Dry 15

[glad2016]

For all those sober, or would be sober, warriors. KOKO (keep on keeping on) lovely people :)

I can't moderate either. And I didn't know if I could stop until I did.

Can you not drink for the next day? The next three hours? If so, just do that - and post as often as you want.

It will get better.

Thanks. It's scary thinking about a life with no alcohol but also the thought of it is exciting? Is that the word. I just don't know if I can do it but the alternative is terrifying.

Hello Mrs MImsy!

I too can't moderate. I spent about 2 years thinking about moderation, and I think it just made my drinking worse! But once I'd actually committed to sobriety, it was all much easier. I'm not going to lie, it's been hard at times, but for me once I'd decided to stop totally, was so much eaiser than Dry January!

It is exciting - it's a new challenge, and with the support you get on this board, you can do it!

Welcome to your new sober life

Hello Mrsm welcome, and I agree exactly with what One and Finnish have said, you really can do it. Read through the older threads, we are all in the same boat. Think about how good you'll feel tomorrow if you don't have a drink today...then add another day ! Keep reading for support.

...and hey, Gotta, how was your evening ? Hope you had a nice time !

...and hey, Gotta, how was your evening ? Hope you had a nice time !

relax and great yourself in the evening.
My night out was great! I felt slightly awkward at first but got chatting to some friendly people and soon relaxed. Went for 2 for 1 mocktails: alcohol free mojito which was yum. so I only spent £3 all night!! Have my friends a lift and drove home at 11.30 when I'd had enough. Feel really good today. Big milestone!

Oops my message was cut off.
MrsM welcome. There is loads of support here. Being alcohol free is better than moderating in my eyes as you can just concentrate on finding alternative ways to relax in the evening rather than wrestling with decisions about how much to drink and when. After a few days when you notice health and mental benefits that gives momentum to keep going. You can do this!
Day 34 today.

sounds like a lovely night out Gotta!

Well done...

Now I fancy an alcohol free mojito!

It has loads of crushed ice in it so was basically a slush puppie win win!

Welcome MrsM I'm glad you found your way here. The support here is fantastic. You can do this. It is hard, really hard but it Is so worth it. I too tried moderating countless times but I don't have a off switch. I don't want just one glass of wine, I want a bottle or more. I stopped drinking at the end of March so I am coming up to 6 months,

For now take it minute by minute, baby steps. Look after you. Try and get some rest and post here as much as you need. We've all been where you are now and we are all here for you.

Day 7 ( again) here :) and feeling good. I'm amazed (and concerned) at how quickly I went back to wanting more than one glass once I lapsed last Fri, and also how Day 1 - 4 this week were horrible, even though I "only" drank for 3 days (and not that much) and had previously had SUCH a long stint of sobriety.
If nothing else last weekend really showed me I cannot do moderation , at least not after 270 days sober, anyway. I am not saying never ever again but for now I view alcohol as something best avoided for a good few years, at the very least.
I really do not want another Day 1!
Feeling good and added Belle sober jumpstart to my sober toolkit. I can recommend her audio stuff

Welcome Mrs M

Well done gotta - lovely you had a nice night out with your friends, and lovely that you found something special to drink for yourself too.

Happy day 7 Glad. I'm glad you're feeling good. It was a lapse, and you've learned something important from it. You're not really day 7, you're day 270+7 - all those previous sober days still count. x

How are you doing Mrs M ? And choc where are you? Where's my mate pimp? Very quiet round here all of a sudden.

I am okay. Busy and boring weekend - lots of house stuff - but did some nice stuff with the kids too. And I am sitting here with a cup of tea, evening meal eaten, dishwasher running and all school uniforms ironed. Bathtime for the kids in half an hour and I see an early night on my horizon.

Evening all hope everyone is ok. Still sober here - no more slips. This weekend has been a busy one and all the better for not drinking.

I went to a christening today and am ashamed to say when I was first invited I booked tomorrow off work so I could have a skinful today and not be hungover in work tomorrow. Anyway, when I stopped drinking I cancelled my day off and thought I'll just be sober instead. It was great! And I felt uber smug looking at the tables with empty bottles of wine on thinking at least I will feel fresh tomorrow

Welcome MrsM - there's lots of support here. How are you doing today?

Good to hear from you Glad - day 270+7 yay! I too am getting used to accepting there isn't a reset period - you just have to change your ways for good.

Waves to vxa!

Whoops - waves to onewhitepillow too!

And yay yellowlambanana there's nothing like looking at the bottles and thinking about the hangover you'll not be having X

Ha lizzy you're dead right! And it's such a money saver too - I spent a whole tenner all afternoon and have saved a valuable days holiday!

In these last 7 weeks I've noticed I just do so many more things. Anything other than having a drink on a weekend used to be so much effort - and I used to cancel loads of stuff because I'd be too hungover. Now nothing's an effort and I'm far more sociable as happily drive to see friends and go out as easier to drive rather than worry about taxis and trains.

Morning all, thanks for the lovely, supportive welcome. Day 3 today, have a plan in place for wine o clock which means driving to exercise later on. Anxiety wearing off a bit now.

Well done mrsM. This first bit of time is the hardest - just do whatever you have to do to get through the first two weeks and then reassess. If you quit going to the gym in order to lie about in your pjs eating cake, well, for this two weeks, that is fine. x x x

yellow I've found myself doing more things too - I'm less sociable (not sure why - I don't really feel low or depressed) but I am wanting to do more projects about the house, read more, just take care of myself and my kids with a bit more engagement. I suppose I might appear pretty withdrawn to the outside world, but I think there's a big bit of me that is still regrouping. It hasn't been an easy couple of months. I am looking forward to the seasons changing and perhaps this season of my life changing too and it being a time for more friends again soon.

Hi all, I'd really like to join you please. I've known for several years now that I would like to completely give up drinking and now is the time. I feel good as I'm not making this decision in a haze of hungeroverness (I 'only' had half a bottle of red last night and as I was drinking it I was thinking to myself 'this is the last time...'. I very rarely get drunk (but boy did I get drunk throughout my twenties.... shudder), but never want one glass of wine, nope it's the whole bottle for me please, usually 4-5 times a week. I'm 40 now, I have a broken relationship with my mother because of her lifelong gin guzzling habit and I will do anything to protect the relationship with my four children, who range in age from 4-12.

So, here I am, day 1 and the most exciting thing is I have an unexpected £50 and am off in to town to put together my sober toolbox! I'm thinking some new PJs/comfy yoga pants, a new book, definately some luxury bubble bath, a candle, a journal and some choccie!

Looking forward to getting to know you all.

Hi pinkcloud and welcome. Great user name!
Feeling productive today. I've been working on my business, playing with my 2 year old, sorting out various chores at home and decluttering. onewhite I'm also quite purposeful at the moment. Virus number 3 this month is on its way out hopefully. I was a grumpy mess yesterday so luckily DH took the kids out while I cooked a roast, sober, with a glass of sparkling grape juice (schloer). Day 35 today.

Also meant to say onewhite, friends will still be there when you're more ready for engagement, in the meantime take care of yourself and it will all fall into place. Unless we practice self care we'll be no good to anybody else.

welcome pink cloud What a lovely thing to do - to spend that bit of money on yourself and your sobriety. Wonderful idea. I should do a bit of that myself.

gotta I've been cooking a bit more too - part of my commitment to being more available and around and present with my family (and not just lying in bed being pissed or hungover) and partly I am discovering I am enjoying it. Cooked tonight's tea this morning so when the kids get back from school I can hang out with them a bit rather than tearing around the kitchen in a rush. I am turning from booze-hound to domestic goddess...

Coohee I'm here! one
yeah iv not been on for a while, been a bit busy done my dc bedroom and been spending a lot of time with dp. Which is good we are actually laughing!! I look forward to him coming home he had now moved back in with us so we can yet be a family again.. we have both been spending more time with our dc. Playing and reading not just right bath bed. Not read through all the post so hope everyone and everything is ok. Made a Chocolate cream cake this morning go good mummy! x