DRY 8!!!!!!

[CheesyNachos]

Hello! This is our 8th! thread for those who are abstaining from alcohol and for those who want to abstain. :) We love newbies and lurkers. We have people who have been DRY for years, for months, for weeks, days, and hours. :) ALL are welcome. We have heaps of tips and we offer support at any stage.

DRY 7 the previous thread is here...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/2347295-DRY-7?

PinkPop and Lucy - interesting you say that.
At first I thought it was unlikely. However, I have drunk more frequently over the Summer. Usually 1 -1.5 bottles of wine. Usually over the weekend with a four day break.
In the days before I decided enough was enough, I drank 1.5 bottles both fri and sat nite, then probably the same Sunday night but it affected me negatively. Not drunk since.
Day 7 now. Maybe it is alcohol withdrawal. Will get some vitb.

Oh dear fell off the sober wagon as was stressed last night and fell back into drinking habits :( Could have lied/not said but not going to do that in here :( off to bed now to stay sober tonight . xxx to all

Ditto gladistopped's post. No gold star for me.

My excuse is that my STBXH came around and 'got on my nerves' (Nothing new there), but it's just that - an excuse - not a reason.

So back to Day 1. Feels a bit like snakes and ladders, I don't like snakes, will do my best to avoid them from now on.

Well done Sea on 7 days and everyone else who is on target. You can have my star instead.

Ah bubble, you have a STBXH too... you have my sympathies Good to hear you and glad are straight back on the wagon. Is there anything you could do differently next time to make it more likely you won't turn to alcohol when stressed? I'm a big fan of the "play the tape to the end" routine. In my case it's knowing that whatever made me stressed is still going to be there when I stop drinking, plus I'll have a hangover and depression to boot. to you both.

Hope you have a better day today Bubble and glad
So far, so good for me. Friday will be my first big challenge, just because it's Friday. Saturday will be the real tough one. Friends are visiting and the wine and beer will be flowing.

Today was ok. I have been thinking as to why I resorted to alcohol on Sat when tshif. I need to work on that I know. I only had one glass but still - why?

Still focusing on the number of days I have NOT had a drink this year - way exceeds the day I have :)

I'm impressed you only had one glad! Also so impressed with the way you and others come straight back and get back into sobriety. I was listening to a Bubble Hour the other day where one of the co-hosts talked about the reason she had never relapsed being that it took so much for her to get to the point of realising she needed to stop (in her case she was "dragged kicking and screaming" to sobriety after an intervention by family and friends) that she just has no confidence she's got what it takes to get back to it if she starts drinking again.

I feel similarly - I am utterly rubbish at getting my groove back if I stop and start things and can't believe I've even managed to stop drinking in the first place, and it's that that stops me picking up a drink if I ever think about it.

Hope everyone's doing okay today. BamBam how are you doing?

Morning everyone.
Spent all day yesterday feeling groggy and with a terrible headache. How on earth did I function like that day after day? I was so pleased I'd got through Friday and Saturday, looks like Sunday is my weak day so will be prepared next weekend.

Hi everyone. Had a hard hard weekend, where I felt grumpy and resentful that everyone else was tying it on. It shook me up a bit, but yesterday I bought myself a celebratory gift to myself as a 'well done'. Feeling better now. :)

Focusing this week on my diet which has been shocking and exercise now I have some free time with DS back at school.

Hi everyone.... well done to everyone who slipped and are still here and posting. :)

I'd like to join you all if you don't mind?

Hi all, hope everyone is good.

Hello treasure, I am a newbie too. I m sure you will get a warm welcome. Everyone on here is nice and supportive.

Glad you feel better now CheesyNachos . What did you treat yourself to?
Like you I am also taking better care of myself overall. I joined slimming world today, I have 3.5 stone to lose . I will also be returning to the gym tomorrow.

I am reading the dry threads from the start to keep me motivated. "Ice and a Slice" by Della Galton, was mentioned as a good read. I have ordered a copy from Amazon.

Last night I had the best sleep in a long time. This probably explains my chipper mood today.

In the words of Nina Simone "I'm feeling good"

Hi everyone. No more excuses for me. Cutting down has not worked so I'm cutting out instead.
My plan is early nights, e books and mumsnet until not drinking a couple of glasses is the new normal.
There's no wine in the house and I'm not buying any.

Can I join you?

Pull up a chair, Hadron and Treasure, and make yourself a All those aiming to abstain welcome here

Hadron - I think it's almost a relief when you realise that giving up is the answer. I read over Dry January/June/Sept threads and feel nothing but relief that I'm no longer making (and breaking) all those pacts to myself, with complicated reward/abstention calculations, and if I don't do X I can do Y. Once you cut it out completely, there's just a very peaceful sort of..... silence.

(Well, most of the time, anyway )

Thanks teapot that's how I feel - relieved and calm. I'm going to change my usual evening routine to get away from the habit side of things.
I'm always promising to change so much at once but this time I'm focussing on one thing.

Totally agree with Teapot. Right now I have had enough of trying to moderate etc.
Right now I no longer want to drink. Before, I felt that I was depriving myself, so wouldn't last long.
I am hoping that finally my mindset and attitude towards alcohol has changed.

Hadron, I have been having a long warm bubble bath in the evening. It leaves me feeling clean, relaxed and sleepy. I have then been going to bed with a book or reading all the dry threads.

Welcome Treasure and Hadron from me. Not drinking is just so much simpler even if in the beginning it's bloody hard work. No more 'shall I, shan't I?' debates with yourself give way to utter peace :)

Hadron - I think that's a really good idea. Actually when I stopped drinking making other changes eventually all seemed much more doable. In terms of being healthy, I always felt as though I was careening between drinking episodes (I was not a daily drinker) so I had these really narrow 'windows of opportunity' to try and eg. lose weight. Days fell into either a) unhealthy drinking days; b) unhealthy hungover days and c) healthy days. Now every day is 'the same' and I can sustain any kind of weight loss or exercise routine much more easily.

Hello again. :) Welcome treasure and hadron.

Glad you are feeling good Sea. :) I bought myself a little necklace with a pewter pendant. I still put a pound coin in a jar for every non-drinking day so really enjoy buying something tangible with that money.

I agree with teapot and lucy about moderating..... it's no good for me..... all the planning, promises, bargaining that goes on in my head.... exhausting!

Teapot I opened the wine (damn those screw tops - make it so easy!) had one glass then looked at the bottle, thought about what I was doing and decided not to have any more - but I knew it wouldn't help my anger, loneliness or tiredness AT ALL and would actually make things worse. So the bottle went back in the fridge for OH to have the odd glass ( He has no problem having the odd glass!)

I am sad I had even the one but also pleased that I had the sense to think it through and so not have the rest of the bottle ( and the other bottle, after it !)

Which is what I used to do. And I don't have an issue with an opened bottle in the house - I really don't.

Welcome to all the lovely new people :) Sobriety is the way to go (if I fall off the wagon, I just get right back on it asap :) )

You may have had a glass glad, but you then said no and put the bottle back. That is great.

Your necklace sounds lovely Teapot. I think I will do the same. My first treat will be a facial or a massage.

I've alteady bought myself a starting treat - lots of facial skincare products for aging skin. I figured if I gave up the drinking and looked after myself I'd look 21 again!
On a positive note I've got a tummy bug so I'm in bed feeling lousy not missing a glass of wine at all!

You never know Hadron. Hope you feel better tomorrow.

Quick question. What does everybody do in regards to recipes that include alcohol? eg Beef and red wine casserole.

Thank you all for the lovely welcome and
I've tried cutting down before but it never works, so have decided to just keep away totally. I'm 5 days in now, but can't say I feel too good for it. What you said Seabiscotti makes sense:
Before, I felt that I was depriving myself, so wouldn't last long.
Right now, I still feel like I'm depriving myself . Hopefully that will pass?!

But i'm having real trouble sleeping. Usually I'd have some wine and DH a beer in the evening. But now that's stopped I just can't drop off. It's early days though I know.