Dry 15

[glad2016]

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

loubilou I think for some people it takes longer to lose weight as your metabolism is still adjusting. You'll get there.
Rubbish night with daughter coughing every 30 seconds and needing inhaler so not much sleep for us. I've also come down with a nasty UTI and need a wee every 5 mins. Reminding myself if I was drinking last night it would be worse! Currently beating myself up for not going swimming this morning.
We are hosting a kids party later and I hope the adults won't expect wine- there won't be any!

32 days is brilliant Loubilou! And it sounds like you've made some mental shift - this time round for me too something just felt different. Re the weight loss, that will come. Like I say, I didn't lose anything from stopping drinking, but without the demon drink to sabotage your efforts... the workd's your low fat low carb oyster

Here comes an exhausted Matron. I've been working up the nerve to drag myself out of self destruction and I'm ready to be sober for good.

If you are wondering if I have been happily moderating since disappearing off this thread, I can tell you that I have being doing nothing of the sort.

Big hello to to all the fantastic posters that having been KOKO and to all the new committed abstainers.

My history: couple of 6-8 weeks dry a few 21 days and the odd week here and there.

Matron!!!! So nice to see you again :)

Gotta, poor daughter :( hope she is feeling better soon.

Right I am off for a sunshine walk, the into town to buy some new workout trainers (get me!) and then a big fat roast for dinner (with a couple of becks blue no doubt).

Hello Lou 😀

Around 3 weeks is always when I feel purged of poison and have forgiven myself for all the drunken regrets. I am determined to get out of the cycle. After all how many times do I have to go round in a circle and end up in the same place to learn from it??!!

Found out today a relative has cirrhosis of the liver. They are not even 60 years old and won't see Christmas. Got the call 20 minutes after my first post today. Talk about timing.

Very sad about the relative Matron :( :( very sorry to hear that. It is certainly a wake up call.

I am usually very much with you on the three weeks and then back on it, wonder why that is? They say it takes 3 weeks to change a habit and I wonder if my subconscious is saying right you are well into the three weeks now - you are in complete control, you have fixed that little problem and can now moderate, history says I never do moderate for long though. "Moderating" is really hard bloody work as well - far harder than not having anything. I sometimes read the brave babes thread and if that's working for them then fab, but for me I find the stopping, starting, will I/won't I elements of trying to moderate absolutely exhausting to read and that is helping keep me off it, far easier!

lou did you ever see that little video that was linked to one of these threads, with the bird type creature going through the stages of addiction. It's a really accurate and powerful visual.

I'm settling in to day 1 complete with hangover and self loathing. I was contained this weekend thank goodness, no big nasties to regret, just the low level apathy to parenting/life/relationships that comes with over indulging. This type of behaviour is more upsetting to me than the big punch ups or over sharing events as it is quietly distructive to those I love most.

Hi Matron, glad to see you back, you'll feel much better in a few days after lots of rest, healthy food and fluids.

Hello 'misscookie' 😀

Drowned myself in fluids and carbs yesterday. I'm aiming to be one of those types that doesn't give up giving up and cracks it by perseverance.

Lovely sunny day. Have a good one everyone

A mixed weekend - Saturday I drank less than usual (but still a bottle of wine ) and didn't start until the evening, which is a step forward. Sunday less so...

But starting again today, aiming for an AF day.

Just feel endlessly miserable, not about anything in particular

On the other hand, have just discovered an entertaining new detective writer thanks to another MN thread, read 2 of his books over the weekend (a big help on Saturday!) and he's written about 20 of them so will be working my way through them as a distraction.

Hi Allington

Misery and alcohol are great mates. It's no coincidence that your mood is low whatever else is going on in your life alcohol will make it shitter.

It takes me about 2 weeks dry before I get a mood lift. Who is the author? I love a good detective writer.

Allington sorry you are struggling :(

Someone I knew didn't have anything for a good few weeks, then had a drink and immediately felt low the next day. I notice I feel a lot more balanced and calm but I thought that was more that all the anxiety and guilt had gone.

The simplest of things are just so much easier - went to the dentist this morning and it was so lovely not to be panicking whether I stank and was breathing fumes all over them...I used to worry about that a lot.

Andrew Taylor - well written, interesting but not too demanding, I recommend them

A couple of months ago I found Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther novels, also good and move along nicely.

matron!! Good to see you, I've wondered how you were so often. Sorry to hear about your relative . A dear friend of mine was diagnosed with cervical cancer last week and is undergoing a radical hysterectomy tomorrow - her prognosis is good though so am thankful for that. These things are a horrible shock.

Well I broke a six week sober stretch yesterday so here I am again. I've neglected the self care and sober treats recently, thought I could cope, had a bad week and ended up with a bottle of wine in the shopping...same old, same old. On the whole though, my bursts of sobriety are getting longer and easier and I can see the difference in myself now to when I started Dry January. Back on the sober wagon for us !

jojo it's good to be back 😀 6 weeks is a good stretch well done on that! Off we go together again. I am convinced we will get there. A few years ago I would not have even tried to cut down.

You are so right on sober treats and self care. All self care goes out of the window when drinking.

Sorry to read about your friend I hope she recovers well.

Allington thanks for the recommendations. I don't know your history but we all identify with each other here and you can be safe knowing you are not alone. I never would have thought I could go weeks at a time dry. Get yourself through a dry day and night today and chip away each day. Sorry if you have done dry stretches before and I am typing twaddle. Reminding myself or reading here about the basic sober tools is a great support to me.

Never managed more than a day without alcohol for a few years. However, safely home, DD's homework meltdown is over and done with and home made pizza ready to cook.

So I can crack open the... next book in the series

Allington I've wobbled and it's only 5.30 of day 2!

I've had this before. My plan:

Drink water
Wait 20 minutes
Drink water
If still struggling post here
Wait a further 20 minutes
If still struggling get in the bath!

I am v v clean in my first 2 weeks 😉

Allington and Matron, dig deep and "hold the line".

You can both do this - you know you can! The other thing really important is to eat...once you have eaten you often feel loads better.

Allington how are you doing? Post if you need a leg up. People will de lurk and support you if you need it.

I'm getting over the hump. Keeping busy busy.

lou thanks for the reminder I've just had a pre dinner Whisper bar 😀

Can I join you please?

I have always struggled with alcohol - must be twenty years now. I binge drink, and would do it daily - and often do. I am trying to stop.

I once managed 27months.

I just completed 10 days until yesterday.

One drink today, just a small one - but God I feel guilty and annoyed at myself. I want to stop altogether.

I drink because it makes everything a little brighter, the repetitiveness more interesting, the loneliness less lonely.
But i hate myself for it. It's not who I want to be. I wake up panicking, I have dread in my tummy in the mornings and I hate the fact I embarrass myself by rambling on, calling people and saying stupid stuff and making plans I forget the next day. I don't want my kids to know.

So this is it for me. This is the first time I have ever said/written any of this, the first time I have ever admitted i have a problem to anyone other than myself. I need support to get through this, but I am determined.
Thanks for reading.

Made it to the 'shops now shut' time Second AF Monday in a row - this seems to be the easiest day (no after school activities for DD, not exhausted from the rest of the week).

I'm with you on having a bath, and being especially 'deep cleaned'

Hope everyone else is having a positive evening. Glad you're joining us soberbee

Well done Alli take a selfie tonight and then take another of your 3 week sober face I guarantee you will be v happy with the results.

Tuesday is a night made up of 20 min slots just push through each 20 mins individually.

Hi soberbee good to have you here.

Haha we are all a clean bunch with our baths! I felt really tired earlier and had loads of work to do (on my business) and was grumpy... a bath sorted me out. Went back to the work and was v productive and calm. All done now. Previously I would drink my way throuh it making silly mistakes.
Onwards and upwards, day 52. My outlook is changing. I don't think about drink much but do consider self care often through the day. As busy mums we need to listen to our own needs. Eat when hungry, get fresh air and exercise, rest and relax in the evening for a little while. When you're having a wobble treat yourself like a small child. Managing my anxiety is becoming easier by doing this.
Matron a selfue comparison is a great idea. I look much better in my face and have lost the flushed look.
soverbee welcome, post as much as you like, we are all here to help and listen.
Just finished reading all 15 threads from the start. It has helped so much with this sober life change. You are all amazing!