Dry January 2020. A new relationship with alcohol. Who’s joining me?

[ParanoidGynodroid]

It’s that time again!
I did my first dry January around 5 years ago, having seen it on here. It was a great thing to do: really helped my get control of my drinking. Since then I’ve done it every year, along with at least one or two other dry months.

DJ may help you:
Lose weight. ...
Get better skin. ...
Make healthier food choices. ...
Save money. ...
Sleep better. ...
Have more energy. ...
Improve your mood. ...
Improve your general health

and make you feel virtuous!

It’s not necessarily easy though, so it’s good to have support; especially if you’re feeling week and like you may give up. We can support each other here.

Join me!

Just checking in, I'm feeling thirsty this evening. I am trying to distract myself, but my mind keeps piping up with "can I have a drink now?"

IWillWearTheGreenWillow Don't get your hopes up too much about Rawson’s Retreat. I tried it last month and was really disappointed. I’d rather drink water.

I haven’t tried any other low alcohol wines as that was supposed to be the best.

DC bedtime is when I normally cave too. I've got plenty of alcohol free beers in the house, they're not as good as wine of course, but they satisfy the urge!

Rawsons Retreat is still 0.5% alcohol

Just checking in.... tired and sorting out school uniforms.

My house has never been so clean......

Day 6 for me too. I’m getting more done during the day but still not sleeping well. I was reading that the liver gets rid of more toxins whilst you sleep. Think my liver must be pretty toxic (as well as fatty).

Made it with the help of tonic and lime. I had the energy tonight to make some pea and mint soup and a salad for tomorrow’s lunch, instead of slumping on the sofa with a glass in hand. I really hope I sleep tonight though!

I've just washed down my dinner with Berocca as I read that long term alcohol drinking can make you deficient in B vitamins. Hoping this makes me feel more energetic.

Ordered more cordials with my food shop - pomegranate & rose, sloe & juniper and raspberry & vanilla.

It's a shame the AF white wines are all foul. I remember having a passable red whilst I was pg a few years ago. Also cider.

Finding today ok. I read this thread just for back up and it really helps

But wondering what’s going to happen longer term (do like to worry). Currently would be happy never to drink again - but that’s not realistic - just don’t want it all to creep up again.

Have just started reading one of the books recommended - the unexpected joy of being sober - and it really resonates.

Maybe need to build up longer term strategies over the rest of this month. Any ideas?

I’m still quietly here on Day 6. Going ok so far, but think that’s because I know a break is well overdue.

Same as many others, my dreams are extremely vivid and not very pleasant actually. Sleep is becoming easier though.

I’ve lost a couple of pounds. Now hoping my skin will improve as it’s so dry & patchy. Not forgetting a much less fatty liver on my wish list.

Yesterday I literally ate all day long! Today I've spent hours cooking and now I'm ready for bed! I think weekend days are tougher. But I'm definitely feeling the benefits

This thread is helping me. Knowing I’m not alone! I’m basically drinking more than i want to, and would like to drink less in the future.

Only day 2 here but feeling good about it. I know it's early days!

Two tips I've picked up on this thread which are really helping my mindset change around drinking are using the TryDry app and reading This Naked Mind. So thank you MN for these!

Well done everyone for getting to a week x

PS a tip from me is allow yourself a daily magnum until not drinking feels more the norm

Day 6. Bought myself some fruit pastilles today for my sugar cravings. Also bought some tangy wine gums which are delicious, am having to stop myself eating the whole bag tonight. Vivid dreams here too, not unpleasant though thankfully.

Can anyone who’s got it tell me how they know they have fatty liver syndrome? Is it permanent? I do find myself worrying about my poor old liver!

@nibdedibble I found this on the NHS website

*Drinking a large amount of alcohol, even for just a few days, can lead to a build-up of fats in the liver.

This is called alcoholic fatty liver disease, and is the first stage of ARLD.

Fatty liver disease rarely causes any symptoms, but it's an important warning sign that you're drinking at a harmful level.

Fatty liver disease is reversible. If you stop drinking alcohol for 2 weeks, your liver should return to normal.*

I almost wish I hadn't searched for it. I'm worried I'll throw in the towel once the 2 weeks are up

The fatty liver warning has been very effective in terrifying so many of us !

Oh my god. I must have it. I wonder what’ll happen when it reverses...will we notice? I am pretty healthy on the surface!
(Thanks for Googling btw.)

We'll have skinny livers

Skinny livers for the win!! Makes a change from me stressing about my fatty belly. Hopefully skinny livers = skinny everything else

Boredom is definitely a factor for me.

My youngest son bought a keyboard today with his Christmas money as he's always wanted to learn so we spent the evening playing with it. I used to play piano a little when I was a kid and have always wanted to try again.

So for the last few hours after he went to bed I've been absorbed by learning chords from a You Tube tutorial. I had had the munchies and was thinking about what I could eat but I got so caught up in it that I totally lost track of time and forgot all about snacking.

So I need to find something to do to keep me occupied. Or more I need to keep my hands busy as being on my phone or watching telly makes me want to eat at the same time.

I feel I've opened up time and opportunity to spend my (non-working) evenings doing something more fun than drinking and eating and being a slug in front of a screen.

Day 9 done!

If you scroll back to p1 or 2 I posted a load about fatty liver. I have it. Diagnosed during an abdominal scan for something else. So does another DryJanner on here.

Please note that the above NHS advice about the two weeks isn’t quite right. It will START to go after two weeks of abstinence. It takes much longer to clear it. And if you’ve been drinking for a long time then those fat cells become cells that can’t be reversed - and that’s more serious liver disease.

You won’t know if you have it unless you’ve had an ultrasound or a HIDA scan. Regular blood Liver function tests are not indicative of early liver disease as your liver limps along despite being stressed for a long time before it will show in any other way other than a scan or a very specific type of blood test (can’t recall the name of it). It also generally causes no pain or symptoms.

The liver trust say that almost all people who drink over the recommended units (so around 4-5 units a day or more) for more than a couple of weeks, WILL have fat accumulation on their livers. The liver trust has a good website with lots of information on it.

Yep - it’s scary stuff.

@Blaziken
Thanks for the suggestion of berroca. I have it in the cupboard but probably a good time to use it up

@Nomorewineever

That is scary. Do you have symptom of the irreversible damage?

@Nomorewineever Thank you. Scary indeed!