DRY 7!!!

[mollyonthemove]

The new thread for the alcohol free and the wanna be free . come and join us

Morning!

Yep, nochips was me Mistress. :) I want to change my name again but seem to be unable since a few months ago when MN had that glitch. I am doing well, thanks.:) No slips since the beginning of Lent... hoping this it 'it' now.

Yay BadWool! xxxx

Lucy quick question about milk thistle tabs if you happen to know..... I heard that it can interfere with oral contraception. I have the contraceptive implant and have had a little bit of bleeding, do you know if can affect that also? I probably can stop taking them though now anyway!!

Sorry to ask, but thought you might know off the top of your head. :)

Morning Corn I'd say stop taking the milk thistle - as you say your liver will be healing itself now Plus as it's a herbal remedy they will not have tested pharma products with it so better to be safe than sorry and not risk it with something as important as contraception!!
If Lent was your quit date does that make you 90 days today? waves sober pom poms Woohoo - that must deserve a treat?

90 days??!! I guess!!!! (I never really count, and then regret it because I would like to know the milestones!).

Right. Will stop the milk thistle. I do feel it helped in the early days.... I felt less achey in the liver region anyway.

May do a pg test in the next week or so. [shudder]. It would be not the right time at all.

Oh, and thanks. :)

No problem :) You have reached your first big milestone as it takes 90 days to change a habit Hope the test result is -ve!

Yes, I'm surprised too. It hasn't been easy at all and I'm having to use my 'inner voice' a lot to distract myself. If I stop to think about having to do this forever I'd fail immediately so I am literally going one step at a time. I was at such a low point and so desperate that even to be out of that feeling is worth it. It had become absolutely unbearable. Lying sobbing, holding my head at 3am and unable to understand what the hell I was letting happen. It's so awful. I feel for anybody who has gone through this.

So far I've drunk nothing at all today but I will need to soon. In any case I have decided to treat myself! I'm going for a massage at lunchtime, just a neck and shoulder one as my head is feeling pretty bad. I've had quite odd insomnia too which I guess is also withdrawal of sorts. Very vivid dreams.

The weight thing isn't too hard for me. I have always had a very small appetite and don't crave food. I've only ever really craved alcohol and, when I smoked, fags. I've always been slim but over the last 2 years my weight has rocketed as the booze has upped. I guess a litre bottle of sherry is probably two days' worth of calories!! I got through three of those in three days at Christmas but barely ate a thing. I'm not bothered about being that slim now to be honest but I don't want to be this big and also I hate the way I look so puffy and pale. It's very ageing. I'm not a particularly attractive woman but having a slim body and nice clothes gave me a sense of esteem. It was who i was. If that makes sense.

BadWool I don't think about this as forever because the minute I do my rebellious side wants to do the opposite!! I'm just not drinking today - who knows what tomorrow will bring? I'm not planning on drinking tomorrow either but I haven't made a 'final' decision. Never say never and all that! :) Well done for stretching the amount of time before you do drink today. A massage is a great treat too so enjoy!

Well done badwool

Just butting in to ask if anyone heard the article about drinking on the Jeremy Vile show this afternoon? It was about the horizon program which is on tonight - might be worth watching (depending on where you are in your sober journey,of course)

If I finish today having just half a bottle again I'll be very happy. By this time, normally, I'd be well on the way to having finished bottle no. 1 so progress is happening!

Progress is great!

Gugg will be watching later! Am going to press screening of A Royal Hangover tomorrow so the timing of this programme is perfect

badwool many,many of us don't make it to the progress stage at all- so well done! Is you mind feeling a little clearer now?

Lucy brilliant. Think I'll watch and mn when it's on. I'd like to see a royal hangover- is it on general release soon?

And thank you lucy I stopped following your blog when my life fell apart last year and i began drinking (moderately) again. But I knew where you were and that I could read this thread when I picked up the pieces again. Love it.

Gugg Thank you :) Don't know when on general release and if I find out anything new tomorrow will let you all know

Not doing so great ... still not drastic and hoping to turn things around. Will power, where are you? On one bottle now, missed my target. I will be so disappointed if I have any more ...

Try and stop and swap to tonic water BadWool. Maybe even watch BBC Horizon at 9pm - see if that puts you off, although equally it could be triggery!

I am on tonic now. I'm just so tired and had an argument with dd, pointless and mostly my fault, but I'm hoping not to go any further. I have already seen the Horizon doc (part of my work to see things in advance). It's worth watching. Tonic, tonic, tonic. All is not yet lost.

All is not lost BadWool Go to bed if you're beat :)

I have stopped being sober big time for the last week :( I am appalled at how much I have drunk in the last week - and tonight was no exception :(
I seem to have regressed back for no obvious reason - I am NOT HALT - I just started drinking, again :(

Averaging 2 bottles of wine plus Every night for the last 10 days :( I went away to an event and I just drank and drank .. others managed to party sober but I - did not :( and then I just kept on drinking :(

How do I stop? Am so sad at not keeping sober :( And am really not pleased at having to re start sobriety, again :)

Also worried as I have been drinking more than 20 units a day and from recent posts on here apparently I need to be concerned about quitting cold turkey: So do I need to taper off? I have no physical symptoms I might add...

Just the desire to drink more and more once I start after 7 pm :(

Feel so pathetic tbh

I pulled things back and didn't drink anything else but I'm disappointed in myself. Back on track today I hope!

Interesting watching the Horizon programme again. It's always baffled me why my liver isn't in a dreadful state by now - I was in hospital earlier this year with severe stomach cramps and had full blood tests and an abdominal CT scan and they said all my organs were completely fine, including my liver. But maybe liver damage doesn't show on a CT scan? In any case, the other reasons for stopping are so immense.

gladistopped - I'm no expert at all on this but I would have thought if you have been drinking very heavily only for the past 10 days you wouldn't have to do the steady withdrawal? I believe it's for when you've been drinking at that rate for a long time. I do feel for you, the emotions involved in over-drinking are overwhelming. I don't feel in any position to offer advice as I'm a far worse drinker than you at the moment and haven't had a sober day in over five years, but you have done it before and so you can definitely do it again. I'm sure you felt the benefits of stopping and so why not focus on those? I feel such a hypocrite. I hope you're all right xxx

Am here, freshly showered, watered, rested and had vitimins and a meal. Stopped at 1 and 1/2 bottles last night and intend not to drink tonight.

I know once I start to drink I cannot stop - I know this - so why on earth did I have a drink? Why did I start, again? I am an intelligent, well educated, self aware woman so wtf do I do this to myself?

Oh well, so much for my 100 plus days :( reset back to Day 1 again ...

Thanks for the support BadWool Well done on progress :)

having re read this thread and thought about how I felt when I stopped last time I think I may have to have a couple of glasses of wine tonight, just to be on the safe side, and taper off a bit. Would love to just stop, but know it was pretty physically grim last time.

So angry with myself, but that is destructive so I will try to stop. Off to channel the anger by weeding the veg plot.

Glad I'm sorry you feel bad about having to restart You don't need to taper as you had gone over 100 days prior to this lapse so as BadWool said you weren't drinking heavily for a prolonged period of time. You aren't pathetic - this is addiction we're dealing with and once it gets its teeth back in we pick up exactly where we left off. That's how it goes. Would suggest stopping after tonight and get back in the saddle before it really gets its feet under the table
BadWool liver damage wouldn't necessarily be picked up by CT. Ultrasound is the diagnostic medium for liver disease. How did you do today? :)

Lucy I am so glad you are here :) Had two glasses and now off to bed. Intend to not drink tomorrow - don't like what I can see will happen if I do.

Just out of interest, how long IS a "prolonged period of time" wrt drinking ? I wonder how the physiology works ...

Hey glad sorry I missed you last night :( Been out all day at the press screening of A Royal Hangover and meeting other sober heroes of mine, like Lucy Rocca from Soberistas :) That question is a 'how long is a piece of string' kind of question as there are so many variables - like age, health, gender, build, genetics etc. However the key decider is are you physically addicted which means you get the Delirium Tremens aka shaky hands first thing and need a drink to stop it. If you're not physically addicted then tapering isn't required (to prevent having fits) however tapering helps all of us manage the step away from booze so 2 glasses tonight and then none tomorrow sounds ideal :) See you tomorrow and be kind to yourself

Sounds great :) Not had any more since :) A Royal Hangover sounds interesting? Was it good?