DRY JANUARY 2023! 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 sixth year of DJ and I swear it may have saved my life; 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. Everyone welcome 🙂☕️🧃

The DJ2022 Wagon creaks to a start in just 4 days, but always stops for latecomers 🙂

How is everyone finding day 3? DH and I went out to run some errands this afternoon - it's very grey and drizzly out there and I struggled badly with the temptation to pop into our local pub on the way home for a few glasses of red wine. I managed to resist, although doing so made me feel quite miserable and low. I just couldn't stop thinking how much I'd like a drink and how not drinking really sucks the joy from life. I know I should be able to find joy and relaxation from other things apart from alcohol, but it's been my crutch for so long.

I'm planning on cooking some comfort food for dinner to try and cheer myself up.

I'm finding this so, so hard but am hanging on.... by a thread.

Hi all, can I join? Trying to reset my relationship with wine!

Hey there @UnoQueenie welcome aboard!

@freshstart2023 i really really struggle with the boredom too. A few glasses of wine is something I really look forward to, particularly at the weekend.

People suggest hobbies and they just don’t appeal at all - or they just seem a way to pass the time until pub time. If I meet people
for a walk, or dinner, I find socialising hard without alcohol, so even if we do an ‘activity’ I just think I’d rather be having a drink. That’s something I really need to work on, being able to socialise without a drink.

Similarly, all the evangelical ‘but you can get up really early!’ doesn’t appeal. Get up and do what?!

I hate that I think that way - alcohol shouldn’t have this much hold over me. I should be able to look forward to non-alcohol events and I know it’s bad that I don’t, hence why I’m looking to do this.

I don’t know what the answer is though,
I know some people get really into exercise but it doesn’t really appeal.

I like a good book, but I can’t do that all the time!

Hello everyone, I'm doing day 1 today because I was still on holiday yesterday. Any excuse hey?!

I have done dry January before but I really feel I need it more this time. I have been drinking far too much for months and months now. I've had the odd night without any alcohol over Christmas but only because I felt too hungover to contemplate it. Not good. I will do the first few days of Feb as well to make up for not starting on the 1st. They are weekdays so should be doable.

@freshstart2023 the only thing that truly helps me through those moments is anticipating the joy of waking up tomorrow without the guilt and shame - like you were saying up the thread - and taking it a day at a time. You're doing brilliantly, keep going 💪

@freshstart2023 could you read some quit lit? It's absorbing and a deterrent in equal measure.

Can you tell yourself it's just for today, and have a big hot chocolate in the interim? Thinking of the whole month ahead is horribly depresssing.

I know I've banged on about it, but I really do recommend the Eisberg AF mulled wine for hitting that psychological sweet spot.

Honestly thinking about this thread was the only thing that got me through earlier, so thank you all.

@Stickywhitelovepiss I've ordered The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober - were you the poster who's currently reading it? How are you finding it? I think reading something like that could really help me.

Some things I've noticed 3 days in:

• Physically I already feel much less sluggish and more energetic.

• My heart rate feels normal again (I've had bad hangovers where I'm sure my heart rate felt like it was increased).

• The whites of my eyes look less red and more clear.

• After quite bad night sweats on day 1, these have now stopped.

• I've saved £48 I would have spent on alcohol (assuming I get through today).

• My mood feels irritable and low, but my brain feels quite a lot sharper and clearer.

Hoping the fog will continue to lift as we go into the next few days.

I can relate to a lot of this - it's why I need to do DJ, to try and reset my attitude towards alcohol. I also struggle to socialise without a drink - I really don't enjoy meeting friends for a coffee for example. I think it's a lot to do with my social anxiety, which I'm addressing simultaneously via CBT and getting back on antidepressants. Drinking gives me confidence, but I take it too far, get really drunk then wake up with terrible anxiety and memory loss the next day, wondering if I've said or done something stupid and offended someone. I also notice that when I'm out with friends, I'm always the one who finishes my glass first and ends up drinking far more than everyone else a result. That in itself I find embarrassing, like everyone is (quite rightly) judging me.

Yes this thread and the thought of not being so alone in this is definitely helping. So glad I joined.

Has anyone read the follow on book to The unexpected joy of being sober? I read the former about 5 years ago and it definitely had an impact in the weeks after.

Somebody up thread mentioned Glorious Rock Bottom yesterday and I am about half way through. I haven't got onto the bit where she recovers as yet but it's an eye opening read with some pretty extreme circumstances she used to find herself in. She narrates it herself and managed to thrown humour and storytelling into it as well. I'm enjoying it.

The other book that I have read before which really resonated with me at the time (must keep re reading these books to keep it up) is Alcohol explained - I think others have recommended it. Really simple/ straightforward and non judgemental. Explains the reasons why we drink and what's going on when you get that craving amongst many other things.

Have a good evening!

I’m in. I stopped drinking last year when I was I’ll and lost 7kg put that back on plus 3 kg more so I am on the wagon!

Well done everyone 😊

I'm being tested by my teen today so the cravings have increased. Going to have a nice shower and do my hair to try to reset my brain as I'm feeling so pissed off!

Definitely! My problem is binging when socialising, and I keep turning down events in Jam when I know that I need to go otherwise I’m not getting to the root of the problem.

I might look into CBT as well.

Would kill for a glass of something now. Another tea it will have to be. I'm very very twitchy. Keep thinking of the benefits. Also tested by teens paulmccartneysbagel plus a whole lot more.

Alcohol is my "reward" for getting through the day without killing anyone . I went for a run yesterday. Think I need to do lots more to get rid of the underlying tension in my body that I can't now drown out with alcohol.

Plus's so far are: sleeping soundly (once I do get to sleep), money saved, and I can feel my body de-puffing (quitting sugar too). Also strangely amazed I didn't get bad headache or sweats or detox withdrawal !! symptoms. Maybe they can still happen?

Negatives so far: twitchy and irritable. Bored. A bit crabby. Drained of energy. Waking up in night to wee (am I really drinking that much water?).

Wishes: to be a lovely happy confident person without the alcohol !! To loose half a stone, and feel a million dollars. To not look in the fridge at the wine longingly. It's going to be a long month .... WE CAN DO IT

Hello everyone
joining tomorrow, as is often the case when I do DJ I rarely start on 01 Jan but add on the days in Feb which occasionally means a dry Feb happens so #bonus
Not expecting it to be easy, it never is. Always worth it though

So today I found out that the job I was offered last week has been withdrawn due to lack of funding (NHS temp contract) so I am actually quite annoyed.

No desire to drink though, and it's nice to see it affirmed that my coping strategies don't involve alcohol. Chocolate is another matter.

That's shit @pointythings I hope you haven't had to hand in your notice for anything else.

Day 3 here and got home from work about an hour ago. Made a hot chocolate, but only drank half of it, now back to water.

I didn't actually crave alcohol today, which is strange after the horrendous workload that was promptly dropped on me as soon as I got back. I am even cooking without craving a drink too much (the last few days I only warmed up leftovers to avoid temptation).

Has anyone had any thoughts on the weightloss side I mentioned this morning?

@freshstart2023 I also struggle boredom and trying children! Literally when I'm calming down one child I think I deserve wine after this stress but I've eaten chocolate instead of is really really hard. I've got my own birthday party coming up and am considering not drinking any alcohol but I've noticed when I've done it before in the past I've got so bored and tired when everyone is getting tipsy and having 'fun' and I feel like when will I ever leave! So I don't want to feel like that!!! Any tips?

Hi, I’ve been lurking since late December but am actually on day 3 now if my first ever dry Jan so thought I’d post. This is massive for me I’m like some of you on this thread who usually drink regularly and can’t imagine life without it. I’ve been a bit embarrassed about struggling after only 2-3 days, it’s very heartening to hear I’m not the only one.

I’m trying to imagine how proud of myself I’ll feel at the end of it but can’t think too much about the time in between, just taking it a moment at a time.

The updates giving a percentage of how far through Jan we are - I’m finding this really helpful and motivating.

You'll get there. There was a time when I couldn't picture enjoying an evening without drinking. Now I absolutely love having a whole evening stretching ahead to watch some programmes or read a book in bed, have some nice snacks or a takeaway. It's the cycle of drinking, and then wanting a drink the next day that causes these feelings. Being free from that feels really good.

Interesting that so many are up through the night to pee. I notice me and DH both get really puffy around the face when we've been drinking more, fluid retention must be making its way out!

DH is doing great today. There's a noticeable difference in his mood - he would say he's finding it miserable not drinking, but when he was drinking daily over Christmas he was lying in bed half the day and sitting on the sofa on his phone until drinking time. Today he was up early, looking after the kids and now he's making the dinner. He looks (and smells) much better too.

@Haruka no, I've been on a planned hiatus from work. But I did cancel an interview for another post because of being offered this one. I've emailed them again to say it fell through and I am now available for interview again, but they may very well think I'm messing them around and say 'hell no'. And I wouldn't blame them.

@freshstart2023 yes, that's me. Really absorbed in it - a very human and accessible read. Will spend this month binge reading quit lit I think!

Found today harder and could hear temptation calling. Had a tonic and lime while in the bath( usually a G and T) and early supper and into bed. Only way to keep out of trouble. DH is a heavy drinker which doesnt help but hes not here tonight so thats helping.
I discovered that if you microwave Christmas cake( minus the icing) its lovely with the last of the Christmas cream. Anything to get me through

I was ill over NY, so didn't go out, last night i did and got hammered with friends....

So today i start, did same last year and went over 100 days AF.

Apparently, after 30 days, you can go without anything!!!