What do you love about your AF or non drinkers life

The flying mouse

Another Sunday another clear head and looking forward to the day and what it will throw at me.

I'm going to finish the bottle I have in front of me and then I'm going to try to be alcohol free. I need this. Thank you, all of you, for inspiring me

The flying mouse

Still enjoying my alcohol free life ,dealing with my everyday problems with a clear happy head. Yep I loving it.

Still not managed it yet. Tomorrow. I'll try tomorrow

The flying mouse

Deleted User wrote: »

Still not managed it yet. Tomorrow. I'll try tomorrow

You do know tomorrow never comes, it will always be tomorrow, Why not try today, as in now.:)

Fingers Mcginty

My sober October is starting today. Wish me luck.
Just nearing the end of Allen Carr's book. Worked for smoking.

The flying mouse

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

My sober October is starting today. Wish me luck.
Just nearing the end of Allen Carr's book. Worked for smoking.

Good luck Fingers mcginty, keep us informed on your progress, You can do it

Fingers Mcginty

Ever since I was 17 I have been using alcohol. Most weeks it would start on a Thursday night and end on a Sunday night. My whole life has revolved around it and I've used it as a crutch at social occasions.
When I got married I got into the habit of drinking at home and for the last few years have drunk most nights. The problem is that I like the way it makes me feel and I truly like it's taste.
The demon is on both sides of my family so one could say it's in the genes. Don't know if there's any truth in that but I seem to be the one who is always ahead of everyone in a round system in the pub. I will drink 2 pints for every pint a "normal" drinker consumes. I speed up when in fact I should be slowing down during a session.
Anyway I've tried so many times to escape but toward the end of the week I start to feel great again and forget the reasons why I wanted to to go the sober route.
Associated thoughts seem to spur a reaction to get booze and I will use every excuse in the book to justify a drink to both myself and my family.
Here's hoping this time is more successful. First Monday morning in a long while I've woken up with a clear head.

Fingers Mcginty

6 Days today. I had some automatic thought triggers during the week but they didn't last too long...maybe 10 mins each.
Great to wake up on a Saturday morning with a clear head.
Gonna tip down the beach now for a nice little walk.

The flying mouse

Its a lovely Sunny day where I am, I am so grateful to wake up with a clear happy head :-)

The flying mouse

Well rain was promised here but we still have sunshine...Is n it grand in my clear sober happyhead to be worrying about such small problems...

The flying mouse

Its great waking up fresh & well able for the very busy days here in Ireland.

hubba

The flying mouse wrote: »

Its great waking up fresh & well able for the very busy days here in Ireland.

Welcome home, theflyingmouse!

L.Jenkins

I love the idea of not throwing money at something that will cause a painful dose of buyers remorse the next morning. I haven't gone out on a night of binge drinking in over 8 years. I've one had one or two drinks in those 8 years, one at my wedding and one the night after.

I can truly say, giving up drink entirely has been great. I go out walking in the evenings and train a few nights each week again in recent times to lose weight.

The flying mouse

Its a great feeling to wake up on Christmas day & actually be fresh & the only worry I have is what I shall wear :-) have a good day everyone .

secman

The flying mouse wrote: »

Its a great feeling to wake up on Christmas day & actually be fresh & the only worry I have is what I shall wear :-) have a good day everyone .

Good on you, have a happy Christmas and sobriety for many many years to come.

The flying mouse

Ha just met two of my nephews & there dying :-) One said he will never drink again lol lol

Another small reminder to why I love my alcohol free life.

yessam

The clear head and energy is amazing

tastyt

This is such an inspirational thread guys, Im at the very start of my non drinking journey and its really helping

Paudi L

I'm also starting out on a drink free life and really enjoying this tread. Sitting out the back garden in the sun watching the football with a pint of Mi Wadi. Life is good.

lufties

Having more money in the pocket and a renewed love for life.

lufties

L.Jenkins wrote: »

I love the idea of not throwing money at something that will cause a painful dose of buyers remorse the next morning. I haven't gone out on a night of binge drinking in over 8 years. I've one had one or two drinks in those 8 years, one at my wedding and one the night after.

I can truly say, giving up drink entirely has been great. I go out walking in the evenings and train a few nights each week again in recent times to lose weight.

I'm 3 months in, the lack of social life (meeting women etc) has been tough. I don't believe in dating sites as I can never seem to attract attractive women with my profile. Need to find another way to meet women.

SGSM

Fair f**ks to everyone who has given up the drink. Great achievement and keep it up. Just dropped into the thread to say it, carry on.

tinpib

lufties wrote: »

the lack of social life (meeting women etc) has been tough. I don't believe in dating sites as I can never seem to attract attractive women with my profile. Need to find another way to meet women.

Easily the biggest negative of sobriety for me, although drink caused me to sabotage myself with women probably as many times if not more than it helped over the years. But it's zero at the moment. It probably should be a bigger problem, but right now I am obsessing over building a side business. I always need something to obsess over, it's the way my mind works. I could have picked something worse to obsess over I guess, but ya, meeting women is a struggle.

I just passed 500 days sober btw.

edit: Have you tried meetup.com Lufties? That's what I'd do. I'm abroad at the moment, signed up for speed dating and then 12 hours later it was cancelled, I think that would have been perfect for me.

Lady is a tramp

I was at a family wedding at the weekend. Biggest social event I've been to in a long time. It was grand.

Two things I found weird.

1) The amount of close-ish family relations (aunts, cousins etc) who would have known I've been in treatment the past two years on-and-off, who saw I was looking well and were all like, "Oh now that you're doing well, we'd love to get back in touch." My sentiment towards them was kind of like, well if you couldn't be there for me when things were rough, why on earth would I want you in my life now? It was like they thought they were doing me a favour. Nah. Could do without the likes of them in my life!

2) The more distant family friends, who probably know feck all about me, who were just absolutely horrified at the fact that I've acquired a large tattoo on my chest. They didn't even try to hide their shock. I kind of had to laugh. They were all, "But what do X and Y (your parents) think of it?!", honestly it's been the least of anyone's worries. My reality the past couple of years has been regular near-death experiences, a tattoo is NOT the end of the world, and it was somehow cute that these people saw it that way. So insignificant in the grand scheme of things!

I'm definitely still somewhat institutionalised. It's inevitable I guess. When you know so much - way TOO much - about reality, it's hard to slot back into a world where everyone tries so so so hard to rearrange reality around themselves. It's hard to go from continuous brutal honesty to so much fakery and keeping up appearances. Listening to peoples' truths day in and day out is tough, but it's an experience I'm so grateful to have lived through. I'll never settle for less in my life.

So many people are so asleep that they're almost dead, and they don't even realise it. I'm glad I'm not one of them.

Fingers Mcginty

Getting ready for my weekly 5k park run with a clear head. Been through a very rough patch lately and got a right mauling from life but as usual ; drink induced.
I would thoroughly recommend this free activity. Chance to make new aquantances and a feeling of such elation on completion.

Lady is a tramp

Fingers Mcginty wrote: »

Getting ready for my weekly 5k park run with a clear head. Been through a very rough patch lately and got a right mauling from life but as usual ; drink induced.
I would thoroughly recommend this free activity. Chance to make new aquantances and a feeling of such elation on completion.

I'd second this! I very regularly volunteer as marshal even on the weeks I don't do it, it's a great activity to get involved in no matter where you are in the country!

Kiltris

Time to start again!:o