It's day 1! Anyone else?

[Thepeppapigfanclub]

I'm 45. I've been drinking a bottle/bottle and a half a night for as long as I can remember with the odd dry January/ Stoptober along the way - but I always end up back on the wine again.

I'm a parent to a 13 year old and the shame that comes with this is crippling. It's not good and I know I HAVE GOT to stop. I am sick of the self-loathing, the fear, the anxiety and the money down the drain. Most of all, I'm worried about shuffling of this mortal coil leaving my child before I should.

So it's day one (again) for me. I just wondered if anybody else has picked this as their day one too for some support.

Any tips for the first week?

Many thanks - there's some seriously inspirational people on here reading some of the other threads - I'm in awe of all of those who've made it to six months, a year and beyond. It feels beyond my grasp.

Morning all!

Day 39 here! Day 81 is a brilliant achievement @SpringNotSprung.

The cravings haven't been too bad for the last few days. I'm planning on trying not to be a miserable cow this weekend and aiming to avoid romancing the idea of drinking wine. I might even get around to buying myself some new PJs. I'm 100% certain I'll get the wear out of them. 😂What are your plans?

Wishing you all a great day.

@Thepeppapigfanclub we are the early birds.

Day 81 may be fab but I started before many here and may not have got this far without the thread. It's a helpful voice that says "but I don't want to tell the thread".

@RubyMurry22 I'm not persuaded my fully treated thyroid that has caused no issues for 35 years has raised the ALP. I am injecting a med daily for severe osteoporosis and think it's that but my rheumatologist felt it must be the alcohol related because my ggt was raised. The hepatologist did not think so and I think he thought rheumatology had over-reacted with their urgent two week referral ultrasound and fibroscan. It was a very scary time. There are, however, a number of metabolic factors that need to be optimal.

My mildly fatty liver was most likely caused by 30-35 units a week, being obese with a BMI of 31.4, and a rich albeit not entirely dreadful diet, and lack of exercise. My job is sedentary and I stopped going for walks after a very severe fall that broke bones! BMI now 29.2. I have lost 15lb in 81 days and feels very slow progress.

@MamaGhina do make sure you treat yourself.

This thread really has been a great support and I think other people managing to get through it too has been really, really helpful. I've gone from thinking 'I can't do it', to, 'It's going to be hard at times but you can do it'. Even having the belief that it is possible is something great.

I’m 9 months and 2 days in. It has got so much easier. Reading Alcohol Explained and This Naked Mind have been a major help. Understanding better how alcohol works and the conflict it creates between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind has been very “freeing”. I did put on weight to start with for the first 4 1/2 months but the scare with my liver focused me on heating more healthily and walking more.
I’ve been to a wedding and on two holidays which I couldn’t even imagine without alcohol, but I had a great time. I feel excited now about the future without alcohol. I want to spread the word to my friends too but have realised they don’t want to know due to their own issues with alcohol.
Keep going everyone! 😃

Morning all, glad to hear lots of positives floating around! I am no longer the Grinch of earlier this week (well, so far today anyway, there’s always time 🤣). Gearing up for a holiday in a couple of days and I cannot wait. Lots of nature and wild scenery. I plan on exhausting myself with all of it and having no space to even think about the wine.

Echo the point around this positive thread. I read this, and the moderator and abstinence ones, every day for reinforcement and it is a huge help.

Morning all, glad to hear lots of positives floating around! I am no longer the Grinch of earlier this week (well, so far today anyway, there’s always time 🤣). Gearing up for a holiday in a couple of days and I cannot wait. Lots of nature and wild scenery. I plan on exhausting myself with all of it and having no space to even think about the wine.

Echo the point around this positive thread. I read this, and the moderator and abstinence ones, every day for reinforcement and it is a huge help.

So great I said it twice

This is indeed a great thread and I'd like to add my encouragement to anyone who might be lurking (been there, done that), please do feel free to join and add your own voice. Also to those who have joined, and then shuffled off and starting drinking again (been there, done that), please do come back: no judgment here! Or those on day 1 again, AGAIN (been there, done that). It's great to feel that we are not alone, isn't it, and I thank you all for your support.

Day 15 for me. Sleeping really deeply but eating everything in sight and have put on a few lbs. Bah. Swapping one addiction for another! (I jest but actually, that is genuinely a thing).

I really have to stop my head jumping forwards to Christmas and drinking. It puts an awful lot of pressure on to think about anything other than One Day At A Time.

Am finding podcasts on how alcohol affects the brain super interesting. MRI scans have proved that a drinkers brain literally loves alcohol, it lights up our pleasure centres, makes it hard to quit and gives us that "drink now" voice under most scenarios. The good news is that we can unlearn this, with time in sobriety. But also why, when we try to moderate, we go often quickly go straight back to where we were before or worse.

Loving the positive vibes everyone!

Day 25 here and feeling ok! Wish I was seeing more of an impact of all those calories saved but hey ho!

@Thepeppapigfanclub @MamaGhina and who every else I have let out!

Had to take a break from here my head was fried. I have actually joined a local AA group as a member - went to one in particular where I wanted to walk out half way through. This one is just right for me - lovely folk. My preconveived ideas re AA have totally gone - we are all there for the same reason. We have already arranged a Christmas evening dinner. I still need to go to other meetings in other places but so far positive. The first step into the building was the hardest x

Amazing @Mummykins54 , I'm so pleased it is working out for you. Well done!

@Steppered Thank you!!! Don't get me wrong I have fallen off the wagon but when you hear other people's stories and what they have lost for the bottle it really makes you think. Its like if I took 5 packets of Mr Kiplings apple pies knowing they would make me ill, depressed, shrink my friend group, lose everything - would I take them? Absolutely not! Weird anomaly but it helps me x

hi all, please may I join you. I've been reading this thread for the last few days and you sound like such a supportive group! I have been drinking about 1-2 bottles of wine every day pretty consistently for the last year or so. And I need and want to stop. I haven't drunk since Saturday - so this is day 5 of not drinking for me. After a couple of bad nights at first, my sleep is getting better and I feel so proud each morning that I didn't drink the day/night before. Tonight is the first time I am seeing a friend. My original plan (and goal on the try dry app) was moderation and I was planning to "just" have two small glasses of red wine. But I've decided I want to stay not drinking so I am going to just say that I'm not drinking in the week and order soft drinks only. Writing that out will hopefully increase my willpower to stick to it!

Hi @Limeandsoda2023 , you're very welcome here and well done on Day 5! Enjoy your soft drinks this evening with your friend!

@Mummykins54 exactly that... do we count how many days it has been since we last ate Mr Kipling apple pies?! Or how many apple pies we eat every night? Glad the meetings are going well.

Morning all! I hope you're all doing well. It's day 40 (I think). I've got to be honest and confess I didn't think I'd make it this far. It's a record!

@Mummykins54 You're back! I'm so so glad! I hope you are getting stronger by the day. You can do it! 💐

Welcome @Limeandsoda2023! Sounds like you're off to a great start! Are you all set for this weekend?

I've got a weekend packed with my child's club activities so I'll be glad I won't be doing that with a hangover. I'm going to try and not wish I could be a moderate drinker this weekend. I'm going to try and look at this as a blessing, not a curse. (Easy to say at 6.50am on a Friday )

I hope you all have a great day.

Well done @Thepeppapigfanclub on day 40 and welcome / welcome back to all!

25 days done for me as the weekend looms!

Will check in later when the Friday night wine witch starts sniffing around! Have a good day all.

Morning all! Congrats @Thepeppapigfanclub for 40 days!!

I agree about activities and hangover free. My goodness.... the days of soft play and a hangover when the Dcs were too young to go in by themselves..... [shudder]

I have lost 0.4 of a pound. Down is good even if it is microscopic. 12 stone 6.2 today. I'd hoped to be in the 11s by now but i am trying not to become discouraged. I've probably just shocked my body so severely by not-drinking that it is behaving like a deer in headlights and has frozen it's metabolism.

Hope everyone has a GREAT day. I am off to get results from hospital tests today so am slightly anxious.

everyone!

Hi all. Hope I'm not too late to join, although I can see some other newbies on here! You just all seem like such a welcoming bunch! I'm on day 6 and loving it! I have been so productive, ehich has surprised me as I thought alcohol made me more productive with cleaning etc. Oh the lies it tells us! I was drinking a bottle and a half of wine every second night (sometimes every night). I am now on a bottle of tonic water a night. I have been on day 1s before but this has got to be it. I have young children and I don't want this to blight their lives.

Welcome @excitedemmi and well done on Day 6! How are you feeling about the weekend?

Day 40 is incredible @Thepeppapigfanclub , well done!

Good luck with your test results @NewLifeHappyLife .

Strapping in for the weekend...day 16 here.

Thanks for the welcome messages and congratulations to @Thepeppapigfanclub for 40 days. That’s amazing. My friend was lovely last night - when I said I wasn’t drinking she opted to have soft drinks too.
I’m nervous about the weekend but determined. But I do need to make some plans for some nice things to do else I’ll be in bed at 7.30pm both evenings to avoid drinking!

I've got a soft play get-together booked for tomorrow morning so that should make this evening easy, and my resolve is generally high at the moment. (Although it is the morning so that's not always a good litmus test). I also have an appointment booked with our local alcohol counselling service on Monday, so I'm looking forward to that. Using the Try Dry app and I am currently logging in in the morning that I have stayed dry, which is a bit presumptious for the day, but it is currently helping.

Absolutely in awe of you all and can't wait to be even further down the line. 🙂

Well done to everyone, even those that are restarting (like we all are really). It's good to hear everyone's struggles as well as the wins. Xxx

Congrats @Thepeppapigfanclub on Day 40! and also to the rest on your journeys. This thread has helped me so much. I'm on Day 12. I've been so tempted every day - last night it was when I was coming home from an Open evening and I thought to myself "why not just pop into the corner shop and get a bottle"..

I can't remember who said it on this threat -the cravings/ temptations only ever last so long and never more than 10/20 minutes. Once you get past it, it's over and you don't think about the Wine Witch anymore.

I'm hoping to get to a place where I'm not plotting - should I have a glass when we take some friends out tomorrow etc. I'm already thinking about it but will stick to a Coca Cola. Fingers crossed for me.

Thank you for all your kind words. Another Friday night is here. Too cocky earlier - Friday night is still the hardest for me. Well done us though. The mornings are ours! 😂

You are doing so well @MisoSoups. Day 12 is brilliant! I will wish you luck but you won't need it.

I was also too cocky too early! My resolve weakened with the glorious sunshine this afternoon (any excuse, hey?), but I have held firm and I'm past the worst hours for me now.