Anyone who has quit recently

[Teaforthetotal]

Hi,

I'm a long term mumsnet user but just changed my username today for this board. I've been off booze for a week and a half after a night out that ended in blackout, dangerous behaviour and the hangover from hell. It was a big wake up call. I've always been a binge drinker but feel like it's gotten worse after a rough period last year and I've been drinking a lot at home for stress relief. I am feeling pretty good so far and just need to keep up the good work.
Is anyone on a similar journey right now?

I am joining you. My drinking has got out of control and I need to stop, for both my physical and mental health, and for my family. I was so pleased with myself yesterday as I was really productive round the house (which is a tip) and got one room really well cleared out and tidied and it looks so much better than it was. I’m off work today and planned to do another room, but drank far too much last night as a reward for my hard work and ended up doing hardly anything today as I felt rubbish, mentally and physically. I’m so annoyed with myself as I really value my day off work and having time to myself, but I just wasted it today all because of alcohol.

I’m fed up of not being able to stop after just 1 drink, fed up of the reduced productivity in work, fed up of the loss of motivation to do anything because I’m feeling rubbish, fed up of not eating well because I feel hungover, the list could go on.

I know what I need to do -just not pour that first drink. Now I need to do it.

I stopped drinking 18 months ago after similar stories - I’d drink almost every night, enough to make me feel mildly rubbish, less productive etc. The on a binge (maybe once every 6 months) would blackout, put myself in unsafe positions.
I just wanted to say that life on the sober side is AMAZING. I am a better wife, mum, friend, employee but most of all I am learning that I’m a decent person when I’m not intoxicated and am really positive about the future. I doubt I’ll ever drink again - why would I?

It won’t always be easy but you deserve to do this for yourselves and so the very best of luck xx

Hi there. I spent years weekend binge drinking and more often than not to the point of blackout. Nine times out of 10 I’ll be able to get up in the morning and have my normal routine, exercising, going for a run or a walk, socialising and seeing the family, et cetera, but when it got to the point of wanting to stop and finding myself not able to at the weekend, I realised that alcohol was actually bigger than me 😳 I have had long periods of abstinence, I know the benefits of not drinking, but I couldn’t do it on willpower alone. I would reach 20 days max and start moderating then failing to moderate and right back where I started. It was driving me insane, the constant chatter in my head to drink or not to drink.

I’ve done a lot of research over the last few years, and after trying every single thing out there including AA, I read about The Sinclair Method …. I’m now on my second weekend and it’s given me an off switch that I’ve never had. It’s not for everybody, but for me it’s life changing and I only wish that I’d got started years and years ago. I now have a small wine at the weekend each evening, I don’t want any more, I go to bed with a clear head. I wake up feeling fresh. Thank god I found Dr Janey Merron as she’s helped me change my life, or, the second part of my life for sure!

There’s also a wonderful community called dryy started by Andy Ramage, and the people in there are just beautiful, so kind and inspiring. It’s free. I would definitely recommend posting in their chat room too.

you maybe able to do it just through willpower and a string mindset realising that you’re not losing anything by not drinking, you’re getting it all back, but for me…. I didn’t find it at all possible 😫 but I’m alright now ☀️👑

❤️‍🩹❤️

I’m joining you. I drank a whole bottle of whisky on the bank holiday weekend, I still feel a bit hungover today! I dont drink through the week, but I usually do 2 weekends out of the month.
I have alcoholism that runs through my family, and I’d like to go back to not drinking as I don’t want to put my kids through what I did - I was 6 years sober and then ruined it about 18 months ago.

Thanks for replying. It's a relief that others have had similar experiences, the majority of my friends seem so in control of their drinking. I'm glad I found this board.
{mention:confusedlots}@confusedlots this sounds similar to how things have been for me in recent times. It's awful spending valuable time hungover when I'm time poor as it is. Doing it for my health and my family is a big motivator.
I can't be the woman I want to be when I'm drinking.
@MissSmith80 thank you for your inspiring words and well done for being 18 months in. It is really helpful to think that someone with similar problems to me can do it. I like how you phrase it that I deserve to do this for myself. I've had brief periods of abstinence in the past and I think I was focused on the giving up aspect rather than what I'd gain.
@SpinCoffeeRepeat the Sinclair method sounds interesting. I've read a bit on this board and I the news also. It's great that you've found something that works so well, for you. I'll have a look at Dryy, thanks.
@justkeepswimingswiming thank you. Alcoholism runs in my family too, I want to break the pattern too.
Hopefully we can share tips etc.
I feel so much better mentally and physically after just a week sober. Off to have a nice tea pigs tea to celebrate :)

Yes I am only 109 days into no alcohol this year.

I’ve rewatched rain in my heart (old bbc documentary) over last couple of days.
Always found it so powerful yet heartbreaking to watch.

Keep up the good work ~ you got this.

I'm in, I so need this! I've been on other threads (name changed) but keep failing after a couple of days. I live alone so noone is aware that I drink. I'm always intending to give up, but come the evening the bottle of wine calls so strongly

I'm on Day 6 of no alcohol. I didn't binge, get blind drunk or suffer hangovers - I was just in the habit of having a couple of glasses of wine every day, and those glasses were getting bigger. And that's been going on for years. I knew I was drinking far more than I should but couldn't cut down. So now I'm trying to break the habit. I am sleeping a lot better and telling myself I look less ancient (!) but it's not easy. On the positive side, I've had to distract myself by keeping busy so my house has never looked so tidy! It's helpful to know there are others out there trying to. Good luck to all.

Day 3 for me and facing my own Hen do tomorrow, which I’m sort of dreading now I don’t want to drink! But it’s dinner so I should be able to say I’m not drinking without feeling guilty…right??
One minute I think I’m done and the next I’m bargaining with myself that I can moderate…been doing it for months, and I’m exhausted!
Been chatting to my hairdresser whilst getting my hair done and he mentioned he doesn’t drink…I’m in awe of those people to be honest!

If I can get to three days, then six days, I'll feel I've made a start - 109 is awesome!! @Butterfly1728 I recognise the bargaining - if I open a bottle I tell myself I'll save half until the next day (it never happens!).

@Butterfly1728 I hope the hen night and meal go well and you'll remember the whole thing . I got really drunk the night before my hen and ended up missing my facial the next day, so don't make the mistakes I did 😂
Maybe at some stage we'll all be as confident as your hairdresser.

Hump day is a big one for me as I'd generally 'treat' myself to a few glasses of something on a Wednesday so I might see if there's anything nice AF at the supermarket on the way home.
I've been painting my nails a lot in the evenings and that's keeping my hands busy (and nice-looking).

@Butterfly1728 I hope you have a great hen night! It's a good test but you are bound to enjoy it anyway. My big test (apart from getting past 6pm every day!) will be my upcoming holiday. I'm trying to imagine how proud I'll feel if I achieve it without cerveza!

Hope you guys are doing okay with the sunny weather. Ive always enjoyed cracking a beer open in the sun but went for a walk today, an excursion with the kids and have done some bits around the house so have enjoyed the weather more than if I was boozing. Nearly finished The Sober Diaries too. Just having a leffe zero now 😀

I kept looking out at the chair in the garden and thinking how great it would be to sit there with a book and a beer... But I did some pruning instead, made bread, started another jigsaw, took stuff to the charity shop - anything to keep busy. I managed to get past 6pm (my danger time) and will now start cooking my dinner. Tomorrow is Day 10, my second goal, which sounds a bit feeble compared to some people, but it's huge for me!

i was tempted yesterday to have a cider in the sunshine but I thought about how bad the hangover would be and avoided it. Woke up this morning feeling great. Day 7 for me!

@justkeepswimingswiming Well done! I was tempted by the sunshine, the chair in the garden, the cold beer in the fridge... But I resisted too, slept well and am already up and about this morning. Today is Day 10 for me. Couldn't have imagined I'd ever get this far. Keep going!