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

Afternoon shipmates.
I have flu ( really doctor, I wouldn't have thought it with a almost zero white blood cell count)!.

I'm not doing dinner and it's coming via a takeout. I've got lucozade, nectar of the Gods.

Oh no @WendyWagon - heartfelt sympathy. I hope you'll be on the mend soon. I guess that explains the faint? Flu is grim. Lucozade is indeed the nectar of the Gods - I've got a stash in here as M has a UTI plus sickness. Can't get Dioralyte for love nor money at the moment though.

No shame in takeouts; a helpful boon to the local economy 😉 Cook (COOK | Frozen Ready Meals, Delivered Meals, Prepared Meal Delivery COOK) do home deliveries too... they're proper lovely.

Sending love from me and Sidney. xx💐💐

Poor you @WendyWagon can you take to your bed for a couple of days straight with books or an iPad to stream trashy tv?

@WendyWagon sorry to hear you’re poorly. Lucozade in the glass bottle wrapped in orange cellophane was always brought out in our house when I was a kid for our various afflictions!
Im tired this morning-it’s a stressful work week but day 80 today and ticking those days of sobriety off nicely!
Happy Wednesday shipmates.

Morning all.
I have taken to my bed. The throat is a bit better.
The whole household was stomping past my bedroom yesterday, huffing and puffing. Plus my DH closes all the windows like a Tudor midwife putting me for laying in! I can't breathe all shut up. I'm going to get very depressed if my health doesn't improve soon.

Good morning Shipmates from me and cabin boy/powder monkey Sid.

So sorry you're still feeling so poorly @WendyWagon - look after your lovely self and mend well soon. Every sound seems amplified when you're feeling grim. Can you open the window a tiny crack for fresh air and get some headphones in for some easy listening? Sending you love and wags. ❤️

80 days is magnificent @Carpetburn , that's amazing. Sorry you're feeling tired and having work stress. Same here - I woke up yesterday morning wondering what the actual point of being me was. Endless slog, dealing with M and work stress. But then I was able to help some colleagues with rogue sheep, sort out another colleagues who was struggling and made a few people laugh at Slimming World, so that made it all seem a bit better. And then there is Sid, who always makes me feel thankful for the things I have to be thankful about.

However wretched we might feel, there is always something, somewhere in us that's worth keeping going for. Even our very existence is a miracle against all odds. In the height of the procreative act (sorry) there are between one and three million little tiddlers 'released'. Of those, only 200 - 300 make it to the egg barn. And of those only one single one gets in, makes it through to all the stages and bursts into life. The odds are hugely remote. But you and I made it. Despite all the insurmountable odds we're here. The life that we have won is not always an easy prize - but, once again, we have managed to outswim the odds and find ourselves here, still going, still paddling, still mighty. You are a miracle - even if you don't feel like one today. And I only got my level 2 school swimming certificate... Never underestimate how fantastic you are. ❤️🏊🏻‍♀️

Sid was watching Gone Fishing after the ice-skating last night. Ted (GF dog) was being pushed along in a doggy-cart at one point (he's getting elderly, bless him). Young Sid now wants an e-Scooter "to putter about the decks a bit quicker". 🛴 No. No this will not be happening.

Strength and courage brave friends. It will be alright. Today I will not choose drink. I choose Sid. All shall be well. xx

Morning all.
@WendyWagonI'm so sorry you're feeling so rough. I hear you on the windows, and when you feel ill it seems to make all the senses extra sensitive.

Brilliant on getting to day 80 @Carpetburnand getting through a stressful week without the booze - honestly looking back I'm sure I made it worse for myself when shit hit the fan. Work stress? Here have a bottle full of grogginess and anxiety - that will do it!
We are indeed miracles @REP22! We're the product of all those people that made it through childhood, the Black Death, Scarlett Fever, Famine. Incredible when you think about it.

Just having my morning coffee with my little Spaniel curled up on my lap. Soon I'll need to go out in that weather and brave the mud. It's a trudge but seeing his little face look up at me as if to say 'it's good here isn't it' will see me through.

Morning all!

Hope you’re feeling better @WendyWagon
@REP22 we need some light and sun to revive us (even me the staunch summer hater!)

You’re right, life is a miracle. I’ve been reading about the passing of James Van der Beek (Dawson) and feel really quite sad. The show was a comfort for me in a difficult time and the life he seemed to have created afterwards was one I admire - super wholesome, very outdoors, family oriented.

Sorry for banging on about it again but I just took the dog for a run and I was thinking that what resonates was that he seemed to be living a life that he’d really actively chosen, rather than one he’d slipped into. And I think maybe that’s what we are trying to do when we give up alcohol.

Morning all - just catching up.
Hope you’re feeling better @WendyWagon
When is going to stop raining?!! Out for a walk with DS and the dog (only so we can reward ourselves with coffee and carrot cake at our fav coffee shop afterwards).
Day 35 here and feeling strong. One thing I’ve really noticed is how much more confident I feel at work. I stay calm and am far more able to state my case when I’m challenged.

Love and strength to all.
IWNDT 💜

We all need some sun. Either that or build a bloody ark

We certainly do. Gather together two of every kind and don't forget the Travel Scrabble.

It will come. Soon it will be spring and the march towards hosepipe bans will press on.

Keep going. It will be alright soon. xx

FML I swear this weather is the reason I;

Am fed up of being single,
Dont want to do any washing,
Don’t want to do my job,
Dont really want to do anything.
Am being a tad dramatic

I think the sun will shine in another week or so. I remember this feeling from a couple of years ago and when it did come out it made such a difference.

Evening shipmates,

I'm still here, been a busy week with hectic evenings added in. Went to watch the footy with DH and the teens on Tuesday night. They all have season tickets but DH gets me a ticket when he can which suits me. I drove to the station so had an excuse to dodge alcohol in pub before as we always meet friends. Had a fun night. We were all glad of the car at the end of the night as it is a 25 min walk back home.
@wendywagon hope you are feeling a bit better and recovered from banging your head.

Evening all.
I have been gaining frequent flyer points again at our local hospital.
I was turning yellow and motley this morning.
Joy of joy more tests and prods.

Good health is certainly more valuable than any bottle of wine!

Sorry to hear that @WendyWagon despite being off the booze for 5 months and losing a decent amount of weight my blood pressure is still too high and I have some anxiety that I’ve really already done a huge damage to my body. I hope they are gentle with the pokes and prods and you get some answers soon x

Hope everyone else is doing ok, I love checking in, things will be brighter with Spring x

Evening shipmates!
thank you for the heartening rally @REP22 we are pretty marvellous just to be who we are! If only the rain would cease I’m sure my spirits would lift further!
Had a peaceful weekend planned but multiple family descending! Love to see them but it means I’ll be in entertaining mode. I’m a grizzled shrew at times and fancied a weekend of reading books and not talking much! My job requires me to constantly talk, fix and manage a lot of stuff so I get my energy back in peace and quiet-although I describe myself as an introvert who loves people. I do love people. I just like to charge the batteries afterwards!
@WendyWagon so sorry to hear of your ongoing health issues. Hoping for a steadier end to the week for you.
And as we head into Friday let’s hope for smooth sailing.

I feel like getting smashed tomorrow night. I need to be careful.

@TheMentalMentalLoad can you plan something nice for yourself tomorrow? It's rubbish when you feel fed up. I hear you loud and clear about not wanting to do washing, it's becoming my hobby but not by choice...

@TheMentalMentalLoad id get yourself some 0.5% white wine from co op £2.95 and a take away of choice x you’ve got this.
Do something for you and just take it hour by hour x

Morning all
I've just woken up and shall spend the day in bed reading. My DC are adults and will feed their selves if need be.
@TheMentalMentalLoad I get the 'fuck it' feeling. It's Friday too. It will pass. Can you get yourself something delicious? If not fruit how about cheese? I'm rather fond of lemon anything too, mousse, yoghurt, cheesecake.

Great news on the tax, I'm getting a bit back from years ago. I do fancy a handbag in a jaunty colour. I love green and sold my mulberry in pheasant to pay for the DDs dog when we were a bit skint. I shall go hunting.

All will be well my friends.
We can have everything but the drink. It doesn't suit us. It doesn't serve us.

Sorry to hear you’re not doing great @WendyWagon, I hope all will be fine.

@TheMentalMentalLoad play it forward, how grim would you feel tomorrow? If you work Monday to Friday that’s basically half of your available free time wasted if you do drink tonight, as you’ll be too hungover to do anything tomorrow. Probably different for me as I was never sober long enough to get hangovers, but the thought of busting a gut all week in work, and then on one of my precious days rest, I’m spending it nursing a hangover? No thanks.

In complete agreement at the weather, I was out with friends on Tuesday evening and we were all commenting on how long it has been since we actually saw the sun!

Happy Friday everyone, let’s all get another sober weekend under our belts.

Morning all!

Tomorrow will be 44 days. Last time I tried I got to 44 so it will feel like a big win to surpass it.

@TheMentalMentalLoad sorry you’re feeling so fed up. Can you plan some exercise early tomorrow morning? And ideally get some today too? Otherwise I agree a bottle of alcohol free wine and good tv / book, followed by an early night.

Morning all. I’m sorry if I seemed irresponsibly flippant with my last post. I was having a full blown pity party for one. I’ve woken up today feeling different thankfully and I have zero intentions of drinking.

A fling from a long time ago has resurfaced and stirred up lots of emotions. I need to cut him back out to protect my mental peace. It’s only messaging but it could easily slip into dangerous territory and he's married now.

Im almost on day 50, I haven’t come this far to only come this far.

Morning
My can't be bothered at the moment is cleaning the floor and laundry. The house just feels so dark and gloomy at the moment. But the daffodils are coming out and this too shall pass
@TheMentalMentalLoadhave you checked off your days on TryDry? Sometimes it helps to look at that. Not breaking the lovely streak you've had. Also plan something nice for this evening. Instead of buying alcohol spend that money something that will bring you comfort/ joy. Face pack? Cake ingredients? One of those foot peely socks (if you're a rotter like me it will bring you joy in two weeks time ).
So lovely to be able to drive home @endlesswashingisnt it. That little treat for just choosing a different drink 😊