Support thread for anyone trying to lead an Alcohol free life - Winter 25

[Lavrander]

Hello and welcome!
This thread is for anyone who is trying to live an alcohol-free life. It was first set up by @drybird and has grown into a safe, supportive space to share thoughts, ask advice, swap experiences, or simply check in as we give up and keep off the booze.

There’s no judgment here – just encouragement. Whether you post every day, once in a while, or just read along quietly, you’re part of the group. Many of us have found this thread invaluable, whether brand new to abstaining or years into AF life.

Wherever you are on the journey, someone here will have been there too. Don’t be shy about posting – we love celebrating successes of all shapes and sizes, and we’ll support you through the tougher times as well.

The only thing we ask is that your aim is complete abstinence. If your goal is moderation or a break, there are a couple of really good threads on this board that will be a better fit. That doesn't mean that slips don't happen, and we'll support you in picking yourself back up and carrying on.

Living alcohol-free isn’t always easy in today’s world, but it is absolutely worth it. And you don’t have to do it alone – we’re here to help each other realise just how good AF life can be.

Think this is my fifth time posting on this thread. I’ve deliberately avoided posting on here as I’ve tried, and failed, so many times in the past.

I just wanted to come on today as I am celebrating 150 days sober today.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Yes, yes to the food!! Treat yourself, you absolutely deserve it 🥰

@WhatMaggieDid staying home and stuffing my face is the answer. I know if I 'nip out' to the gym or even a meeting I will go to the pub. I will baracade myself inside and just get through today. I know i will be grateful and so relieved tomorrow so holding onto that

You can do it. Just stick to that plan. Sending all the love ♥️

@WhatMaggieDid I need to eat and stop spinning out about my weight. Ive gone from 73kilo to 60 in the last 5 months through diet and exercise. Why the hell would having a bit of a food binge affect that? But in my mind liquid calories is fine! I'm insane. Will be getting all of the food and just giving myself some grace with it all. IWNDWYT sister 🥰

@WhatMaggieDid And I am so sorry about how your feeling. Wish you could watch motherland with me while we stuff our faces with chocolate this evening

@Adsy1988I’m so glad to hear that. It’s wonderful to hear 🥰
I’ve been really struggling even though the effect of alcohol on my mental health and wellbeing is horrendous. Thank you so much for posting. What has changed the most for you?

@Becky3825 just eat the food if it stops you drinking! It's still way fewer calories than booze and you are absolutely not putting weight back on from one binge. I eat chocolate every day at the moment but not worrying about it

Made it home safe and oven on. Bring on ALL of the food ! No drinking for me

I got a new badge on Try Dry

@Adsy1988 congratulations! That’s a fantastic achievement.
Wow @FiloPasty ive got a while to go before I’ve saved that but I love the try dry app!
@Becky3825 ill join you in an evening of stuffing your face! I’ve just bought a load of Xmas party food for my dinner!

@Adsy1988 that’s amazing
well done you x

@Carpetburn Im not sure if it’s based on pub prices or home so I’ll take it with a pinch of salt. However I’ve definitely lost pounds of the weight kind so that’s a huge bonus too :)

Thank you everyone. You’re all so amazing 🤩
Happy birthday @WendyWagon🎂

@Becky3825 that sounds like the perfect evening. I’ll be over once I’ve got my PJ’s on 😉

Mission badge achieved on TryDry - first Christmas do ✅
Was an afternoon affair so long enough to leave before things to start to turn.

Happy Birthday @WendyWagon!

Welcome aboard @A671090please join us. How's it going?

It will get easier @friendlycat. Someone here have advice to say no three times each evening. Towards the end of the week it will stop feeling like a thing and you'll be so proud of yourself.

Eat all the food @Becky3825.

Im back from the lunch.
It was lovely and festive. They put my Henry in a very pretty glass.
Thanks for all the support and good wishes.

Yay @Lavrander another mission achieved! And like you say-home before the antics commence!

I am sober and stuffed beyond words. Just tidying and gearing up for a bath then bed. Thank you everyone so much for getting me through, I was ridiculously close. Shows we just can not do this alone.

Luckily spending time with my eldest daughter and my mother tomorrow evening so should be safe. Saturday will be the usual challenge but I really want to make it through another weekend so will do everything in can to.not pick up that first evil drink

So. At the other end of the day…had a lovely evening. Roast chicken, both my boys home plus one GF, cosy and contented. No-one drank this evening, everyone on raspberry lemonade or coke. Lots of laughing and loving being all together for a while.
Thank you all again for the hand hold today you wonderful bunch of people 🥰

Well done @Becky3825 ! You can do this - definitely allow all the food. I used to do the same - I'd think nothing of drinking 500 cals of wine but no way to a chocolate bar 🤣🤦 although I'd then often eat EVERYthing after a bit too much. I also read on alcohol explained that the body burns alcohol first so it makes it much harder to lose weight - which means being sober means more room for chocolate!!! 🎊🎊

Nice one @WhatMaggieDid glad you've had a lovely chilled evening.

Happy birthday @WendyWagon , glad you had a lovely day.

Thanks and congratulations to all sharing their achievements, it's great to read! Pleased for you all ❤️

Well, this time next week it will be all but over🥳.

Shall we say 6.00pm on Christmas Day for the toast. It’s absolutely fine to do it before or after, depending on your schedule for the day, but the idea is that participants raise a glass of anything AF to the shipmates and Sid. It can be shouted from the rooftops, muttered under your breath or a silent thought. It’s very much about the vibes, and remembering that we are in this together.

Happy birthday to our wonderful @WendyWagon ! May your coming year be full of joy... and low on health scares! I always enjoy reading your posts on this thread.

Welcome @friendlycat!

@WhatMaggieDid well done for coming straight back here after your blip, you can do this 💐

Well done @Adsy1988 on your 150 days; posts like yours are very encouraging.

Huge well done @Becky3825 on making it through the day. I've also had days of thinking about drinking constantly; it's bloody exhausting.

Warm thoughts to everyone who is feeling a bit low. I always find the Christmas season difficult tbh. I think there's a lot of pressure to 'do' the holiday season properly and enjoy it to the max. Yet for a lot of us, there's stress mingled with the Christmas cheer: getting everything ready, trying to stick to a budget, trying to get on with family, dealing with memories of family members who are absent or estranged, trying to stay sober and so on. I find that if I keep my expectations low and just focus on getting through Christmas without having a nervous breakdown, it helps. Sometimes I even surprise myself by enjoying parts of it, ha. I know I sound like Scrooge or the grinch! But basically I've just stopped being cross at myself for not unambiguously loving Christmas.

Anyway I'm looking forward to raising a virtual glass with you all on the day!

My uni work finished yesterday and it's such a relief. My high-strung boss has been more than usually high-strung this year: everything was a disaster, a catastrophe, etc. etc. Every time I made reassuring noises and tried to tell her it would be fine, she told me how wrong I was. Then on the final day everything came together and she decided the outcome was fine - great even! This happens every year 🙄But I always forget how intense it all is. Honestly sometimes I could do with having colleagues who were a little less passionate and driven.

I've done nothing all day today apart from lie around. I'm exhausted. DH and DS2 are annoyed that we still haven't got the tree and decs up, but I just couldn't manage it. Hopefully I'll have a bit more energy tomorrow. On a brighter note, DS1 came home from uni yesterday and he's in a great mood. He seems so confident. It makes me very happy to see him thriving. He hasn't had the easiest adolescence in terms of mental health, but I think he's turned a corner.

So yeah, at the moment I don't want to drink, which is good. Sleep well tonight everyone! I'm back in the high-res technicolour dream stage.

@Lavrander I’m doing good thanks, good to be back on these threads. Mighty proud of making it to 150 days but know I still have a long way to go. Hope you are all doing well.

I knew I would be dead unless I changed my life, I could not continue. Every single time I had previously tried to quit I done it on my own. This time I confided in a close friend, my line manager, that I was a complete wreck, my life was hanging by a thread and that I needed help.

I was off work for six weeks, had to wean myself off alcohol slowly for a few days. The first week was indescribable. I went for lunch and had to leave as my hands were shaking so badly I couldn’t hold cutlery. I thought I was having a heart attack. I had to go and buy a 50ml bottle of vodka and throw it down my throat. I was an absolute wreck. My last drink was at 2:08am on Monday 20 July.

Since then I have tried to keep everything as normal as possible, no big changes to my life in the first two years. But I’ve managed to navigate countless social situations, including full day weddings (two in four days!).

I have struggled a bit but I can’t drink again. I’ll never come back, I’ll never stop.

Wow @Adsy1988 that is a remarkable story; thank you for sharing it. You are amazing 💐