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.

Will be back to write more later but just briefly I have also been listening to this for a bit of 'light entertainment' when drifting off to sleep - a R4 comedy set in AA... Love In Recovery - with Sue Johnston and John Hannah amongst others...

teapot yes I heard this and have listened to the first two - need to catch up with the third one so thanks for the reminder :)

Thanks. Good stuff! I am getting right back into radio 4 after a prolonged break. Found myself almost crashing on the way home from dropping mother off listening to the poetry hour. Get me!

Holiday was great Broken & Sydney. Really loved Aus and the weather was amazing. Travelled around a good bit but I did miss the kids and my DH an awful lot. I do think my DSis was annoyed with me a bit about the whole no drinking thing. It did mean we didn't quite connect the same way. Also still quite early on in my sobriety so I had to kind of protect it by going to bed early sometimes etc. But I was bloody proud to have done a holiday like that without any booze. And I really didn't miss it 99% of the time.

So amazing to do that without your husbands and kids around. sorry your sister was off it can be quite uncomfortable in situations like that but you did it, which is massive!

I love this thread! just found Love in recovery and listened to the first episode.

Maybe just different from what she had expected in her head Haggis. You should be proud, holidays are a testing time. Glad you enjoyed it.

Feeling a bit glum today, sick of being good. Simple case of 1st Feb and dry January over. Lots of 'wahey I did it, time for a drink' posts popping up.

Admission; I have never once in my life listened to radio four. Am I missing something? :)

Woman's Hour on Radio 4 is basically like audio Mumsnet a lot of the time, it's brilliant, worthy, annoying, hilarious, heartbreaking, informative and often contradictory. I love it

Oh thanks, googled woman's hour and looks really interesting topics. Good timing as finally got around to replacing a radio I binned ages ago for the kitchen last week.

Had a dream last night where I was drinking but knew I shouldn't be drinking, should I just take a sip, have a glass or say to hell with it? Woke up annoyed with myself. Relieved but irritated my brain is still replaying those thoughts.

Hi all, sorry dropped off the thread...... will catch up later but hope you are all well. :)

Hi again,

slowly catching up. :)

Radio 4 is the best broken :) Sometimes I scream at the radio, but they have great programmes- the Friday night comedy stuff is my favourite. Also, they have a really good afternoon serial on right now based on GF Newman's The Corrupted. I am really enjoying it. (Playing it on the school run). I am going to listen to Love in Recovery on the podcast.... I am usually asleep when it is on!

Haggis glad you are home safely and had a good time. Sorry your DSis was a bit unsettled with your sobriety.

I have designated February as a ditching the refined carbs and sugars in a bid to lose the stone that I have now put on since giving u alcohol last Lent. Going well so far [day 2]

just an aside.... does anyone else notice you can smell alcohol at 50 paces? Walking past pubs etc, ... the smells is a bit overpowering and nauseating at times.

Currently trying to think of a nice place to go for a summer holiday....needs to be fairly short haul as DS is an anxious traveller (currently being assessed for ASD, and it is one part of a whole range of things that he hates), but hopefully somewhere with sun. I'd be grateful for ideas if anyone has them. :)

Hope you are all well and fine.

Sorry for my wittering up-post.

Just caught up with Love in Recovery. That is fun. :)

Happy Day 500 Lucy. :)

Thanks Cornchips! Caught up with Love in Recovery last night too. It's good isn't it?

Yes, I liked it alot. I especially liked the introductions people made 'I'm an alcoholic, blah blah blah'.

Made me laugh.

Made me chuckle too. Shame John Hannah's character isn't more likeable as I'm a sucker for his accent

Hi all, I am new to this thread, I started this journey doing dry January and thinking that would be it, back to normal (or not normal) drinking once the clock chimed at midnight on the 31st jan! What I didn't expect though was how much time I spent analysing my drinking and how I was beginning to realise that maybe I didn't want it to be a part of my life anymore, I have had this feeling for quite a while now but did the usual moderating and bargaining with myself and told myself I was fine and in control blah blah blah...I didn't drink every day and would have a few days off but when I did drink it was always a binge and would feel terrible the next day, feeling guilty, low and grumpy, very grumpy and slept really badly after a binge, taking at least two days to feel normal again! Time to have a drink again then!!!

So here I am - day 34, feeling nervous but hopeful

Welcome Sunny! Lovely to have you with us. :)

Welcome Sunny! Congrats on 34 days :)

Congratulations Sunny - 34 days is fantastic, it probably doesn't feel like it to you but you've gone through the hardest bit... it just gets better and better. I could have written your post re. the bingeing, not drinking every day, taking two days to recover. How have you been feeling since stopping? :) Welcome to the thread.

molly - how are you feeling, any news re. your daughter? I don't have much to add other than that parenthood really is angst, I can't imagine how I'd feel at the mere hint of thinking either of mine had anything serious. I read something the other day (or maybe listened; perhaps it was Bubble Hour) about one woman saying she felt like she started drinking to help her cope with the overwhelming feelings she felt at being a mother. Something in what she was saying resonated with me - I often feel engulfed with love for my children, it frightens me sometimes.

I'm quite enjoying the Love in Recovery podcast, agree with you Lucy - I'm forever swooning over John Hannah's accent.

H didn't turn up for the children at the weekend again, and is just being impossible to deal with. Have had good advice on the subject now though, so am trying to detach and focus on the children and on myself. Fuck 'im

Haggis - welcome back :) Can we arrange a meet? Can someone initiate something? I'm feeling utterly ineffectual at present

Lucy - saw something on Morning Glory's site about children and babies being welcomed at their morning rave ups... rather embarrassingly suddenly felt like I'd be more able to go if hiding behind the shield of my children, rather than it being about me 'letting go'. Also wanted to say I really enjoyed reading everyone's perspectives on drugs, it sounds like we're all in good company, a group of ageing ravers who have seen the error of our ways!

Hey teapot - now there's an idea although I'm not sure I'm ready to have my kids watching me rave like a loon!! I reckon a can of RedBull and you'd be off like a rocket!! When is the next one? And ooh yes John Hannah's sexy Scottish lilt

Morning all.

So sorry molly I somehow failed to miss your DD was ill, have caught up now. How is she, how are things?

teapot your ex

Morning everyone. [waves]

molly here - n/c'd for another thread but can't change back on tablet!

eldest has her 'full cervical examination' on Friday. I saw her on Sunday and she looked really pale I offers to go with her but she says she'll be OK, says she is still bleeding and has lower tummy pain so I just hope they find out what is wrong quickly. It's horrible.

I have just been diagnosed with vertigo which is vile. It probably stems from an operation I had last year on my ear (long story won't bore anyone )Have been feeling wobbly and a bit sick for a while but yesterday it was hideous, I was wobblong, my eyes were twitching and I felt so nauseous. Got a docs appt and she confirmed vertigo. I have some tablets so hopefully it will get better. Jusy women up feeling really strange! It's a horrible reminder of being drunk

Welcome Sunny! And I hope everyone's doing well

Thx all for your warm welcome, apart from my dh I am only really able to talk openly about this with people who get what I am talking about, like yourselves.

Teapot - I have been feeling great actually, and have felt 'lighter' if that makes sense, coming to the end of January was a bit confusing for because I didn't have that initial focus to not drink plus it gave a valid reason in case people asked why not drinking etc....I had my first real test last weekend though and went to an old friends house for dinner, right up until I left I wasn't sure whether I was going to drink or not (thank the Lordy for belle) sent her an emergency email and she gave the much needed words of encouragement that I needed and had a great night without wine, I have known these gals for 20yrs plus so I was able to be pretty open when asked, no point in trying to be elusive, they know me too well.

Had a bit of a dip last night, talking to my dh about this and asked what he really thought about me not drinking and his response made me feel a little sad. His view was that I would be denying myself by never allowing myself to drink again and that I was being extreme in my approach to this...I tried to explain to him (he gave up smoking a couple of yrs ago as did I) and said well if when you were giving up I just told you not to be so set and just have few cigs when you go out or just smoke socially, how difficult or easy would that be. I think he could understand when I put it like that, I can't drink that way so best to just remove it. I told him that when I wasn't drinking I would be thinking about drinking which I had never told him before and would be counting down the days till I could drink again...

I have been reading blogs like it's going out of fashion but that has been really helpful to realise that there are so many amazing people out there going through this as well.

I'm scared though, scared what people will think when I stop (have stopped) drinking, have to stop worrying though, it's my issue....sorry for going on x

Go on as much and as often as you need. :) We have both been there and ARE there!

I have been more or less AF since Lent last year, and still have not really been open about it with anyone, despite my recent vow to tell people I am not drinking. In Jason Vale's book he points out that it is the only drug that when you STOP, people think you must have a problem.

I got through most of last year by saying 'Doing Lent. Doing Dry July. Doing Stoptober. ' Now, to friends that I KNOW I do not want to divulge that info to (not that close, a bit gossipy and judgy anyway) I am saying 'Doing FebFast!'. To others I trust more closely I have said that alcohol plays utter havoc with my depression... which it does.

I know others on this thread have been very honest and open and courageous.... I am still scared.