DRY 16

[vxa2]

If you're quitting alcohol for a brighter sober future come and join us here. A very welcoming bunch supporting each other every step of the way.

Link to Dry 15

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/2726334-Dry-15?msgid=65047780#65047780

Good evening all. End of day 13 for me. Was at the in laws (heavy drinkers) tonight, they'd got an unusual bottle of wine in especially for me...wasn't even tempted. The thought of that clear headed early Saturday morning with coffee in bed is just too wonderful to risk. Life feels pretty bloody brilliant right now.

The life thing is very different over here too violets. I walk down the booze isles of our local shops on the way to the check outs without a second thought. I just know it isn't for me so no need to 'discuss it' in my head.

user yes last drink was NYE 2016. Congrats on Day 85 - it’s a big achievement.

misscookie - WOW, what an incredible achievement! You must feel amazing. How has it been for you longer term? What has changed from a year ago? Do you have the same friendship groups? Did you need to lose weight and have you? Have you started and kept up anything new in the last year? Really great stuff

Day 81 for me and been really poorly for the last couple of weeks with a bug of some description :( :( but still at it.

So glad to see all the newcomers, it's encouraging and motivating. With me there is a bit of me thinking well I only started this as a 100 day challenge and once that's done I could have a week off and then start again in the new year......but that way leads to madness so I know I am going to have to do some work over the next few weeks getting my head in the right place

Happy sober Saturday everyone!

Just read the most amazing blog/post from a lady on Soberistas who is at a year sober - very inspiring!!

More and more I am starting to read and seek out more reading material/blogs/forums which is really helping as been in a little bubble up until now - all very interesting

Chatted with Mum last night, and conversation came onto Christmas and who was driving - mum currently not allowed following surgery, so I said I would drive, that I wanted to drive... She sounded a little and asked if I was sure? I said, no one wanted a repeat of me singing Adele's new album all the way home - was a present from my sister, and I had to be told this was what had happened.....

I then added that I had knocked the booze on the head for a while, didn't mention anything about having been to doctors or full extent of the problem - just that it was getting a little out of hand, and I really wanted to lose some weight.

She asked if Christmas at their house would be an exception, a sort of sobriety holiday if you like "cos you're really funny when you've had some wine" I was a little noncommittal saying I would see how things were going, and adding that I can be funny when I am sober too....

I have two weeks to lay more foundations, and to get my head strong...

Ultimately Mum was pleased I think adding a 'well done you', so maybe not so tough... Both parents are light drinkers these days and I think tend to up things when I visit, to join in, but it's not good for any of us...

But just kept it matter of fact, trying not to make a big deal of it... so far not as bad as expected, on all fronts!

Party tonight, and friend now insisting I stay over.... his wife has bought gin especially... But told him I was driving, and will drive his wife... He will be absolutely drunk, so I think seeing that through a sober lens will be a useful image to have - I've never really liked drunks when I'm sober, so I need to remember how obnoxious they (I) can be with too much juice on board...

Onwards...... Love to all

BGJ. Brilliant, groundwork started with mum without having to tell any lies.....and the best thing is nuns have a habit of chatting about their DC ALL the time.

I remember hearing it before and never properly understanding it but...."we have nothing to fear but fear itself!"

User - nuns chatting about their DC!! One of the best autocorrects I have seen

I suppose nuns wouldn't really chat about their DCs would they?

Good outcome BGJ. Works do next week and I think I'll use the 'weight loss' thing thanks.

Day 13. Life IS very different.

nuns ha ha ha ha omg ha ha ha :)

I am easily amused :) Sorry :)

Day 76 this time around. Day many many if we ignore the one day lapses. Still here, still sober is all that really matters.
Off to bed now, another day not drinking and being sober and fabulous done

Christmas Night out for me tonight that I wasn't expecting, but I was able to deal with it, drive, do taxi so another victory!!!!!

Day 88 almost done for me!!!!! Odaat.

sobersarah I used to have the one day lapses too, I think I had 29 last February.

It was the word "habit" along side nuns which really made it for me !!

Happy Sunday morning all, enjoying a coffee in bed whilst OH snoozes.

Quiet clear morning here. Feeling a bit less shiny and positive than yesterday - wondering if this quiet safe life is all there is now, so need to keep reminding myself that the wild nights of boozing and 4am finishes were only fun in theory.

Anyway, day 15. Onwards and upwards. Well done user on handling an impromptu night out. I love playing taxi service nowadays

BGJ how was your party last night? I could really empathise with your point about finding drunk people obnoxious when sober. It can make social occasions tough going but also good for strengthening the resolve not to be that annoying person any more.

and for all.

Vxa - I noticed that too!

Difficult last night! Children are away and nothing to get up for this morning - was really tempting! I wasn't too bad until my husband mentioned it and then I had a long internal battle and so did he! We ended up going to the supermarket and buying lots of alcohol free ciders, beers and wine but we both found it quite hard and went to bed at 10pm. Was pleased this morning but I was a bit wistful last night. Normally we would have been dancing round the kitchen listening to music at about 10pm if the kids are away. The next few weeks are going to really test me as my husband isn't talking about long term sobriety, he has welcomed the 100 day challenge with me and realizes he needs to address his relationship with alcohol but he is not as consistent as me anyway and regularly doesn't drink during the week so he thinks he is not going to find it a struggle to just drink once a week or just drink when we go out or whatever he chooses. What we do after the 100 days is going to be interesting...although what I do know is he will 100% support me in my decision and if I said I couldn't go dry for life if he didn't either (which would be incredibly selfish) he would probably go dry with me.

What was also really surprising was when the craving hit, it was although the last 81 days hadn't happened!! Now I have had cravings (lots of them) over the last three months but I was quite surprised by last night as the day to day cravings have gone, it's not as hard to not do it so when they do hit they take you by surprise.

Now I think about it this is exactly how I felt about smoking after a few months - the cravings that hit further down the line were almost more difficult to cope with as they were unexpected almost!

loubi take heart from going to the supermarket and only picking up AF stuff! That takes massive willpower when you are tempted anyway. Another day under your belt do you have a plan for day 101?

Up early today and just sitting reading stuff on my phone....no real plans for today, just take it as it comes.

I'm hopefully going to hit a big AA milestone tomorrow, but only if I stay sober today! Tomorrow will be 90 days (there's a saying to do 90 AA meetings in 90 days - I think it comes from times in America where alcoholics were sentenced to do 90 days in prison for public drunkenness and stuff like that)

I think I might celebrate with an AA meeting lol.

Vxa re the craving last night would it have come in due to the situation (no kids etc) and it being tradition to drink at that time?

Regardless of the reason why, it's still another battle won, keep on picking the battles, the war isn't over yet!

violets - well done on the two weeks!
At times when I've been sober in a group of drunk people (rare) it's always hit me how unattractive they became over a short time - shiny sweaty faces, talking much much louder, inability to focus on much, and a reversion to childish behaviour....and a scary thought, "That's often me!" I don't want to be that person!

I think I know what you mean about thoughts of 'is this it? After this intense battle what do I do now?' I'd read an article about recovery that talked about a 'pink cloud' period that comes after the physiological aspects of the addiction have gone and there is a lovely feeling of hope and optimism before a bite of reality that says 'this is it. this is what you've been avoiding for decades. drinking and smoking away your feelings and anxieties. taking up your energies with drugs and now you have that energy, and space/time/money back. and you have to make choices as to how to spend these new resources.' Sort of thing.

Apart from the odd bit of rattly chest and bunged up nose still, I feel I am teetering on the far edge of my pink cloud. 'What's next? Who am I really without the booze and tobacco?' I don't know what's next. I do know though that whatever it is it will be a whole different level of joy and pleasure compared with the self-loathing shite I've treated myself to for such a long time.

The only sense of a 'plan' I have is pretty short.

1. to check myself in the mirror each morning (started this morning) and look at my eyes/skin/teeth and 'admire' the sight compared with what has usually been looking back at me. I'm not an oil painting but looking less the gargoyle.
2. to prepare a gratitude and appreciation each day around how I feel about me and the world and those around me.
3. each time I do/react/say something that I am doing differently (or at all) because I am not drinking or smoking now, to consciously say to myself 'this is better because you are not a slave to addictions anymore.

all fwiw of course.

Your third point has choked me up a bit nottoday. I have been searching for 'me' for many many years (unconsciously) and 2016 is the year I have started to uncover her (thanks to therapy and sobriety). Remembering that is enough to get me past the 'is this it?' feelings. Thank you!

it's odd isn't it? I am pretty sure below all of the stuff we've loaded on ourselves there are a bunch of rather nice, thoughtful and considerate people waiting for their time to shine and to come out and play.

Evening all....

I've not had a drink for one whole week..... And shamelessly feeling pretty chuffed with myself... (and painfully aware pride comes before a fall...)

Shocked my friend today who had assumed I had stayed over at party to have a drink - but I was driving, and just wanted to have a good training session this morning - two and a half minutes off my PB for the course (as opposed to plus five minutes when hideously hungover two weeks ago)...

This week looking busy which I hope will help as this week's shift pattern is the hardest - too much time to fill! But feeling motivated......

Thanks for all your support this week - it's helped more than you know XX

HURRAY!!!! BGJ. That is as expressive as I can be right now.

And when I rote there's " a bunch of rather nice, thoughtful and considerate people waiting for their time to shine and to come out and play." I didn't actually mean that we are all horrible, thoughtless and inconsiderate. I just re-read it and thought . I think I was just trying to indicate how I think I've been beginning to change - I like myself a great deal better than previously. Sorry for anything implied.