Dry January

[sidcow]

14 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.  

Is this just social media at it again?

Oooh, look at me, day 21 without a drink.  look at this, I'm drinking an ORANGE JUICE etc.

Just (for many) another thing to fill up their social media with.  

[Mic09]

4 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Is this just social media at it again?

Oooh, look at me, day 21 without a drink.  look at this, I'm drinking an ORANGE JUICE etc.

Just (for many) another thing to fill up their social media with.  

You could be right, but I also personally know people who treat it as a major challenge. So I guess it's a mix. 

[rodders0223]

Interesting people describing one or two a day as moderate.

I grew up with an alcoholic parent so always been weary of alcohol.

I'll drink maybe once a month if that but when I do I binge.

I'm so not comfortable drinking in the house or even once a week

[El Zen]

I can typically go weeks without a drink without noticing, so I really have no need to do ‘dry’ months or anything like that. I like a Guinness with the football and a glass of good wine with nice food as much as the next guy, but I never drink unless it’s in a social setting.

Good luck to anyone doing it, but if you do find it terribly challenging then I hope doing a dry January is only the start of a permanent lifestyle change. If you go back to old habits in February, then what’s the point? 

I realise that probably reads as horribly smug. It’s not intended to. 

[robby b]

2 hours 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.  

"Why for 30 days only?" That's a good point. I gave up for 365 days, in 2018 (now, for me, that was a big challenge!). I've also given up for three months three times since 2005 and am doing that again now. 

Ideally I could have done with giving up for good but that might be very difficult for me to achieve, I have a feeling I probably won't ever do that... two or three days a week a lot of weeks and in moderation I like it a lot! :s I acknowledge that I do have "a certain level of addiction" so I have to be careful but thankfully it's a relatively low level, comparatively (well, at least in the UK it is anyway!) :s

Edited January 4, 2022 by robby b

[Seat68]

I don't go periods without a drink, a long time is usually Monday to Thursday. I like to drink and it would be a slog not drinking for an entire month. Yeah that sounds like I have a problem, or maybe I just like to drink. 

[trekka]

For me, weekends are when I tend to have a drink.  I like it to unwind after a busy week with work.  I'll probably reduce it a lot over the next month or so but I'll still have a little tipple now and again. 

Edited January 4, 2022 by trekka

[brommy]

I'll start tomorrow.

[Rds1983]

I am giving up drinking for a month.

Sorry, typed that wrong.

I am giving up. Drinking for a month.

Edited January 4, 2022 by Rds1983

[Xela]

I'm lucky in that I don't have an addictive relationship with booze. I had a skinful on NYE, but haven't had a drop since and not missed it. Could easily go months without it. I'll occasionally fancy a beer after work but its not that common (despite my posts in the tipple thread!). It goes in spells really. 

I drink when I go away or if i meet my mates, but thats a social thing.

If someone offered me £1m to never drink booze again - I'd take it up like a shot. I'd find it quite easy. 

[robby b]

8 hours ago, Xela said:

I'm lucky in that I don't have an addictive relationship with booze. I had a skinful on NYE, but haven't had a drop since and not missed it. Could easily go months without it. I'll occasionally fancy a beer after work but its not that common (despite my posts in the tipple thread!). It goes in spells really. 

I drink when I go away or if i meet my mates, but thats a social thing.

If someone offered me £1m to never drink booze again - I'd take it up like a shot. I'd find it quite easy. 

That's really good.  : > 

I'd also give it up permanently for £1m. Probably even £100,000.  But not £10,000! That's not enough! But I'd have to find a good replacement. Maybe catnip. I remember my cat used to like that a lot. And I could try yoga.

Edited January 5, 2022 by robby b

[MNVillan]

I’ll throw my hat in the ring as another who is trying to break a borderline addiction with alcohol. I’m just over 100 days sober - with the exception of our trip to England where the Mrs and me both broke our sobriety.

30 days sober can be a monster hill to climb for many, but as others have mentioned it can be a start to a new life for some people. 30 days may lead to 60, 100, 365, and so on.

[magnkarl]

For myself it's really not about addiction at all. It's purely down to health. Studies show that the liver recovers fairly well in 30 days, and I tend to drop about 6 pounds in Jan. It gets me set up for brighter times with more parties and social events where not drinking will be boredom.

If people have an issue with others wanting to try 30 days off alcohol you've got a really low bar for issues and probably need to have a look in the mirror about not judging people for say 30 days  

[Follyfoot]

I really struggle but really want to do if this year. I am a functioning alcoholic and also have  liver problems due to this but do I stop, no. I know I can do it if I want to as give up smoking piece of piss but do I want to give up? One day in so a start, averaged half a bottle of brandy a day since the 21st, got to break the cycle this time

[mjmooney]

1 hour ago, Follyfoot said:

averaged half a bottle of brandy a day since the 21st

 

That is scary. 

[MNVillan]

6 hours ago, Follyfoot said:

I really struggle but really want to do if this year. I am a functioning alcoholic and also have  liver problems due to this but do I stop, no. I know I can do it if I want to as give up smoking piece of piss but do I want to give up? One day in so a start, averaged half a bottle of brandy a day since the 21st, got to break the cycle this time

Good luck! I was the same, going through a bottle of whiskey every few days. Every day gets easier

[KentVillan]

This is a good watch, gets to the heart of it I think. (Skip ahead to 1:00)

Edited January 6, 2022 by KentVillan

[MNVillan]

Not sure where to put this, but I’ve been mostly sober for 3 and 1/2 months now and today of all days I’m really struggling with my sobriety. Wondering how other sober people avoid drinking when they get the itch

[icouldtelltheworld]

9 minutes ago, MNVillan said:

Not sure where to put this, but I’ve been mostly sober for 3 and 1/2 months now and today of all days I’m really struggling with my sobriety. Wondering how other sober people avoid drinking when they get the itch

I'm not doing dry Jan as such, but gave up for 3 months before having a drink over Christmas and intending to stay sober for the foreseeable future again now.

First thing to say is that you've done brilliantly to get to where you are. When I was making a conscious choice not to drink, I would try and think back to what it was like waking up with a particularly bad hangover and that helped to keep motivation up. Channelling energy into other things is good too - maybe spend sometime cooking yourself a good meal, or exercise is always good too.

Stick with it mate and you'll feel much better for it tomorrow  

[Rds1983]

What's the thinking behind this thread locking on the 7th and not the 1st? Is it os people can discuss how they got on or does dry January not end until then?