DRY JANUARY 2022! Been overindulging? Drinking crept up? Want to begin a healthy new you? 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 fifth 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 most years. It has broken my habit, banished much of the craving and reset my relationship with booze. I imagine it's added years to my life.

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

Throw your hat in the ring, pull up a chair and let's do this together. 🙂☕️🧃

The DJ2022 Wagon creaks to a start in just 5 days, but always stops for latecomers 🙂

@FanGirlX I will never stop sniggering at the word bush

Urgh Friday night and I really really want a wine. I don't have anything sweet in the house and I'm trying to stick to low carb so 🙁...
Went straight home, supermarket is a 10 min drive, so now we're in for the evening that'll be it at least. Won't be tempted to go out, far too much hassle as I'd have to take the kids.

Just having a moan! I know I'll feel better later, and especially tomorrow morning when I wake up for my first Saturday morning after a dry Friday in several years..

Friday eek. Braved and survived my Friday night supermarket shop where I usually top up on loads of booze. Got pizzas and ice cream instead. Feeling a bit restless. I know I won't cave tonight though.

This feels hard tonight. We're getting a curry as a treat. I'm having a beer AF shortly so that'll feel like something but it'll literally be the first Friday in years I haven't drunk. Years.

If you're craving a wine, I recommend you have a 0% alcohol sav' blanc. Talk about aversion therapy!

This is hard! Feel a bit upset actually which seems rather pathetic but I feel so bored and restless. I can't seem to concentrate on reading or tv or even cooking dinner! I've had a bath and a Virgin Mary and I know I won't drink but boy this is literally the first Friday in a very long time that I haven't drunk. And a bit of a wake up as to how dull my life feels.
Sorry to be on a downer.

I thought I would really really want wine tonight as I've just been for my mammogram. I have resisted and have Fentiman's rose lemonade and a curry.

Well done to all those resisting.

Evening all, sorry I've been busy today!

Friday night... could be challenging, but we'll do it just like we did it yesterday and the day before. Huddle in close pingwings, strength in numbers! The end of today marks the end of the first week.

A whole week.

If you enjoy the percentages, then the end of today sees us reach the 22.5% mark. Well done if you manage this; also if you've done a bit more or less!

I recall a redheaded colleague calling across the staffroom "I've got a redbush!" when we were checking everyone had been given the correct hot drink. We all laughed like a bunch of adolescents.

I'm trying kombucha tonight. It seems to contain a lot if sugar, so not sure I'll like it much

If I could get out that door now and get to the shop and buy a bottle of wine and a pack of fags I would right now. Just had DD have a massive meltdown, because I told her to get Off her games console and in the shower.
She screams, hits, bites.. finally calm now, but she's so strong and even though I'm calm throughout, after it's over in just done in. To top it off ds had a mini meltdown about going to bed. Expecting it because it's the first few days back and she needs to let off steam from masking at school, but it doesn't make it any easier.
I've got non alcoholic gin, so I'll go with that I guess. I'd only feel worse in the morning.

You're not a downer space21, it is hard. These are very ingrained habits, and not just as individuals, but as a society, and culturally. Good on you for sticking to it! (Claps flippers)

@Theghostofchristmasarse

Sounds like you're having a tough time.
Your post brought back how my DD used to be before she got the help she needed. It was awful.
Is your DD getting help from the GP or CAMHS?

Hope the rest of your nught is more peaceful

@HPLikecraft unfortunately no. I referred her in June and saw the GP as I saw ASD traits, but they dismissed it and told us a year waiting list to be seen at all. Then my ex paid for a private diagnosis. Since starting secondary school she's got so much worse, diagnosed only a few weeks ago. Most of the time ok, bit quirky, bit of a loner, very intelligent...but as soon as she's asked to do anything she doesn't want to, or after days of masking at school or at her dad's..then she explodes.
She's stopped now, is calmly playing bloody Minecraft, and ignoring me asking her to shower and get ready for bed, again. I see more meltdowns before the night is out..mine probably!
Going to make myself a 0% gin and hope it makes me think I'm having a real one 🤣😬
I'm trying to imagine how good I'm going to feel tomorrow when I wake up, no hangover, after a good night's sleep. I hope.

Evening all.

DD in bed, excited as we are going on a walk tomorrow - was planning an early start but looking at the weather I may leave it until afternoon. Suspect we will end up eating our picnic in the car during a downpour again 😂.

I have two drinks for bed tonight. One Mr Fitzpatrick's elderflower and bramley apple and one Clipper lemon and ginger tea. I can't say I'm feeling too deprived. Yet...

Did seriously consider wine earlier due to a shit week at work. Consoled myself with some chocolate instead. I have some thinking to do, I joined the public sector last year after a a career in the private sector, I'm not sure it's for me. It may just be my department but I've never worked anywhere where tantrumming is seen as an acceptable way to behave if you don't get your own way. That said it's flexible working (although I'm working from home and doing 8/9 hour days at the moment), which could work well, if I need it, as a newly single parent.

@Theghostofchristmasarse

That sounds tough. I'm not in your situation but I do use alcohol (and occasional ciggies) to calm my brain after stress, confrontation. It's hard breaking the habit and trying to find another way to calm down.

@space21 @polkadotpjs

Some of the sleepy ones can be a bit flowery. My mum has a twinnings one that she likes but I think is too flowery. The Dragonfly one is a bit liquorice like and has valerian root and chamomile in - both of which are supposed to be natural sedatives. You probably need to try a few as it's down to personal taste. I know Pukka do a selection box of different herbal teas (on Amazon), so you could try a few.

www.pukkaherbs.com/uk/en/products/calm-collection

This one.

Wow Friday night is hard but we are all doing this!

Stick with it everyone you are all doing great

Well done everyone! I had a rose lemonade and a Saint Etienne AF lager from Aldi. Enjoyed both! Making myself a bedtime tea and heading to bed. Think how great we will feel in the morning.

Made it! Ate loads of rubbish but didn't drink. Day 4 done here. Feels like it has been longer than four days...

Sorry for everyone who is having a hard time.

Your evening sounds very stressful @Theghostofchristmasarse. Sounds very hard to deal with.

Day 5 under my belt! Was very tempted tonight. DH said as it was Friday he was having gin but not wine so he had a couple of gins while cooking. I had gin………ger beer! .

First Friday night at home with DH that I haven’t had wine since I don’t know when. Pretty proud of that. Which is quite sad really!

I did it! A Friday with no alcohol. I'm feeling prettynproudnof myself and will feel even better with no hangover tomorrow

We've done a week penguins!

Out tonight with friends who were chatting about what we'd drink when we arrived. I said DH and I were doing Dry Jan and they launched into why they didn't believe in it and Jan is the dreariest month and they'd definitely be drinking tonight...then they didn't drink anyway but we all had a lovely time.

I haven't missed it much but I have been eating more sugar. Head of a chocolate reindeer, a mince pie and two amaretto biscuits today!

@space21

This is hard! Feel a bit upset actually which seems rather pathetic but I feel so bored and restless. I can't seem to concentrate on reading or tv or even cooking dinner! I've had a bath and a Virgin Mary and I know I won't drink but boy this is literally the first Friday in a very long time that I haven't drunk. And a bit of a wake up as to how dull my life feels. Sorry to be on a downer.

It's fine to be on a downer. But in a way, it's a good thing to discover that you drink out of boredom on Friday nights. We all have reasons for drinking more or more often than is good for us and getting sober helps us find out why. If we can tackle those issues then maybe we won't drink so much once DJ ends, or maybe we'll choose to stay sober and spend our money and energy on having more fun and less stress.

Well, that's a week done. I had my last G&T at this time last week. Here's to another 3 and a bit!