Dry 14

[glad2016]

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

Sorry if I sound Pink. Cloud ish but I am. It is good up here so let's enjoy it when it happens as well as being aware of the downer of PAWS : )

I did it!!!! And boy did I sleep well (must remember that). Feel great this morning. I even cut down on my cigarettes last night so here's hoping they can go soon too. I had a lovely chilled evening but have the supermarket challenge later, also cooking is a huge trigger point - tempted just to ready meal it for a few days.

well done Buono

glad you deserve a medal.

Still here, still sober. About to stir the kids into tidying up a bit before I'm off to work for a short day.

Buono a few days of ready meals never hurt anyone. Go for it I say!
Great stuff efc !Welcome please. :) Good to have you with us.
jojo I hope you are better soon
Glad - loving the pink cloud posts!

Hi everyone. :)

Okay here. Went to see the Jason Bourne film last night. Not alot of substance, but good fun. I was designated driver but when we went out afterwards one friend said she was too tired to have a drink, another said she's have a beer and then left it. Normies I guess. In my former life I'd the one ordering the bottle!

have good days today.

I have a lunch out today (It is extremely unusual for me to be so social!). But I am not looking forward to it. It is with an old friend who I always feel judged by - she asks leading questions then purses her lips. I have been putting off lunch suggestions for a good 18 months but can't avoid it anymore. I have chosen a restaurant where they do amazing mocktails so I can look forward to that.

have good days everyone!

Well done Buono, I too am cutting down the cigarettes in preparation for trying to quit them.

Thanks for clarifying vxa, totally understand how if you not have been determined it would have been easy not to bother. I think I'm beginning to find myself in the situation of floundering doing it by myself.

glad, enjoy your pink cloud I love that feeling. Shame it's raining, I spotted a friend's facebook photos last week and the weather in France looked lovely. Blue skies all round.

Welcome please

Friend came round last night to watch a movie and brought some drinks with him to share. I refused and stuck to tea and ginger beer so day one again under the bag. Also slept really well

Wants wine, thinks of expensive face cream that I bought as a pre-emptive reward. I've had a crappy day and want cava very badly.

Hello all,

Thanks for the welcome, I intend to stick around!

Buono - I had a glass of AF wine at home last night and it really fulfilled the rituals/routine side of drinking for me. It fooled by habitual brain very convincingly.

My laptop's playing up badly so it's taking me an age to type a message - but I'm reading all the posts.

It's funny - I notice that some of us (well, today it's me and Glad!)

APologise for being in the pink cloud
Apologise for being in the depth of PAWS

It's funny - I don't get annoyed with other people's emotions, but assume that people will get annoyed with mine...

God no finnish, I like to hear the emotions other people are feeling. Especially the pink cloud ones as it's a great feeling. Reminds me of it and gives me something to look forward to. As for PAWS, well everyone has their bad days and much rather anyone came on here to vent than pick up a drink. It's kind of like an AA meeting, support and strength in the group

Had a bit of a bad day myself, have an injury that's turned into a chronic pain thing at the moment and it is a sore day. Makes me feel a bit low so I took some painkillers and lay down and watched The Fault In Our Stars, housework be damned. Not the best choice of movie, considering I've read the book and know what it's about. I cried the whole way through and ended up with a sore head from sniffling too.

I think having an AF drink helps me as well times like that Buono. I can have one Becks Blue and not want anymore while tricking myself I'm having a drink.

My plan for tonight is a nice hot bath, still sore. Hook myself up the tens machine later and spend some time doing a pedicure in preparation for the weekend. Exciting stuff

Keep going Buono - you're doing so well. The early days are hard but you have your posh bath and face stuff: give yourself a treat that won't make you feel like crap in the morning.

I never mind listening to people's ups and downs either: helps me know I am not alone, and that whatever I am feeling, it is probably normal.

Thank you everyone, I appreciate it. Husband bought me two cans of cocktail as he thought I was just trying to cut down. I've had to have a proper chat with him about where I'm at, how bad it's got and what I'm trying to achieve. He's been very supportive and promised not to bring any more booze home for me. I have resolved that those cans will not be touched. Had it have been wine I would have cracked.

Well done for talking to your husband Buono and not touching the drinks. Any way he could rid of them out of the house (or drink them himself)? I always found first few weeks it's best not to have any booze lying around to tempt me. After that I could buy the likes of quarter bottles for cooking as I knew in my head that wouldn't be enough for me so I wouldn't think of touching them.

That's how I feel tattoo its not enough to get me drunk so I don't think I want to bother. He's going to take them away with him tomorrow to remove any temptation and I'm going to go to boots for some nicotine gum.

Buono how did the conversation go?

Good thanks white, he's been a bit worried about me lately but hasn't wanted to step in as he considers me intelligent enough to know what I'm doing. I've told him its not an intelligence thing and that I'm frightened how out of control it's got. He was lovely and has promised to help me keep on track where he can and support me throughout. He's a real love.

That is so decent of him. He sounds like a keeper!

I think it is a hard balance, isn't it? I mean - we want support, of course we do, but in the end the decision has to be ours and nobody has ever held us down and forced the booze down our throats.

In my early days my Mr didn't have any booze in the house - but now he just drinks normally - which is a glass or two of wine now and again in the evening - and it doesn't bother me at all. When I am feeling tempted I go in a different room and do something else and that works for us right now.

Well done Buono

I have been quite shy about discussing my reasons for not drinking.

DH noticed after about 3-4 days and asked if I was having a dry spell. I told him that I was thinking about stopping altogether because I can't stop at one, that I can't moderate.

I've told a few friends - and have admitted that I was worried I was habitually drinking too much.

I actually think that many people don't understand the nature of dependency/addiction - so assume that quitting smoking/alcohol/drugs or any other addiction is a rational, sensible choice. I'm remembering a lot of this from when I quit smoking - the non-smoker who had nagged me to stop were actually rubbish at supporting me when I did stop. Particularly the ones who were occasional smokers who'd tell me I must have an addictive personality, while puffing away and blowing smoke in my face.

However, by the same token, those people don't actually notice what you're drinking. Though I realise now that so much of my drinking has been solitary - wine in the evening at home - and I hardly ever go to the pub - that I'm not often in a situation where someone is pressuring me to drink.

Finnish, glad - as far as I'm concerned, I love hearing about pink clouds so don't apologise for my sake.

Love to all

lizzytee

I've found the same thing. I've not really talked to anyone about stopping - when I was at the family party the other night I just said I was giving it a rest because I was stressed, though I am pretty sure people now think I am pregnant. I'm not ready to say that it is forever, even though I want it to be and I am certain, even in very tempted moments, that it has to be. I don't think people realise that they can just have one or two, but if I have one, I will have all of it - that I will carry on until I pass out, because that is the way I always drink. Like you, I drank mainly at home, alone, and when I did have public benders, they were rare.

Glad ( :) )you don't mind me talking about pink clouds or paws :) Rain gone and back to lovely weather here :) Tonight was interesting. Lots of young students grads and postgrads who in my day would have been getting totally pissed after a hard days work on the dig. Tbh I was frankly dreading it. But no! All very moderate and I felt no pressure to join in :)

Morning everyone.

I love hearing about pink clouding, because if I am not experiencing it it reminds me. :)

Also, if people are feeling lousy, then we want to support.

Glad, your adventures sound really fascinating!

I might get Becks Blue for tonight- good idea.

tattoos hope you are feeling better. xx

Hope everyone has a good day. I am working hard on my remaining project. (I am a freelancer, and things have slowed down since Brexit a bit as everyone waits to 'see what happens'. The due date is 23rd August so I need to crack on and do a great job. Nothing in the pipeline after that yet which worries me a bit.

KOKO Sober Warriors!

Glad not at all - as far as I understand this thread is about support and that means posting about the highs and lows.

I find it helpful - because there are good days, bad days, and putting one foot in front of the other days (aka KOKO). Much like every other area of life.

Right now I am checking in here every day even if not posting. Doing so has kept me sober during a holiday where I would otherwise have drunk a bottle of wine every night like I did last year.

Going to a family dinner at the end of the trip, thinking about dealing with that. Then I reflect on the fact that of everyone there, there are:
2 pregnant women
1 breastfeeding mother
1 recovering alcoholic
so not drinking is hardly unusual.

lizzy I notice that now too. I always just assume everyone drinks like me. But actually loads of people don't drink for whatever reason, and no-one even notices. (Well I do. I notice.) :)

Yes also noticed that lizzzy and how slowly everyone usually drinks.

Bit better thanks Slim, actually got round to doing my physio exercises last night. Yet another thing I can't be bothered doing if I've had wine but either that or the bath after eased it somewhat. Good luck with your project and I hope something comes up for you shortly.

Hi all, I made it through another night and used my swanky new face cream, looking relatively sparkly eyed today. Tonight and tomorrow will be my real tests. Combination of stressful days, husband being away for a couple of nights and feeling a bit lonely means that vino is usually top of my agenda. Trying to remind myself that I'll sleep better without but I already feel like I need a 'treat'.

Hello! Thanks tattoos. :) God yes, other people drink so slowly!

Buono you need strategies, girlfriend! Do you have DCs? (sorry, cannot remember if you have said). Can you pack them up at your trigger time and take them to a movie or to pizza hut or to anywhere really so you are distracted? Then after that, go home, bath and bed. Done and dusted.

I can recommend Jason Bourne for sheer distraction value.