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?

I use the I'm done drinking app and the sobriety keeper/tracker app :) wicked
dona yes and yes but as sea says if persists get it checked out with GP

Hi everyone. I fell off the wagon on Saturday and didn't stop. I think I knew it was going to happen. I didn't bank on feeling this awful when I gulped down the first drink but I really shouldn't be surprised. I didn't enjoy a single one of the drinks I've had over the past 6 days. But I still couldn't stop. If that doesn't make me an alcoholic I don't know what does!

I'm clear on what triggered it; terrible nights sleep on Friday + period starting on Saturday + having taken on / said yes to an insane amount over the past week.

Hating myself in a way I forgot about during my month sober. I'm hoping to stop drinking again today. My brother sent me a text to say he'd had his first baby at 1am. Another reason for a new start....

I'm about to reset my "I'm done drinking" app

3phase. Don't dwell anymore. Just think of what plans you can put in place to stop it happening again.

I had a major wobble the other day. I told myself that if I still wanted that glass of wine in half an hour, I could have it. Guess what, I didn't want it.

3phase

3phase new day new start :)

Well done for getting back to being AF 3phase. The hating yourself will at least in part be due to the depressive effect of the alcohol itself. Be kind to yourself today

I think teapot is right - that horrible self-loathing is definitely part of the alcohol effect. You should I hope start feeling a little kinder to yourself by mid-afternoon. Until then I recommend a cosy jumper, a big mug of Tetley with lots of sugar and milk, and BACON (assuming you eat it, that is).

Well done on coming back to the thread though! Not easy. We can all identify with your post, I'm sure. You're definitely not alone.

Just read this: The three main triggers for relapse are: 1) anger and frustration; 2) temptation; and 3) social pressure. Well, hello? It’s Christmas. Really good article in The Indy and you can read the rest here :)

Thanks Lucy that was a good find :)

Great post, Lucy. Many thanks!

You're welcome Glad & Preces! Also read this RSA blog - one if you're a fan of Lucy Rocca & Soberistas :)
Day 3 Glad - how you doing?

Thank you all and for the links Lucy.

Today has been AF and I'm off to bed.

Very grateful to have this thread

Doing ok Lucy :)

Hi all.

Day 1 here again, but feeling fine, strong and ready. Have my head back in gear.

will post more later, but have suddenyl been faced with alot of stress that did not help me..... and drinking does not help that either. :)

Off out for a run - see you all later.

ooo... almost ready for a DRY 10 thread too!

Finally done it! For months now I've been angry with myself every Saturday morning, leaning my sore head against the wall of the changing room at the swimming baths as I take my children to their swimming lessons and thinking 'this has to stop".

No hangover this morning. That's 4 nights sober by choice/preference. YESSSS!!! I'm not complacent by any means, just very grateful to have achieved that personal milestone. Only a week ago that seemed impossible.

Preces that's amazing, well done. What a great feeling. I used to be the same with my daughters' ballet classes at 9.30am on a Saturday - ouch.

Am a bit tired this morning after a night out at a party last night. Had a great time. Second drinks party this evening - am shattered already!

Forgive me coming over all TSP but for the 2nd time in 2 months my blog has been listed as a top recovery blog and you can read today's listing here Time to faceplant a huge pile of chocolate

Well done Preces! :)

Well done Preces and Lucy!!!!! Not TSP at all, but a great and deserved achievement!!!

Well after ten days AF, I had about 3/4 bottle of red wine last night, after a very stressful day with the kids. I had a shit sleep and woke up with a banging head. A few weeks ago I could have drunk that amount easily. I chose to since it's the festive season, so why not?

Well, a good thing has come out of it - I really wanted to drink the wine, so I did. However, there was no particular enjoyment after the initial glass and the poor sleep/sore head just makes it not worth it. I think I will have a glass or two on Christmas and new year and then I think I will aim to be not bothered.

My mood with the kids is still horrible though - I am not sure if I am just a horrible person regardless of alcohol. They really drive me up the wall. I don't cope well at all and then go and drink afterwards. Well, I will cut right down and hopefully my mood will stabilise. The previous ten days weren't too bad and I had started to sleep better. Onwards and upwards, eh?
Sorry for the ramblings.....

Hi everyone.

Can I join your thread? I've been coming to the realisation of the last year that I had a problem with alcohol. I went out Friday night and go so drunk I have absolutely no recollection of the last 2hrs which is terrifying. My work friends had to put me in a taxi, I was pretty much comatose. DH had to nurse me when I managed to get back in to the house.I spent all yesterday in bed feeling sorry for myself and vomiting. I really showed myself up.

It is embarrassing. I am ashamed of myself. I drink a lot - between half a bottle and a whole bottle most days. I hate it. I don't like the person I am when I've had a drink. I can be short tempered to the kids and DH (who grew up with alcoholic parents) hates it. I have no off switch so I think I'm going to have to give it up completely. There is an AA meet near me this evening. Has anyone been?

I hate it. I hate myself.

Lucy - yay! It was the sober advent calendar wot done it! So weird with the advent calendar; although I'm not much of a one for celebrity adoration, seeing widely admired actors/artists who are long-term sober really does help make me feel less of an outsider/loser.

wicked sounds like some good observations there. I totally get it re. the being mean to the kids and found it depressing to realise I hadn't instantly turned into a beatific uber-mum by cutting out the booze. One difference though is that my self-esteem is slowly returning and when I do get frustrated with them it's often because I'm over-tired for reasons beyond my control and I can forgive myself far more easily than when my crankiness is self-inflicted.

I've had two Christmas parties this weekend and managed to survive them. The first one was a small drinks party with people I know well from the DTs school. I really enjoyed it, walked home, felt good about the fact that I didn't feel anxious despite not having a 'crutch in a glass' to accompany me through it. Last night was a much bigger affair and I found it really hard work. Proper drinks party with staff, lovely food and a red carpet and lots of glamorous people who seemed to have thriving lives. I went on my own and wanted to leave almost as soon as I arrived, but managed to stick it for a couple of hours. It was exhausting though, as a single parent who's been going through a car-crash divorce and was stood there with sparkling water all night, it was hard to feel relaxed.. It's over though!

Off to the cinema this morning with the DTs to watch the Snoopy film. Zzzzz

Hi Palomb and welcome!

Wicked, how old and how many are your DC? Do you get any breaks and/or any help? I cannot seem to find the right words this morning, but the gist of what I am trying to say is... I began my bad drinking habits as a way of managing the domestic pressure of too many children too close together plus absent-minded workaholic DH plus WOH myself. I never found the voice to say, "Help!" and ploughed on for years depressed and drinking.

Christmas is an acutely bad time for domestic overload. Duh. Reminds me of a conversation with my GP when I was seeing him regularly for PND years ago. He asked me whether I was looking forward to Christmas, asking it as if it really was a postive event on the horizon. I remember thinking he was out of his mind, of course I wasn't looking forward to Christmas as the expectations and workload were huge. It was another great hurdle to jump.

So, Wicked, who can you talk to? Counsellor, friend, DH? Can you drop a few events? Simplify the DC's bedtime routine? Can you carve out some time for yourself?

"My mood with the kids is still horrible though - I am not sure if I am just a horrible person regardless of alcohol".
No, no, no. You are NOT horrible.