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!

Checking in here - I think I'm a bit of a miserable got at work today, mainly as 2023 was an awful year where I totally burnt out, no help from the company and I'm still feeling it.

AF so far has really curbed my eating, I had some lentil pot for lunch (website says about 540 cals and I'm struggling to finish it. I heard of for me. It could also be that I haven't been very active the last week or two so my body just doesn't need as much food.

I have lots of healthier meals prepped ready in the fridge so that will be dinner tonight to keep me on the straight and narrow.

Currently just feel like a tired cranky old lady (but I was like that before DJ, now just AF).

I felt exactly as you described, I wanted to give up but the thought of it was so scary and not realistic. Read on forums about people giving up totally saying 'if I can do it anyone can' and thought yeah easier said than done, and it scared me. But I decided to do DJ and set a limit of 2 weeks only, after which I could have a drink, but I didnt. 2 years later I'm still AF, it can be done but you need to find something else to replace it. I also had to tell myself my mind wasnt wired to be able to have just a glass of wine as it wouldn't be. I've come to realise I have no off switch, so the only way for me is to be AF, and you know what its great, so many benefits. I think what helped is partner doesnt drink, never really has so that helped.
Just set small goals, may be 1 week, tell yourself you can drink after, then when you get there tell yourself 'well done, l dont fancy a drink now, may be leave it another week', after a while the cravings go, you just need to break the habit and remove the trigger to drink. Well that was my experience anyway

I'm behind most of you as I started on the 2nd, but that's still 2 days down!

I find that doing something with my hands helps as it would stop me from holding a wineglass anyway, so lots of crochet, sewing etc. And then bed at a sensible time with a book - I tend to find drinking means I go to bed later, so this way I get more sleep and better sleep.

Now just need to follow my own advice tonight...

Happy Day 4 (or whatever day you're on), everyone. I've had 2 amazing nights' sleep, which is an absolute miracle for this insomniac.

Also checked my Fitbit data, which shows the my heart rate has fallen from 78bpm to 72 since NYE and my heart rate variability has risen from 11 to 31ms. Apparently this is good. So some proper evidence of the positive effects abstinence is having on my poor, abused bod!

Day 4. Slept better last night. Hopefully that will continue

Oh last night was hard. DH also doing dry January brought beer to watch the darts and offered me wine.

I didn't have any mainly because I couldn't face starting again today so Day 4 it is.

Still struggle in the evenings not knowing what to do and they seem so long

Good luck everyone, I'm finding the thread really useful

I just wanted to mention something for those who find coming home from work a trigger.

I discovered that what I thought was work-stress that was triggering on-return-home boozing was actually dehydration.

I would quite often come in from work feeling quite tense and agitated, clenched jaw, quite ranty, bit headachey. I would have a rant and go to the fridge and pour a long cold alcoholic drink (eg Pimms and Lemonade). One time, instead of doing that, I went to the sink, poured a pint of tap water, drank it all down in one go, poured another, drank all of that down in one go too. Started to feel a lot better.

It made me realise that I can be dehydrated without feeling particularly thirsty (I only really feel thirsty when I’ve eaten something salty) and that I don’t recognise that tension is a mark of dehydration for me.

I’ve also found that I could slow down how fast I drink wine with food if I reminded myself to drink two big glasses of water in the hour before the meal. If I didn’t do that I’d end up drinking more wine than DP with my food simply because I was thirsty.

I just mention in case anyone else has issues with dehydration but like me hasn’t realised it yet.

First 3 days was fine, had a good day today as well, went to an exercise class and for coffee, but now 5pm has come around and I am feeling bored and slightly down, as if nothing fun is ever going to happen again! Won’t be opening the wine but it is interesting to notice!

Well done @skippydo for sticking with it. I've got an exercise class at 6.30pm so that takes care of the post work danger zone...

Hi all

I'm doing DJ for the ist time in all my 66 years. Need to reset my relationship with alcohol (very heavy drinker).

Day 4 for me and fine so far - no bad craving - but finding it hard to get to sleep (awake till past 3am last night).

Yes, getting to sleep is a big issue for me, too, also a heavy drinker. Amazing how much we must have relied on the early push alcohol gives.

Has anyone else noticed any... aehm... digestive issues? Way too bloated, way too soft when I go. Very similar to having consumed too many sweeteners, but I try to avoid those as a habit and my only switch is to more herbal tea (but all brands and flavours I've been drinking for years).

@Michiru digestive issues, yes. I'm bloated too. Ugh when will we start feeling good?

Day 4 and I’ve realised I don’t know when I last went this many days without drinking.

I’m finding it okay but I thought about wine a lot today! I guess this weekend will be the big hurdle. I’m just so glad DH is doing it too because I don’t think I’d manage otherwise.

I liked someone’s suggestion of saving the money we’d have spent on booze but I’ve started buying expensive sparkling drinks, AF beer, etc so I’ve not made many savings! Last night I had Bottlegreen Sparkling Elderflower in a nice glass with loads of ice and it felt like a G&T. DH tends to go to the pub regularly so I guess he’ll see the savings more. I tend to drink at home.

Been okay so far, but the weekend will be a test as normally have wine Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Got some cordial {pear and elderflower) and some flavoured water which I will have in my wine glass 🤷🏻‍♀️ might help?

@BellaCriesAndThatsAlright and @Michiru , I've also noticed bloating and a rumbling tummy, plus what feels like the early signs of a UTI. I suppose it's just our bodies adjusting.

Interesting what @DJ24 says about hydration. Wine is 85% water, so drinking more fluids might help the digestive issues.

I'm waiting to see what happens to my skin. Last time I did DJ I ended up with spots, which I've not had since I was a teenager. This was a surprise as most people report that their skin gets better.

Gah. Twitching tonight and double twitching in anticipation for the weekend. Had my CBD drink which has helped but not enough. I basically just want the warm and fuzzies.

once I get to about 8pm I’ll be fine. But in the meantime I’m wishing my hours away which is wasteful. I’ll also just be wishing my weekend away. I find Mon-weds much easier. The other 4 days harder.

i’ll have a bath, but basically I just want some nice cold wine and I think by tomorrow night I’m going to be the bitch from hell 🙄

Bit down and fed up and could easily down a glass or two. Trying to look forward to how good I will feel tomorrow if I dont give in

The weekend will be my biggest hurdle, the last time I had an AF weekend was in pregnancy 8 years ago and I usually have wine Fri, sat, sun so the weekend will definitely be a test.
We can do it guys!

I too am craving the warm and fuzzies tonight post work. Doesn't help I discovered a forgotten bottle of white wine earlier, which is now singing to me as DD is out and all is quiet!

Have got a glass of AF wine, which is fine but (of course) missing the buzz. Trying to play the tape forward and remind myself that nothing good ever really comes from me having a drink...

Tomorrow night will be the most challenging for me. DH and I always do takeaway & drinks when the kids are in bed. I'm looking forward to a clear head on Saturday morning though.

Well, today was an absolute pigfucker of a day all told - both first one back at work after the Christmas break and an emergency vet's appointment in the mix for my poorly feline boy (currently curled up next to me, all dosed up on a heady mix of opioids, antibiotics and painkillers...).

I really, really wanted a red wine, but a call to my mum helped - and am now trying this Goodrays CBD drink - it does actually give the mildest of highs, but not enough to touch the edges today!

Anyhoo, here is today's offering - which is based on close reading of the lovely David Nutt's 'Drink?' book, and actually makes for some pretty encouraging reading in some ways. I definitely feel empowered off the back of this, that's for sure... Hopefully it helps one or two others on here as well...

https://wellitywellness.com/2024/01/04/dry-january-4-drink/

Still having bad sleep and - seeing as we're talking digestion - constipation. I used to have a dicky tummy after excess wine consumption, so now I'm drying up I suppose!

I am actually spending more on AF drinks than the real thing - I read somewhere that it's harder to keep them sanitised without alcohol as a denaturing component, hence the additional cost.

Definitely identify with the fear of starting this - while not the worst drinker in the world, I was still genuinely scared as to what I might find out about myself in stopping - trying and failing being a much scarier prospect than not trying at all... So far it's been less daunting than I imagined, but still a long way to go here...

That looks really interesting @wellitywellness, will give it a proper read later on- hope DCat is ok.

I've had a busy day out with DC, lunch out, just walked in and could kill for a glass of wine. Having a Guinness 0.0 again though instead. Need to make a plan for tomorrow, as DH is out which should usually be a trigger for me to eat snacks and drink all night. Thinking I will have an early dinner, bath and then watch a film in bed to stay away from the fridge!

Stay strong to anyone twitching this evening, you've got this!

@wellitywellness , you've reminded me that I have David Nutt's book on my Kindle, so I will need to re-read that. You're right, he seems really nice and offers a balanced view. Your blog made me laugh - Stationary January! - but also sad for your cat - hope the meds are helping.

I suppose where I take issue with some of the information out there is around the assertion that there is no safe level of drinking. Many doctors would prefer we didn't drink at all, when clearly the data show a J curve when it comes to mortality and drinking (unlike driving, presumably). I also don't quite buy that any benefits are due to moderate drinkers having better social connections; something physiological is going on. I definitely plan to start drinking again in February, and Nutt's numbers on risk levels are hugely helpful in determining what is the optimum level for each of us individually. I hope that DJ will help me regain agency so that I'm in control, not the wine... 21 units per week may be the sweet spot for me, but it will be different for all of us.

I’m also struggling after a stressful day at work and the depressing weather. Hanging in there but it is so hard.

Wishing I hadn’t committed to dry Feb and March now - it’s just way too daunting.