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

Yup. I’m in. I am 50 this month so I have planned for one day of alcohol.

Last night I had Trip drinks plus extra magnesium with collagen, and went to bed. Tonight I plan pretty much the same

@nowinetimeforme a sober weekend will be a milestone for us all I think. I genuinely don't remember the last time I had one and my youngest is 13 😬 You'll do it and we'll all get to Monday and be super proud of ourselves.

No I'd be the same. We don't do left over wine here either 😂

Well done!

@Fiftyandme Did you sleep ok? I actually really like those Trip drinks.

50th Birthday is a big birthday and you deserve to celebrate 🥳

@Jiggywiggle there are various meals that I make basically only because they use some wine and I can drink the rest of the bottle with impunity. I particularly like this because my DP doesn't know how much goes in the dish so I can make out most of it went in there, rather than me drinking it. 😂😬🙄

Hi everyone, I’d like to join too

I did thanks you. Ivd had aroubd 12 months of decent sleep I think I’m finally through the 2+ year cyclical and horrific sleep issues, finally. Hopefully that’s the end to them - theyve plagued my life for 20 years.

I still don’t feel particularly refreshed, but at least I’m not hanging all the time.

I'm a bit similar in that I quite often don't drink Monday-Wednesday but make up for it (and then some) Thurs-Sun. Just want to get this weekend under my belt and then I think Sober October will start feeling a bit more real.

@StarlightRobot welcome!

Yep... I'm driving tonight so that will be fine. Tomorrow will be tricky; I have a relative visiting and I always buy a nice bottle of wine to share when he comes. I'd always be a couple of drinks down when he arrived though so in reality I still got up to my standard 1 bottle equivalent (at least).

Despite the lack of sleep and hot sweats, I feel relatively ok. I've done a walk, made a soup, been productive and now in work until 9pm so I'll bypass the 5pm & 8pm cravings. Tonight's drink of choice - ginger ale.

Welcome @Fiftyandme and @StarlightRobot , glad you're joining us!

Day 2 here for me... Had an okay sleep last night, i take magnesium tabs and those magnesium trip drinks when I'm not drinking and really think they help with sleep.

@KK1983 thanks for the inspiration, I'm off to make a nice sweet potato soup now! Good to put some nutrients back into my long-suffering body.

Hope today goes well for everyone! ☺️❤️

Apparently alcohol stays in your system for up to 10 days so is still affecting sleep without the knocking out effects.

Not that I do it all that often but Saturday and Sunday aren’t the worst for, Friday is my nemesis though.

Any day that ends in a 'Y' is my nemesis haha I'll find any excuse to pop a cork. Sad, happy, the weather, weight loss, weight gain, celebration, time of the month - literally anything!

@KK1983 I can easily find an excuse to drink any day and have done for years, it’s just on Fridays I find it hard to find a reason to not drink, all common sense goes out the window

Have been following quietly but ready to post. Can I join? Been drinking at least a bottle of wine a day for a long time now. Worried about long term effects as well as the example im setting to my children etc. Ive now been called for a surgery on monday and dreading my liver function tests being done.
Day 2 today, well done to all

@dumplinggirl - Welcome 🤗

Wishing you a speedy recovery from surgery. I'm sure all these sober days before your operation will be beneficial. Then post op it will definitely help with recovery.

Glad you decided to post x

Welcome!! I hope the surgery goes well :-)

Slightly off topic but are you having a general anaesthetic? You may not know this but people who drink a lot will typically metabolise the anaesthetic more quickly than normal. Make sure you are honest with them about how much you drink in the pre-op because they may need to give you a higher dose. I hope you don't mind me mentioning it but someone I know started to come round in surgery for that reason (fortunately they don't remember but the surgeon mentioned it when they came round). It may be that you are not drinking enough to make a difference but I thought it worth telling you x

@nowinetimeformethanks for that. Scary prospect; ill be sure to tell them that, will be embarrassed though.

@dumplinggirli know, not a conversation anyone wants to have. It’ll be fine though - they just want to look after you properly; they won’t be judging you for your weekly units. It’ll also sound much more positive if you’ve been off it for a few days when you tell them so try and focus on that until Monday 😊

How’s everyone is doing this evening? I think I might put my pjs on to prevent a dash to the shop

@dumplinggirli should have said - the person it happened to was my dad. I don’t think I included that because I felt embarrassed that having watched my dad be a heavy drinker all his life (it ultimately killed him), here I am. Anyway, I feel like I should have been honest about that in hindsight.

I always used to find brushing my teeth helped me not snack in the evenings….Could work for wine too? Or get in the bath?

All ok here but I’m not home and I’m driving

@nowinetimeforme, no need to be embarrassed at all whatsoever. I admire you, and everyone else, for being here. @Todayisanewday75, ive just out my jammies on for the same reason. We've got this!