The Continuing Support Thread for Anyone Trying to Lead an Alcohol-Free Life Spring 2026

[REP22]

Hello and welcome. I’m glad you’ve found your way here. We are a bunch of people who are trying to give up and keep off alcohol. No judgement, just honest support and kindness.
The original thread was started by @drybird2020 in 2020 and we have plenty of veterans and newer members who can offer advice and signposting. You are welcome here, whether you post several times a day, once or twice and then never again, or if you only just come to read but have no intention of ever posting.
Whatever your stage on the AF journey, and whatever you’re going through, someone here will have gone through it too. Don’t be shy about posting, we love to celebrate your successes of whatever shape and size - and will support you when things get challenging. We get it, we've been there too.
All we ask is that you’re genuinely trying to abstain. We don't encourage moderation-only here, as it can be triggering for some to read. If you’re looking to moderate your drinking rather than quitting it altogether then MN has another long-running and very active moderation/abstaining thread that’s always near the top on the alcohol support board. Lots of fine support there from those worthy people too. Keep trying. Sobriety may not be easy - but I guarantee you that it is worth it.
I started trying to give up drink in 2018, succeeded (mostly) in 2019 but had a few “wobbles”, one of which led me here in April 2023. I still struggle sometimes but the posters on this thread have been an absolute godsend of wisdom, support and encouragement, along with my dog - known here as Sid (not his real name), and they keep me going. I hope you find strength and comfort here too. This thread and its wonderful posters has been a lifesaver to many, and have certainly seen me through many good and not-so-good days.
These books were particularly helpful to me and I still go back to them from time to time: The Sober Diaries by Clare Pooley (Amazon - Sober Diaries) and The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray (Amazon - Unexpected Joy). Others have found This Naked Mind by Annie Grace (Amazon - This Naked Mind) helpful. There are Apps that help track your AF journey, including Reframe and the ones I use, I Am Sober and TryDry. Podcasts can also be helpful. I have found One for the Road by Sober Dave to be a good listen. But different things work for different people. Feel free to post and ask. There is solidarity, wisdom and support here. This is a safe space where your voice will be heard, understood and valued.
Warmer weather is coming. Keep an eye out for that first daffodil waving in the breeze, and make yourself at home. It's going to be alright. x

Checking in @REP22 Day 117 here.

Try Dry and 0% Peroni (despite never being much of a beer drinker before) keeping me afloat. Happy Healthy 2026 to All x

Thank you @lavrander for hosting so wonderfully, and thank you @REP22 for hosting again and starting a new thread, and for the photos of Sid!
And thank you all of you here, for all your support. You're an amazing bunch and I could not have done this without you ❤️

Checking into the new thread. My personal goal is to remain here and alcohol free for the whole thing 😊
Thanks for hosting @REP22- looking forward to lots of Sid content 🤞❤️

Waving from the hammock. X

Checking in, day 'something' here

Think day 4, litrally feel in some kind of mental quagmire

Actually day 5. My head is GONE

To whoever recommended Aldi AF white wine I cannot thank you enough - I actually prefer it to the “real” stuff. It’s helping me enormously through my first days of being AF but I feel a bit of a cheat. Should I not be suffering with endless cups of tea and diluting juice?

The snow is melting here so I had a lovely walk with my terrier “terror” this morning and I’m now making vats of tomato sauce. Gnocchi tonight 😁

Ahoy, Cap'n @REP22 and Cabin Boy Sid! 🏴‍☠️ Thanks for taking over from the sturdy work of the illustrious @Lavrander , gratitude to you both. 🙏

I was prone in my hammock yesterday, just exhausted from the sea-monster dreams of early sobriety... today I am entertaining a migraine that feels perilously like a hangover... maybe a Herxheimer Reaction as the tide of booze recedes from my body! 😄

But on Day 4 here and grateful for it, feeling baseline-calmer under all that turmoil, and proceeding in good faith and optimism because I KNOW it's worth it... Perhaps I was just dazzled by the sight of Sid in his gansey... 🤩 it was a fancy gansey, Sid, and you wore it well...

A shout out to all our hearty crew, whatever stage you're at! A bowl of tomato sauce and gnocchi sounds just the ticket, @ThatCleverFox ... 😋🍝

Checking in, too. Thanks so much to @lavrander for a great job keeping things going and ahoy @REP22 :)

Checking in, day 6. Sleeping better and generally feeling better. I have been having the AF lagers from Aldi which have been helping

Marking my spot with a stripy beach towel to lounge on because I am on holiday so won’t be doing any actual work this week.

day 11 here and incredibly grateful to have found this thread. Several years ago I had a dreadful time whilst try to conceive my DC. I ‘met’ a wonderful group on here and we still keep in touch in RL. Those women know more about me than most of my friends.

Greetings to all shipmates, and thanks to @REP22 for taking the helm. I'm sure Sid will be very supportive as second in command.

I'm just back from the gym😢. The self-appointed prefect I mentioned last time was there and in full flight. She was straightening chairs with people sitting in them, getting people to hold up weights to prove we had them, and generally busying her body in an infuriating manner. Why do people behave like that? It's a taught class, so there is a teacher in charge, and this pillock has no actual role in the process - she's just another unfit fatty like the rest of us😡

Anyway, as you can probably detect from my benevolent tone, I am aching all over, and not in the finest of fettles. I came home and immediately troughed four Toblerone Truffles. I'd like to have a nap, but I am going out tonight for more fun and frivolity, so I need to have a shower and sort out clothes. I will miss the Traitors too, although should be home in time to catch it on iPlayer. Anyway, it's good to be here on page one of a shiny new thread.

I do think there needs to be a laugh emoji button @ShyMaryEllen :) unfit fatty, I’m having a proper chuckle here.

I’ve also been doing my own “tidying up” mostly consisted of eating the rest of the Christmas Chocolates and nuts. I’m off to SW tonight @REP22 do not think I’ll be gaining a sticker!

@ThatCleverFox I still feel like I’m somehow cheating with all my AF options but we aren’t. If you have a larger Coop near you they have £2.95 red and white that I think are great too.

@Becky3825 fingers firmly crossed on the job prospects, you’ve got this x

Many thanks for the new thread @REP22 x

@FiloPasty Thank you lovely 🥰

The Aldi AF white wine is fantastic, I’m so glad that my recommendation worked out for you!

Day 170 for me today, next big milestone will be six months come 20th January.

This time six months ago I was in some state. How I have managed to keep my job I have literally no idea. Can’t go into the boring details of it but I hold quite a lot of responsibility in my role, how I haven’t managed to massively fuck up is staggering.

At my worst I was working until 11pm at night, absolutely smashed out my face. The fear was unbearable. Every. Single. Day.

My life is unrecognisable to what it was six months ago. I actually learned how to love life, love myself.

It is hard, sure every single one of you can attest to that, but my God is it worth it.

I don’t have a co-op near me but there is one near my mum so when I go to visit her I will pick up a bottle rather than raiding her drinks cabinet 🙈

Thanks for the new thread! Day 7 here.

Snow has melted yesterday, and then all that water froze overnight. Walking to school was fun this morning!

This has made me laugh so much, thank you.
Thanks @lavrander for hosting the last thread, helped me navigate Christmas sober and thanks @REP22 for taking the helm.
I'm 8 months sober now, keep going if you're early days, it is worth it. I feel so much more positive now than I generally did about January. In previous years I was usually struggling after way too much alcohol over Christmas and I would then try Dry January. It's been easier just being dry in the first place 😂

Ahoy shipmates! Just caught up on the last thread and checking in! Thank you @Lavrander for hosting the last two and to @REP22 for taking the helm. I’m day 45 and had a work related Fxxx it craving today. However, I consulted my Trydry notes and my old journal which reminded me of how I feel after I have a drink. The difference in my notes now is marked. I used to write so unkindly about myself. On one of these threads, somebody said about trying to be kind to yourself and so I really try to do that when I write things down now. Anyway i had a 0% corona which scratched the itch beautifully and it passed.
@TheMentalMentalLoad the vivid nature of my dreams around the 10 day mark was quite something for me. Fortunately, mine weren’t unpleasant, but I just took it as a sign that my brain was switching back on and I was starting to get quality REM sleep again. I hope that’s the case for you and they settle down.

Thank you @Carpetburn - also, I LOVE your UN.

Ive had one hell of a 12m so my brain has an awful lot of emotion to process. I won’t be surprised if the dreams continue and it’s a lot easier to deal with them when I wake up without booze induced sleep.

Corona 0% is really brilliant. I think I need to make sure I keep a couple of bottles in for when the cravings are strong.

Hi all. Just checking in and marking my place.

Have become a little obsessed with Bird and Blend Nighttime teas. Currently enjoying Bedknobs and Broomsticks 😋

Thanks for the new thread. Don’t post very often sorry but wanted to mark place and maybe jump back on board for a while x

Evening All.

This has been my first AF day in over 40 years apart from when I had a short stay in hospital (they marked my file as alcohol dependent - give diazepam as required). Under my gp’s advice I have been tapering since NY and planned to continue with this for another week or so before stopping completely BUT today I felt good and didn’t feel a strong urge to drink. Any cravings were probably quelled by Aldi’s AF white wine - thank you again 🙏. So I just decided to go with it and not pick up a drink. Instead I have cleaned my home office from top to bottom, sorted out piles of paperwork, cooked dinner (can’t remember the last time I actually ate a meal never mind cooked one) and finally settled down to watch Traitors 😁 Hoping for a good nights sleep as I’m feeling pleasantly tired now.

Sleep well everyone and I’ll check in tomorrow xx