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

Welcome to the thread Ripped, I turned into a binge drinker myself and even days after would feel the effects. Forever playing catch up with all the things I'd meant to do on those days I was recovering from hangovers and felt generallly tired, lethargic and grumpy after. Six weeks on and I'm much more productive and calmer.

Good to see you again yellow (nc from tattoos, not long back myself), welcome back to the thread Sorry you are going through a stressful time atm.

That came out wrong yellow, not good given the circumstances, but you know what I mean

Hi

Big shout outs to all the stressed out people. So sorry to hear that life is taking its toll so hard on so many of you.

Bali and Hopes - so sorry.

I'm breaking my resolution of no screens upstairs to type this, but I've put myself to bed to end the evening window of temptation. I am so tired of painting (a room! not pictures) and when I'm achey and dusty and knocking off for the day it is so tempting to have a cold glass of wine ... it would have been a bottle, and then worse. Saved, tonight, by a Becks Blue and the bath.

Eating everything in sight so not seeing any weight loss. Still - day 11. I've been exhausted and hoping there is an energy uplift soon

Sorry to whinge. Maybe we all need Spring to come.

Have a good week. sober warriors.

Thanks hopes kindness has come in the form of clean bedding and tv in bed

vidorra/tattoos thanks good to see you too (not under the circumstances of course ) I was wondering if anyone from last year was around. How are you doing ? 6 weeks is brilliant well done you !

Hi yellow I remember you, I've nc from glad and am still here. Day 140 for me this time around :)

Hey sarah/glad good to see you again. Day 140 - WOW that's amazing you're doing so well!

I'll be testing my new resolve very quickly as at a gig tomorrow night and off work Tuesday - focussing on having a decent nights sleep and no embarrassment

Hi othere, especially to all the newcomers, sitting here om day 152, I think that Tuesday makes it five months, no way that if you had to ld me six months ago I would have been sitting here 5 months sober would I have believed yuou, but here I am
Hope the stress is relieved for all suffering soon, remember Drink will make stress worse

Hi all. Can anyone join? To cut it short drink is ruining my life and I need to stop NOW. Do I just stop. Is that even possible? Or would I be better off say not drinking for two days, then three, then four........I have looked at the link for smart but there is no meetings near me. Can anyone tell me whether AA has helped? Also if you attend an alcohol meeting group does your doctor need to know? I would be grateful for your support please :)

I need some help with my drinking , I spend about £140 a month on wine ! That actually doesn't bother me too much as I can afford it at the moment . What does bother me is what is means for my poor body and mind. Sleep isn't an issue , although I am sure the quality of sleep would improve if I stopped drinking , I have always been blessed by the ability to sleep at any time and any where .
I don't generally get hungover , unless I go past the one bottle limit , I function fine and get stuff done , well until 6pm then nothing gets done really . I very rarely go out and have no hobbies / interests .
I just want some tips for starting not drinking wine , for managing the first couple of days ?

Thanks yellow, keeping ok, life hassles but who hasn't Back after shockingly discovering moderation doesn't work for me. How's things yourself?

Sarah, I didn't realise you were glad Knew you were a previous poster but couldn't work out who.

Welcome Penny, how you stop would depend on a number of factors (I am not a HCP so don't take it as gospel). Quantity of how much you drink and frequency, how often? If daily drinking and a lot, tapering is probably recommended as in slowly reducing the amount every day. Your local drug and alcohol advise centre may be of help to you if there's one near you? I have been to AA a few times, doesn't suit me but there are some on here that it does. It's always worth a try. No you don't have to tell your gp, well I haven't.

Hi to you too frumpet, first couple of days I got some nice alcohol free drinks in, like the sort you would normally sniff at the price despite spending more on wine Bin all the booze in the house if you can so no temptation. Lots of people find sugar cravings for the initial little while so lots of treats. Reading alcohol free blogs or books is very helpful as is staying close to online support groups. Something to fill the time - exercise, boxsets, books etc. Changing your routine around a little, if you normally drink when cooking getting some ready meals or something you have batch cooked from the freezer. If normally after dinner, planning something for then. Back when I stopped on the first thread I commonly took the dc out after dinner to the park, for an ice cream or to go swimming just to get out of the house.

Well done in 5 months tomorrow user, very impressive. How's things with the wife? Luckily I remember all too well the sort of stress alcohol causes me.

Anyone who wants to try and not drink is very welcome here :)

Thanks Sarah....your comment prompted me to stop lurking and join! Won't drink tonight after the bottle I had last night.......turning into a person with a habit & I don't like it at all ;(

Welcome to all lurkers :)

I lurked for a long time on this thread and it gave me immense strength as i embarked on a sober lifestyle. Keep lurking!

I'm going to try to join in as I think
it might help. Too embarassed to be open in RL about needing support.....feels like a big enough step doing it here!

Lots of us feel the same :) if you look at the first post on here, there's a list of some possibly helpful web sites and support ideas. Lots of help out there just reach out to it and to us

Hey everyone and to all the newbies :)

vidorra I'm with you on the moderation. Thought I had it very much under control then hit a very slippery slope after Christmas ending in a horrid binge this weekend. Think this weekend (and its hangovers) were as bad if not worse than the one that kickstarted me to give up last year.

Onwards and upwards as they say. Felt slightly better today - hopefully will be feeling more human tomorrow.

KOKO

Good to have you join the thread poppy. There's really no rush to open up in RL, in fact I would be very cautious myself. Bar the two closest people in my life, that it took me an age to tell, online is enough support for me.

Dang those moderation lies we tell ourselves yellow, glad you're feeling a bit better today. One positive I've found is it is much easier this time around. I've put the moderation thoughts to bed now just have to remember this 6 months on and all those good habits and sober tools I had learned before were easy to pick up again

Thanks Vidorra, can't bin all the alcohol in the house , but fortunately I can't abide the stuff DH drinks , I am a wine girl , occasionally gin if bought it as a gift , but birthday and Christmas are a long way a way , so safe on that front .
I quite like the idea of the 100 day challenge I saw, as I am hoping that my drinking is more habit and would like to see the benefits of stopping over that period of time . Might spend the money saved on wine on some personal trainer sessions , get me out of the house and doing something useful

Oooooooo.../ eeeeeek.......100 day challenge?! Anyone up for this.......?

I'm on Day 141_of Belle's 100 day challenge. I signed up to the Sober Jump Start class with her at the start of my 100 days. Well worth it I feel :)

Evening all - managed a night out at the gig without a drink. Was made slightly easier by the fact my friend didn't drink, though that's never stopped me getting drunk before, and I'm looking forward to an easier nights sleep and no hangover tomorrow.

Today's sober benefit - it was good not being a pain in the arse by squeezing in and out past people on the same row to get more drinks and go the toilet !

Day 12
Was out in London but still no drinking. It was a great night, and I got a bit emotional that you can be happy in such a free and unblocked way when you aren't all boozed up

Well done Yellow, enjoy your clear head this morning I thought that when I was out on Friday night, was great not wasting time constantly running to the toilet or queuing for drinks.

That's wonderful Antigrinch, glad you obviously had a great night.

Have been very content with sobriety since the weekend. Bit pink cloudy but not as I know life's not perfect, in fact it's very stressful, yet I'm happy and settled with it.

It's like a massive burden has been lifted off my shoulders and I can just be me. Not the false me I was trying to project to myself as well as everyone else but the geniune, authentic me that laughs and cries and feels things deeply. Openess that is bringing my relationships with people much closer than before.

Hey
I'm having insane dreams at the moment. Last night's were intensely, desperately sad. Does anyone else remember anything happening with dreams in the early weeks? Is this to do with not drinking, or maybe something else?

I feel exhausted after last night's emotional nighttime onslaught, but with no actual cause as no sad things have actually happened...

Maybe a delayed reaction to separation, getting used to my children not being here some of the time... I felt so lonely in the dream, so bereft and left behind