DRY 5

[allhailqueenmab]

Starting this before the old one gets filled up!
this is the thread for the alcohol free.
Join us!

Welcome Freud
Yeah I gave up smoking too, no bother. I think it helps that smoking is so socially unacceptable these days... no one would ever dream of pressurising an ex-smoker into "having a little one" on their birthday, or for a wedding toast! Also there isn't the same stigma to being a nicotine addict, whereas although alcohol clearly causes so much harm there is definitely still a barrier to people wanting to give it up. Maybe one day society will get to the same point, where alcohol is recognised as a dangerous drug rather than a almost obligatory treat. Certainly make it easier to give up!
Anyway, after that ramble... not sure if I have any great tips other than committing to it a day (or hour!) at a time - don't have a drink today, and see how it goes. Soon the physical benefits will become evident and it gets easier.

Day two today! I can't say I am craving it as I don't normally have a drink on a Monday anyway-its Thursday to Sunday which is more testing.
Anyway, looking forward to seeing some physical benefits although I do need to nip the chocolate habit in the bud lol!

Good job sunflower!

Welcome Freud. Is there not an Alan Carr for stopping drinking too? Seems to be based on the same principle as the smoking. I'm still a dirty smoker myself, stopped for five months after I stopped drinking, picked up the bottle again along with the ciggies. That's my plan for this week to chuck them again now I'm off the booze. Would you be interested in taking up something new to mark the start of a chapter in your life? A new sport or hobby perhaps?

I drink a hell of a lot when I'm low too and being a depressant, its the worst thing to do. My way of hiding away from it? On the plus side in under two weeks I've noticed a big difference in my mood and feel more capable to face things head on.

Well done sunflower on chucking the rest of the booze and starting over.

Welcome Gymslip - I went along to the Allen Carr clinic for stopping drinking; it worked for me. Very similar to the smoking one, but personally I found it really helpful to be in a roomful of people who identified themselves as wanting to stop drinking.

In classic 'me' style, I'd had my last bottle of wine the night before ("only the one, should be fine"), had an appalling night's sleep, got lost on the way there, went the wrong way round the one way system and drove headlong towards...... a police car. I then proceeded to sit there all day hating myself for being so useless and left thinking I hadn't taken anything in.

However that was nearly 4 months ago and I haven't had a drink since

loads to catch up on, not been on fir a whike, welcome, welcome all newbies, one day at a time
will read through and catch up.
14 months tomorrow. ..yay...and still working in the bar, love it Biggles, belated huge congratulations for your year. ..you go girl.....

That's fantastic staying dry on the 14 months. Well done you!!

Bit of a stinker of an evening. I'd forgotten how much hard work two year olds are!! Cried because the tablet needed charged, cried because she didn't want a bath, cried because there was bubbles and the bath foam was red, cried because she doesnt like snowmen, they're scary threw a tantrum at getting out of the bath, the towel was the wrong one, thought shed left her shoes at her dads and eventually cried because 'she doesn't like anything!!', her words.

Usually Id be reaching for the bottle and I can't say I'm not missing it tonight. It was my little switch to 'destress from from mum mode'. Instead I'm curled up in the bed with a cup of tea feeling a bit pissed off. Even going for a run today didn't help as between smoking and not running for 3 weeks it was bloody difficult, I couldn't do much and that's pissed me off too. Irrationally I know as its my fault.

23 days AF but feeling really down and fed up - where's my boing and zest - have I just damaged my health for good - gah

Day Three! I had a long day- work 9-5 and then college 6-9pm. Sometimes in the past it has been tempting to call for a bottle on the way home and while the thought did cross my mind I can't really say I was tempted. I keep telling myself all the benefits of not drinking and being 'free'. There are so many!
Even though its only day two-I felt more 'on the ball' today at work-able to face tasks and take in information. I was finding the drink was really starting to affect my concentration.
The problem is though I am eating too much!! I need to get some healthy snacks in-grapes maybe ha ha seen as they are in wine!
Weekend I have two nights out planned but I feel positive-one I am going to with my sister who is a non drinker and the other I am going to drive to!

Hello everyone. Really nice to see new people and good works going on! (get me Mrs Victoriana )

eggshells I get the running thing (as you know I would!) Sometimes it's just a bloody pain trying to do it after a while, but..keep it up, you know how much you enjoy it really

sunflower - eating too much is so typical! I still do. It's the sugar being replaced, which is annoying but it does peter out (ish!)

70. You are bound to go through times of feeling rubbish about the decision. It's a massive life change, and your brain chemistry is getting used to it physically as well as mentally, you'll get through it!

stayingdry really good to see you. Go you!

Freudian Welcome! My only 'tip' is to just do it, day by day. I run now - I run whenever I think I may be tempted and if I don't run I feel as grumpy as I used to when I 'needed' a drink. That's just the way I deal with it.
I also need a new hobby. I got very pissed off on Saturday evening as I felt that, although my life has changed so much, I am still not doing anything kind of thing. DH has every Saturday of the year sorted - summer it's cricket, winter it's the gym , then pub. I got quite cross with him which was unfair really. He does nothing else really, and that is his relaxation. I have tentatively joined an acting/writing group which one of my volunteers at work is part of , so we'll see how that goes.

Took lovely ds to the doctor last night (very handsome young doctor, who, last time I saw him, was bending my legs around looking for an
injury..) He was great with G. He talked to him and asked him all about his life, what he likes, how he feels why he believes his behaviour is a bit odd laltely, and suggested that G does some relaxation and rests. he felt that it isn't serous enough yet to warrant intervention but said to go back if we felt it was really getting worse. G was so much happier this morning which was great, He is also going to have a chat with his form tutor. Hopefully he'll be ok.

Work now. Bah. Have a good day all

Hi StayingDry - glad to see you back. Great that the job is going well.

70hours - don't feel despondent. You WILL feel better, I promise. It does take quite a while before our bodies get back to normal, but for me that was an added incentive to keep going. If stopping doing something causes this many odd symptoms, then that substance really wasn't good for me. There is a blog called Everything Afterwards and today's post is about early sobriety is like the early days of having a newborn. We expect too much of ourselves. In fact, you are doing amazingly well to have got to 3 weeks. With every month that passes I feel better & better.

Biggles - so glad the doctor was sympathetic. Is your son still doing the behaviours? I guess my only concern would be is that if it is OCD there is strong evidence that early intervention helps considerably with outcome. But keeping a watchful eye and getting a referral if it continues would be the plan I guess. (sorry I prob have a tendency to over-pathologise due to having a child with SN).

All good here. Have totally stopped having weekend associations with alcohol. Cravings are more random and now & again. 5 months next week. Have had some AF free beer and wine. Was a bit wary at first because I know AA and some purists don't recommend. But doesn't seem to have caused a problem and funnily enough you only ever want one glass. Not for everyone and I don't think I'd have done it in early sobriety.

Hi to Freudian and everyone new. Welcome aboard.

He seemed a lot calmer this morning but was still overly worried about his history test. I am going to watch very carefully and take him back if things don't improve. Poor little chap :(

Afternoon ladies!
Not been saying much - feeling a bit 'meh'. Not going to drink as I know it won't help but I've been isolating myself.
Biggles do inquire about school nurse who may be able to help DS :)
Haggis congrats on 5 months!
staying dry congrats on 14 months!
And hoorah to all sober warriors fighting the good fight on Guy Fawkes Night!
eggshells 70 sunflower & Freudian that means you ;)
Back to lurking .....

Thanks Haggis

Oooh what is the link to that blog please?

lovely reading all the posts.Early days.....hmm....as has been said best advice is one day at a time. As long as you put your head on your pillow tonight sober, thats good, then repeat it tomorrow. I'm still doing that.Sugar crave was huge for me, never drank so much low cal lemonade, upto 4litres a day
Eating too much, so what I'd rather be trying to lose afew pounds than fighting to gain respect and humility back from a drunken debacle.
Biggles, Haggis, Lucy, all still doing so well, what great mentors . Sorry if I've missed anyone. Hold on to your serenity and gratitude for a sober way of living. ...a grateful recovering alcoholic will never need a drink

Day 24 - can't believe its day 25 tomorrow - whoop whoop :)

Here's the blog I mentioned. (everything Afterwards).

lifeafteralcohol.com/

Hugs, Lucy. I hope you feel better soon.

Hey everyone
Day four for me!! Very early days obviously and this sounds awful but it is a huge mile stone. I honestly cannot remember the last time I did more than 3 dry days in a run-honestly its definitely over a year-maybe two years...
I do need to curb the eating though-I am fairly slim but I want to stay that way. I did used to deliberately not eat tea some nights though so I could neck a bottle of wine or would just had a bag of crisps with my wine.
Did feel a bit of a craving today and a bit tempted before my evening course to stop on the way home. However, with some of the other girls on the course we were talking about people who embarrass themselves when drunk so it kind of reminded me of why I am not missing out by not drinking xx

Thanks for the blog link Haggis was interesting reading - made a lot of sense - and it seems like I may get a pink cloud but I just need to keep on!

Anyway well done Sun. I am 25 days sober today :) and it's my birthday so I am going to go and treat myself :)

Happy birthday 70 Have a fantastic day

Glad you got your ds sorted with the gp Biggles, hope this is the turning point for him. I wouldn't go back to being a teenager for love nor money, all that angst, worry and stress. Yes I know I love running really, just hate having to start over again when I was running such long distances during the summer. Will kick my backside out again tomorrow.

Well done on five months Haggis, I'll check out that blog later.

Fantastic sunflower and I get how to normal drinkers it doesn't sound much but to the likes of me too a few days can be a huge milestone.

Day 14 here. Spent yesterday feeling very hormonal and almost on the brink of tears. One of those days that you feel like this can't be my life and want to run away and hide. Usually I'd be drowning them feelings in wine later that night and it's not particularly pleasant not being able to seek oblivion and having to face up to how much I'm unhappy with my life at the moment. Sigh. On the kinda plus side, dd took a tumble out of her high chair very accident prone child late last night landing straight on the tiled floor with her head. She was grand, not the first time she's cracked her head and from last time going to the hospital for a check I knew what to watch for, but with wine down me I would have been paranoid and second guessing my thinking all night. Sober me was very calm and knew she was ok.

Have a good day all

ah Brokeneggshells I know that feeling of being so unhappy with your life that drowning your sorrows in wine is the only answer. I've felt like that a lot, particularly around the time of the month.
Well done on getting through it and not turning to drink xxx

Well end of day 25 and I really feel my habits are beginning to change - tomorrow marks the start of my fifth drink free weekend - I say fifth as before I stopped completely on the 13th October I didn't drink in the Friday or Saturday night (10th/11th) but did on the Sunday. Anyway I digress - coming up to 4 weeks - fab!!!

Thanks sunflower, dont know what's up with me, been having a right pity party for one the last couple of days . On the depo injection so not even sure if it's hormonal or stopping drinking or even just the change of season as I would get a bit down during the winter time with lack of sun. Stressing out big time about money with Christmas approaching too which probably isn't helping.

I've been noticing the last few weeks on Facebook a few my age or only slightly older are starting to have health issues with their heart and that. These are people who enjoy their drinking a good bit and are smokers. Scary and hitting home to me, especially given heart and bp problems run through my family, it's time to put the brakes on my self destructive habits before the next person is me.

Well done 70, enjoy your weekend.

just thought of a tip for those that are on early days. l used to plan a treat for myself on anniversaries, say a month,2 etc. Nothing major maybe just a tenner to spend on myself.After all you have saved a damn site more than an tenner not drinking