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 🙂

Yay to 75%!

Wow 75% that’s such a good boost!! Day 22 AF and feeling fab. Both of us still going strong in our house and plan to carry on into February. Feeling so much better each day. Keep going everyone.

Thanks all.

I’m back in the huddle!

@AdamRyan - we are not always very good at taking our own advice!

I think the trigger was coming back home. I’d been in Dublin for ten days and had a nice time. I’d ideally like to keep my Dad’s house and do it up to live in. By myself. Things with DH aren’t great. To say the least. I find him very irritating. (He would probably say the same about me I’m sure.). I’ve used wine to deal with it all for years. So I think it was brewing because I would have been happy to stay in Dublin. If it wasn’t for DS I would probably stay. But I don’t want to live in a different country to him just yet. He’s at uni and I’m aware he may move abroad at some stage and that’s fine but I don’t want to move away from him.

Anyway. Onwards and upwards and back in the huddle.

I’m definitely keeping going in February.

I drank last night, I'm on 19 days so feel really bad about it, but had to go to a funeral and just decided to have a night off. Felt rubbish this morning and despite saying I'd just have a glass of red I managed to polish off 2/3 of a bottle.
Still less than I would have had normally and it's reminded me why I'm doing this as I've woken up with a headache at 7 am rather than getting a proper lie in and sleep. Grrr. Well onwards and upwards...

@ColouringPencils

I've got a Brooklyn Special Effects. Either I have completely forgotten the taste of beer in 3 weeks, or this actually tastes like beer!

It does! Imo, it's the only one that does. I have a Brooklyn chilling for tonight to go with takeaway curry.

Even when I'm drinking, when DH buys beer for curry nights, he buys Brooklyn for me, because I can't tell the difference so may as well stay sober.

@Peridot1

It's a journey and sometimes journeys have detours. Think of all the nights you haven't had a drink.

Good luck getting through our penultimate Saturday night, everyone.
Yes @hivemindneeded a good AF beer can really help, I think it almost tricks the brain! I have 3 different sorts of AF beer to try tonight. Will report my findings tomorrow!

Stay strong (and dry) everyone 🐧💪

Have stocked up with more kombucha lite plus some M&S Rhubarb cider which is 0.5% alcohol - so probably a small cheat but I'm ok with that. Have M&S takeaway chinese. I am not afraid of a Saturday night ...

My sleep is still very erratic - keep nodding off about 8pm on sofa and then waking up at 2am and not being able to sleep. But even with all this I don't have the miserable headache/ guilty pangs that would go with a hangover.

January is a long month but that means that Feb (for those staying on) will be a breeze.

Echo the sentiments to anyone who has slipped - get back in the huddle and give yourself a pat on the back for all the good work so far. Your liver will be thanking you for it.

Happy Saturday evening!

If you like prosecco, I really recommend this. It genuinely tastes like proper fizz!

I’m tucked up in bed after a successful dry night.

Had a ginger ale while DH cooked. He had gin. I then had water and a cup of decaf tea while watching tv. Think I’ve had a bit too much chocolate today but needs must!

Tomorrow night might be a struggle as we are having steak for dinner and DH has said he’ll be having wine. I just have to remain strong.

I had a dream the other day where I had absentmindedly had a drink and then I was really disappointed in myself in the dream!!

Anyway, I've have slipped into the NA beers mid week which is worrying as I was trying to keep them to weekends as but at least they're still NA.

Morning all!

4th Sunday without a hangover. Today will be 23 days dry! (I wouldn’t normally drink in a Sunday so feel confident I will get through the day!). Never thought I could do it.

Have found this weekend a bit more of a struggle. But once I hit 7.30/8pm the feeling passes.

I was sleeping really well but the last week haven’t slept as well. Waking in the night. Has anyone else found this? It’s like my sleep has gone backwards :-(

Another saturday under my belt and I'm feeling proud. DH opened the red last night for the first time this month. I had a fleeting moment through habit where I really wanted a drink and I did look at his glass a few times weighing up my options but I stuck with my AF beer, and moved to where I couldn't see it.

Day 23 checking in 🐧
Yesterday I got up early and went for an exercise class. It was my way of making sure I didn’t drink Friday night. Was so tired last night I didn’t fancy wine. On a Saturday night! That’s unheard of for me. Yesterday was the ‘easiest’ Saturday night I’ve had this month. Despite DH polishing off a bottle of red I didn’t even fancy it.
Hope this feeling lasts.

Morning All. Checking in for day 23. Still AF and feeling good. Hope this continues. Have a good day everyone.

Morning all. Another successful Saturday night. Another unsuccessful AF tasting session. M&S Rhubarb cider - a bit like rhubarb & custard sweets.

Did anyone watch "The Apprentice" this week where they had to design a new AF drink - I was sitting there all the way through knowing that the AF vodka and lime was not going to work.

Like Lord Sugar's search for his Apprentice - my search for the perfect AF drink continues ......

Like Lord Sugar's search for his Apprentice - my search for the perfect AF drink continues ......

I've given up. I just stick to posh squash with sparkling water and try to convince myself it's a cocktail. That or ginger beer with a slice of lime. Nice glass with ice of course.

Day 23 here, and thank goodness I didn’t drink last night as I had to drive a family member (who had also not been drinking) to A&E following an accident!

Very tired today after a long night. I’ve got bits and bobs to do today and need to see to the DC, so I need to get on, but may have a bath and a bit of a sleep first.

Haha @Cherrymix we watched Apprentice last night while I was drinking a v poor imitation of beer from Lidl.
My best alternatives this month have been

• Brooklyn Special Effects - hoppy lager
• Rose Lemonade, with a wedge of lime for tartness
• Diet coke
• Camomile tea
• Water

Try to save the first three for the weekend so they feel like a treat (and to save my poor teeth)

Checking in on day 23. Feeling OK, still taking it a day at a time but determined as we head toward February.
Will be getting in some nice AF drinks for February though as I am missing having something different from tea or water over the weekend. Kombucha or that Robinsons crushed mint and lime cordial is nice but it doesn't feel fancy. So thank you for the recommendations so far 😃

Gosh, it's cold isn't it. I am oop north but it's 1 degree outside. I'd love to sit by the fire with a glass of red tonight but I'll stick with lemon and ginger tea.

Hope everyone is doing well, as we head into the final stretch.

Now this is very pleasing. And 4 Saturdays and 4 Sundays.

Go us!

@Dimondsareforever
My sleep has regressed this week too but thankfully not up 3 times a night peeing like a racehorse.

Well done all. I had a planned evening off yesterday but am back in the fold today and for the rest of the month.

Checking in for the percentage 😂

I’ve found it relatively easy this time. It definitely gets easier each year.

That said, I’m a bit annoyed that January has 5 weekends!