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 🙂

Fantastic, well done!

Morning all, I also managed to resist last night!

Another benefit is that my resting heart rate is normally all over the place from drinking. This morning it has come down quite a lot! So that’s really motivating and I feel much fresher.

Weekend is the real test for me though.

Depending on what he drinks at the pub...that's a lot of alcohol for your dh!

I saw this on one of the other dry threads yesterday (apologies if the poster is also on this thread but I don't think they are).

"Drinking because you've had a hard day only guarantees that tomorrow will be even harder".

It's obvious, but for me really helpful as it helps 'play it forward' rather than just thinking about the undeniable stress relief and immediate relaxed feeling you get from that glass of wine.

I had an awful sleep last night as it was so howling winds all night. I am going to struggle tomorrow night as it’s sat. Tonight will be ok as I am working early tomorrow morning so alcohol isn’t really an option anyway. I did find last night hard as I wanted a wine. The dcs are fighting and moaning today so it’s going to be a long day.

Struggling today as had some sad news. Want a drink tonight to ease the blow but will try not to

I'm into my 5th month sober. In addition to Lemon's comment above:

'It's obvious, but for me really helpful as it helps 'play it forward' rather than just thinking about the undeniable stress relief and immediate relaxed feeling you get from that glass of wine'

I'd also add that in many cases that 'immediate relaxed feeling' comes with the first sip. Before any alcohol has taken effect. So it is about the association of relaxation rather than the physical alcohol effect. I've got used to 'faking' that by sitting down and relaxing, but with an AF drink

I have had trouble sleeping due to a back injury. I spoke to my GP yesterday regarding the next stage of recovery with a view to returning to work at the end of January, and was prescribed amitriptyline to aid with sleep.

I genuinely feel like I've just woken up from hibernation (not least because the sun is also shining!) It's a mix of well rested but slightly groggy, like a mild hangover but with the benefit of a full nights sleep!

Well done to all who have managed to resist and good luck for the approaching weekend 🙂

I’d also add something that helps me, is that nothing tastes as good as that imaginary glass of wine.

So all day you are craving that cold glass of wine, it’s going to be lovely, it’s going to solve all
your problems. You’ll be sophisticated and relaxed and chatty.

Think back to the reality of actually drinking. The wine is actually a bit ‘meh’ tasting, the first sip is nice but goes downhill.

Just try and remember you’re imagining a perfect scenario that doesn’t actually exist. The anticipation is often better than the reality.

Morning all. Thanks for the positive postings about not succumbing on day 5.

Bad night's sleep, or lack of, due to some difficult but not unexpected health news for family member. One of the reasons I am staying off the booze - it won't help, at all.

Day 6 - here we come.

Ah - you see this doesn't work for me as the first half a bottle is genuinely delicious 😂

What helps me is knowing that I really genuinely love wine. If I end up an alcoholic or with a drink problem then that's it - no more carafes of red in a lovely French brasserie. No more chilled white wine with seafood. So to that end I will happily do dry January and moderate my drinking the rest of the time - so that I can have those positive alcohol experiences when they come.

Morning all. Yesterday was relatively easy as I had a pounding headache and felt nauseous most of the day... Very much like a real live hangover. Eased off with paracetamol and codeine at teatime. Planned an early night, but got distracted by reading the Prince Harry stuff on MN

When I did get to sleep about 2am, I had mad, exhausting dreams about runaway trains being hijacked and god knows what!

I have been dreading the weekend, but, tbh, I think I'm going to be ok. My tesco order comes at 5pm today and instead of the usual 4 bottles of wine, I've ordered some sugar free ginger beer, sparkling water and kombucha elderflower flavour as recommended by a PP.

Thats a good one @Greatly thank you.

I am having good moments today just being aware of my clearer head.

@Greatly oh yes nothing nicer than that first sip of chilled Sauvignon blanc and the happy buzz.

HOWEVER it's not worth subjecting my children to an alcoholic mother for! And I genuinely worry that if I can't do a dry month I'm on the path to alcoholism. So I'll have something else delicious instead. That first drink of a cold can of coke is delicious too.

😂 completely get that. It works better with beer as I don’t love that as much.

I have a sibling who is an alcoholic - so badly he needed a liver transplant. I'm super aware of my drinking and the way my brain will justify it after seeing him go downhill. If you can be shaking, yellow, nauseous and mentally confused and still want a drink then alcohol is your master. It's extremely positive to say no, not today and dry January is the epitome of that. I have genuine respect for anyone who manages it and have no truck with the naysayers who try and rubbish it - usually because they cannot moderate their drinking.

I weirdly only like AF beer!

Well done everyone, first week nearly over.

Nothing much to report here. Sticking to my “allowed” limit. I have some more fruit teas coming today with my shopping. I’m finding tea better for me than cold drinks as I usually drink red wine so don’t really want anything chilled.

I’m finding I do have more energy in the day now and wake up less groggy so that’s a good incentive to keep going. I keep reminding myself that I had years when I enjoyed my life perfectly well without alcohol (never ever used to drink at home) so there’s no reason I can’t feel that way again. I drink from boredom but then because I’m drinking I don’t have the energy or motivation to do something else to relieve that boredom.

I find teas and hot drinks better too as it completely disassociates from the cold drinkn in a glass habit.

Having said that,I have got in some AF beers to help me through the weekend.

I haven't thought about it like that before, but that really helps - thank you.

Another one echoing this sentiment - well put @Greatly!

I'm doing fine, bar bad sleep. I am breaking the Friday / Saturday association by having things for dinner I wouldn't ever usually have, like jacket potato and tuna, or bagel with soup - my brain will therefore get confused and think it's lunch time (hopefully).

I broke my Dry January for my birthday on Wednesday, always was my goal to start Dry Jan properly on my birthday, DH had a glass of wine. So back to Day 2 for me, but will go into Feb and I'm sure the earlier 2 days I did in Jan will have helped give my liver a rest.

Good luck everyone for the weekend, Shader came in the food shop and I've some more herbal teas in.

*Shloer

Love this as it’s such a good way to view it