Another Accountability Thread

[Rosie2024]

I’ve been sober now since 1am on Tuesday, so 60 hours now.

I’ve had a drink problem for 30 years, I’ve tried AA, etc. i manage to still hold down a part time professional job etc.

Anyway, I’ve been on Mounjaro for 2 months, I’ve continued to drink wine, I’ve lost around a stone and a half, which could have been more if I hadn’t been drinking but I was at peace with it.

But over the Christmas/New Year period I found that my usual wine (anything between 1-3 bottles a night) wasn’t doing anything for me. Monday, I just planned on the one bottle of wine.

It did absolutely nothing for me. I looked at the bottle and thought I may as well be drinking water.

The last 2 nights I’ve not struggled with not drinking wine, I’ve had camomile tea and Trip CBD drinks instead. My sleep is not good, I’m also constantly waking up for a pee but I’m feeling a lot better in the day. Any thoughts of wine are quickly banished by the thought of it just being calorific water.

I am not here to promote MJ as a way of quitting alcohol and I’m not new to MN I’m just here to share my own experience, I’d read that this can happen but such was my love of wine I didn’t think it would happen in my case.

I’m also aware that I won’t be on MJ forever of course. I have about 3.5 stone left to lose. I am excited to see how this affects my weight loss and overall health and appearance.

I am taking the stance of, one day at a time. I don’t intend to drink today, but if I really want to …I can.

Thanks for reading so far.

Hey OP, just a quick one to say keep going.
i too was a long term (mostly secret) ‘functioning’ drinker- full time job but would drink lunch breaks and after work mostly until i fell asleep.
I thought id never not drink. It was who i was.
Last February something in me changed. I stopped cold turkey and haven’t had a single drink since. Christmas and new year was difficult, and I’ve had to have coping strategies. I’ve cried, I’ve got angry, I’ve almost almost poured myself a drink a few times but I have never ever given up.
i take every single day as it comes, but I’m nearing 1 year now and let me tell you I look 10 years younger, 2 stone lighter. My body no longer aches. My bloat has gone (face and belly). I’m starting to realise my personality without alcohol (I’m not the loud and ‘funny’ person I thought I was but that’s okay)

the best thing I did in early sobriety was regular yoga, stocked fridge of ‘fancy’ soft drinks complete with garnish and ice. I personally never ever have the ‘zero’ drinks because I fear that’ll make me crave the real thing.

please buy ‘the unexpected joy of being sober’ on Amazon too. Thought I’d hate it and it’d be useless crap, I devoured it in 3 days.

im rooting for you 💪🏻

Yesterday was a little tougher. I got home from work and was so tired I had the thoughts of, “wine will perk you up”.

So I remembered HALT from my AA days and had a an hours sleep around 7pm. Did result in yet an awful night’s sleep again but I stayed sober. 🎉❤️

I was to proud to mark off another sober day on my try dry app.

Reminding myself it hadn’t given me a buzz in a while helped too.

What’s with all the peeing at night? I am waking up every hour! I don’t pee every hour during the day.

Thank you @Samesbabes, I read that book years ago, but can always re read. Well done on almost a year sober! I bet you feel amazing.

Oh bless you keep going !! Haha the peeing at night I can’t comment as I’m in the menopause right now so I’m like a tap that never turns off 😂

how are you feeling this evening? Evenings post work were always the worst for me. I am very repetitive by nature and the ‘ritual’ of visiting the same shop (big shoutout to Tesco express…) buying the same bottle(s) coming back and doing the same thing every single evening was hard to break.

I guess as dramatic as it sounds I genuinely don’t think I could have continued without doing serious damage (either health wise or doing something stupid like suicide attempt etc whilst in a very depressive state)

I admit I do miss the gentle warm feeling of the first drink, but unfortunately the same as you I know I will never, ever, ever be a moderate drinker. I have an addictive personality type (thank god I have never touched drugs in my life).

so on a positive note you’re doing AMAZING! Let me know what treats and what lovely soft drinks you’re treating yourself to this weekend?

im about to have an icy cold Diet Coke and catch up with Dragon’s Den new series.

sending you lots of positive vibes xxx

And every time I have even a slight wobble I don’t know if you have any pics of you in a horrible drunken state but I do in a secret folder on my phone I often look how gross and bloated I was and it soon reminds me!
and the old phrase “you never regret a day you don’t drink”. So, so, soooo true.

Thanks @Samesbabes for your support.

I was fine last night. Caught up on some Tv shows. In fact, I’ve watched more Tv this week than I have done in ages. My first sober night I binge watched “Playing Nice” and then on Wednesday I watched “Missing You” on Wednesday.

I don’t like fizzy drinks at the moment as they give me heartburn, a MJ effect sadly, but I have peppermint tea and camomile tea for tonight along with my Trip drinks. I know they are dizzy, but it’s a lot less more than coke etc and I let them stand a while.

There isn’t much on TV tonight bar the Masked Singer so I’m either going to watch Lockerbie or 7/7. Maybe though, I’ll go over for something more light hearted ;)

Tesco Whoosh was my friend many times 😂 I dread to think what they thought of me in my Tesco express. At least my only interactions then were with random Uber drivers!

I will join one of the main threads eventually, but just getting through these first few weeks on this for now, 😄

Hey! Congrats on day 4 🎉 you’re smashing this! Yeah you know what I used to hate fizzy drinks but my weapon of choice (as in the cheapest way to get drunk….) fast became Prosecco or fizzy wine (always bloody on offer) and I ended up craving fizz too.
Waitrose has a gorgeous still lemonade in the bit where the cordials are - £4 a bottle mind but lush! I like Trip drinks too and when I want a bit of energy the ‘Perfect Ted’ drinks are nice natural energy drinks.

oooh your evening sounds great! I’m just about to eat now. Fridays and saturdays always worse for thoughts of drinking but walking along this morning our high street about 7am and seeing piles of sick reminds me why we’ve chosen this, ha! Many a time I’ve been the puker so nice to feel a little bit of a distance from that!

yes the other threads can be super fast but I do often read them whenever I need to stay on track, or offer support. In my early days of sobriety I loved reading stories of people on ‘the other side’ of the difficult start bit as it gave me hope. Also this journey is never linear and there’s definitely ups and downs.

I found it to be sort of

week 1- pure survival, physical cravings, bloody awful
rest of the first month- just felt emotional and still survival, lots of quit lit and soul searching
weirdly after that it felt ok. Around my birthday, summer (outside drinking everywhere) and Christmas obvious sort of peaks of cravings but I weathered it.

I have faith you can do this! 👍🏻👏🏻💪🏻 have a fab evening xx

This thread has really helped me. I'm on day 4. Long time drinker - apart from pregnancy and breastfeeeding a daily drinker from the age of 18, social drinking in my 20s (out of every night) turned into drinking at home as I got older, still managed to hold down a professional job but I know I'm damaging my health and my weight is also out of control. I definitely self medicate. I managed 2 years of sobriety through AA but started drinking again during lockdown and haven't stopped - up to 2 bottles of wine a night , in secret. Hiding it from my DD (single parent)

I'm determined to stop for good - I'm late 40s and my drinking has held me back in every area of my life - nothing good has ever come from it

Hi all and welcome @howsoonis . Im glad this thread is helping you. Well im almost at a week now and my sleep (finally) starts to be getting better,I’ve kept busy over the weekend with seeing a sober friend (AA goer) and reading/ watching stuff on TV. Ticking off those dry app days makes me happy 😃

Thanks @Rosie2024
Day 6 - going ok so far, my trigger is definitely boredom or trying to muster up energy for housework. Also self medicating unpleasant feelings

I’m following along with you - day 3AF - initial thoughts were just to go AF during the week but tbh I think I need a prolonged period of not drinking before I could even consider being able to have just one!

I hope you continue to stay strong and enjoy your new healthy life x

Also sleep is shocking - am relying on herbal teas and a cbd at bedtime but not currently helping much …