DRY 17

[Loubilou09]

[This message is actually from Sober Sarah! She wanted this thread to start with links everyone will find useful. MNHQ]

If you're quitting alcohol for a brighter sober future come and join us here. A very welcoming bunch supporting ebach other every step of the way. smile
We have put together some helpful info and links, to help you do this Smile tiredofthinkingaboutdrinking.com

Tired of thinking about drinking, Belle's website filled with free stuff as well as subscription courses and an account of her four years sober.

joinclubsoda.co.uk/ Club Soda - to help you make the change you want.
www.sobersassylife.com Sober Sassy Life - A Selection of Articles, Blogs and Freebies to get you unstuck, and on the way to your Sober Sassy Life! Also has paid for courses.
thesoberschool.com/ - an online hub with the mission of inspiring and supporting women who are tired of feeling hungover

www.blogtalkradio.com/bubblehour - podcasts on a huge range of issues relating to addiction and recovery

www.smartrecovery.org.uk/ - an alternative to AA. Meetings nationwide and online.

Useful meditation or relaxation apps
www.headspace.com Headspace for calming the brain chatter
www.withandrewjohnson.com Andrew Johnson stop drinking app
Helpful blogs from people who are sober
sothisissober.com/ our own vxa's blog
www.alcoholfree2016.com our own Lily's blog
www.alcoholfree2016.com our own Lucy's blog
www.sobergrowing/blogspot.co.uk our own Sober Sarah's blog

All of these blogs contain links to loads of other brilliant blogs.

Sobriety counters
meetnomo.com/index.html
www.pilanites.com/streaks/

Hope this helps you ! Love Sober Sarah and Vxa

Whoops, sorry Vidorra cross post re: chocolate!

He apologised before he went out. Still not impressed but will have to accept graciously so as not to look like an arse .

at the chocogate vidorra dock their pocket money to get you a replacement! Yes completely agree about men! Sometimes fantasise about a stone cottage on a beach, with a wood burner, several hundred books and the cats!

Glad your day wasn't as bad as you were imagining jenny. Today's news is tomorrow's chip wrapping (or something to that effect)

Hope you all have a peaceful evening

I echo Rarity and hope you all have a peaceful evening.

In bed already here. Just so so tired.

Night all.

In bed too. I'm on an emotional rollercoaster, one minute feeling sick, another laughing, minute later crying, then feeling all positive about the future. Oh bloody hell

Keep having flashbacks of all the bloody awful stuff I've done in my life due to booze. Complete idiot

jenny at secret chocolate. I can smile about it now they're in bed and I have sweet peace. So pleased you had a normal day and 'the fear' has abated. All the nice alcohol free drinks are at the end of the booze aisle of my supermarket too, I have to do the 'blinkers on' walk past umpteen rows of bottles of wine to get to them.

The one advantage to being able to pick either sex Rarity That sounds bliss, swopping the cats for dogs otherwise I'd be a sneezing, eye watery mess.

Night Alice, also in bed already with a cup of tea and Prime. Hope you get a good night's sleep.

Ruby been there with the rollercoaster and especially the flashbacks that make you cringe. Is there anything you can do to comfort yourself tonight - take a bath, read something relaxing or listen to soothing music?

Ds and I both have hospital appointments in the morning so no school run to do. Whoop, extra hour in bed.

Thanks Visitors. I'm in bed, best place for me I think! Sorry you've had a rubbish day. Tomorrow will be better

Visitors? Should have said Vidorra

It shall Ruby, I have tentative hope and same to you. Sleep well.

I don't know if this helps but the flashbacks that make me cringe are actually helping me keep sober. Especially the last one that made me decide to stop (last Friday). I know posters here have said about 'playing the film to the end.'

Just think of you manage to do this then that will never happen to you again. That thought is helping me to actually look forward to a booze free future.

Hi everyone I'm back again after a period of denial and 'I'm fine' convincing myself I can control this I can't I will always be all or nothing x Day 1 complete and on the road to a better healthier life x

Welcome back Rose and morning everyone else.

Beautiful sunshine here this morning and feeling brighter after a good sleep.

Have a wonderful day.

Morning vidorra it's the same here! Didn't get my early night as DP was quite keen to apologise properly for being a idiot .

Am loving becks blue, I have one at my danger time and then swap onto sparkling fruit juice and fruit tea. Then end the night with a camomile tea. I seem to have given up caffeine after 6pm inadvertently. But anything in my quest for AF free deep sleep!

Hello rose I have done exactly the same. I was on babes for a while and then convinced myself I could moderate. I can't, I became a daily drinker very quickly.

Morning to everyone

Morning...

Sunny and windy here today...

Back shift used to be self limiting in terms of drinking, til I started taking a glass (bottle) to bed like most others would with a mug of tea...

Not any more, woohoo!!

Tea and the kindle currently, although very envious reading about you guys heading off to bed when I still have hours to work... but I don't start til later, so off for a run with a friend, and mostly to cuddle her baby ginea pig...

Onwards, ever onwards...

Morning all. Just checking in, three weeks booze free for me today. Achieved a couple of firsts this weekend, first weekend without 3DS when I've not drank. Precious alone time with DH used to mean getting sozzled but felt pretty content without it. Also had a day out yesterday with someone to a town where I'd previously had lots of wine during the day out, literally finding any excuse to have a glass, with lunch, whilst just passing a lovely bar and just before going home. Didn't have any, had coffee instead and felt so much better about it. Next challenge will be a holiday at Easter af, but feeling pretty confident I can do this. I'm starting to realise that for a few years I've been stuck in a cycle and it feels so good to finally feel like I'm able to move forward. Well done all of you that continue to strive for new beginnings too.

Afternoon all. Just read Belle's first 30 days which is fabulous. I can't quite relate because I'm a binge drinker so didn't drink every day but I am fascinated with the fact that someone could stick to a certain amount of alcohol every day. I could not do that, I just drink/drank until I couldn't drink anymore and blacked out. Classy

Obviously that is after I've made a complete fool of myself

Well done Minibinx on 3 weeks and on achieving your 'firsts'

Thanks Ruby. I'm a binge weekend drinker rather than a regular drinker also. The binge typically beginning on a Thursday night, a bottle of wine a night or equivalent in gin until Saturday (sometimes Sunday). My aim for a while has been to try and moderate and it's taken me a long time to realise that I'm not able to do that either, so I'm trying going dry, quietly, one day at a time. Not sure if this will be forever but I have a goal to do 100 days, which I haven't done since I was pregnant. Being honest the trying to moderate made me feel like a failure so just not having that first drink is making me feel better in many ways, it certainly feels easier than having a continual debate with myself on why I just can't enjoy just the one!

Yes Minibinx I was the same. I just used to have a half bottle a night though to pretend to my DH that I was under control but as soon as he was away or I went out I went crazy. I don't think I can do 100 days cos I can imagine day 101!

Half bottle of wine i should say! The thing is I now have to deal with the shit that I was trying to ignore. Onwards and upwards!

Well I had great intentions for today. Instead I did nothing and had an afternoon nap. I've been really busy for the last few days so I think my body just decided to have a rest.

On day 72 smoke free and day 8 AF. Sipping my AF beer and thinking that this has been easier than I thought it would be. Which of course is dangerous! I am quite proud of myself though. I smoked for 19 years (bar pregnancy). I am more positive than I've been in a long time.

Hope you lovely lot are ok and had a great day

Well done all!

I'm on day 4, and although I know that's not very much, I don't think I've had more than 2 days in a row af in years. Tmi but I seem to be quite painfully constipated this evening. Is this a thing with quitting alcohol or just a coincidence?

Hi sunshine I had problems the other way when drinking. Also been constipated since stopping. Drinking does affect your digestion so it could be related?