Dry 14

[glad2016]

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

PLEASE tell me it is the Kate Atkinson novel we are talking about :) The text book is v hard work ( I have read it, for work purposes!)

Also, do we want to start the book club as a new thread or leave it in here?

I bloody hope it's Kate Atkinson! I'm never heard of the other one. and I've already got the book

I think I'm too new here to have a vote in that suggestion. Happy either way.

I love the other KA novels I have read. Not read Life after Life, yet - now got it on e book :)

Everyone gets a vote in here :) We are all equal and get as much help as we need :)

I would start it in a different thread I think, means it's not distracting anyone else who isn't part of it. I'm part of an interest group on fb and we started a diffrent group for the interest book club. Works well.

Blimey there's a lot going on here. finish for your 100 days -and thank you for that very insightful post. Really resonated. Also to lovely glad on 250 days. And to everyone else on their numbers clocking up.

I am very impressed by the healthy choices and I've definitely found that living af and making better choices has happened naturally as time went on. I personally could not have done any kind of diet/major change at the start because just going af was such a huge challenge. So I do think it's very important to feel that if you need alternative treats at the start, have them and deal with sugar etc once you're ready!

My big challenge - and it is going to be a challenge - is another visit to the friends I find so difficult. I tried to get out of this but dp was badly upset (we have all known each other since university) and I felt I had to agree to go. Will be taking nice af drinks along and am working on strategies but know there will be pressure over the weekend.

Oh well. Koko, sober warriors!

Day 5 really really tired today but think this is normal? Had some mood swings yesterday but calmer now. Interested in book group!
Have a lovely day everyone x

Again, my apologies for absence. Too much IRL.

Today is day 167 sober.

I want to support you all in early sobriety ..

So please read this

alcoholfree2016.com/2016/08/25/day-6-and-day-167/

Lily xxx

Tiredness totally normal gotta, it does improve quickly. You body is resetting and starting to heal, go with it.

20 days today, that means tomorrow is 3 weeks! How did that happen?

Beautiful day here so the plan is to do some gardening, usually my most hated of jobs but I've started to enjoy it. With no drinking and now no cigarettes either, I'd forgotten how much time I have available again. It's great but I need to cultivate some hobbies to fill them. Somehow I don't think faffing on the internet and housework constitute as hobbies

lily hug hugs

Day 12 for me today but feel really really down, my DH illness seems to be progressing which is a massive trigger for me!! I feel really sad and have started to see the symptoms of me becoming unable to cope again. I have an undiagnosed Ed which is starting to become a problem again. My DH has left the crate of wine my parents gave me in the hall it was supposed to go in the loft it's really appealing now.

I don't know how to stop this I know my triggers but feel so awful!! My DD has a vomiting bug and I have just finished night shifts. I think this will end badly. Sorry to be so depressing but I feel bad right now.

Hey, Lily, don't be hard on yourself, you've come so far already. You have recognised a trigger so you know you need to find a way round it. Make yourself a nice cup of tea or a cold drink and take 5 mins to sit down and think about how well you've done so far and how it made you feel. So sorry DH and DD are not well. You must be really tired too which won't help. Move the crate somewhere you can't see it...shove it out the back door ? Cover it with a pile of washing ? Anything. Stay strong. Just get through today, tomorrow is another challenge.

Hugs Lily that sounds really hard. Take care.
Sparkling mineral water and tiny bit of apple juice is a lovely drink. Looks a bit like wine so might not be suitable for all if its a trigger but I enjoyed it in a wine glass. Nice to have the afternoon with clear head.
Thanks Tattoos for reassurance.

I was pretending to myself I had a headache earlier to justify some solpadeine but urge has passed now. I never had it regularly but enjoyed the buzz. Nap planned instead.

gotta I felt and still feel that utter tiredness from the first day of sobriety. It's getting a little better now

lily sounds like life is hard at the moment. Really hard and it was insensitive of your husband to leave the wine in the hall. I hope your dd gets well soon.

tattoos 3 weeks. That's brilliant and the fags too?? I know what you mean about hobbies. Staying in drinking was my 'hobby' and my 'me time'. I don't get to go out in the evening and I'm not much of a crafts type so haven't a clue bar our new book club.

I'm finding the heat and associated dehydration a massive trigger but ice Lollies, especially the solero mojoto ones really hit the spot.

Thank you for all your support everyone it really does help. I hope everyone is doing well.

Give it away Lily.
Tip it away.
Have done both many times.
I guess if I was going to drink I would anyway but being rather lazy, the need for a trip out to the shop often helped me decide not to.
Sorry things are so tough.

Day 18 here. Am dreading Friday. Friday is the hardest day for me. I just felt so bloody cross and resentful last week. It was like, WHY can't I just go and do what I want - really petulant and stupid foot-stompy kind of carry-on.
But I know the price for that is the clarity that I've got at the moment.
Clarity really is the prize.
Hope I can hang in there. Feel my resolve is weakening now that I've not had alcohol for 18 days. Feels like - Oh - maybe I don't have a problem after all.

I'm going to ignore that voice for now. It's the same voices/same "logic" that said, oh you've given up cigarettes, you can have one now.

Upyer that voice was shouting so loud at the start of my holiday and I tealuse that I had stopped heating it so mych. At 70 odd days its volume had been low. Each time you manage to ignore it - it loses some power. If you want to be free of the voice it's the way to go! You can do it!

Wise words pimpernella - I am finding the voice a bit easier to manage now but at first really resented the fact I can't have 'just one' even when I 'need' it.

And yes, around day 20 I was feeling - see, I can stop, look, no problem. Except I knew from previous dry months that if I started again it would be back to old habits within a week or so.

KOKO lilyben and all other soberistas xxxx

Xxxxx lily test

Sorry xxxxx lilybetsy

autocorrect fail

Sounds like a tough time lilyben but you know drinking will not make it better, the problems will still be there only you'll find less capable to cope with them I hope your dd and dh feel better soon. I would give the wine away, there is no purpose to have them around the house and will only tempt you. I had two bottles of my favourite here, not cheap ones either and though it pained me slightly to give them away to my dad I knew it was for the best.

I can't get out either in the evening strong, last time I did do the odd bit of jewellery making but on the whole I'm not a craftsy type person. I did also do a couple of online courses with futurelearn - forensic science and drug and alcohol addiction. Interesting, will get round to maybe some other courses when I finally get my laptop repaired.

Hi all

lilyben sounds like you're having a really tough day - sending you hugs. Hope you're feeling a bit stronger this evening.

Bit of a mixed emotion evening here. Been like a fidget since I got in from work and though I don't actually want a drink, think the fidgety restlessness is a bit of a trigger as in this mood I would usually drink. And - as it's coming up to bank hol and I've done nearly 2 weeks I've got the bad Angel on my shoulder saying 'well you've done so well, you deserve a drink as a reward'...

So - trying to keep busy and counting down to bed time. I've done a load of washing, put a load away, prepped snacks for tomorrow night and drank a couple of lime and sodas. Think I need extra strength this weekend though and some back up distraction in case that bad Angel doesn't shut up...

Thank you to everyone, you kept me sober the kindness of strangers is humbling. Here's to another sober day tomorrow.