To just be very bored of Dry January

[Resurgam2016]

I do it every year. I've given up making 'fun' mocktails and just stick to tea and water. Pretending it is anything other than not drinking wine is a waste of time.

I don't have to do it but I do and having decided I stick to it. But it's sooooo boring. I actually like large glass of wine on a Friday me. I dance and make jokes. In Jan DH and I talk and do efficient things. It's all so....functional

AIBU to think that sober Resurgam is boring Resurgam?

YANBU. Some situations need alcohol, that's just the way it is!

Why are you doing Dry January?

I quite enjoy Dry January. Having said that I had a shitty day yesterday and decided that actually sometimes nothing else cuts it like a glass of wine. I had a couple of small glasses of white and left it at that.

My friend does "Dryve" January and November and a couple of other months too in that she drinks but doesn't have anything more than what would keep her sober enough to drive. I quite like that idea.

I did it last year. I did it to reset my relationship with alcohol. I did it 3 weeks then broke and had a drink and my relationship with alcohol didn't change at all.

This year I am doing dryer January and beyond hopefully. 5 AF nights a week. 2 damp ones. Have managed well so far. There is a thread on here under alcohol support if you feel dryer forever would be more achievable.

But obviously dry january is a good thing.

I don't get it personally. I don't understand why it needs to be a thing, it's extremely normal for me to go months without alcohol so I don't feel the need to make a big effort to go without. Not criticising those who do drink regularly, I just don't understand it myself.

It's up to you what you eat and drink in January, but it's sad and a bit concerning if you think you're boring unless you've had alcohol.

I enjoy a glass of wine. I do not drink to excess. I don't get drunk and smash things up and argue with my partner. So the whole idea is a nonsense. Raising a glass of red now!

I'm bored with it too, but only because people go on about it! Have a drink, don't have a drink - I'm really not interested!

I rarely drink during the week and am not excessive at weekends usually so i decided not to be dry. I'm doing vegan January instead so j need the gin to take the edge off!!!

I didn't mean to say that I am boring. That's very subjective anyway. I just meant that with a clear head we are much more transactional and efficient as a couple. Wine makes me frivolous and I miss that.

Of course I could stop right now. It was more a self indulgent reflection on the positive impact on wine in allowing one to let go.

I like the idea of Drivenuary though.

I was finding it easy up till about yesterday, so didn't bother with the support threads, but now I'm just gagging for a drink. I won't cave, though, I'll just grit my teeth and plod on.
Looking forward to bottle of cava on 1st Feb!

I don't get it personally. I don't understand why it needs to be a thing, it's extremely normal for me to go months without alcohol so I don't feel the need to make a big effort to go without

It’s a ‘thing’ because it’s not normal for some people to go months without alcohol, and it is a big effort for some people to go without.

I'm bored and fed up with it too. The first couple of weeks I got a kick out of being dry as I'm a regular drinker. Now we're at the final week I'm so bored of not drinking the only thing keeping me going is I made a commitment to it and when I do that I get bloody minded and have to see it to the end

I'm doing it this year but would.find it boring to.do the same month every year.

Doing nearly-dry January has definitely made me appreciate the joys of moderate drinking!

I'm doing it too and I'm bored. I want a drink. It's a personal challenge I set myself as I always over indulge at Christmas and I just feel like I need to prove to myself I can survive without a drink. Which I can. But I enjoy life more when I'm not dry all the time. I'm perfectly capable of having fun sober but I also enjoy a drink. Roll on Feb!

I always get very bored with it by this point in the month. In fact I fell into a distinctly moist patch on Wednesday when I got the job I'd gone for and DP told me to put a bottle of champagne in the freezer. Oh well.

I only drink on weekends but if I was going to choose a month to be dry it would be February

@Chienrouge I guess my point was that I don't understand why people struggle not to drink (not alcoholics - I understand the concept of addiction), therefore I don't understand why dry January is a thing. Again, not judging.

op you sound like me!! I did it last year and absolutely hated it. I don’t drink ‘a lot’ normally (will have a small glass or two of wine maybe 2-3 x a week at most although much more at Xmas and on holiday) but I just found the restrictive nature of it was what was so hard! DH did it too and he was such a bloody Matyr!

This year I decided not to bother but do Sunday - Thursday dry and allow a drink or two on the weekend if I want it. The funny thing is I haven’t been bothered! Granted I’ve had flu for a week or Jan but I genuinely have only drunk on two nights so far, both a few glasses of prosecco when out for a meal / with friends. I’ve not drunk at all in the house even though we have wine / gin I’ve just not been fussed. I think by not forcing myself to abstain I’ve just naturally done less of it. I’m hoping to keep this up for the rest of the year and not slip back into the odd glass of wine 4 nights a week...

january is the worst month of the year to be "dry"...dull...........

would rather wait until the spring!!

If you only have a glass of wine on a Friday I’d question the need to participate in Dry January at all.

What’s your reason for participating? And why January?

People struggle not to drink for all sorts of reasons. There’s a lot that falls in between teetotal and alcoholic, it isn’t black and white. I drink to relieve stress, therefore I sometimes ones find it difficult to not drink because I feel like I’ve lost my method of stress relief. Some people drink out of habit, and therefore find it difficult to stop because it’s difficult to break an ingrained habit. There are a lot of reasons people drink, and lots of reasons why they may struggle to stop drinking (alcoholics or not).

I was once asked to sponsor someone to do dry January. I was totally taken aback tbh, I too don’t get why it’s a thing.

When I worked at a bar as a student I stopped drinking altogether - I realised it was too much temptation / normalising so I was better off not drinking at all. Was dry for a year.

Is there any point in dry January if you aren’t making long term changes? It doesn’t seem long enough to have much impact.

It’s incedibly boring, hence the reason I don’t do it