DRY HARD 2 - DRY HARDER! Dry January continued. All welcome.

[HPLikecraft]

Shiny new thread to see us through to end of the month... possibly beyond!

KOKOing everyone.

Day 30: We've muddled through and I think we have potential to have a fairly dry February. This is massive progress and I'm not sure that I can really pinpoint why we've managed DJ together this year (maybe it is because of covid and our desire to be a bit healthier).

If I am in luck, Ocado should be delivering me a couple of bottles of fizzy AF wine tomorrow evening (and hopefully they should be fairly well chilled). I plan to crack one open to celebrate 31 dry days!

Sending positive vibes to anybody on the thread that needs them.

Been out, got my red wine sitting in the cupboard and that's where it's staying until Friday. Meanwhile I have built two flatpacks for DD2's room and am about to make home made pizza for dinner.

Baking day tomorrow.

Saturday night and I'm showered and in clean pjs. The excitement never ends up here.
Can't believe it's just tonight and tomorrow and we have done it. My head is a melt trying to decide what to do next month, I so desperately want a drink but I also know I'll overdo it and feel hideous then be mad at myself so think a total dry February is the only way forward. I found this so much easier mid January than the last few days, I think it's because the end is in sight and now decisions have to get made.
I'm driving myself crazy pondering whether to bloody drink or not.
Uch, whatever I won't drink today or tomorrow and then I'll just go from there.
Hope everyone has a nice evening.

Evening all. I'm also bathed and in pjs. We're deciding what to watch when DD goes to bed.

Can't say I'm missing the wine tonight but I was last night - this is definitely connected to work stress. I think I need to investigate coping strategies.

Woop woop! Well done all...and well done me! Never thought I could do this! Just set the try dry app for Feb. Love those teacups and confetti! Wonder if there’s other apps where you get confetti - for drinking water maybe?
Dh met mates last night ( zoom) and a) wasted today feeling ill, and b) left a half bottle of white ..automatically poured a sip, but you know what? It was awful - and immediately made me feel crap. Back to the coke!
Amazed that I’m not at all...ooh gone so long/I’ll have a glass at the end of the month- I’m REALLY pleased that I’m managing to think, ‘it’s ethanol, it’s an expensive con, I’m sleeping better, I’m not so moody/depressed/anxious. Caught myself actually feeling positive! Just have NO a energy but maybe that’s diet/ lack of fresh air / motivation/ bloody lockdown.
Well done all!

Actual bath and clean pjs sounds nice.

Jeez I fancied a drink tonight. Didn't have one.

Anyway, just one more day after today. We've done well. The end of today takes us to 97%

Still not sure whether I should have a little glass of wine on Monday or stay dry until the 28th...

Goodnight, all.

DS2 cooked for us tonight. He went to so much trouble. I was in back to back Zoom calls for work all day and so wanted wine tonight. I know I will have a glass on Monday but will try to have a damp Feb and only drink at weekends, not go back to wine every evening.

Day 31! Well done everyone for getting through this DJ!

I found last night a bit hard again. I found out I'll need to do something very stressful - that I don't want to do - in a town I don't know in a couple of days' time, and got very anxious and pissed off about the whole thing. Very close to a fuck it moment. I'd just come in when I found out, and wanted to turn around and march to buy some booze. I didn't, of course. I think next week will suck for me, but if I get through it without a drink, it'll be a huge booster for knowing I really can cope with shit without it.

Just been chatting to Dh, we're both feeling good to have managed DJ. Thinking now of keeping it up for feb, as well as that starting beginners Pilates online. I did consider having a gin last night but, didn't do it. Now that we've come this far we don't want to break it!

@InTheseUncertainTimes well done from managing to stay away from drink last night, I would have reacted exactly the same as you. If you can manage next week without drinking it will prove you can cope with stressful situations that make you unhappy. However, I know how difficult I would find it. Years of coping with situations where I use booze as a crutch to get through them is difficult habit to break.
However we will all be routing for you and imagine how wonderful you will fell if you can do it?
@headlock online Pilates sounds great! I need to do something, I used to go spinning 4x a week and am missing it so much, have been walking a lot but need something more. I thought about yoga but maybe Pilates would be the thing!
It's the most beautiful snowy day here, I'm going sledging with my daughter then an afternoon of Harry Potter films on the couch.

Day 31! Well done to everyone who's made it this far, especially those who had a blip here and there and got back on board.

I've not been on the thread too much as work has been hectic but it's been so helpful to check in every now and then and see everyone else's progress (especially the pp whose son had the helpful analogy about it being like the 100m race).

It all nearly came crashing down for me yesterday. We've been ttc for a long time now and my period arrived. Normally I would be straight on the wine to drown my sorrows at yet another failed month and it was incredibly hard not to succumb yesterday. But, I managed and I'm hoping to carry on through February now.

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far - it's been good to see I'm not alone in my relationship with wine but also to see that so many of us are inspired to make long term changes.

Thanks lunklitdays - It'll be a mental health assessment type of a thing, so hours of talking about personal shit with a stranger for no purpose at all. I've had them enough to know how they go, and that it's unlikely to lead to anything concrete, and I'm not sure why I'm having this one. I find them very stressful, and they tend to ironically make my mental health a lot worse every time, so I'm trying to approach it with damage limitation in mind. Need to put in place some kind of a plan on how to de-stress afterwards that doesn't involve alcohol.

Re. online pilates, definitely worth a go! I've been doing some random ones on YT and find it's deceptively simple, but really effective on core muscles especially.

Sorry you're having to cope with another month of disappointment BrightSideRightSide - it is so hard! Well done resisting the temptation!

Well done everyone! I've been lurking but it has been helpful to read the thread when I have felt tempted. Thank you for the thread OP and thanks everyone for posting!
DH and I have stayed dry and feel great. Not sure what to do next, we've talked about only drinking at weekends or maybe carrying on until the end of lockdown but not decided yet.
Just one more long boring January evening to get through and I'm considering having a bath this evening just for something to do.

Day 31 for me too. I'm not doing dry Feb but hoping to stay dry until at least next Thurs/Fri then just weekends from them on with the odd dry weekend here and there x

Thanks @InTheseUncertainTimes we'll get there, I'm sure. Just need to keep my chin up!

Well done everyone on staying dry with everything going on too. It seems as though we each have our own personal stuff going on & to deal with. So many stories of personal issues, whether it's mental health stuff, family, work, financial, employment, TTC, kitchen appliances breaking down etc. I really am in awe how strong everyone are. This thread has been so supportive, non-judgmental, and without it I would not have lasted the distance. Thank you OP and everyone.

Unfortunately I got very emotional on Thurs eve, in anticipation of my DM's funeral on Friday, and I caved in. I knew I was going to have a drink Friday anyhow. But I don't see it as a failure at all - I see it as a huge success that I could go 27 days in January grieving, not seeing any family or friends, no hugs, no-one other than my immediate family to be with, still having to run the household, prop up emotional teens, work & meet client deadlines, having +covid, etc. So whilst I won't be at 100%, I scored a 89% which is still v good.

I think if we all stop and take stock of what we have achieved over this month, and be proud for ourselves and each other, we are set up well for more mindful dry / damp months ahead. I would love to stay on the thread ...

DH opened a bottle of champagne last night, to celebrate closing a really successful year at work.

I couldn't really not participate.

But after about 2 glasses, I felt so unwell I had to go and lie down!

I will definitely be cutting back in February too - I just wish I could persuade DH to join me.

Congratulations everyone!! I’m sooooo happy I got this far!!

It’s really highlighted to me how much of an issue I have with alcohol as it’s been so hard to do.
I use alcohol to numb my emotions and out of boredom.

The reason why I think I have fun whilst drinking is because it numbs my anxiety and I relax.

I have decided to only drink when socialising and not at home on my own.

Thanks for listening to my rambles on this thread, they really helped and I’m really proud of
Myself

Can't believe I have made it to the last day of January. Well don't everyone else who has made it this far!

I don't drink during the week so prob won't have my first drink till Friday. Will not be doing dry Feb but definitely going to keep a very close eye on my units and will be measuring everything out and keeping a record. I remember well how many times over the last 6 months or so when I have woken up in the middle of the night with my heart racing and wishing I hadn't drunk so much the night before. Absolutely not going back to that.

Day 31. In lockdown. Whilst homeschooling. And working from home.

I am unbelievably proud of myself.

Have an eye on 100 days!!! Not sure how far I'll get but I know that a) 1 month isn't enough for me to truly reset and b) I absolutely cannot go back to my previous drinking pattern.

Wow, nearly there! Am carrying on into February and beyond - at some point surely I'm going to start feeling some benefit other than in my purse... actually that's a bit unfair as I've saved thousands of calories and am definitely thinner.
It's just boorrrring!

Well here we are, T minus 3 hours.

If you've got this far I'm sure you'll manage this evening, too.
Very well done to you if you've managed 31 days. And very well done to you too if you had a slip up and climbed back on the wagon, or managed most of DJ, or even some of it. It all makes a difference, mentally and physically.

We've battled against all sorts of problems: be they DP, DH, DC, home schooling, mental and/or physical ill health, work, or large appliance related, and stood firm.
We were all in the same or a similar boat: none of us do DJ unless we feel we need to; we feel we need to cut down, give up or have a rest from the bastard addictive poison.

Whether or not you feel it, your health will have improved, and your liver will be feeling happier and replenished at the end of DJ.
Thanks, all, for posting on the threads and keeping us all company and helping us stay strong, whether you were a regular or occasional poster. I do hope you found the threads useful and that they helped you stay on the straight and narrow.

Some of us are carrying on. I am going to have a drink tomorrow then be dry for the rest of February. Hats off to you if you're staying dry without a break. We can continue the dry support here, or maybe a new thread?

All that remains for me to do is a percentage for today. Come midnight, the end of January, we will be 100% of the way through.

100%! Yay! You're all brilliant 😉☺️🎉

@HPLikecraft thank you so much for your wonderful informative and encouraging posts - you've been so helpful throughout even though you've had your own stuff going on.

I had a planned drink last night to celebrate our newest family member's arrival - a puppy! I had an instant headache from it which I feel speaks volumes.

I plan to have a drink on Thursday for my birthday and then I'm hoping to limit drinking to one night per week, if that.

I've found the DryApp so helpful and will continue to use that as a motivator.

In 30 days I saved approx 200 units and 13,6k calories. I'm 2.5kgs down with 5 to go from lockdown weight gain.

If there are any new threads going I'd love to join.