I am sorry I haven’t replied to many comments recently. I usually try to reply, as I always love it when people reply to comments I make in blogs. Please forgive me for the lack of replies in the past few days; I really appreciate your advice and support.
The last few days have been difficult, and I’ve been drinking. I tried to think of a less bald way to say that, but I couldn’t. I’ve been drinking. My husband and I have signed up for Dry January. I know I need to go deeper than a month off the booze, but I hope it will give me some much-needed momentum, and get me started on a better path, as I’ve been wading through a sea of day ones for months now. A year ago, I managed over a month alcohol-free, but have had hardly a day without alcohol since.
I am under no illusions: I know that I need a serious long-term plan, but Dry January, especially with my husband on board too, will help me.
A Dappled Path 
Hi Annie. A dry January is a good start, especially with your husband on board. It’s a new approach, and in my experience trying something new usually works. Best of luck and happy new year! Noddy.
Hi Noddy. Your story has really inspired me. Your posts are full of joy. I’m hoping a kick-start will help me gain some momentum. Annie x
Today is my day one Annie. My husband is off today and he is cleaning out any booze that might be lurking leftover, my wine glasses, bottle openers and corkscrews, my aeriator…all of it. I know and you know how hard this is going to be. I don’t know you but I’m going to hope and pray really hard you can do it. You already have proven you can.
Thank you, Stacy. Good luck in these early days. Annie x
You too!!
Annie…take care of yourself and do what you know in your heart you need to do. There may never be a “sign” or a “bottom”…just days on top of days of a life spent addicted. I hope that I can in some way let you know that I’ve been pretty much where you are , and I wish I could convince you to trust that there is peace and joy in sobriety. You can heal and be whole. To have that healing occur you have to get sober. Drinking stops us from living, while twisting our minds to make us think we are living when were really walking around like zombies. There’s a ton of ways to learn to live in sobriety and heal the body, mind and spirit…but you have to stop drinking and do whatever it takes to stay stopped.
Please keep blogging, keep searching, keep going…we’re here for you.
Annie…I’m sorry if my last comment was harsh…it was my own fear speaking…I hate how helpless it feels to not be able to help you. I know in you can do this. Getting sober is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself…and I just want to share that with you, the way it was shared with me.
xoxo Jenn
Jenn, your comments aren’t harsh, and I so appreciate your honesty, and the way you walk beside me on this path. Annie x
Dear Annie, I sense that Dry January is a great idea for you – and extra great with your husband doing it to. I think you are like me – you just want to be ‘normal’ , and Dry January is a normal thing for normal Brits to do. I think that you don’t want to associate with the term alcoholic. For this reason, I think Dry January will be great as you won’t get any social hassle and by the end of the 30 days you will feel great and much stronger and ready to deal with a future without booze. I sometimes say to people that I gave up wine for a year and then loved my new life so much that I decided to keep being tee total. I feel ‘normal’ despite being a non drinker in a drinking world, and that is really important to me, and I hope I don’t offend anyone by saying that. We are all unique and every sober journey is unique. Xxx
Hi Sarah. Yes, I guess part of me does want to be ‘normal’. I’m hoping Dry January will get me started on a steadier path. Thanks for being here. Annie x
I think it helps to have your partner abstain with you, especially in the beginning. This is my plan too. Best wishes to us all!
Good luck! My husband’s support is crucial; I think he’s really starting to understand how much I need to do this. Annie x
So glad your husband is joining you for your Dry January! It really helps to have the support of friends and loved ones. Happy New Year to you and your family and may there be many more Dry, Happy months to come!
Thank you so much. Annie x
I never managed to go 30 days without alcohol. Somehow I know that if I do manage 30 days, I should be good from there. Dry January sounds like a great idea. Support of your husband will help as well. We are here, with you.
I,don’t think I had ever done 30 days before either, except when pregnant.
It still surprises me that this day 1 stuck.
Yours can too.
Thanks for being here, and good luck to you as well. Annie x
Keep adding to your support.
I will. Thank you so much, Anne. Annie x
ainsobriety is right, you need to add some tools to your sobriety, it’s not that what you’re doing isn’t working, it’s that it’s not enough. There’s so many other things you use for support. You might want to look in the Hello Sunday Morning Recovery site, it’s format is similar to the Dryuary, Dry July, and No-No November campaigns. It’s a very fresh and positive website. Several people are having success with the drug Naltrexone when it comes to curbing their drinking urges. There is so much help available out there and there are communities springing up every where on the internet. Don’t be afraid to try something different.As Brad Paisley says, “Tomorrow is the first blank page in a 365 page book.” Let Dryuary be the first chapter to happily sober everafter. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you, too. Thanks for your advice. Annie x