Sober October Challenge

[KK1983]

Good afternoon 😊

As the title suggests, I have decided to give 'Sober October' my all and go alcohol free for 31 days. This challenge might be a walk in the park for some but this is going to be HUGE for me. In the past 12yrs, I can't even remember the last time I have even gone a week sober, let alone a month!

So, I am a daily drinker. I have 1-2 bottles per day, sometimes more over the weekend. I have a successful job and a beautiful life but my drinking is becoming more of an issue that I ever thought it would be. I think about it more than I want, plan days around it and spend far too much money on it. Alcoholism runs in my family so i'm aware of the signs which is why I need to get a grip asap. I want to be able to moderate.

If you saw me in the street you'd look at me and think I have my shit together. I have the house, the kids, the marriage, the job - the lot! Drinking became a friend when I had none and when I was lonely after my daughter was born and my husband worked nights. Now drinking feels part of my personality, people know me as someone who loves a drink, the life and soul and I used to love that but now, I'm bored of myself.

I have tried to go sober several times but I get to day 4 and give in after finding any tiny excuse to reward myself. Night 1 always feels a bit rough. I role around the bed for hours on end and get a little anxious but nothing too bad. Day 2 I feel hungover without the fun the night before. Day 3 I cry a lot and become quite irritated. Day 4 - I quit! Not this time though, I NEED to do this and I WILL do this.

To help me along the way I have started taking the following vitamins:

• Vitamin B Complex high strength
• Live friendly gut bacteria
• Vitamin B1 500mg x2
• Iron
• Biotin & Zinc
• Vitamin D & K2

Can any recommend anything else or have any tips to help me along the way?

Thank you for taking the time to read this,
Kate x

Evening.

No one should not post if they’ve slipped up! We are all human, normal and trying our best. And having one glass is a LOT less than what seems to be all our norms! It makes us realise we are all so similar and have the same struggles.

I think I got through yesterday not wanting a drink because I woke up feeling crap today. Monday never feels that tricky as I can tell myself it’s Monday and I don’t need to drink on a Monday.

Keep going everyone!

Can you reframe it a bit - rather than a failure, you stopped at 1 and you darn less last week than you usually would? Every unit less is a step in yhd right direction?

Evening all!

@dumplinggirl- I hope everything’s gone well gif you today in hospital. Hope to see you soon back on yhd thread

Day six one and I faced down a horrid gynae appointment and stayed away from the wine. On the plus side, yhd appointment means I’m (currently at least) free of yhd horrid prolapse symptoms whilst I wait for a double repair - so hopefully I can no return to work too, and go back to the gym. I celebrated with an hours him walk in the woods.

Here’s to day 6 and another alcohol free evening.

Ah, yes, drinking friends can make things harder I suppose.

I love your MN name - I love a well stocked pantry. Do you have any favourite recipes?

Feeling so tired tonight. Does anyone else find they just don’t get the second wind without the booze?

I'm baaaack!!! Wow! All the well wishes makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! My surgery went really well, dont want to go into it because its outing but my quality of life will change dramatically for the better. I even got home; thought id have to stay .
Anyway, I dont like reading about blips being called fails etc...everyone here is doing remarkably well and we must all think of how much LESS alcohol has been consumed in the last week. Thats all massive WINS! Hope everyone is good tonight

you are correct @Fiftyandme I drank far fewer units than last week, thank you.
I’m tired too @Jiggywiggle Hopefully we will all get some energy back soon.

glad to hear your op went well @dumplinggirl , welcome back 😊

That’s fabulous news!

Absolutely. But I tell myself it's balanced by more energy in the morning. That said, I nearly slipped up this evening, because...drum roll...my son moved up a swimming class.
Thank you, desperate wine brain, for that pathetic excuse for a drink 😂 managed to have ice cream instead, but it was a bit close!

Hahaha - this made me laugh 😂

Well done for sticking it out!

Welcome back! Great news if went well x

lol. Oh yes, the Wine-lover’s Handbook of Excuses to Drink 🤣

Morning all!! Hope all had lovely, refreshing sleeps and those on day 7, well done. Those not, continue to think of the difference in units this week in comparison to the usual amount so the well done also!! Hope everyone has a good Tuesday 💐

Hi all!
Sending congratulations to you all, whether or not you’ve had a “blip” or not. Even if you haven’t stayed completely alcohol free since the start of the month (I had my blip Saturday!), you’ll have no doubt been more aware of your drinking and probably reduced overall this month so far, so it’s still a win.

Nothing for me since Saturday. Am away this weekend with friends so I doubt I’ll be able to stay AF but I’m going to make more positive drinking choices (aka no wine or prosecco!)

Have been giving some thought to the festive season and how NYE often means a night of drinking far too much. I am currently looking into a NYE yoga retreat… 3 days and nights of yoga, walks, time by the sea and meditation… it feels like something that would be a positive for me rather than waking up on 1st Jan with hangxiety…

I'm so glad you decided no to leave. This journey isn't about perfection, it's just trying to make better than you were. x

Day 6 for me, looking forward to starting AF week 2

Ahh that's great to hear, hopefully your op will be here in no time and you can get back to feeling more like yourself.

x

Morning gang....

@dumplinggirl so glad to hear your op went well and you're feeling good. Onwards and upwards now x

I'm off today so it's a trip to Ikea and then then dentist, not sure which will be more expensive but at this rate I wont have money for wine which is good 😂

It's only since not drinking has it made me realise how much I love waking up fresh. I always thought I felt ok the morning after a drink but I think I just got used to feeling fuzzy around the edges. I like this feeling.

We're all doing great guys, blip or not. DAY 6!

Have a fab day x

@KK1983, totally hear you about th3 fresh feeling in the mornings. Also thought I was also ok when drinking but no, there was also a slight nagging fuzziness there

I can relate to the Excuse to Drink handbook! Look - a leaf - how lovely, let’s celebrate with a drink. Someone ‘stole’ my parking spot, Pah - let’s have a drink. The dogs were really silly on their walk today - let’s have a drink! Anything!!

One week down. Reminds self how well I feel, how well I’m sleeping, how clear headed I am, how reduced the anxiety is.

Progress not perfection is definitely the way forward, and not to let perfect be the enemy of good. Keep going folk!

I'm definitely feeling this. DH (who is not doing Sober October but also doesn't drink as much as I do) is fed up because I keep wanting to go to bed really early!

@ImFineItsAllFine Same here. Not helped by the fact that I quite a large operation 3 weeks ago which I am generally recovered from (started driving again a week ago as opposed to in 3 weeks time) but still... feeling it!

If you have 1-2 bottles a day I’d recommend you check out an AA meeting Op as that, combined with you planning your life around alcohol indicates to me that you are already an alcoholic. Your story sounds very similar to many who attend AA.

Your physical reactions to quitting also demonstrate to me that you are physiologically addicted to alcohol. It is not normal to feel anxious, hungover or weepy when going just a couple of days without alcohol. You may need to involve a GP or addiction service in your recovery as it’s dangerous to quit if you are physically addicted without help.

Not a judgement, I go to them myself. But you may find them helpful to stay sober whether it’s for a month… or longer.

Sorry, I see that as it’s the 7th you’ll have already started. Well done, but if you find yourself wanting to drink I really would recommend a meeting.

Also I never lost a single lb when I quit drinking. Not a lb in months… so don’t get your hopes up on that end.

Hope you’re recovering as much as possible. Be kind to yourself as much as life allows in terms of rest and recovery.

Tonight is an easy win for me - meeting a friend for a dog walk at 6pm, so I’ll come home and have supper and then be back on the hot chocolate watching Bake Off, missing (for me) the wine witch hour of cooking.

Good luck everyone!