Hi, I’m new here. I’m on day 8 AF. I’m a married professional woman with an adult daughter. I travel a lot for work. I used to only drink 2 glasses of wine on Saturday night with dinner. I did this for years. Four years ago during COVID I was living part of the week in a small town. For some stupid reason I thought it was a good idea to get a big White Claw at the mini mart to drink in my room after work because I was depressed that my daughter had to move to another state. I drank a White Claw or two every night for a couple of years. Three years ago, I took a very stressful job in a large city. I started using alcohol to manage my stress from that job. Six months ago, they stopped making my favorite white claws so I decided to switch to rose prosecco. Suddenly I’m drinking two to three glasses of that a day and maybe four on Saturday. I’m a very health, weight and looks conscious person. I started to notice my hair was thinning, I was getting rashes, I was having panic attacks and I put on five pounds I couldn’t get off even with lots of exercise and starving myself. The panic attacks were really bothering me. I finally decided I have to stop. Since I stopped I’ve had a lot of anxiety which I think is to be expected. I do find it scary though.
Hey there, welcome! And congrats on your 8 days. Glad you are here.
Will I be okay?
Welcome @MaMaCC glad you found us. The best advice is to keep it simple while youre breaking bad habits. It will be uncomfortable but worth it.
Good advice. Thank you.
You will be ok, better than ok!
I’m glad you have found this app and this community. There is a lot of support here.
It was super helpful to me when I quit drinking to learn how others did it and got to a better place. I’m also a professional woman who gradually worked my way up to too much wine, etc.
At the top of your list for this app you will see a post with many great bits of information to help you make a plan for yourself.
Many women in our situation have learned a lot from the written experiences of other women. The book that really helped me in the early days was “This Naked Mind” by Annie Grace. She also has a podcast and other online supports.
Holly Whittaker’s “Quit Like a Woman” is another one.
Finding a pathway to a happy life without alcohol does take some work. I have found it to be amazing. Over time I am much less anxious and am much healthier in all aspects of my life.
I hope you are looking around this community and are able to find information and ideas that help you along the way. Next month I will have 4 years of no alcohol. It was one of the very best things I’ve been able to do for myself and my family. It takes work and learning, and then it is amazing. I wish you peace and success. Congratulations on your first 8 days. Keep going!
Welcome and congratulations on day 8 MamaCC
Gratitude is a great scientific way to battle anxiety. It’s my strongest tool in my recovery tool box. Come on over and join join us. I’ll save you a seat.
I’ve read where our brains cannot handle gratitude and anxiety at the same time.
Hope to see you around.
Thank you so much.
Hi,
Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing with me. At first when I went AF, I was assuming I’d just go back to moderation with the 2 glasses on weekends. After I quit I realized this was a bigger problem than I had assumed. Now I want to be done with it. In my current job nobody pressures me to drink like they did back when I worked in accounting firms. That’s a plus. The biggest challenge I have is anxiety. I’ve had anxiety my entire life and at times have been disabled from it. I did CBT and was able to go back to work about 14 years ago. I’m going back to CBT again to get a refresh. I believe drinking ended up causing my anxiety relapse. Anyway, I want to live a life that is in line with my values. Drinking does not line up for me. I’ve been watching a lot of videos where people who have quit tell their horror stories. I no longer think that couldn’t be me. I will try the resources you recommended. Have a great day.
It sounds like you are getting ready to make a wonderfully liberating decision for yourself. And yes, getting relief for the anxiety will really help you find the joy in grabbing your life back from alcohol.
Have a good Sunday. 
I was walking 10K steps a day wearing a weight for a long time before I went AF. I’m suspending that for a while until I feel better. I’m taking 10 minute walks without my weight vest. Overall I’m trying to stop being so obsessive and perfectionistic about everything. That feeds my anxiety. I truly appreciate you and this group. Xxxo
Welcome to the community 
The addiction slope is slippery and takes hold before we are aware. Grateful that you have seen the negative effects and are putting a stop to it. 1+ week sober is outstanding.
Sobriety is not an easy ride but it DOES get easier and it IS worth it. You are worth it.
Remember your body will take some time to detox both physically and emotionally. You will be drained of energy as your body and mind do the work. Be gentle with yourself and know you will get your energy back ten fold. The need to sleep and the sugar cravings are normal.
This is a wonderful supportive community to be a part of. Read around and join in when you are comfortable. 
boy can i relate, big time.
still something i have been dealing with daily… also mood swings from my bipolar 2 agh hang in there and so will i 
Welcome to the forum!! Glad u joined us!! I can see/read how ur addiction has progressed over time for u. Same thing happened to me. It got worse n worse as the years went on with my drug use. Great job tho on wanting to quit. Emotions often are heightened when we get sober as we have been numbing ourselves with substances for some time. Deep breathing helps me with anxiety. As well as focusing on the present moment. Grounding techniques can help as well to bring us into the moment:
I use this 5 senses grounding technique quite often when i experience anxiety.
Hope this helps
