Dry January: sobriety is 2020

[thugler]

This is my 5th one i think, also ditched coffee/energy drinks due to an unhealthy reliance on them lately. I may go up till the middle of feb. Problem i have with it is mostly it's effect on my mental health. Days lost to anxiety shit that makes it difficult to do anything with any focus and rather dreadful self loathing. Also one too many lost nights where I've gotten wrecked and stayed up most of the morning without any real reason or much enjoyment coming out of it. Never want to get to the point of never being able to drink again because i do enjoy it sometimes, usually when moderation is involved.

[Flatulent Fox]

Well, I for one have had quite enough for a bit.
                                                                           Going to try and get back to cycling fitness again so come the summer,I'll be really really fast.



                                                                             

[alan nagsworth]

This is my 5th one i think, also ditched coffee/energy drinks due to an unhealthy reliance on them lately. I may go up till the middle of feb. Problem i have with it is mostly it's effect on my mental health. Days lost to anxiety shit that makes it difficult to do anything with any focus and rather dreadful self loathing. Also one too many lost nights where I've gotten wrecked and stayed up most of the morning without any real reason or much enjoyment coming out of it. Never want to get to the point of never being able to drink again because i do enjoy it sometimes, usually when moderation is involved.

It's a tough call when you're amidst a good long session because you're in the frame of mind that you don't want the fun to end. And that's a reasonable way to react in that environment. But when you take enough time outside of those scenarios to reflect, you realise how massively unnecessary and inconsequential that degree of hedonism actually is. (Inconsequential to what defines a "great night", I mean, not inconsequential to your mental health)

I'm certain that if I suddenly plunged myself into a party environment this weekend and decided to have a massive blowout, I'd immediately snap back into that mentality, but sitting here right now I know for a fact that doing anything remotely like that is no more fun than just having a few, being quite merry and having a nice evening before getting to bed at a fairly respectable time.

I still do not have the self control to achieve that moderation and I don't trust myself to try and have a sensible few pints of a weekend so I'm still staying sober until I think I'm ready to try again. I used to smoke a ridiculous amount of weed until my mid-20s but when it suddenly started giving me severe anxiety attacks out of the blue, I quit it completely or two years, and  now after all that time I'm finally comfortable having a wee smoke once every now and again, not dependent on it whatsoever. Just gotta stay strong.

[Cloud]

Hats off to people doing a full month.  I decided to do 2 weeks and that's hard enough!  Seeing a new beer you fancy trying, getting to the weekend and just fancying a few pints but "nah I'm determined", plus all the peer pressure.. oh sweet jesus the peer pressure.  Every damn night "you on the coke again lol", "when are you getting back off the wagon?!", "looking forward to you being able to drink again ya boring git" (okay I added the 'ya boring git', it's implied though), just endless hassle. 

The reason was I drank almost non-stop over Christmas, plus the slight awareness that I'd not gone without at least a little drink for more than a day or two for like.... getting on for 20 years.  And I kept noticing when sat at my desk a sort of mass in my torso around where the bottom end of the liver would be peeking out of the ribcage and thinking "I wonder if boozing like an alcoholic all Christmas and generally drinking most days since forever has given me a fatty liver".  So had a peek on the NHS site and it said if you do have one, a 2 week abstinence will let it recover back to normal.  Now, in hindsight I think what I could feel was probably just good old fashioned FAT after also eating a ton over Christmas (first time I've weighed in as overweight at WW and temporarily lost gold membership for 5 years) and perhaps the odd bit of muscle.  But seems a healthy thing to do either way, let the poor old organ have a little rest.

There have been upsides.  Weekends not having to do hours and hours of exercise to offset the incoming pintage.  Being able to play things at night on a weekend without worrying about memory of it being hazy and having to re-play/re-watch the next day.  Having the discipline to not eat a ton of junk late at night or stay up til 5am, as the lowered inhibition usually leads me to. There are little tins of lemon and mint stuff I've been enjoying that give me that feeling of "having something a little bitter to sup on".  Oh and lost 3.5lbs so far, hoping for a couple more by Monday.  It's definitely made it much easier and my belly is visibly downsized.
As for feeling any better/healthier, honestly no.  I don't feel any different.  Perhaps it's that I drank little and often rather than intermittent binging so haven't been as unhealthy from it as I imagined?  No idea.  Had a couple of days where I had this weird foreboding / blues feeling which I thought could be a delayed alcohol withdrawal thing, but feeling fine now.

It's been ALRIGHT, I've not missed it THAT much BUT, I'm REALLY STARTING TO LOOK FORWARD to having a beer again now.  Funny enough I started this on a Monday so it's the slight weirdness of a dry weekend followed by getting back on it (gently) on Monday.  Nice to have a reason to look forward to a Monday really!

Then it's a week of gradually getting my body used to alcohol again ready for Manchester Beer Festival next weekend.

[Ferris]

I've cracked on 4 days. Considering it's the 16th, that's not a great record. Still better than December, and that's the aim really.

[idunnosomename]

Ive been drinking alcohol every day this month hope this helps

[beanheadmcginty]

Am I the only one who always rapidly puts on weight if I stop boozing? I can only assume it normally helps flush all the food out of me before it can stick.

[New folder]

wet january begins tonight and there's nothing you dry cunts can do about it

[alan nagsworth]

I'm moving house today so I broke my seal and had 5 pints with my housemates last night. It was alright I guess. By the last pint I felt myself starting to feel miserable and tired and fed up with my surroundings. Alcohol feels fucking pointless to me now. I've been totally fine without it and it's only because I'm moving house, dealing with a huge amount of debt stress and training new staff at my job that I felt the need to unwind with a drink. Woke up today with a crappy feeling in my mouth and a sore head. Rubbish. If anything it's put me off drinking even more.

An obvious point but I've learned people with depressive issues should stay well away from booze. Stay sober, exercise, clean your house, cook a tarka daal, watch My Neighbour Totoro. Be happy.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I still haven't had a pint since the 29th. But on the other hand last night I decided that the night had nothing more in store for me and retired to bed before 9pm.

[Ferris]

I still haven't had a pint since the 29th. But on the other hand last night I decided that the night had nothing more in store for me and retired to bed before 9pm.

You should have a sprog. That's every night.

I folded like a cheap camera last night - I've had a very stressful week at work (managed to clock 62hours) and I just didn't have the willpower when somebody brought beers into the office late at night.

Back on the straight and narrow for the LONG WEEKEND MATE even if I have to log on and Dow work on Monday for a bit

[AzureSky]

Haven't drank yet in 2020. Went out to a mates house last night and then into town, had 3 Heineken zeros, 1 Bud zero and a Diet Pepsi while he drank double southern comforts and coke. 'Beers' were pretty awful and taste the same as each other. Really felt it, being in pubs full of loud dickheads and having to step over piles of sick in the loos, but I did it.

Looked back at my record in 2012, I did 186.5 days, but I did get Bell's palsy then which started it off. Not sure how long I'll go, probably early Feb this time, as I have 3 days of consecutive do's on, can't see me making it through those.

[chveik]

You should have a sprog. That's every night.

I folded like a cheap camera last night - I've had a very stressful week at work (managed to clock 62hours) and I just didn't have the willpower when somebody brought beers into the office late at night.

Back on the straight and narrow for the LONG WEEKEND MATE even if I have to log on and Dow work on Monday for a bit

including the Ricky Gervais adventure game?

[idunnosomename]

CAN I HAVE SOME DRY WHITE WINE HAHAHAHAHA

[Ferris]

including the Ricky Gervais adventure game?

Yup, Gicky Rervais: an RPG Adventure was my break in between work. It's why I only managed 2 posts a day or something.

[Icehaven]

I love how a thread about dry January has largely turned into a thread about how no one's made it past halfway. But that's because I'm a bitter pisshead.

[Gamma Ray]

I still haven't had a pint since the 29th. But on the other hand last night I decided that the night had nothing more in store for me and retired to bed before 9pm.

Feelin' that, no booze since the 28th but idly watching The Great Wall last night would have been immeasurably improved with WINE. I've got some of Erdinger's 'Isotonic Health Drink' and Brew Dog's Nanny State but they're only really any good with food.

Got a friend who didn't drink for months and he did say that sometimes it gets boring. Still loving the upsides though - on today's ride to Portishead I had a good laugh at the other dead beat dads that were out until 3 AM last night.

[canadagoose]

I haven't been doing Dry January but I've decided to stop drinking for a bit. I keep making an arse of myself after a few drinks, and I don't think it's helping my current digestive problems. What major obstacles should I watch out for? I've tried going sober before but always found it so frustrating. Sorry if any of this has been answered elsewhere in the topic.

[Ham Bap]

Not doing Dry January but haven't had a drink since New Years Day. It's lost it's appeal.
Think my next drink will be mid March when I go to see Steve Martin/Martin Short.

Had a stressful enough week this week too. I usually would have turned to a weekend drink after that but I can't be bothered anymore.
Saturday nights are usual the toughest unless I'm well occupied with Films/Books/computer games.

It can be dull but you just have to push on through it.

[amputeeporn]

Really enjoying this - I think after two weeks you stop craving etc and can just get on feeling great. In the run up, I'd suggest sugary sweets/drinks if you're struggling, as the sugar's what your body's missing initially.

I find that I get so much more reading done, it's been great, and cleared my mind for some ambitious 2020 projects. Have lost a bit of weight already, been sleeping much better (he says at 12.41am) and have much more energy. Friend visited this weekend and we went for dinner but he was genuinely happy to see me on the dry, and I was genuinely happy to see him have three beers while I drank coke.

We both woke up delighted this morning not to have a hangover. Probably first time in over ten years of knowing each other. Makes you think.

[Ferris]

You do sleep noticeably better. Not me, because I own a 1 year old, but in general.

[canadagoose]

Is anyone else stuffing their face?

[seepage]

yes, oven chips & Grana Padano

[Ham Bap]

Is anyone else stuffing their face?

Yes and really need to stop. Still stuffing my face with Christmas biscuits and chocolate up until yesterday (I bought far too fucking much)
I need to stop treating these things as an emotional crutch, drinking and eating that is.

Though booze has been successfully binned, 1 down, 1 to go.

[pancreas]

yes, oven chips & Grana Padano

A little bit Jamie Oliver, but I'd eat it.

[Cloud]

I'm free!  Freeeeeee!  The 14 days I set myself are up.
Good to know I'm not a quivering alcoholic, but not gonna lie, I'm gagging for a beer.

Is anyone else stuffing their face?

Not exactly but been eating more than usual with having an extra 400-600 calories per day to waste.  That's sort of been an upside and will take a bit of getting used to eating more carefully again.

[canadagoose]

I'm glad I'm not alone in the face-stuffing. Hopefully it'll pass.

Also why is zero-alcohol beer so full of carbs? As a diabetic it's a pain in the neck. It's like more than twice as many as normal lager. Can't they stick some sucralose in it instead of adding syrup or whatever?

I'm free!  Freeeeeee!  The 14 days I set myself are up.

Well done!

[Sebastian Cobb]

I reckon alcohol free beer would just make me want actual beer.

[Ferris]

I'm glad I'm not alone in the face-stuffing. Hopefully it'll pass.

Also why is zero-alcohol beer so full of carbs? As a diabetic it's a pain in the neck. It's like more than twice as many as normal lager. Can't they stick some sucralose in it instead of adding syrup or whatever?
Well done!

Alcohol free beer isn't 0 calories, but it's pretty low compared to a normal beer no? It's about half I thought, maybe less.

[Cloud]

Well done!

Cheers!  Feel a bit unworthy of praise for managing less than half a dry January mind haha

I reckon alcohol free beer would just make me want actual beer.

Possibly.  Last I tried alcohol free beer it was pretty crap.  But I don't think it made me think "wouldn't mind a real one", more like "this is shit, I'd rather have a coke"

Exception: Becks Blue.  That actually tasted alright.

I was substituting with San Pellegrino at home
https://www.drinksupermarket.com/san-pellegrino-lemon-mint-24x-330ml-cans?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI59n6z6uS5wIVhbTtCh1uSgLYEAQYAiABEgJ_IPD_BwE
The "bitter and sort of an acquired taste" effect along with it not being the fastest thing to drink satisfied me pretty well in place of the line of bottled ales.