8 days sober!

Today I have managed 8 days sober.

I’m finding it easier than I imagined…but I donr have any trigger points right now. Those are:

*Saturday nights
*Warm sunny days
*Stressful days at work (im off until next week)
*Adverts on TV about gin/whisky/wine

So I am a binge drinker. I’ve been one for 20 years so feel I can go through 2 or 3 days…even a week if I an good, but I get strong urges in between.

I find it hard when I see on tv people pouring a drink. Never noticed it before but it happens in tv dramas alot. And often its straight spirits. Avd alot of it.

But onwards :slightly_smiling_face: xx

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Well done on the 8 days.
I know it may seem a difficult task but unfortunately we are never going to loose the fact that alcohol plays a massive part in our society.
I found what made it easier for me was just accepting this and ignoring it. Otherwise if I lamented it, then the journey would be so much more harder.
Just like all the other “triggers” you mentioned.
Saturday night is just another night.
Sunny day? Nice ginger beer straight from the fridge, no ice.
Bad day at work? Meditation.
It’s all about changing our mindset, how we think of alcohol!
It won’t happen overnight, but if you keep telling yourself that you are changing then it will eventually become easier to watch TV without any problems. Or go to the pub on a sunny day and have a soft drink.

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Thankyou Geo…that is great advice :slightly_smiling_face:
Youre right, society will always have akcihol in it. Its how I choose to cope with that fact that matters.

Even after 8 days I feel far less bloated, a bit more energy within me too so Im happy about this.

I attended one AA meeting so far, and was so warmly welcolmed. Feeling good today :slightly_smiling_face:

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Alcohol is so widely available and advertised , it makes you associate drinking with a lot of good times , winding down, sunny days - there’s always something that triggers it - bloody billboards . I’ve been watching a lot of motivational videos on you tube and this one sober guy mentioned that children always have fun , they get joy out of the simple things , an ice cream , the park , climbing trees . They don’t associate alcohol with fun so why can’t adults who are tackling sobriety not feel the sane way . There is so much pressure to have a social drink or BYO trivia nights at school , paint and plonk ( whereas painting is amazing on its own ) . We have to rewire our brains to associate fun with health , a non alcoholic drink , meeting up with friends on the weekends and enjoying each other’s company whether you have a drink in your hand or not . Interestingly I told some friends about my
Thoughts on going sober , it’s time for me. drinking has a terrible effect on my depression and anxiety the next day or two . One friend actually said - I could water it down ; just have a little bit . My reply was I can’t actually have any because I will drink until the anxiety is numbed and I get that relaxed rush . I always stop before I get sick as I hate vomiting , but in my case alcohol is making my depression worse , my tolerance is at a worrying level . Anyway here’s to us actively making changes ! Tonight I sat on my back deck with a soda water and lemon juice and thought I can still unwind on my back deck with a non alcoholic drink and feel relaxed . Time to be strong and exercise that no muscle . I had to reset the clock yesterday afternoon , but today I made up for it and ate healthily too .

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Doing great keep your meetings up wish you well

Congrats, Rosie!! :congratulations: I’m right there with you, today is Day 9 for me. And I hear you on all the booze ads on TV (and all the drinking in the shows as well!) That’s why I’m trying to avoid TV and spending so much time on here when home :slight_smile: Keep up the good work, friend!!!

Exactly! Life is 10% what we experience and 90% how we react to those experiences.

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I’m almost up to 3 days sober at 6:30 tonight . Last night was my first Friday that I had to face without beer in a long time. I bought alcoholic free beer as my father in law is visiting in the lead up to my 40 th . It served me well , tasted like the real thing. I went to bed early, read my book and listened to the rain instead up knocking back 8 to 12 beers on my back deck , followed lately by spirits . I woke up feeling well rested , and am sleeping better .

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