DRY 18

[vxa2]

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

Thank you. I feel a little better. Not hugely although every day I feel a sense of accomplishment.
I installed an app called easy quit that tells me how much money I've saved and health benefits. When I get to end of month gonna spend the same amount.

Your savings must be big too?

Absolutely. £6-7 a bottle over a month is a nice outfit or two!! Looking forward yo spending on smaller sized clothes (rhough will be able to wear clothes that i have that are too small). Definitely treat yourself with the money you've saved.

So today will be day 3. God that is bloody shocking that my drinking had got so bad I'm "celebrating" 3 days AF

I was having a few AF days a week and last month managed to only drink at the weekends. Alas my 'controlling' what I drank just meant it spiralled. The more I imposed rules, the more I broke them.

So now I just don't drink - I can't drink. Unless I want to fuck my liver up (I don't!)

Oddly having a medical reason for not drinking has so far made it easier. I suppose because once that medication is in my system then its out of my hands?

It's very odd.... usually a complete ban on something food (or wine!) related has me falling at the first hurdle.

If something good can come out of me taking this strong medication then I'd love it to be that I stop drinking!! Not drinking will positively impact my food choices too. I overeat when I drink. I want to break the cycle.

(Medication is to manage newly diagnosed arthritis by way!)

My AF days always meant I drank more on the other days though

Well done crunchymum. Yes it's easier to give up completely than cut down. I'm going to give up this month and then only drink when I'm out. If I can keep alcohol out of the house and break that habit then I'll be happy. But if I start buying and drinking alcohol at home then I'll have to give up altogether.

I gave up smoking and used to feel about smoking like I do drinking and now I enjoy myself etc without even thinking of smoking.

May I join? Day 3. Don't actually want any alcohol but have yet to feel that that's an achievement of any kind. Am actually currently in bed in despair about how to find the will to deal with all the daily crap. Here's hoping some of all your motivation will rub off on me.

I am an ex smoker too (over 7 years now without any kind of relapse or any cravings ) so I know I have it in me.

Hi Macavity! (Great name). 3 days is sadly an achievement for me haha. Day 4 here. Didn't think about it today. I play a sport and we go out about once a month after our sport to the pub and share a bottle of wine. We're due to do that next week. I'll see how I feel. If I think I'm strong enough to just have a coke then I'll go, otherwise I'll miss it.

Crunchymum- we also had babies so abstained from drinking for a long time!

Good morning all.
Another night achieved. I'm celebrating too.
Thinking about it, the only nights I haven't had alcohol in the last 21 years is when I was hospitalised and when I was pregnant.
I am an ex smoker too.
£6 a bottle at 2 per night wow. That's like another mortgage. Thinking about it I was spending about £100 per month on booze at home then probably about £60 on a night out.
Hope you all have a good day. My daily crap includes school run, work, then extremely tired stroppy 4 year old.

Well done newstart! Can already see my face looking better. Are you noticing any physical changes yet?

I do actually feel refreshed this morning as I slept like a log and I'm weighing 2 pounds lighter but that might just be water.
I'm hoping the slightly hooded look over my eyelids will disappear. How are you sleeping?

Great. I'm sleeping well but I usually do. However, if I have too much too drink I tend to sleep and then wake up for a bit in the middle of the night. Sober I just sleep through

Hi all, great to see this thread up and running. I was a very early member on the first ever dry thread back in October 2013 when I quite drinking for the first time. That time I managed about 7 months before I relapsed, but when I stopped for the second time, in March 2016, I made it stick.

I'm now 909 days sober and really really grateful for y sobriety every single day. Its not always easy, I drank a LOT for a LONG time... but it is so much better than the misery of living my life anxious, stressed and relying on wine..

I write a blog (www.alcoholfree2016.com) which has really helped me get a lot of stuff out, I have a therapist and I have had a lot of help from friends etc... it is possible !

re that camping trip. I wouldn't go. Its too early in your sobriety and you will either be miserable or you will crack and drink (and be miserable) my advice would be to prioritise your sobriety and give it a miss :-)

Well I drank last night. About 5 or 6 vodkas. No-one to blame but myself although my bf coming round didn't help.
I'm out with friends tonight so was going to drink then anyway. But after that I am going back to alcohol free nights at home.

Lilybetsy - I'll have a look at your blog, thank you. I read 'the unexpected joy of being sober ' earlier this year and I thought it was brilliant.

Newsstart - if you can keep it to only drinking 1-2 nights a week then that's good. That's my goal. I didn't have any going out plans for sept and I'm not accepting any. I have so many other things to do in the next few months that I need all the time I have anyway.

Thanks musti. You're right. It may have been too ambitious to do all at once but I'm definitely not drinking at home anymore.
Off to school drop and work now.
Hope you have a good day.

Not drinking at home will be a massive reduction so well done. I've just not been able to stick to that so I'm hoping going dry for a month will change that habit.

Checking in on Day 7. Feeling so much better, sleep is fab and waking up to no hangover is the best, ever morning waking.

I'm trying to seriously cut down for mental health. Trying for just 1 or 2 nights (weekend) if moderate drinking. I'm also toying with giving up completely.

Well done all. 6 days dry so far and it's no longer an issue. It is a lot easier giving up altogether than cutting down. In the end I'm going out this evening to the local family pub with friends and kids. I've told them that I'm doing dry Sept so not to offer me drinks. Once it's October then I'll drink only when I'm out or if I have friends round for am occasion. But not yet.

Isitovernow- do it, you'll feel so much better.

Thanks Musti. It has to be done. It was every night before this.

Hey well done musti.
I was out with friends last night so had a few drinks. Defintely going to do af nights this week.

Yay, I managed it! Really proud of myself and I had as good a time as usual. Helped that I was starving so ate at the beginning. Once I'm full I'm not that bothered about drinking (if I've started and I'm out I'll carry on, but usually if I'm drinking I don't eat that much at the time - I get hungry later).

Newstart- it's whatever works for you. God knows I've tried cutting down many times but it doesn't work. If I can stop drinking in my house then I'll be fine. If I can't then I may have to consider being completely alcohol free. And that will ultimately be fine too as it was with cigarettes.