New Year, New Start. Probably dries and lows as we Tryers to be Dryers try 2019.

[Frouby]

New thread for the New Year.

Support thread for those who want to moderate and reduce alcohol. Absolutely no judgement, just advice and support. Absolutely everyone is welcome whatever your goals or hopes for 2019.

Am no good at clicky linke but there are previous threads and we look forward to continuing to moderate and reduce in 2019.

Especially today. 14 coming for 3 courses at 3pm and I have a raging hangover to start the year. Fml.

Oh god. Shame, shame, shame.
FFS NC4.

NC4, I am with you.

Morning campers.

I am only slightly ashamed. 3 cans is better than 5 or 6. Or a couple of gins after the beer. Or half a bottle of wine plus beer.

It's not dry, but not soaking wet which December absolutely was.

It's really really hard. But even 1 dry, 1 wet day is better than 2 drys in a row I think. So instead of aiming for a block of drys why not aim for every other day dry?

I won't be dry today. Busy day working, then its curry and beer night. Am so ready for a lie in tomorrow and poor ds is exhausted bless him.

I think you've got it spot on when you say you feel as though you've "earnt" it! After a long day of work and parenting it's nice to have/do something just for you. I don't have many other vices and feel like it's my "reward " I wish I didn't feel this way and would love to know what non-drinkers do at the end of the day to get that same feeling....long baths and a cup of tea just doesn't cut it for me.....maybe it will in time....????

Scented candles?

I didn’t think I was that drunk when I left the work thing. A little tipsy maybe. Then I fell on my way home and bashed my chin on the pavement, bawled my eyes out at my mum and upset DS1.
This has not helped the anxiety. I felt normal for a couple of hours, but I’m paying for it now.
FML a million times over. I can’t keep doing this.

NC4NOW don’t beat yourself up. Accidents happen (I once fell down an escalator). Look after yourself today and try to press true reset button over the weekend. Sending hug

the

Frogletmamma you may be on to something there! I do like a scented candle and have always wanted a "posh" one! Might save up what I would've spent on booze, another reason I really need to stop, a bottle of wine + a day really does add up and we're not rich

I had half a bottle of red last night and woke up with a headache. Also didn’t sleep as well as I have been.

But you are right Frouby, at least we both had less than usual so that’s something - it’s sometimes about damage limitation. This weekend will be a test. Not planning on being dry but would like to avoid a hangover so I need to be a bit more controlled...

I was hoping for a magical sleep reset but hasn’t happened so I tried a sominex last night (proper, not herbal) and I slept really well. Woke up once about one am and then went through to the alarm. I have also started taking feroglobin which is meant to help boost energy levels and I am mainlining green and herbal tea...hopefully be a ball of energy soon!

@shrunkenhead im with you I don't have anything that I enjoy as much as my bottle of wine. Bath I just get bored and don't get left alone anyway, I like a scented candle but it's not the same really! I've also went off chocolate and things so can't even substitute with that. I love to read so have the first outlander book coming today. I follow the series on Amazon prime and love it so I'll hopefully enjoy the book as well. Its a bit exclusive though as not something DH can join in with. We usually drink together. He'll drink on his own but my one saving grace is that I made a rule many years ago that I would never drink alone and it's something I've stuck to! I'm from a family that alcoholism has plagued and taken/ruined lives so I've seen how bad it can get from being a teen, hence the rule!

You’re all being far too hard on yourselves IMHO 💐

shrunkenhead Totally with you. In fact I am in two minds whether I even want to kick the booze habit. Was at the seaside last week looking at the fishing boats and coy convivial pubs and thinking was a day's hard graft at sea followed by well earned night in pub with friends such a bad life? I keep asking people how they spend their evenings and it seems they either do yoga or fritter it on the internet/doing the odd chore. I have not tried yoga but frankly do not have high hopes. Maybe that's where moderating comes in and dry Jan is a means to an end rather than the end of drinking altogether?

I'm not sure if I can or want to stop forever but I know I need to do a decent stretch AF to a)give my liver a rest and b)prove to myself, and others, that I can do it.
And the more I have, the more I want and the more often I do it the more it becomes a regular occurrence. If I could just have a drink on a weekend night and let that be it I'd be happy with myself.
I'm so glad I've found this group. I feel among friends!

Maybe I'll give yoga a go....somehow don't think it'll have the mind-numbing, relaxing feeling that I get from alcohol....and yet if I was to write a list of pros and cons to alcohol I KNOW which list would be longer! Aaagh why why why???!!!!

I am going to book a spa day with the money I am anticipating saving. I don't find the relaxing effects very long lasting but then neither are the relaxing effects of wine I suppose.

Wine is relaxing for a few hours but the payback cancels it out. At least with a spa day there isn’t a hangover.

Music, books, long walks (obvs a daytime thing), baths with posh oils, watching a film from my bed, sex, chocolate, curry - that's about it for all the sober indulgences I can think of - like you say most are not very sociable. I shall try and embrace all of these during the rest of Jan and see where I am by then.

I was talking to a friend last Christmas who has given up booze entirely (she was previously quite a heavy drinker). I asked her if she had any vices left and she said "the occasional e". I have never taken drugs apart from the odd joint at uni but it struck me how she probably has a much healthier lifestyle than me.

Longest. I am set on dry jan as a form of self-proof that I can do this. I might do Feb too if I can. I can’t imagine giving up completely but I have several friends who have and they all seem to be so positive about it. I was a fairly enthusiastic smoker for many years and haven’t had even one in 12 years, so I know I can give things up. My OH is not much help, but that almost makes me want to do this more just to show him I can!

Candles: if anyone wants a nice candle while saving up for a super expensive one, Aldi’s fake Jo malones are great.

I love the Aldi JM fake candles!

Oh yes, another vote for the Aldi JM candles!

Ooh Turkish baths = £26 for three hours. Sold.

Dd in hosp. All I can think of is a cold glass of Pinot!! Just want to get out of here and drown my sorrows. Not sure if I will be dry by default tonight!! Liver will be thankful I suppose...