To think "Dry January" is a crap idea?

[Slippery]

Why bother? Just drink in moderation. It makes it sound like you have a drink problem.

And for those who expect to be SPONSORED to do it ... Bollocks to that!

Cheers

If you’ve overindulged or feel like you need to reset your drinking habits why not? It’s a positive thing to do as long as you don’t share daily updates on FB or expect sponsorship.

I'm having a DRINKING January as I ordered a couple of bottles of wine and a bottle of port that I never got to drink I had 2 glasses of wine in the whole 2 weeks because of work/driving/visiting.

"I don't drink ever. Why is it an achievement for someone to not drink for one month?"

Because it's easy to get into the habit of drinking more and more. If you don't drink at all, you won't get that.

There are awareness days in every Month.

I wouldn't do it myself, but someone wanting sponsorship for a "dry January" is no worse than someone wanting it for doing a "Race for Life".

Different people find different things a challenge. Plenty of alcoholics can walk for 5km and don't need sponsoring to do it. I would argue that a heavy drinker giving up the booze for 31 looooong days and 31 looooonnnnggger nights is more of an achievement than an averagely-healthy person walking or jogging a paltry 5000m. But to a new amputee teetotaller, the opposite might be true.

You can't assume that everyone has the same strengths and weaknesses. Just because something is easy to you, doesn't mean everyone can do it.

It's part of the "look at meeeee" culture we seem to encourage now.

Smugness personified.

I think it's a good idea. People do start drinking a bit too much in December, and calling it Dry January gives a bit of solidarity to htose who want to give their livers a rest for longer than usual. Also it's good to have a manageable goal to keep in mind. It helps those who drink too much to have a ready excuse for not drinking while socialising.
It's the only time I can guarantee DH won't drink every evening. He never gets 'drunk' but he can be grouchy and having him alcohol-free for a month is good for his health and winter mood.

Why bother? Just drink in moderation. It makes it sound like you have a drink problem.

What a stupid comment. Lots of people do have a drink problem (even if they publicly don't admit it and instead say they are just doing dry january to lose weight/be healthy). Many might find the idea of giving up forever intimidating. Dry January might be the first step.

I stopped drinking for 4 months before Christmas. I have stopped completely again and intend not to drink again until my birthday in July. I find it much easy to stop and I feel much better if I don’t drink at all. I’m not ready to make it a permanent thing yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I go that way eventually.

I think dry January is a good thing but it’s something to do yourself, quietly, not to request sponsorship for!

If you want sponsorship do it in December when it's even more of a challenge. In January everyone is broke the weather is awful and people just don't want to go out!

I find it really sad that it would be a struggle for anybody to go 30 days without drinking alcohol.

I think it's a great idea. Clearly won't do anyone any harm to take part.

Lots of people give up chocolate for lent. Do people object to that too?

Oh, for full disclosure I should say that I am doing dry January. Won’t mention it on Facebook or need sponsoring though.

I do it because I eat and drink a lot the last two weeks of December and it's a general "reset". I don't find it hard (this year I did Feb too) and I don't tell anyone unless they ask, being sponsored would be a bit weird!

What's the difference between this and joining an anti smoking campaign? I don't think anyone would call that 'look at me' would they?

Think about it - If someone genuinely is actually struggling to get through 30 days without a drink then i recon they need all the support they can get and their body and mind will benefit from the break.

Like other posters I'm doing it because I drank more than usual in December and am feeling sluggish. I don't post on social media about it or ask for sponsorship as it's all a bit unnecessary and quite dull.

I put very little on FB but if you're struggling to achieve something, there is evidence to say you're more likely to succeed if you make your goal public.

We know lots of people do struggle with alcohol, even if some that don't, don't get it.

I don't generally sponsor anyone for anything (always wrote a cheque for my own DC's sponsored activities and never asked anyone else) but I like to think I'd be supportive of any friend who was making an attempt to rid themselves of a demon/improve their health/lose weight/save money.

I only ever drink on a Saturday night and not to excess. I said I was doing dry January as a health booster, detox a bit etc etc.
I've realised it's a shit idea. I've had the day from hell and possibly about to kill my husband and the baby hasn't napped and quite frankly by Saturday night I think I deserve an alcoholic beverage.

Tedious though your FB friends will find it, you are more likely to succeed in this kind of thing if you advertise it. I do it every year, partly because I need to lose weight after Xmas and partly to annually reset my drinking levels - it’s all too easy for your glass sizes/frequency to creep up and up gradually over the years until you’re sixty and a bottle a night seems completely reasonable.

I don’t mention it, except at the one social occasion per month when I’d be expected to have a beer, because I know I personally don’t really need that additional external motivation, and will be able to get through to day 23 before I start thinking “why do I do this in a month with 31 bloody days in it?” but I’m sure other people find it helpful.

I’m doing it this year because I drink too much. Simple as that really. I’m also doing Veganuary . Bet you’ll hate that.

I’m not on social media or asking for sponsorship, though

January is when I need to have a drink. Its depressing cold and dark

^ This plus its my best friend's hen weekend in two weeks and two days so fuck that for a game of soldiers!

According to various campaigns I shouldn’t be drinking (dry January), eating animal produce (veganuary), or having anything other than water to drink (some water aid bollocks) for the entire month.

So much bullshit and judgement.

Take a break if you need it, by all means. I get that bad habits are horrendous and I support people doing what they need to do.

Just don’t expect everyone else to do it to, don’t plaster it all over social media and making all you can talk about, and don’t expect sponsorship.

I'm doing Dry January for several reasons...
Like other people, I find that my drinking tends to creep up over a period of time - in December I probably had 2 glasses of wine or more every day - and this is a good way to reset.
I'm on SW and find it much easier to stick to my syn allowance without wine, therefore lose the extra few Christmas pounds quicker.
Saves money after an expensive month.
There is lots of research to show that for regular drinkers, a month off is very good for your liver.

This is not something I talk about or expect anyone else to care about, let alone sponsor me for and is really nobody else's business.

If people want an alcohol free month because they feel they've overindulged over festive holidays, good for them.

If they want an alcohol free month for any other reason e.g. health etc, good for them.

But be sponsored to do it?
Update facebook with how your dry january is doing?
Consider yourself a sober hero?
Nah!
If giving up alcohol for a month is a challenge worthy of sponsorship, you have an alcohol problem.