Dry 6

[sydneysideup]

This is the thread for the alcohol free. Happy and hopeful, continuing from Dry 5 here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/a2137624-DRY-5?msgid=50943574
Whether it's been an hour, a day, a week or a year, join us here.

Merry 2015! My first, adult, non pregnant sober NYE!

Good morning and Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a wonderful, joy-filled year ahead.

am watching this documentary this morning... has anyone seen it? It's pretty shocking.

Morning and Happy New Year to you all
Yep I've seen it Corn it's a cracker. If you want another one that'll make your hair curl try this one!

Planet birthday here for DD's so might drop in later :)

Thank you for your kind words Teapot even though I feel I don't deserve them. Yes I also have a very strong 'fuck it' reflex, which probably explains my character flaw of starting things with so much enthusiasm and motivation but not quite so good at finishing them.

Another Netflixer here. Keep meaning to try and switch it to the US site as sis has done that and said there's far more on it.

Hi ya mortil

Well welcome to 2015 everyone. Hope it's a good one for all of us.

Happy New Year all!!!!!

broken - I would describe myself in exactly the same way, good at starting things with enthusiasm but rarely good at finishing them. This is my first attempt at sobriety and I am utterly terrified of having a blip because I know from past experience that it doesn't take much to derail me completely. That is why I am full of admiration for people who just get straight back on it, I do not have confidence that I would be the same. It's a cliche but this is a journey, and I read something recently that said that if you have a blip but get straight back to not drinking, it's good because you're still facing in the right direction in knowing absolutely that being AF is the correct path.

dont - HNY to you and congratulations on making it through without booze. What did you do, were you out? :)

I was woken up at 5.30am by my lodger coming in - very quietly I may add, I just have super creaky floorboards. Meant I was awake 5.30-7am as I listened to the Bubble Hour and tried to get back to sleep... annoyingly I chose a really good episode (Sober Firsts; amazing) so it didn't work as a sleep aid! Slept 7-9am and now feel vaguely groggy and hungover. Self-medicating with a pot of tea; aiming for a very quiet non-kids day today.

Lucy thank you for posting that link- watching now with mouth opened in horror.

I feel so grateful I have found this thread, and everybody in the blogosphere. I would have continued along largely on my (unhappy) merry way.

I have been putting off getting my over 40 MOT including a liver function test. I think it might be time.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

So lovely to wake up sober and be able to do stuff or choose to not do stuff today instead of the whole day being a hangover hell. I wonder how many "lost days" we have between us?

I have an essay to write today (sobs) and the kitchen could do with a clean. Other than that I shall be parked in front of the tv and maybe go for a walk,although it looks like snow

Happy New year guys have been lurking on these threads for ages and today is the day I'm giving up alchool.
Looking forward to a happier, sober and cheaper 2015

Welcome shiong. You CAN do it :)

Totally agree Leftie - and there's such a difference between spending the day doing nothing with and without a hangover. I finally feel as though I can relax without feeling guilty. I always felt as though I didn't have time to relax, because some days I would have to do nothing because I felt hungover. So I didn't even get to enjoy doing nothing when I did it... what's the point of that?! (Let alone that hideous guilt/shame feeling and wondering what I did/said and beating myself up for having drunk more than I wanted to...)

Cornchips MOT good idea and if you're asking for LFT's (liver function test) which isn't routinely offered btw make sure you ask for AST levels too. LFT's only pick up inflammation in the liver and if you've abstained for a good while, any inflammation will have settled, so the results would come back normal - as mine did. LFT's with AST levels will pick up signs of more problematic liver distress. Or as the C4 doc you're watching suggests the gold standard is a liver scan.
Teapot have the relapse trigger episode of the Bubble Hour cued up for this evening
waves to eggshells and littledonkey and welcome Shiong :)

Morning all, I have done it!! I've got through the festive period without drinking, woo!! I'm on day 39 now and I am feeling great!!!
I must be careful I don't now think "great, I've done what I was worried about and got through xmas and new year, now one won't hurt".
I am also a netflixer, how do you get the american version??

Just to clarify - LFT's are a blood test and they will be taking a blood sample to check for diabetes so it's just another tick on the same form and no extra blood required or additional paperwork.

Happy new year - can I join? am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Hello knackered and welcome.

I know exactly what you mean about sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

I see myself as a bit of a rebel trailblazer in kicking the booze - ahead of my time and everyone else will catch up with me if you see what I mean?

What support do you think you will need? Books, websites, distractions? What are your triggers?

I have helped myself by reading the Jason Vale book and by drinking Schloer or Becks Blue in the evenings, although sometimes I am happy with my tea.

I was thinking of AA - have been before and still have some of their literature. What is the jason vale book? Evenings will be the hardest time as its a huge trigger period. I thought of jigging things round in the evening and breaking up the routine - taking the kids out, going swimming - anything that helps make changes and stop the association with my evening routine and drinking. I get home from work and start drinking whilst I do the cooking/ironing /hw etc. There is a huge relationship between kitchen and desire to drink so am planning stuff to eat with kids that keeps me out of there as much as possible til I feel stronger. I just feel like I've been living some miserable half life for so long you know?

Here's the book - www.amazon.co.uk/Kick-Drink-Easily-Jason-Vale/dp/1845903900

I am finding it so helpful in getting my mind around the fact that I really don't want to drink - I don't feel like I miss it or that I have "given anything up" because alcohol was just hampering my life, not adding anything positive to it.

You cannot be chemically addicted to alcohol so it's a habit, a mental craving rather than a physical dependence. Try the schloer or the Becks blue if you think you need something that makes you feel like you are drinking.

Hate to disagree with you littledonkey but you can be chemically addicted to/physically dependent on alcohol as it changes the brain chemistry and stopping drinking then becomes a potentially life-threatening event because it causes a spike in blood pressure triggering epileptic fits. I know this because I used to work on a ward that cared for alcoholic liver disease patients and I've seen it happen. You would know if you were physically dependent though as you would be experiencing other symptoms such as the DT's (delirium tremens) and other symptoms that make you feel very unwell.
I agree with everything else that you said though :)

Welcome knackered :) It's a great day to get sober

shite that emoticon should have been not the other one - slippery fingers!!

That is quite a funny typo Lucy !!

Weclome Shiong Welcome knackered

Hi Shiong & Knackered and everyone else new to the thread. Happy new year to all!

Biggles - how is your DH doing? I'm so glad he went to the doctors. Lucy - hope your DD Is having a fab birthday. As you know my DDs was on Tuesday but her party is on Sunday. Lots of us with kids with Xmassy birthdays from memory.
Teapot - hope you enjoy your few days at home whilst the DDs are away.

I didn't find yesterday that hard at all - but I did stay up til midnight with my DH and two eldest DC. Which made me grumpy in the end as I'm afraid I have had nearly 3 solid weeks with my kids - and some of those days are 14-15 hours long with late bedtimes and we really need a break from each other. I haven't taken any down time as I will be away for two weeks in Jan to see my sister in Oz, so I shouldn't moan. But my DS is hard bloomin work as much I love him .

Other than that I am feeling very positive about 2015!

Thanks everyone for the welcome! Your typo made me laugh Lucy! I can do this!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! Day 5 for me today, stuck to the fizzy grape juice last night. Had a quiet day today, wonderful not to have a hangover. Went for a run at midday - it's frozen and snowy here, and the sky was crystal clear blue.

Feeling very tired this evening. Looking forward to an early night.
Glad this festive season is over, it's never my favourite time of year because of family stuff. Now it's done and I feel like I can get back to myself, if that makes sense.

Wishing everyone a sober and wonderful 2015 :)

Happy new year to everyone
Nice to be sober and not hangover this morning
Am abroad at the moment but have found an aa meeting tomorrow not too far away so will go to that. As someone else said, it's important to not be complacent after Christmas and new year but to keep being vigilant

Welcome shiong and knackered

With the trigger of the kitchen and kids knackered I found it really helped to plan something with the dc after dinner together. Going to the park or for an ice-cream for example, or like you said swimming.

Oh my goodness I wholeheartedly agree Haggis. I started back with the earlier bedtime for the littliest last night as I really need that hour or two to myself, especially considering she sleeps in my bed so I don't get peace to myself even then. I love them but I need a little space after spending so much time in each other pockets the past few weeks as I'm finding myself getting cranky. A trip to Oz sounds fantastic, have you been before?

I'm glad Christmas is over myself muminboots I'm not a big fan of it and love getting back to normality with the thought of spring round the corner.

I'll ask sis this weekend miserableatwork how to change to US. She did tell me before and I wrote it down but I'm not the most technologically savvy person in the world.