The Continuing Support Thread for Anyone Trying to Lead an Alcohol-Free Life Autumn 2024

[REP22]

Hello and welcome. I’m glad you’ve found your way here. We are a bunch of people who are trying to give up and keep off alcohol. No judgement, just honest support and kindness.
The original thread was started by @Drybird2020 in 2020 and we have plenty of veterans and newer members who can offer advice and signposting. You are welcome here, whether you post several times a day, once or twice and then never again, or if you only just come to read but have no intention of ever posting.
Whatever your stage on the AF journey, and whatever you’re going through, someone here will have gone through it too. Don’t be shy about posting, we love to celebrate your successes of whatever shape and size - and will support you when things get challenging. We get it, we've been there too.

All we ask is that you’re genuinely trying to abstain. We don't encourage moderation-only here, as it can be triggering for some to read. If you’re looking to moderate your drinking rather than quitting it altogether then MN has another long-running and very active moderation/abstaining thread that’s always near the top on the alcohol support board. Lots of fine support there from those worthy people too.

I started trying to give up drink in 2018, succeeded (mostly) in 2019 but had a few “wobbles”, one of which led me here in April 2023, where @WendyWagon (our most recent ship’s captain) and the others made me feel so welcome. This thread and its wonderful posters has been a lifesaver to many, and have certainly seen me through many good and not-so-good days.

These books were particularly helpful to me and I still go back to them from time to time: The Sober Diaries by Clare Pooley (Amazon - Sober Diaries) and The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray (Amazon - Unexpected Joy). Others have found This Naked Mind by Annie Grace (Amazon - This Naked Mind) helpful. There are Apps that help track your AF journey, including Reframe and the one I use, I Am Sober. Podcasts can also be helpful. I have found One for the Road by Sober Dave to be a good listen. But different things work for different people. Feel free to post and ask. There is solidarity, wisdom and support here. This is a safe space where your voice will be heard, understood and valued.

@EastCoastDamsel hope the alarm situation is all sorted so you can hopefully get a decent nights sleep tonight xx

Oh my goodness. I’ve just woke up so relieved. I dreamt that I was with a group of girls, I know them but they aren’t my friends. They poured me a glass of white wine and I drank it! I felt so disappointed with myself. So relieved to wake up to find it was just a dream! Anyone else dreamt that they’ve drank?
today is day 9 of being free. I cooked roast dinner yesterday for my family and my parents. Usually I would’ve started drinking wine when cooking. So nice to end my Sunday sober and wake up hangover free ready for a busy week.
hope you’re all okay 💕

Ah the booze dreams, I remember them. I was out with Tom Cruise who isn't my cup of tea!
Well done @TiA303091@TiA303091,it is so m uch easier to manage family events sober.

I had such a weird week. I wanted the GP1 meds to help me with my weight and inflammation. The latter has not shown any improvement. However I actually do think the booze noise has gone. Now even nearly three years in I put myself to bed when I get a f*ck it moment. It is quite mind blowing to think a 20th of a teaspoon of these meds can do that. It's also very concerning. I don't like mind altering substances (says she who use to drink seven bottles of wine a week).
So I'm having a tussle with my stance on all of this.
2kgs off though!

Morning all.
@TiA303091 - yes, drinking dreams are really common! Your dreams generally are likely to go through a phase of being very wild and vivid - it’s all that REM sleep that the alcohol has been denying you.

Good luck with your placement @Becky37

@WendyWagon what meds are you having? 2kgs off though is great! And the fact that they are helping with the alcohol noise is better!!
🤣 Tom Cruise! I must admit he is my cup of tea so I’d be happy with that dream 🤣
@Onewildandpreciouslife i vaguely remember having some dreams on my last sober stint. Sleep will be interesting then! I rarely dream.
have a lovely day ladies! I’m off to do school run then work then I’m making sure I go to the gym before I come home tonight. Trying to fit things in is like a jigsaw puzzle but so much better with a clear mind xx

@TiA303091 wegovy.

Good luck @Becky37

I'm new to this thread and have always had a problem with alcohol, namely wine. I was drinking 2 bottles of wine a night, most nights and just feeling so crap every day. I'm also very overweight. I'd heard a lot about the newer WLI helping with addiction and alcohol cravings on the TV and for that reason, more than my weight, I decided to try it as it seemed to good to be true. I'm 12 days in and even the thought of drinking makes me feel queasy, I don't want to touch it at all and like you say, the alcohol noise is non existent. For me, this is like a miracle as I've stopped and started so many times (I'm 50 now). It does work on the part of your brain that craves certain things like sugar and alcohol but studies are being undertaken to see the extent these drugs can help with addiction and could potentially be licensed to be prescribed for such. I've been lucky enough to have no side effects either but I am eating very well and drinking lots of water. Hope I'm ok to join this thread too.

@ThereIsAlwaysWine welcome.

I think we might of met on another thread. I use Wendy for booze only.
@REP22 is our captain on this thread with Sid the ships dog.
The sober sisters will be along to give a welcome and more advice. I'm rubbish at linking podcasts etc.
I'm 58 and gave up nearly three years ago. I'm sure I would have lost my family if I didn't.

@WendyWagon thank you for the welcome! And yes, I believe we have met on another thread. It's certainly interesting how these GLP-1 drugs work.

Morning all. At university waiting for DD.
My wedding anniversary but DD needed my help. Bang went my day out.

Good morning shipmates. Hope you're all OK today. Hearty welcome to @ThereIsAlwaysWine - I am so glad you've found your way to us.

Life and work are bonkers beyond belief at the moment - but staying true to the cause and happy for it. Sorry to be so brief but sending you all very much love.

Hope your DD will be OK @WendyWagon ❤️

Sid has been doing some hoovering. Here he is, having a break and wishing you joy of your Tuesday.

Strength and love. xx

@REP22 a big waggy hello to sid. also working like a loony but saying welcome to @ThereIsAlwaysWine it's a supportive group who will always be happy to share the ups and downs with you. i'm nearly 7 months sober after a 40 year drinking habit and can't quite believe it not relishing the clarity of mind and the hangover free mornings. recommend sarah hepola's autobiog and this naked mind podcast as resources that have got me thro. just keep going one day at a time. i came on here after a terrible drunken puking binge and decided i'd finally had enough. instead of anxiety i wanted a bone deep feeling of well being. over 6 months into sobriety i definitely feel that my brain chemistry is resetting itself and even tho life is far from ideal, im more able to deal with daily challenges. still miss a friday night booze up, but more and more convinced its not worth the consequences. if you have one, play it forward and see where it stops.....

spot the typo in there - remove the word ' not' from the pertinent place. sorry.

@REP22 I love that pooch! Sorry been a bit quiet, nursing placement and the 4 kids been keeping me busy to say the least. But still sober, will respond and update tomorrow. I have Wednesdays off thank god!

@ThereIsAlwaysWine

Welcome, you are in the right place, just keep taking one hour, one day at a time. And keep posting when you can here, amazing thread 🥰

Morning all, just checking in.

Hectic day yesterday as I had to do a 25 hour round trip to the city to collect a child's lost home form the train station.

She left it on the train during the school commute and it ended up being shunted back and forth between the 2 end destinations until someone eventually found it.

Most frustrating thing was that I could track it and see it was on the train but it is IMPOSSIBLE TO SPEAK TO ANYONE at a station on the phone.

No use for me going to the local station as it only stops here for a minute or so for passengers to disembark/board. While either of the ends are significant journeys.

Anyway, very pleased it was found in the end.

Had to work late to complete a project I have been working on because if this interruption too.

Have a great day today everyone.

IWNDWYT

Morning all.
Up too early again but doing well otherwise.
My niece is coming over to help me sort my bedroom and clothes. I can't lift anything heavy but she's a real tidy moo. I'm not!
We ended up staying in for our anniversary but it was fine. We always had steak and champagne but I don't want either.
We'll try again on Friday for the Bath trip. Hoping for a handbag from the DH. 😄

Morning Shipmates. Cold but bright and sunny here today. Sid likes it as all the scents are enhanced but the fresh crisp air. I think he will be downloading a few extra wee-mails on his walk later! He is very flattered by your kind words @ponzusoup and @Becky37 - thank you!

@EastCoastDamsel that sounds like a right nightmare. I had similar once when a Brazilian student who was staying with my parents left her wallet on the train. Absolute madness. Glad you got it sorted in the end.

@Itsrainingten I do apologise, I didn't answer your question the other day about AF gins and such. TBH, I tend to avoid them as I worry that the taste might be triggering. And, for me, my drinking was never really about enjoyment of the taste; always a slippery slope to wander down. I tend to go for sparkling water or OJ+Lemonade. I've got a night out in London soon where much drinking will be going on. But not by me, I am determined. Quite apart from London pricing, I genuinely don't want to.

Happy anniversary @WendyWagon - hope you had a nice time, and that your DH knows how lucky he is to have you! That's lovely of your niece, hope you have a nice time with her.

Strength and love from me and he. It's going to be alright. xx

Morning all. Hope you’re all well? So I’m now on day 11. Had my first alcohol free weekend last weekend. I cannot believe how much I actually got done, everything seemed far less stressful. Im now looking forward to another alcohol free weekend. I’ve got a couple of trigger events coming up. Im going to a show Friday night, but the friend im going with isn’t a big drinker so hopefully that won’t be too bad and I have a wreath making evening at another friends Saturday which will definitely involve alcohol. Planning to take a nice AF tipple with me. Maybe some sparkling water with lime cordial?
im so pleased it’s Friday. Only today and tomorrow at work. I still feel tired and haven’t reaped the benefits of any energy boosts yet since quitting but im looking forward to that. Hope everyone is doing good. Sending positivity and love ❤️

Ahoy shipmates and Sid.

Hugely pleased with myself yesterday. I ignored champagne given to me!
I was sorting clothes with my niece. Five black sacks to the charity shop. I have a nearly clear bedroom. It's a large room so I still have a couple of moving boxes, contents unknown!
The husband is not happy about the new meds. He thinks they are concerning. He is being really unsupportive.

Out for breakfast, I fancy eggs royal.
Have a good day my friends.

Good morning and well done @TiA303091 🥰🥰🥰.

Wow, @WendyWagon that's a lot of bags! A great achievement and what a helpful thing for your niece to do. Why is your husband not supportive of your weight loss injections? I hope you get things sorted between you. And fabulous about refusing champagne!

@REP22 Good morning to you and Sid. I hope you enjoy your sniffy dog walks in the cold today!

I'm back from holiday, arrived home yesterday after two 7 hour plane flights. While I was away my dad was taken to hospital. He is elderly and has multiple health issues and was/is seriously ill. My poor brother had to deal with everything whilst dealing with a very pressurised job and his own family life as well as keeping me up to date on dad's progress, with me on the other side of the world and 8 hours ahead, time wise. He was a star 🌟

Anyway, I didn't drink at all while away or to deal with the stress of my dad so I'm really pleased. I'll be spending lots of time at the hospital over the next few weeks so will need a clear head and the ability to drive at any time. Six weeks sober on Saturday. 💪

@CarrotSeeds that's such a brilliant achievement and glad you are reaping the benefits. @TiA303091 being tired is normal T this stage of sobriety be kind to yourself.

waves to @WendyWagon @REP22 @sid and @EastCoastDamsel @Becky37 @Onewildandpreciouslife @ThereIsAlwaysWine

sending love to all

@CarrotSeeds I am so sorry to hear about your dad; what a worry. Your brother sounds like a gem. But you must all be so physically and mentally exhausted. Wishing you all well for the days ahead.

@WendyWagon - sounds like you've had a tiring day too, bless you. I'm sorry your DH is not being supportive. Those meds are needed - I'm sure there'd be worse consequences of not taking them? Congratulations on the champagne resistance and cathartic bag-filling; the charity will benefit and they will bring much pleasure to their new owners.

A clear head and the ability to drive, as Carrot says, cannot be overstated. A colleague and I have had to unpick a nightmare of sheep today; a blend of odd movements, births, deaths and more movements. It took two of us over five hours without a break to work out which sheep was which. They all look so terribly alike, you see, and we don't have an ear-tag scanner. I was so glad that we worked it all out between us. It would never have been possible with hangover brain fog, not even remotely.

Off to London tomorrow. I will not be drinking.

Sending each one of you love and strength. Sid and I would wish you courage as well, but we don't need to. You are already brave, because you are here now, reading this. Keep going. It will be OK. xx

Waves also to @ponzusoup from Sid. Sending wags and love. ❤️

Also to @ShyMaryEllen, who I don't think has posted in a few days. Hope you are doing OK. ❤️xx

also waving @ShyMaryEllen and echoing @REP22 's sentiment. you ok love??

waving again to sid as i cannot resist that doggo 🧡