Dry January Challenge

Hi JJ050

I'm lucky to have some diazepam too, a small monthly supply supervised by my gp, because I am bipolar and have always had anxiety with it.  I'm hoping the lack of alchohol will help my anxiety as I am led to beliveve.  I think your idea of a puzzle book is a great one.  

Keep on going

Lizzie xxx

Hi Radley

Great to hear from you and well done you, especially glad your hubby is doing it with you, that must be a terrific help. I did sort out my study tonight and have a big pile of dvd's to go to the local hospice shop on Wednesday.  I only download movies now from iTunes and am slowly replacing my existing collection of dvd's this way, where possible.  I have a policy of when I buy something new I give soemthing away, its partly a spiritual thing and partly dictated by space considerations but when I have an evening like tonight when I find a pile of stuff a charity shop can sell it makes me feel good about myself.  Also spent a lot of time with my mum today which was good too, in the past I often went to bed with a hangover in the afternoon so that's another enourmous benefit of staying dry.

All the best

Lizzie xxx

That's fab Lizzie - yes it is good support.  That is a very good value you have there.  I sorted out all the things I know they can sell too - t shirts which I didnt think were good enough I have been practical and cut them up for rags for the car, floor etc always useful. That is lovely that you spent quality time with your Mum I am sure she would have loved you being sober and being with her.  I will be going to visit my Mum later this month and spend some time with her - she is delighted that drink is no longer a part of my life and that is really where I would like to be - my difficulty is dealing with tough situations and drink was my coping mechanism - it is now re-educating my coping skills - which will come and not getting myself worked up. We will get there Lizzie hope you have a good nights sleep and we can talk some more tomorrow - take care Rxx

Morning Radley

I had a great night's sleep, only woke once for the loo and now feeling refreshed and ready for another dry day.  I've decided not to go to church today as mum has a bad cold and I'm feeling a bit disillusioned with my faith and other Christians at the moment.  That's partly because prayer has never helped me beat the booze and partly because I'm getting no support from my church friends in this at all.  I have a friend from way back doing it with me and you three on this thread, right now I can't see God in this.  No doubt I'll go back to church in due course but for today at least I have two priorities: a. staying dry and  b.looking after mum.  I live with her and she is in her 90s but still amazing both physically and mentally, I want our remaining years together to be good ones, not spoilt by my drinking - now there is a motivation that is too good to ignore!

LOve

Lizzie xxx

Hi JJ and Lizzie - I had just replied to Lizzie last eve I think around 11pm - had a hot shower and woke once in the night to nip to the loo.  I woke this morning (afternoon) at 11:50am this is unheard of, however, I can honestly say I do feel pretty good.  Coffee and a bowl of porridge and now to tackle all the other jobs I started and never completed!  I think that is a fab idea - new knickers.  Our 'Forever' tin will have a weekly amount put in - I have done it before and it is a great feeling to have some extra pennies.  I think I was spending about £200 a month on wine easily.  There are alot of judgemental people out there with very little understanding and I think you are doing the right thing just keeping your business to yourself - they do not need to know anything and you can just have that smile on your face to cherish and it will make you feel good.  We have each other and for us three supporting each other and being able to liaise about our day, our feelings, thoughts and what we have been doing is so helpful to all of us.  I am on day 4 now.  Before it has taken a good week to adjust but feeling okay - Keep trucking - Blessings xx

 

Hi JJ and Radley

Day 7 successfully dry, a little craving at lunch time but I managed to control it by reminding myself of all the good I was doing myself and my relationship with my mum.  Have to go to the hospital for some biopsy results, wish me luck.  The tests were done a month ago so I reckon they'd have had me in sooner if there had been a problem but will still be glad when I get the all clear.  

Lizzie xxx

Hi Lizzie - Day 7 well done you and very well done for not giving in today.  All the best with your biopsy results.  Let us know how you have got on. Havent heard from you JJ hope you are doing well keep us posted.  Day 4 over - varied thoughts but got through - Godbless xx

Hi JJ

You did really well JJ not to touch any.  We have no alcohol whatsoever in the house.  At one time I would keep an unopened one in the fridge almost like a prop.  Nothing now. Positive with apprehension, almost waiting for a trigger.  As for Lizzie with her biopsy I am thinking of her also and whatever the outcome we need to support her as well as each other as the three Muscateers. Lets keep trucking we have 27 days to go to the end of January - in the meantime a day at a time - work out our coping mechanisms and talking about our day helps.  Once we have got through January we are a month closer to the Spring - review - our thoughts, progress and strategies.  We will do it together JJ -now go throw what ever you have in the house away - its there and so is the temptation!  Godblesss you both - hope to hear from Lizzie later today xx

 

Thanks Radley....have to say it took a lot of determination there but i have poured a lovely bottle of Wolfbass white, half a bottle or merlot and a pretty much full bottle of Baileys down the kitchen sink. All we have in now is 3 ales (won't touch that hubby' s tipple i can't stand beer) an unopened bottle of champagne (don't like champagne as too fizzy) and a bottle of Port which has been there for about 2 years ;-) Oddly the white wine i love so much smelt really, really strong all of a sudden!

Roll on Spring and light nights...i always drank more over Winter as nothing to do outside in the evenings and as it gets dark earlier, wine o'clock always came sooner!! 27 days....I have just set up an online savings account and am swinging £8 a day over when i go without wine as i reckon a bottle and a half was my intake. Hoping to have a nice pot to spend on new knickers, hair and nails come 31st Jan :-)

Good luck Lizzie hun.......chat later guys :-) xxxxx

 

Hi JJ

Good for you - that's a result - I did the same 1/2bottle of Taylors Port - 1/2 botte of Lanson champagne and gave the other champagne and white wine away.  Yes Spring is just round the corner - winter is the worst time - We have a tin at home and as my husband is doing this with me we will have £200 on 31st Jan and in one year £2,400.  You will be sitting on around £320 and in one year  you will have saved £3,840.  Quite amazing and I gave up smokes as well earlier last year which worked out to be £200 /month.  It is vital that we are all very honest with each other and as each day goes by we become stronger as three people conquer this costly habit and causes so many problems.  I did comment on another forum a couple of days ago and havent heard anything.  My senario if the alcohol brought us out in red spots all over our face every time we drank - we would be horrified and wouldnt do it.  Because we dont see the damage on the inside and that also applies to smokes we carry on.  Seriously if we had a nut allergy would we carry on eating nuts.  Long term if we continue drinking the amount we have our health will only deteriorate.  I have personally tried to control the amount I drank and did well.  As soon as something got under my skin - the only way I have coped with situations in the past is to drink.  So if everything is going smoothly I am fine, one hiccup and that's where it all goes off the rails.  Life as we know in this society isnt smooth and therefore my theory is to leave the bottle behind, use the money I have saved in a constructive manner - feel better in myself, and be in control.  I was speaking to somebody the other day who told me what him and his wife drank every night - I told him I no longer drank - he said I bet your no fun - my reply was I am far more fun without a drink than with one - he had that look upon his face as if to say I wish I could do that ..... so JJ it is time for us to re-joice and reap the rewards and lets hope we are all together this time next year so we can get through the winter and the dark nights -    Thinking of Lizzie too - speak later xx

Hello friends :-)

My appointment at the hospital went really well, I am all clear and discharged :-)  I had been having lots of tummy and bowel troubles coupled with low iron and folic acid, symptoms which in combination could have been symptomatic of cancer somewhere in my digestive tract.  They did a gastroscopy and a colonoscopy back in late November, neither as bad as I had expected as they gave me intranvenous sedation and pain, and while they awre at it took biopsies from my duodenum. So getting the all clear today, coupled with the news that my iron levels are almost back to normal was joyouse news.

Now in the past I would have celebrated by getting tipsy to say the least, not this time, I just called for some lunch at a cafe with diet coke and went back to mum's with the good news. Our celbration consiusted of a quiet couple of hours reading together and in a bit we are visiting one of mum's pals for afternoon tea.  Thank you all for your good wishes and for thinking of me today.

I have read all your posts and aren't we doing well, I'm so pleased for us all, and both opf you talk such sense, there is reall wisdom being uttered.  I saw the post about coming out in spots and not doing what causes it, and so agree; alchohol is bad for us so why do it.  I too am coming under a little pressure to drink from mum, who likes her sherry but I think she's got the message now that I am serious about this.  Since giving up I have alsos become acutely aware about how booze is everywhere in our society that its so hard to avoid, even the cafe I called in for lunch, which is a "transport caf" had wine for sale, and its ubiquitous on TV.  But I am resisting well.

Thansk again for caring with lots of love from LIzzie xxxx