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!

Sorry to hear about the tough days some people are having today for various reasons and hope you feel better tomorrow. I have had a sort of ‘normal’ day really, I can recommend the Brewdog Nanny State 0% (mentioned on here by another poster). Sitting down with one now. I almost accidentally typed 9% then, now that would be a beer 🤣

Wow this is quite the day, I’d feel the same if I were you! Condolences on your SIL, how is OH doing, is he on DJ as well or had a drink?

Tbh it sounds like the best thing you can do is probably go to bed and put the day and the temptation behind you. Look after yourselves

That's a really rough day maybe an early night with a book in bed and some chocolate would hit the spot?

Thanks- I am consoling myself with some Kylie stuff and eating lots of the canapés we brought back with us😍

I'm so grateful for this thread. I started drinking around the age of 14, and except for pregnancies (even during which I had the occasional small drink), I've never really had a break. I'm in my late thirties and have a habit of a glass or two of wine each night and easily a bottle each weekend night.
Historically I was a binge drinker with some very shameful experiences that didn't and still don't seem to stop me for more than a few days once the fear, anxiety, remorse and embarrassment fade away. The last time being New Years Eve, sadly.
So here I am, 8 days in. Doing surprisingly well but I'm utterly exhausted, and having such weird nightmares. Is this normal?
AF drinks are helping me in the evenings, although I haven't tried the 0% wines yet. Just g&ts and beers. Sparkling water with ginger juice and lime works for me too.
I'm enjoying the clear headed mornings and each day is giving me even more reason to continue. Let's see how far I can go.
I really do think that I just need to break my habit of reaching for a glass when I'm [insert long list of excuses I make].
Hugely impressed and motivated with everyone's efforts so far.

@holdmydrinks your pattern of drinking sounds very similar to mine. Despite being old enough to know better, I've embarrassed myself a couple of times this year, and I just need to know when to stop. Really hoping this resets my behaviour around alcohol...
Day 8, still going strong 💪

Hi all, hope you're having a good evening.
Nice to have you along @Flowersareblue !

@wellitywellness I'm sorry you're struggling without your pet. Sending you furry best wishes. I'm ashamed to say it, but in the last 4 years I've lost DF, BIL, MIL, FIL and two friends. However I know that when my dog dies I'll probably cry more than I did for any of these, even though I loved them all.

Well I was in Marks earlier, so I've got a bottle of their AF Very Dry G&T drink to try tonight. £4 per bottle, so worth a try.

Oh, did I mention... the end of today will be

25.8%

of the way through Dry January.
Hmm, think I did mention it, but it bears repeating! 💪

BigButtons that is quite the draining day, BUT you made it through the challenges of driving, weather, the sadness of a funeral and supporting your OH, all without recourse to alcohol. All that effort and tension is now behind you and I hope you are able to breathe out.

So day 8 is drawing to a close. Think any urge is now unlikely for me today, so calling it Day 8 AF and on to tomorrow. Hope the sleeping and dreaming is restorative rather than restless.

@Happyface120 and @holdmydrinks I’m the same, but I’d have going it hard to be as honest as you have been. In it together, I’d like to do the same as you.

Hi everyone. Had my first urge to drink today and realised it was because I was bored. So I put on a documentary I’ve been wanting to watch. It’s about a cult (it’s called Love Has Won) but it just so happens to feature drug and alcohol abuse so that put me right off! Another day dry

Survived a horrible evening somehow and now in bed. Day 8 done

Checking in for day 8. Reasonable night's sleep here, and nice to wake up to a clear head and no drink-related guilt. Busy day at work but glad to say that I didn't really crave a drink this evening. I still feel quite dehydrated though so am trying to drink plenty of water.

DH isn't doing DJ so is still having wine at weekends, but he's a red wine drinker and I only drink white or rose, so I don't find it at all hard seeing him have a glass or two of red. He does much better avoiding mid week drinking when I'm doing DJ, too. I haven't tried any AF alternatives yet, just sticking to soft drinks. That said, I drink faaaar too much diet coke as a general rule and haven't cut down on that at all, or sweet or savoury treats for that matter. But one thing at a time. I'm in genuine awe of those of you who are coupling DJ with veganuary or other heathy eating initiatives, I think any more than going alcohol free would completely tip me over the edge!

Sending virtual hugs and to those of you who have had difficult days for whatever reason.

A bit of a test tonight. Crap day at work, and then picked DS up from sports practice and he burst into tears in the car because it had gone so badly, so decided we'd go to Zizzi for tea to cheer ourselves up. I rarely go out for a meal without having a drink, but DH had an AF Peroni, and I had sparkling water. Not quite the same, but at least I didn't crack - and it meant I could drive home instead of the 20 minute walk, which was a definite bonus considering how cold it is!

Might have a glass of Fizzero now and watch Only Connect, but otherwise to bed with a decent book I think.

Checking in for day 8
First day in new job went well, had a small urge for a wine earlier but made a cup of tea and it passed.
Got a slight headache tonight but I've not drunk as much water today so having some water and an early night

Loving the 25 per cent done.... I'm waiting for some energy to be honest as mainly feel like I'm killing time to go to bed each night....
Hoping it gets easier and I learn strategies...

Day 12 done (I started early thanks to my lovely bout of Christmas covid making everything, but especially tea, coffee and alcohol taste disgusting).

I'm a little disappointed in myself that I'm not finding it easy. Between 6pm and 8pm (cooking time and before eating) I really do seem to want a glass or more of wine every single night. I'm wondering when I'm going to have an evening and not think about it.

Has anyone's appetite dramatically increased? I can't stop craving chunky fried chicken bites.

I have just come on today though too..I never normally have that much of a sweet tooth but I practically shagged the pick n mix isle at one of our high street shops today. £7.00 lighter 7lb heavier.

That's a full week done for me. Actually, I'm finding it easier than when I did DJ a few years ago. Need to deal with eating my alcohol calories now.

Yes. Not for the first five days but then day 6 I started getting sugar cravings and carb cravings and they have got worse. Yesterday I ate four chocolates and a massive handful of crisps. Today I ate 6 chocolates and 3 toffee flapjack bites and a big handful of crisps - all on top of three meals.

Also feeling a bit moody and frustrated and lowish energy. DH says that's just the time of year. But I need to sort myself out. Exercise classes restart this week so I will get back to them.

Day 8 done abs I had my first AF drink instead of water or coffee tonight. Weirdly it felt like I’d cheated somewhat… to the extent that it has made me feel glad I didn’t. It was an AF beer, surprisingly drinkable.

I may have a look at some of the others that people have mentioned, sounds like they’re better than they were ten years ago when I was pregnant with DC.

Well done everyone, a quarter of the way is great, we are going to start racking up the stats now. In just three days’ time we will be a third of the way there!

Btw… does it technically end on 31 Jan or 1 Feb?

Evening all. Things ok here - just feeling quite tired so will slope off to bed with book.

Had my first ever weird DJ dream last night - involving Japanese Knotweed .... Wondering what other alcohol supressed anxieties are going to surface next 🌿

Been absent for a couple of days and definitely haven't caught up with the thread, but just checking in on Day 8 for me. Things got a lot easier after Friday! Keeping busy, but not too busy, seems to be working well for me. Hope everyone is okay.

Checking in, had a momentary wobble this evening but didn’t give in to it and am now in bed, another day done!

Dh and I both feel we need to perk January up a bit and see the positives of not drinking so we’ve decided to treat ourselves to out of town Sunday pub lunch - places we wouldn’t normally visit because someone would have to drive…we discovered another pretty good beer recommendation Brooklyn Special Effects - it felt nice to come home clear headed - dh still had a sleep😂. Nice to be in the pub too - we miss it and definitely don’t want to give that up!

Checking in. I can't believe we're a quarter of the way through already! I hope everyone has a better day today.

I didn't find yesterday too bad, as I rarely drink on a Monday and have to do lots of ferrying around to clubs etc so by the time that was done I was ready for my bed. Definitely eating too much chocolate though. And I woke up really dehydrated this morning, so I clearly need to make an effort to drink more water.