DRY 10!!!!

[CheesyNachos]

Welcome! This is the thread for those of us who want to abstain from alcohol. We are all at different stages of our journey, and many of us have some hiccups along the way, but we are committed to an exciting, fulfilling, joyful life alcohol-free.

Previous thread is here.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/2485290-DRY-9?pg=1

Everyone is welcome!

Thank you glad!

I definitely do need to distract myself. I used to exercise after the kids were in bed, home workouts etc. But I've not done it for a while, mainly because their bedtime is later now they are a bit older, and mine is early now I'm permanently shattered! **

I love what you said about twisting the rebellion - I need to do that! I did it successfully with smoking, so maybe I can twist my brain the same way with the booze. **

I know drinking actually exacerbates my anxiety and depression. I definitely felt better when I had some time off recently. Not sure why I fell off the wagon. It was probably divorce related. Also largely boredom!

Hey ho, I will get there. Trouble is keep falling asleep before the crux of AJ's quit drinking session. I'm hoping it is still reaching my brain anyway!

Welcome aboard OnceMore :) Great advice from Glad woohoo 50 days! Thanks for the kind words too A review on Udemy would be ace if that's okay?
Hurricane Happy Birthday!
Yellow Have I cracked it? I bloody hope so although complacency is now the No1 enemy of my sobriety as that is where the addict voice gets sneaky for me now - you weren't really that bad go one why not see after this amount of time if you can moderate crafty f*cker .....

Hi bleach, hullo everyone. I've been reading everyone's posts every day, sometimes three times a day, since 28 December which was the day I last had a glass of wine. So glad I found this thread as it is such a comfort. Bleach, you asked how to replace the wine. I worried about that before I tried but once I was a few days in it didn't seem that hard. The anticipation/ worrying about it, is worse than the real thing. People on here seem to take therapeutic baths, I like scented candles and fairy lights and tidying up, and I now drink tea like crack. I've found my evenings have improved as I used to just fester in front of the TV watching any old crap

Welcome Absolute I love baths and scented candles and aromatic oils :) Am a holistic therapist ( amongst other things) so have an endless supply of EO and base oils available I wallow in my bath in a haze of essential oils now

Lucy oh yes I had forgotten to do that! I will get on it asap as your course is SO great

Welcome Absolute :) And congrats on day 39!!
Oh Glad thank you thank you! :)

I believe that yes the brain still absorbs hypnosis even if we are asleep so AJ's message WILL be sinking into your subconscious!

Happy Birthday hurricane and hello to absolute and oncemore
Congratulations to you absolute on your sobriety!
once I am in a similar situation to you. Lone parent with no support from their dad. I drank out of boredom and then it crept up.
may I ask roughly what age your children are? Mine are a little older (over 10) so I have been able to get out a bit to exercise classes by taking the younger one with me.
I am not going to lie I found the first two weeks tough. But I toughed it out with the support of this lovely lot. Then it got better and better. It keeps getting better. I've slipped and tripped along the way but I didn't fall over (metaphorically and physically ) but I am well on track now.
I'll post more tomorrow about how I coped in the early days. Its late now. I have been busy Kondo-ing. I'm soon going to be living in the environment that my children and I deserve. I could not have done it drunk!
Goodnight sober warriors. You make me proud xxx

and we are proud of you dona* xxx

Welcome Bleach and Absolute you will get lots more support and help here from this lovely bunch! I'm a huge fan of AJ Noooww and I think it does work whilst you are asleep (as I've only got to the end once and that was intentional as I had it on "wake" mode) I think it has helped me chill out and calm down and also regain a bit of perspective too. It's helped me cope well with "stuff"
My sober experience so far has resulted in a major improvement in my overall mood and wellbeing. I feel so happy and believe me I've not had the best start to a New Year but fuck it! I'm well, I'm in good health (thankfully) I'm loved by quite a few (kids, mum and dad and yes DH even though he's a nob at times...and my lovely friends)
Now I've had a taste of THIS life, I bloody well want more of it and that won't happen if I drink. I also know for sure that most of my family and friends will all come with me on this ride because they love me and genuinely want the best for me ....and if any of them don't, bollocks to em, it's truly their loss

Donaj I bloody love what you have said about you and your children living in the environment you deserve What a lovely fabulous thing to firstly aspire to and secondly to achieve, and I believe that you will do

Glad ooh holistic therapist....that sounds like a lovely job you lucky girl
Hi Lucy thank you for your good wishes the other day, I've enjoyed your blog again every day this week xxx

Thanks all for your birthday wishes, I'm off for a SPEND!!!!!

Oh yes, I also believe that the brain absorbs even when asleep with hypnosis. I use my hypnosis cds to go to sleep alot. I do not think I have ever got to the end of the Alan Carr one without falling asleep!

I am going to incorporate a bit of Kondo in my life I think...... when I am not drinking the house is always alot more cleaner and organised anyway. I love that!

yellow asked about how long people have been sober. I have had a staggered path.. I first joined this thread in March 2014 I think. I tend to rack up a few weeks, maybe a month or so then slip. When I slip the slips range from a few days to a week or so, then back again. I try to be philosophical because I do learn something each time..... mainly how much I love sobriety and hate drinking. Drinking makes me so depressed, non-functional, it makes me hate myself. My last slip was over the Christmas period when we had the stresses with family. It was the shortest slip ever.... 2-3 drinks. Since then I have been so sure in myself about sobriety and I have been fine. Without this thread I would never have gotten so far. Joining AA recently has also really helped..... it is another tool in the toolbox. I think, believe and hope that this is it for me now. When I am sober I feel so bright, so joyful and full of hope for the future.... when I drink I am in a dark place.

So, that is my story thus far. :)

And... HAPPY BIRTHDAY HURRICANE !!!!!

Cheesy thankyou xx
And Cheesy that's it! That is exactly how I feel. I'm joyful and so excited about life, isn't it the best feeling??? That's what I want more of, so much more than I want a drink

Cheese and Hurricane - I love your positivity about life without drinking versus life with it. I will hang on to your words!

I have found that time off drinking always results in a nicer environment in my home, more positive outlook on waking up and more patience with my DC. It's just when I have a bad day and feel overwhelmed, a few drinks in the evening are my tried and tested way of making it all stop for a while. But I am learning and reminding myself that it is short lived and futile, as it bites me in the ass next day. Vicious cycle, as then I let the house slide as I'm feeling rotten, then I drink again to avoid facing up to it, etc etc.

dona - thanks for your post. It's good to know others in similar situations are making it work. My DC are 8 and 6, so independent and demanding in equal measures! I was a very uptight parent at first, and then decided I was a better/more fun parent when slightly tipsy (talking one or two glasses, not plastered! Always saved that for when not in charge of DC!) ridiculous, I know, but it started just being the odd Saturday evening and then crept up from there.

I just need to learn new ways to relax more and not need alcohol as my method for that. AJ is definitely helping!

Ladies can I recommend a new drink to add to your arsenal of AF options? Wrote about it today which you can read here. It's lush Off for the week-end away with some lovely sober ladies I met out here in the interwebs. Another gift of sobriety :)

Good morning ladies. Haven't really been posting much as I'm hugely uncomfortable with the whole sharing my personal life on line but reading all of your posts and updates is hugely inspirational and motivating. I am happy to report that I am enjoying my second hangover free sat morning in a while. I did drink last sat nite. It was out socially and I didn't do the whole drown myself in a vat of wine thing that I do at home and I haven't drank at home since posting which I'm really happy with. I'm not really sure where I'm at on this journey as in dry for ever or trying to get some balance back in my life but regardless just wanted to say thank you to all for helping me push the stop button and take some stock on my life. For me what is helping is exercise. I take a class on a Friday evening now and I'm to tired sweaty and buzzy from it to be bothered opening the wine after it and reading info on line and just being more honest with myself for example no a bottle of wine is not just a quiet nite in to most people it's actually quite a bit to drink never mind the second! Anyway I hope u are all doing well and hurricane happy birthday it really sounds like u have found a new lease of life which is amazing ☺

Hey everyone, hope you're all doing great! Lucy I read your piece about Seedlip on your blog yesterday...sounds like another great tool in the box for anyone needing it! Hope you're weekend is fabulous

Stars I totally get what you mean about sharing online. I don't put any personal stuff on Facebook, I'm very private........but I've got a little brave recently and shared some personal stuff on this thread, more than I ever have online before ......I suppose I realised that this thread and those on it are firstly, completely nonjudgemental and very, very kind and secondly nobody knows me or my family so I kind of felt "safe" I honestly don't think that anyone could ever really "shock" people on this thread and I truly know that nobody on here would EVER have a go at anyone like they do on some other threads on Mumsnet. It's just not like that here. It's lovely and so incredibly supportive, so thanks ALL OF YOU

Yesterday I failed miserably at having a good birthday spend.....so I'm going to give it another go probably on Wednesday this week as I'm on leave
I did however have a lovely spinach, strawberry, blueberry, cinnamon and almond smoothie in my lovely wine glass last night which I made in my fab Nutribullet. It was really nice and it was fab to be able to use one of my beautiful crystal glasses. That's all I wanted to do to be honest, use one of my wine glasses.... and now I can
HAPPY WEEKEND ALL, DO SOMETHING THAT GIVES YOU JOY!!

Where is everyone? Very quiet in here! I hope you are all off haviving sober fabulous fun filled weekends

Am off to bed with AJ NOOOWWWW after a busy, sober, productive day and a lovely evening with DD and DH slobbing in front of the TV

Hi everyone. :)

Hope you had a really good evening glad.

I am in the middle of a massive clean of the house. It is oddly satisfying. Have a pub lunch (sans alcohol of course!) with DH, DS and a friend which I am looking forward to. My friend's 2016 NY resolution was to be sober for the entire year, and she is sticking to it too. So, no temptations there. DH is not drinking much either. He can take it or leave it and tends to drink very little now as I am not egging him on.

Gorgeous cold sunny day out there!

Happy Sober Sunday everyone!

Hello all I am still here but I have fallen off the thread a bit (not the wagon) because I have gone kondo crazy!!!!
I have a long way to go but its exciting times in the jimena house!
glad I am having a lovely weekend thank you. I have had one whole week of a lovely teenage boy. I can only think someone has swapped him for a better version
cheesy hope the house clean is bringing you as much satisfaction as mine is. Its kind of out with the old... here. In so many ways!
Oh and a bit of gossip. My horrible neighbour was examining my recycling. I could see her looking at the bags. There is a bit of a backstory but she mentioned me drinking once (in a not nice way) and I couldn't figure out how she knew. I guess the 10 empty bottles were a giveaway as I don't interact (or didn't I should say) with anyone after wine o clock!
My neighbours two doors down have alcohol 'issues' and you do clock the empties!
The point being was it was the loveliest fuck you ever to see the witch looking at my bags intently!
Happy Sunday all!

back from a weekend away with DH. Got a bit bored about 3pm yesterday but reminded self would still be bored with alcohol. Yet again AF wine saved the day! Also had a pang standing in the pouring rain looking into a warm looking pub advertising merlot. Reminded self would feel like shit so no biggie. Felt great all weekend. Relaxed and happy (other than wee bored/ansty feeling 3pm) Funnily enough have a headache now like I had a mental weekend lol.
Happy Sunday everyone!

oh and hubby drank water at meals to support me

yellow well done on resisting temptation. Sound like a lovely weekend and its great that your husband is being so supportive x

Where is everyone? Hope everyone is ok.

I'm here - was very tempted to drink at weekend but didn't. Need to re visit my sober toolkit though - having been ill for two weeks and all the family crap has made me fed up and I have stopped looking after myself so much. Off to get a sober treat tonight - a nice bath and early bed with AJ Nooowww I think