Dry January blues

[Eminybob]

I drink far too much, and more so over December so am attempting some kind of reset by doing dry January.

2 weeks in and I feel like shit. I mean I have wanted to have a drink, but it's not that, I have found the abstinence relatively easy (though probably would have caved if DH had not been supportive)

But I just feel like shit. Depressed. Struggling to feel motivated, to even get dressed over the weekend. Snappy with the kids.
Eating far too much crap even though part of the point of doing this is to lose weight.
Can't sleep, anxious for no reason.
And bored. So so bored.

I thought I would feel better, full of energy etc but I don't.

What's going on? Will I turn a corner? What can I do in the mean time?

Alcohol is a depressant, so I would say that if you're abstaining and still feel depressed, there's something else you need to address here. Are you getting treatment for the depression?

Stupid, obvious suggestion: why not take up walking?

I have been on anti depressants in the past but not for a couple of years as I have been in a really good place. They were more for anxiety than depression really. I can't remember feeling like this before.

I do actually (usually) do a lot of walking, it's something we tend to do at the weekend a lot as a family, and I had big plans for us to do some new walks this year. In fact started out well with a big hike on 2nd Jan. But I've not been able to motivate myself since. Made excuses to DH etc.

Well you've lost your crutch, your coping mechanism, haven't you? The thing that you looked forward to has gone. You're doing really well though. I would keep reading around the subject and make yourself go on those walks. Fill up your Time.

I’ve done dry January before, years ago before it was called dry January.
not really for any huge reason, just to maybe lose some weight and save some money after Christmas. I’ve always drunk quite a bit but normal in my circle of friends. I thought I’d see some benefits so stuck it out for the month.

I didn’t lose any weight, didn’t feel any better or different at all, and was happy to get back to normal in February.

bit everyone’s different, so if you want to keep going the do. But you need to want to, because if there’s no tangible benefit then you won’t stick to it.

There's me thinking someone was going to say it's some kind of physiological response to withdrawal, but actually it seems that maybe this is just how I am without alcohol. That's depressing.

When I first quit it took me several weeks to start feeling the results, down to still feeling a bit dehydrated etc in the mornings, and people say weightloss is even longer. A lot of people also feel really tired at first. But at some point I did get the better sleep, wake up feeling much better, more energy and better mood, and everything I have read suggests that is widespread too- it is just not as quick as you imagine. The advice I saw is to just let yourself hibernate and it will pass and also to make sure to treat yourself with non alcohol things and go to bed whenever you want until your body catches up.
There are some really good blogs out there that have archives and/ or advice for the early days eg Mrs D is going without, and Tired of Thinking About Drinking, Mummy was a Secret Drinker I found reading them really helpful to stay motivated early on.
good luck, and I would definitely recommend a 100 day challenge rather than 1 month as the benefits start coming and it just becomes the new normal!

Thanks @newtontimes this sounds similar to my experience.

I'm not doing dry January but decided on 8th January to stop drinking permanently. I was also drinking too much and too often and it was just getting out of hand. Feel exactly the same as you now. Soooooo tired! I think it's a normal physical response. Alcohol was somehow artificially masking the tiredness/propping me up in a really unhealthy way. I don't know when the tiredness will get better but we have to ride it out until the body is used to it's own natural cycles. I am looking forward to that day but in the meantime am hibernating a bit, going to bed when I feel tired (not staying up late so I can have one more glass) and just giving myself a break. Good luck OP!

I stopped drinking in early September. I also felt shattered and flat and craving sugar.
I felt amazing by mid November, but now am back to tired and flat and craving sugar.... But this time I think it is because I struggle with winter and dark and cold and misery and would in previous years have drunk my way through much of it.
I haven't been tempted to drink. But I have been pissed off I don't feel better and with the weight gain.
I guess my ramblings are trying to say it might well be a mix of the withdrawal from alcohol and the time of year.
mummywasasecretdrinker.blogspot.com/2015/03/mummy-was-secret-drinker.html?m=1 is helpful on the initial tiredness and feeling crap being normal