Why Don't the Strategies Work? Escaping Day One, Part One

Why is it that we know the strategies, but we still can't escape the cravings?

Escaping Day One, Part One

WB x

The Last Day One. Ever.

Mid January is often the time that intentions, goals and resolutions seem to fade. "Real" life takes over.

You are back at work, the kids are back at school, credit card bills have started to arrive - somehow that promise you made to yourself that 2017 WILL be the year that you quit drinking...well, that doesn't seem so important right now.

I know, because I've been there myself - many times.

I often get asked - what changed? What happened that made your sobriety STICK?

To answer this (and other questions), I am hosting a live webinar. I'll talk about my sober journey and answer questions.

You are all welcome to attend. Today's event has been postponed until next week!

* The webinar will be held on Thursday 19 Noon PST and will last about 45 minutes.
* It's completely free.
* You won't need software - you just follow the link that I'll provide in an email before the event.
* You'll be able to type questions in real time via a messaging system OR
* You can email me questions beforehand and I'll answer them during the event.

I understand that many of you are concerned about anonymity. If you prefer NOT to message questions that other participants can see, as I said you can email questions beforehand. I'll answer the questions as best I can - without naming you of course. You can then just view the event - and no one will know that you are there.

You will be initially automatically signed up for my weekly newsletter. This is a function of the software I use - however you can immediately unsubscribe if you don't want to receive them.

The newsletter comes out once a week - and appears in your inbox from "Jackie Elliott's Sassy Life" - so there is no mention of sobriety or drinking etc - and includes articles/blogs/podcast episodes, and information about products and services, free and not free, from the website.

I hope that answers some questions - I hope that Thursday's event will be useful - last thing! - if you can't attend LIVE - everyone who signs up for the event will get the recording, so you can watch it later.

Here's the sign up link -https://sobersassylife.simplero.com/page/70410-the-last-day-one-ever

And you can email me here with questions  jackie@sobersassylife.com


WB xx

Update - life sometimes interferes with the best laid plans, so I have postponed today's LIVE EVENT until Thursday 19th January at Noon PST.
If you have already signed up and sent a question - I have answered them all individually via email - and I will also cover them next week.
If you would like to sign up - please use the links above, that I've updated.
See you next week .

The Last Day One. Ever.

Three years of Day One's can wear you down. Here what I did differently.

The Final Day One. Ever.

WB x

Day 70- My Journey Here.

Day 70. Ten whole weeks.

If anyone had told me at the beginning of the year that I would be Without Wine for ten whole weeks, I would not have believed them.

I was worried about my drinking for about two or three years before I finally gave up. The last year was particularly hard, I was getting desperate to get the monkey off my back.

Last summer we had (as usual) a revolving door of visitors, including my parents. I had tried to commit to a "dry month", but a week in, and I had failed.

While my parents were here, I moderated as much as possible - I opted to drive them around, so I couldn't drink during the day, I tried drinking beer and cider instead of wine....I survived, but it was a rollercoaster ride.

When they left, Australian friends arrived. I had already read Jill Stark's book about giving up the booze for a year, in a country where the culture is soaked in alcohol - I tentatively brought up the subject of sobriety with our friends..

"Give up booze?" my friend Cath said..."That's not a world I want to live in..."

Consequently, I was drinking my way through their stay - having been convinced that my drinking was normal and fun.

When they left, my bubble burst again, and the next few months alternated between "For goodness sake, I'm being stupid and paranoid", and gathering clouds of depression and self loathing.

Like most people, at the beginning of 2015, I tried to write a list of goals, a vision for the year, and all I could write at the top of the page was 'give up drinking".

In April of this year, my husband's friend stayed with us. he is an alcoholic (and could be the subject of a whole other blog post), and he drank steadily through the nine days he was with us, and encouraged us to do the same.

At the end of a miserable week for me (when I was convinced that I would never be able to kick the booze habit....it's everywhere, all around me), we were booked to cater for a wedding ( a side project, as my husband is a great cook).

It turned out to be a 'red neck' affair - prominent members of the local chapter of the Hells Angels were there, the air was filled with a blue dope haze and I watched as one lady lurched into the barbeque and nearly set herself alight with hot chicken grease.....(also another blog post topic). Although I politely declined the offers of cheap beer, as guests stumbled in and out of the kitchen, on my way home, I wanted wine.

I drank the whole bottle, and the next morning, I had a hellish hangover - made worse by the dehydration of being in a hot kitchen the day before....and great joy.....it was Mother's Day and we had fifteen people coming over for a turkey dinner.

I just kept telling myself that the day would soon be over, as I swilled back water. Gradually I felt better. I didn't drink a thing, because the family members that showed up...didn't drink!~

I mentally compared our Mother's Day gathering to the wedding the day before. Which is most normal? 

As  I watched the kids play, and we laughed over family stories, ate good food....I already knew the answer.....

Mother's Day, May 9th 2015 was my day 1. Today is my day 70.

Have a fantastic weekend

xx.