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!

@Oblomov22 you do it your way and pish to people who are dogmatic about DJ!

@Judystilldreamsofhorses oh I don't as wondering whether that was the case, I was thinking of using it but seeing that it won't let you add days retrospectively I'll give it a swerve

@Spirini i used a similar app when I stopped smoking and it just asked if you had smoked then logged for you - I was waiting for the dry one to ask me I think!

This is interesting on why it can feel like you’re over stimulated when you stop drinking - your brain has been compensating for the depressant while you’ve been drinking and doesn’t realise you’ve stopped at first

welldoing.org/article/alcohol-withdrawal-does-to-your-body

Thank you for a new thread! The thread is really motivational from all of you. Keeping me going although had a few blips but determined to make it 30 days going into February too. So I'm 8 days.

Checking in for some accountability. I’m really enjoying this thread and it’s keeping me going.

I’ve reached the point im not really thinking about alcohol, but also need to find ways to fill the weekend that aren’t the pub!

Ive booked a board game cafe for Friday night which I’ve not done before so looking forward to that. Something to do ‘in the evening’ which is what I usually struggle with.

I didn’t realise we had a dry Jan. thread! Can I join?

Been dry since Wed 4th. Going to add 3 days to Feb to make up for it. My husband is away working and I have no social events this month, so so far it has been plain sailing. That said, December was very wet indeed, soy body is probably just relieved!

Great to have a source of support on here. So glad I found this thread!

I insist on it, @Onehappymam !
This is the 2nd thread... not sure how you missed us!
Welcome aboard, there's lots of support and good ideas here 😌

And good morning everyone! Hope you've all slept well.

Morning all! Just checking in. Sleeping much better - no more middle of the night wake-ups which has been fantastic. I'm still exercising, too. When I drink I don't have the energy or motivation.

Just checking in as well. I had another good night's rest - it feels like my sleep has really settled down now and I'm regularly sleeping through the night, which is great.

I'm still struggling with mental cravings and think about alcohol a lot, although the nagging voice in my head is (very gradually) becoming quieter.

I've got a small treat lined up for myself this evening, which is literally just catching up on an episode of a programme I've been wanting to watch for a while. It's something to look forward to instead of the wine.

I have a very challenging weekend coming up - I've got a relative's birthday party and am also meeting up with friends on Saturday for what would normally be a boozy affair. Almost everyone will be drinking quite a lot at both these occasions so I will need to stay really strong.

I can't believe we're on day 12 - fantastic. I've got my sights set on Sunday morning now - two full weeks will be a huge milestone and we'll be almost halfway through DJ too.

Good luck for day 12 everybody.

Morning all. Glad to hear we all made it through the night. Sone with better sleep than others.

Agree that this feels like it's getting easier as the days go by but yes, the weekend is looming. I am out tonight with 3 friends for pizza , all of whole will be drinking. It should be fine and more manageable than a big boozy night out. Good luck @freshstart2023 .

On the subject of ADs. Yes I am on them too - I find it hard to tell if it's the ADs now working to full effect or I naturally feel better without the depressant of wine. Either way I feel better. Not dancing in the streets or anything but just less anxious and more able to cope with what life throws (as long as it's not too serious!)

Skin feels more 'plump' and I think dark circles look a bit better.

Is anyone else really crap at drinking water? Great at all the teas but rubbish with water consumption. It can only help right?

Have a good day everyone.

I didn’t sleep well last night , which is annoying
I woke about 12-30 to go to the loo and again at 05-30 , still in bed now with a coffee and the iPad #retired 😀

The skin on my face looks much better , not so puffy , I’m pleased about that
Im boot camping too now ( since Monday ) so hoping to lose some weight , now that I’m replacing the wine with sparkling water and not leftover Christmas biscuits and chocolates!

Day 12 eh !

I usually drink the cheap and cheerful Chardonnay , which is about £7 a bottle , but could easily get through 4 bottles a week , DH drinks red , about 3 bottles , looks like we’re saving £50 or so a week .

day 12. Bit of an early start today as due a delivery and don’t want to miss it so a fitful sleep. Even got a headache. Hope it’s not the dreaded lurgy as I felt my cauliflower tasted strange last night! Anyway, full day of meetings at work and yay Thursday! Long weekend with spa day on Monday taking us to half way…/

Yes, me @lemonsaretheonlyfruit. I don’t know why it is I can easily sink 750ml of Pinot in the evening but the equivalent of water feels like a facer!! I drink a lot in the morning in my gym class then switch to brews for the rest of the day.

Slept better again. I definitely feel better for it. Did a sweaty cardio class this morning too, so that’s another box ticked.

Im off work today and am thinking of heading to the Trafford Centre to spend my birthday and Christmas vouchers. I haven’t been since before lockdown, but I think I’ll make the effort, rather than spending them online. I might get some new makeup for my newly improved skin. January glow up!

Well, in the interests of honesty I drank last night. I really regret it and feel shit physically today.
Clearly I can resist drinking when I'm out in a social setting,but not when relaxed at "home"

Back on it today.

@Hedjwitch so you've still had a hell of a lot than you would normally have done, and now you can take some time to work out what your trigger was last night, how it was different from the usual (if it was) and what you want your relationship with alcohol to be after this month. DJ is also about thinking things through. Don't beat yourself up.

*less. Forgot a whole word.

@Hedjwitch

Don't be hard on yourself. I decided that if I slipped up, I would use how awful I would inevitably feel as a reminder why I am doing dry jan. You have already achieved so much.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. DJ is hard!!! I could have murdered a drink after another long hot difficult day.

I’m using how desperately I’d like a drink as my reminder as to why I’m doing this :)
I know I cut down after last DJ, even though I didn’t make it all the way through, but there are days when my enthusiasm is wavering.

I am the same it doesn't bother me much not drinking in a social setting but I like to drink at home to relax. This isn't healthy which is why I start DJ.

I really fancied a wine last night but am decorating my livingroom which is a much bigger job than I initially anticipated so was exhausted by 9pm and went to bed. Our livingroom has no curtains just now either as the painting is still getting completed so is not an appealing place to sit with wine. I slipped last weekend due to stress but I think you need to own it and learn from it. You feel shit today try remember that the next time you reach for a drink.

Focus on what you have achieved so far not on one slip up. I realised by today I would normally have had 4 more bottles of wine than I have had. I had one over last weekend but those 4 would have cost £36 which is what my livingroom paint cost.

Try not to beat yourself up, DJ is a means to a goal, not the goal it's self imo - it's being able to sustain reduction after DJ that's important.

I'm still waking up with a headache in the mornings, but they are getting less painful. I can now cure them with 2 large cups of tea, rather than hitting the paracetamol and codeine now.

I reckon I'm saving £35 to £40 a week as I tend to buy Tesco Finest prosecco at £8 a bottle and go through 4, sometimes 5, bottles over a 3 night weekend. Plus the odd large vodka once or twice on a week night.

Last time I did dry Jan, I carried on for 100 days and bought myself a lovely All Saints leather biker jacket!

Morning everyone 🙂
Another positive I'm noticing in regards to sleep, is that I suspect I have sleep apnea. I snore a lot, wake up coughing a lot, sometimes wake struggling to catch my breath. Anyway, DS who is living at home currently, had talked about moving rooms as I've been waking him in the night with all my noise! Last night I said to him I felt I have been sleeping better and he said that actually now he thinks about it, I haven't woken him in the night for the past week or so. So another good reason to stick with it.