DRY JANUARY 2021! This way please... all welcome

[HPLikecraft]

It’s that time of year again... the late Christmas present to our livers!

You may be thinking of doing Dry January to:

*detox a little after seasonal overindulgence, or
*help you cut down a bit generally, or
*help you start to get out of a harmful alcohol habit, or
*just be a bit healthier for a month...

It’s good for all of those things!

I find the MN DJ threads excellent for support, encouragement, sharing info,‘we’re in this together’ camaraderie, suggestions for grown up drinks, aversion techniques and just fun.

This is my fourth year of DJ and I swear it has made all the difference to me; it was so hard first time, but having succeeded I did dry June and October after that, and do so every year. It has broken my habit, banished the craving and reset my relationship with booze.

I won’t be finding DJ too difficult this year, but some will. Hopefully this thread will help.

Come climb aboard the wagon! 🙂☕️🧃

Unexpected side effect of dry January - my sex drive is increasing. Dh is very happy about that, as am I. Didn't quite get the early night I intended but woke up in a good mood anyway!

Banging hangover - dehydration I think. Woken up feeling crap about lots of stuff this morning. Also had vivid dreams. No cravings in the evenings as such. But I hit the biscuit tin pretty hard...

@HPLikecraft really vivid dreams absolutely wierd I actually remember them... Lots of weddings in them strangely... Memories... Random but yes one of the effects I've found are these dreams! Good luck for today everyone.

Not the best sleep last night...or, it took me ages to get to sleep. Kids have been staying up later, as they aren't at school, so we have to wait till later to watch child-unfriendly Netflix series, which we are totally engrossed in. It's nonsense action stuff, so you're always on the edge of your seat! Not the best thing to watch before bed. Had a good sleep when I did actually fall asleep though.

Good morning all!

Looks like some of you are feeling better in the morning than others.

If you’re feeling not too great, don’t worry, this will pass. As someone who started doing dry months a few years ago, when I had a much bigger habit, believe me this WILL pass, and your mornings will become brighter, fresher and healthier.
You’re detoxifying, and escaping the clutches of a drug; perhaps even overcoming a mental or physical dependency. It’ll be a little bit of a slog, but very worth it.
Alcohol is a poison. You really aren’t better off taking it.

Day 4 for me (and normally I'd just be starting DJ). 10% done! DH too (he is liking/putting up with 2 bottles of Peroni 0%).

I think I had a really dull dream just before I woke up (as that was my first thought!). I might need to find some racier reading material for bedtime reading.

I also have the shiny new Try Dry app on my phone. The one I was using last time was a bit dull.

I am not sure what to recommend to hashbrown. Have you checked your temperature/are you menopausal/is your bedroom a lot colder in this cold snap? If you think you are having withdrawal symptoms you probably need to phone your GP for advice as it doesn't sound as if your body is coping.

Hope everybody's Mondays go smoothly (despite home schooling for many).

Wishing those of you going back to work today extra strength, good wishes and willpower. The end of a busy or stressful day can make a little drink seem very appealing. Don’t give in!

I see the vivid dreams are starting for some. I really like this aspect, I find them very entertaining.🙂

Morning all: tougher yesterday with the threat of work ahead, and taking down the tree which feels like a reverse Baileys job ;-) But managed it, albeit with some help from Christmas chocolates. Onwards and upwards... I've downloaded TryDry: thanks for the recommendations!

Had a truly fabulous night's sleep, and due to restarting 16:8 after a day off I did not hit the Christmas chocs or anything last night. Am feeling very virtuous this morning.

@HPLikecraft

Hope you’re all doing well and staying strong tonight. Hope you can keep it together if you’re struggling. You’ll be pleased you did.

At midnight, end of day three, we’ll be 9.6% of the way through! That’s pretty good, a reasonable sized chunk.

Has anyone started to get vivid dreams yet? Those are sometimes an interesting side effect of alcohol free times!

Yes! Crazily real dreams last night!

Looks like I am bowing out of this thread! My DS behaved shockingly so when I dropped him off at his dad's at 7pm Friday, I started drinking straight away till the early hours, had a 12 hr break whilst I slept and started on it again Saturday.

I didn't realise how much I relied on alcohol as a stress relief so this thread has opened my eyes! Maybe another month for me!

Good luck everyone else

Start again today, @SuperPixie247 !

You only rely on booze because it’s been your habit up till now. It needn’t be.

Morning all. I hardly managed any sleep last night at all. I've had insomnia on and off all my life, so it's nothing new, but lately it's not been too bad (partly because I'm on three different soporific meds!). Feel all woolly-headed, dizzy and horrible today, and not sure if it's bug I have or the non-drinking.

In a really bad mood, too. And it's another day stuck in the house with DH, who's WFH but also sick and keeps coughing and complaining how crap he feels, which unfairly only makes me more annoyed.

I had a pint of Halo Top for breakfast...

SuperPixie don't leave this thread. Come back and enjoy the support you will get. I imagine this has been a bit of an eye opener for you - take this moment as the one that really made you see you need to reset your relationship with alcohol.

It's normal to have slips and lapses. We aren't all perfect. I've broken dry months twice. The thing is to do it consciously, knowing you're going to get straight back in the next day.

If your DS' behaviour is leading you into drinking a lot reflexively, you need this dry month more than ever, so get back in here with us. You can do it! And every day that you don't drink is a win - it isn't all or nothing.

Right day 1 today. Back to work tomorrow after almost 2 weeks off. DH said yesterday he probably won't bother with DJ that might make it interesting. Wednesday is probably my danger day. Wine Wednesday has been a thing for years as DH worked away from home but came back on Wednesday. I don't do AF alternative as I really only drink red wine and low alcohol is horrid. Good luck everyone

@SuperPixie247 I am a single parent to 3 dcs, I have days when all I can do to stop myself from going utterly insane due to one or the others behaviour is drink. There are times I have driven them to their dads and all that is in my mind is getting home, alone, to have wine. Their behaviour and my (sometimes) inability to cope with it triggers me so much, so I totally understand where you are at.
I am hoping that if I can manage this month (which feels just now an incredibly long time!) will learn me better coping mechanisms.
I understand if you want to leave but believe me you aren't alone.

Day 1 for me too. DP lives abroad so we had some good food and wine before he went back yesterday as we don’t know when he can come back . Most people seem to be doing well, so congrats for that . Kick starting with the 3 day diet for a bit of a detox. Good luck everyone!

Checking in early.

Thanks @HPLikecraft for your encouragement and positivity to us all - it's very helpful.

DH (who drinks way more than me) asked if I wanted wine with our meal yesterday. He then, again, asked me what my rules are with no drinking / will I be drinking on weekends only? Err no, I'm trying to give up.

I hit the salty liquorice last night.

Bad night's sleep due to small boy being in our bed only.

I really need to keep busy as my drinking and eating is linked to boredom.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Terrible night, very agitated, racing thoughts and didn't fall asleep until 4am... Up at 7.30 to start back at work (lecturer in nursing) after 2 weeks off! I know the physiology of why this happened on day 3 and hopefully sheer physical tiredness and not napping will help tonight. Ate a banana and had a camomile tea 3am to help settle then read royal Marsden nursing manual to bore myself to sleep!! I'm so used to insomnia as long as I get a few hours I'm ok....

Good morning! Day 4
Set my first wake up alarm in weeks last night, just couldn't drag myself out this morning 😴
Despite that, I had a slightly better night sleep than the last few. My watch is showing my heart rate as quite high overnight but I think that is down to stress rather than withdrawals, or maybe a combination.
Work (wfh) and (home)school today. Yay

@nuitdesetoiles I was the same. Watched a load of TV, tried to go to sleep at 2am, tossed and turned until 3.30ish. Woke up knackered at 7.30.

Hey ho. It will pass. Once I get through DJ might try improving my sleep.

@SuperPixie247 - echoing everything already said. You can do it and it does really help with stress and children driving you mad once you get past a week or so. We are all here for you if you want to hop back on

Just did our first weekend of no alcohol. We usually do dry weeks but hit the wine hard at the weekends. This weekend has been nice tonic with ice and a bit of lime, or as I call it, no g&t. Our neighbour gave us a bottle of gin with some Fevertree tonic, one was a pink one which was really nice so I want to get some more for the weekend.
I'm another one who'd rather not have the alcohol free drinks, as in alcohol free wine (rank) or beer, or even gin. I try to drink herbal teas, decaf tea in the evenings, even a hot choc. I want to see if I can get some of the Evertree aperitif though, which was reviewed on Saturday Kitchen at the weekend as it sounds nice.
Well done everyone so far, and those whose first few days haven't gone as planned, I'd just count today as your day one, and not give up immediately. I can imagine it's tough if work/kids/life is being challenging, but this is a good thing to do for you.

Today was my first 6.30 wake up for a while and i usually struggle massively on a Monday but up and out no issues and very productive day so far. Usually on a monday i catch sight of myself in a mirror and think god you look awful after a weekend on the booze. So refreshing to feel fresh productive and energised!!

Dh and I both commented on what great sleep we had last night so things are going well for us. I wouldnt usually drink mon tues wed anyway so Thursday will probably be a pain point but will cross that bridge when i come to it

I slept really well last night (am a terrible sleeper normally regardless of drinking) but unlike countrylady1 I still look awful and don't feel very energetic! I'll wait for that to kick in.
I don't normally bother with AF drinks in the week so I've just ordered some cordials and spent some booze money on the Whittards site - there's a sale on Christmas teas which all sound good. I don't really like most soft drinks as they're too sweet so am always keen to try something different.
And for anyone who's had a drink, don't beat yourself up about it - that certainly won't help. Press restart and have another go.

Night #3 of hot/cold sweats for me last night