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 🙂

87% ! Not bad going …. Well done everyone! I had two slips (when we had visitors) so I’m making up for it with extra time in February. I hope to be lurking on the new thread if it’s still going x

@HPLikecraft
I like a bit if tough love!

Feels a bit of a waste of effort not to at least make some positive changes moving forward. I've always slipped after dry January and determined not to this time.

Checking in on day 27, we’re nearly there! So close.

Good morning, on to the final weekend. I've just put ginger beer in the fridge, ready for later.

Well done evryone! Will there be another thread? I’ve totally mucked up dry January, actually my drinking snow worse and I’m getting a bit nervous. If you are doing a dry Feb Can I join in?

@Cleanbedlinen12
There has been much talk of a February thread. I hope there is one as I am probably going to need even more accountability as I embark on attempting to moderate!
It's never to late to start. Try not to worry, this is a supportive bunch of like minded people.

Morning all! Hope you're all doing well today!

Ill post again in an hour or two with link to new thread!

My positives from this month are:

Clearer skin and the return of my cheekbones from losing the alcohol bloat.

More restful sleep. Still not nodding off before 12 and not diving out of bed, full of energy, in the morning but my Fitbit tells me I'm waking less in the night.

I've lost a few pounds.

I've saved £60, so I've booked myself in for a massage next week.

According to my app I've saved £88!

According to the Try Dry app I’ve saved £231.

If you add in what we’ve saved by DH cutting down massively too it’s even more shocking.

Must think of something to treat myself to. I don’t actually need anything and am on a no buy. Maybe a manicure and pedicure.

New thread here 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧➡️➡️

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4465589-Dry-Another-Day-February-beckons-Dry-January-and-beyond-Thread-2-All-welcome?watched=1

Thank you for the admiration
It’s actually my second visit to a pub this month. Both times I was itching to drink. Both times I was clock watching to leave. Its sad really that I’ve got to the stage where I don’t enjoy a night out without alcohol.
But the honest truth is I don’t.
I don’t feel comfortable trying to make conversation sober. I don’t feel relaxed. I feel awkward. I can’t wait to leave.
After even just one wine the opposite is true.
I’m chatty, I’m fun, I don’t want to leave. And then I stay longer then I meant to, I drink more then I meant to and the next day I feel awful.

I just can’t find the middle ground. It’s always all or nothing. I crave a normal relationship with alcohol. The ability to take it or leave it. The ability to moderate. It’s something I’ve never achieved and while abstinence solves the problem short term, it’s only a matter of time before I’m back to square one.
It’s a bit depressing really.

I totally get what you are saying @CovidForChristmas. I’m the same.

If I could stop at one or two wines I’d be happy. My neighbour says she is having two and she has two. That’s it. Once I get the taste of it that’s it I keep going.

Off to mark my place n the new thread.

It's 12.45 on a Friday and I only just remembered about not drinking tonight. I call that progress! In the earlier weeks I was worrying/ thinking about Friday night from about Wednesday onwards. Now that I think about it, I am not sure I even mind that it's Friday and there will be no wine for me.

New thread here 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧➡️➡️

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4465589-Dry-Another-Day-February-beckons-Dry-January-and-beyond-Thread-2-All-welcome?watched=1

@CovidForChristmas @Peridot1 I totally get what you are saying. I am finding it far easier not to open a bottle of wine than I would not to finish an open bottle of wine. Kind of don't want January to end.

@Cleanbedlinen12 I’m keen for the February thread also!

Is anyone else waking up in the middle of the night wide awake and can’t get back to sleep? Every night?

I usually have good sleep and never had a problem not sleeping if I happened not to drink for a couple weeks (eg/ if I had a work assignment).

I have been terrible all of Jan. I guess it could be the quitting smoking though, or a bit of stress.

I’m trying melatonin tablets tonight for the first time.

DH was out tonight and I was WFH until late into the evening on a tough project. And it didn't even occur to me to have or want a drink!

Also we went out last night to a cinema that serves food at table. Everyone around us had huge glasses of wine and DH just produced a bag of jelly snakes from his pocket and grinned at me and we had those instead.

So it's getting quite normal in a way. Though not sure I will stick around for Feb. But might try Mon-Thur in Feb. Damp February.

@NewCherry - yes, I've had a but of insomnia and so has DH (also doing dry Jan). Would love to know if the melatonin helps.