DRY 13

[lilybetsy]

This is the thread for all those who are living, or committed to living, life free from alcohol.

I will quote a sober poster "I'm fitter, slimmer, richer, happier & healthier"

Go sober warriors !

Thanks hurricane , I am on the mend but still sound rough when I cough. Supposed to be off sick but in fact have worked since 10am without a break.

Getting a bit stir crazy though.....

Morning all!

Checking in - still sober.

Well done on 13 weeks VXA, that's awesome

I'm 45 days today. I only just managed dry janueary - it's funny what a difference it makes when you say both one day at a time and never again1 The last week of dry jan felt like an eternity... but I've managed OK so far....

Morning all. Checking in and waving at all you sober warriors :)

Quick check in here, not drinking today!

Aaargh...have managed to completely break a tooth this morning! Emergency dentist appointment for me - as ever, I'm extremely grateful for our nhs who have squeezed me in this afternoon - but eeek, am nervous. It doesn't hurt. Yet.

Thank goodness I'm not hungover.

Hope everyone is having a better day than me!!

Morning everyone, a very belated pom pom wave for absolute and hurricane, I did try to post from my phone the other day but it wasn't having any of it.

Hope everyone's feeling okay today especially lizzy, hope you are on the mend. JoJo if it's not hurting you probably haven't damaged the nerve so it's a good sign. My DS2 managed to break not one, not two, but three of his teeth the other week, by falling over his own feet ! But the dentist just created him some new ones with that silly putty stuff they use and 20 minutes later he was good as new! Amazing. Hopefully you will be sorted soon.

Miserable weather today so that's a good excuse to finish off the teacher presents for the end of term. I always try to do something personal and thoughtful and have completely stuffed myself by using up most of my good ideas. I knew I should have just done the M&S voucher like everyone else. Bah humbug.

Whatever you're all up to hope you have a good one!

Thanks cooee the dentist said more or less the same although they couldn't fix it today. Hairline internal fracture - explains the horrendous toothache I had a few weeks back, I knew something was wrong. Ah well, it could be worse. Well done you on the teacher presents whatever they are - I used to teach and was delighted with anything!

I desperately wanted a gin and tonic earlier after the appointment but talked myself out of it which I'm glad of now.

Sober thoughts to everyone!

Ow jojo sounds horrid - I hate going to the dentist and am very cowardly about it !

I'm plodding on here. 111 days today. I definitely don't think about drinking nearly as much as I did. The cravings are much less , less frequent and less severe. It feels as normal now NOT to open A bottle of wine straight after work, as it did TO open one a few months ago. What's happened now is an opening up of all the buried emotions and feelings and thoughts, a lot of stuff I had buried away / ignored / drank to avoid dealing with, is flooding up to the surface. It's quite hard , as I feel very raw. Some things I am discovering are very hard indeed to Deal with.

I'm in a really foul mood this evening - can't work out if I'm being unreasonable or not. I probably am not, but if I "deal with it" there will be a LOT of collateral fall out.

Sorry this is rather me-centric , it's how I'm feeling today Me me me !

Lily 🌷 X

Morning All

Lily I'm no expert on not drinking....but this is our safe space so vent away!

I'm day 27 today and woke up feeling sick as a dog, proper hangover sickness. Thinking about it I have replaced my alcohol "treats" with crap food choices so it could be that (two cream cakes, a donut and a couple of brownies yesterday - yup could well be that), so my aim over the next few week before we go on holiday is to eat a better diet to complement my AF life.

Very busy weekend coming up with school fare, dinner party, special church service and a day in the garden on Sunday and no alcohol.

Enjoy whatever your weekends brings and KOKO

Gx

Well done GirlsonFilm I remember when you first joined- 27 days is awesome.

I had a really really busy day yesterday which has really taken it out of me anxiety have DD2s party tomorrow - stressful. The cake I made looked awful. I nearly chucked it in frustration.

Today I have made no progress whatsoever at work. I want to go home but after 2 days off I can't. I have had to take a diazepam which I haven't had to do for ages. This is so bloody hard. Worth it but hard. X

Hi everyone

I am on 25. Still here, hanging on with gritted teeth.

I am feeling RAW - it's been a whirlwind of feelings. Stressed, exhausted, tantrummy, lonely, jealous, hard-done-to, spoiled, scared, vulnerable.

I have no idea what is happening. I feel like a big baby with no comfort.

I suppose the comfort blanket has been taken away.

I am going through a hard time right now - work and family - and anyone would find it tricky. I can't tell if I am finding it more tricky because I am no longer drinking, or easier. To be honest, I think I am finding it harder. I can't seem to get my head in the game today or yesterday and I feel like giving up.

I KNOW I can't be one of those people who have a glass now and again to relax. I KNOW I can't control it. And I KNOW I don't want to go back to a bottle and more every single night without fail. But My mind keeps coming back to this problem again and again and again - I am WEARY with having to talk myself out of drinking all the time.

I will keep on plugging onwards. Out tonight for a family thing. I'm driving. Would usually drink a lot afterwards as a reward and a way of switching off and de-stressing. I've bought myself a good book to enjoy in bed instead.

Hi all
Hard going here as well, must be catching :)

Yy to feeling raw when sober - I think the alcohol numbs us so much and I know I drank to blot out bad stuff.
to all those who need them

onewhite I'm sorry you are having a rough day but it's good you have a plan for later. Your comment about feeling like 'a big baby with no comfort' makes me laugh. I know exactly what you mean, but I think it's a really helpful analogy as well. I don't want to be a baby, so thinking of it in this way will help me. Thank you

Well, you lot are unusually quiet tonight 😀 Popping in to announce that tomorrow is six months af and have bought shiny new running shoes to celebrate. With go faster stripes on the side. On 2nd Jan would have fallen over laughing at the idea. Feel so so much better both mentally and physically and that it is so worthwhile.

and also for everyone who needs them. Waving to the sober warriors xx

sybil 6 months that's fab! Enjoy your new shoes!

Hope everyone feeling bit easier this evening- keep going.

I've done a long train ride today which previously would of been done with a load of wine! I had a big cup of tea. Lots of people drinking some getting very loud but I stuck with being sober and so glad for it now.

Evening all :) Long day but still sober :) Off to write up my daily journal and do my nightly sober homework (I read blogs, listen to the Belle podcast for the day, re read the Club Soda MOB daily email for the day also Sober Sassy Playbook daily email). I signed up to both of these earlier in the year and since my lapse I have been re doing them. Really helps me remember to self care and reflect on how I feel and my progress. Also realised today have lost 3 stone since I stopped drinking before Christmas :)

sybil that's great, I love the idea of running shoes as your gift.

Sybil well done on 6 months! And waves to cookie too! 6 months yesterday!

Glad I am at 3 stone that's incredible, is it just the not drinking or have you been making other changes too? I am trying so hard to eat well but having mixed success. You'd think the thought of my upcoming holiday would spur me on but it doesn't seem to. No doubt I will have a mad panic the week before and cut out all the crap then, lol!

cookie and sybil huge congratulations on 6 months - well done I could use some tips on what to expect 3-6 months.

glad 3 stone crikey !! Did you work hard to achieve that ? I am still the same weight as when I stopped.

Not feeling so great today. This has been a long week and today my DD is having her birthday party at home. Usually I would get through it with wine but can't do that today.

I have been listening to the audio book of Try not to Breathe by Holly Seddon - audio books are one of my new treats. The book is really good but one of the characters is an alcoholic and I am finding the descriptions of her drinking rituals a bit triggery. Has anyone else had this? When I was at one of the worst stages with my drinking I listened to The Girl on the Train on Radio 4 - for me that book really reminds me of lying in bed drinking - and it has a very strong drinking theme. The new book is quite similar. I so want to listen to it but I don't know if I can.

I'm bravely returning. Got to day 18, minus 3. Not perfect but making progress. Just reading the blogs to strengthen my resolve.

WB Hadron,

That's really positive that you are not giving up on giving up! Go you.

Right, I need help. am deermined to stop being so bloody miserable, and to be happy.

So - by the end of tomorrow I'll be 7 weeks sober. I've rememberered that I need to combine sobriety with Yoga, otherwise I get bored and miserable. SO I'll be boring you all with daily updates on Yes, I did my Yoga.

So: Today, I'm not drinking, and today I've done Day 1 of 30 days of Yoga.

I'm going to combine the 30 days of Yoga with Yoga camp, (beacuse I don't always have 35 mins spare in the day)

I've arranged to meet up with a friend and drink coffee this PM, and I've got meetings today and tomorrow too, so lots to keep me busy.

It is great that by 10:50 on a saturday morning, I've lain in bed feeling lazy for a bit, put some washing on, hung it out to dry And done 35 mins Yoga. If I'd drunk last night I'd still be in bed feeling thirsty and annoyed.

The last week or two has been hard, but I'm determined to see the hilarious side of Brexit (who needs Netflix and House of cards when you've the tory party to watch!), be positive and upbeat about not-drinking, get over the incredibly annoying things people have done in the last 2 weeks, and generally remember that life is fun...

Glad - 3 stones! That's amazing! And well done for making the deicision to really work at your sobriety. You are an inspiration.

VXA - I know what you mean about books and drinking! I'm sticking to pop science for the moment... Hope that the party go wells

Sybil - Your shoes sound fab. well done on 6 months

Waves to everyone

KOKO

I have lost a lot of weight over the last few years by eating less carbs, and no processed food diet but despite the good food I was still drinking (a lot) and the 3 stone loss is I suspect because I am not pouring a load of additional carbs/sugar (wine) down my neck :) I am still a bit over my ideal weight but a lot nearer to it now :)

Its not just weight it is also bloating I have lost - I look so much better now than I did on 16th Dec ( when I stopped for the last time :) )

I am vain enough to use this as an additional motivator to keep on keeping on sober.

I find some of the books triggery as well - so I am sticking to sober blogs and working through the MOB, SSP, and Lucy online courses. And listening to Belle whenever I get a wobble - she really resonates with me, as does Jackie from a Sober Sassy Life.

Another stress filled day here. Off to try and extract as much enjoyment from it as I can - which is probably not a lot, but I will try my best :)

glad THREE STONE !!!! That is super cool and really amazing!

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉sybil🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 six months ! Awesome X

vxa finnish sending you hugs xx

Welcome back hadron - good to 'see you' - what was the trigger that pushed you off last time ?

Lily🌷X

So sorry I haven't been on to congratulate everyone on their milestones! I'm on holiday near Malaga and on my phone....miss cookie, Sybil, cooee..,.,,go you! 6 months, fanbloodytastic achievement!! Glad! 3 stone, wow!! That's fantastic.

Everyone else, KOKO, please because I need you
We all do ....