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?

Mrs Car, don't worry, I'm glad you're feeling better.
Jamie, less tired and good skin is great, could you drink carbonated flavoured water?
We've got a soda stream so I use that to make fizzy water to mix with fruit juice, but I'm easily drinking a couple of litres a day.

I'm here again. Another terrible day, I've not reached for the wine yet (though it's only 4pm). I think the best I can hope for is a slightly less wet January.
Once the children are back at school next week and I'm back at work I won't be drinking during the week at least. Or eating my considerable weight in mince pies.
Just finding life very very hard

Going to get some Rubicon, better than pepsi.
Just craving sugar also
Would rather be drunk than have good skin
But scared of long term health issues
Am thinking one bottle a week isnt a bad target after january, what do you think?

Name be kind to yourself, if you need a glass dont beat yourself up at the moment x

Maybe I will later. Had an orange juice and lemonade just now. Driving tomorrow morning so won't be able to have a lot anyway. Struggling and I know alcohol isn't the answer but it does blot things out to an extent.

I'd say a bottle of week is ok Jamie.

Of course a bottle a week is fine. That's 10 units, afaik anything under 14 is okay (but do double check that)

I had slipped to 2 bottles per week, then 3 and sometimes alcopops too.

I'd be very happy to be able to stick to one bottle per week

I’ve been to the GP today and am being sent for blood tests and an abdominal ultrasound. My blood pressure is high. She asked me how much I drink as some of my symptoms can be caused by an inflamed liver .
Feeling really demotivated and struggling to feel positive today. I have take. The Xmas tree down and built one of DD’s Xmas presents today so I suppose that’s something!

I have taken even!

I could down a bottle a day with no effects. I have been drinking during the day over the Xmas holidays-I bloody enjoyed it as well. One bottle of Baileys in a day and a half, then bought another one. Had started to crave harder stuff.
@Zoflora I hope you're ok.
Yes I think one bottle a week gives something to look forward to. However I drink so quickly that I would open a bottle at 4 on Friday, have drunk it by 5 and be sober again by 6. Would deliberately not eat as it hits quicker.

God I'm alcoholic aren't I

Jamie I can drink a bottle in less than two hours easily. And I usually make dd’s tea and tell myself I’ll have something later. Except I don’t because I’m halfway down a bottle by 5pm and then I’m not hungry. Am I an alcoholic? I don’t know. I haven’t drank since New Years Eve (one glass of wine). But if there was a bottle in the house now I’d drink it. Does having a label help? I don’t know 🤷‍♀️. I do know I don’t want to carry on being like this and that I need a complete break.

It's only my second night and I already want to open a bottle of wine. My problem is not only to do with drinking but binge eating. I've put on 2 stones. I need to stop eating and drinking. How can I find my will power?

I'm not sure whether I'm eligible to join this thread, as I'm aiming to massively cut down my drinking this year rather than go completely dry for January.

I've gotten into increasingly bad habits with drinking, to the point where I've been consuming around 70-80 units per week last year. I'm so ashamed and worried for my health.

Anyway, I woke up on January 1 feeling absolutely horrendous with a dreadful hangover and resolved that this will be the year that I get my drinking under control!

I'm aiming to go dry from Monday to Thursday inclusive and then drink in moderation from Friday to Sunday. Initially my target is to get my drinking down to 20 units a week - still over the recommended limit I know, but a vast improvement on what I've been consuming last year.

So far I've not touched a drop on January 1st and 2nd and I'm not going to drink tonight either. I'm struggling a bit tonight as I'm feeling very groggy, despite cutting out the booze! I'm not really sure why that is, but I'm determined to get through tonight alcohol free.

Anyway, sorry if this isn't the right thread to post this on - I just needed to put it out there, somewhere!

Good luck everybody

Hi namechange I was drinking about the same a bottle a night is 70 units a week. I’ve tried the only drinking at weekends but I have a fuck it button that gets triggered driving home from work! So probably better for me to completely abstain for a while. Welcome though!

Funny how we can convince ourselves or find excuses to have a glass/bottle...

Mine were 'tomorrow is friday', wine was on special offer, I got good news, I got bad news, I had a hard day with the kids/at work and I deserve it, I don't smoke, I'm not overweight, I have my period (??), it's my birthday, anniversary, it's Christmas (even in November)

It's a very slippery slope, and very hard to break...

Thanks Zoflora! I can't believe how incredibly easy it is to fall into the habit of drinking a whole bottle - and sometimes more - a night. It's scary really, not to mention eyewateringly expensive. That's another reason I need to cut back - DH and I are really struggling for money at the moment and a £20 per day booze habit (between us) was certainly not helping matters.

However, I'm wondering why I'm still feeling so irritable and groggy this evening, despite not having drunk for the past 60 hours? NYE was a particularly heavy one this year...

I think it’s something to do with the lack of sugar from the alcohol and the cognitive effects of daily drinking. It can take 2-4 weeks apparently to regain your energy (thanks google!)

How long do you think before it feels ok not to drink a bottle of wine after dinner?

Evening everyone , I’ve eaten 3 Aldi caramel slices today must be the sugar cravings.

I was a bottle a night drinker too and it was starting to creep up to an extra glass after that, I have to stop before my liver packs up in front of me.

I’ve given up before and know how much better I feel , I have to bin the booze for good and keep telling myself DJ is just the start.

Jamie and Name look after yourselves both. I’ve gone past my witching hour a so another day chalked off, phew!

Glad of this thread thanks

HolyMountain 3 Aldi caramel slices sounds amazing. Sadly my arse is twice as big as I'd like it to be, so I can't even enjoy those.

So I'm having a gin. BUT I measured it out, used a whole bottle of tonic and made it pretty with lots of ice and grapefruit.
So just the one tonight.

Can I join? I’ve done DJ completely once before, but tried a few times and cracked. This year though I feel completely ready for it and so far not interested in drinking at all. My challenge will be when work starts properly again and there’s just the drudgery of it all....

Hi, may I join? This is Day 2 for me, as DP and I shared a bottle of fizz and some sauvignon blanc on New Year's Day evening.

I am so glad to have found my people - MN in general seems to faint clean away if anyone admits to consuming more than 14 units in a single week and I don't suppose I've had less than about 40/week (and sometimes a lot more than that) for a good few months (like many of you, a series of shit things happening that can only be faced through the bottom of a wine glass).

My main reason for doing DJ is that I feel like I'm starting to lose control of my drinking and that it's starting to affect my health, so I'm very pleased to hear that it will reset my booze button - thanks for the link, DannyBoy! Also very pleased to hear that Aldi do a decent alcohol-free fizz. This will make DJ less painful!

[waves] to everyone.