DRY HARD 2: DRY HARDER! Dry January 2024, Thread#2 🧃🧋

[HPLikecraft]

Thread#2...

Let's keep going!

Very sorry for your loss @december2020. What a shock for you.

So sorry for your loss, @december2020

@december2020 I am so sorry. Thinking of you and your family x

DJ is done for me. Will continue on AF for February as feel calmer, sleeping better, more productive.
Thank you all for your company this DJ.

@december2020 so sorry for your loss.

Still AF, toying with the idea of continuing. Well done dry janners, proud of you all.

So sorry for your loss @december2020 , I hope you manage some sleep this evening.

Last post from me (for today, anyway). Because I have to do it.
At the end of today, Wednesday 31st January, we will be...

100%

Of the way through Dry January 2024 🥳🥳🤪👍👍💪💪🎊

Well done everyone, however much you've managed of DJ. But particularly well done to those who have done the whole lot and/or were particularly heavy or unhealthy drinkers. This is quite an achievement.

Please check in tomorrow for your gold award and final debrief.
Good, sober night, everyone. Sleep well.

I’m so so sorry to hear this, so sorry. Look after yourself xx

We did it!!

A huge huge well done to everyone, whatever Dj means to you, by being here on the end we have all smashed it.

@HPLikecraft and especially @wellitywellness thank you for keeping us going, and for giving me lots to think about without making me feel judged or ashamed. I was on the heavier side of drinking. I was having 2-3 glasses (although fairly small ones) a night out of habit and I hadn’t had more than a few days AF in several years.

i found it so much easier than I expected overall, especially once the first few quite tough days were over (especially dry mouth day on day 4!). And I’m going to keep it up. Although I likewise don’t feel hugely different I do feel better about myself and think maybe I’ve been a bit nicer to be around??

I did actually have one planned drink on Saturday this week and weirdly I totally regretted it! I didn’t really enjoy it (rubbish wine), I got a weird hot flush after (never happened before) and overall realised it just wasn’t worth it in that setting!!

so I’m going to carry on, not least because I have a huge work do in three weeks where I would normally have loads, but this time I want to be sober and know I don’t make a fool of myself.

Id love to know how people feel after a few drinks this week / weekend… does it feel different, was it worth it??

I've set myself a new goal in the Try Dry app. I'm pathetically excited to get the badges 😳

Thank you for this thread - it had really helped. Well done to everyone whether you were totally DJ or managed at least to get some serious moderation going. Good luck in next step. My plan is for mindful drinking. Might be back for Sober October.

Wow congratulations everybody and echoing the thank yous for all the support and information. I don't think I'm over-stating to say that this DJ has been / will be life-transforming for me! Feels like just the beginning. Never thought I'd do it or want to stick with it! Read some threads in December and then started DJ. Haven't really found it difficult at all, and I think a few AF days and the reading in December helped with that. No bold statements, but just no current plans to drink.

'Id love to know how people feel after a few drinks this week / weekend… does it feel different, was it worth it??'

Would love to hear too if anyone is happy to share!

This thread has really helped! Do we carry on posting here for Alcohol resistance unite: February, or start a new thread?

I'm going out for a lovely Italian meal tonight with friends, so my plan is to have one (delicious, Italian) glass of wine with dinner and one prosecco after. Everything else can be alcohol free if we go for other drinks! I'll update as to if I enjoy it.

I'm going to moderate my drinking- one or two days a week, so I'm aiming for minimum 5 days sober per week in February alternated with 2 dry weeks!

Thank you so much everyone! ❤️ it has been such a shock. She wasn't old but she wasn't young but she was fine. I had spoken to her earlier that day and she was totally fine chatting away about everyday stuff. And then she just wasn't fine.

I didn't get much sleep last night, but can say I too completed DJ AF.

@LindorDoubleChoc I do remember, how are you feeling, are you ok?

Well done all. Its February 😆
My night out tomorrow is off as we found out yesterday, one of our cats has liver cancer. So we need to make a decision on dome very short-term palliative treatment or have her PTS.
We're all very sad, but DH and I didn't reach for the wine bottle.

Two days to go yesterday and it was the worst for craving I've had. Lunch with a mate and a ten minute wrestle with myself over having a drink - I had a little alcohol demon telling me 'you've done 30 days, that's enough,' but I resisted - and on the way home was thinking that I'd kill for just one beer. There was place at Waterloo selling Middle Easter pastries so as a prize for not folding at the last moment I bought myself a couple of slabs of baklava and when I got home made do with a big mug of strong tea and one of my pastries.

One day to go today. Congrats to all who made it through the thickets of temptation.

So very sorry @december2020 that is truly shocking and sad. I also saw your post about your dad on another thread and my heart goes out you. Agree with other posters on that thread - take time to allow yourself to grieve properly.

Very happy to have completed Dry Jan for the first time ever, although I must admit I did have one glass of red late last night having finished my tax return. But, taking account of that and the planned glass I had on my 60th birthday I am still very happy - especially as DH did not join me, and I have proved to myself that I do not have to cave just because there is a nice bottle open on the kitchen worktop. Thankyou to @HPLikecraft and all posters for keeping me company. I have found new strategies and new AF drinks (big fan of a glass of Martini Vibrante since it was recommended on here - thank you to the person who did - it's a good one and DH likes it too). Would very much like to stay on this or another thread to keep me accountable during Feb, when I plan to stick to a max of 2 drinking days a week and less than half a bottle each time.

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain I too had to fight the power last night. Managed to ride it and I think I’m on the same time line as you - today is my day 31 (drank NYD). I’m definitely going to hold off till Saturday (have early morning stuff tomorrow and Saturday) and may try and hold off till I’m out at a gig on the 10th. I think it’ll be hard without the DJ accountability though.

@pangolinfan I recommended that (others may have also). It’s good isn’t it? Gives you the grown up taste and the sugar hit. I have it with one big ball of ice and FT Mediterranean tonic and it definitely beats the G&T Teaser into submission.

Morning all. Thanks @HPLikecraft for the thread and encouragement
So got there in the end. Had the much desired and anticipated drink last night only to find it all felt a bit 'meh'. The taste is great, far far better and more complex than any of the AF I've tried but the sloppy, fuzzy feeling of being a bit pissed? Not great tbh.
Maybe I'll try and chalk up another month after all.

It's February. February!

Whatever your plan (alcohol-wise) is for this month, a month off will have had a hugely beneficial effect on your health. Your liver is happy and smiling. And you look great!

As I said before I was a VERY heavy drinker who stumbled by chance upon an MN DJ thread 7/8 years ago. I think that thread changed my life and health. I can't not start a DJ thread now... it's just the little boost someone may need to avoid slipping further down a very slippery slope. If this thread has helped one person it will have been worth it.

I'm going to stay dry now until 28th Feb, but will step back from OPing. Is someone going to start a new February thread? We can just carry on here if not.

Thanks to all who travelled along with us on the DJ2024 wagon, whatever your level of commitment. Thanks for all your posts. They all help more than you think - yourself and others. Thanks to @wellitywellness for your blog links. As I said before it made me a lazier OP.

Here, finally, for everyone is your gold award 🥇

We did it! 🏁 💪🎊

@december2020 sorry to hear your sad news.

Thank you @HPLikecraft for this thread. It's been really helpful. I only started on 8th Jan and planning to go to end of Feb. Had a pass for Burns' Night and prob will have another during Feb but all in all feeling pleased at how easy it's been and I've even managed a couple of social events AF which is unheard of for me!

I've also been doing the Fast 800 and the fact that I can't consume anything with calories after 7pm has really helped.
The last time I did this it was for 7 weeks during lockdown in 2021 so there was very little temptation.

I've lost weight, caught up with friends over coffee (when it's usually over a drink) and restored faith in myself that I can do without wine 😊

Well done to everyone on here and look forward to the continuation into Feb 🥰

Dry Harding on to end of February here!

Today I explore my love / hate relationship with Holly Whitaker's Quit Like a Woman...

https://wellitywellness.com/2024/02/01/dry-day-32-quit-like-a-woman-revisited/

Another January is over and the sun is shining. I leave the world of January sobriety today feeling strong and hopeful about my desire and ability to moderate my intake just a little bit more.

Thank you to @HPLikecraft for starting the thread and to@wellitywellness who convinced me to read more of that damn quit lit that always winds me up.😂

Be excellent and party on!

Well done and thanks again to everyone, especially @HPLikecraft for starting these threads. I think you have helped change a lot of people's lives as well as your own 👏.

Gorgeous day so I met a friend for coffee in a lovely location. So much nicer than meeting up in darkness in a dingy pub! I don't know what I did before coffee shops were quite so ubiquitous... I have memories of living in South London as a student and having a choice of several dodgy pubs or a few greasy spoon cafes in which to conduct my social life, which probably explains a lot!

I've revised my opinion of the Try Dry app... I'm still not too interested in the savings and calories, but the ability to set custom goals is going to be really helpful going forward for me, I think. Having achieved DJ I have set a new goal of a 14 day dry streak, and will review again after that.

Taking stock... I've noticed that while my anxiety hasn't completely gone away, I've taken less medication over the past few weeks than normal, and I've definitely slept better, which is a massive win. But the most important thing is that I feel like I have broken the cycle and can become a truly moderate drinker again (unless I am suffering from Pink Cloud Syndrome 😉!)

See some of you back here or on the February thread if there is one. I'll be thinking of those who have experienced loss and troubles during the month, and hoping for brighter days ahead for all of you.

Anyone up for Dry July? That feels more logical to me than September as it is halfway through the year, although perhaps not if you are on holiday!