Right.. is anyone else here doing Dry January?

[CliveAntichrist]

Apologies if there is a thead(s) already, but is anyone doing DJ here?

I do it every year.. I feel like I need the reset, and I think I very easily could fall into high- functioning alcohol problem, particularly this year just gone as I seem to drink pretty much every day.

I suffer with my MH too, and it's been pretty awful this last few months. Alcohol makes that a whole lot worse too, so a very good reason for the reset.

I'm also feeling fat, bloated and old so hoping to get some of my fitness back and lose some weight too.

Anyone else? Here's to day 1 🍹(non alcoholic cocktail obvs!)

Yes me! I do it every year and usually end up staying off it for longer. I've drunk quite a lot over Christmas and feel ready to quit for a bit.

Me. I don't ever lose weight though so need to do sugar / carb free January really. Still it's good to have alcohol free periods. Last year it was dry Feb as well due to lockdown.

I need to attend to my diet too big time.

And exercise.. honestly I am such a bundle of unhealthiness right now

I am going to try DJ. I didn't make it all the way through last year so aiming for that this year. Plus increase in exercise (from practically nil).

No. January is miserable enough. I may avoid wine as it really doesn't do me any good.

I am. I could have pretty much written your OP! I have been creeping up the alcohol intake all year and am at about half a bottle of wine a night as a minimum. Never drank this much before. I am a stone over weight and feel rubbish. Starting on the 2nd as always more motivated then.

No,never done DJ.But then I dont drink much over xmas time and new year.I drink one small glass(1.5dl) of wine most days,including xmas.

If you're concerned about problem drinking -and as you're drinking every day, you're right to be thinking that way -Dry January won't be enough. The well established neural pathways will still be there and come February you'll be back to square one as soon as you start again. It helps to learn more about how this works, The 30 Day Alcohol Experiment (Annie Grace) is a great place to start, and you can sign up for free. It's a really useful support for Dry January. There's loads of other useful quit lit, I read it back to back for months and still dip in occasionally. For me it was important to learn about the science behind the power alcohol has over so many of us.

I have just celebrated 2 years Alcohol Free. I told everyone I was doing Dry January in 2020, stopped on Hogmanay 2019, with a horrible, self-loathing hangover, and just kept going. There's a long running alcohol free thread in the Alcohol Support topic here on MN which was my lifeline. Pop over and have a look, it's super friendly and a good place for advice on the practicalities of how to do it and emotional support, which is necessary. I think there's there's established Dry Jan thread there, too.

Dry January is great for normal drinkers who have had a bit more than usual over Christmas. Anyone who uses alcohol in a disordered way won't benefit, it just kicks the problem down the road for a month, and it comes back worse than before.

Good luck to anyone on here who knows deep down that you need to stop. I wish I could give you a flash forward to your alcohol free life in six months, and then a year after quitting. Some benefits are quick to come, and others arrive more slowly. It's the best decision I've made for myself.

Weighed myself earlier and I am heavier than i have ever been in my life 😳. OH is too.

I may well knock drinking on the head completely.. I can do it, although I would like to be that person who can gave a glass or two and not feel compelled to down the whole bottle 😳

Got 2 social occasions this month too so that will be challenging, but I've done it before and xan do it again.

I just love the taste of wine 🍷

Yes I think a month off or two would be v good.
But I still have 3/4 bottle of champagne to finish??

Yes. Kind of!
Half a bottle of Prosecco to finish off ton.
Baby shower in a few weeks so will involve prosecco.
DD is 18 this month so prosecco again.

In between this, zero drinks!

I did this last year then due to some medical news continued and haven’t had a drink since.

I found the first three months quite hard - in that would still want a drink, particularly when out. Did drink alcohol free beer, gin type replacements. Then some time after 3 months I sort of lost the urge to drink and now think I’d find it weird to actually have drink! Strangely don’t bother with alcohol replacement type drinks now, apart from sometimes when I’m out. Also helped by the fact that one of my friends is also tee total now.

I wasn’t a heavy drinker but do think it’s had a positive impact on my life - it saves money at the very least!

At this moment in time, slumped on the sofa feeling decidedly fragile, Dry January sounds very appealing! In reality, though, I know it won't happen. What I am going to do is have more alcohol-free days during the week, keep on with my weight loss, start doing a Zumba class as well as my weekly ballet and get out and walk a bit more. We go away in June and I want to feel better about myself by then.

Yes, I'm in. I've done the One Year No Beer 30 day challenge three times in the last two years so know I can do it and know what the benefits are. In between times, drinking creeps up on me again, and is an unhelpful 'go to' stress reliever. I've got a really difficult few weeks coming up at work and will be much better able to deal with it if I am rested and healthy.

I've started by putting all the open spirits and the leftover Christmas wine in the shed. Out of sight, out of mind.

I'm going to refresh the DJ app and honestly answer the alcohol assessment. Good luck everyone, we will feel fantastic at the end of this month

I’ve not done it before but would like to join you. I don’t drink often but do drink a lot when I do and it’s definitely affecting my mental and physical health.

There’s a thread in chat if you’d like to join:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4436688-DRY-JANUARY-2022-Been-overindulging-Drinking-crept-up-Want-to-begin-a-healthy-new-you-This-way-please-All-welcome

No. My birthday is in January for a start and I like drinking

Yep I'm sat here with an awful hangover. I spent half the night throwing up. I drink far too much as it is and I want to be healthier. I need to lose about a stone and a half and I'm hoping by doing dry January I can re set my attitude towards alcohol.

Good luck everyone..I think whatever you feel you need to do to make yourself feel better/healthier/slimmer/more mentally stable is the right thing.

I was using alcohol to self-medicate myself when feeling down, finding it gave me a temporary boost, and then feeling shocking the next day, not just physically but mentally (which was actually far worse).

I'm 9 months sober after being in a similar position to you. Start with DJ, but I'd suggest trying a full 90 days off booze to see the full benefits.

Look up William Porter (Alcohol Explained) and Sober Dave both on Instagram/Facebook. Also The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober book by Catherine Gray. Sign up to the official Dry January campaign, as they send supportive emails through the month too.

It's really helpful to have some support from one/more than one of these sources to help.

PS. A lot of the sober books are 99p this month on Kindle too.

There's another thread in alcohol support I think

I'm doing it too