Dry January

[KentVillan]

I usually do Dry January… sometimes with one or two stumbles, but I enjoy it, and always feel better for it.

This year I’ve been away over NY so fancied a few drinks, but I intend on doing my own version of Dry Jan / Feb starting this week.

I am a no off switch, daily binge drinker type, so although I do have fun nights of moderate drinking, I have very little control over when that happens or when it turns into a 5am blackout job. For that reason I’d like to go teetotal eventually, and I think I’m getting closer to it.

Dry Jan probably sounds sad and boring to people who enjoy drinking in moderation, but for problem drinkers it’s an opportunity to experience happier mornings, better sleep, more productive work, healthier relationships, etc… stuff that probably isn’t going well for them most of the time.

Each to their own, though. All that really matters is what works for you

[chrisvilla4]

Just realised I've been doing it already by default

We've got our house on the market and an open day on Saturday so may likely have a drink whatever the outcome of that! 

[sidcow]

I've been drinking less generally over the last year. Thursday night wine has been reduced from me and Mrs Sidcow sharing 1.5 - 2 bottles which basically entailed her having 1 large glass and me the rest to 1 bottle only opened. She may or may not partake but I won't open a second bottle if she does. 

Friday and Saturday was always 6 cans of beer. That's reduced to 4 or 5 now. 

Just those adjustments is a heck of a lot of alcohol reduction over a year but add into that I've only had 1 lads night out and 1 work doo with no corporate entertainment and no general lunchtime / after work drinks and most obviously zero Christmas drinks / parties I suspect my liver is currently in better shape than it's been for years. 

So I'm happy to carry on as I have been. 

That said as I've got work tomorrow I might have a quick Whisky before calling it a night. 

[Rds1983]

I'm still hungover from Sunday night so no booze sounds good as my liver hates me. Will finish off the small bits and pieces of booze in the house and then not buy anymore until we go away on February. 

[magnkarl]

I've done dry January for years. I can clearly see and feel the benefit on my fitness tracker (better sleep phases, more time in deep sleep, better heart rate), and so it's something the wife and I do every year. 

I've found that I can make some fairly nice "G&T's" with other ingredients which is essentially what gets us started on a Friday, so it helps a lot to find different things to substitute with. My last batch of home made IPA needs another month to clear anyhow, so it's a good time for a break.

[a-k]

I thought about it, but then realized I had drank in the evening (morning) after the clock had already turned into 2022. So, maybe next year

[The Fun Factory]

Why make the worst month of the year even worse?

[Wainy316]

6 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

Why make the worst month of the year even worse?

I guess one reason may be to concentrate all the misery into one month rather than make a nice month like June booze free.

I don't do it btw.

[It's Your Round]

I kind of did dry January in 2020, but started on the 19th, after another particularly heavy and long drinking session. The aim was to try and go a week without drinking, in the hope I would feel better and regain some control. Anyway, it’s now been 716 days since I last drank alcohol

Everyone’s got their own relationship with drink, and I’d never judge anybody else, but if you’re a heavy drinker who sometimes feels worried about it. Then I can wholeheartedly recommend stopping, it’s not easy but if you can do one month, you can do two, if you can do two etc… 

Over a year in and I don’t even think about it any more. 
 

[The Fun Factory]

26 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

I guess one reason may be to concentrate all the misery into one month rather than make a nice month like June booze free.

I'll drink to that

[sidcow]

I gave up drinking for a while but the heroine and crack cocaine nearly did for me so I went back to the Wainwrights, the cheeky little scamp.

[Mic09]

Best of luck to anyone doing it!

But I never 'got it'.

If you feel like giving up alcohol for 30 days is a big ask and a challenge to be celebrated, maybe you have a bit of a problem.

And what happens after those 30 days? Is it ok to drink then? Have you achieved something extraordinary and challenging in this time by not picking up a pint of lager? 

Just have a beer when you meet with mates, or a glass of wine with a good dinner. Don't have too much, keep everything balanced.

If you don't want to drink this week, don't. If you fancy a pint, have one. But finding a challenge in giving up alcohol for 30 days is not something that I can fully understand. 

[Follyfoot]

Almost 11 am and not had one yet, Quite fancy the idea though after deciding to type this response

[villa4europe]

7 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

Best of luck to anyone doing it!

But I never 'got it'.

If you feel like giving up alcohol for 30 days is a big ask and a challenge to be celebrated, maybe you have a bit of a problem.

And what happens after those 30 days? Is it ok to drink then? Have you achieved something extraordinary and challenging in this time by not picking up a pint of lager? 

Just have a beer when you meet with mates, or a glass of wine with a good dinner. Don't have too much, keep everything balanced.

If you don't want to drink this week, don't. If you fancy a pint, have one. But finding a challenge in giving up alcohol for 30 days is not something that I can fully understand. 

Without wanting to sound too smarmy...I'm the same, was talking to a guy about it Sunday - in a pub whilst getting pissed... That was a Christmas meet up thing, I now won't do anything in January that puts me in a position to want or need a drink, I'll go out for a meal with my wife, ill sit at home and watch the villa, I never understand the need for a beer, be it boredom or addiction or simply letting your hair down at the weekend or what - I drink at home alone maybe 2 times a year, maybe, as I sit here now I don't know when the next beer will come, probably end of Feb when my mom's fella visits for the first time since corona so I'll take him out to sample the local

That said I did do it once, 8 years ago but that was because I drank my January wages by about boxing day and I stop drinking completely until mid march, did two 30th birthdays in that time and they were horrible, wouldn't recommend that, if you have an event do the event and enjoy it, for me it was a money thing rather than an alcohol and health thing 

 If you're doing dry January and you see it as a challenge or a big achievement when it finishes it should then lead on to general lifestyle changes afterwards, got an uncle who sits and watches eastenders and corrie 3 or 4 times a week with a 4 pack... He needs two lifestyle changes... Its no way to live your life 

[Phil Silvers]

Went to visit an elderly client once who always had a martini with her breakfast, she told me once that she'd almost driven her Jag into the River Severn on her way home from a party. Don't think she ever bothered with dry anything ever.

[foreveryoung]

3 hours ago, a-k said:

I thought about it, but then realized I had drank in the evening (morning) after the clock had already turned into 2022. So, maybe next year

I'll drink to that. 

[Rodders]

25 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

Best of luck to anyone doing it!

But I never 'got it'.

If you feel like giving up alcohol for 30 days is a big ask and a challenge to be celebrated, maybe you have a bit of a problem.

And what happens after those 30 days? Is it ok to drink then? Have you achieved something extraordinary and challenging in this time by not picking up a pint of lager? 

Just have a beer when you meet with mates, or a glass of wine with a good dinner. Don't have too much, keep everything balanced.

If you don't want to drink this week, don't. If you fancy a pint, have one. But finding a challenge in giving up alcohol for 30 days is not something that I can fully understand. 

The spectrum of compulsive / addictive behaviours is pretty broad. You can find yourself giving in to temptation too frequently yet it still be far. far from being alcoholism. I have a sweeth tooth and indulge sugary snacks more than I should, I procrastinate more than I should, I arse about on my phone more than I should. I have these little bad habits that I'd like to improve. They don't ( or maybe the do, I dunno ) make me a chronic addict, as far as I'm aware, but if there was wider promotion for say "digital detox" I'd find it easier to use that as a starting point, than doing something on my own independently. 

You seem to be suggesting anyone who doesn't have a completely well-adjusted attitude to their health is basically an addict and shouldn't bother. 

Personally I go through spells, sometimes I go months only drinking at weekends, if i do drink, at other times there are frequent social events / evenings where I do end up drinking regularly. Having a month where you know a) other people are doing it, can be a great incentive aid to have a fallow month and re-set your health. 

[Mic09]

6 minutes ago, Rodders said:

The spectrum of compulsive / addictive behaviours is pretty broad. You can find yourself giving in to temptation too frequently yet it still be far. far from being alcoholism. I have a sweeth tooth and indulge sugary snacks more than I should, I procrastinate more than I should, I arse about on my phone more than I should. I have these little bad habits that I'd like to improve. They don't ( or maybe the do, I dunno ) make me a chronic addict, as far as I'm aware, but if there was wider promotion for say "digital detox" I'd find it easier to use that as a starting point, than doing something on my own independently. 

You seem to be suggesting anyone who doesn't have a completely well-adjusted attitude to their health is basically an addict and shouldn't bother. 

Personally I go through spells, sometimes I go months only drinking at weekends, if i do drink, at other times there are frequent social events / evenings where I do end up drinking regularly. Having a month where you know a) other people are doing it, can be a great incentive aid to have a fallow month and re-set your health. 

I get the 'incentive' part and a reset to a healthier lifestyle. I'm all for that.

But I have heard various people treating it as a major challenge. I have my own small habits bordering on addictions, but I just feel like giving up alcohol for 30 days should not be difficult to anyone that does not have a certain level of addiction to it. 

I like to drink alcohol as much as the next person - but giving up booze should not be a challenging thing. And even if it is, there is really no harm in having a pint when you go to watch the Villa or it's your sister's birthday. 

Don't get me wrong - giving up alcohol is a good thing. But why for 30 days only.

Again, I support people that do it. I just don't get it.  

[The Fun Factory]

5 minutes ago, Mic09 said:

I get the 'incentive' part and a reset to a healthier lifestyle. I'm all for that.

But I have heard various people treating it as a major challenge. I have my own small habits bordering on addictions, but I just feel like giving up alcohol for 30 days should not be difficult to anyone that does not have a certain level of addiction to it. 

I like to drink alcohol as much as the next person - but giving up booze should not be a challenging thing. And even if it is, there is really no harm in having a pint when you go to watch the Villa or it's your sister's birthday. 

Don't get me wrong - giving up alcohol is a good thing. But why for 30 days only.

Again, I support people that do it. I just don't get it.  

Its just become a thing. Society wants you to over consume for one month, and purge the next. 

Obey Conform Consume.

Just do everything in moderation. Now where is my lunchtime beer?

Edited January 4, 2022 by The Fun Factory

[sidcow]

26 minutes ago, Rodders said:

The spectrum of compulsive / addictive behaviours is pretty broad. You can find yourself giving in to temptation too frequently yet it still be far. far from being alcoholism. I have a sweeth tooth and indulge sugary snacks more than I should, I procrastinate more than I should, I arse about on my phone more than I should. I have these little bad habits that I'd like to improve. They don't ( or maybe the do, I dunno ) make me a chronic addict, as far as I'm aware, but if there was wider promotion for say "digital detox" I'd find it easier to use that as a starting point, than doing something on my own independently. 

You seem to be suggesting anyone who doesn't have a completely well-adjusted attitude to their health is basically an addict and shouldn't bother. 

Personally I go through spells, sometimes I go months only drinking at weekends, if i do drink, at other times there are frequent social events / evenings where I do end up drinking regularly. Having a month where you know a) other people are doing it, can be a great incentive aid to have a fallow month and re-set your health. 

Oi!   Back to work you!