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 @TimesaChangeling! Quiet from me usually indicates all is not well. I tend to post when I’m winning…. Tonight I had a meal replacement hot chocolate with collagen 🤣 A strange combo but was recommended to me to help sleep, improve my skin and try to stop all the evening snacking. Am going to give it a week and see what the scales say. Will at least be a nice distraction, if nothing else!

I’ve been having alcohol free ciders in the pub and no one has really noticed or commented but then most of the people I socialise with can have a couple and stop quite comfortably. I’m going out on Wednesday with a group of friends and that’s what I’ll be drinking and just saying ‘dry jan’ if anyone asks.

I didn’t sleep well last night
Giving it another try tonight. Managed to avoid snacking and just focus on my hot chocolate.

Hope you sleep better tonight @MamaGhina

Im still not drinking, day 23. Craving is still there - but once I have managed to walk past the M&S in the station on my way home from work, I am ok at home just drinking water.

I seem to be coping with work stresses better now than when I was self-soothing with alcohol every evening. But I am struggling to motivate myself to exercise more and I don’t know why - will try day 1 of that again tomorrow!

Hope Everyone else doing ok.

Definitely one battle at at time @Limeandsoda2023! Thanks for the good wishes. Hopeful for a better night tonight.

It took me ages to settle down to sleep at the beginning. Then it got good and then I got all nervy at night again… I’ve started to take magnesium tablets to see if that will help. Hope you have a good sleep tonight.

Dinner was fine, fun even, and 50% of us were dry! Turned out at least two of us had realised we didn’t have time for it any more (the other was for religious reasons anyway). Didn’t impede the evening at all.

I take the Tesco brand sleeping tablets-they are the antihistamine that make you drowsy. They work quite well for me. I’m managing dry weeks which is a huge improvement for me.

I hope everyone's OK.

I have settled into a routine where if we are out, I'll have one glass. Driving helps. There has been a bottle of prosecco open and a bottle of Sauvignon since the weekend and I haven't been tempted. I'll bung a glass of the prosecco in a chicken dish tonight and pour the rest away. It must be unquaffable by now.

My sleep went totally awry about 8-10 years ago when dd was ill. MH, depression, anxiety, self harm, ED, etc., and CAMHS were less than helpful. My GP refused to keep prescribing zopiclone but prescribed a low dose of Amitrytiline instead. Once you get used to it, it's very helpful. It's off licence for sleep. I sometimes take one nowadays on a Friday night for the treat of 8 hours.

Morning all. I’m still here, still sipping my hot chocolate in the evenings. Sleep is slowly improving but as we head into the danger zone tomorrow evening I might need a plan b. I know if I can get this weekend under my belt, next week will be a breeze. I just need to keep focusing on the 30 day goal. It is achievable!

Morning all. I am feeling good this morning after going out for a meal with friends last night and not drinking. Helped that the three of them were doing dry Jan!

But I’d had a bad day at work and was so tempted to have wine. Two things stopped me 1/ I kept thinking about how annoyed I’d be the next day having broken my dry streak and 2/ I reminded myself that me drinking a bottle of wine was punishing me and not my annoying boss and wouldn’t do anything to improve the work situation anyway!

it wasn’t great having these constant thoughts in my head but at least I didn’t give in.

Hope all are doing ok.

Hi everyone I have also had a testing week and I also really ‘wanted’ wine but actually I didn’t. I thought about how crap I would feel in the morning and didn’t have any and I’m so pleased I didn’t. Well done those still on board and hop back up anyone who wants to!

Morning all. @MamaGhina that hot choc sounds interesting I add collagen to my coffee in an attempt to help my skin.

@limesoda it sounds like your day has been similar to mine. Work is horrific at the moment and insanely stressful I walked home yesterday and thought I am getting some wine I deserve it. I decided to buy a giant bag of mini eggs instead. I went backwards and forwards over why I should have the wine vs why I shouldn't. I thought about what my daughter had said about my drinking and stayed strong. I am really glad i am 8 days today.

Morning all, Friday is here! Amazing but tricky, I know. If you are really trying not to tonight, maybe come up with a plan of what you would like to do instead so that you’re not sitting on the sofa feeling itchy? I remember in the early days of the first thread that we were all wailing on Friday nights and so, so smug on Saturday morning when we felt great. So channel that if you can!

I hope I am not being too Pollyanna ish btw, I definitely have the itch at the moment and am trying to make sure I have a plan of my own.

Well done @Allthecatseverywhereallatonce - good restraint! And @Haggisfish3 @SpringNotSprung @MamaGhina @Limeandsoda2023 - everyone is doing great! The sun’s out here which helps for sure! I am trudging on - nearly at 150 days. Not been tempted for a while now so hoping it stays that way.

Went today for annual eye test (I am v shortsighted and wear contact lenses) and the optician said my blood vessels in my eyes looked far more healthy than previously. He assumed it was down to my wearing lenses less to give my eyes a rest but, given the change I can see in my face looking a lot less red, I am sure the 39 dry days in sept/oct and the 26 dry days now have made a difference.

There is probably no part of our body or general health that alcohol doesn’t make worse!

Hope everyone managed Friday night ok and enjoy your weekends.

Wow that’s amazing @Limeandsoda2023
They did a detailed scan of my eyes last time so it will be interesting to see if they note any changes this time.

My face has definitely changed too. Are you noticing other changes? My tummy is definitely flatter, despite me still having weight to lose.

That is interesting @Limeandsoda2023, you’re right of course about it affecting everything.
I had my hot chocolate and went to bed, I have a big weekend and need to stay on track. Hope everyone else is ok.

Hope everyone is doing ok, I’ve had my hot chocolate and about to go to bed!

I’m just heading off to bed after another dry Saturday - but have a horrid cold so not feeling the AF benefits today !

@BoilingHotand50something it will be interesting whether your eye scan shows improvement too. I am v overweight so not noticed changes in tummy shape yet - more exercise is my focus for Feb!

One other weird improvement I have noticed is my finger nails seem to be stronger and healthier. But maybe that’s more down to managing stress better at moment and not chewing them quite so much…

I like the idea of your hot chocolate @MamaGhina - I might try that tomorrow.

Hope the hot chocolate hit the spot @MamaGhina. I have a velvetiser and I do not use it nearly enough. Mysteriously I always think “ah no, I shouldn’t waste the calories”. But that thought never occurred to me with wine and the massive snacking habit that came with it. So why should a hot chocolate set me off! So random.
Hope you’re feeling better cold wise @Limeandsoda2023. Re the nails, it might be the collagen which I think alcohol acts on detrimentally or some such. I think it’s the reason why skin improves as well.

Im feel v bouncy at the moment. Have just booked a holiday and even though historically the actual act of booking a holiday was a trigger (why?!!!) it wasn’t any more than a passing thought this time.

How’s everyone doing?

All ok here. Same old same old.

i also like the idea of the hot choc. I have been having an Ovaltine but maybe I should switch it up! Is it a special one you have @MamaGhina ?

@BoilingHotand50something I have one from Holland and Barrett which has collagen added. It’s called beauty sleep… haven’t noticed any changes in my level of beauty yet but maybe I need to give it a bit longer 😂

I came on this morning because I’m off to the pub tonight. It’s the last night I can swan around using dry Jan. I’m not that keen to go for a number of reasons, so I think I’ll make a brief appearance and then make my excuses.

@TimesaChangeling I’ve also booked myself a short break and I’m intending to use it as my incentive to stay dry. I need the cash to pay for it! I have a holiday countdown on my iPad. My long term goal is to stay dry until the holiday but the short term goal remains a month.

@smegley how are you getting on? You’re never far from my thoughts when I visit this page.