Staying DRY

[MrsSippie]

This is a continuation of the last thread DRY We are all doing our best to abstain completely from alcohol.

Good luck with your OP daisy

NiceTabard - wobbled tonight myself in corner shop watching everyone else buy wine. Home now wineless and proud.

Well done Jupiter That was really good work.

Nice work both of you. :)

I wobbled too. Not because I want a drink today (I don't) but because I thought 'is this it then? Can I really never have another drink?' and then I felt a bit depressed.

Oh I meant to say to MrsSippie congratulations for being strong with your DM. That is great!

YY that is a big difficult thought. So I try to tamp it down when I think it.

Don't know what happened today. Went past offy just fine. Was just sitting at home and got a thirst on.

I'm OK now

Have been eating a shitload of food this week though!

Oh, one thing I did today. My GP has been suggesting I get an over 40's health check which I believe includes a liver function test. I have been resisting (surprise surprise!). I decided today to just go and do it. I might as well know how things are. No point being in denial any more!

Yes, I am going to stamp the thought down too. Concentrate on how good I feel today.

Have also been eating shitloads of food. GAH!!!!

My skin is amazing though.

One day at a time is the way nochips. You know that though you are doing a great job

I can't think about 'is this it'? Every time I have quit before I have been on a downer so this time. . Its just for today..

One day at a time doesn't work for me - it makes me feel like tomorrow I can drink, and I hate the idea of making the decision to live AF every single day. I made it once. That'll do, thanks. So I'm an all-or-nothing gal.

Nochips, if you like Mrs D, can I also recommend Unpickled (unpickled.wordpress.com) and Belle (tiredofthinkingaboutdrinking.wordpress.com) - Belle is particularly good for sober resources, she does podcasts and a 100 day challenge and she acts as a 'sober penpal' for people who don't want to go to AA and get a sponsor. I've only recently discovered the world of sober blogs myself, and I started one when I started this journey, and it helps SO MUCH to have those extra people to talk to.

Good morning. :)

Yes, I think the difference this time for me I feel generally positive about quitting, whereas previously I felt fear, shame, disgrace as the resolution came after a nasty argument with DH, or me making an idiot of myself in some way. This time it has been borne out of something where I feel more positive.

I am also a bit all or nothing tortoise. Today I did get through my wibble by thinking 'well, no for today and I will review at a later date'. I just keep reminding myself how good I feel when I wake up. How proud of myself I feel during the day. Plus my pound coin jar is getting more full. :)

Thanks so very much for the blog recommendations tortoise. I am a long-time huge fan of blogs. I had been looking for sober blogs, so will definitely look at these. I love the idea of podcasts too. I am surrounded by very very heavy drinkers, thankfully not DH though, ...every social occasion involves getting hammered. It will be nice to not feel 'alone'.

Hi tortoise yes totally get where you're coming from!

For me now also this is right, done, that's it. It is the only way to approach this.

I just personally find that I can start dwelling on really random things to do with the future - what about the work xmas party? What about a non-specific BBQ I might get invited to over the summer? What about on a nice hot day in August and I fancy going to a beer garden and having a cider? How will I manage those situations? But those situations aren't happening now, and if and when they do happen, they may or may not present a problem for me. So in that case, there is no point in sitting around thinking about them. Dwelling on the fact that I might fancy a drink in February 2016 and not be able to have one is a ludicrous way to behave! And so when I find myself doing it, I stop.

Works for me, anyway

Hey people anyone out there tonight? Just checking in to say hello and hope you are all on good form

Hi I am here. Still dry. Had friends round on friday for dinner and the wine smelt sooooooo good. Resisted, because I dont actually enjoy conversing when pissed or even tipsy. Much prefer sober, but I truly did wobble.

Good morning! Sorry I have been absent for a few days. All is OK here.
I do get the potential panic at the 'what will happen when...?' Scenarios. Especially in the summer.. However, the best thing is just to not think about it. It's our wedding anniversary on Monday and I am meeting dh after work for a meal. This is already panicking me a bit as I will be on my bike so 'could' drink I have to remember that I'm nearly six months in and how appalling I would feel.
Then, on the 14th, we're going on holiday. Obviously, holidays are for relaxing...and drinking aren't they? That will be a bit of a test. I am going to take my running kit and do lots of beach and countryside runs, but am prepared for it to be tricky.
Have a fabulous Sunday all

scentedcandles well done for that lunch with the wine.

I got randomly upset at the thought of never being able to drink champagne again yesterday, no idea why A "special occasions" thing? Like wedding anniversaries and holidays I guess

Keep at it mrssippie 6 months is amazing

Not posted for a few days, but been dropping in to keep up with you all.
Difficult to role-call as on phone, but you're all doing bloody great, and this helps keep me on the straight and narrow.
26 days today - and feeling good!

Been reflecting a lot lately. I am finally getting some counselling from mind - starting in two weeks and am scared. I know I need it to finally sort my self out vis a Vis my BM, but it's frghtening.

Being sober is frightening. It's not a huge coincidence that I've really been anywhere since stopping drinking - I'm too nervous to go back to old places, see old friends,be around ex drinking friends. I hate cycling past the pubs on the way home, I hate seeing the tables with the lovely cold drinks on. I sometimes feel a compete fraud because I have stopped drinking and hidden away. Can't hide away forever though.
Hopefully tomorrow and the holiday will 'help'.
I have had a complete personality change and have barely noticed it, if that makes sense..I know I'm nicer,more focussed and calmer but I'm still me. I'm thinking 'is this it?'.
We lead a very quiet life really, and have done for a while.
Rambling on now -sorry!

What I think I'm trying to say is that the longer I'm sober, the more real things are becoming. Like the dawn slowly breaking. A rebirth almost (disclaimer, am not even a little bit religious!!) But that's what it feels like. I've been a cocoon for years and may be a butterfly one day.
If anyone has followed any of this well done!!

Hi all-I am still here. Reading and keeping up but not posting as RL is shouting loudly in my ear. Feel a bit blue all round.

MrsSippie i understand about the cocoon to butterfly metaphor. I have felt more vibrantly alive lately. This past weekend has been a bit tough. Hope to post more positively tomorrow.

Hi all. I am joining you. Drinking too much wine.
I was definitely not going to buy wine yesterday, until I was in the supermarket, and I did.
I don't drink every night, but I have to make a real effort not to.
The silly thing is, when I stay off it, by nine pm I don't miss it. I can be just as relaxed sitting on the sofa with a herbal tea. I do more, I read, I call my friends.
When I am chucking wine down my neck, I am just in this fug. If someone calls, I ignore the phone.
I used to be sociable when I drank, but lately, I am the opposite. I was always a party girl, I aways liked a drink, but since being a single mum, its just a way of escaping, and not dealing with things.
And of course it makes things worse.
It makes everything worse.
So, here I am. Day 1.

Welcome Sunday. I understand that fug ever so well.

Good to have you here Sunday. Fug is a splendid word .

Hi
Not doing well here.
day off sick (working though) because I caught the tummy bug my girls had over the weekend.
also need some time to think.
Wondering whether I have a physical dependency I am not aware of because it is not acute - takes days to kick in, rather than one day.

Lots to think about. i have a ton of work to do but I need to take some time to think about things too.

I read this morning on soberistas that NICE guidelines state that a doctor seeing a depressed patient who drinks alcohol should not prescribe anti-depressants until the patient has been alcohol free for 4 weeks. Until then, there is no way to make a proper clinical decision as to whether the patient needs them. (Obv we know that this is not adhered to, this writer believes that GPs are generally not very well equipped to investigate behaviour w.r.t. alcohol - but this is the ideal). this is blowing my mind. It is really making me wonder how different my life could have been, and can be, without alcohol. How did I get into this?

However - one thing that really annoys me about soberistas is the design! a. clunky and cheesy (this is a very mean-spirited criticism and I don't mean it seriously) but b. why illustrate it with clip art of glasses of wine for fucks sake? Can we please go to our support sites and NOT be faced with wine? It's like a weight loss site illustrated with pictures of cream cakes and fish and chips. FFS.

anyway. I fucked up on Friday. It all went a lot better than I could have hoped so of course it drove me to drink. FFS.
Satruday off the bottle.
Sunday back on.

Now here I am, not quite well, not all that ill any more but filled with a vague confused sense of dread and paranoia. work, dp, everything.

Oh ffs I need to get over this so much

I have been thinking about coming on here for a while, so thanks for the welcome.
I am in awe of those of you who have stayed sober for days and weeks, especially those of you who live with people who drink.
I have managed maybe 4 days at the most in the last 8 years.
I thought the Easter holidays would be a good time to try and at least do 7 days, as our routine is different, so breaking that habit might be easier.
Actually, it's more of a compulsion than a habit.
I feel like, if I have done a full week, I will know that I can spend a booze free weekend. I don't know why the thought of that panics me so much!

I may well be posting rambling nonsense this week...