Dry January 2020 thread 2... keeping it dry!

[ParanoidGynodroid]

Thread two to help us continue to share the love (and dryness)

Keep going, everyone... good luck

Welcome @ulvie

Saturday night and still dry. I've had a few cravings today which I haven't had for a few days but I'm not giving in.

Welcome @ulvie
I like that way of thinking. Not the end of dry January but the beginning of a new way of thinking about alcohol.

I just had a fab dinner with friends round, so much laughter despite my lack of booze. And I won't wake up tomorrow and wonder if I made an arse of myself. Win win.

Although since its February I did let myself enjoy the olive out of one of my husband's famous martinis.

Hi all, thanks for all of your support during dry January. I had a special occasion last night and got disgustingly drunk. I spent the end of the evening with my head in a bucket. Normally I can control my drinking so that was a real shock, I just couldn't stop. This is definitely it for me now, I clearly can't moderate myself any more. I dread to think about how much I spent on alcohol! Now I'm wide awake and really cross at myself for getting so drunk.

Hi @Squeekycheese - I'm thinking the same after last night - also really cross with myself. I had a can of g&t at the cinema, which was nice but nothing special. Came home, had one g&t and didn't stop there - had two more after that. What's really irritating is that the last two I really didn't enjoy as much as the first. And I didn't enjoy the rest of the evening as much as usual - didn't appreciate my dinner, couldn't focus on the TV properly. And I feel rough this morning. So, I need to hold onto those feelings and use that as a way of controlling what I drink. In the short term, back on the wagon!

Hi MaudesMum, thanks for your reply. I'm feeling really rough but determined to stop drinking for good. I'm really glad that I was sick as I wouldn't be in this mindset now if I'd drank sensibly. I'm the same as you in that I don't actually enjoy drinking alcohol after the first glass of wine and I hate the feeling of being tipsy. It's ruined this morning now too. That's it, no more for me!

Yep, I’m getting back on the wagon too. Had 4 glasses of wine yesterday and feel rough this morning. I liked the sober me.

I imagine there will be a lot of people who have done dry January and then feeling rough today from drinking last night. I certainly have in past years.

The good thing is it's quite a good way of reminding you why you were doing dry January.

It doesn't mean you can't continue on with being dry or dry-er. Just see it as a blip or something to learn from and move on.
And be kind to yourselves. None of us would be here on this thread if we didn't all find it difficult to have a measured relationship with alcohol.

Morning all,

We had our bottle of wine last night, a much more expensive one than we would normally buy, it was enjoyable. The main negative impact was that I woke up in the night to go to the loo and couldn't get back to sleep. We had already decided to cut back substantially and drink more mindfully, last night confirmed this.

Our old monthly expenditure was 8 x £10 bottles of wine plus a £30 bottle of gin, so about £110 for home drinking. The odd night out would be in addition to this. We had just slipped into the habit of drinking wine aimlessly every Friday and Saturday plus the odd G&T during the week. So we've decided that we will now treat ourselves to one £20 bottle of wine every couple of weeks and really enjoy it.

Thank you @Breathmiller and @myhandsareverycold

Virtual wave

Thanks @Breathmiller, that was nice to read as have been feeling annoyed with myself this morning. I really enjoyed my first few glasses last night and then ended up drinking a whole bottle which is more than I usually did before doing DJ! Those first few glasses made me drunker than they used to and lowered my willpower and I ended up drinking more than I should have. And then my healthy eating went out of the window last night and this morning. Ugh. I'm going to make sure that was a blip and stick to half a bottle max only on weekends.

@Winecheesesleep

If we had had more alcohol in the house last night, I think I would have drank more. The test for me will be when we go out, or on holiday and there is a bar, therefore the option to keep going.

As @Breathmiller says, it's just a reminder of why you did Dry January and why you are looking at how and why you drink. The upside is that you will now remember how shit you felt about drinking and it will put you off doing it again. I remember when I quit smoking about 15 years ago, I had lots of slip ups along the way before finally quitting for good. I think the journey from being an over drinker to an occasional drinker will be similar.

You've taken 50 steps forward and 1 step back. You're still 49 steps further along than you would have been if you hadn't decided to embark on cutting back drinking .

That's a great way of putting it ulvie

I too suffering from over indulging last night. I was at a party and shared three bottles of Prosecco with two others (so drank a bottle) and then had another glass.
I woke at 4am in a panic (I hadn't realised how much my anxiety had improved throughout dry jan) and have felt awful all day.
The worst thing is that one of the people I went to the party with didn't drink (because she enjoyed dry jan so much) so why didn't I just join her and stay dry?

Thanks @ulvie that's a great way to think about it

I poured away half a can of beer last night. I never would have done that before, would have drunk it even if I didn't want it just to not 'waste' it but this time I just thought nah, I don't feel like finishing it and poured it away.

I had plenty on Friday, less yesterday.
Today incredibly unmotivated to do anything.
Had that horrible anxious feeling. Started in my gut, rather than my mind but was willing to take over there too.
Incidentally, my 2 biggest barriers in life. I cant count the different ways being a lazy procrastinator and fearful of everything has impacted my life.
It's a big flashing neon light.

What a learning curve

Ha! Natsku

Not beer, but I have half a chocolate torte leftover from last night sitting in front of me and was just going to eat it to use it up. But, you know what? I'm full and not really enjoying it.

Its no more 'wasted' by putting it in the bin than in my belly. (Its vegan and gluten free so no one else in the house wants it).

It's the same thought process. Better the beer down the sink and this dessert in the bin than finishing it just for the sake of it.

Very true, no more wasted in the bin than in a belly that doesn't want it.

Went out for dinner last night. Cocktails (just one small one) then wine. I feel like I don't want to drink again ever. My stomach feels sore and bloated and my head feels tight and mouth is dry. It's put me off. I want herb tea tonight!

I'm feeling quite apprehensive about drinking again. Which is GREAT!

Don't want to get hooked again and sucked into bad habits

Don't have time for a hangover

Don't want to worry about what I might have/said done the night before

Don't want to be nagged at for drinking.

I'm finding this no drinking malarkey surprisingly liberating. I would never have imagined I would feel like this. The benefits of not drinking are far outweighing of drinking.

I am genuinely looking forward to not drinking tonight now that our weekend guests have gone home. That is a shift in mindset.

Where is everyone? How is everyone doing?

Hi myhandsareverycold I’m really enjoying this new freedom from alcohol. I feel I have the power to choose, and quite frankly I can’t be bothered drinking during the week anymore.

I also worked out that there is a good chance I could make it to 300 dry days this year, I’m aiming for somewhere around 275 as I know that’s realistic.

Im still here. I went out fir dinner tonight then as I was driving anyway because I wasn't drinking my teenage son and I went to the cinema too. Previously I would have been keen to get home to have a glass of wine.
It opens up so many more possibilities.

And I had no guilt over a Monday night dinner out and cinema trip because, apart from being my regular day off I am not spending money every week on alcohol.

@Breathmiller that sounds like a lovely evening.