DRY JANUARY 2025! Join us for a healthier start to the year! All welcome 🥤☕️🧋

[HPLikecraft]

It’s that time of year again!
If you need a detox, to lose weight, to be healthier, to undo some seasonal overindulgence, to sleep better, to look better, to have healthier skin, to save money, boost liver function, improve your memory, or to decrease your likelihood of dying earlier of various nasty illnesses (sorry for the sudden hard ball!) then you’ve come to the right place!

The MN DJ2025 Chat thread is for anyone who wants to reset their relationship with alcohol; whether you’re a weekend tippler or a problem heavier drinker.
This is a friendly, non-judgmental thread where we support and encourage each other, exchange ideas and information, share alcohol-free drinks recommendations etc.

Hopefully we’ll have some fun along the way. Please hop aboard the good ship DJ 2025, everyone welcome!

Thank you. This evening I had an apple, a few grapes and a couple of walnuts. Better than sweets.

I'm not sure if DJ is the start of a much longer abstinence or an attempt to moderate for me.

I have got two quit lit books coming which I will read, but probably more to get informed. I'm hoping they are not too hectoring! For me, you read so many cautionary tales about how half a bottle three times a week will have you dying alone in a stinking bedsit at 40, but our everyday observation says otherwise.

Most of us do drink too much, and we use it as a crutch to cope with the onslaught of 'life' which isn't sustainable or a great idea; it should be an occasional mild relaxant taken very much in moderation and in company, so I'm not suggesting we shouldn't be concerned! But I'd love to return to that 'occasional'; we'll see!

Good luck with the coming week!

Yes I'm sure I've read that the alcohol causes you to skip REM stage sleep, which causes various problems and is part of why you don't feel rested after alcohol even if you've slept.

I've found this weekend tough, been feeling flat and a bit blue, and fairly sure I would have caved if DH hadn't held strong! Not for the whole month, but could have seen me 'start on Monday'. Which is unusual as DH is not normally a keen abstainer! But he's been feeling a bit rubbish after the Christmas indulgence.

So it has definitely felt tougher than last year, but I suspect it's a bit of a detox thing and think I'm gradually feeling better. Been keeping up with my 10k steps a day too, which has been really positive for gentle exercise and getting outside whatever the weather. This will become much harder with everyone back to work/school this week but I will certainly try and keep it up, as I struggle to fit exercise in.

Up at silly o'clock with my non sleeper, but if I get a good stint in before then, it's manageable. Sleep is generally dreadful for me now when I drink so this is always the best bit.

I take @melodyfair 's points, but agree that overall dry January is a positive thing.

I've had some longish stints without, and though I don't want to give up entirely, I will never go back to my previous constant drinking (either low or high level), and as a minimum I will work regular breaks in to suit my lifestyle, as it was so positive for me. I doubt I'll drink straight away in Feb. Dry January helps people to put some much-needed distance between themselves and alcohol. I know full well it would healthier not to drink at all, but that's where I'm landing at the moment. I could see me abstaining entirely at some point.

'it should be an occasional mild relaxant taken very much in moderation and in company'

This is the dream isn't it, but think there are many of us that struggle to keep to it. I'm no good at long term moderating, so I know I need the AF breaks.

So another evening completed - but does anyone else find their sleep.is very disturbed? I was hoping it would be better than after drinking, but I've been in passing and turning all night, and woken up with a fuzzy head! 😪

My sleep is awful but I think mine is more hormonal than AF related.

After sailing through the first few days I really struggled last night, and I worked out why. I knew I had to get up early on Monday and go and work in London for a couple of days, so had to get ready for that as well as tidying up the house. It reminded me of a period about 10 years ago where I was doing that every week and I therefore faced Sunday night with a feeling of dread - and to cope I had a few glasses of wine. So my mind, when faced with the same situation, went "have a glass of wine to relax yourself". I didn't - I cooked myself a nice supper and relaxed during The Great Pottery Throwdown instead. And am now on the train to London without that dry-mouthed, slightly headachey feeling that I used to have, and I'll try to remember that for next time!

I was hoping I’d wake up refreshed this morning, after a sober weekend. But I feel just as sluggish and tired as if I’d had a drink.

I think I know the culprit, and it’s chocolate. I had some late last night. So I’m going to cut that out of my diet entirely and see how I feel after that

Sorry for all of you also struggling with sleep, but I'm relieved it's not just me! Hoping we all get beyond this phase soon 🤞

Just to add my opinion on the DJ debate - one month off and heavy drinking the rest of the year is not good but I find it resets my habits and leads me to drinking less - although I'm striving for none at all as I find moderating difficult.

Also a big advantage of DJ for me compared to when I decide to have a sober stint later in the year is that it's an acceptable excuse for not drinking (you don't need to explain yourself) plus there's less social stuff going on so I can bunker down and stick to it.

Most of us do drink too much, and we use it as a crutch to cope with the onslaught of 'life' which isn't sustainable or a great idea

This resonated with me. The “onslaught of life” (plus a large dose of social anxiety) is the main reason why I drink.

I’m proud to have got the first weekend out the way. Also pleased to be starting the first full week at work feeling fresh with no hangover. I didn’t sleep well again last night, but the tiredness is much easier to deal with when you haven’t drunk.

Morning all!

Well I slept well, but then again I got no sleep whatsoever the night before, so I was due some! My dreams are not awful or scary, but they are so... long, and busy and weird that I feel exhausted by them when I wake up!

Ok, so to do a precise percentagewe are, as of 9.20 am on 6th January....

17.4 %

of the way through DJ2025!

We've taken a huge bite out of it. Well done everyone who's managed this far.
Let's carry on kicking booze's arse! 💪💪

17.4% certainly is a huge bite! Thanks for the stats @HPLikecraft - it’s very motivating.

Day 4 for me yesterday! Feel so much better now I am sleeping well. This evening will be a challenge as have a work event where normally I would be drinking - everyone will be drinking. I’m determined not to though.

@Bookaholic73 I feel the same as you about wanting a sober year not just January. Terrifies me to say that but I would feel very sad to go straight back to old habits and I’m coming round to realising I find it very hard to moderate. I’ve bought a journal and I’m hoping by writing how good I’m feeling in comparison to my drinking will give me a boost. 31st of January is on a Friday which is worrying me already.

Well, last night we went out for a meal for dh's birthday and he had a beer. I asked for a tonic water and bless them they did me a really long glass of tonic with ice and lemon so it was really nice. I think once I'd ordered that, I felt settled to the idea as part of me had wondered if I'd just order a glass of wine when it came to it! I'm sleeping very well now, no long waking periods in the night.

Day 7 for me
I'm surprised and delighted I've got this far and I'm determined now to carry on.
I think for me I am telling myself that if I'm bored, lonely, stressed etc a bottle of wine will not help. Whilst drinking takes you out of yourself for a while, the effects the whole next day are just not worth that two hours of internal fun!
Slept really well last night as I took a herbal nytol which helped me get off to sleep. I am definitely looking better but the main difference is that I am 100 per cent happier and less irritable. I don't even have the back to work blues.
Not lost any weight unsurprisingly but I didn't expect to with my current diet.
Someone mentioned about the book How to Quit like a woman and although I only downloaded the sample, the list of effects on your body with just one drink really stayed with me and if I need a reminder bit to drink I'm going to read that again!
I've got some blood tests ( high cholesterol) on Friday so my initial goal was to last until then at least but I'm enjoying the good feeling so much I will carry on.
Happy Monday all

Day 6, nearly made it to a week. Can't remember the last time I did this, probably when pregnant!

Slept badly last night but that was probably because I had a bit lie in Sunday morning. Definitely felt better getting up at 6am to today than I would if I'd sank half a bottle of wine yesterday!

Morning! Day 6 today and it’s my DS birthday so we are off out to his favourite restaurant tonight, Gaucho. I love a steak and would always have it with half a bottle of red wine. And no doubt a cocktail before that. So this will be a test!

Day 6. Last night was the first test for me. I'd had a busy day and was all set to sit down and relax with a nice AF drink after dinner. Then a few "life" things happened, including a work email that annoyed me, and a couple of other things that needed dealing with there and then. Didn't get to sit down until after 10pm. Normally I would have poured myself a large glass of white wine to chill out. However, while I had a "drinking thought" I didn't act on it. Instead I got myself a glass of slimline tonic with some Martini Floreane. It's the first time I've tried it and I think it's brilliant! Tastes just like proper Martini rosso. £10 for a large bottle that will last a while, as you only need 50ml or so (thank you to the PP who recommended it).

Very pleased with myself for not caving, but I also felt quite guilty when I caught up with this thread and saw what others were having to cope with: central heating problems, leaky roofs, poorly chickens, bad backs.....my issues were nothing in comparison, so well done everyone for staying strong!

I once read something along the following lines: "Moderation is all of the work of abstinence, with none of the benefits". This really resonated with me. Moderation seems to be the holy grail for many of us, but in reality it can be exhausting. So many decisions! What days am I allowed to drink this week, how many can I have, oh but this or that is happening, oh I feel stressed, it's so-and-so's birthday, we're going out for a meal, go on, have another, oh all right then. So the week has been a constant internal battle, and you've still drunk too much.

In the case of Dry January, it's just one decision: I'm not drinking this month, which is quite a relief. And of course with abstinence, it's (in theory) one decision forever. Frees up a lot of headspace.

Personally I am feeling pretty tired from all my attempts to moderate, but on the other hand I don't really want to stop drinking forever. I enjoy wine and the social side of drinking. I think that a month off will give me the distance to see what benefits, if any, have accrued, and whether I feel I can stick to a sensible limit per week.

@DryAF yes, I agree; moderation is the dream, isn't it?

I guess there are people out there who do go from heavier drinking back to moderation; but mostly people seem to say it's not possible, long term.

I'm not sure what direction I'll go in. I'm realistic enough to know 6 days abstinence isn't making me teetotal! And I suspect I'll have a hearty glass of Pinot on the 1/2. But I hope by then the benefits of not drinking nightly will be more apparent to me so it should be easier to step back? That's the hope!

Also, I'm hoping my sleep will improve soon! I've never been great, being PM doesn't help but I'm frequently seeing every hour in til 5 ish; if I don't have to be up for anything, I'll stay asleep- yesterday I woke at 11:20 complete with wild dreams- which doesn't help; but if I do have to get up, I spend the first few hours feeling headachey and groggy, rather like with a hangover....🤔

Im on Day five ( I start the 2nd )

I am an active alkie, been drinking again for about 12 years , and average 2 litres of whisky a week at home, more if we go to the pub

Ive been doing dry January every year for about 7 years - missed 2020 as saw the writing on the wall for that one - with the faint hope that I could use it as the kick start to getting sober again

As I say Im on year 7.....

I was listening to Dr Rangan Chatterjee this morning on Virgin Radio, part of his discussion focussed on Dry January, and his thoughts on it - go listen to it as I cant paraphrase it , but a lot of what he was discussing has really resonated with me - it might be helpful to others?

Im finding this year really easy ( so far ), even the danger zone - 4 -6 - has been a walk in the park compared to other years. Usually by 4pm the mouth has a dryness that only a large scotch is going to slake and Im hanging on by my fingernails

My sleep is pure shite, but that has been the case for years, but the little sleep I am getting is showing as better sleep - body battery actually increased by 60 on a 3 hour sleep, usually I wake to a body battery well below 50

Another positive is Ive basically also cut out the amount of Diet Pepsi Im drinking , usually I drink 6 to 8 cans a day - most used as mixers, but at least 2 cans during the day trying to sort the "thirst"

Day 6 and doing ok….ish…..

im also a heavy drinker. A bottle of wine most nights (5 out of 7) and over Christmas was closer to 2 most nights.

im hoping for a boost for longer term abstinence but seeing DJ as a win however February and beyond goes.

am finding this group a real boost and support!