Dry Another Day - Dry January and Beyond!

[wellitywellness]

We are officially at thread #3!

All the best with your health @HPLikecraft .

I think comparing your drinking levels with previous ones is a better measure of progress than comparing with other people. I've been conscious about my drinking levels for years and my decision to tackle it seriously has been partly down to the fact that I am in a relatively good place in my life, so I have fewer excuses/pitfalls/stressors. Five years ago, in a job I disliked with a stroppy pre-teen and a seriously ill husband it would have been a recipe for failure. Husband is mostly well, I have a better job and better coping mechanisms with the now even stroppier teen!

I've been tempted to cheat on the app but so far have logged as faithfully as possible.

Just thought I'd check to see if others on the thread are still moderating/abstaining/managing their drinking as the weather finally warms up! I still use the Try Dry app every day and find it helpful. Have settled into a pattern of about 17-20 dry days a month and sub 14 units a week, which I've probably never managed in my adult life before (I'm 60) other than during pregnancy/breastfeeding. Definitely feels like a proper reset and I love the fact that I very rarely wake up feeling hungover (half a bottle of wine is enough to give me a hangover these days so I do still have them)!

Good timing @pangolinfan, I was already thinking about coming back to the thread.

I had a boozy three weeks at the end of May/beginning of June (holiday) and although I didn't drink as much as I would have this time last year, I really felt it in my mood and energy levels. I also fell back into some bad drinking habits like buying some wine miniatures for my hotel room while travelling for work which is really stupid and pointless.

Back on the reduction road again, swapping in zero beers, not drinking during the week and drinking far less in the house. I don't miss wine/sofa/telly at all. I do find it harder to moderate while socialising though.

Hi @disappearingfish! Completely agree about social events. I went for a "quick sundowner" on Friday evening, cycled there so I wouldn't be tempted to have more than 1 (or 2), but still ended up sinking two bottles between 4 of us and cycled home again feeling very heavy legged! But overall I know it is ultimately in my control to make better choices and easier to make them than it was a year ago. And that makes me happy. My overall goal is to finish the year with more than 200 dry days and to keep sub 14 units/week if I possibly can.

Thanks for reviving the thread. I’d been thinking about it over the last week as I’m contemplating trying to do Dry July. I think it would be worth me doing another “reset”.

I’m comfortable with the amount I’m drinking at the moment, but I still want to keep an eye on it, to make sure it doesn’t creep up again.

Like pps, I’ve also experienced some slips with working away / holidays, and I want to keep a check on that becoming too much of a habit.

Good to see some people still on the thread and keeping going. I'm still moderating, but have gone off the AF beers and other substitutes, which makes dry days a challenge. I'm drinking 18-20 units per week over several nights, which I'm fine with. I had blood tests done recently and my liver function was good, along with everything else, which is a relief! I was honest with the nurse about how much I'm drinking and was told it was fine, which surprised me in some ways, but then again I've always suspected that the 14 units was a bit arbitrary following the research I did back in January.

I had thought about doing Dry July, but not sure I feel the need (or, in all honesty, the desire!) for another whole month off, but perhaps a shorter period, or just checking in with this thread for a while to keep me on track would be good. I've given up with the app, but am still measuring and monitoring, and trying to drink mindfully, which means I savour it more than I used to.

Great to see that the January (and beyond) threads have had positive outcomes. I had a 50:50 dry:damp May after 4 months AF. This is too much for me and would have escalated over the summer months. I decided to give AF another run starting with a dry June and then see. It would have been more of a challenge had I not needed emergency surgery in early June. Recovery is going very well and would be hampered by booze. So - on to the end of this month and then see what goal makes sense for me.

Hi all. I'm also glad to see people still checking in and keeping on top of things.
I've been behaving myself well... found out I had high blood pressure, so I'm being super healthy in lots of ways. My adult DD has moved home for a while, so if we open a bottle of wine it's split three ways now, rather than two! That will be once or twice per week, max.

The best thing for me is I'm noticing more that I'll get through an evening without booze without noticing or craving. It has taken a few years to get here!

I was thinking about this thread this weekend too!

I was pretty much completely dry until May. Then some boozy relatives visited, DH's intake increased, and they brought and left soo much alcohol. And the inevitable odd glass has now started to creep up. After a couple each on Thursday and Friday nights I really noticed the impact on my sleep and mood this weekend. And despite this I am back to cravings again! I probably need another reset.

Hope everyone is plodding on nicely 🙂

Just about. Last month wasn’t great (19 days AF), but this month haven’t had a drink so far at all. How about you, how’s it going? 😊

Decreasing each month (22 dry days in June) still a few units too many of vino, but have cut out Friday drinking and I stuck to a Fanta whilst the football was on. Well done for July!

Hello wonderful ladies of 'dry another day'. The drinking has steadily crept up (birthdays, holidays, teacher lifestyle 🙈)

Would anyone be interested in soper (or semi-sober) September?

I found this thread invaluable throughout dry January, just thought I'd ask if anyone was around!

Hi Holly

Thanks for reviving this thread.

I’ve done a bit of backsliding in the last week (wine with food in the house - which is a slippery slope for me) so it would be good for me to have an incentive to nip that in the bud before it gets any worse.

I'll join. But I am hoping today will be Day 14. I am struggling hard. I am bloated and look dreadful and my anxiety is insane.

Definitely joining again after I've had a bit of a downturn lately. My Sober September (love the name) will start a few days early, though.

Hello all try-dryers!

I'm just back from holiday and just once in 16 nights did I think I drank a little too much. It's been easy to have one or two and then switch to non-alcoholic. I didn't have any dry days which would be my aim in future but generally my consumption is way down.

So a mini win here!

Well done @disappearingfish ! That sounds like a great win.

@DJ24 no problem, I found having other people there so helpful!

Sorry to hear you're struggling @SoberIsTheNew50 try to think it is the anxiety talking, but if you feel rubbish it seeps into everything.

@Michiru mine too, hopefully!

Glad to have some buddies!

I’m up for it! I’m doing ok, better than in past years when I’ve tried to cut down, but am backsliding a bit and could use a reset!

Thanks @HollyGolightly4 . I have just booked a Christmas trip for all of us (4) to see family in Australia and the cost of that is mind boggling. So any money saved from not-drinking (which at the end of the day is literally throwing money down the toilet) has got to be a good thing!!

Thanks for waking us up @HollyGolightly4 . I thought, this very morning, that I might try something I did a few years ago: stop drinking from second half of August (after all our holidays done) until sometime in early December (well… I don’t want to be a Christmas party pooper!) so I’m definitely up for a bit of dry support here. It'll be tough.

After that, of course, it’ll be time for DJ 2025!!

I'm in for Sober September! Have also slid over summer...

Can't bear the impact it has on my sleep these days.

This sounds really promising?

I didn't mean the question mark 🤣

Well as I started yesterday I’m having to toast my DD passing her driving test with Fever Tree aromatic tonic tonight! That’s fine though 😊