Anyone want to join me for an alcohol free 2027?

[HelloSkeletonFace3]

I've made the difficult decision that I need to go alcohol free for 2027. I've taken a few breaks from alcohol before but never lasted this long. Honestly, I'm sick and tired of drinking, thinking about drinking, trying to moderate, failing, and living in a spiral of shame, self-loathing and sabotage.

If this is something you recognise in yourself, I'd be so glad and grateful for some buddies along the way. Realise we are a while off the new year yet but wanted to post now, in case anyone else feels the same, or you're on the fence and want to mull it over. Some people may say " why not now" - don't disagree, but this gives my brain the chance to adjust and prepare.

I'm in! It's great you're looking to the future and making those steps to break free of alcohol.

I can relate to a lot of what you're saying as I've had longer stretches of being sober this year and have started to see that trying to moderate is more trouble than it's worth for me. I've got a house move on the horizon and am quite excited by the idea that I could live in that house as a non drinker and start to take better care of my health.

I agree sometimes it's good to give your brain a chance to prepare and have a think about what sort of situations are likely to be difficult and make you want to drink. For me drinking mostly stems from boredom. I need to mix up my routine and do something like go to the cinema or read a book rather than sitting on my laptop scrolling. I also think I'd benefit from building my social life as I don't really have anyone nearby I can call to go for a coffee etc with.

That's great @bigfoot40 ! Looking forward to getting to know you and being sober buddies. That really is exciting about the house move and knowing you will be a non drinker.

I'm using these next few months to prepare so will keep checking in and I'm hopeful we will recruit a few more along the way :-)

Hey. I'm in too! I completely resonate with your comment about living in a cycle of shame and self sabotage. It's exhausting isn't it. I started September sober and positive, but it all went to pot only 2 weeks in. Then I've been in the shame cycle since. I don't know why I do it because otherwise I have a really great life. The only bad things about it (looking rough, being short of cash, not sleeping) directly come from booze.

I'm going to keep doing my sober stints and hopefully manage longer stretches each time in preparation for 2027. Good luck to you both. We can do this.

I’m in, this year has been a year of moderation for me, or attempts to, and honestly it’s not really working for me. I feel and I am much better without it at all. I don’t even mind going out and not drinking, it’s the quiet evenings that I find difficult.

Great news @Accidentaladult @Skibididoo , the more the merrier!
I think having each other and this thread as support will really help, in the preparation stages but also throughout 2027.

The thought of an entire year does sound daunting, not gonna lie, but it's also quite exciting? We will get so many wins under our belts, some easy, some hard fought. To know that we have done every single day sober in 2027 will be so so powerful.

this resonates so much with me, I’d love to do a dry year. had meant to do 100 days from sept 1st but it’s not gone to plan. I also need a lot of time to think changes through…the new year seems doable from here.
been in a vicious cycle with alcohol for years…almost 30 really. wish i’d never started. want to show my kids that there’s another path.

Great news @justkeeptrying40
Yes, I wish I'd never started. It just lights up something inside me and I don't want to go through life relying on it or thinking about it so much.

Don’t wait until 2027…start now!

Just adding another message to push this up the page for anyone else who might like to join in 2027?

Has anyone on the thread so far started to prepare? I'm looking at finding myself a counsellor this week and probably joining a sobriety circle, there are plenty out there.

Hi I am 45 days sober but interested in a sobriety circle, I never heard of one, is it like AA less the religion? I find the threads are really helping but I wonder do I need more in person support. Well done getting fully prepared, quit lit and lots of sugar helped me at the very start, but now I am battling a bit of weight gain!

That's fantastic that you're looking for a counsellor Skeleton.

My progress is a bit of a mixed bag at the moment. I'm finding the uncertainty of the house move quite difficult and stressful (we don't have a date for completion yet) so I've fallen back into the habit of drinking twice a week.

I am managing to stick to working out with dumb bells 3 - 4 times a week and I've done that consistently for a couple of months now. I do feel and look better for it, so keeping up with that routine is an incentive not to drink two days in a row. I've started taking melatonin and magnesium on a night and found it helps me sleep better. On nights where I've had a drink my sleep is rubbish, so that's should be an added incentive not to do it!

I'm starting with Sober October and combining it with the British Heart Foundations Strong Women month. The exercises are quite basic but I actually have so much on for the first few days of October it suits me to just aim to do some small strength training sessions. Will look to do longer ones when I have time next week onwards. The aim is to build up my good daily habits ready for going sober in 2027.

I'm also looking to start a sewing course (once and for all) which will take up some evenings (therefore drinking time) in November. Then it will hopefully be something I enjoy doing instead of poisoning myself.

I think some sort of external support, whether that be counselling or coaching, is a really good idea. I haven't done much research into that yet. That bit seems scary for some reason but likely necessary to keep on track.

I'd love to join you. I've tried and failed to give up alcohol so many times. I like the idea of preparing in advance - I need to get to the bottom of why I give in to the cravings everyone

That should say every time!

Great to have you @Onlymeandyou !

@pinkclouds26 well done on your sobriety so far, that is brilliant! Are you seeing any early wins so far? Sobriety circle - there are a lot of groups around, often pain, run by a sober coach. Soberistas, Sarah Rusbatch, Tribe Sober, Annie Grace - there are loads and will offer a comunity of like minded people as well as some material or courses to help you along the way.

@Accidentaladult how are you finding sober october so far? The exercise sounds really good and I like the idea of being able to sew (more than a button on!), that's a great creative and "flow" activity.

@bigfoot40 oh I hate uncertainty, and house move is such a big one isn't it. Hope it isn't too stressful. The weights sounds good and brilliant you're seeing the benefit of it.

I'm drinking like a fish at the moment - maybe just because I can? And I know my favourite toy will soon be taken away. Alcohol is one of my longest relationships, I used to think it was my best friend but now I know it's my worst enemy.

Hi all! I'd love to join. I've just restarted a failed sober October and love the idea of sober 2027. Might have to start now otherwise the next few months would probably be a very heavy goodbye to alcohol spree 🤣 which i did before this failed sober October.
I definitely need to do this as my drinking is not good atm but the problem I have is I start a sober stint convince myself I can moderate because forever seems too hard, try to moderate and then just give up. Rinse and repeat. So yes please to joining this and hopefully managing to stick this time! 🙏

I would love to join! I actually started on 6th September, sober so far. Tonight will be my first real challenge. A party, live music, friends, and I shall be ordering myself soft drinks. My husband is a drinker (no pressure from him) but I’m still aware it changes the dynamic.

Last year I managed 7 months of sobriety - felt amazing! Fell off the wagon at a friends wedding and stayed there. Determined this is it now. I feel dreadful after just a couple of drinks. I saw a post about it being ethanol and I can’t get it out of my head - hence the 6th of September prompt and I keep reminding myself “why put poison in your body”? I already have an autoimmune disease so I dont need that on top.

Good luck everyone! X

Yes.

I’m in, I’ve had a relatively sober year compared to others but it’s been so hard, there have been blips. I’m still obsessed with alcohol, think about it everyday and I’m worried about the festive season & that I’ll attempt to moderate (an impossibility!). Last year I did dry Jan which I extended to 100 days and found easy, I just wasn’t drinking & all of my family & friends knew it. At day 108 I ordered an AF sangria in Spain & was mistakenly given alcohol, so that was that, everything was ruined! Every day since has been a struggle. Now I have to wake up each morning & make the choice not to drink. Going into the 2027 knowing I will not drink at all will take away that daily decision.

I highly recommend the Try Dry app, it’s so satisfying having a month of yellow (dry days), it was only when the black day (unplanned drink) had to be put in it all went t**ts up for me last year!

I thought I'd drop in to offer encouragement! I totally get the wanting to start on 1st Jan - I did that on 1st Jan 2025 & have been sober since. It is a nice, clear, fresh-start date - you're not putting yourself under pressure to break an ingrained drinking habit during the festive/party season, and January is perhaps the easiest month to quit drinking. I like the fact that I've got a memorable/significant starting point to my sobriety ie 'I've been sober since 1st Jan of X year' somehow makes me want to stick to it more! I was a 'normal' over-drinker that was sick of the dependency, shame, self-loathing, worry about what I was doing to my health, etc. I knew that breaking the habit would be impossible with just willpower - the force of the habit in a big drinking culture is strong! So I read quit lit, listened to podcasts, went to a sober cafe meet-up, & told myself I have to do 3 months and then see - this is a very doable length of time to deal with at the beginning, & gives your body time to recover & for you to start noticing positive changes. If I had to recommend one book it would be Alcohol Explained by William Porter - that book just turned me right off drinking. After 3 months I felt determined to carry on - I mean, if you can do 3 months you can do 4 months, right? So, go for it - the positives are fantastic - you lose a few pounds in weight, you gain £££ in savings 😄 I am very, very proud of myself for not drinking - I love the fact that I no longer drink. It's wonderful to feel proud instead of ashamed! I sometimes worry I'll enjoy an event less without a drink, but never actually do and always feel really glad I didn't drink at the end of a night out/next morning. Good luck, all - be kind to yourselves & give yourselves the time & space to be sober once you begin - if it feels hard to begin with, try it out for a few months - what's a few months in a long lifetime? You can afford yourselves that break from alcohol to see how you get on x