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

Well it's the February 1st here in OZ and I if things get hard socially, I will just say I'm doing FebFast.

Yesterday was a test as my kids were on last day of school holidays and I was really irritated and tired around 4pm.

I thought, well I would usually just have a wine to take the edge off and 'relax' however I just shook my head. I am determined not to drink to 'relax'. I did some exercise instead.

Weight is still on however it's only been 1 week.

I hear you about the people at the bottle shops. I would go to 3 or 4 different ones and I ended up recognising all of them and they me!

First day of whiteish eyes!

And also, all the TV and movies have SO much alcohol in them.

It just normalises it so much. No wonder people use it!

Just marking my place, hello to all. Not posting much now but a regular reader since June last year. This tread has been such a help in coming to terms with problematic drinking.

And yes, I agree that there's way too much normalising.

Never re weight loss, I have found it slow but a) didn't focus on that in the beginning and b) didn't really diet. Nevertheless I've lost about 4kg and a decent slice of my belly meaning that clothes fit way better.

Good for you never, exercise actually helps destressing, not wine. I know, it's absolutely everywhere. That's without getting started on the advertisements!

My facebook has that 'on this day' thing on it. Bloody hell, I did some drinking. There's a block of years back when I was at my worst that nearly every post mentions me going out, drinking or alcohol in some way. Ok, one day it might be 2010 and another 2012 but even still. It's quite scary and weird to look back from this detached place now, I want to go back and give past-me a shake!

Spurge: I haven't read Allen Carr for drinking but had great success with the stop smoking one. I am glad your headache has finally gone Vidorra.

I have just told my BF that our meet up will be completely dry on my side, she was fine about it. It had been weighing heavily on my mind about telling her and I thought if I just let her know before the day then it's a non convo, I also added that I am in no way feeling deprived or will be drooling over her glass, it's the one thing my colleagues expected when I was out with them last week. People assume Dry Jan is a penance and not a choice! However I'm sure I had the best evening as seeing them all more than merry was highly enlightening. Now I can see how I behaved and if I'm honest was probably 10 x worse. I hated waking up panicking if I'd said something inappropriate. And having to act normal the following day whilst feeling crap, dehydrated and being ultra coherent was wearing.
I delivered my presentation in complete confidence for the first time in 8 years :).
Drink is normalised and I've noticed in most programmes I watch, especially the opening one as soon as your in from work scenes.

Yesterday I was watching how to diet well and it showed the "champagne diet". My goodness that would have been the stuff of dreams to me in Dec, however the lady following it was the first candidate to not only not lose weight but actually gained a pound. She admitted that once the bottle was opened it was difficult to stick to one glass! So in reality I was following the same diet and it's resulted in a 3 stone gain over 2 years.

PS. I used BF as best friend, I'm still new to all this so apologies if this isn't the accepted terminology.

Hello everyone.
Checking in here - day 7. It was a week ago that I drank a bottle and a half and was emailing my mum at stupid o'clock. Happy to be sitting with a cup of tea. I'll run a bath in a minute.

Still need to work something out about general low level boredom but for now I am feeling safe.

I'll be on the tea again tomorrow and then celebrate Friday with a Becks Blue. Woo!

Thanks for posting everyone, it really helps to read others' stuff.

Funny how those with 'normal' drinking habits don't think twice about others in their company not drinking Bali Well done on the presentation. Champagne diet boke. Champagne bubbles with my hernia = instant heartburn in a glass.

Great going Antigrinch, onwards and upwards from here I'll be raising my becks blue to you on Friday, since it's Friday may as well treat myself. Might even push the boat out with some lime I was saying the same to dm today, I need a hobby now. Running and gym used to be mine and I need something to fill that gap as I'm getting slightly bored myself.

Was ironing tonight and caught myself thinking how I could go and get wine tomorrow and get pissed, no-one would ever know as I don't see dp until friday night. The devious thought literally came out of nowhere and I did mull it over. I didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that I then realised I have a gp appointment first thing Friday and never drink the night before them so I don't smell of it. Caught me a bit unawares how quickly it popped up and how I didn't instantly disregard it. Time to step up the sober tools again.

Hi all - just checking into the new thread...

Day 262 here - life can be a bit shit, but at least it's not shit and with a hangover

Read this today after seeing it linked on a friend's fb. How awesome is this guy? Record breaking Irishman rows Atlantic after beating alcohol and heroin addiction

Goes to show the potential

Posted too soon, we may have inside us.

Ok maybe not to that extent but the people I do know personally that beat alcoholism years ago now have excelled themselves with the careers, their studies or sporting activities.

Wow Finish, that's an impressive 262 days, very inspirational to a newbie like myself. Any positives you can share of the benefits are always an encouraging read.
Maybe Vidorra I will find anew passion for keeping fit, but I doubt I will cross the Atlantic in any other fashion than flying :).

Today was a new challenge, we sadly lost a dear school friend and today was his funeral, just hits home when it was so sudden, not lifestyle influenced, in fact the irony was he was the fittest, health conscious and a true social only drinker amongst us, yet 43 was suddenly taken. I drove so dH could drink and also removed any temptation. Yet, it didn't even cross my mind, I lifted a coffee in his memory. Sorry to be maudlin, it's just another small step forward for me not have used this as a "perfectly justified excuse under the circumstances" to have had just a small one.

Sorry for your loss bablibabe

Well done everyone on staying strong.
Day 5 for me, so not long into it but i feel so determined. My stomach still doesn't feel right after my humiliating drunken antics on Saturday. The thought of alcohol makes me feel quite sick.
Although i do think i have some sort of virus on top of that, feel terrible

I'm so sorry for your loss Bali, my condolescences That's so young and I'm sure a shock. Take it easy on yourself for the next while.

Getting fit is as far as I went to, no running across ice in bare feet for me. There lies a touch of madness

Finnish, you are doing brilliant, well done. I know it hasn't been the easiest last year and so pleased for you that you are still going.

Hope you feel better soon Splurgle. Seems so unfair getting sick when you haven't been drinking doesn't it? I can accept it better when it's self inflicted for some reason.

Balibabe .. grief and something like that which is unexpected can be a major trigger for anyone attempting to stay off alcohol. I had something similar at the weekend. My cousins ex-dh passed away in a car accident at 39. They were still very close and co-parenting two young dcs. To say the family is stunned is an understatement. He was a genuinely nice guy and it's extremely sad.

I'm using this as a tool to re-double my resolve towards abstinence. Life is too short to ruin it with booze and hangovers.

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Sorry for your family's loss hopesdaddy that's so tragic.

Sometimes ,like you say, these awful events give us what we need to focus on actually living our lives, rather than slowly poisoning ourselves. As we never know when it could all be over.

A full 7 days for me now. It's the longest I've gone without drinking since i had my operation 8 months ago.

Evening All,

69 days today, had to check...

Post holiday season routine settled down and it's not been too bad... But then I don't really go out in the traditional sense! All of my drinking previously done in the house, rather than the pub.

Drove to Tesco at 730 tonight, that wouldn't have been possible this time last year...

I hope you're all ok.... look after yourselves...

Just checking in. Hard times here but still sober although its hard tbh. Off to bed with Headspace and a pot of herb tea and a cat

sarah are you ok ? Hugs

I'm OK. Going through a difficult patch and really wanted to drink last night. Went to bed instead! Today is a new day xxx

Well done sarah
Sorry to hear things are tough.

Sorry about the loss you are going through too Hopes

Fantastic going splurgle on your first week.

Nice round 70 then today BG, well done.

Hope things get better for you soon Sarah

6 weeks today. Lovely night away, hated coming back to reality again.

Having a very hard, stressful time the last few weeks with various things that have gone on. Went the gp about the constant headaches I've been getting - tension headaches unsurprisingly and my bp is high because of stress. Says I'm doing everything right to try and calm down, see how it goes and may have to go on medication if it continues. Ended up in floods of tears last night but a good sob may have been well needed. God, I've got so emotional since quitting alcohol but I'll KOKO.

Beautiful day here, calm before the storm that's meant to hit. Hope everyone has a lovely day.

Can I join in? I'm a weekend binge drinker - and therefore every weekend for me is wrecked by alcohol. I don't want to do it, but I do and I don't know why.

I really do believe that it's wrecking my life.

It's making me fat.
Preventing me from sleeping properly.
Causing all weekend hangovers
Making me argumentative
Stopping me from pursuing weekend hobbies and activities

I actually can't think of any positive it brings, just negatives - so why do I do it????

Hi everyone checking in on a fresh day 1. After a good chunk of time sober last year I ended up drinking over Christmas which has crept up through January and culminated this weekend in me getting shitfaced on Friday night and drunk but not as much last night. Two hangovers wasted days and general feeling of low rubbishness !!

Having a stressful time at the moment which has made me feel the need to drink more - but also know that's not an excuse and won't help in the long run.

ripped and yellow be kind to yourselves...

The most important step is being aware of your own feelings towards alcohol. Only then can you attempt to tackle the habit. So posting on here is a really positive move.

Also remember how bad alcohol has made you feel.

The people on this thread will help you even if all you do is check in every now and again and just read..