DRY 18

[vxa2]

Link to old thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/relationships/2841743-DRY-17

Scrubsy
Please come back
Its not easy but coming to terms with how your drinking affects your DC ( and you) and looking that reality right in the bloody eye is just one of the steps to getting and staying sober.
You cannot change the past but you can stop drinking and change the future.
Its going to be a rough ride but its worth it.
Over a year sober,then small blip,now 151 days sober I can honestly say my life,health,finances and relationships are so much better without wine.
This thread kept me going .

Morning all. You rock BG.:)

So tired this morning. Hope everyone is well.

Morning! All good here, day 3 of sobriety and feeling good. Thanks to support on here I'm in a much stronger place. I've even cancelled a girlie night out in wine bar tonight.
Here's to another day * raises mug of tea!

Good morning. Day 18/19 or 20? Can you tell I have read Jason Vale? feeling great.

So glad to see this thread back on its feet. It really helped, tho I mostly lurked. I've lost track of the days, but I'm sober now for over 5 months. I drank irresponsibly for 20 years. Never thought it was possible to quit. Keep going everyone!

It’s possible, but we need to work hard, stay focused and support each other.... stay cosy!!

I'm still here! Absolutely loving every sober minute. I've had a lovely Friday and Saturday night cosied up in my pjs. The downside is I spent 160 quid in Asda this evening because I can drive in the evenings now

Morning All,

Had a laugh with my sister yesterday... She had been shopping over the weekend and had been feeling chuffed with herslf at finding a mulled wine bargain. Turns out the reason it was so cheap was it's got no wine in it - a mulled punch!!

She said, 'Oh, that'll be perfect for BGJ43' - was nice to think that those around me are starting to automatically associate me with not drinking, and to make the appropriate adjustments... Whilst i don't expect a non-alcoholic alternative to always be offered it's nice when people do...

Onwards!!

Hi all. Well done to everyone who is not drinking , which can be hard at Christmas. I had my second sober Christmas work party on Friday, and was much more relaxed than last year. I arrived a bit late (I had been working the evening shift) is a silly costume, had a laugh, a couple of alcohol free beers (and explained quite easily why 0.5% is NOT ok for me) ... talked to a lot of people , and left at 11.30 .

scrubsy I will pm you xx

I am one whose relationship broke down when I got sober. Because I could see how bad it was for me and my kids. I don’t regret it, but it was hard. Previously I had been sober for > 6/12 but started drinking again: on reflection I think that’s because I couldn’t bear to face how toxic my relationship was,so I drank to forget it.

Today I’m 639 days sober, 2 stone lighter, have saved > £11,000 on alcohol in that time, and am much more focussed, calmer and less anxious. If can do it, anyone can.

Someone said they can’t face never drinking again. Nor could I. I didn’t allow myself to think about that. I just took each occasion / party / event as it came , and decided NOT to drink. Now I CAN face ‘forever’ because I can’t think of any occasion in the last 639 days where drinking would have made a better outcome.

“One day at a time” exists for a reason, use it... 😊😊

Big hugs all xxxx

Hi....i would like to join.
Day 1 for me. It's about 2 years since I seriously attempted this. I have had some good shots at being AF and have always benefited in loads of ways from it....but complacency creeps in and it's my ticket back to a slippery slope.
I'd love to say that I have just woken up to the joys of living AF...but it's not that simple. Several years ago, in the midst of significant depression and struggling with single motherhood on going, I sought GP help and then occupational health ..at a later time...as was drinking a bottle of wine a night. I'd already tried counselling. The occupational health informed DVLA of my 'alcohol misuse' and even though I argued my case...drink was evenings and not over limit next day....i had my licence revoked for 6 months. I had to quit work and my self esteem and trust plummeted. I had to really fight to get my licence back and even now I still have to have annual questionnaires and GP reports.
I recently had a skin lesion scare and consultant has referred me for biopsy. This should scare me the most...but my overriding concern was that she has requested blood samples, including a liver function test. As I have crept back up to a bottle of red a night again, I know this will show on the blood test results...then when DVLA do their annual GP check into my fitness to drive....well...i can't bear going through that again. So I'm going back to AF...the price is too high otherwise. I will get the bloods done in 8 weeks when i know my liver will be healthier....i have to get self straighter. Sorry for such a long intro post.....i just wanted to share what can happen...

This is ScatCat....back to my more familiar name of Dippy. I am definitely going to need some group support here as I am used to a bottle of wine giving me the illusion of drifting through the evening....i know thars just an illusion but I will need something to do with my new found consciousness 😁what alcohol free apps would anyone recommend please?

Hi Dippy I know what you mean about needing to fill the evenings. When I first stopped drinking I listened to the Bubble Hour podcasts back to back:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bubblehour

I also listened to audio books as I couldn't concentrate enough to read - I use the audible app. I did lots of jigsaws which were good because they kept my hands busy and got my brain creaking back into action.

I read Sober blogs and started my own www.sothisissober.com which I have neglected recently but need to get back to.

I came on here A LOT. I would not have made it so far without the support of the wonderful ladies here including my
Sober Sister lilybetsy

I found getting and staying sober really lonely so I set up my own support group for women. If you happen to be in Birmingham you are welcome to join - that goes for anyone else too.

I hope that helps a bit. Xxx

Hi vxa2....thanks for the intro and welcome. I'm not used to podcasts etc. ...a bit of a ludite...but I will check them out as I need to use tech to get support. Great on the group....I am not hugely far from you but am pants at night driving at the mo...but thank you.
I've done a bit of reading (Russell brands Recovery) this evening.....but it's going to be a few early nights...that way I can slightly sleep away the not drinking early days 😂

Hello dippy I bloody love this thread. I'm also on a Facebook group called club soda alcohol free. Between the two I'm happily around 25 days alcohol free. Note the word happily! I'd also highly recommend the book Jason Vale kick alcohol easily. I'm loving the freedom of being alcohol free and no hangovers.

Waves to vxa ...

Hi dippy, I would second the audible app - only got it in Nov, but LOVE it (book at bedtime this week is the first book I listened to ,)

I did some patchwork, jigsaws, watched box sets (when I could concentrate) baked, read sober blogs, wrote a blog ... it gets easier xx

Waves back to lily xx

Oh I know the concentrating thing!! Sentences aren't coming out right today...feel like head i n a vice....dont know if it's withdrawals or just an accumulation of stress...🙂...going to not expect too much of self today x

May I suggest some chocolate milk?

Hi everyone

Pleased to see this thread back! Anyone new take a look at Dry 17 first post had very helpful links.

Really feeling benefit not drinking in run up to holidays. Feel calmer than I have in years. I’m doing regular gym classes and I use that as a reason to other people when they try encourage me to drink. Can’t get up class at 6 after a drink!

On a sad point a close relative is in prison for 3rd time in 2 years because of alcohol. If ever I needed a reason not to go back to the drink this is it.

Hello everyone, how’s things going ? second sober Christmas for me, actually had people over for dinner last weekend and managed really well - provided wine and beer for them, but stuck to AF beer myself. The whole “cooking whilst sober” was a bit of a revelation ! All in all I rather enjoyed it 😊

Hope you are all ok

Lily 🌷x

Hello...

Also cooking and entertaining this weekend.... guests brought mulled wine which I kinda missed (no one wanted to open the AF one after they’d started on the A one....) So stuck to my ‘plastic’ beer as I call it!!

BFF really bigging me up to her new pals about me having reach more than a year off the booze and they were a bit ‘meh’ about it which made me want to shake them!!!

But it served to remind me that it’s my issue and in reality no one else really cares.... so if we’re worrying about what other people think, generally they don’t give a flying Rudolph if we’re on the beer or not... and those others who choose to make something of it... well I’ve found it reflects more on them than me!!!

So I still have my mulled punch to look forward to, a clear head and a clear conscience....

It’s not easy - if it was easy, everyone would be doing it!! So keep on taking the scenic path less trodden, luxuriate in the counter culture and do whatever it takes to keep sticking it to the wine witch!!

Onwards - team super awesome!!!

I'm still here. Still sober. Still happy about it. I haven't much socialising to do this Christmas but I do plan to go out New year. Alcohol had made me feel so ill by the time I quit I don't even have any stress about resisting or temptation. I'm too scared to drink tbh. But I'm feeling really good now. Sleep is amazing being hangover free is amazing.
My anxiety is almost non existent. I feel like a new person and thats in just over 4 weeks.
Club soda has proved an amazing support along with this thread. I do not know if I would have been struggling with my thoughts without these in my life.

Thats brilliant dona

Hiya everyone. I haven't posted here in almost a year

I'm fast approaching my 2 year alcohol free anniversary on 28th December and I'm very, very proud of myself.

Shoutout to my 2 year sober twin Absolutebeginner ... Not sure if she's about ....

The thing that I believe helped me the most was the Andrew Johnson "Quit Drinking" app. It costs about £2 and you can listen to it as you go to sleep, or on wake mode. I never got to the end of it, I always fell asleep but apparently that doesn't matter (certainly didn't do me any harm) well worth trying.
Also, it's well worth finding something that you want to do more than you want to drink, like an early get up for a run, a walk, a gym visit, a decent bike ride (my thing )
And keep posting and reading here, it's invaluable. There's so much shared experience and great advice available.

I've managed all sorts of events AF such as holidays, nights out, parties and even a couple of pub crawls and I can honestly say that I don't actually want a drink..... If you'd known me 2 years ago, you would not believe that I'm saying that.
My OH still drinks (not to excess) but he drinks at home and it doesn't bother me one bit.
Now, I'm very aware that I sound like a right smug cow. I'm actually not. Not one bit. I don't ever take my sobriety for granted, I'm so grateful for it because I've got my life back.
I've learnt a lot these past two years and I really wish all of you all the luck in the world

Hi Hurricane - I remember you !! 2 years is amazing 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I am a bit behind you - it will be 2 years for me at the end of March. It's great when people pop up out of blue - sometimes it is easy to forget how far we've come.

I wonder how Absolute is ? My Sober Sister Lilybetsy is 12 days ahead of me - heading for 2 years in March too !