DRY 9!!!!!

[CheesyNachos]

The DRY 8 thread suddenly came to an end! 1000 messages before we knew it.

THis is the thread for those who are abstaining and who want to abstain from alcohol. :)

All are welcome.

Previous thread is here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/2432985-DRY-8?

Hi everyone.

Welcome wicked!

So sorry about your friends Brighit and dona.

Morning everyone. Welcome wicked

I'm still feeling grim - the antibiotics I'm on don't seem to be doing anything other than making me puke. I feel like the Moaning Martha of this thread. One day I will come on and tell you all how fab I feel. Promise.

Day 18. Going away with my parents and the kids for the weekend which I'm looking forward to. Have told my parents I won't be drinking so no pressure there. Leaving DH at home with DSD and can't wait to have some down time with just me and my babies.

I started reading "Her Best Kept Secret". Anyone else read it?

Morning all. Just checking in very quickly to report that after my wobble I am still dry. Some days it's a struggle, but I'm hanging in there.

Hope you are soon feeling better 3phase, enjoy your weekend.

Hello to BitterLemons and wickedfairy.

I have Her Best kept secret on order from amazon.....hoping it arrives today!

Have a great weekend.

Hi Armada. :)

I might be going out tonight... DS's godmother texted yesterday out of the blue and suggested DH and I go to a film and dinner. I am SO excited! We never go out! Want to see Spectre, but is not on at a good time, so might see the new Tom Hanks spy film.

I've only read the first couple of chapters. The opening line is "My name is X and I am not an alcoholic". From what I can tell thus far it's a study of the reasons women drink and the culture that surrounds it. The author apparently doesn't have a drink problem. Actually to be brutally honest I put it down because I was worried it was going to turn into a guide on how to drink sensibly. I don't think I'm sober enough to read something like that yet! Let me know what you think Cheesy - you're much further along than me....

I'm still here, and doing ok. Having a few doubts about the festive period but I'm deliberately arranging get-togethers for lunchtime where the expectation to drink isn't as pronounced. I'm definitely not up for nights out without drinking, although to be honest it's my 'at home' drinking that I really want to tackle. It's crept up gradually from just a few glasses on a Saturday night, to 2-3 BIG glasses (so almost a bottle) 4-5 nights a week. I'm feeling much better off it and am hoping it stays that way.

To those of you trying to now cut back on sugar a bit, I'd really recommend a book called Potatoes Not Prozac (rubbish title - great book!). It talks about the connection between alcohol sensitivity and sugar sensitivity, and about how cutting back on sugar has been shown to make giving up alcohol more successful. I found it very interesting and useful.

Off for a spicy (AF) ginger beer now

Sounds interesting Bitter and seems to have good reviews on Amazon. Might give it a read myself as I've always been a huge sugar junkie, eating disgraceful amounts a day. I've noticed lately I really haven't been eating half as much as I just don't feel like it. In fact there's sweets in the cupboard that I haven't touched in weeks. My dentist may thank me

Ohh enjoy your night Cheesy and hope you have lots of fun.

Sounds like a lovely weekend planned 3phase. Sorry you're still feeling so rotten but well done on 18 days.

Hi wicked and good going Armada.

Have a child free night myself tomorrow night but being the boring sod I am I'm planning on hitting the gym and then coming home to sit by the fire for The Returned. Someone has suggested joining their team for Tough Mudder and even though I don't like heights, am slightly claustrophobic and despise the cold I'm madly considering it. Sensible head is saying 'feck no' but there's a little part of me that is kind of wanting to do it for the challenge, facing my fears type thing.

Hello all. I just wanted to say how much I am love love loving not drinking now. I say now because as we all know the first week is an absolute killer.
I am really enjoying evenings. Books, tv, and best of all no hangovers the following day. I am truly amazed at how much more enjoyable my life has become in such a short space of time.
I am posting this for all you lurkers who are unhappy with alcohol but fear of the gap that you think it will leave.
The first week was hard. There was no 'reward' at the end of the day. Nothing to mark day turning into evening. That feeling didn't last long. I now divide my evening up into new stages which is really helping.
4 - 5 pm afternoon nap
5 - 6 cook for family
7ish bath
8 tv time in bed with MN and books scattered around me
When it gets to 9pm its everyone wind down and I am just chilling until natural tiredness takes me as opposed to passing out on the sofa with everything still switched on including the central heating.
I am able to deal with the children much better too. I've got more patience.
I have a social event next week and I have made the decision to drive so drinking is not an option.
It will be my first ever sober attempt at disco/dancing so I am a bit nervous wondering how much I will enjoy it but I think it will determine how I socialise in the immediate future so I am looking forward to the test.
I know I might sound a bit smug and perhaps a bit delusional or that I have found this too easy but I really did/do have a problem. One - one and a half bottles of wine per night more at weekends.
Sometimes starting at 430 and being drunk by 7pm. I don't want to go back there.
Sending you all strength x

Great post dona. Really remember that feeling of using wine to demarcate afternoon and evening... or 'child time' and 'me time'. It really is so much better without booze. Was listening to the Bubble Hour's recent episode about how to cope with the holiday season and one thing they said about being the driver is to make sure that people aren't relying on you for a lift in a way that will mean you can't leave when YOU want to. I've been to a few dancing party type of things now and obviously it's not the same... BUT you get to dance around completely present and aware that you are NOT making a tit of yourself or behaving inappropriately. Even ahead of going to bed, I enjoy the feeling of knowing that I won't be waking up full of the dreaded glooms.

I'm approaching 500 days sober and already contemplating a sober treat to celebrate...

Wow 500 days! That's amazing.
I'm lucky that Christmas day usually ends up with me driving everywhere so it won't be too much of a change. Christmas eve however was usually an excuse for me to hit the Baileys.. Often santa would fall asleep before visiting and it would be touch and go if he would leave any presents due to his sleeping..

Have a listen to that Bubble Hour if you can dona (here) - it made me laugh as they talked about chaotic past Christmases whilst drinking and doing things like using plasters for sellotape after finding out when it was too late that there was none in the house

I've quite enjoyed being slightly less 'ditzy' and disorganised than I was before... remember going on holiday in the summer and actually - gasp - not leaving it till just before leaving to chuck everything in the suitcase and hope for the best.

500 days is superb Teapot. that reminds me of the time I had an early morning flight and in my wisdom decided there was no point going to bed but sit up drinking Magners all night. Of course I hadn't packed yet and of course I realised at 1am drunk I had no idea where my passport was as I'd not long moved house.

Great post dona. You don't sound like any of those things, just like it has clicked for you :)

Great post donna! :)
Teapot woohoo 500 days!! - fcking A What sober treat do you have in mind?
I'm 3 days away from 800!! Holy sht - how did that happen? We're going to host Xmas Day and offer to drive everyone home - because we can

Thanks all. Lucy I knew you'd ask I've just bought a pair of lovely new ink blue Chie Mihara heels on Ebay for a bargain price (got to love a bargain, me).

dona you do not sound in the least smug and delusional.

Oooh how lovely :) I'm getting some santa slippers and indulging my inner child

Sorry Lucy I completely forgot to say a big WOOHOO for your 800. That is such a lovely idea to drive everyone home on Christmas Day - stops anyone moaning about you being teetotal for a start...

Thanks all for your kind words! The only thing I regret is leaving it so long. If it was 'this' easy why have I wasted so much time? Why did I fail on so many other attempts?
I hadn't even hit 'rock bottom' you would think that slipping in the ice, nearly knocking myself out for my children to find me dead outside in minus 10 degrees would have been rock bottom wouldn't you? I managed to drink for another 4 years after that incident. Go me!
I was just fucking exhausted. I couldn't do it anymore. It was the day after a particularly heavy night which had to be written off due to a hangover..... that evening I still managed to drink a whole bottle of wine. The following day we cleared my late friends house. I went dry.
The remorse is upsetting me quite a bit today.
Lucy fantastic news at 800 days! You are all such an inspiration!

brighit I've done that a few times! Did you make your flight?

dona I think those feelings of remorse are very normal. I had them too, along with lots of flashbacks at all the memories of things I regret. You're only ready to stop when you're ready to stop, and speaking for myself I know that nobody could have convinced me to stop until I really wanted it for myself. Try to focus on the fact that it's amazing that you feel ready now, and what an amazing opportunity it is. Thousands of people never reach that point.

Hi! Awesome to come in here after a while and see the 800 days! I am now at 91 days of the 100 challenge and in a happy patch - really loving the benefits and also not particularly missing it (had first AF Thanksgiving yesterday. My lovely father doesn't particularly like drinking anyway, so he kept me company with soft drinks all day). Thinking of committing to AF till 40 now (I'll be 36 in March). Feels like a good compromise between making no plan and saying "forever". now, to climb out of sugar and non exercise rut... It's been terrible but trying to be kind to self: tummy bug didn't help so eating is all off. What tricks are good for easing off on sugar? (Don't say crisps/potato chips!!).

Sirenetta Awesome achievement on 91 days including Thanksgiving yesterday I can only imagine that it is like Christmas Day here so the breaks are off on everything! I recommend L-glutamine to help with cravings of any kind - so booze or sugar (which is effectively liquid sugar)
Brighit did you find the passport?

Thanks Teapot & Dona Off to buy said slippers

teapot I am listening to the bubble hour now and its hit the nail on the head. The bit where they say you are not sure where you want to go with sobriety but not wanting to feel awful any more.
Yep so tired of always feeling sick and tired!

Whoop Lucy, 800 days is amazing!! Enjoy your well deserved treats, the both of you.

Rather shockingly, yes, I did find the passport. Left the house a disaster zone tearing it apart looking for it which is always unpleasant upon the return. I often cringe looking back at some of the states I have climbed on planes, strong valium and booze down my neck

Well done Sirenetta. I saw a few posts from the American bunch on fb and seems like booze features heavily for some of their Thanksgivings, fab going

I could kick myself for some of my drinking past too dona, wonder how different my life would be if I'd gone sober at various points. It's futile. I know from previous AF attempts you'll only be able to stop when you are ready and it's something you really want. The desire to stop really wasn't strong enough in the past, I felt like I was missing out on something by not drinking alcohol. Now I feel like I'd be missing out if I started again, big difference in my state of mind.

Just signed up for a beginners yoga class in the morning, really excited about it. So nice to be able to plan something like that rather than writing off half the day hiding under the duvet not wanting to face the world.

Enjoy the yoga brighit I dance on a sat at 9am. I always made it (over the limit maybe? ) but oh doing that with a thick head and dehydration was an ordeal I never want to go back to!