Tulips, snowdrops and another Day 1!

[MamaGhina]

New thread as promised. I’ll pop on later to tag everyone as I wanted to get this link on the old thread before it fills up!

Link to the old one for any new joiners:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/alcohol_support/4877066-its-day-1-anyone-else?page=40

Hi all! Hope everyone is ok!

@TimesaChangeling so weird. I was just thinking about part 2. I am on day 126 today so over one third of a year. I have been out for the day and I didn’t get too tired, didn’t start off with a headache, didn’t need a drink to socialise, felt energetic and I wore something I felt happy in. I felt like I was on my way back to being me! I even got back and did chores as opposed to falling asleep on the sofa or cracking open a bottle to top up whatever wine I had during the day. This is a good feeling! I feel like part 1 - going sober and beating the cravings - is done! I really hope I am not speaking too soon.

So lovely to read everyone’s updates. Good luck for the week ahead @smegley I’m sure we will all be thinking of you. Agree with those saying take the time off if you possibly can. It’s time to focus on you.

I drank Friday night. I’m annoyed at myself. I had so many hopes for January and to have drank already just feels so …. stupid.

I didn’t drink last night or tonight, so all is not lost. Hoping I can chalk up Friday night and keep going but I have that fear that I just can’t change.

Don’t beat yourself up @MamaGhina - this time of year is bleak, and this year is particularly bad. I think you can change and you already made the first important step which is wanting to. And you had a good dry streak and you can get there again.

Come and join me in "stupid corner" @MamaGhina. I drank on 1st and 2nd. Let's climb back on together.

Thank you @BoilingHotand50something. I know every dry day is a win, I’m just not getting to where I want to be. I’m annoyed at myself.

Thank you @SpringNotSprung. I’m onboard

@BoilingHotand50something I think the cravings do come back at weird times and really unexpectedly perhaps but generally day to day, I have no expectation to battle against, no sense of “well I would normally be drinking so this is unusual”. Instead, like you, lots getting done. Both in terms of life chores and things that actually make me feel good. I just want a bit more of the latter! I might plan a big hike for next weekend because I feel like that might scratch a current itch.

@MamaGhina do not feel stupid (nor you @SpringNotSprung ). This is a tough business but I am reminded of one of the sober book /bloggers and the section about how doing the early days over and over again is just doing the really hard part over and over again. I am sure the story involved fluffy rabbits and a spring meadow somewhere, I’m sure someone will remember it!

Hello all! I am sober tonight and am pleased. Hope you all have a good week.

Well done @Haggisfish3 and I know some will be back at work today. If so, hope it hasn’t been too awful. I went back for a couple of days over the Christmas period so it hasn’t been such a shock to the system today.

@MamaGhina and @SpringNotSprung hope you are getting over your annoyance at yourselves and feeling better at climbing back on the wagon. Please don’t feel stupid. I am hoping for me that something will click one day and I’ll stop sabotaging my dry streaks and manage to stay focused on how much better I feel when I don’t drink. I’ve had another day of not drinking today so I’m 8 days dry so far this time.

@TimesaChangeling that’s a v good point about constantly doing the hard part over again. I’ll try to remember that when I’m tempted to drink again.

@BoilingHotand50something - a third of a year is just amazing. Massive well done!

Morning all, back to work for me. Kind of looking forward to getting back to some sort of routine but also kind of dreading it. Hope everyone is well. Thank you for the kind words above. I’m 1/9 today and won’t be tempted now until Friday.

@smegley how did yesterday go?

It went ok, lots and lots of sitting around.
No real structure to the day.

Last night was harder back at home.
My usual routine was sit on the sofa all evening and drink and obviously that's not an option anymore.
I've got some craft projects arriving today to try and keep me busy so hopefully that will help.

I've woken up not feeling great so I'm hoping that's short lived

I hope that as the days go on you start to feel gradually better. Finding something to occupy yourself with is a really great idea.

I’ve not entirely nailed the less sugar part but bit by bit this week has been a healthier effort on the food front and I’ve even managed to go to bed before midnight so I am rocking at least one resolution!

I’ve also been using an app for falling asleep stories / meditations and I really find it helps to quell a busy head so I recommend that too if sleep evades you for a bit. I really struggled with it quite early on.

Lol talk about pride before a fall! I failed to get to sleep for ages then woke for an hour in the middle to ponder all my miserable failings. Why is it always the middle of the night, irrespective of whether drinking or not?

Sigh.

Happy Wednesday folks.

I hope everyone's doing OK. How are you @smegley?

It's jolly cold and I think this is day 8 or 9. I can't remember whether I had a small glass of wine on 2nd or 3rd now. I think it was the 2nd.

I definitely can now firmly link having a glass of wine with having the "munchies". I never used to realise that.

Let's hope the sun starts shining and the weather warms up to encourage all those spring bulbs.

Hello

I'm doing ok, no alcohol since Sunday, last day of the detox programme tomorrow, started on the acamprasate yesterday to curb the cravings and am now starting to wean off the other medication I was put on.

Its been a real eye opener and although I'm feeling positive I'm going to remain alcohol free it has brought to the surface my unresolved mental health issues and that has been very difficult to face.

I did manage to speak to the gp today and im off work until 8th Feb at least so thats given me a bit of breathing space.

I hope everyone else is doing ok.
If you have help available to you and you're struggling, I can't urge you enough to reach out and get what is on offer.

I was so anxious about it and there was honestly no need. Even in these early stages it's been life changing:)

Am so pleased for you @smegley - sounds like you have great support and brilliant that you have some breathing space. Sorry to hear about the issues that this has surfaced but I think we are all in the same boat, albeit not all to the same extent, as we were all drinking for one reason or another.

@TimesaChangeling hope you had better sleep last night. Bad sleep is just the worst thing.

@SpringNotSprung well done on the 8 or 9 days. Such a hard time of year to start. I have never ever even attempted Dry January!

I have hit 130 days today. It feels unreal but I think that is me officially sober. I did the drinking risk score on my TryDry app and it is basically 0. I didn’t set out to achieve complete sobriety but I just feel too scared to risk trying to moderate. And I have to say one of my DDs is pretty adamant I don’t have a drink. She’s being doing PHSE so she’s a complete know it all about alcohol now!

@smegley you must be pleased and relieved.

@BoilingHotand50something I wish my dd were anti booze. My glass of Prosecco last week was because she opened a bottle the night before she went back to school. Reading that back it sounds awful - she is 25 and a teacher

Believe it or not, I started work at 8am and am just packing up! Grrrr

How is everyone doing this Friday evening? Hope your week went ok @smegley - it was certainly sounding a positive start.

@BoilingHotand50something your journey is really inspiring - congratulations on day 130.

I am now in bed ready to log a dry Friday on my try dry app so feeling pleased. I haven’t thought too much about alcohol this week, just trying to be clear with myself that it’s not a possibility so to put it out of my mind. I am finding that easier than moderating when I am always negotiating with myself about when I can have the next drink!

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Big hike nailed. It was clear, it was relatively dry underfoot and I mostly had the walk to myself. Amazing. I really feel like I treated myself! A hot flask of food part way round genuinely felt like the best meal ever.

i hope everyone else’s weekends went well and that you found things to make you happy.

Well done @TimesaChangeling - sounds idyllic!

I have had a less idyllic weekend sorting stuff out in the house but it has been very productive and pleased to get some house sorting under my belt. Lots still to do but a good start.

Hope everyone else is ok?

Hi all, hope everyone is ok. I am back after an awfully drunk Christmas including a very bad and shameful episode of drunken vomiting 😫 However am so far nailing dry January and today I think I'm finally seeing some benefits. Going to catch up with everyone's updates now 🙂

Hey @PleaseBePacific welcome back and well done on the Dry Jan and starting to feel better! The vomming is just so off putting isn’t it!

Hello! I have had a rubbish Xmas and jan tbh. But!!! I have managed to break the drinking every night during the week which is a major bonus. And I am not drinking anywhere near as much and it is getting less. So im still
feeling positive and looking to stop more and more.

Feels like it has gone a bit quiet on here. I have certainly gone quiet! I'm bumbling along, in quite a good place mentally. It hasn't quite been Dry Jan but I am working really hard to clock up those dry days and try and get into a new routine. I am ok with where I am at the moment. Hope everyone else is doing well x