DRY JANUARY 2024! 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!

DJ threads are 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 7th year of DJ and I swear it has made all the difference to me. It was so hard first time, but it has definitely 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. 🙂☕🧃

The DJ2024 Wagon creaks to a start in just 5 days! Join us!

Day 3 fail

Back on it tomorrow

I’m catching upon early episodes of Ghosts, and amazingly not arguing with DH!

Also didnt sleep well - however no current craving - i do think not drinking does help me feel less anxious

I'm not craving but have a headache. Might attempt another early night.

Has anyone read the Allen Carr one about women stopping drinking? Is it worth it?

Well done, that’s a huge achievement. Out of interest can you remember a couple of the best techniques you found helpful? Would be really interested, good luck!

Day 3 - well after a stressful day, I'm pleased to have made it through the post-work-danger-zone and am entering the kids-in-bed-danger-zone. I've made a cup of decaf tea and will be hitting the chocolate instead.

I'm interested in what alcohol free gin people recommend. I'm normally a wine drinker, but AF wine is revolting. AF beer is great, but I wouldn't normally drink beer so don't usually fancy it.

I did try a 0% "lemon cider" from Aldi and whilst it was pleasant enough, it tasted nothing like cider. I've concluded it's just a very expensive way to flog lemonade!

HP - I'm loving the daily percentages. Such a great idea! Thank you!

Wow this is a quick moving thread, what a great thing! I'm doing OK, fine really, would like to be having wine but I'm OK so far with waiting until Feb, and the knowledge that i can rely on myself to do this gives me a small sense of pride and that's a driver, a self esteem boost somehow knowing I've got my own back, making good decisions for my wellbeing.

I don't know if I'm eating more, trying to get back to the 16:8 but only managed that once so far, tonight. But I also started at the gym a few weeks ago and i think my eating had increased with that. But that too is something I'm doing for my health rather than weight loss - though i do hope to lose some weight. I'm also ditching sugar/sweets this month, so it's a lot to be doing all at once but I do usually stop having sugary treats after all the treats over December so I'm familiar with managing those cravings.

Day 2 ticked off on the app. So far so good, but nit counting my chickens yet!

That’s exactly the reason I drink - escapism. I love how it blocks out all those anxious thoughts and feelings of self-loathing, for several hours at least. Now that I’m not drinking, I’m finding it so hard not having that switch-off button (AKA alcohol).

Very sorry about your partner’s bereavement 💐

Day 3 done. Green tea,Ghosts,and now in bed browsing potting tables. Rock and roll.

My tip for newbies is to switch to hot drinks for DJ. Substituting your favourite cold tipple in a glass with another cold tipple in a glass reminds you of what you are missing. A hot drink in a mug helps break the association. Works for me and might help others?

Today is my first day. We went to quiz night and I had tonic water and volunteered to drive. So I'm feeling ok.

@fatandhappy47 it’s early days, don’t let it derail you for the whole month.

Day 3 nearly done for me now. DH offered me a sherry earlier this evening and I had to remind him that I’m on DJ. I’m not back at work yet - for me the real test will be once I’m back at work (love a glass of wine, crisps and a chat before making dinner). I need to get back to better eating and exercise…

3 days in and counting lol!

Evening all! Day 3 and still going strong. It's our anniversary tomorrow so it'll be a bit weird celebrating without prosecco, but will concentrate on tasting the food (planning a Thai takeaway to avoid the temptation of the drinks menu at the actual restaurant).

Onwards!

Wow, things are really hotting up here! So many posts.
Glad it's (mostly) going well for everyone. Only had a quick skim through as I've been out all day and only just settled into my jamas. Will watch some mindless telly with DH to distract me from booze.

Will be back later to give you a progress report 🙂

So I had the AF San Miguel. It's quite nice but I didn't finish the bottle and it took the craving for wine away.
@fatandhappy47 don't beat yourself up it's early days. It's a blip not a failure. I find playing it forward in my mind works, earlier when I was craving wine I fast forwarded in my mind to waking up tomorrow feeling groggy if I'd had the wine.
I'm taking myself up to bed in a minute and will scroll on my phone for a bit before I nod off.
Off to tick day 3 off on the app

All ok here, lying on the sofa and feeling relieved that I’ve not had a drink today.

Well done peeps, sounds like you're doing well. Good day 3 for me, no temptation but I'm expecting Friday to be a hurdle. I'm feeling pretty flat, wine wouldn't help I know. Could just do with getting a solid AF week under my belt so I've crossed off a weekend. A couple of years ago I did dry Jan and didn't end up drinking for 100 days, I felt utterly brilliant. Not saying I can do it again but I do have good memories of that long sober stretch.

@ParsnipAndPoppy I’ll need to do a recap and see if the techniques he writes about for smoking apply to alcohol but a few I remember were every time to you have a Cigarette/drink and it makes you feel good consider that your just relieving the withdrawal symptoms from the previous cig/drink and restarting the process, it isn’t a lovely feeling your experiencing but the next hit of your addiction (that resonated with me a lot)

Another is the relief/hit you feel when you spark up/pour is how people who don’t smoke and drink feel all the time, your pouring money into a state of normality that non smokers/drinkers get without spending a penny…

I’m not sure that one works for both Alcohol and Nicotine but it does lead onto another point he makes about getting angry with the company’s that line their pockets off the back of peoples addictions, every time we have a rubbish day, a social event we can’t get through without or special occasion that needs the perfect bottle and we hand over our hard earned cash and livers there is someone rubbing their hands with glee…

And they goes for the advertisement businesses, the supermarkets with their deals and the distillery’s all making sure alcohol is so engrained into our norm that we feel like we can’t live without it.

Tanqueray and Gordon’s both do very good 0% versions, but they are pricey. Most super markets often have offers on less well known brands.

Made it through day 3! I think this is the longest I've been AF for since the summer 😱
Went for a run with friends straight from work, usually have a beer when I get in, so got some Guinness 0.0 which was surprisingly good. Definitely hit the spot. Had a lemon and ginger tea after dinner which has killed off any cravings.
Well done to everyone, and for those struggling, tomorrow is another day 💐

@wellitywellness and anyone else who has mentioned, I’ve tried the goodrays. I’m currently on the orange and grapefruit one which is lovely.

they absolutely do something, and have a physical effect which is rather…..strange….and hard to describe. Within a few minutes of drinking they make me feel like I’ve necked a g&t (so a bit of a tingly feeling, and a bit of a sinky, relaxed feeling) but without the drink bit. And for a good hour after I just feel a bit more chilled somehow. Definitely reduced jaw tension.

I had a very testing matter at home this eve, something I would usually have grabbed at the bottle for a crutch, but I’d just had one of these and handled it in a calm way.

they are pricey and might not have the same effect on everyone but they’re good for me. Zero drinks are just nice fakery but this stuff actually does something, which is the booze buzz I miss.

I would think drinking one of these in a warm Epsom bath would be super relaxing!

A couple of years ago I did dry Jan and didn't end up drinking for 100 days, I felt utterly brilliant.

@Hohofortherobbers would you mind elaborating on how it felt? I’m in serious need of motivation right now - feel I could easily crack 😞

Day 3 done here. I had a small twitch when DH offered me a drink while he was making dinner, which is our usual time for a glass of something. But I asked for water, and he had tomato juice, and the moment passed. Well done to everyone so far. It's very satisfying ticking off the days on the Try Dry app.

I went to a coffee shop today for a drink and when I got to the till there was a sign for mulled wine 😱
I hesitated for a moment but thankfully the words ‘tea please’ came out of my mouth. Temptation really is everywhere!
Day 3 done.