Staying DRY

[MrsSippie]

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

The tapestry thing is SO out of character! Anyone who knows me would never believe it. Ilike the idea of making something. Problem is that I thought the design would be on the bleeding bit of cloth so I could just fill it in -painting by numbers style. Nup. So I have spent a bit of today turning the cloth this way and that trying to figure it out!

That's it! Four bloody days. AF. And a salad with more vitamins and minerals than you could shake a bottle of Rioja at. Early night with a book. Tomorrow is a new day.

Yay HowDRY!

Good on you!!!!!

I am also still AF. I wibbled but read loads of sobriety blogs and lurked on a fab sporner thread.

Tomorrow is a bright, shiny new day. :)

I too am at four days and tucked up in bed with a vintage apocalypse novel love hearing about everyone's new uses of time!

Morning all.

Hope everyone had a good evening- and hope that MrsSippie is enjoying her holiday. :)

I fiund yesterday hard, but that was mainly due to the long hours between finishing work, childminder pickup and bed. So today I am going to take notice of my own 'things to do' list and pack a picnic dinner and take DS to the park. I will take cold roast chicken, tomato salad, potato salads yoghurts and fruit. Hopefully the day stays reasonably sunny!

Wishing you all a happy day.

And you have the weather for it, nochips!
And today is a bright, sunny new day.
Could any helpful soul link to a good blog/site please? I'm trying to not over-dramatise/glorify all of this - it's what 'normal people' do every day, isn't it??

Thanks HowDRY. :)

The blog I have just really enjoyed reading is this one;

carrieonsober.wordpress.com/

The writer is about my age, so it appealed.

Also,

soberjournalist.wordpress.com/

Both blogs referenced a US podcast called 'The Bubble Hour' which I have just started to listen to too.

www.thebubblehour.com/

I have been enjoying the blogs. Everyone around me drinks pretty hard, and no-one discusses any fears or doubts. So I always pushed it to the back of my mind, so it helps (like this thread) to read about others who are feeling what I am feeling.

On another note.... I am using some of the money saved on wine drinking to order a couple of tons of compost in. We have one garden bed in our garden and it has never really been productive because of our difficult soil- so I am finally sorting it out. So, I will hopefully see something real, tangible and permanent from my wine money!!

Morning everyone!

Well done howDRY, bet it was a lovely feeling waking up this morning without that dreaded hungover feeling! As tough as the cravings get on an evening, I have never, ever woken up the next day regretting not drinking the night before.

I've been going to the gym again (having spent 10 months paying for membership and never going) and have recently been going for a short run (2km) on an evening, twice a week. I aim to build on my fitness but haven't gone too mad with it because I bore easily

I'm at day 41 and have rarely been thinking about booze - the warm sun and blue skies yesterday triggered thoughts of sitting in the garden with several gallons glasses of wine/cider/beer but I played the film to the end with me waking up at 4am on the sofa, fully clothed, mouth as dry as a stick, unable to remember the kids going to bed, frantically checking my phone/facebook for the trail of shame...creeping up to DP in bed (after i've stopped by the toilet to heave and wretch acidic bile up) not sure if I'd pissed him off in any way, then laying awake with heart palpitations, waves of anxiety and a general wish to crawl under a rock and never come out again. Not so 'glam' at the age of almost 36, when I look at those 'few' drinks in the sun like that

I've taken photos of my face at each week I've been dry, and the difference is amazing. Looking at my progress in a visual form has really motivated me and kept me on track; I showed my mum the pics yesterday and she hugged me and told me how proud she was of me and how worried she was about my mental health when I was in the thick of the paranoid comedowns the day after the night before.

My realationships with the DCs have also improved - I haven't had a major ruck with my teenage DDs since I stopped drinking, as I'm calm and measured, not hungover and ratty so more likely to walk away when I feel my blood pressure rise. But at the same time I'm more confident at tackling any undesirable behaviour without lecturing or shouting, there's a general feeling of calm around here and as a family, we're all benefiting.

Didn't mean to ramble on so much, but it's great to have somewhere to talk about it all! xxx

Many thanks nochips! Will be out and about today, but will be settling down with those links when I get back, instead of settling down with a drink or twelve in the garden.
Yes, SD, I remember reading on the 1st thread someone saying that no-one ever woke up regretting that they hadn't had a skinful the night before.
Am feeling a bit 'intense' tbh. But that salivating at the thought of a red wine is subsiding at least. Rather pleased at walking down the Aisle of Death, seeing what was on offer and walking straight past all of it. Which is what I'll be doing later. And as many times as is necessary. I want to practice the gumption of facing it all down.
Specific aches have gone, lower back, side. But feeling a bit achy all over. Feel like a block of concrete. I'm hoping/assuming this is toxic shit clearing off and my body replenishing itself? That's what I'm comforting myself with anyway.

I remember that 'intense' feeling How, my brain was scrambled with thoughts of booze/no booze and I felt like I'd been kicked all over, so heavy and achy. It was a total headfuck if I'm honest. The second week I also erupted in spots all over my face to top it off and began to wonder why I was looking so shit! I'm finally starting to feel good about myself and have lost my bloated, sallow complexion so it's been worth hanging on in there. I'm still waking with headaches most mornings but I suspect that's down to my insane sugar cravings - I'll tackle that another day though, can't quite see me feasting on roasted sunflower seeds on an evening just yet! Besides, I enjoy choosing sugary treats for myself, I even hid a Chocolate Orange from the DCs in my knicker drawer last week, all for meeeeeeeeee

Hi everyone,

In terms of blogs, I also like Belle if you sign up to her mailing list, she emails you her blog in chunks.

And ByeByeBeer

And DDG

The blog rolls on the latter two are good as well for more blogs.

I know what you guys mean about skin - whilst my eyes are looking brighter and better all the time, I've had horrendous breakouts around my nose, an area I never get spots, and nasty blotchy skin too. Looks worse than it does when I'm hungover...

Talking of which, DH and I shared a bottle of alcohol free (0.05% so properly free) rose with dinner last night and I felt awful this morning - not hungover exactly, but shattered and out of sorts. Anyone else tried alcohol-free booze substitutes and found a similar thing?

Good luck to you all for this evening - I am planning to sit in the garden with a pitcher of sour lime and soda and read a good book

I signed up to Belle's mailing list yesterday, tightropes

Mrs D's blog is good and her blogroll is the first I surf from because it shows when the sites are updated. I think she wrote something for MN not long ago.

Lime and soda in the sunshine sounds like a great idea!

Just making it now BlueSky I will check out MrsD!

oh yes to the headache - it's been around for a couple of days. I thought it may be linked to sugar but what the link is exactly I'm not sure at all, if that's the cause. And lethargy.
And yes too for the nose job - the LHS has erupted in blotchy and picky red blemishes. It looks now like the classic (though incorrect) 'drinker's nose'. Which given what's actually happening is the cruelest of ironies!
More salad then into the blogs - many many thank yous for putting these up.

Hi everyone,

Yes to the skin outbreaks also.I have shocking skin right now. Both dry and spotty at the same time. I hope it gets better!

I had a constant low-level head ache for the first few weeks the last time I gave up. It is really unfair.

Now I have a crack in the corner of my mouth with is sore and won't go away. Google says it might be a lack of water soluble B Vitamins, which alcohol depletes the body of, so why now, when I'm taking supplements and off the booze?

BlueSky - have you thought about marmite - do you like it? In another life I worked with long term chronic alcoholics (goodness knows why I didn't watch and learn) and we'd use it to up their vitamin intake. Tonics are good too - although I really doubt if you've got a reasonably healthy diet you'd need either.

I've been eating it on toast for the last few days. I suppose I could smear a bit on the area as well

Your former life sounds very interesting. I've been reading through the dependent drinkers threads from many years ago (in Health, pre- Brave Babes) and one or two people have mentioned seeing their addiction counsellors at A.A, or going to meetings and seeing clients.

I am also outraged that Bottlegreen have discontinued lime and coconut cordial but luckily waitrose do an ice-cream in that flavour.

Oww oww oww oww don't do it!!!

I still work in the field (for a homelessness charity) the service was one that my former organisation runs. It's brilliant. The thing is, I can know all the things about harm minimisation in the world, but putting them into place? Not so good

Interesting posts re illness. I am worn out despite going to sleep 2 hours earlier on average and sober. I have been getting mild dizzy spells a bit as well the last couple of days - that can't be related to not drinking surely after more than 3 weeks? Is this all normal?

I'm sorry to say I don't look and healthier and have not lost weight

I am also BORED out of my skull. But having said all that the UPSIDES make it totally worthwhile

I'm going to Waitrose first thing tomorrow!

NiceTabard, have you seen Breaking Bad? Binge-watching all five series was the most interesting thing I have done in the last few weeks. I loathed the first episode but became obsessed very quickly.

I had the dizzy spells as well. Sugar-low in my case so I usually had a boiled sweet on the go.

Not seen it but will add it to lovefilm!!!

I have plenty of TV to watch (umpteen masterchef series + bones + loads of other stuff) AND a fanfic addiction to feed and I am still bored I used to be totally happy with doing those things but I guess I was always drinking / hungover as well. Now I feel like I want to be doing something else as well but don't know what!

I guess this is kind of an adjustment period or something.

Thanks for advice re dizzy spells I've not had anythign like that before has freaked me out a bit!!!

I agree r.e adjustment period. When the DC are in bed and the evening is stretching ahead I have to remind myself that relaxation is its own reward.

One of the reasons I've abused alcohol is insomnia. I'm still amazed by the slowing down of reflexes and the slight fuzziness which comes with being naturally sleepy. It's lovely compared to drinking myself to sleep or tossing and turning for hours on wine-free nights.

I guess I just need to get used to this new way of being and my body does too. It must be quite a shock to the old system.

I am glad that you are appreciating tiredness - I know that sounds odd! But I guess we need to relearn all this stuff.