Dry January?

French_Girl

DryFiona wrote:

People have been asking me why I'm giving this Dry January thing a go & I've been giving it some thought. I guess I have known for some time that I have a "problem" where alcohol is concerned - In all other areas of my life I feel pretty much "in control" & I am very disciplined where exercise/healthy eating is concerned BUT I just haven't been able to break the habit of "having a couple of glasses of wine" in the evenings until now - Yes I know there will be health benefits & I hope I will eventually sleep better , but for me the main reason is simply that I want to want to take the control back .

DryFiona wrote:

P.S "Having a couple of glasses of wine" - sounds quite civilised , doesn't it ? What a load of xxxxx - That's how I was describing my drinking to other people , and to myself . Well, "having a BOTTLE of wine in the evenings " doesn't have the same ring to it does it ;-)

DryFiona wrote:

Day 5- Still feeling positive about this & glad to have the forum :-)

Well done on completing Day 5!
I have a feeling you're gonna go far...

lolokeogh

no smokes and no beer in 6 days,and im feeling good,was cut way down on smokes the last few mths,down to 2/3 a day,stopped for good now.also off the beer for a mth,had a good sup leading up and over the christmas

lolokeogh

DryFiona wrote: »

People have been asking me why I'm giving this Dry January thing a go & I've been giving it some thought. I guess I have known for some time that I have a "problem" where alcohol is concerned - In all other areas of my life I feel pretty much "in control" & I am very disciplined where exercise/healthy eating is concerned BUT I just haven't been able to break the habit of "having a couple of glasses of wine" in the evenings until now - Yes I know there will be health benefits & I hope I will eventually sleep better , but for me the main reason is simply that I want to want to take the control back .

P.S "Having a couple of glasses of wine" - sounds quite civilised , doesn't it ?
What a load of xxxxx - That's how I was describing my drinking to other people , and to myself . Well, "having a BOTTLE of wine in the evenings " doesn't have the same ring to it does it ;-)

Day 5- Still feeling positive about this & glad to have the forum :-)

for same reason,felt coming up to christmas i was "just having a few" every night..good riddance with that..feeling great with no hangovers..

Sunnyisland

Well done all so far, In a funny sort of way the more you stay clean and feeling much better and healthier the more you be getting strong urges to have the one,to celebrate..Them urges will pass and don't forget to have some plan for when them pressurised days/nights come along, good luck folks, it can and will be done.

BKWDR

I found myself last night wanting to head out for midweek food in the local pub more as a to take the edge off being back in work this week but instead, just chilled out and decided to hit the leaba early and booked an early morning gym class before work.

At the early stage now where after all the eating and drinking over xmas it is hard now to stay on the straight and narrow!

Hope everyone else is doing good so far!

lolokeogh

BKWDR wrote: »

I found myself last night wanting to head out for midweek food in the local pub more as a to take the edge off being back in work this week but instead, just chilled out and decided to hit the leaba early and booked an early morning gym class before work.

At the early stage now where after all the eating and drinking over xmas it is hard now to stay on the straight and narrow!

Hope everyone else is doing good so far!

agreed..i knocked me ole facebook off also,on it to much,watching an ole movie or 2 in bed at night.eating a lot better,and ofcourse none of the bad beer..been of the smokes is realy standing to me,even though ive cut down a great deal before the christmas having none feels so great,an achievement..have a few things to do between now and sunday in the house,get them done and its an hours walk a day from monday on..

DryFiona

realies wrote: »

In a funny sort of way the more you stay clean and feeling much better and healthier the more you be getting strong urges to have the one,to celebrate..Them urges will pass and don't forget to have some plan for when them pressurised days/nights come along.

I can really relate to that just now. "Sure haven't I done great to stay off it for a whole week , and it's Friday tomorrow, and it's dress down day in work " Any excuse lol !
But no, I'm going to content myself with a long bath and an early night ( and a big bag of malteasers )
I'm also going to give some thought to what to do when when temptation strikes . it makes sense to have a plan as realies post suggests .
good luck everyone :-)

furiousox

Yeah usually have a beer on Friday evening followed by a few glasses of wine watching Graham Norton etc.

Was thinking of getting a few non-alcoholic beers in for tomorrow but it would feel like a bit of a cop-out.
More in the spirit of things to stick to water/soft drinks?

French_Girl

Water is great for you, people!
Keep it up!

BKWDR

furiousox wrote: »

Yeah usually have a beer on Friday evening followed by a few glasses of wine watching Graham Norton etc.

Was thinking of getting a few non-alcoholic beers in for tomorrow but it would feel like a bit of a cop-out.
More in the spirit of things to stick to water/soft drinks?

Personally for me , not at all a cop-out!

Bavaria do a 0% alcohol beer that is great to just have one or two while watching telly or chilling with. I bought a couple 6 packs of it and left them there in the fridge for when i was just that bit more inclined to want to have a beer or when my brain usually knew i was having a cold one.

There is nothing wrong with having a non alcoholic beer. Unless you are trying to abstain *fully* or identify that you may have a problem, but if you are just trying to give yourself the best chance of not drinking a loada cans, non alcoholic beer is a great way to help you!

yourpics

A big 7Up on a Friday for me!

Chris_Bradley

Heading into my second weekend off & I now feel "normal" again after the Christmas binge, to be honest it's the Fridays & Saturdays that are my fav nights for letting rip - getting through one weekend off drink in a decade is a disgrace, though making nearly 5 would be amazing for me.

Really feel confident this time, the haze is starting to lift - last week without sleep was a little alarming tbh, this is well over due & I'm sure after a month my liver and body will thank me for it.

Feeling thirsty constantly though, that weird?

BKWDR

Chris_Bradley wrote: »

Feeling thirsty constantly though, that weird?

Yeah i find myself trying to drink more water during the day. Its a good habit to get into anyways.

furiousox

Me too, constantly thirsty!
Drinking nearly 2 litres of water a day now which I never did before.

Chris_Bradley

furiousox wrote: »

Me too, constantly thirsty!
Drinking nearly 2 litres of water a day now which I never did before.

Lemon & Lime in water apparently the liver loves.

Captain Scarlet

Thanks for this thread folks, it's good to know one is not alone. Aged 53 and healthy, drinking for 40 years but moreso in my youth. Eight days in and the positive energy kicked in after 5 days (a bit of anxiety and restless sleep before that). In the last 20 years, none of my friends would reckon I have a 'problem' but I've never been happy that I can't open a bottle of wine and just have a glass or two. Now find that at work (I teach teenagers, and believe me to do it well and cheerfully you need more energy than the whole class combined) I can breeze through and get a good day's work done and still get all their work corrected in the evening. Passed by the wine in Tesco this evening and thought I couldn't be arsed with it, I'd much rather be up early tomorrow, get me Lycra threads on and hit the hills on me bicycle! Good luck everyone with it.

Chris_Bradley

2 weekend in and feeling happy as larry. Goodtimes.

BKWDR

Up bright and early this morning fresh as a button!

Hope everyone is going strong still. Back training tomorrow morning with the club so looking forward to that, that will keep me on the straight and narrow tonight

DryFiona

It seems strange not having a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge for later , it's Saturday nite after all I actually think a lot of my drinking was out of habit , so for me it's all about making new routines . I'm up early for a walk tomorrow (My Sundays never used to start until midday)
Delighted to be feeling so positive on Day 9 & I've lost a few pounds already ( despite the maltesers;) Not sleeping very well yet tho , hope that comes soon. Stay strong everyone !

marty_crane

Started off well but had a blip. Usual story, probably familiar to everyone here, issue came up and had to deal with a lot of things so what's the solution? Beer. First time I acknowledged that I've been using it as a crutch. Just in from driving on the M50 which is in tatters at Sandyford/ Dundrum with water/ sleet/ snow and delighted the fridge is bare on my return because ordinarily I'd have looked forward to a few cold ones-habit!

Back on the wagon and hope to contribute as the month goes on

petes

marty_crane wrote: »

Started off well but had a blip. Usual story, probably familiar to everyone here, issue came up and had to deal with a lot of things so what's the solution? Beer. First time I acknowledged that I've been using it as a crutch. Just in from driving on the M50 which is in tatters at Sandyford/ Dundrum with water/ sleet/ snow and delighted the fridge is bare on my return because ordinarily I'd have looked forward to a few cold ones-habit!

Back on the wagon and hope to contribute as the month goes on

Were you using it as a crutch or to relax, serious question. I used it most of my life as a crutch. Even if iIwas happy I'd drink to get rid of anxiety etc.

Only trying to find my way back to me at the minute. I like the idea of dry January and November etc. as if gives people a chance to see beyond a drink or to maybe think they were drinking too much!

furiousox

I'd a bit of a goo on me last night (chinese take-away) so I had a non-alcoholic bottle of Erdinger.
Definitely helped take the edge off, just needed a change from drinking water all the time.

BKWDR

marty_crane wrote: »

Started off well but had a blip. Usual story, probably familiar to everyone here, issue came up and had to deal with a lot of things so what's the solution? Beer. First time I acknowledged that I've been using it as a crutch. Just in from driving on the M50 which is in tatters at Sandyford/ Dundrum with water/ sleet/ snow and delighted the fridge is bare on my return because ordinarily I'd have looked forward to a few cold ones-habit!

Back on the wagon and hope to contribute as the month goes on

Blips happen sure, don't be too hard on yourself. Give it another shot and take it day by day.

Now that you know these little triggers why not try and find another outlet? A brisk walk with your headphones on with favourite music. It only has to be around the block. Go to the gym. A bizzare one sometimes but works, is have a long hot shower when you set foot in the door. Just let the whole thing wash off ya and you'll feel relaxed after.

Just reset the timer and away you go, you're gonna nail it!

BKWDR

furiousox wrote: »

I'd a bit of a goo on me last night (chinese take-away) so I had a non-alcoholic bottle of Erdinger.
Definitely helped take the edge off, just needed a change from drinking water all the time.

the N/A stuff really works a treat.

I went out for dinner on Saturday night, drove the far side of the city to a restuarant we both love and i had two n/a's and drove home.

Chris_Bradley

Another weekend done and haven't felt this good in decades.

Confucius say

I stopped the Monday most of us came back to work, the 4th. I do drink way too much usually so this is nice.
I made the most of the weekend, climbed the sugar loaf, went to the gym a couple of times and met a friend for lunch.
I'm not sure how long I'm off it for, I have to take it one day at a time but I haven't slept this well in years. It still takes me a little while to get asleep but once I do I'm asleep till my alarm goes off which is unheard of for me.
My main gripe with booze these days is that one night out takes me about 4 days to fully recover from. I'm 35 now. Is it the same for everyone? In saying that I would put away 10 or 12 pints on a bad session.
To be honest I'm kind of dreading my next drink as it screws with my head and body so much. I don't think I really want abstinence but I may need to bring in some only allowed drink once a fortnight rule or something. Until you come off it for a while you really don't know how much damage it does you physically and mentally.

DryFiona

Had a real urge for a wee glass of wine tonite , but I walked round the block , rang a friend I hadn't spoken to in a while , basically distracted myself , and it passed That's day 12 in the bag and it feels good . Finally beginning to sleep better & loving the clear headed feeling in the mornings. Saw a wee Chinese proverb posted on the Dry January Facebook page. Man takes drink , drink takes drink , drink takes man . Good luck y'all

tinpib

Confucius say wrote: »

My main gripe with booze these days is that one night out takes me about 4 days to fully recover from. I'm 35 now. Is it the same for everyone?

Yes. It is for me anyway. On top of the usual blackouts, cringe-ing etc I had time to think over Christmas and this is the latest reason for me to stop. Like yourself one day at a time.

And for those 3 or 4 days I'm doing the bare minimum and if I do something productive like a run my motivation is hangover management and I will feel better after it.

But there is no way I will work on any side projects or do anything that will pay off in the medium long term. And at a similar age to yourself I'm a bit sick of that.

I have a couple of little projects in mind to get cracking on now I'm off the booze.

The Bishop Basher

Confucius say wrote: »

To be honest I'm kind of dreading my next drink as it screws with my head and body so much. I don't think I really want abstinence but I may need to bring in some only allowed drink once a fortnight rule or something. Until you come off it for a while you really don't know how much damage it does you physically and mentally.

tinpib wrote: »

But there is no way I will work on any side projects or do anything that will pay off in the medium long term. And at a similar age to yourself I'm a bit sick of that.

I could have written both your posts almost word for word last March. I stopped then for a month... I never went back.

The benefits were so immediate and so significant that voluntarily giving them up for the sake of a few drinks at the weekend was no longer an option for me.

That said, I take it a month at a time (a day is just too short) and when asked if i'll ever drink again my response is a simple "I don't know".

Everyone is different so just do what feels right for you. Make your own plan or not and don't beat yourself up if you don't stick to it. I had gone off drink a few times in the previous few years, just for a month here and there and every time I went back drinking it felt exactly the same as before. Going back to it all those times eventually allowed me to see that nothing was going to change for the better in my life as long as I kept alcohol in it. There was no eureka moment, it was all just part of the learning process.

And while it's been one of the most difficult things i've ever done, it has equally been the most rewarding. It has been quite literally life changing..

Giving up for a month is a great way for anyone to re-evaluate their relationship with booze and make an informed decision as to whether they want to continue or not. Hats off to each and every one of you

BKWDR

Confucius say wrote: »

I stopped the Monday most of us came back to work, the 4th. I do drink way too much usually so this is nice.
I made the most of the weekend, climbed the sugar loaf, went to the gym a couple of times and met a friend for lunch.
I'm not sure how long I'm off it for, I have to take it one day at a time but I haven't slept this well in years. It still takes me a little while to get asleep but once I do I'm asleep till my alarm goes off which is unheard of for me.
My main gripe with booze these days is that one night out takes me about 4 days to fully recover from. I'm 35 now. Is it the same for everyone? In saying that I would put away 10 or 12 pints on a bad session.
To be honest I'm kind of dreading my next drink as it screws with my head and body so much. I don't think I really want abstinence but I may need to bring in some only allowed drink once a fortnight rule or something. Until you come off it for a while you really don't know how much damage it does you physically and mentally.

We could be the same person for the most part!

I'm not going to turn into a pioneer but i use the sober time to actually kinda take stock or reflect and hit the pause button. Will i have a few jars in February? Yes. Looking forward to it too but like in previous times, you find you take it that bit handier when you go out. I switched from pints to bottles for a good while too.

Don't bring in hard and fast rules, just let it come naturally to you to say 'oh i only will have 2 pints and watch the game' , you might surprise yourself and go sober to an event or drive because you don't feel like drinking!