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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Original poster

Brave babes are still here: sping / summer / autumn / winter There is always someone around

999 replies

venusandmars · 27/06/2019 20:54

This topic had being going for years and years and years. Maybe almost as long as some people have been struggling with drinking.

We are still here. Supporting, encouraging, helping. Never judging, never minimising our problems.

If you want to catch up, our last thread is HERE

And if you want to follow everything from the start, the very first thread from 9 years ago is RIGHT HERE

You can join in anytime. Everyone is welcome. Whether you are trying to cut down, abstain completely , or are simply acknowledging that you might have a problem... Post what you want.

OP posts:
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17
cinderella78 · 08/12/2019 12:45

@lilyrose88 thanks for posting. I found this really helpful today.

LilyRose88 · 08/12/2019 14:46

cinderella78 I'm glad you found my post helpful. There are many opinions (and myths) about AA and I wanted to share my experience. Have a good Sunday. xx

iswhois · 11/12/2019 11:50

Hi all can I join. Woke up today with what I intend to be my last hangover.

Every single bad thing that I have done has been do to drinking, I feel like I'm wasting my life away either drunk or hungover.

Sick of the panicked feeling every morning wondering who I have called/messaged- last night was bad for this I just want to run away. Waking up with a clear head and clear memories is priceless.

Also have put on a stupid amount of weight over the last few years which I am sure is partly due to the excessive amounts of beer and wine I down ever weekend.

So yes, I'm going to do it now. I've toyed with the idea in the past but always talked myself round. Won't be doing it again.

cinderella78 · 11/12/2019 14:30

Hello @iswhois

Good for you! I am also at the beginning of potentially no more booze ever...with Xmas approaching it will be hard. I have been able to modify a bit over the last year and I can vouch for waking up with no hangover! It is amazing!

Wishing you all the very best as you move forward with this.

JorisBonson · 11/12/2019 14:35

Hi @iswhois and welcome.

I'm 6 days post my drunken head injury and I've not had a drop. Admittedly I'm in a period at work where I have to be alert 24/7 so I can't (I always called this my detox), so we will see how things are when this is over. I'm still determined though.

cinderella78 · 11/12/2019 15:24

Hi @jorisbonson . I hope going back to work went ok? Mine was ok and I was able to keep my head down and more or less laugh it off...

As the emotions settle, not going back to booze is feeling harder...

JorisBonson · 11/12/2019 15:33

@cinderella78 I've managed to stay away doing outside tasks for the past few days but back to the office tomorrow. Dreading it!

cinderella78 · 11/12/2019 16:24

I will keep my fingers crossed for you @jorisbonson and at least when it’s over you won’t have to worry about it anymore

iswhois · 11/12/2019 21:43

Thanks all, for work Xmas meal on Friday which will be the first challenge. Will drive (can't leave car there overnight so will have to be sober) then maybe go to the pub and sip Diet Coke for a couple of hours.

The last 2 years at this event I have woken up next day mortified at the amount of shite I spouted at my colleagues, so this will be a refreshing change!!!

Made plans for NYE to stay in with DH and order a takeaway- been invited to parties but will decline.

So just Xmas, this will be an action packed day and several family members are teetotal so shouldn't be so bad.

That's my plan anyway!!!!!!

LilyRose88 · 12/12/2019 13:16

iswhois your post reminded me of some office Christmas parties in the past when I have vowed not to drink, drunk a couple of soft drinks and then absolutely got stuck into the wine! I really don't enjoy work social events and used that as an excuse to get plastered at them. Luckily I never did anything too awful but I was renowned for getting drunk every time.

I have two work events next week and intend to drink water at the first, and lime and soda at the second (as it is in a pub).

I have no invitations for NYE so will be home alone watching Jools Holland with some tonic water and a bag of kettle crisps Grin.

JorisBonson · 12/12/2019 17:10

@iswhois sending you thoughts for tomorrow, you can do it!

JorisBonson · 12/12/2019 17:10

I was back in the office today and thankfully my few days absence had made people forget what a mess I was last week. Phew.

cinderella78 · 12/12/2019 18:20

Great news @JorisBonson and good luck tomorrow @iswhois

I thankfully don’t have any more temptation until next Thursday...already trying to plan for that...

JorisBonson · 12/12/2019 18:30

Same @cinderella78. Yet another lunch / activity. Thankfully I have tickets for something that evening so already had moderation in my head, hope I can take it that step further

MintToBee · 14/12/2019 08:32

JorisBonson I missed the work Christmas party as had to look after MIL who's been poorly. The work snapchats were full of them doing drunken gurning selfies and rolypolys on the dance floor !!! And they styled it out quite well on Monday 😂

LilyRose88 iswhois SNAPto no plans. We can have a Hogmanay MN bus party and push the boat out with hot chocolate and marshmallows to celebrate. This Christmas Day will be two years AF!

JorisBonson · 14/12/2019 19:38

@MintToBee haha brilliant, better than I did!

I took myself to the doctor's and was sent to a&e, my drunken fall last week has given me post concussion syndrome. So there's another reason not to do anything as stupid ever again.

Someone sent us a nice bottle of red for Christmas, I'm ignoring it and eating my body weight in chocolate buttons.

MintToBee · 14/12/2019 19:55

@JorisBonson Oh no. My DH has had post concussion syndrome since March. I hope that you recover quicker!
I'm betting he uses it as an excuse to forget my birthday on Monday 😂
All joking aside he can barely remember our wedding in June. Take care of yourself!

TheHoneyBadger · 17/12/2019 09:16

Just tentatively taking a back seat by the emergency exit. Used to ride this bus many years ago under a different name. Is mouseface still around or Venus or a certain man who talked about not getting back in the ring but whose name has escaped me now?

I was sober for over 2 years with aa and have been drinking again for just over a year. Have just managed 3 days af which is the longest I’ve been sober since I started again. However the Tesco delivery comes this morning and has alcohol in it and the idea of another sober Christmas is hideous so I’m deluding myself into one more go at not drinking every day and having several sober days a week.

Was pleasantly surprised at no shakes etc given I’ve been drinking virtually all day every day for quite a while now. I’m a topper upper who doesn’t actually like to get pissed but sometimes manages it anyway complete with blackouts and recently injuries too. Still have a sore head from falling off of a spinning stool trying to get booze out of a high cupboard on Friday night Xmas Confused

Waves and fresh coffee for all x

JorisBonson · 17/12/2019 14:54

Sending positive thoughts your way @TheHoneyBadger.

obrigada · 17/12/2019 15:58

Afternoon everyone, so happy to have found the thread again. I too attend AA meetings and haven't had a drink in almost 9 months. I have made some really lovely friends in AA and as loneliness was one of the major reasons I drank this has really helped me stay sober.

Waves to all babes :)

cinderella78 · 18/12/2019 20:29

Hi again everyone. Wish me luck for tomorrow when temptation looms as I meet my best friend for our annual Xmas drinks...in a posh cocktail bar where I know I will be having one...but can I stop there? I hope so. Have been doing well not succumbing except that I haven’t had any major social occasions to get through so my resolve has not been tested... And I can’t contemplate Xmas without at least a couple of Proseccos...can I?

How is everyone else doing? Just a week to go and then only New Year to get thru before the festive obligations subside... I am running the Prosecco gauntlet

JorisBonson · 19/12/2019 11:20

Good luck @cinderella78, you can do it!

I'm still suffering with this post concussion thing and want it to go away. On my way to my team xmas do and alcohol is the last thing on my mind - one of the only positives!

MintToBee · 19/12/2019 14:09

@cinderella78 Hope it goes well tonight. We went out last night to see Primal Scream for my birthday. I'm loving going to gigs and being sober. I can actually remember them now.

LilyRose88 · 19/12/2019 15:45

Good luck to everyone having work parties or nights out - it can be very difficult not to succumb to peer pressure to drink at this time of the year. I had a drinks party (work-related) on Monday and managed to drink water all night. A few people commented but I just told then that I didn't want to get drunk and was very bad at having just one drink. The office Christmas lunch was a bit more difficult as it was in a pub and it was very obvious that I wasn't drinking alcohol. I told people who asked that I had to drive somewhere that evening. I won a bottle of champagne for being in the winning team for a quiz. I accepted it with good grace and will re-gift it to someone at a suitable time. In the past I would have been desperately trying to think of an excuse to drink it within days.

I really enjoyed being sober for both events. The drinks party was hard work but it always is due to the nature of the guests. The pub lunch was lovely and I kept busy by making sure that everyone was well looked after. I have bought lots of nice soft drinks for Christmas and will be buying some red wine tomorrow for guests who will be visiting for part of Christmas. Luckily I can't stand red wine so it won't be a problem having it in the house.

cinderella78 · 19/12/2019 22:34

Thanks all for the luck. Am home now and just had one drink as made sure I had to drive. This feels like a breakthrough... have realised that needing to drive is a limiter that helps keep me in check (one of the few things)...so planning to drive a lot in the future!

Hope the Xmas work do is ok @JorisBonson and also hope the concussion situation sorts itself soon...

Interesting how good this evening was without getting sloshed and that I had probably more fun in some ways.