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?

[Exisonfire]

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?

Holy - I haven't tried the spirits but the beer is lovely - had a lovely IPA this evening -Cipher Brew and dh loved Adnams Ghost ship - but it's fun working our way through them..

Evening all.

I tried a sloe and juniper cordial that claimed to substitute gin. It was basically Ribena. The kids liked it.

I have not lost weight, but I have been reading a lot more and I definitely think that is a good thing.

Hope that you're all doing well.

@MsMustDoBetter that's my experience with wines too - they are all too sweet.

5% off wisebartender with the code DRYJAN

Thanks to the PP who posted about Lee’s cold drink theory.

To update: I drank last night (planned) and yet again went overboard. I had two 175ml glasses of red, then a soft drink (only because we grabbed a quick bite at a place that didn’t serve alcohol, thank god), then two 125ml glasses of white, followed by half a bottle of prosecco when I got home. So about 14 units’ worth of booze basically. Why oh why am I unable to moderate myself and just have a couple? I’m starting to wonder whether I need to give up alcohol completely forever, but I really don’t want to do that. I want to be the sort of person who can enjoy a couple of nice glasses of wine with dinner and leave it at that!

I’m back off the booze today so I complete my four sober days this week. I’m almost looking forward to it...

I agree with Lee's cold drink theory but I'd extend it to any drink, I wonder whether it a soothing memory from when we were babies - drinking soothes babies - they can be fractious but the minute they start drinking they become quite serene. And I have observed Billy Connolly replace alcohol with a cup of tea - he even alluded to his passion for tea now rather that alcohol. Someone come's into your house to visit, they must have a drink, it doesn't have to contain alcohol, Mrs Doyle and her tea, people speak very passionately about tea and coffee - the wet stuff is very important. In my very ill thought through opinion a drink - any drink is more than just refreshment and so I can see how substituting another vessel of wet stuff can help deliver that soothing feeling to the brain.
It's something I've been thinking about could be utter nonsense of course, but I'd be interested in your thoughts.

@namechange2117 I think you are doing this the hard way. Most "experts" recommend a 30 day abstinence period before trying to change your drinking, even then moderating is not easy. It's really hard to stop once you have started and I think while your conscious mind really wants to moderate for rational reasons, your sub conscious does not agree and it is very persistent in convincing you.
You're going through a lot of emotional turmoil at the moment, don't add to it by berating yourself over your inability to moderate, it won't help - calling someone fat doesn't make them diet and be thin forever.
I'd suggest you take part in the alcohol experiment - it's a 30 day programme, you just take part by reading and watching their videos - the aim is not to drink but it's not a rule. Take care x

You're going through a lot of emotional turmoil at the moment, don't add to it by berating yourself over your inability to moderate

Leave I think you may be getting me mixed up with another poster who also has “namechange” in their user name!

I think 30 days of abstinence is probably the best way of doing this, but I just don’t feel capable of that right now. Plus having four days off each week will, I hope, establish a more achievable habit (for me) that I can keep up long term. If only I could stop binge drinking on the days I do drink I’d be laughing! I’m going to try really hard on Saturday and Sunday - I’d love to get down to 30 units this week.

To those doing dry January who are planning to start drinking in moderation in February, how do you envisage that looking, in terms of numbers of days off and units per week? How does it compare to your drinking habits before?

I had a rubbish day at work yesterday and decided I wanted wine so bought a bottle of red. Got three quarters through the first glass which took me over an hour to drink then decided I didn't want any more. Was actually missing my usually hot chocolate.
This has never happened in all the years I have been drinking. So even though I missed a day of being alcohol free I was very pleased I was able to stop.

@namechange21117 - yes you are right, I have confused you with namechangedyetagain - need to re read the entire thread now! Apologies to you both!

That’s impressive Dragongirl - well done!

No worries Leaveby!

@namechange2117 - looks like we are in the same situation. I am not abstaining but aiming to change my drinking habits so that I have at least 3 or 4 AF days (rather than drinking daily!) and then cutting down at weekends.

Hi @Canshopwillshop! How’s it going for you so far?

I’ve done Mon to Weds AF for the last couple of weeks and so far finding it ok. I’ve been trying various AF wines which are helping even though some are not that great. I just need to train my brain not to expect alcohol every sodding day and I sleep much better on my AF nights.

I’ve got the ‘Drink free days’ App which I’m finding quite helpful as it reminds me when it’s an AF day and gives me stars when I achieve my goal
How about you?

Well done Carshop - that's great progress! Were you drinking seven nights a week before? I was drinking seven nights last year so urgently needed to cut back. I'm loving the better quality sleep too.

Agree about the AF wines - I haven't found any that I've enjoyed as they're all so sweet. The AF beers are much better, but I am naturally more of a wine drinker.

I wasn't aware of the Drink Free Days app, but just downloaded it and it looks great - thanks for that! Apparently when I was drinking seven days a week, the amount of calories I was consuming through alcohol was equivalent to eating 84 chocolate bars a month! I'm also saving £260 a month just by cutting down apparently.

namechange - my biggest change, I hope, will be to only have one or two glasses when I open a bottle - not the whole thing!
Friday night need not necessarily mean alcohol, especially if I'm not going out. DD has ballet on a Saturday at 9.30 so I need to be able to take her without feeling the need to breathalyse myself!

That's a great incentive not to drink (or just have a glass or two) on Fridays weebarra!

I feel awful today thanks the the hangover, so shouldn't find it too hard to refrain tonight. My hangovers are definitely getting worse with age!

Leaveby you are spot on about the psychology of drinks - for me THE most important drink of the day has always been that first cup of tea or coffee - absolute MAGIC and has this incredible effect :-)
Namechange - I am like you in that I know I struggle to have just one or two glasses. I’ve reduced and tried to moderate before but although partially successful have never got to where I want to be.
I am doing dry jan as a total reset, I hope, but realistically know that I will probably need longer than 31 days to achieve this so am in fact aiming to get to 66 days dry which I hope I’ll have broken the habit.
Whether I then go full Lee Mack or try to moderate, we shall see.
Interestingly, the first time I successfully went dry was immediately after my father died. I knew it was going to be a very challenging time, and especially as I was going to be spending the first few weeks with my mother to support her and I decided I could not do it unless I was mentally all there. If you’d told me beforehand I would have thought I would drink more but in fact I needed to be 100% with it and that was a great motivator for me.
I know you are in a different situation but wanted to share as that experience made me realise that wine was not my friend or a support, in reality.
PS Nice post on Twitter today from Marian Keyes the author - had her last drink 25 years ago and encouraging everyone on dry jan saying that you can have an incredible life without alcohol which I thought was very cheery!

I don’t want to bring this thread down, but I’m not convinced im personally benefitting from abstinence. It’s easier than the past two times I’ve done DJ but I feel I’m going to drink just as much as I did before, because frankly I kind of want to, even though I’m ashamed of it. I’m enjoying sleeping better ( although I slept worse in the beginning)and the internal smugness I feel by “being strong “ but I’m struggling to imagine any lasting improvement

@Namechange2117 - yes, I was generally drinking 7 days a week with the odd AF day thrown in. Wine is my drink too but I agree that AF beer is generally better than AF wine. I’ve never drunk tea/coffee/hot choc etc in the evenings. I’m glad you like the Drink free app. It does help to get that reminder of your ‘pledge’ and of course the star when you’ve achieved your goal. I was shocked to discover when I first put my normal drinking into the app that it came to 59 units! Ive got it down to about 35 with the AF days but obviously need to reduce more.

MrsGrindah - were you drinking a huge amount before DJ, if you don’t mind me asking? I’m just wondering if you were consuming enough alcohol before to notice any tangible benefits from going dry.

Canshop - that’s fantastic, you’ve almost halved the number of units you were drinking previously!

Yes I was drinking every day at least one gin and tonic and half a bottle of wine. And have done for probably the past two years.

@MrsGrindah, what improvements were you hoping for? - how did you think you were going to benefit from Dry Jan when you started, did you feel you benefitted more the last couple of times you complete it?

I suppose I was hoping that it would make me realise drinking was a habit rather than a pleasure. But I miss it so I’ll probably go straight back on it as I did before

I think alcohol is a pleasure for me,, it causes very few issues in my life - if it wasn't for the potential health implications I'd probably keep going too - it's taken me a while to feel like that.