The Sober Squad- Alcohol Free Living
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Morning all,@Normnlv I'm like that too,kinda like well I drank may as well keep on til the next month,ugh,the starts and stops I've had these past few years are ridiculous! Did anything trigger you? Or was it just a fluke? I hope you can get your momentum going again
RubyRed,great job on getting thru the thought,darn brains! Some of our thoughts are just put there I swear,waves to all and wishes for a happy AF day!
THank you, just work stress got to me.3 -
Too funny!! as I was typing my big long blurb there were 3 comments being made ahead of me....anyway @Norminv glad to see the problem is solved. You CAN do this and I am still SO proud of you because you are reaching out where and when you need to AND you are not giving up!! This is a struggle it is not a defeat and you are still fighting!!!!
If you need a bit of a boost Craig Beck or others of your choosing can pinpoint exactly what you are going through right now and help you to weather the storm. 5 -
All! Happy Wednesday!
@NormInv Awesome for you to have a dry December and January. I am sure during those times you reflected upon all the positive changes that were happening by not drinking.
I completed dry January and decided that on Super Bowl that I would drink wine and ended up drinking jack as well. Not a good decision; however, I am back on dry February! I wasn’t happy that I made a choice that I had planned to drink only wine. I am not forgoing the month due to one day. I am looking at all the positive changes that I made from last year. I am AF in February besides SB. It would be easier for me to say well, I already screwed up February; however that isn’t TRUE, I have numerous days left to better myself in Feb etc.. I play golf...however, if you don’t...the same thought exists in many other areas... IF YOU focus only on your last bad shot you will continue to make the same bad shots in your game. You need to focus on the next great shot and if you fail, then stand up and hit the ball again. When you focus on the negative, you miss out on the opportunity for the positive.
If this helps you I am going to look at the percent of days I drank alcohol in Feb, no its not AF; however, 1 out of 28 is 96.4% dry! What a huge change for me compared to prior Feb!!! 💕 January and February combined is 98.3% AF and I am down 3% in body weight and 150% better in mind! My goal: Remain at 95% AF free, so I would be receiving an A!
Don’t let one fall back made you lose sight of all the positives you have accomplished. If we all did that none of us would be successful. All the best to YOU!8 -
@NormInv maybe your challenge for February is to have this be the first month where one day of drinking doesn’t tarnish the whole month! I can relate to that, I am 100% the same way... give me an inch and I will absolutely be concocting ways to take a (very hungover) mile.
Happy Wednesday, my friends! I try not to be one of those people who is always wishing time would speed up, but this week has been ridiculous and I am super grateful that we are over halfway to the weekend. I hope you’re all doing well - today I will keep calm and sober on 😅4 -
Thanks for the kind words. I thought about it and my new goal is to make the rest of Feb AF despite the hiccup. Lets do that!
Game on....AF for the rest of February it is7 -
Awsome!2
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You guys are the best support group! I receive more here than I give and I feel guilty about that, but thank YOU!!!9
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5 tips to stay sober in February showed up in my email from The Sober School and I thought, this sounds SO familiar & voila...Jen had put a link on the previous page. It's worth checking out if any one needs a boost.
We DO have a great group here and we each do what we can when we're able...more or less/less or more it all contributes to the whole.
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@Norminv You can jump back in. Don't fret. You did SO well and so many days in a row. Don't be too hard on yourself<3.9
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You're NOT going to believe THIS!! Ok, maybe you will LOL I am off AGAIN due to ice this time...I 'almost' caught up from last week...this was the last job I had to put over to this week. SO, I agreed to move it to Monday & realized my next normal day to go would be 4 days later on Friday so I told them I would just go Friday instead of them paying me for nothing....anyhoo, they will be away in Cuba next week anyway so they said I could just do double duty & I won't lose any $$$ WOOHOO!! I love when things you don't think will work out and they just do anyway....
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RubyRed427 wrote: »
Good point. My sister used to say “I have an ulcer.” And people would not press on. Allergy is good too.
I friend decided to tell her Aunt that she was allergic to cakes since the Aunt baked her a cake for her birthday every year. I will say I am allergic for some things. Yes I am allergic to gaining fat ........4 -
@NormInv Agree with all said here!!!! You have done well!!!!! Keep working on a plan for the work stress. That sounds rough. I am doing the same.8
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"Despite the downward trend in drinking, alcohol-related deaths are at their highest since records began in 2001: 5,843 adults in 2017, a 6% rise on the previous year. "
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/05/richer-older-men-more-likely-to-drink-to-excess-nhs-figures-show-alcohol
"Alcohol is killing Americans at a rate not seen in at least 35 years, according to new federal data. Last year, more than 30,700 Americans died from alcohol-induced causes, including alcohol poisoning and cirrhosis, which is primarily caused by alcohol use.
In 2014, there were 9.6 deaths from these alcohol-induced causes per 100,000 people, an increase of 37 percent since 2002.
This tally of alcohol-induced fatalities excludes deaths from drunk driving, other accidents, and homicides committed under the influence of alcohol. If those numbers were included the annual toll of deaths directly or indirectly caused by alcohol would be closer to 90,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In recent years, public health experts have focused extensively on overdose deaths from heroin and prescription painkillers, which have risen rapidly since the early 2000s. But in 2014, more people died from alcohol-induced causes (30,722) than from overdoses of prescription painkillers and heroin combined (28,647), according to the CDC."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/22/americans-are-drinking-themselves-to-death-at-record-rates/?utm_term=.ad87d4750c6b
But on the positive side....
https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2018/08/20/Non-alcoholic-wine-and-beer-market-to-witness-7.6-CAGR-by-20245 -
Lately my husband has been complaining that his memory is not good anymore. He’s 59. I said maybe you should cut back on the alcohol. I found an article online that 2.5 drinks a day for men takes about 6 years off of good memory function.
We are getting a divorce and taking about splitting finances. And he is pulling memory card now.... sounds a little continental. 13 -
I need all the memory function I have left. That is really scary. God knows how many years I have taken off with all that wine.5
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@RubyRed427 The only advice I can give re: divorcing couples is: Expect ANYTHING!! Cause when the heart is involved the mind can stop functioning reasonably. I hope that you guys can work things out with minimal contention...there are a few who have done that...I hope you two will be added to the list of ~the few~
AND I REALLY hope you can come up with an agreeable settlement without involving lawyers, except for the absolute legal necessary things, because the only ones who seem to benefit are the lawyers and the process can get dragged out for YEARS and tens of thousands of dollars later...I've seen that one too many times.
Yesterday my Quit Drinking app alerted me to my new badge...250 days SOBER...which is 8 months (ish) Once I hit my year mark the only date I will be concerned about is the following year where heart health is 'almost' back to normal and then 5 years for stroke death and 10 years for cancer risk being back to normal....WOE...back to TODAY...today is a really good day and I am focusing on just right now....
I hope everyone has a really GOOD day 15 -
Awesome on your success! Will it be warm enough for a nice hike outside!? We will see. Best to all! Yippee I have saved 22,000 calories this year by not drinking besides for sbowl.6
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Greetings! I just gave up wine on the 20th of December and now feel as if I can do anything! I am delighted to find some like-minded folks here. I am eager to hit my target weight and enjoy that along with an AF life. So glad to find you all.13
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So, I've decided to join the local Roller Derby team here.....Woot woot! The first get together for new members of the team is scheduled this Sunday.....at my favorite brewery. Oi. Go figure!!! The brewery where everyone knows my name, my favorite drinks, and the spot that I sit at. I'm not sure how I feel about having to go there, considering I haven't stepped foot in the place for 3 weeks. I'm not going to lie, it's going to be VERY, VERY hard to refuse a beer. I've got mixed emotions about it. Plus, this week has been a roller coaster of feelings for me, and I'm trying real hard to not give in and have a drink....or 2 or 5....as we all know how that goes.10
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errydayimmusclin wrote: »So, I've decided to join the local Roller Derby team here.....Woot woot! The first get together for new members of the team is scheduled this Sunday.....at my favorite brewery. Oi. Go figure!!! The brewery where everyone knows my name, my favorite drinks, and the spot that I sit at. I'm not sure how I feel about having to go there, considering I haven't stepped foot in the place for 3 weeks. I'm not going to lie, it's going to be VERY, VERY hard to refuse a beer. I've got mixed emotions about it. Plus, this week has been a roller coaster of feelings for me, and I'm trying real hard to not give in and have a drink....or 2 or 5....as we all know how that goes.
Gee. The same place???? Try to come up with a plan, as many, if not all here, try to do, ahead of time? Get a fancy mocktail for something different for a change? Have a few? Research them ahead? Great job on getting a new sport, a new hobby....!!!!!!!! It will be way easier to play and keep up with your life without the drinks getting in the way.5 -
lorrainequiche59 wrote: »@RubyRed427 The only advice I can give re: divorcing couples is: Expect ANYTHING!! Cause when the heart is involved the mind can stop functioning reasonably. I hope that you guys can work things out with minimal contention...there are a few who have done that...I hope you two will be added to the list of ~the few~
AND I REALLY hope you can come up with an agreeable settlement without involving lawyers, except for the absolute legal necessary things, because the only ones who seem to benefit are the lawyers and the process can get dragged out for YEARS and tens of thousands of dollars later...I've seen that one too many times.
Yesterday my Quit Drinking app alerted me to my new badge...250 days SOBER...which is 8 months (ish) Once I hit my year mark the only date I will be concerned about is the following year where heart health is 'almost' back to normal and then 5 years for stroke death and 10 years for cancer risk being back to normal....WOE...back to TODAY...today is a really good day and I am focusing on just right now....
I hope everyone has a really GOOD day
Thanks for the tips! I will expect anything. Tonight was round 1 of financial discussion. He made a spreadsheet with how we should split everything. Now, that almost made me drink!
We are both trying to have no lawyers except for a mediation just to go over the fine details, etc. But I believe he will be as agreeable as I am, because we don’t want our money wasted. I will need some legal advice since finances aren’t my best avenue of expertise.
We ended round 1 of our talks with a long hug. I must commend him for his kindness towards me. After our talk, he went outside with his drink and I’ll make some tea. Sorry for the ramble, my friends. I’m just digesting things by typing.
Congrats on 250 days sober!! I’m so happy for you and proud and impressed. We all know how much effort that takes!! Xo8 -
errydayimmusclin wrote: »So, I've decided to join the local Roller Derby team here.....Woot woot! The first get together for new members of the team is scheduled this Sunday.....at my favorite brewery. Oi. Go figure!!! The brewery where everyone knows my name, my favorite drinks, and the spot that I sit at. I'm not sure how I feel about having to go there, considering I haven't stepped foot in the place for 3 weeks. I'm not going to lie, it's going to be VERY, VERY hard to refuse a beer. I've got mixed emotions about it. Plus, this week has been a roller coaster of feelings for me, and I'm trying real hard to not give in and have a drink....or 2 or 5....as we all know how that goes.
I’ve been in your shoes before (many of us have). With our favorite place where we were regulars. I would recommend you tell yourself under no circumstances will you drink. And please tell a few few friends in advance that you have a medical condition or something vague that you cant drink. That will be positive peer pressure for you since you told a few of them. I’m just brainstorming. Take it or leave it. Also be sure to order some cute mocktails or soda with a lot of cherries or whatever you enjoy. Best wishes. I’m sure you will still enjoy yourself. Xo7 -
@lagoscarrie Welcome to our thread. You’ll find some great ideas and encouragement. Happy to hear from you!4
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salleewins wrote: »
Gee. The same place???? Try to come up with a plan, as many, if not all here, try to do, ahead of time? Get a fancy mocktail for something different for a change? Have a few? Research them ahead? Great job on getting a new sport, a new hobby....!!!!!!!! It will be way easier to play and keep up with your life without the drinks getting in the way.RubyRed427 wrote: »
I’ve been in your shoes before (many of us have). With our favorite place where we were regulars. I would recommend you tell yourself under no circumstances will you drink. And please tell a few few friends in advance that you have a medical condition or something vague that you cant drink. That will be positive peer pressure for you since you told a few of them. I’m just brainstorming. Take it or leave it. Also be sure to order some cute mocktails or soda with a lot of cherries or whatever you enjoy. Best wishes. I’m sure you will still enjoy yourself. Xo
Thanks for the tips and encouragement! I'd order a mocktail if they served those, but this is a beer brewery and they only serve their craft beer and a couple soda pops.... and I don't drink pop. However, I think I heard that they might've started serving kombucha? I've never had that, I THINK it's non alcoholic, right? I don't really know what it is, lol. Maybe i'll try that. Otherwise, water and a medical excuse sounds good to me!5 -
errydayimmusclin wrote: »
Thanks for the tips and encouragement! I'd order a mocktail if they served those, but this is a beer brewery and they only serve their craft beer and a couple soda pops.... and I don't drink pop. However, I think I heard that they might've started serving kombucha? I've never had that, I THINK it's non alcoholic, right? I don't really know what it is, lol. Maybe i'll try that. Otherwise, water and a medical excuse sounds good to me!
I have tried kombucha....it IS non-alcoholic indeed....it tastes ok, a bit like tea
If I were you, I would not hang out after the game is over. I would tell any friends to meet you at the coffee shop6 -
I have tried kombucha....it IS non-alcoholic indeed....it tastes ok, a bit like tea
If I were you, I would not hang out after the game is over. I would tell any friends to meet you at the coffee shop
Kombucha is fermented tea and it has a low percentage of alcohol. Some people can get a buzz off it with low tolerance and some people with alcohol problems find that it triggers cravings.
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@lagoscarrie Nice to see you here.
@RubyRed427 You and your hub are so level headed. It is SO refreshing to see couples who can work the tough parts out together. Hoping the best for you both going forward
@errydayimmusclin You've gotten some great tips from others. I know you can do this and you`ll feel fantastic when you've past the test. I had no idea what Kombucha is either so I googled it and it says it is a fermented, slightly alcoholic, lightly evervescent sweetened green or black tea with health benefits...not sure what "slightly alcoholic" means other than it contains alcohol.
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laurenq1991 wrote: »
Kombucha is fermented tea and it has a low percentage of alcohol. Some people can get a buzz off it with low tolerance and some people with alcohol problems find that it triggers cravings.
I stand corrected2 -
I've been sober 6 years now. Used to drink heavily every night for years, not just a few drinks, but enough to black out every night. After a while I cut back to just drinking on the weekend at 7pm and only 5-6 beers. Then one day I got sick and needed to be on antibiotics that required me to not drink. It was the hardest 10 days of my life, and I decided then that I was done with alcohol. I felt it had a deathgrip on me and I hated who I was and wished I could change everyday I drank. It was a tough year or so after quitting drinking and I had a lot of anxiety issues and sought therapy for it. But I gained so much from breaking free of the disease of alcoholism! Now I hate alcohol and stay away from anyone who drinks because it makes me angry because it reminds me of that dark time in my life.15
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Not sure why my post got woo'ed. Factually speaking, kombucha does have a small percentage of alcohol.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kombucha-alcohol-content#concerns
Some brands have been found to have a higher level of alcohol than legally allowed:
https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2018/03/16/Health-Ade-lawsuit-highlights-continuing-area-of-legal-vulnerability-for-kombucha-makers-sugar-and-alcohol-levels#
And some people do feel a slight buzz from it, me included and also apparently this lady:
https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/mind-body/wellbeing/i-get-drunk-off-one-kombucha/news-story/d888ecbd7cbe78ba00c7451a2f2b2975
Some non-drinkers do drink it with no problems but the point is to have some caution.6
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