DRY 18

[vxa2]

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

That's brilliant nowstrong and whatsthisbear.

It's so easy being af now but I am looking forward to having a few drinks on Sunday. At the same time I'm worried about slipping back so I'm going to use this thread to help!

Musti I wondered about you having a drink on your date, I’m not a stop at one or two drinker so would be better off having none. Where are you going? Is it a meal or a just ‘drinks’ sort of date? You will have to fill us in on how the date went

I will have a drink or two. As long as I stop drinking at home, I don't mind drinking when out. But if I start thinking about drinking at home again then I'll probably have to look at being sober for good.

Have a great day everyone :)

Thank you Whats and Musti, it didn't really go as well as I hoped and even if I did have "some" fizzy water, I did have a couple (2) small (true) glasses of wine. So I am disappointed in myself, but also pleased that I managed to not let it spiral out of control. But today I'm feeling really bad about it and let down by my lack of will power.
Oh well, start again. Onwards and upwards...
Keep up the good work everyone. Hugs from France xx

I think you're doing really well. Being dry most of the time and drinking at events or nights out.

Nowstrong focus on being pleased. Two small glasses is ok & you didn’t then go on to demolish a bottle so you are doing brilliantly.

Again thank you for your support. I was really mad at myself, but hey ho. If only Mumsnet existed 20 odd years ago... I have found SO much support here. Managed to leave and divorce a gaslighting, abusive ex, not so"D" H. I didn't even know what gaslighting was...
Now I want to battle the wino devil and lose some weight. My blood pressure is an excellent source of motivation, but sometimes a lovely glass is so pleasant, but I'm a devil myself and sometimes the lovely glass turns into two, or three...
I haven't had time to read everyone's posts but I firmly support and encourage all of you. Your success stories are my rock. Unfortunately, your not so successful stories are also. They remind me that we are only human and that this is not an easy road to travel on and I tend to beat myself a little less around the head.
Still sticking to water.
Hugs to you all.

Hi!

Nowstrong - 2 small glasses of wine is my holy grail. You're doing well.

This is my day 12 and I feel great. Three things are coming up this weekend at which I will be tempted to drink. I haven't decided whether I am going to try to drink nothing at all, or set a limit and drink at one or two of the events.

How is everyone else doing?

Well done everyone.

I'm coming up to 4 weeks and I don't think about it at all now. I'm definitely having a drink this weekend though and fingers crossed I can keep to just sociable drinking.

@yeahcorvid it's obviously up to you but if it were me I wouldn't. I think it may undo your hard work and put you in square one. If I were you I'd drive and decide not to drink and forget about it and enjoy yourself. But I have deliberately avoided proper nights out all September for that reason. Good luck and have fun with whatever you decide xx

For extra motivation I have just downloaded "The Sober Diaries" by Clare Pooley. Will listen to that while in the traffic jams (instead of dreaming about a nice glass of something) and enjoy my Roiboos tea (my new fad drink) when I get home. Have also listened the "Fastest Way to Stop Drinking …. Guaranteed" by Craig Beck (but I find him a tad annoying). Anyone got some interesting reads to recommend?
Hope you all enjoy a sober week-end... xx

listened TO the.... tired fingers...

yeahcorvid oooh 3 things this weekend, are they all possible drinking things? If you drank what limit would you set and would it be easy to avoid temptation of going over that once you had some alcohol already? My internal voice would be “well you’ve had one.....may as well polish off the bottle” sounds like a busy weekend for you.

Musti 4 weeks is amazing. Let us know how your date goes, have a great time.

Nowstrong I have been pondering ordering the sober diaries off amazon, don’t think I could listen to it whilst driving, I like singing along off key, let me know if it’s any good.

Day 10, still stuffed full of cold &actually came home from work early. The temptation of (several glasses of) Pinot is a bit strong but I shall resist. I’m still waiting to feel fantastic from not drinking but I just feel pretty awful tbh

@whatsthisbear - so sorry you feel crap. There is a very nasty cold going around. How soon can you go to bed?

the 3 things:

kids tea party. may or may not be drink here, if so it will be very much a sort of half glass of prosecco type affair. Drink best avoided

Meet up with friends and their kids - might sack that off. It's likely to be hectic and noisy and exactly the sort of thing where I panic and grab a drink

Art and a stroll with a good friend. This would typically be art, pint and a stroll; I can make it art, coffee and a stroll because it's one person, someone who will understand and won't stress me out.

You're right. I should just say to myself I'm still off the booze.

@musti - good luck with sociable drinking this weekend. 4 weeks is great.

I do hope to get there one day.

@nowstrong I loved 'the unexpected joy of being sober' by Catherine Gray. Absolutely brilliant and she narrates it.

@yeahcorvid good luck and have fun. It is easier to go with one mindset or the other I think, rather than give it too much energy thinking about it and then not enjoy yourself.

Yeahcorvid thanks. I already have my pjs on & will be in bed shortly.

Please don’t think I was judging you about possibly drinking at your events, honestly i wasn’t. I was just thinking how I would be. I’m so envious of people who can just have “A” drink.......I’m all or nothing so I am just genuinely interested in how other people think & the thought processes. I wonder if I can ever get there. Enjoy your events & time with friends.

Of course not @whatsthisbear! I do think you are right. I'll drive today to keep things simple.

Hi everyone. Hope you're all well. I'm just popping to a friend's who's hungover so no alcohol tonight either. I am looking forward to having a few drinks tomorrow evening and I'll report back. After that I'll stay dry until Friday and Saturday as ive got two parties. Fc my tolerance should be a lot lower so when I drink, it'll be a fraction of what I did.

My body seems to have done a whoosh this last week, as the pair of jeans I bought a week ago, fit slightly looser. I am doing a lot of exercise and eating a lot less (Not deliberately, just not hungry). I'm hoping to continue and drop a size altogether by Christmas.

@Musti - woo!

I'm not even two weeks in and I'm feeling clothes a little looser. It's a great incentive.

I did drive today and it made things very relaxed, heading home late-ish with two tired children. didn't miss booze at all, but there were no real booze-portunities - not that that would necessarily have stopped me before.

tomorrow will be more testing. yes it's a good friend but we usually get a little tipsy as part of our modus operandi of long talking. I think it's worth trying to do it without.

Accepted a family invitation (including staying over) next weekend without thinking it through. Driving no excuse if I stay. Damn, if anyone makes me drink it's my family. I literally ALWAYS drink with them except when driving or pregnant. In fact, my mother spotted I was pregnant the second she realised I wasn't drinking at all. I might come up with some reason why I can stay for dinner and not the night. It won't be fun though as it will be a long drive late. Honestly it might be better not to go. I'll think about it but I really don't want to let them down - someone is having a hard time and could do with a boost.

thanks for letting me ramble on

Woo hoo regarding today and clothes feeling looser.

Can you tell your family you're on medication/antibiotics or just drive home afterwards?

Sorry, just read that it's a long drive back. 3rd week sober will be a lot easier to abstain if you're like me. But if you tell them you can't drink because you're on antibiotics will they still try and persuade you. Or would they still try and persuade you if you simply told them the truth?

Yeahcorvid like Musti I was going to suggest saying antibiotics. Just say you have a UTI. If they argue that you can drink on antibiotics-yes you can but it makes them less effective and you want it sorted fast. Although it would be nice if you didn’t have to think of an excuse but people don’t seem to accept that you might not want to drink. Glad you didn’t miss the alcohol yesterday, just see what today brings.

Musti is tonight date night then? Have fun, let us know how it goes.

Congrats to both of you on the looser clothes- I keep getting on the scales but no change yet which I’m disappointed about. I must be saving myself at least 4000 calories a week by not drinking still, only day 12 so I will keep hoping (and will stay away from the family sized bag of crisps)

Blessings5 how are you doing?

Sober40 are you ok?

Hope everyone is ok.

Hello all and everyone. Managed to stay strong over the week-end, so I will keep my user name.
Otherwise, have started to listen to the Sober Diaries and its quite good. It gives an insight into how emotions can go haywire from time to time. Have stuck to herb tea and water and seem to live in the loo. Thank you for the recommendation of 'the unexpected joy of being sober' by Catherine Gray, I will definitively give it a try. Anything to keep motivated.
I will also learn how to link your names.
Only down side is that I haven’t noticed any weight loss, even though I jump on the scales every morning, perhaps I ought to stop jumping and step cautiously and respectfully, and the poor dear will grant my wish and knock a couple of kilos, or at least one, off the block.
I hope that you are all doing well and that the flag of determination is flying high. Hugs.
x

Brilliant @nowstrong .

Well I drank too much last night and today I am hungover and regretting it. I won't drink now until a party on Saturday and try and drink less.

@Nowstrong to tag just @ in front of the name. To bold just * at the beginning AND the end of what you want to bold. No change for me on the scales again this morning either, I will try your idea of being cautious....maybe if I breathe in it will help

Musti oh dear, do you have to do much today with a hangover? Hope the date went well & you feel better soon.