Nearly 6 months sober and upcoming holiday

[benny77]

Hi All. I have been sober for nearly 6 months now and feel so much better for it. Apart from pregnancies, this is the longest stretch of sobriety I have had since I was 14 (now mid 40’s).

Whilst I was never a daily drinker, once I started I couldn’t stop and got stuck in the cycle of 3 days drinking, feeling terrible and ashamed so having a couple of months of sobriety, then rinse and repeat.

We are going on holiday over Easter to somewhere sunny and all inclusive which was booked before I quit drinking. In the past couple of days the thoughts of just 1 or just a couple will be fine have started to creep back in and it’s scaring me. Even though I feel so much better and I know I will enjoy the holiday more without the hangxiety I would inevitably get, I can’t help feeling as though by not drinking I will be missing out (I know how stupid that sounds)

Does anyone have any words of wisdom for getting past these thoughts? I will be so frustrated with myself if I cave and I’m terrified that I might end up ruining the holiday.

Thanks

Who are you going on the holiday with?
Also, 6 months of no drinking is such a big accomplishment- well done.

Sober holidays are great. You have so much more time to just relax and properly get the benefit. There’s a couple of books, Alcohol Explained and Alcohol Explained 2 which might be worth you reading. AE2 has a chapter on navigating holidays which may help you to read

This might not appeal, but I had a friend who came off alcohol using naltrexone. You take one tablet half an hour before you think you’re going to drink - it takes away the buzz you get from alcohol, and makes it unlikely that you’ll continue past one. I just thought it might be useful if you feel you won’t be able to avoid having “just the one” but don’t want to fall into a binge.

I stopped drinking almost accidentally as a result of wegovy which seems to work in a similar way.

I feel your pain, I'm 18 months sober and holidays are a tough one. I try to see it that holidays are about doing new and different things, not the same old things I always do or have done before, and I have already 'done' drinking on holiday - very thoroughly indeed - there is no need to experience it again.

Hi. Thank you. With my husband and 2 children

There is lots of wisdom and support on this thread, and no judgement if you are struggling

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/alcohol_support/5471890-the-continuing-support-thread-for-anyone-trying-to-lead-an-alcohol-free-life-spring-2026

My advice would be to get away from the free bar by getting out and about as much as possible. Sight-seeing, down the beach, country walks etc. Hire a car and have yourself as the only driver.

I think the pull of ‘getting your moneys worth because it’s all free / paid for’ is strong

But actually you wouldn’t be losing much value. The included drinks are generally very cheap local equivalents, the ‘cocktails’ are high sugar concoctions, etc.

Re-frame ‘treating yourself’ and getting the benefit by choosing the higher quality higher value menu and buffet options, and the more sophisticated soft drinks.

And loving the beautiful morning sunshine.

Does the resort offer classes such as yoga to boost your sense of enjoying your own wellbeing?

Ask about non alcoholic alternatives, mocktails etc. It wasn’t all inclusive but we went to a nice hotel in Majorca & I had the loveliest pina colada served in a pineapple shell. Even E Mailed the hotel when we got home to ask for the recipe but they didn’t reply. Good luck OP - it can be tough but remember how much better you’ve been feeling.

Thanks for all your replies, just writing it down seems to have helped. For the poster that mentioned Naltrexone, I have tried the Sinclair method but unfortunately the tablets gave me horrific anxiety.

We do have lots of trips planned and the kids are a bit older now so probably won’t want to be at the evening entertainment which is where I have struggled in the past.

And the poster that mentioned about thinking drinking lots is getting your moneys worth, you’re absolutely right.

I know I will be really proud of myself if I can do this sober.

Play the tape to the end.

Yes it might start as one cocktail but you KNOW you cant stop. Play the video in your head if you getting loud, getting embarrassing, demanding more drinks, moaning to staff that the measures are rubbish, your kids pulling you away from the entertainment as you’re getting rowdy, you tripping over something on your way back to the room, being sick in the bathroom when everyone can hear. Then the crushing realisation when you wake up that you’re back to Day one and have lost the respect of your kids and DH and feel like absolute death. You cancel that days’ trip as you can’t face it, they go off hurt and confused without you. You sweat it out in your darkened bedroom for a few hours. GRIM.

Then if that’s not enough (!!) play the other video of you being present, enjoying your kids company, being able to do what they want rather than whatever keeps you near a bar, playing games, resting your body, sleeping well, eating well, coming home relaxed and refreshed….

And the old classic - don’t view it as a long block of holiday, it’s just 1 day. You treat each day as one day not to have a drink.

Well done on 6 months that’s a fantastic achievement ! I had first holiday about 4 months in and was like you thinking just one / what if etc. it was somewhere we’d been before too so the memory of first drink on the balcony when we got there, drink on the walk back from the beach etc was very very strong

in advance I planned what I could drink instead as my treat - so flavoured tonic waters etc. I also changed the routine a little so of an evening when would usually settle down with a drink we went for a walk instead and on a few of the mornings I got up early and went for a walk whilst everyone else was still in bed so I felt like I was getting a reward for waking up fresh and rested

good luck

I did my first holiday at Christmas alcohol free after 5 months. I was quite anxious about it beforehand.

My tip would be to plan what you are going to drink and stick to it.
Alcohol free beer with sprite and mocktails were what I did.

It was challenging to begin with, but I knew that I would not cave in and just rode it out. It got easier as the days went on and I was in the swing of it.

Every time my head chatter got loud, I literally squashed it down. I did different things as well like read my book in bed before going to sleep. Unheard of before. I will admit that the evenings on several occasions ended earlier than they would have previously because I was not having yet another drink.

It was glorious not having any hangovers and feeling fresh each morning.

By the end of the holiday I was completely in the swing of being alcohol free. I was proud of my achievement as it was the first holiday in about 42 years without wine etc.

You can do this. Accept that there may be times you find it hard. Just carry on and each day it will get a bit easier. Think of your goal and what you want to achieve. Think of how disappointed you willl be with yourself if you give in and undo all that hard work that you've done. You can still have an enjoyable holiday but accept the first time will have its ups and downs.

It will be absolutely fine. I never appreciated how much alcohol took away from holidays until I did one sober.

My first sober holiday was at 4 weeks. It was wonderful. I actually cried on the way home because I didn’t want it to end, instead of being hungover and exhausted coming home like I would have previously been.

My advice would be to plan lots of nice special AF drinks for you and nice food. And then plan your days around things that don’t involve drinking.

The only bad thing about sober holidays is annoying drunk people who literally do nothing but drink and act like tits instead of enjoying an amazing holiday.

I’ve had many sober holidays since including an AI one recently. I walked a Camino. All been fab and zero regrets about not drinking. I loved being up early and fresh.

My trick was to get away from the thought of having to have a drink in my hand all the time when others are drinking. Difficult to explain but for me it was that thing that I just didn't need to drink (anything) all the time. When you drink alcohol, you always have a drink in your hand. When you finish one, you have another. When you don't drink alcohol, you just don't need to drink umpteen glasses of coke or the alternative like you do alcohol. Just don't drink all the time, drink when you are thirsty and enjoy a cup of tea. Hope that makes sense. It was a bit of an eye opener for me.

Hi, I might be late to this thread, sorry. First of all well done on 6 months sober, absolutely amazing achievement, I hope you're so proud 💕💕. For your holiday, I would suggest planning to immerse yourself as much as you can in sober stuff - line up all your favourite sobriety podcasts, take some really good quit lit, and plan lots of things to do (boredom is the enemy here). On your first day find a really great couple of mocktails that you then can ask for without thinking (hesitancy whilst stood at a bar is dangerous!). Plan early nights and early mornings. Maybe get up before everyone for an early morning solo swim or walk on the beach, or gym session. This will make you feel amazing, and so smug (I love feeling smug 💯😃). Then get to bed, or at least your room, before the pissed people take over in the evening (removing that 'if you can't beat them, join them' mentality). You can definitely do this and the holiday will be a proper rest, rather than coming home needing another one because you've spent it pissed. You'll be great, enjoy!

Hi. I just wanted to give a quick update. We got back yesterday and I didn’t drink at all. I did feel that I was missing out at times (especially seeing all the fancy looking cocktails that people were having made) but we did so many excursions that I know I wouldn’t have been able to do if I’d been drinking and I felt present with my family for the whole time we were there. It’s a great feeling to come home with no sense of shame or embarrassment.

Thanks to everyone for your supportive comments and good luck to everyone with your sober journeys 😊

Well done @ benny77.
It's a big achievement to do the first holiday without any alcohol at all.

I've just done my second one and again at the beginning I did feel a little overwhelmed but then got into the swing of it and even found a restaurant in Spain that served AF wine. Otherwise I just stuck to zero beer and Sprite as everyone has that on offer.

I still feel that I am missing out at times and I'm at 290 odd days without alcohol but I accept that having been drinking for over 42 years it's all going to take a while.

I think the trick is to try and focus on all of the positives and banish those "I'm missing out" thoughts as really the only thing for certain that I am missing out on is a hangover and damaging my health.

But I understand that it does change the dynamics of evening meals on holiday when I feel ready to end the evening earlier than I used to whilst knocking back glass after glass of wine.

Mocktails!

Every time the drinking starts, order yourself a delicious mocktail and enjoy your sobriety while still joining in the fun of a night out.