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Original poster

I’ve drank like a b%$tard for a lot of 2018, going to do my first complete dry January as of tomorrow. Join me?

646 replies

Exisonfire · 31/12/2018 09:20

As it says in the title.

2018 hasn’t been kind to me, and the drink has been relied upon far too much.

I’m fed up of moping, and want to kick start a better year with my first ever complete dry January tomorrow.

Who’s in?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Orlandointhewilderness · 09/01/2019 21:21

I have beaten the wine witch!!!! God that took some doing though - there is a cold bottle of prosecco in the fridge.

MrsGrindah · 09/01/2019 21:28

Omg just back from a night out....aren’t drunk people boring?! I’m quite shocked that that’s how I must sound too

ColouringPencils · 09/01/2019 21:49

Well done Orlando! You could take it out of the fridge tomorrow, so it's not all chilled and tempting when you get home from work.

It's only 9.40 but I am considering Day 9 done. I've realised there is only quite a short window of temptation for me between about 6 and 8.30, so after that it is all downhill. Day 10, here we come.

Whoever said up-thread that you only have to ride a craving out for 6 minutes, that has really blown my mind! Surely you can do anything for 6 minutes. I am going to try and apply that theory to eating too as I eat way too much.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General food
ColouringPencils · 09/01/2019 21:59

@Calphurnia, not sure about podcasts but I read the Russell Brand book Recovery and found it resonated with me. I don't think i am an alcoholic, but I would say I have addictive tendencies. It is based on AA so you might hate it. One of the main things I took from it - which is not an original idea - is that the opposite of addiction is connection. I think being connected does help. I am an introvert, so I crave solitude and it is a bit of a juggling act I think, I can go too far into myself. I think that's why this chat helps, and Mumsnet in general (as much as a lot of MN drives me mad).

I don't know if it is an audiobook, but I find his voice very annoying so I think I would rather read it anyway!

Screamqueenz · 09/01/2019 22:30

Went and did a dance class tonight after WW (3.5lbs down in a week!).

Didn't get home until gone 9, which feels too late to start drinking for me. I'm not feeling the urge at the moment, but we're out to dinner on Friday, which might be a challenge.

Currently feeling good though, so hopefully I can keep it up for the next 3 weeks.

namechange2117 · 09/01/2019 22:55

I’ve discovered that another benefit of not drinking is that I can watch TV programmes properly and actually enjoy them - instead of completely forgetting what happened the next day because I was so drunk the night before. I watched the Sheridan Smith programme tonight and loved it.

DH pointed out that I’ve only drank two nights out of nine so far this year as well, which made me feel proud.

Well done everyone - I’m loving reading everybody’s updates, it’s so inspiring!

MrsPinkCock · 10/01/2019 10:15

Hello, mind if I join too?

I am accidentally doing dry(ish) January as I’m just sick of booze. Started on 1 Jan.

Only drank one day so far this year (social occasion) and I was drinking almost every day. Usually a full bottle of wine with only the odd day off and it didn’t touch me at all.

I haven’t lost any weight yet even though I’ve been dieting too and eating/drinking about 1000 cals less per day (literally haven’t even lost a pound Angry) and my sleep is still crap, takes me a couple of hours to drift off (I’ve been like that for four years). So energy levels haven’t improved yet. And my anxiety is still the same. So slightly feeling like alcohol wasn’t affecting me all that badly!

Hoping in the longer term for better results 🤞 I haven’t craved alcohol at all so that’s a good sign. And I do feel happy about how easy it has been to reset my brain, for now at least!

FetchezLaVache · 10/01/2019 11:05

Welcome, @MrsPinkCock!

Orlandointhewilderness · 10/01/2019 12:48

This thread has been so good to keep morale going. If I ever waver then I just pop in and it really helps.

MrsPinkCock · 10/01/2019 12:54

Thank you @FetchezLaVache!

I’ve just been to Aldi and picked up a bottle of the Zero Point Zero for a weekend treat, hope it’s as good as you lot say! Grin

Orlandointhewilderness · 10/01/2019 15:21

I must admit I am dreading the weekend - I have NO willpower!!!!

Screamqueenz · 10/01/2019 17:35

Off work tomorrow and on my own tonight, would usually have me reaching for a bottle, but my plan is to have a pamper evening, quick tidy round the house then an early night.

I had to get up early this morning so was woken by the alarm again, hopefully tonight I'll be able to catch up on some sleep.

Right, off to walk the hounds, keep busy everyone Thanks

namechangedyetagain · 10/01/2019 18:13

Have been good all week and not touched a drop. However tonight I can feel myself giving in so I'm posting here to try and distract myself for the 6 minutes...
Just a shitty day. Thursday which I hate (the day DB passed) went to see DGM who has dementia and I can't believe that in such a short space of time the disease has robbed of us her. She's in a nursing home now and my wheelchaor bound DGF is left in their bungalow on his own after 72 years of marriage. And his bloody carers didn't arrive until gone 3 to get him up for the day today.

I just feel so low with everything. Life itself, winter, worry about my dc , missing DB so much it's physically painful.

I'm allowing myself to drink on a weekend but id love a g&t and a snuggle under a blanket on the sofa cuddling the dog.

Screamqueenz · 10/01/2019 18:17

Name, I find cuddling dogs very therapeutic, try it without the g&t and see how you get on.
What kind of dog have you got? Would you post a pick?
Here is a photo of me cuddled up with one of my fur babies at Christmas.

I’ve drank like a b%$tard for a lot of 2018, going to do my first complete dry January as of tomorrow. Join me?
leaveby10 · 10/01/2019 19:35

My bastard dog only cuddles when he's cold - we need to turn the heating off before he'll come sidling over looking for some human warmth, he really isn't a proper dog!

namechangedyetagain · 10/01/2019 22:11

I can't seem to attach a photo but gave the sofa cuddle a miss as I caught him eating poo 🤮
I didn't have a gin though so I'm really pleased with that. I know I will tomorrow but I'm happy with 5 days AF every week. I think I might be able to keep that up longer

Screamqueenz · 10/01/2019 22:20

Great job name!

erm12345 · 10/01/2019 22:27

Another day done ✅

No real positives to report BUT my trick to not drink really does work.

I find getting up for work so utterly shit and depressing. So when I waiver I imagine doing so with a hangover and looking even more grotesque that I currently do.

At least when I’ve not had a drink the following day my haggardness and bad moods belong to me and I don’t feel guilty for inflicting it upon myself with booze.

Don’t know if that all makes sense?!

DH thinks I’ll cave tomorrow night, however I’m going to focus on facing the dance mums when I take my daughter to her classes. Usually I have to drag myself after a Friday night blow out.

leaveby10 · 10/01/2019 22:36

Finding the nights he goes out or works away more difficult, wine has been keeping me company and that will be one of my biggest challenges in Feb, no more solo midweek drinking.

MsMustDoBetter · 10/01/2019 23:27

Day 10 and still dry.

Love reading all of your posts, it really does help. I am thinking a lot about a Friday night bottle glass of wine, but after catching up on this thread I want to resist.

Good luck for the weekend all.

namechange2117 · 11/01/2019 00:14

So I went to the pub tonight with DH and a couple of friends - and actually managed not to drink! It helped that one of my friends is three months pregnant so she’s off the booze too; and that the pub had some decent non-alcoholic beers. Still, I’m proud of myself for not hitting the wine when temptation was all around.

I’ve done five nights sober and will be drinking tomorrow but trying to do so in moderation - I really don’t want to lose yet another Saturday to a hangover.

namechange2117 · 11/01/2019 07:26

Also, sorry to hear what you’re going through namechanged Flowers

Screamqueenz · 11/01/2019 09:59

Well done name, I haven't braved the pub yet, but we are out tonight, so that will be a test for us. Just DH and I out for dinner at the local bistro, but we always have a couple of bottles and then roll home.

Loads to discuss this evening though, DH is setting up a new business and YSS is currently in Cambridge having an interview for a college for next year (he didn't get his first choice so this is a second chance for him).

Good luck for the weekend everyone!

FetchezLaVache · 11/01/2019 09:59

Good work, namechange!

My sugar craving has abated, I've lost 2lb and my skin is definitely less shit. My sleep is still no better, but I feel a bit brighter all the same. Possibly psychological?

dragongirlx · 11/01/2019 10:15

I am finding it so much easier to get up in the morning which is helping my mood tons. I have survived a three day period/ tension headache without turning to drink to get me through. I will find the weekend a little more challenging but am going to buy myself a bottle of some nice soft drink to get me through