The Continuing Support Thread for Anyone Trying to Lead an Alcohol-Free Life Spring into Summer 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.
Lighter evenings, blossom and birdsong are with us once again. Pull up a chair, and make yourself at home. It's going to be alright. x

@Onewildandpreciouslifeim so sorry to hear your news. You must fight on we need you. You've been such a help to me and 'the lads'.

@elusivehopeyou will overcome this. Clever people do stupid things but each time we try we get closer to our goal. Marathon runners didn't pop out of the crib doing a 26 mile stint.

I'm tidying ready for the cleaning team. I'm still shocked by the state of Friday's cottage. I'll have a retirement flat rather than that grotty shed. My late mother would have been horrified. I can hear her like Lady Bracknell.
The steroid appears to have worked, hoorah. Mind you if I have the drug regularly I'll put all my weight back on.

Seafood risotto for me today.

@Onewildandpreciouslife I’m so sorry to hear about your scan results 💐

@elusivehope thank you, I really don’t want to go through this again so hoping this is it for me. I’m listening and reading as much content around this as I can. It’s very early days for me and the real test will be holidays for me…next one is not until September but it’s not all inclusive and just a seaside break in this country. Enjoy a more mindful week.

@Onewildandpreciouslife im sorry too about your scans and hope they are quick to update and reassure you with a treatment plan, you’re right that it’s better doing it sober.

@TickleMeElmo1 Ive a few holidays under my belt now and am so excited about this Summer because for the first time I think I’m going to really enjoy it, not just spend my time drinking at lunch and dinner. I’m going to be exercising, reading, relaxing and focusing on my family, whereas in the past it was always the booze. You can do it x

@WendyWagon i do love a seafood risotto delicious! Glad the meds are working too x

Afternoon shipmates,

We won the cricket yesterday. Sid had lots of cuddles and more boundary walks than usual (he was a bit restless), so he was very, very sleepy when we eventually got home - no less than three lost balls meant it was long past 7pm by the time we battered the opposition more expertly than anything you'd find in a Glasgow chip shop. Sid likes the cricket - he gets a big chew if he's good. Which, admittedly, does look a lot like he's chowing down on one of the wicket bails...

Glad the steroids are helping @WendyWagon .

@Onewildandpreciouslife - I am more sorry than I can say to learn about your scans. That's so unfair, but to keep sober through all that is masterful. I really REALLY hope that there is a treatment option that helps you through. Sending you much love. ❤️

Strength and courage to you all. You're marvellous. I hope you know that. xx

I love Sid ❤️ he is so cute.

120 days today, 4 months tomorrow. I can't actually believe I've made it this far! You lovely lot have kept me accountable. Life is blooming hard at times but it's definitely not made any easier with the booze.

@endlesswashing thats brilliant, you’ve made me click that I’m at 8 months as I’m at 240. Never would have believed it possible or that I would feel so good. What are your big take aways from the last 4 months? X
For those in the early days, the first 6 weeks are hard but after that there are blood but it’s so much easier, I rarely think about it now. New habits have been formed :)

That's fantastic @endlesswashing and @FiloPasty - hearty congratulations! It gives us all happiness for you and hope for ourselves. Magnificent. xx

@FiloPasty thank you and congratulations to you for 8 months that's awesome!

My big take away is to make not drinking the priority, have the sweets, biscuits, af drinks whatever gets you through. Some days are really hard especially the first few weeks. You begin to go along OK then are nearly derailed. Something unexpected happens, invited for impromptu dinner or drinks, a shit day, bad news, teens or DH almost tip you over the edge and your triggered. In those moments I just take it a few mins at a time, make a plan, what can I do or have instead. Sometimes a good cry or early night help. I remember that an uncomfortable feeling will not kill me, it will pass and soon be replaced with pride.

Typo there - blood meant to be blips, in occasional pulls for the booze but checking in here has kept me on the straight and narrow.
Thanks @REP22 & @Lavrander for steering the ships I’ve been on :)

I'm so sorry @Onewildandpreciouslife

I hope everyone is looking after you and that you're using your sharpest elbows to get the treatment you deserve ❤❤❤

Evening shipmates,

Not the best weekend for me; it saw the death of a much loved family pet - my sister had been caring for him of late, but he had been in the family for many years. This alongside a serious deterioration in my mum's health, we do not think she has long left now and are looking at moving her to palliative care but we worry about how this will affect my dad, who is also in a bad way, though not as seriously as our mum.

I am desperately worried about my sister's health. She (never historically a big drinker) seems to be drinking more as a result of all this, and relying on quick, not very healthy meals and snacks; she's suffering from a lot of aches and pains and poor sleep. It is not the time to bring this up, it's her way of coping. She's younger than me, though, so she may turn it round by the time she is my age.

We had the first sunny day for ages today, so DH and I managed to get out and have a walk round a local tourist spot - took wild bird seed to feed the birds, and found a lovely coffee shop we hadn't visited before. Rain forecast all the next week but since I'll be at work, I don't really care.

@Onewildandpreciouslife I'm sorry to hear the news wasn't good. I hope a new treatment plan can be found - sending you positive thoughts.

@PhantomOfAllKnowledge that is a super crap weekend. Sorry for the loss of your pet. I'm sorry your are having to deal with so much at once. Sending love and strength to you.

@PhantomOfAllKnowledgesupport and hugs sweetie.

Well I'm up good people having been throughly hosed down yesterday by my Brazilian cleaning team. My house sparkles.
I'm a messy cow (but can cook anything). The DH and I were holed up in the sitting room so that's for this coming weekend. I have a lot of books so it will be interesting to see what they do. Even my toiletries were washed!
I did have a massive craving last night but I had cake instead. Two pieces. It's the steroid.
I'm still shocked at the crappy stable cottage. I'm hoping the thatch around the corner comes back to the market. It has the garage and dressing room I want. I need glamour folks.

Morning all
Trying as hard as I can to envelope everyone on this thread with a big hug today.
x

Oh @PhantomOfAllKnowledge - I am so very sorry. It's dreadfully unfair when life seems to conspire against us. It can seem relentless. Each of the things you are facing would be awful in and of themselves, but to have them flung at you all at the same time is horrible. I am sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved pet, your parents' struggles and your sister. It's not easy to have to try and be the strong one.

I wish there was something I could say, or do, that would make things better. I know that there are no words that really help - but please know that I am thinking of you and sending you strength and love for what lies ahead. 💐💐 Your family is lucky to have you. xx

Yes, every now and then our ship sails through choppy waters, and all of us have to muck in splicing mainbraces and manning/staffing lifeboats until we get back on course. This seems to be one of those times, but we'll pull through - maybe a bit battered, but ready for hearty singing of shanties and recounting tales of derring-do.

@Onewildandpreciouslife, you must be all over the place just now, but try to take heart. Medicine has advanced so much in recent years, and things such as targeted therapy can be extraordinarily effective.

@PhantomOfAllKnowledge, I'm sorry for your news too. Losing a pet is so very hard, and having a sick parent and sibling to deal with too can only make things worse.

@WendyWagon your deep clean sounds splendid. I hope the cottage turns out to be The One. I wish we could see them and share the excitement, but of course I understand why we can't. Have you got a buyer for yours yet?

@REP22, sorry to hear Sid lost his deposit, despite his worthy manifesto. When you see some of the numpties who won on Thursday it beggars belief. Please tickle his ears and pass on my commiserations? His day will come.

Finally - congratulations to all shipmates who are staying strong. Every AF day counts, and keeps everything on course.

I'm having a domestic drudgery sort of day. We are going away tomorrow, and coming back the day before Son and DIL are staying, so I am stripping beds and washing towels in readiness. Annoyingly, before he said they were coming I had embarked on a massive campaign to Sort Out The Wardrobes, which I do about every five years when I can no longer shoehorn anything into a cupboard or drawer. I'm far from good at this sort of thing, and I now have huge piles of miscellaneous clothing on every horizontal surface. It's roughly sorted into 'donate', 'iron' (😩), 'chuck' and 'put away when you've made space for it', but to the untrained eye it just looks like a jumble sale. I'll have to find somewhere to put it before bedtime, as I want to leave quite early tomorrow. The cleaner can't be expected to work round it all, but I don't want to put it the spare room as usual, as I want her to make that fit for habitation when she's here.

Grateful thanks from Sid @ShyMaryEllen - nowt wrong with drudgery - it makes our personal worlds a little bit better. I wish I was more proactive in drudgery, but it usually takes something drastic for me to be forced into it.

Glad the cleaners worked out OK @WendyWagon - it's nice to be sparkling. Sid is casting uncertain glances my way at the ongoing mentions of thatch and Brazilians. The world of ladies is generally one of bafflement and dismay for him. He doesn't understand "why they haven't got one... where do they keep it..." bless him. 🫣😉 I had the cravings bad too. I had a bit of cheese and a plain brioche bun and thought of Slimming World. Empty calories in the booze, along with all the other malignants. I was grateful for it this morning.

Strength and courage. xx

Evening shipmates
Some big seas to navigate at the moment for many.
Be Kind to yourselves and remember we are here for the good, the bad and everything in between.

@PhantomOfAllKnowledge so sorry to hear about the loss and your family worries on top of that . Sending hugs

@FiloPasty 🎉 8 months!! What an achievement! Well done

@REP22 I love your Sid posts, really put a smile on my face.

I made it through to day 7! It was a rough weekend and I felt awful with the headaches and just feeling off and achy but today I feel more energetic and I just got a notification from my Apple Watch that my resting heart rate has lowered by 7 points in the last week…I wonder why that could be 🤔😅

@TickleMeElmo1 7 days is epic, I’m quite tempted to get an Apple watxh, does it tell you about sleep too? That’s something that has improved so much for me. My skin too now the water I drink it hydrating me and not just trying to fix my liver!
The first month is so hard but you are well on your way.

Did anyone on Try Dry notice the Sober Spring badge? I thought the dates a bit random.

@ShyMaryEllen thank you for the inadvertent nudge for me to change some beds and get on with some drudgery here. Rooms looking better but now I’ve loads of laundry :)

Ive been selling off my old clothes on Vinted, it’s quite addictive, feeling a bit smug that I’m in lots of my old clothes and selling off the bigger sizes. Quite cathartic:)

@FiloPasty yes, Apple Watch tells you your sleep including the different stages which I love! It tells you exactly when you fell asleep and when you go into different stages like REM when a lot of dreaming happens and deep sleep when it’s hard to wake someone up, when you wake in the night it shows that as well. it also scores your sleep each night which I like. My scores have also improved this last week. I love my watch for that and for tracking my exercise and skipping through ads on podcasts. It also shows me the time 🤣

yay for selling bigger clothes on vinted. 🎉 treat yourself to something new

Morning all

Sober Spring is what got me sober @FiloPasty ! (Plus the lads on here of course). It starts on the first day of spring and lasts for 3 months- it was prompted by Catherine Gray (author of Unexpected Joy of Being Sober) because she slightly criticised Alcohol Change UK’s focus on Dry January and they decided to work together to create a 3 month challenge.

Thanks for all the kind words- just plodding on here