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

[HPLikecraft]

Thread#2...

Let's keep going!

Thank you so much for the thread again @HPLikecraft !

I'm happy to stay here for Feb if others are?

Thanks HP and everyone who contributed to the thread and made it a thoughtful and supportive environment.

I now need to go and get a big glass of water to kill off any “twitches” before dinner.

I'd love to stay for Feb? I did enjoy my prosecco (celebration) and my wine (with dinner) tonight. We went to a wonderful Italian and I knew I would though. Home with a mint tea now though, and I'm keeping it alcohol free tomorrow night 🥰. How have the rest of you fared today?

@december2020 sorry for the loss of your mum x

I’m still AF and today marks 50 days for me, woo hoo! I did think about having a drink but it seemed a shame to get to 49 and not do the extra day!

I’m happy to stay here for Feb if others are.

I’d like to stay! I had a glass of wine tonight but didn’t want anymore than that. Would also like to do Feb if I can too, need to cement this as a habit now where a glass is an exception not a rule

My offering for today:

https://wellitywellness.com/2024/02/02/dry-day-33-mrs-bitchy-returns/

I found getting up this morning so difficult, and despite sleeping for longer, I was more restless!

Out last night - set a limit and I stuck to it, but OMG the group I went out with struggled with the new moderate me. I knew I was going to get some pushback but from one person, in particular, it kept coming all night, every time I put the brakes on and said no to another drink I got grief. I needed all the reasons @Neptunium93 suggested and more, wave after wave I went into battle. I think the drunker they got the more they tried to shame me into taking another drink.

Not once did I waver and I think that surprised them even more - they expected me to start the evening with good intentions and then fail as the night progressed. I doubt they are even aware of how they came across, it would all be dismissed as a joke - but it's not funny. When someone decides to cut back on alcohol - they should be supported in that decision, but when we decide to hang out with drinkers, cutting back is seen as a fundamental betrayal - we can expect no less.

I've never been afraid of being the first to do something and this is no exception - their reaction has only strengthened my resolve.

I honestly don't get this animosity towards people not drinking on a night out.. my friends/colleagues never do this. If I ask for a non booze drink they'd say nowt.

Does this really still happen?

@asleepattheshop sympathies and well done. I am afraid in my (younger, less aware) days I probably did the same, so in thrall to alcohol I was. The only thing that stopped me was pretty firm and clear pushback from the moderator / abstainer. They may be unconsciously justifying their drinking by recruiting others.

Morning all. I'm still here, and still AF. I think part of the reason I'm carrying on is that a month off drinking feels like quite a short length of time after years of more or less constant consumption, albeit only the last 2 years at immoderate levels. Will I feel the same after another two weeks (45 days)? It's slightly longer than Lent, after all, but we'll see. Anyway, I'm definitely holding out for that 2% increase in brain volume after 6 weeks off 😉

Thanks @wellitywellness . Oddly, I find I'm starting to warm to MBMBF. I think she secretly has your best interests at heart and is challenging you in order to encourage you to take responsibility for your life and be proud of your successes! Sadly, I can't say the same for Ms Whitaker, who sounds like no fun at all! Blaming Capitalism really takes the biscuit. Personally I am grateful to it for enabling me to become financially independent, which feels like more of a radical feminist statement than giving up wine somehow!

Well done @asleepattheshop , I knew you could do it!

@asleepattheshop Brilliant, I am impressed! 💪🏻

I don't think my friends would bat an eyelid these days but I'm sure it would have been just like this a few short years ago, so can well imagine the scene!

@asleepattheshop it might not mean much, but I'm proud of you! That sounds really hard and I think I'd be infuriated.

I'm having a very lovely glass of red whilst watching the rugby.

I’ve been driving about all evening and am just home so not tempted tonight.

Didn’t feel at all tempted tonight. If I can get through tomorrow without feeling tempted, that’ll be a good sign for the future.

Went to the pub to meet friends and to remember someone who died far too young recently. Was expecting to want a drink but was driving and not tempted - drank Guinness 0.0 and it was fine (if sad - he and his partner were supposed to be getting married this year after many years together).

Still dry here. Must confess I'm feeling the lure of the grape, but will abstain.
Wish I could get on top of the dieting as well as I've managed the dryness!

Off to IKEA tomorrow... anyone need anything? Socktopus? Daim?

Day 38 here and still going. I don't have an end goal in mind but just seeing how it goes. @HPLikecraft can you bring me a miniature vase and tiny fake flower to go in it? Also a packet of those biscuits with the hearts in the middle cheers

Day 37 here. Still AF but a bottle is chilling in the fridge so I might crack at some point this weekend.

My target was next weekend but wavering. However DH has suddenly caught the AF bug as he has now realised it is helping his weight loss so this is helping my resolve a bit.

DH offered to open a bottle of sparkling wine for me last night. It took some willpower to say no. But this morning I’m glad I stayed AF. I wouldn’t go and open a bottle myself, but it’s harder when offered. I’m aiming for Easter but I feel my resolve will be well and truly tested before then.

Alcohol free last night and slept so much better!

@HPLikecraft I'm a sucker for their scented candles!

Sorry to hear it was a tough night @pangolinfan that sounds really sad. Well done on resisting though and not feeling tempted!

I'm still here and dry. It's a weekend where my husband who is normally much more take it or leave it about alcohol will be having a drink a few days in a row. I don't begrudge him, his relationship with alcohol is much healthier than mine, but it's hard to shake the feeling of the "excuse" to drink myself.

Handled a stressful situation in work yesterday and a colleague commiserated with me that I couldn't even have a drink after work and I genuinely felt like I didn't need it or miss it.

I remember from last year how much easier it gets as you progress. I suppose there's ups and downs in that description of my weekend though!

This would be part of the problem I had. DP would simply open a bottle, bring two glasses of wine through from the kitchen, and put one in front of me. I’m very poor at saying no.

Or ask me if I wanted a glass of wine with certain meals. Again I’m poor at saying no. Eventually it became a habit for me and I’d go and pour myself a glass with certain meals.

My relationship with alcohol just got out of hand, over time.