Sober in October

I have done this once before (a couple of years ago) and a bit like pregnancy/childbirth, the minute it’s over you forget what a pain it was, until you decide to do it again.

What was I thinking? | roughwighting

Lockdown saw the Spicer family move from aiming not to drink at home from Monday to Thursday, to aiming for alcohol free Mondays. This was fine for the period of lockdown (well not really, but it was a very trying time), however we have carried on in the same manner ever since, which means it’s been a fairly relentless six months on the booze front.

25 of the greatest Absolutely Fabulous quotes, darling

I thought it was time to have a little look at my relationship with alcohol and it made rather uncomfortable viewing, so I decided I needed to push the re-set button in terms of weekly number of alcohol units consumed. Sadly moderation is not a concept I have ever been really comfortable with, which means I have to adopt a zero tolerance policy in order to break a pattern of behaviour and then adopt a more moderate course, once the default setting has been changed.

So it’s Day 12 and it feels like it’s going to be a very long month. I would like to be able to say that other members of the family have joined me in a gesture of support, but that would be a lie. They are cheerfully carrying on as usual and I am trying really hard not to hope they choke on their pint of Rebellion/glass of red wine/gin & tonic (please delete as applicable).

In the face of a 2nd lockdown most people stock pile loos rolls & pasta – not my husband

It is also interesting to see how many friends are keen to help me cheat on the basis that they won’t tell anyone if I have a cheeky glass of fizz with them – it’s OK because no one will know. I found that a particularly sobering thought, because how soon could hiding having had a drink from those I’d told I was going booze free for a month, become hiding how much I was drinking more generally.

Nothing to see here Move along now - Kermit The Frog Drinking Tea | Meme Generator
It’s tea – honestly

I think if I can go a month without a drink, then it means I am still in control of when & what I drink, which means I can carry on drinking, albeit probably at a more moderate pace. Which is great news as the only thing that would be worse than being sober in October, is thinking I might have to be sober for evermore.

I’ll drink to that – but not until 1st November.