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?

I dropped from £29k to £9k and had to go onto benefits for the first time in my life. However my previous job was a major source of stress and I was paying out lots on child care and travel.
I made a choice to have a simpler life and put myself first for a bit. It’s not easy financially at all but I do feel better in myself. I was close to breaking and I can’t do that as I need to be here for my dd.
I understand about hanging onto things, I’m exactly the same. I read Marie Kondo (bit weird in places!) and decided to only keep things that are needed and that I like. So many things are just ‘there’ and they’ve sat there for years. It does feel good when you clear some space out.
I like my new job, I’ve enjoyed meeting new people and I’ve started to make a few friends.
It’s been a massive readjustment because this isn’t the way I envisioned my life to be. But it is the way it is. If I only focus on the negative and things lost then I will miss out on the good things and what I’ve gained through all of this.

Next step for me is to take control of my drinking. And recognise it isn’t my friend.

One day at a time, one step at a time or you could get overwhelmed.

Evening all. to Jamie and to Zoflora. I wish youboth great success this year. x

Day 7 here so if it helps I can say that the early days of feeling low and bleak do pass, I promise. Your body is still coming down if you really went for it on the 31st. You will start to feel brighter and more positive soon. It's no fun though when you are in the middle of it.

Just back from my best friend's birthday dinner- an early one because we all have young DCs. I had 2 virgin mojitos and a gorgeous chocolate mousse and I am feeling really good. Content. Momentary pang when everyone split a bottle of sauvignon but it passed in the blink of an eye.

It might be helping, but I am listening to the audio hypnosis cd of Allan Car's Easy Way to Stop drinking every night. I usually fall asleep during it, but can honestly say I have had no cravings worthy of note in the past 7 days.

Hope everyone is well tonight.

I’m on my own too, also took a pay cut a year back to put the DC first and while I don’t regret the decision it’s not done my self esteem any favours.

The evenings are super hard.

Hang in there people.

Lemon squash and sparkly water here as I’ve run out of milk so no tea

Oh, that Alan Carr sounds like a good idea, I'll see if I can download it. Thank you.

Oh my goodness. I've already caved and let myself down and let you down.

Friend came round this afternoon and we talked about my DB and how awful it all is. I then made dinner and opened the wine. Then dh came back and we talked about the point of it all - life is just a slog. Then you die.

So we drank the rest of the bottle and now I'm having a g&t.

I realise I'm a failure but I'm not sure I can get through this without a drink. I just don't know where else to turn for help.

name you are not a failure, you’re grieving.

I'm in. The hangover is simply not worth it.

I've been alternating days with a drink over the holiday period and stuck to about 1/3 bottle wine on alcohol days. So not too bad overall.

I’m not doing a dry January but I’m going a limit of two drinks when I go out period
Don’t want to be drunk anymore happy with tipsy

Name, give yourself a break, grief is not something you can just get over.

Just start dry January afresh tomorrow, no-one is judging you, this is a thread for support.

I want to be better though. I want to be me again. But I fear I'll never, ever, be me again. Not as I was. I've lost my better half of me and I won't be able to make that right.

I'm going to try again tomorrow.

At the moment just keep getting through each day. Of course it will change you, how could it not?

It will get easier (I know it doesn't feel like that now), but it will never go away completely. Just remember that your brother would want you to be happy.

Day 3 and I already feel better able to cope with work and the stresses it brings.

I'm also managing to organise myself better, taking make up off every night and getting back into a beauty regime.

Slept 6 hours 37 minutes, but DH woke me up shouting at the dogs, so probably could have gone longer.

I'm going to take a make up free (& filter free) selfie every morning to see if there really is a difference by the end of jan.

The zeropointzero i will look for. I will have a cup of tea at home with some cake but its my good friends birthday in a week and she is having a girls night at hers so a glass of 'fizz' will make me feel part of it more

Plus last time I went out with my friends I fell over!!!!

Sleeping 12 hours but am on antipsychotics and a mood stabiliser any way.
Woke up again with sinking feeling of dread at getting through another day. Cpm here tomorrow.
I cant take antidepressants. Just want to go back to bed and could sleep all day

@Zofloramummy thank you! Alcohol is not my friend. She might have been at one point, but she's a shit friend right now, so I need to reduce my contact

calph I hear you, that friend needs deleting and blocking !!

jamie you are understandably in a lot of pain, be as kind to yourself as possible and as other posters have said, take each day at a time. Grief and shock are very consuming.

I’m decently sure that reducing/stopping alcohol intake is beneficial BUT don’t be hard on yourself during this time - not at all to discourage.

Take support where you can and keep talking. Xx

Getting a serious headache here, I'm drinking loads of water and eating fruit so I doubt it's dehydration.
Perhaps I'm just catching the cold that everyone seems to have come back to work with.

Feeling the benefits already today.

Was up and out early this morning, with a lovely clear head.

I'll miss it tomorrow night... planning a bath and a hot chovolate.

Sorry Scream, my post looks insensitive after yours.

Hope you feel better soon

Can I make a late appearance?
I have some really awful lurgy at the moment and have barely eaten or drunk since NYE day time (so have been 'dry' but that's hardly an achievement!).

I seem to catch everything going at the moment and have had 3 or 4 bugs in quick succession. Want to start a healthier lifestyle this year to try to stay well!

Craving, went to shop for cider but it was closed.
Does anyone else struggle with the need to physically drink fluid? Ive had 2 diet cokes and a cappucino, its the drinking large amounts i miss as well.
Very grouchy and depressed. I wonder if this is withdrawal.
Less tired and skin looks clearer.