DRY 7!!!

[mollyonthemove]

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

I'm ok for days and even weeks but when I drink I'm a mess. My 8 year old is starting to notice. I've read blogs, books, forums. I know the theory but I can't stop once I've started. Feel pathetic, worthless and ashamed. Do I need AA?

Glittery7 I found AA very helpful. I don't go anymore but will go back if I begin to drink again.There's nothing to be afraid of if you do decide to go,equally it isn't something you have to do.It really is the kind of place you can show up or leave at anytime.

I drank 1/2 bottle to 3/4 a bottle every night,which was far too much for me.I couldn't stop and needed the support of aa to have a sustained period of sobriety.I rarely drank more than that. In aa I met people who had been sober for 20 + years,people who drank way more than me,people who went months without touching a drop and then lost it. Didn't matter- we all wanted to stop.

There are lots of other support services too.How are you feeling today?

I have no experience of AA but I figure whatever works is a lot better than the post drinking shame.

So, day 29 here. I went to a big party last night. It was all very pretty and loads of dancing and Drinking Me would have loved it. Sober Me was a bit bored if I'm honest. I felt all weird and dancing felt stupid without alcohol helping me not give a shit.

I feel a bit down and sorry for myself today. Am I never going to have a good, let your hair down and dance the night away night out again?! Because that's kind of depressing.

AA can be a bit consuming for a lot of people. It's not an avenue I could pursue due to external factors but a lot of people get really into it.

In terms of the government caring less about legal addiction?. Professor David Nutt (a brilliant man who's also a nice bloke) was sacked by the government for making a controversial yet entirely accurate statement about the risk of ecstasy use compared to the risk of horseriding.

A lot of his lectures are on YouTube; make it clear that on a societal level - alcohol use is more prevalent, more damaging, costs the UK more and he also mentions the links between government and the alcohol industry.

Welcome merricat, Husband and Glittery! :)
tsonlyme Happy Belated Birthday! Milk thistle has interaction risk with contraceptives I believe and if you're not drinking your liver should be recovering on its own. With your neighbour I'd be kind - as you say it's probably too late now.
Last I'm guessing oesophageal varices with CK - that's major alcohol induced haemorrhage territory. Fatal too.
Sober Congrats on 29 days. You will have happy fun times in your sober future - it just takes a bit of adjusting initially :)
bobbly did you resist your sisters urging all week-end? How's things with DH now?
Went to a 21st birthday bbq yesterday and it was all very restrained. I'd have been sh*tfaced by 4pm in my old life!

Aint x-post. I agree re Prof Nutt and this is the best one I've seen:

Hi, can I join in please?! I have gained 4 stone due to my worship of red wine and 'deserving' it. I have poured away the ends of so many bottles... I can't do weight loss plans because I give in to drink and it all goes out the window. I really need tomorrow to be a new start. I don't think I will have any special moments or epiphanies...I have given up on those.. I just need to bloody well do it and gave a community of support, please ...x

AA is a personal choice glittery. I've tried it several times months ago and while it's not really my scene I know it's there if I need it and I wouldn't think twice about going if I was really struggling. Put it this way, if it was a choice between going 'sod it' and hitting the booze I'd try to go for a meeting and see how I'd feel after. Every group does have a different feel to it so you may try several before you find the one that's for you, if you decide to go.

I think I'll watch that tomorrow night Lucy
I love Prof Nutt and the sense he speaks. Remember the controversy when he was booted by the government for not saying what they basically wanted them to and going by their agenda. I've always been a firm believer in alcohol and cigarettes being far more damaging than some illegal drugs.

Well done on 29 days Sober. Dunno about the not being bored when out with everyone else drinking, hasn't kicked in for me yet anyway.

Welcome dippy :)

Hi!

28 days today.
I am going to read back through this thread and get to "know" you all a little better. Just want to check in and report for DRY duty

CK :( Very sad and very scary!

I am still Dry :) Had a weekend of huge work, fun and am very tired. Was around a lot of alcohol all weekend, including a reception on Sat where drink was free. Also same at a reception on Fri night. I drank fizzy water and ice :) Actually realised just how much promotion of alcohol there is to have a so called "good time" when out - discount drinks, Happy Hours etc

Am proud and feeling really pretty chipper that I am still Dry - but tired!

Am remembering again how much I got done when sober - and how well I felt after the first few days.

it really isn't worth drinking, is it .

I feel ashamed and pathetic. Woken up from a drunken stupor. At least finally my partner realises how bad it is.

morning all
just dashing in. early start here as dd1 had to be in town for 7am to go on trip.
glittery do't be hard on yourself. Take it easy today, lots of water. Can you get some more sleep? Today is a new day - could this be day 1 for you?

lucy yes I resisted all weekend! she went Sunday morning, and must say it was a bit of a relief

I did manage to get loads done round the house yesterday - I also find I am SO much more productive when not drinking!
Day 10 this time round for me.... still feeling committed!

I am struggling with horrible hayfever though, that always peaks around now. Awake on and off in the night feeling as if I was choking, and woken up with streaming nose and eyes - most attractive! You know dsis even tried to convince me alcohol was good for hayfever to persuade me to drink
anyway, have dosed with antihistamines and hoping for another productive day today. Am off work but have lots to do in house and garden....

will try and pop back later for longer reply...

No change here. Still better than I was but only just ... I know all the reasons why I want to stop but there's still a part of me that doesn't want to stop. I think that until I conquer that part, I'm going to go round in circles really. I have a wedding to go to mid-July and I was so desperate to be 'dry' by then as the last one I went to with that part of the family, I was so pissed everyone still talks about it! I'm now beginning to doubt that I'll make that target ... well, in reality I know I won't. I'm just not there in my mind.

Hello to all the new people by the way xxx

Glittery be kind to yourself and drink lots of water - try and get some sleep and remember today is another day.

Bad wedding sounds hard - could you possibly just not go? I know I seriously thought about not going to the events this weekend but for me they were work so not an option :(

Unfortunately I definitely have to go. And I would have no excuse not to - it's out of the country and flights etc. are booked plus dd has time off school booked as well. I'm not worried I'll do what I did last time because that kind of incident was well and truly my last! I haven't repeated being in that state publically for over a year. I'm more depressed because I had hoped that I would be going and everyone would be commenting on how well I looked and I would be feeling 'free' from this horrible trap. it's more of a personal milestone than anything else.

Thank you for the words of comfort. Have spent the day feeling anxious, paranoid my work colleagues can smell booze. I've been at this desperate stage before. What is it going to take for the message to sink in? I have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I just cannot "do" moderation when I start drinking. I don't even understand how some people can only have ONE glass of wine. Why bother?? That says so much about my f@cked attitude to this drug.

Morning all. Glittery how are you feeling today?

Morning all and hello to new people :)

Glittery and others, it is hard at first but it is worth it. And if you do have a blip and have a drink, just put it behind you and start again next day on the not drinking plan. Eventually it does stick! I have tried a number of times and yes, I have not yet stayed dry long term (ie years ) but I have done six months straight last year and several months this year. I had a blip and drank in May which set me off again and I carried on the next two weeks :( ( Like a lot of us, I have no off switch :( ) so have started again Dry for June. BUT I reckon any day I don't drink is a bonus ...and the consecutive days do mount up :)

I now view my "failures" to stay Dry as a learning experience and they have taught me to have coping mechanisms in place if I am tempted so I can distract myself (like you would a toddler!)

And I now know that any so called "good" feeling alcohol gave me is nothing, NOTHING compared to how I feel when I don't drink it.

Thanks Gladistopped and cornchips. It's amazing and ridiculous how even a couple of dry days and convince my alcoholic brain that I don't really have that much of a problem. The reality is I do.
I'm a middle aged woman of two young children and I still drink to get wrecked. It's never intentional but that's what happens time and time again.

For now I'm staying distracted and not thinking long term but I realise I have to stop this horrible cycle.

Thanks for understanding and good luck to anyone struggling.

evening all
glittery sounds as if you're doing well. distraction is great.
glad I like the thought of thinking of blips as learning points.

I am hanging in there ... on day 11 this time round...
not had too much trouble with urges this time so far....I am completely exhausted again though, which has made me quite short tempered and more grumpy than I would like with dc.

On a positive note I have doing some thinking about things and have decided to reduce the amount of extra overtime I have been doing at work. It is incredibly stressful, and in all honesty I just can't manage all the extra hours and my regular job, and the house and 6 dc! We could do with the money, but we'll manage and I have decided I need to prioritise my own mental health and well being. I have a bad habit of trying to constantly keep going with whatever life throws at me and always putting others first to the detriment of my own health and well being, so am trying to slowly change that and to take better care of myself.

am planning an early night tonight once Im back from sports club with dd1
I really need to think about my diet I think and stop eating so much rubbish as I'm sure that is contributing to my feeling shattered and grumpy...but can't quite tackle that just yet...

how is everyone else doing tonight?

Helloooo! god I am hopeless - haven't been here for far too long. Dh and I have managed to have our first week away alone for 17 years - we went to Greece over half and left the kids with my mum. oh my God it was perfect . Struggled a not not drinking but made it. Have got just over 19 months now so am very pleased I didn't weaken. Will catch up and return x

molly!!! [shakes pompoms]

bobbly!!! also pompoms for taking care of yourself first. Hardest thing I believe for people like us.... I am convinced we drink the way we do because we are usually people pleasers, and put our needs last, and driking takes the place of more valuable 'me' time.

Hi everyone else. :)

No news Chez Chips. I am finishing up a project and then will have 4 weeks of the summer off....... I said NO to extra work myself!! First summer I can recall where I will have a holiday!

Bobbly drinking makes hayfever worse! This is because beer, wine and other spirits contain histamines – the chemical that sets off allergy symptoms in the body, effectively worsening any hay fever symptoms you have.
Evening wave to all and welcome from me to the new faces :)

Hi everyone

On day 8! Doing OK - I have my hands full with 6 children