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Post by goldenbird on Jan 2, 2021 10:06:16 GMT -6
I didn't even drink that much last night but I feel crappy today. Bring on the booze break!
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Post by goldenbird on Jan 2, 2021 18:21:58 GMT -6
Day 1 ✔
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ktg
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Post by ktg on Jan 2, 2021 18:45:58 GMT -6
I'm in to cheer everyone on! I stopped drinking in May and haven't looked back. It's been great on my wallet and my sleep, for sure.
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Post by ldubhawksfan on Jan 2, 2021 21:52:33 GMT -6
I am going to have one exception: Joe Biden's inauguration! I'm taking the day off work, actually. Ha same here! I need to remember to block the day on my work calendar. I’ll be having a glass of bubbly that day for sure. Oh shoot, yes I’m definitely taking exception on 1/20!
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tj
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Post by tj on Jan 2, 2021 23:17:22 GMT -6
Day 2 done. Hooray.
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McBenny
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#sickomode
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Post by McBenny on Jan 3, 2021 2:41:00 GMT -6
Someone local to me just asked me if this was a southern thing. I told her I never heard of it as in the south Mardi Gras season begins on Epiphany aka 12th night. So I'm firmly in a nah y'all go ahead.
I don't drink often enough to quit. 🤷🏻♀️ That's like giving up shit you don't really indulge in for Lent. Koko
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McBenny
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#sickomode
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Post by McBenny on Jan 3, 2021 2:42:03 GMT -6
If you been dry for a while then how you in?
That's like jumping in no shave month and you don't shave anyway. Make it make sense.
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ktg
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Post by ktg on Jan 3, 2021 8:59:16 GMT -6
If you been dry for a while then how you in? That's like jumping in no shave month and you don't shave anyway. Make it make sense. Support groups are not new and are full of people all along a behavior spectrum - especially around addictive substances. But hell, I could see a no-shave support group, say for women who want to experiment with stopping shaving their body hair but fear social stigma. I would expect other women who already don't shave helping out with moral support. It's normal for people with some experience in a thing to support others who want to try that thing.
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Post by cabbagecabbage on Jan 3, 2021 9:01:53 GMT -6
If you been dry for a while then how you in? That's like jumping in no shave month and you don't shave anyway. Make it make sense. Shaving isn’t addictive and full of poison and sold to us as the only way to relax and have fun? Some people struggle. I appreciate any voice that is encouraging.
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pootsen
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Post by pootsen on Jan 3, 2021 9:58:49 GMT -6
I started 1/1 so I’m on my 3rd day. It’s kind of nice because I don’t have to think about whether or not I’m going to have a drink- like on NYD we had dinner at my parent’s house and the answer was just no. I picked up some kombucha and spindrift yesterday.
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McBenny
Unicorn
#sickomode
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Post by McBenny on Jan 3, 2021 10:03:54 GMT -6
If you been dry for a while then how you in? That's like jumping in no shave month and you don't shave anyway. Make it make sense. Shaving isn’t addictive and full of poison and sold to us as the only way to relax and have fun? Some people struggle. I appreciate any voice that is encouraging. no shit shaving isn't addictive. Wow such enlightenment. Don't forget to focus on the why behind the behaviors and not just the behavior. Most people with an actual addiction will substitute a behavior with another. For true success there needs to be work on the why. Just a thought.
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Post by donnamoss on Jan 3, 2021 10:43:18 GMT -6
Starting today! I’m firmly settled on no alcohol Sunday PM-Thursday.
This way I can enjoy a mimosa on Sunday morning with H occasionally...which I really enjoy.
I’m gonna get some new hot teas in our next grocery order which will be a nice substitute in the evenings.
Will also make an exception on Inauguration Day. 🎉
Proud of everyone in here!!
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pearbear
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Post by pearbear on Jan 3, 2021 10:58:12 GMT -6
I’ve been totally dry for 8 days now and am feeling great! It was a nice change to wake up on New Year’s Day and feel good instead of hungover.
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Post by icedcoffee on Jan 3, 2021 11:05:54 GMT -6
Starting today! I’m firmly settled on no alcohol Sunday PM-Thursday. This way I can enjoy a mimosa on Sunday morning with H occasionally...which I really enjoy. I’m gonna get some new hot teas in our next grocery order which will be a nice substitute in the evenings. Will also make an exception on Inauguration Day. 🎉 Proud of everyone in here!! This is exactly what I'm doing too. We always do mimosas with our Sunday cleaning and I enjoy it. I had started before the holidays and now just need to get back to it. The hot tea in the evening is my new fave. I got a bunch of different flavors and its nice relaxing with a book and the tea before bed
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2021 11:24:49 GMT -6
Hi! I haven’t had alcohol in 2.5 years. I found a lot of support on IG and in books and podcasts. I love to hear people’s stories around quitting alcohol. Everyone has such a different path and it’s fascinating to me. Anyone needing to chat about early feelings of not drinking feel free to PM me. Or if you want recs or some books, podcasts or IG accounts, let me know. I promise I won’t push you to give it up for more than you want, but I definitely support a break if your curious. I started with the plan to take 10 days off, which is the amount of time it takes to get out of your system. And here I am.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2021 11:35:54 GMT -6
I’m so proud of everyone in here! I’m so proud of you!
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Post by cabbagecabbage on Jan 3, 2021 11:38:02 GMT -6
Shaving isn’t addictive and full of poison and sold to us as the only way to relax and have fun? Some people struggle. I appreciate any voice that is encouraging. no shit shaving isn't addictive. Wow such enlightenment. Don't forget to focus on the why behind the behaviors and not just the behavior. Most people with an actual addiction will substitute a behavior with another. For true success there needs to be work on the why. Just a thought. Namaste
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2021 11:41:36 GMT -6
For NA drinks I like to do kombucha or sparkling mineral water with a splash of juice. I drink it in a wine glass, there is just something about holding a wine glass for me I think. Just adding that this works well for me too. Especially with cooking. Having a glass of wine while cooking was a “wind down” for so long that I had to preserve that ritual. So I still use my same glasses and do sparkling water with lime or add a splash of juice. It’s really just the ritual for me, not what’s in the glass. I’ve recently started with alcohol free spirits to make mixed drinks when I want to feel a little more festive. But beware this is not a budget friendly option. Still cheaper than booze, but quite spendy per bottle. And I recommend mocktail recipes from the whole 30 cookbooks (you can find them online too). I find they are more about the flavor and less about the sweet.
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sarah
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Post by sarah on Jan 3, 2021 11:43:04 GMT -6
I don't have the most healthy relationship with alcohol. For example, I didn't drink anything NYE and on New years day I kept thinking that I should have drank a bottle of wine or something like a last hurrah. I'm not a person who can slowly nurse a drink or wants to have just one.
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Post by sunnysideup on Jan 3, 2021 11:52:56 GMT -6
One thing that I do that I find motivating and rewarding with tracking my days without alcohol is coloring in a habit tracker . I took a screenshot of a free printable one on my phone. I save it in the notes section of my phone and I can color it in each day with the edit feature. I like doing it on my phone and it’s rewarding to see the number of pretty squares I’ve gotten to color in.
Proud of everyone! 🌟
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2021 11:57:33 GMT -6
I don't have the most healthy relationship with alcohol. For example, I didn't drink anything NYE and on New years day I kept thinking that I should have drank a bottle of wine or something like a last hurrah. I'm not a person who can slowly nurse a drink or wants to have just one. What I want to plant the seed with you on that is this: You may feel that it is some willpower or failure on your side that you can’t have just one. But it’s not really. Alcohol is an addictive substance. Alcohol doing what it is designed to do means that you will crave more and build a tolerance and keep going back for more. It’s in the chemical make up on the substance. And we can have some control over it. For sure. Because we are strong and have really smart brains and internal protection systems. But it’s just always going to battle it out. Because on one hand you have a substance that is designed to make you continue to ingest it and on the other hand you have your brain and willpower and grit. But at some point, for some people, the battle will shift to the side of the alcohol. And it doesn’t have to completely take over and “win” to make you just want to stop the fight. You know? Or see what it’s like to stop the fight for a bit. That learning helped me to move away from the idea that if I was just better at controlling it, I would not feel like I was drinking too much or being a bad person for wanting to drink so much. It’s not me, it’s the alcohol kind of thing. There is a whole other deep dive on how alcohol is marketed towards us, particularly as women, that is also enlightening. But really I just hope you will consider the first part for now. That it’s not a you thing that’s the problem. It’s the alcohol. Feel free to ignore if this misses the mark for you.
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Post by bighair12 on Jan 3, 2021 11:59:21 GMT -6
I am starting today. I am really excited. I need this!
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Post by sunnysideup on Jan 3, 2021 12:26:23 GMT -6
jaygee, that’s well said and speaks a lot to my experience and ultimately going alcohol free. You’ve spoken before about it starting for you with 10 days and that’s basically my experience too. I meant for it to be a short term thing but along the way I’ve made it more permanent. **for me** the final piece of the puzzle was realizing that moderation wasn’t working for me. I set up all sorts of “rules” and honestly became sort of obsessed with whether or not I could stick with them or not. If I didn’t follow them I became obsessed with if it meant I had an alcohol problem. Surely, I must if I didn’t follow my made up rules. I also noticed all the rules and moderation and COVID stuff spiked my anxiety. I realized I needed to stop trying to control alcohol with moderation and just remove it. I said I would do it for one month but now it’s been 277 days. I don’t know if I’ll drink again. I’ve fully committed to one full year. But right now I see it going longer. I just feel better.
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Post by sunnysideup on Jan 3, 2021 12:27:33 GMT -6
I know other people can handle moderation. I’m not saying anything about those who can set boundaries. Just that FOR ME it didn’t work.
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tookie
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Post by tookie on Jan 3, 2021 12:32:33 GMT -6
If you been dry for a while then how you in? That's like jumping in no shave month and you don't shave anyway. Make it make sense. for support and solidarity. To give tips and commiserate. Lots of reasons 🙂
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Post by Wtfshouldmynamebe on Jan 3, 2021 12:40:14 GMT -6
I have so much tea coming and I’m so excited. The thing that I really thing will be great for me will be going to bed at a normal time. I tend to stay up and binge TV while sipping wine.
I’m also doing weight watchers so seeing what the points of that wine is helps.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2021 12:40:39 GMT -6
I know other people can handle moderation. I’m not saying anything about those who can set boundaries. Just that FOR ME it didn’t work. I think moderation is not as widespread as the alcohol industry or society would tell us. It’s not a myth or untrue that some people moderate but it’s not working as well as we think it is for other people. That’s why it’s so important in this area to just focus on what works for us as individuals and not what society tells us should work. I too was a little obsessed with moderating for a bit. For me it looked like hoarding my weight watchers bonus points for the weekend so I could drink a couple of bottles of wine. That was worth it in my mind until it wasn’t. Until I was like - hmmm - I think there is a less stressful way to be. For me. Have you read or listened to anything by Annie Grace? She explains a lot about how moderating does not work for a lot of people. It was a real eye opening for me as someone who thought she was moderating but was not really feeling super accomplished in doing so.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2021 12:43:51 GMT -6
I have so much tea coming and I’m so excited. The thing that I really thing will be great for me will be going to bed at a normal time. I tend to stay up and binge TV while sipping wine. I’m also doing weight watchers so seeing what the points of that wine is helps. Sleep is hands down the biggest benefit I’ve had. It’s life changing. I wasn’t not sleeping but yeah, staying up too late to drink more and “have fun” (aka watch dumb tv by myself) and also the sleep I was getting was not as high quality due to the sugars in the alcohol digesting midway through my slumber.
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Post by sunnysideup on Jan 3, 2021 12:46:05 GMT -6
jaygee, I have not read anything by her but thanks for the tip. I just made my booklist for this year so I’ll have to look her up. I have a few books by different authors on alcohol use and quitting. I’m excited to read some books on the topic. Right now I’ve just been following accounts on IG who have gone alcohol free.
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jaygee
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Post by jaygee on Jan 3, 2021 12:52:02 GMT -6
jaygee, I have not read anything by her but thanks for the tip. I just made my booklist for this year so I’ll have to look her up. I have a few books by different authors on alcohol use and quitting. I’m excited to read some books on the topic. Right now I’ve just been following accounts on IG who have gone alcohol free. She’s super relatable. Working mom, was in a high powered job with lots of business travel and social events, and just hit a wall. She was progressively drinking more and feeling run down and not happy with it. She tried to moderate without success. So she researched a bunch of science on alcohol and it compelled her to quit. She wrote This Naked Mind (great as an audio book) and has a podcast of the same name. That was my first encounter with quitting alcohol. Was literally nursing a two day hangover and binge read the book.
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