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!

@anonengland okay we need a plan. When is going to be the real pinch point? For me it’s 5-8. Once we are past 8 I wouldn’t bother. Do you have a ‘cut off’? Can you say ‘once I get to X it is not going to bother me?’

As for coping with the anxiety and needing a relaxer I really can’t recommend the Epsom salts enough. I found the idea in here dry Jan 3 years ago and still love it. Lots of us said the same thing; used right they have the most soporific, relaxing property. You have to use a good amount (we all resorted to buying them from amazon in large quantities!!) like 6 cups. You can’t use any other soap or bubble bath but you can use essential oils. You soak for at least 30 minutes. It does some ‘drawing’ of toxins and the first week we used them everyone said they had the best sleep ever. I’m ordering some today - it’s worth a try?

Bad sleep in dry January tends to be the first 5 days then a huge shift happens and you sleep the best sleep ever. Honest.

All good here on day 2. I think I will be fine until probably next Thursday when I finish work. Then I seem to have zero will power.

Also have a Christening mid January and they all love a drink (staying over too). So that will be tricky...

Day 5 here but I'll reset to day 2 to keep it simple.

Well done everyone who has made it, tried it or thought about it.
Hope you feel better @ParanoidGynodroid

@anonengland anxiety is horrible. Keep in there and hopefully going dry will help with it. Have you tried any meditation apps? Insight Timer is a really good one.

@nomorewineever

Thank you so much. I feel if I can get through until Monday I will feel like I can carry on.

I've drink heavily since July when my mum had an accident. It's really starting to affect my relationships. I've stopped going out and all my hobbies. Just kept existing it's been horrible.

I feel better for getting through tonight.

Never tried Epsom salts but will definitely give it a go thank you.

I really appreciate the support very best wishes tonight to you

@breathmiller

Anxiety is physically and mentally draining at the minute. I had horrible thoughts on my first dry day yesterday.

Really chuffed I have got through tonight

Very best wises for your dry January

@anonengland
Thank you. You too.
You should totally be chuffed. Well done.

Feeling fine on day 2 and really haven't missed it at all so far. I can't remember the last time I went 2 days without a drink which is shocking but I'm feeling positive and determined at the moment. Also hoping to lose some weight which is all concentrated around my middle, and which I put down to booze as my diet and lifestyle is pretty healthy otherwise. Hope everyone else is doing ok tonight.

I NEED to do this. These last few months have seen me easily polishing off a bottle (and then well into the second) everyday for months.

I bought seedlip in preparation but tonight (despite being my day 1) I've had two gins. That speaks volumes. I need to stop. Do I want to stop. No I don't but my kids don't like me drinking, my OH HATES it.

I'm going to give it a go to reset. I've read a couple of books about it and I must be brutally honest that the thought of NEVER drinking again fills me with horror because I like it. No I love it. Rosé in the summer, a glass of wine in hand whilst cooking, a cold glass of wine when I get home from a stressful day.

I need to reset. Thank you for this thread. It's what I needed

myhandsareverycold I love drinking too so I really want to do this to reset. I think I'll be having early nights with a book to get through the next few days instead of watching tv when I'd normally be having a drink.

I'm a bit late to the party (pardon the pun 😉)but would like to join too please. I have found myself becoming too reliant on a chilled glass of wine or three on most evenings and know it's not good for me. I don't sleep well when I've been drinking and it makes me feel anxious. I don't seem to have an 'off' switch once I start, I'm amazed how quickly a bottle of wine can be guzzled!

I've got a lot of events coming up and doubt I will not stick to it 100% , but just being on here and being accountable will help massively. I took all the wine our of the fridge and put it in the garage, and I'm already looking forward to having a clear head in the morning and am going to order some Epsom Salts so I can have a relaxing bath tomorrow evening...

I’m in. Day 2 here. Working towards completing January, but mostly doing 1 day at a time. 5-8 is the hard part.
I work in an environment surrounded by wine and I’m a daily drinker. 😑
Buckle in people!

@BrunoLovesMe me too. Not drinking so I don't smoke. But I was using a glass of wine every evening as an excuse to smoke.

Reckon I'll start to struggle around day 3 on smoking front. Full of head cold at the moment. Am telling myself I owe it to me and dc to look after myself.

Day 2, had a stressful day and wanted a drink, so had an AF beer instead. It was so good. Brooklyn Special Effects. Really recommend it if you have that 'tonight I want a real drink' urge.

I'm in! Done dry Jan a few times so know I can do it. We're away for weekend 17-19 so will have a couple of wines then but will carry on til 8th Feb when it's DH's works do. Got 4kg to lose so this will help! Good luck everyone

Day 1 here.
I dont want to do this at all. Dont seem to have much ill effects from it. The only thing I can think of is that's I'll be a more pleasant patient and energetic mother. Much as I love dc that's not much of a draw, selfishly I want something for ME the family already wrings every bit life force from me and my evening drinks are me time . Because it is easy and quick to unwind no more effort no more thinking. Even remembering to buy Epsom salts and allow for the water to hear up enough is making me groan in my head.
God, such a selfish ungrateful cow full of self pity. I'm just venting, sorry. Someone give me a kick up the arse

Like many on here, I do love a drink. So my head is telling me if I want to continue with the special ones, I better cut out the habitual ones or I'll use up my life time quota.
Same strategy for not squandering away money so I have enough left for the things I actually want. That's the gameplan.

I’d like to join - my wine intake is creeping up and it’s reflected in weight gain. I’d really like to reset and reverse the pattern so my non drinking days are more often than my glass or two of wine days.
Some helpful advice on this thread already, thank you.

Day 2 ✔️ Friday night much bigger challenge

Hi, may I join? :)

Day 1 for me, as DP and I had our NYE celebrations last night. Like many others I'm pressing reset. We normally have 4 AF days per week, but I've been tending to make up for it on the other three (when I will usually put away at least ten units). It's getting to the point at which a whole bottle of wine plus half a bottle of Prosecco is nothing out of the ordinary.

Did DJ last year and really enjoyed it, but found it frighteningly easy to slip back to old habits...

DP won't be joining me, so I'm planning to dust off my SodaStream and have lots of lovely soda water with cordial in a fancy glass with ice and fruit, Nosecco and similar plus Ceder's Wild, an AF gin I asked for for Christmas in anticipation.

Also joining - although today is day 8 for me.

Scarily I don't think I have gone that long without alcohol since I was pregnant with DS (11)

Have been drinking far too much recently and blaming it on stress - am another one that needs a reset

Well I suck at this. Took my daughters out for the evening and caved when the eldest offered to buy me a drink. Failure on day two 🙈
I didn’t actually enjoy it or even finish it and feel rubbish for having to come on here and admit to succumbing already.
Am going to reset tomorrow and will carry on to 2nd of February

Day 2 😇 especially as DH drinking.

I'm in. Need to reset my drinking habits. That fact that people laugh when i mention DJ is bringing out the stubborn in me which is helping. Distracted myself this eve with some crochet and then by doing the huge pile of washing up. Having issues logging onto the app but will persevere

I'm in too, end of day 2

@7Days what you've said describes exactly how I feel, I don't want to do this particularly and love the instant quick relaxation a glass of wine brings but I also still want to have a couple of drinks on special occasions and I'm not getting that distinction at the moment

I'm in - I've huddled with the penguins previously and am ready to do it again.

I'm in but starting on 6th as currently still on holiday