The Sober Squad- Alcohol Free Living

@RubyRed427 No DUIs perk, perk, perk for being AF!!! I really think reflecting on my own past STUPIDITY is what kept going through my mind last night & waking me up thinking THANK GOD I did not get caught or like you said hurt someone else!! I am just SO thankful I woke up to my drinking problem before I slid to the bottom of the slippery slope!! I LOVE being sober & am really beginning to love my life as a non-drinkier...I was walking the dogs this morn & stopped as they sniff, sniff, sniffed & remember looking around thinking I love my head being CLEAR...no fogginess!! YAY!!

I SO hope we all continue to enjoy our very wise choice to be AF. Julie you are a real inspiration for me & I know you can get through the future temptations coming your way & look forward to hearing your success story You GO girl!!

Hi, Everyone!

Tomorrow is Day 28 for me, and I am celebrating that that is technically a month. Yay! Knock on wood, I'm really not missing drinking much at all, and I feel and look so much better. I took a "before" photo yesterday for weight-loss reasons . . . trying to lose the last of the weight. Although the photo definitely shows that I need to lose weight, I was shocked at how nice my face looked--not bloated or puffy or round, but pretty. Yay! Catch up, body!!

On the DUI discussion . . . I shared with the Less Alcohol thread some months ago that it was one of my high school students who drove drunk and killed a group of college kids--all except one in the group who was so badly burned and disfigured that she became a national symbol of the dangers of drinking and driving (Jacqueline Saburido). This kid (the student) had probably never driven drunk in his life before that; he was a real straight arrow. But he went to one party, was driving a massive SUV, and that was that. He spent some years in prison and I know he spent some time afterwards speaking to student groups. Anyway, it just drove home to me how even one episode of this risky behavior can ruin so many lives.

Kate from The Sober School has a nice entry in her Monday blog today--blogging from her Paris vacation and talking about how she is enjoying it so much alcohol free. That has been a concern of mine. I can't even imagine subtracting the vino from the Italian vacation I had in March. We didn't over-drink (no hangovers) but enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine each day. But I don't think I'd risk that again because it would be too easy to come home to my old bad patterns (like I did in March). Her post was encouraging. She also links to a really good article written by the Times of London food critic about the myth that wine is necessary, or even helpful, for appreciating food. I'd link it but I think I'd screw it up. But check out "The Sober School" if you're interested.

joha5603 wrote: »

Please, can anyone relate? Why do I find it so incredibly annoying that my mom starts every email with, "Hi Honey, good to hear from you. I hope the drinking thing is going okay..." Honestly, I often FORGET that I'm off the sauce, but it's obvious to me that this is as much (if not more) an issue for other people than for me. (To be fair, my mom has a few other "issues" and pigeon-holing people is part of a thing she's developed. Everything and everyone is very black/white, right/wrong with her.)

On another note, I just asked 2 girlfriends out to see a band tonight. "Oh, no way! It's Tuesday! I can't be hungover tomorrow!!" I said I was planning on not drinking and they just kinda cocked their heads at me... and silence. "Oh right... you're not drinking. And you want to go out?!!?" Well, I don't know, I still like live music.... thought I'd give it a shot. These 2 situations give me a kind of FML feeling.

It gets better! My mother does the same thing to me sometimes, as do other (mostly) well meaning friends. They'll say, "Will it bother you if I drink?" And I'm all like, "I changed my life for me - you do you." That got exhausting so now I just say, "nope" and carry on. Also a big live music fan here - people scoff that we would go to a show sober. I like music, not screaming over it and drinking my paycheck (a generalization that I know is not true of everyone at a concert but...) We see a lot less shows these days, but the ones we do catch are that much more special. Hope you find some sober show buddies perhaps!

I am on a TED talk binge. Gray area drinking is a good short video https://youtu.be/wvCMZBA7RiA
About when you stop drinking for a few months and then go back to drinking....

@RubyRed427 Thank you for those videos especially the one by Jolene Park...I could SO relate to Gray Area drinking & I love her acronym NOURISH for things to do to rebuild your gaba, seratonin & dopamine...I need to watch it again, it is full of really helpful info.

@donimfp You're singing my tune by relating your various lapses in your drinking only to return full force after the initial brief moderation period. I'm really happy that you realize the joy that awaits you in your new AF lifestyle. You GO girl!!

@lorrainequiche59 I can relate to to the grey area drinking. I lived it over and over again but especially this past January... remember I was AF from Jan. 1-St. Pat’s Day. Then, the evil monster started to creep into my life. It took a few months for me to get back to where I was before Jan. 1st.