!

What a change in my life and outlook since becoming AF. There are genuine feelings of happiness and joy in my body that aren’t drowning in alcohol which is incredible! I still get bouts of anxiety, but that is me and I am able to rationalise why I am feeling anxious and know it will pass (like the alcohol cravings in the early days!)

Have a lovely rest of the day all, and today I will not be drinking!

ah @Minutebyminute sounds like you have found the fluffy bunnies. They come in glimpses, and then i think we get used to having them around. Still lovely to wake up hangxiety free and go to bed knowing you won't be waking wondering what you forgot about in the morning.

HUGE Congratulations on 50...

Ah, thank you @Fortheloveofgodwhy ! I love the idea of the fluffy bunnies - that is exactly what it is! Now you mention it I have heard ‘pink cloud’ mentioned on TikTok in relation to this feeling as well so that must be what it is!

The relief of lifting my head off the pillow in the morning and not playing hangover roulette is priceless!

Have a lovely AF day 😊!

Ah @Minutebyminute your post made me smile! It’s a magic feeling- congratulations on 50 days 👏

That's brilliant @Minutebyminute Big congratulations, fluffy bunnies and pink clouds to you! That's a serious achievement!

Top stuff @Minutebyminute that's great to hear. The clear morning is a sweet, sweet feeling.

Hope you all have a lovely bank holiday weekend. Extra strength and love to those who need it.

Keep going. I will stay and keep AF for the dog. x

But here's my crap joke of the week, in the absence of anything more inspirational:

I just bought a Van Gogh coffee table.
I know it's genuine because it's got a bit of veneer missing.

Much love to you. x

Congratulations @Minutebyminute

You'll have to change your username soon (monthbymonth? 😁)

Took me a while to get that I must say @REP22 - got there in the end though and it's a good one!!

Morning shipmates.
I survived the two bossy friends at breakfast. I employed the tell me about it tatic. They were quite happy to yak on about their health issues. I then went to lunch at a much kinder friends. I felt like the vicar of Dibly, too much food. Both didn't involve booze.
The breakfast pair were quite mean to me after we suffered some bad luck a while back. I suspect one was gossiping about me. I remember writing about it here. The interesting thing was I am not hungover or desperate for a drink to get over the picky conversation so I went out of curiosity to see what they would do. Other than the milanaire trying to get someone else to pay (!) they were OK. I limit my time with people like this these days even though we were close friends in the past. You can't keep on being beholden for a favour (repaid) from 2008! And of course I don't get the 'oh, how are you today?' faux concern for my bloated look of hell. I bounce in like Tigger and that p*sses them off. Nowt funnier.
Have a good Saturday all. I shall be assisting the DS in the garage.

I’ve been feeling a bit down recently. It’s probably a combination of things.

Work has been insanely busy, purely because so many colleagues are on holiday. Then last week I had to assert myself with my boss, which she didn’t take kindly to. I know she’s really busy and stressed too, but she was being really unreasonable so I felt I had to stand up for myself. She’s clearly livid, although I won’t see her for three weeks now due to our annual leave.

Then there’s my AI holiday coming up next weekend. I’m so excited and looking forward to it, but also a bit worried about navigating through without being the Boring Bitch who doesn’t drink any more.

However, the good news is that none of this has me reaching for the vodka bottle. I don’t even think about it as an option anymore. I still can’t quite believe that a habit I used as a crutch EVERY SINGLE DAY is now a complete irrelevance in my life, just eight months in.

I wish I had known it would be this easy.

Sorry for the pathetic self pitying rant. I’m a miserable cow right now. Maybe it’s the shit weather.

Well done for standing up for yourself @rothbury . If you don’t, who will? It may not have been a very comfortable thing to do, but getting “comfortable with being uncomfortable” is a good skill for sobriety and life in general, I think.

im on holiday at the moment. I confess I do feel a bit wistful for white wine, and am having very vivid drinking dreams! But I’ve been for 2 early morning runs, and have a lovely morning routine- head to the beach for a swim before everyone else is up, and a coffee at the cafe when they open. I couldn’t do that on a vat of white wine

@rothbury well done. I understand. I have been back to work this week after a three month break and it hasn't been easy.

But, the lack of fluffy head on a morning has really helped. Colleagues keep asking to go for a drink but am avoiding so far.

Have been super quiet but my news is DH has decided to give up drinking altogether as well! It was his birthday last weekend and so we hosted an AF bbq. Everyone was actually super happy to be AF, no one complained at all.
Then he went into town to watch the footie and had a few beers.

Sunday morning was 'interesting'... so much so that he has decided to just stick to AF beer.
I feel super proud of him!
We are still not drinking much, the AF beer is weekends only (and I had one last night, that was enough).

Now I have bought a (new to me) Reebok step, and am going to start using that. First, to figure it out...

Thanks for the support lads.

Your holiday mornings sound great @Onewildandpreciouslife and I have similar plans for a beach walk before everyone else surfaces with their pounding heads.

@justdrink that is great DH is joining you being AF. I don’t really bother with AF drinks much. Except for Crodino if I can get it!!

I’ve had a shower and pulled myself together. Going for a long walk in a bit.

@rothbury chin up chuck. You've done brilliantly.

I attended my first AA meeting last night - think I have already said that my son has said if I don't attend one every night for 2 weeks then I can't get to see him or my new grandson. I was cacking myself but everyone was really nice and welcoming and I am going to stick with it.

@Mummykins54 i thought about that in the night. I ment to ask you. Well done.

Thanks @WendyWagon don't get me wrong it was hard going but met some nice people and not being snobby but some folk that I wouldn't care to see again but we are all in the same boat of alcohol. I am not losing my son daughter and grandson to this absolute poison

Hello all! Just back from a week’s holiday/parent-wrangling. When I first went AF I was quite worried about how I’d cope at home without drinking but it’s actually a real blessing now. So much easier to refuse the regular invitations to argue, even the ones about how I’m allegedly making them feel like alcoholics by saying no thank you to a glass of wine

@Minutebyminute your post was lovely! Congratulations on your 50 days, that’s half way to triple figures!

well done @Mummykins54 that must have been very hard. I’m glad it went well and that you’re going to go back.

@YouJustDoYou it can be lovely to get in your favourite tea/coffee/hot chocolate, or think laterally and buy some lovely bath products and a fluffy towel or robe. I normally have AF beer, sometimes the Gordon’s AF, but a mug of tea in a nice bath never gets old. It’s whatever makes you feel good and distracts you from the craving/habit.

Hope you’re all well. I am smiling at the coffee table joke.

@Mummykins54 I do know what you mean re the people however the more 'the fast show Scallies' they looked, the kinder they were.
We had a Queen Bee at the Wednesday meeting. Obviously worked in fashion. Didn't like me one bit, too much competition.
I stuck to the chaps.
Our town is quite posh so it was enlightening to see who was about. And of course it is mostly men because alcoholism is well hidden in women or joked about as 'mother's helper'. We wouldn't need it if others pulled their weight!(not referring to the DH, but caring for family).
All help is useful in the early days. Later we can choose what works for us long term.

Morning all.
First up at Wendy Towers.
DH poorly, daughter hiding from DS.
I drank my milk and went to bed after Skyfall.
Boozy friend has been on a dry run so I got a few texts yesterday but not the ravings I had a fortnight ago. I am thankful for that.
All quiet here.