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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Dry 14

999 replies

glad2016 · 21/07/2016 13:50

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

OP posts:
onewhitepillowleft · 15/08/2016 13:10

You can do this, Strong Tea

It does kind of put the magnifying glass on how much some families and friendship groups and workplaces revolve around booze, doesn't it? I don't really have much judgement there - there are LOADS of people who can drink healthily. But the degree of thinking and talking about it is eye-opening, isn't it?

glad2016 · 15/08/2016 13:29

Welcome to all the newbies and hello to all the people who were here when I went away under canvas a few weeks back (well not canvas any more, but ykwim)
Back home :) had a shower :) Slept in my bed with sheets and stuff :) :)
8 months sober today :) :) :)

OP posts:
YellowLambBanana · 15/08/2016 13:52

Keep strong Strong you can do it. And imagine how proud you will feel when you wake up tomorrow having done another drink free day and with no hangover ! This is a test you can do it !

tattoosandteadresses · 15/08/2016 14:06

I sympathise Strong as I'm on holiday with my drinking parents. Dmum loves her wine and poured a glass of wine pre 1pm as we are on holidays. Ice cold tonic, pretend there's something in it? This is my first sober holiday ever bar pregnancy and I hated that one, felt so deprived the whole time.

I agree people who make such a big deal around drinking usually have issues in some way or another.

Imagine how groggy and hungover they will all feel tomorrow. Stay strong, we are all behind you!

patchworkchicken · 15/08/2016 16:16

Hello everyone, I've been lurking for a while and think I need to have some accountability for my drinking. I find your posts inspiring and need a kick up the backside. I can see how everyone helps each other here, it is fantastic. I have no reason to drink, happy family and life, DH and 2 teenagers. I just saw it as a way to relax and a "treat" after a long day. I always drink at home, at least 5 evenings out of 7, usually a half bottle of red, in front of the tv. I thought I was in control but now realise I'm not. I don't end up embarrassing myself, just get sleepy than ratty the next day, but I always feel guilty in the middle of the night. For the last 6 weeks or so I have tried only buying 1 bottle a week. A few times I bought another and then the last 2 weeks I finished off the dregs of last Christmas's port, some 2 year old Pimms (which I don't even really like) and a bottle of sweet white wine...yuk ! I also tried leaving the wine in the shed so I had to go out in the rain to get it...I have a raincoat so that didn't work either ! So I now finally realise I am not in control. Thanks to your posts I have read the Jason Vale book which has helped a lot. I have now managed 4 days without booze and feel quite liberated ! Weird ! I know I will find it hard when we have visitors or family staying, that's when it goes out of control. So I am trying to stop completely, as I can't trust myself to just have a glass every now and then. So, please feel free to slap me with a wet fish if I have a wobble ! Stay strong all, we can do it !

StrongTeaHotShower · 15/08/2016 16:23

Big, big thanks to you all!!! If I hadn't of had this support this afternoon I would have caved. You know what? After their first drink no one noticed I wasn't drinking. Amazing.

StrongTeaHotShower · 15/08/2016 16:25

And welcome patchwork. You're a couple of days ahead of me. I hope it's starting to get easier for you. Cake Brew

patchworkchicken · 15/08/2016 16:38

Well done strong ... I think we have very similar families ! I seem to be developing a chocolate problem instead of the booze one....off to search for a kitkat chunky, hopes the kids haven't already eaten them all !

YellowLambBanana · 15/08/2016 16:43

Good on you strong I'm so pleased you did it!

I'm off to the shops get sober treats in and nice non-alcoholic drinks in for this week Grin

Lilybensmum1 · 15/08/2016 17:07

Well done strong and hello patch I could identify with what you said, particularly the waking in the middle of the night feeling guilty promising myself never again and this time I could do it, I really thought I could moderate but I cannot just have one it's really sad. My lovely dcs have just bought me some chocolate!! That will be my regular treat for now.

This time of day is when I will struggle as I would have opened a bottle whilst cooking and then top up before I had finished the last, which would pretty much mean I would have the bottle. I have just been to the coop had a friend round who suggested I should get a bottle of wine tonight (she does not know I am trying to stop drinking) I just smiled and said yes as she described her lovely white wine she has in the car!! So anyway, at the coop I treated myself to some becks blue I know some people say this is not a good idea but it's my compromise at the moment.

glad2016 · 15/08/2016 17:22

I agree that those who get over invested in why you are not drinking, may well have a problem.

I have lost two good (I thought :( ) friends because they tried their hardest to derail my sobriety, rather than helping me not drink. One succeeded, one time (but not the second time and will get no more chances) the other gave me the weekend from hell because I would not drink in my own home and would not enable her to drink vast amounts by driving her to a pub ( in early days of my sobriety and I had pre warned her I would not go to a pub etc).

OP posts:
onewhitepillowleft · 15/08/2016 17:24

People are really really weird about it, aren't they?

I had a bit of an experience like that - but in the end, the drunker everyone else got, the less bothered they got about how much I was drinking: I think they just forgot to notice after a while.

WELCOME to the new blood!

BlurtonOnKites4eva · 15/08/2016 17:43

Can I join in too?

I've always been a problem drinker but the last few months I've been getting ridiculously twatted far too much. I've tried to moderate and put rules in place to be a more sensible drinker but I've failed massively. I had a proper disaster night out on Saturday when I only meant to have a couple of drinks and ended up going on a massive bender.

When I was pregnant and not drinking I was so so much happier, and I got shitloads done as well. So I've done a day! Yaaaay. I'm just going to tell people I'm not drinking for a bit, not make a big deal of it.

I've been thinking about going to AA, but not sure that the 12 step program will be for me. I'm not religious but like the idea of creating a support network.

YellowSuperLambanana
I'm in the land of the lambanana if you ever want to meet for a coffee or something and you are nearby.

Sybilramkinvimes · 15/08/2016 17:45

Wow, lots of new sober warriors, come to join the revolution 😀 Hello!

Glad, have been following with interest. Sounds so, so cool to be camping on a dig. Finnish 90 days Star fantastic and worth many celebratory biscuits...

Also hello to everyone who's been on holiday and stayed strong.

Anyway, Still here, still keeping on and feeling so so incredibly much better than in January. It can be tough but it's so worth it.

Trying to think about what was most helpful at the start - yy to reading round. Sober mummy is brilliant and has lots of advice. mummywasasecretdrinker.blogspot.co.uk/
Just focus on one day at a time and don't worry about that party/dinner/Christmas cos it will take care of itself when you get there. Lots of treats and alternatives so you won't feel deprived - worry about sugar later!

If you need to not go to something or do something different, go for it. At one point if we needed more milk, I only took £1 with me to the corner shop so there was no temptation. Also didn't have a Sunday paper for ages as it was so associated with settling down with a glass of wine. Hmm.

Final thing is that the best tip I had from this thread is playing the tape forward and thinking honestly about just having that "one drink" vs the reality of overdoing it, hangover, wasted day.

Flowers Brew lots of Cake.

onewhitepillowleft · 15/08/2016 18:06

'playing the tape forward' has been the single, best, most useful piece of advice I have had on here. It forces me to be honest with myself, and reminds me of why I am so committed to this. Good call sybil

glad2016 · 15/08/2016 19:12

Yep good call sybil

Belle is very good tiredofthinkingaboutdrinking as is Jackie Elliot's Sober Sassy Life, also our very own Lucy at A Hangover Free life

OP posts:
chocoholic89 · 15/08/2016 19:15

Hi everyone, took the dc to a party yesterday was so close not to tho because few people that was at wedding was there when I was drunk but thought I cannot let my dc down. I was a little anxious but nobody said anything about it. 😅. Thankfully!Goin to start a new me tomo DIET heathy eating!

lizzytee · 15/08/2016 19:20

Wah! Lots of posts so no hope of name checking everyone. Welcome all! Strong when I started haunting this thread I did not believe that it was possible to rack up the kind of days sober totals that others have and that I now have..but I have.

Good recommendations from others - look at various sources and see which ones speak to you, which ones you feel comfortable posting in. I check in here most days, don't always post, always get a supportive response if I ask for one.

No judgement.

That's so important, because for anyone trying to deal with dependency they're already judging themselves, probably more harshly than any of their critics.

One day at a time, one hour at a time, ten minutes at a time is how I play it.

I now understand that I'm what they call a habitual drinker - never went on benders, never throw up, don't blackout. A bit hungover most mornings but rarely crippled by one. Tolerance creeping up so can put away a bottle of wine no bother. Often drank alone. Perpetually ashamed that I was unable to self-regulate, have a night off.

I still don't know if I can reset my relationship with alcohol, I suspect not. Playing it forward is a big help, the kind of planning that others have suggested to me ("I'll arrive, have a fizzy water, ask them to take the wine glasses away when we sit down")

Oh and Cake

YellowLambBanana · 15/08/2016 19:21

blurtononkites that would be lovely Smile

I haven't told anyone I'm stopping - I'm just going to make an excuse at the time and take it from there. Some of my friends are much bigger drinkers than me (but seem to be able to handle it better and don't get the same hangovers or anxiety) so I think if I tell anyone just yet I'll get a hold load of don't be daft there's nothing wrong with you stuff

lizzytee · 15/08/2016 20:13

Well done choc. Small steps.

chocoholic89 · 15/08/2016 21:10

Feeling positive..think this sat will be hard for me as dp is on a all day do. So I thought if I throw myself into detox then it's just a normal day and just because he's getting on the drink don't mean I am! I think I'm going to plan a fun day with me and the children so I don't think in my head I'm missing out.
weird isn't it how the mind works. Plus il be picking up the pieces I suppose. Got to keep busy and strong. X

misscookie · 15/08/2016 21:45

patchwork welcome - I ate a whole Green and Blacks chocolate bar every day in the early days plus sweets!

welcome BlurtonOnKites4eva

I agree "playing the tape forward" is a sound piece of advice

MaudlinNamechange · 15/08/2016 22:01

Hi,
day 2 here. Feeling positive. Becks Blue in the Ocado order!

When I am in weekday life I see a lot of variety in how people live and what their values and interests are, through going to work. It doesn't bother me that I am separating, becoming a single parent, and that the reality is I really must stop drinking. These things feel like opportunities and change feels like it could be a friend - maybe a tough love straight talking friend, who can make you a bit uncomfortable, but a friend.

I am just off 2 weeks holiday with my extended family and although I love them very much, they are not entirely healthy for me. They definitely feel extremely sad about what has happened to my life in terms of exP leaving me, and they are worried about that and don't know anyone who coudl conceive of it being a good thing. they all have suffocatingly weird and controlling attitudes to food and alcohol. the only time I have not drunk around my parents is when driving or pregnant.

Weirdly, getting back into the swing of normal life has really picked me up - even though it's "only" work. I live near a great city, people are all different, I could do and be anything.

i get really tired and stressed and it makes me want to drink and I need to find other ways of dealing with that.

Thanks for letting me ramble on. I do appreciate having somewhere to go and talk.

really shocked at myself at the number of times in the past months that one bottle hasn't been enough. Really shocked.

Lilybensmum1 · 15/08/2016 22:24

Wow maudlin you have a lot going on! I know what you mean though I am only day 2 today but some sort of calm is settling on me, I feel positive a bit like stepping into the unknown but knowing things are getting better, it's ironic really as I have a lot of things in my personal life that cause me to become depressed but I feel positive for now.

My counsellor said to me that we only have today not yesterday and not tomorrow so concentrate on that, this I how I try to live my life now, but not always easy.

I had a couple of becks blue in the sun today it was lovely. I keep saying it but the support on here is helping so much and really keeps me going, so thank u to everyone. Also I'm part way through the Jason Vale book and can really relate to it, it makes so much sense.

Night all.

MaudlinNamechange · 15/08/2016 22:37

I have a fb friend who I don't know very well (but would like to know better but haven't physically seen her in years) who posted recently about stopping drinking. I am trying to work up the courage to PM her and suggest a sober coffee