Old habits DRY hard! It's DRY JANUARY thread #2... newcomers always welcome!

[HPLikecraft]

Here we are, a shiny new thread to help us stay dry.

Thread one has been great and supportive; and thread two will take us through further challenges and milestones. Hop aboard; you're all doing brilliantly!

Hi I posted at the beginning & have lurked since managed to stay dry all month. Did DJ last year too & it’s definitely been a lot easier this year - as you say OP think building up the mental discipline really helps. Beyond the first few days I haven’t been too tempted to have a drink but have replaced the majority of the alcohol calories with chocolate so not feeling loads of benefit from DJ apart from better sleep. Good luck to those of you carrying on beyond January I’m not planning my first drink for any particular day so will just see what happens. We’ve all achieved something this month so well done everyone and thanks @HPLikecraft for all your kind & inspiring words throughout January x

I just got into bed, so that’s day 30 done for me!

Did DJ last year too & it’s definitely been a lot easier this year - as you say OP think building up the mental discipline really helps.

I think this is an interesting point. I’ve struggled so hard mentally at times, to the point where I felt as though I was using every last ounce of willpower just to not reach for the drink. It feels so good to have given my self-discipline such a boost (as well as my liver). To know that I can achieve something like this feels huge mentally, it’s been good for my self esteem.

@freshstart2023 you've been amazing! You will really enjoy that first drink, whenever you have it. I didn't enjoy the two drinks I had on Saturday night because I felt too guilty to enjoy them!

@HPLikecraft thank you so much for the thread, your motivational speeches, your rational thought processes and the various % markers.

I didn't quite manage the full DJ but it's been a massive achievement for me. I can't remember the last time I went more than a week without a drink and over Christmas my unit intake was at least 50 units a week.

This! @HPLikecraft thank you from the bottom of my heart for starting this thread and for being there for us, all the way. I can't believe what I've achieved. I actually think this thread might have saved my life - and I'm determined to permanently re-set my relationship with alcohol from this week onwards, (although like others I'm a bit nervous about falling back into old habits).

Everyone on this thread has been brilliant. And @freshstart2023 your encouragement, honesty and updates on your personal journey from the start have been an inspiration and definitely helped me stay dry.

Another one here echoing the HPLikecraft love 💐

DJ has been a revelation for me. As I posted earlier in the thread, it drove DH and I to the brink of splitting. We have (uncharacteristically) sat down and discussed the issues - something we would be very unlikely to do while drinking. We are "giving it another go" - we've had a lot of changes over the past couple of years and have never really made the effort to address any issues that have arisen, not least the complacency that creeps in after being together so long. DJ highlighted everything that was wrong in our marriage but had been brushed under the carpet for so long. With any luck we will be able to work through this.

On another note, we have our National Trust membership which we paid for with our first DJ savings. We've been making the effort to get out and use it, again something we would never have done while drinking. We wouldn't normally have that amount of disposable income just floating about during January, and we would have thought we wouldn't use a membership either as it would eat in to our afternoon pub sessions 🙄 Now we are racking up the stately home visits like addicts 😉

Going forward I quite fancy the idea of allowing myself so many drinking days a year (60 was being bandied about earlier which is roughly 1 in 6, so seems reasonable) I'm using the Try Dry app so should be fairly easy to keep tabs on. I would also be interested in a moderation thread if anyone's getting one going. Ideally I would remain dry (and I can truly see myself doing that in the future) but it's too daunting at this point. I also have to navigate the summer and all those sun filled beer garden afternoons, which I don't feel I'm ready to do yet. Never say never though eh?!

Well done to everybody on this thread, and it was so lovely to have "met" you all 🙂

Good Morning.

like so many others I just wanted to say a massive thank you to @HPLikecraft for this thread. I’d been planning on doing DJ, but if I hadn’t joined this groups I’m fairly certain that my mindset wouldn’t have been the same and I’d be in a different place right now.

As it is I feel absolutely no rush and very little desire to drink. I’m exactly not sure how I’ll tackle alcohol in the future - although I’ve been lurking on some of the longer term AF threads in the alcohol support section with a view to doing a dry 2023.

I was drinking a huge amount. Absolutely huge. I end this month so much healthier in so many ways, including:

•Over 400 units not drunk (was looking for an emoji to put with this point - but I’m not sure there is one that gets across quite how shocking a fact it is!)

•£300 more in my bank account than I normally would have on payday. On top of this, during January I have also bought myself 2 new bras, a cache of face creams, theatre tickets, new trainers and a pair of jeans. All that would have been spent on wine or hangover food.

•I am 15lb lighter!

•My face is clearer, brighter and softer than it has been in years. This is a combo of being sober enough to look after myself, and also fairly obviously the fact that I haven’t attacked my body with 400+ units of alcohol.

•I’m sleeping so much better and my energy levels are great.

•My mental health is so much more robust. I’m happy and more confident. I’ve had very little anxiety this month.

I had a blood test half way through the month. The liver function tests were surprisingly fine, and across the whole set of bloods there wasn’t really particularly concerning. I do want to make changes to my health though, and it goes without saying that I won’t be able to achieve any of those whilst I’m drinking.

Well done to everyone for doing so fantastically this month. Such a positive and powerful start to 2023.

Day 31 🌟

So here we are on the final day - I can’t quite believe it! What a journey it’s been. I almost feel a bit emotional.

I will post more later but just wanted to echo the posters above and say a huge thank you to @HPLikecraft and everyone else for your support - there’s just no way I’d have reached day 31 without this thread.

Such a positive and powerful start to 2023.

Absolutely this!

Last day! Huge thanks to @HPLikecraft , your gentle support and encouragement has been wonderful.
I am with you @freshstart2023 , I'm feeling a huge sense of achievement. I couldn't have done it on my own.
Like so many of us, I'm hoping to moderate. I don't have a great desire for a drink as yet, so I'm hoping that lasts for a bit longer.

Thank you @HPLikecraft.

This thread has been both comforting and disconcerting.

I've managed 30 days AF and am not actually looking forward to drinking again although I know I will. I'm going to try and stick to the two drink rule. We shall see. Good luck everyone and thank you so much for sharing the trials and tribulations of DJ !

@HPLikecraft you have been the most amazing DJ threadmaster ever! I wish everyone a positive relationship with alcohol for the future, no matter how you're planning to do that.

@HPLikecraft

Yes echoing what others have said. You have been so good at encouraging, not judging and motivating us all. Thank-you so much. I'm so glad I joined this thread. It's been invaluable and I'm going to miss this feeling of togetherness with one common aim.

Can't believe we're on day 31 and I am actually contemplating staying dry for February too...it may not happen of course but the fact I'm even contemplating it feels like an achievement as well.

@Champagneforeveryone happy to read your update, that all sounds really positive.

Huge thank you for the thread and the ongoing support @HPLikecraft you have been amazing.

Bloody hell, here we are... day 31. I've really struggled this year for some reason, mostly with the boredom of not having alcohol in the pub on a Friday night.

Saved about £160 - £200.

Lost 6lb off my body and about 3 years off my face. Bonus.

I was thinking I'd have a drink tomorrow evening, but I reckon I can hang on for Friday night.

Delurking to say thank you to @HPLikecraft for the thread and encouragement. I didn't post often but did read the thread everyday and found it really helpful.
I started on 2nd January so have a couple more days to go but am sure I will get there. I found dry January surprisingly easy and it has given me a lot of food for thought about how I will continue after this. At the moment I don't really have any desire to have a drink so I think rather than have a drink on Friday because it is no longer dry January I will wait and see how I feel and take it one week at a time.
I'm not sure I want to/can give up alcohol completely - I find it quite a daunting prospect in that it seems like such a big lifestyle change. I think DH (who is not a big drinker) would really miss us sharing a bottle of wine/couple of beers. I feel like I need to be able to get to the stage where I don't slip into bad habits and binge drink but instead be happy with occasionally drinking a glass of wine.
If there is a low alcohol/dry thread after this can someone post it - I'd love to follow

Thanks again OP @HPLikecraft. No benefits here, same every year. But I enjoy the ride. Well done Everyone!

I liked your % markers too. Never seen that before. Loved it. Very satisfying.

I am chinking my AF beer bottle with you @HPLikecraft thanks for the thread!

For those of us sticking around for February, are we staying here for a bit?

Just checking in for the last 'official' day, and still dry, though it was touch and go last weekend.

I've followed this thread daily, and posted a bit. Have found it really motivating and supportive.

I'd join a moderation thread if there was to be one. Not sure what my.plan is for Feb as yet, or what my version of moderation might be. Might find out on a new thread

Meanwhile, thanks for your company everyone......we did blimmin great!

Reporting in for duty here too! Am amazed I made it and up for a follow up thread - a massive thanks to @HPLikecraft for hosting thus far!

Checking in to say well done & thank you to everyone. This thread has kept me motivated through my 1st dry January!

My surprises have been how much I enjoy sober socialising and the improvement in my skin.

Like so many of you I'm not sure what to do going forward. Probably moderation with bells on, maybe a single glass on wine twice a month. Love to see you all again on a moderation thread.

Bloody well dont to all who made it. And to all who reduced their intake. I managed 25 days which I'm pleased with. Got to not slide back into old ways now

Again, thanks so much to @HPLikecraft who’s kept us all going throughout this long, long month. You’ve helped me to understand why I turn to drink when I do, and I think I’m the future I’ll have a much healthier relationship with alcohol. I hope going forward I’ll only have a drink when I really really want one, or need one after a stressful day, and am going to try to stick to 1 bottle of wine per week.
I’m sleeping so much better and have joined the gym which I’m loving.
Well done to everyone on this journey. Onwards and upwards!

Well done everyone I did 28 days which I am bloody proud of- and my mental health is so much better - thanks especialy - def up for a moderatio thread

PS I haven’t found it easy though, and have tripped up twice. But 29 days dry is good enough for me 😊