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

Hi
Have not read back thread but when it popped up I just wanted to wish all newbies the best of luck.
I was on this thread a while ago now. I am now over 200 days sober. The second 200 days were much easier than the first 100. I didn't believe that it would be easier but it is so keep on!
My anxieties have definitely improved. Didn't think they would as it took time. I am nearly 4 stone lighter and we have much more cash.
Life is still hard in many ways but the fear of returning to my drinking life is stronger than the urge to drink.
I guess I just wanted to tell you that I spent a lot of the first 100 days wondering if things would ever improve and they did and it's so worth it.
Stick with it...you can do it!

Hi all! This is the first New Years Eve sober in many many years for me and I AM delighted I did it!!! I could have so easily carried on drinking these last three days and started my journey again tomorrow but I chose not too. Day 3 here after my 92 day stint before Xmas.

Good luck for the New Year everyone - we can do this!! Xxx

Happy sober 2017. Looking forward to a hangover-free January 1st 🎊

A sober and calm Happy New Year from me to you all.

Here's looking forward to a great 2017.

Morning all. Happy new year. I have a stinking cold but do glad it's not a hangover.

'So' glad

Good morning. Enjoying a quiet calm moment looking out on to the rainy morning feeling incredibly grateful for my sobriety, and trying not to reflect TOO much on New Years past where I've collapsed before midnight / tried to take the Christmas tree up to bed with me (one day that'll be funny) / not surfaced on New Year's Day until 7pm... the memories make me shudder but all I can do is make new ones!

Have a brilliant first day of 2017 my sober friends. KOKO!

Sober here too, what a way to start 2017!!!!

Still tired after the wedding, God only knows what I would have been feeling like had I been drinking too!!!

Had. Arrow with DS who wanted to stay up until 12 last night - I had to get up for 5am for work. He went to sleep about 10:30, so I stayed awake for the midnight thing and woke him - he wouldn't get up for it!!!!!!

Happy new year to you all, and I hope it brings you happy sobriety.

user your DS sounds like he had the right idea!! I'd not have stayed up for midnight if OH hadn't been keen.

Happy new year!

Glad to hear you are doing so well Pimp

You're very welcome ciderwithrosy. I suffer terribly with anxiety the next day and already 7 days in can feel it settling down somewhat.

Well done user for attending the wedding sober. Was it as heavy drinking as you were expecting?

That's behind you now violets. We've all done stupid things we regret but they can't be changed and no point wasting energy on them. Forwards my friends.

So yeah, one week and a sober NYE. Get in!! Seems silly to be marking that off when I've done far longer and sober New Years before but I do feel like I'm back to square one again. Found last night a bit harder than expected. Think it was because any sober ones I've done before I've sat in the house just me and the dc, this year dp was there drinking wine, very responsibly I might add. Also started getting those certain women cramps that made me feel blurgh (apologies user )

Bright new start for us all, here's to a sober 2017!

Happy sober new year everyone! Pulled out of going to the pub, and spent NYE's watching really trashy films on the sofa with the cat!

Although it's been a really rough year for me, I'm so glad I'm sober and am really looking forward to having a completly sober year in 2017!

Just wanted to say how much this thread and everyone on it has meant to me - I'm really grateful for the support - I wasn't sure at all I can cope without the booze - this time last year I challenged myself to dry Jan, and only managed 24 days! But have now not drunk for 230 days, despite my partner leaving me, loosing my house, and having to change jobs. It's been tricky, but I'm clear that drinking would not have made any of that easy to deal with...

Onwards and upwards for 2017

1 YEAR SOBER

😇👍🤗👏👊🌟🎖🏆🥇

Nice one Misscookie!!

Congratulations Misscookie, an inspiration to me on day 1.
What have you found to be the positives along the way, have you felt sleep, skin and weight improvements? I'm trying to grab as much knowledge to keep me going along with the blogs and obvious lack of hangovers.

Bali I thought I would add some of my positives as I did three months before Christmas and the sleep was one of the nicest things about being AF. There are so many other positives but for me the sleeping was gorgeous. At first I found it hard to get to sleep but I took an over the counter sleeping pill for the first couple of weeks and it soon all settled down and my head would hit the pillow and I would be out in glorious sleep for 7-8 hours a night. I always thought one of the main reasons for my drinking was to help me sleep.....wrong.

My skin was also amazing and so many people commented on how my skin had improved but more importantly the bloat left me and I didn't look half as puffy in the face. This was what spurred me on to go back to fully dry 4 days ago to be honest, lthough I had only had some drinks for a week or so over Christmas, the puffiness was back and I look tired again.

I lost just over a stone in 3 months fairly easily.

There are many more benefits but these were the important ones for me.

Happy New Year everyone, and welcome to all the lovely new people :)

Whoever it was who asked about a list of sites etc at the top of the page? - vxa and I are working on it :)

Thanks guys
Balibabe1 I wrote a post on this a few pages back.. have a look, but
Sleep - amazing
Weight - lost a stone (I was only 9st 3 and 5ft 5 to begin with)
Anxiety - 95% gone
Lots more positives.. so many - it's really changed my life..

Congratulations misscookie, That is some achievement and very inspiring. Thanks for the welcome, I'm kinda dreading tonight, not for the lack of booze but for the lack of sleep. I've drank so much that my body has been relying on alcohol to trigger sleep. I know this will change but it's just the time it takes to change that worries me!

TwirlyFoo I used to experience this.. the only way is to stop the cycle - ie completely stop drinking. Even after 2 glasses of wine, I'd wake up at 3-4am with a feeling of doom.
Drink a load of camomile tea.. keep some good books by your bed. I listen to podcasts sometimes..or some really educational audio series and it usually works. I can guarantee your sleep will return if you stop drinking.

Thank you misscookie I'm charging up the kindle for tonight. Never thought of the podcasts so thanks for that. I haven't slept through the night since my eldest was born 18 years ago and in the last 10 years used alcohol to sleep and yes still woke up in the early hours with "the doom" also! I will get some over the counter sleeping tablets tomorrow and stick up on chamomile tea. Thank you so much

*stock up, sorry!

Thank you Misscookie and Loubilou, Some excellent results I see. At present everything is bloated and I hope some of my 3 stone excess will shift alongside this and excercise, and the horrific black circles and dull skin that I kid myself looks fine with a cm of makeup.
I will re read the whole thread tomorrow when OH is at work and I'm also going to watch some you tube stuff. Each day at a time, I know that I will be fine until Thursday/Fri night and that is when my urges will be tested. I have to abstain a few days for work on occasion and know by Fri I'm licking my lips in anticipation so recognise my immediate danger.

Here's to making great positive memories for ourselves and families in 2017 and putting cringe inducing alcohol related past mistakes behind us . I've been sober now for 4 days but this is technically day one for me completely without alcohol. What I mean is I went to a friends NYE party last night and to decline alcohol completely would of just raised too many eyebrows. I had a glass of prosecco forced on me by friend's DH and he was really on my case to drink it (as I am usually knocking it back by the gallon). I took a few sips and then casually lost the glass somewhere. I was really pissed off with myself as didn't want to drink but I know that from now on it won't draw as much attention when I say I'm not drinking as I can say I'm giving it a rest for the new year etc. I was relived to have to leave the party early to take DD home. So glad though that I only took those couple of sips and didn't succumb to more. Previously I would of been necking (discretely) as much as I could and I would of had a stash at home to guzzle after putting DD to bed.

To add to the positives.

Sleeping better
Skin lots and lots better (less red, broken veins in cheek gone, less puffy)
Lost over 2 stones
Better relationship with kids

I found sleep hypnosis via youtube really useful in the first few days to hello me get to sleep. Now I only use then if I'm stressed at work...

Wow finish that is great, how long have you been AF?