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! 🙂☕️🧃

@LarryUnderwood I get you re feeling that drinking a lot seems alien. But I also know that it's pretty easy for it to suddenly seem normal again after about half a glass of wine.

Glad to hear you are feeling better. The taste thing sounds like being pregnant.

I'm in bed now hoping that more sleep will quash my headache

Hi

I’d like to join in if ok?
So I’m on day 17 of DJ, just read this thread and am comforted that others feel as I do.
I drank faarrrr to much last year and I’m fed up of it all.

I read Annie’s book to keep me going and it really helped and changed my mindset on why would I pour poison into my body? Makes no sense...

But I’m afraid to kick it forever as a lot of my friendships and social settings are drinking.

So for the moment I’m thinking of only drinking when socialising and not at home.

So pleased to have managed day 17. It's been really hard with DH drinking. Friday, Saturday and Sunday normally revolve around nice food and wine. I'm really hoping this month will help reset my attitude to alcohol.

Hi all. Thought I'd check in on Day 17 and wish you all the best for the coming week.
Had a couple of days of feeling really down at the of the week and just felt like there was nothing to look forward to on Friday night after a crap day with work. However woke up feeling good on Saturday and have actually had a nice weekend, especially today's wintry walk with DP and DD. Usually after a walk we have a nice pub pint...and if that isnt an option then some ale or red wine at home. Momentarily I really felt I'd like a drink but managed to resist when DP opened a bottle!
I've been feeling really calm and positive this evening and hope this continues into the week. I'm realising I need to either go out for a walk or do some yoga to feel good. I feel like I spent so much of last year trying to get more disciplined with excercise/ yoga and it never happened ( any many other things besides). I've realised booze just zaps my motivation to take care of myself and get on with things..
Suppose I should get to bed - anyone else finding they're actually going to bed later?

TBH I forget about alcohol until I see this thread. I forget about it when I'm at the shop. So it's pretty easy going. Lockdown #1 was frightening at first as I was trapped elsewhere then it turned out to be really tranquil, lockdown #2 was horrendous and my drinking escalated, and lockdown #3 current feels cozy so I'm content and cocooned (just really want to stay with one of my best friends, maybe next month).

I drink more when I feel emotional.

Another weekend done and dusted, two more to go. Its definitely got easier, though there was a point qt about 9.30 tonight where if there had been wine in the fridge I would cheerfully gave drunk the lot. Kids have been challenging today. But got through it, and the thought was more fleeting than it has been. Well done everyone, well over the half way mark now. @HPlikecraft, hope you're OK, you're going to need to start a new thread soon!

Hi everyone,
Another weekend with a clear head. Had a client ask for me to do some short notice work at 9pm tonight and was glad I wasn't fuzzy headed.

DS is making a fancy dinner next week for the family and wrote out a menu with cocktails and wine then said, 'Oh you're doing DJ, I'll get some apple juice'. I had a moment. But then thought, it's fine, if I can;t enjoy DS cooking for the family without a drink, I have a problem. Looking forward to that apple juice!

I have found this weekend ok. Have just taken up knitting which I find helps to distract. Day 17 done!

Morning everyone! Well done so far- you're all doing brilliantly. I'm up early ( again), and ready to face the day / week / world. I'm working all week ( only 3pm - 5pm ), so all good.
Interesting reading all your posts. @Frownette got me thinking. She said she drinks when emotional. I drink when happy. Problem is I am a very positive person and happy most of the time. I never drank when upset or after a bad day.

@Amdone123 I meant emotions good or bad! :) It's useful to know triggers though.

@Frownette...I see what you mean.

Well done folks for getting through another weekend!

I did have pretty bad cravings for wine on Friday after watching a travel documentary about Italy but managed to resist and instead went for a 9pm drive through at Macdonalds. Not the healthiest replacement, but probably lower in calories than if I had drank all weekend.

Thanks to the posters who made suggestions about causes of headaches - it definitely seems to be sugar related and seems to be easing now.

Here's to another week - good luck everyone

Headache has gone thank goodness. Work is simultaneously dull and stressful. Thank goodness DJ is helping me to stay calm.

@HPLikecraft don't think we've heard from you in a while. Are you still with us?

Love the way you describe your work Crystal as simultaneously dull and stressful. Mine too. In all fairness, I think I add to the stress by procrastinating and making too many cups of tea.

I'm glad it's a Monday again - midweek far easier mentally to not feel deprived for not having a gin. Enjoy your dinner @Labobo. Could you get fizzy apple juice, or spritz up with soda water to make it a bit more jazzy?

Hope everyone have a good week and stay strong!

Dull and stressful is a good description of my day too. I'm on the count down to clocking off though. Only one more dry January Monday to power through after this one.

Hi everyone, sorry for being a rubbish OP recently.
Things have been very difficult and fraught at home (I have a disabled teenager with mental health problems). I'm so pleased the thread is still ticking along! Well done to everyone for getting this far. I'm still dry, too, but clinging on with the skin of my teeth at the moment!

I'll try to catch up with all the posts of the last few days, see what you've all been up to, and will certainly start a new thread, probably tomorrow.

I'll check in again tonight with a new % , though we're obviously already past 50% ... so I think 75% will be the new major checkpoint.

Oh, and welcome along @Ladywinesalot and any other new 'faces'.

Glad you're ok OP,
sorry things have been rough for you.
Take care
Sophie

Day 18, and I'm feeling quite wobbly. I had a decent morning, but this afternoon has really hit my mood badly. I temporarily feel like I can't remember a single time when I've felt relaxed or enjoyed something without a drink. Obviously not true (surely not?!), but it all escapes me right now.

I tried to read some encouraging articles on quitting drinking, and ended up feeling worse. Even ignoring all the stories where people start feeling better and better after the first few days, I find a lot of them hard to relate to. Probably because they're written by people in very different life circumstances than mine. All very "So what if need to skip some of parties with your booze friends?! You'll make new friends just out of feeling so awesome, and you'll just go parasailing with them and discover all the fun there is to be had in this sober world!" I don't have enough friends to start categorising them. I don't want to parasail. Ugh.

Thank you @SophieB100

@Inthese I know what you mean, I don't really have that many friends either. And ya know, I'd really love to go out for a nice glass of wine and a bit of food with then right now, that would be so nice. But meh. Covid blah blah. I've got the grumps a bit too. I'm falling back on stubbornness this evening. I've made it to day 18 and I'm not giving up now. Grrrr.

Is anyone else emotional since doing DJ?

It’s like allll the feelings have come back with a bang inc Anxiety.

I think that without realising the drink had numbed me a lot and covered a lot of emotions and thoughts.

I guess good as I am living as a person should with all the feelings but by god I’m not sure if I can cope with my own brain.

I’d like to continue into Feb and maybe even March, but I don’t know how to handle myself.

I really don’t want AD but I don’t know what to do.

@Ladywinesalot not DJ related for me but I started AD in November. Felt better really quickly. Kicked myself for not "giving in" and getting them earlier. HTH x

Sorry things are so rubbish @HPLikecraft

I'm proper teetering at the moment. Horrible work day. Still going. Bored. So fecking bored. A medical diagnosis meeting scheduled for tomorrow. I'm tense and uptight. Can't relax. Wine would fix that!!

It sounds like it's been a rough few days for some of you for one reason or another, I hope everyone is okay.
I love ticking the days off on the try dry app, it feels good to see the yellow tea cups! My DH said there was no way he was going to do DJ but he hasn't had a drink since the 2nd Jan so that has been a big help for me.
I don't know if it's related or not but my anxiety has greatly reduced with work. Before Christmas I was up to high doh in work, getting stressed over silly things but that has now gone.
I hope I can carry it in after January for a while as I am really starting to feel much better. Keep going ladies x