Author Topic: Dry January (Read 12264 times)

L CC · « **on:** 18 December, 2012, 12:43:42 pm »

http://www.dryjanuary.org.uk/

I've signed up for this.

Bit of a cheat, as I've had most of November & December to build up to it, and well, I can take or leave alcohol, it's not like my relationship with CAKE after all.

And no, I'm not asking for sponsorship, for all Alcohol Concern are a worthy cause. Just company.

Anyone else fancy joining me?

Doosh · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 December, 2012, 12:46:03 pm »

Why not switch it to a CAKE amnesty then if you're already dry

*runs for life*

shyumu · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 December, 2012, 12:57:09 pm »

Absolutely! (Not).

The recent abstinence has led to a complete lack of control over chocolate and a rise in weight of 2kg. I think it's pretty impressive to go from "Alcohol free to 20/12/2012" almost straight into "DryJanuary"... but I can't bring myself to join you. Easter 2013 though? Maybe.

But you have complete admiration for going for Dry January and my total support through not talking about what I'm drinking. I promise no drunken posts to "The Pub" from late nights in Finnish bars. (Actually that's quite an offer of support from me - I hope I can manage it)

Kim · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 December, 2012, 01:10:56 pm »

Quote from: boabacca on 18 December, 2012, 12:43:42 pm

Anyone else fancy joining me?

Sure, but it would be cheating.

Best of luck to all who take part!

clarion · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 December, 2012, 01:20:45 pm »

I, too, will stand on the sidelines to support anyone going in for this. I am taking part even though not doing, IYSWIM.

Chris S · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 December, 2012, 01:29:32 pm »

Quote from: boabacca on 18 December, 2012, 12:43:42 pm

Anyone else fancy ~~joining~~ me?

OK. I'm in.

But.

What if you find you don't like me sober?

hellymedic · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 December, 2012, 01:35:59 pm »

I'm 'in' but won't give up all CAEK. Still want to lose weight.
Less CAEK, not no CAEK, is the way I'll go.

Euan Uzami · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 December, 2012, 01:56:35 pm »

I got my hopes up that it was a weather prediction for a minute.

Kim · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 December, 2012, 02:00:44 pm »

You're not the only one.

LindaG · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 December, 2012, 03:46:32 pm »

Seriously thinking about it. I broke my three month alcohol fast yesterday by drinking Too Much Wine. So this morning was a write-off, because I was as tired as I always am these days, and also hung over to hell. And it wasn't even that much fun. No more fun than I have sober, anyway.

But I like beer. It's nice. It was wine last night, which is stronger, and smaller, and no good at all when you're thirsty.

There's time to think about it.

clarion · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 December, 2012, 05:08:38 pm »

Give it a go

crowriver · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 December, 2012, 12:57:58 am »

Yeah, I'll give it a go. I've managed without booze since September, tomorrow will be my first drink since then: a wee bit of cava to ring in Christmas. Once Hogmanay's out of the way I've no reason to drink again until my birthday, so I may as well try for a dry January.

Avoiding sweets, biscuits and cake will be more of a challenge...

Ashaman42 · « **Reply #12 on:** 25 December, 2012, 12:09:39 am »

Frankly I like a nice cold beer or a glass of wine or a Scotch so don't even want to go completely dry.

But my intention (and I'm stating it here to give myself a bit of accountability) is to cut out the midweek drinking and restrict the drinking to only one (or at most two) nights of the weekend. Rather than the full Fri/Sat/Sun.

I know that's a bit of a cop out but hey, it's better than not restricting myself at all.

loadsabikes · « **Reply #13 on:** 28 December, 2012, 03:07:27 pm »

Like Clarion and Kim, I will support from the sideline.

hellymedic · « **Reply #14 on:** 28 December, 2012, 03:20:59 pm »

I don't really drink anyway, so won't drink in January either.
Resisting high-calorie treats is a greater challenge.
There's still spiced grape juice in the fridge...

nightrider · « **Reply #15 on:** 28 December, 2012, 05:52:06 pm »

OK I'm in.I've got gout at the moment so its got to be good idea.It,s going to difficult on a few days though.On 1st
Jan I have a new years party.On Jan7th lts my Dads yahrzeit and I tend to drink when I feel sad

and I have 2 folk nights in pubs,where some free beer is offer to those of us that play.

Most of my drinking is done at home.I drink about 4 bottles of beer or a bottle of red wine 2-3 times a week.About 4 times year I drink enough to make myself sick. The gouts a bugger.

mcshroom · « **Reply #16 on:** 28 December, 2012, 07:03:27 pm »

I thought the same as Kim and Ben T

Psychler · « **Reply #17 on:** 28 December, 2012, 11:52:57 pm »

I've got a mate who's giving up drinking for good on the 1st of Jan due to alcoholic poly-neuropathy and there's a few of us giving up for January to support him.

So I'm in!

Pippa · « **Reply #18 on:** 30 December, 2012, 07:26:59 pm »

OK I'm in. I like a good drink, but I managed about 5 weeks before Xmas where I only had a couple of beers. I felt bloody fantastic and lost 8kg. I was also eating a lot less and far healthier, but not drinking definitely helps avoid empty calories, plus the obligatory fry up the next morning. I've had way too much to drink over Xmas, so I could really use the detox.....

I must try not to assume that because I'm not drinking I can treat myself with delicious creamy fatty food instead.....

Bledlow · « **Reply #19 on:** 30 December, 2012, 11:12:38 pm »

I'm hoping for a dry January in the sense of one without rain.

All this 'dry January', 'dry Advent' etc. suggests to me far too much interest in drink. It's like binge dieting. I'll just stick to my usual habits, which this week has meant drink has been taken on two days, with one pint of ordinary bitter on the day which wasn't December 25th.

L CC · « **Reply #20 on:** 31 December, 2012, 08:03:52 am »

Bledlow, if you can think & act like that, then you're lucky. And telling us so, on this thread, is smug gloating. What we're looking for, is moral support. If you can't offer that, keep away.

Bledlow · « **Reply #21 on:** 31 December, 2012, 10:15:19 am »

I was trying to make a very serious point without lecturing anyone, but it seems it was misinterpreted.

Drinking too much is a symptom, not a cause. Saying "I'll be good! I'll stop for X period" does not address the cause. It is exactly akin to binge dieting. I doubt if it will do any good in the long term, What is needed is to address the long term problem, & that means long term behaviour changes, not complete abstinence for short periods.

FYI, there were years when I drank just about every day, at levels which I think would have done terrible things to my health if I'd kept it up until now. Maybe I wouldn't even have lasted this long if I hadn't changed my behaviour. But I did. What I did not try, because I'd seen others try it & invariably fail, was binge dieting. I changed what I drink (though not completely: I still occasionally have a little whisky), when I drink (though again, not completely: I still sometimes have a pint or two at lunchtime, though not a few times a week as I did 25 years ago), how often I drink, & how much I drink when I do. Unless you're one of those unlucky people who can't stop when they start & therefore have no choice but complete abstinence (& for them it has to be permanent, not short spells), I think this is the only way to cut down which works.

BTW, I've seen people I knew killed by drink, including friends. This is not a joke to me, or something for smug gloating. I tried to drop a heavy hint, perhaps clumsily, because I wanted to get across a message I think is important.

hellymedic · « **Reply #22 on:** 31 December, 2012, 12:07:49 pm »

I'm no expert on problem drinking.
AIUI Taking and overcoming excess drinking one step/day/week/month at a time can help some people.
Even if if may not be a cure, it's an encouraging step in the right direction.
Encouragement and motivation are important.
Isolation can be demoralising.
Drinkers need to know they are not alone.

crowriver · « **Reply #23 on:** 31 December, 2012, 12:08:25 pm »

It's a tricky one, drink.

On the one hand it's a social glue, especially here in Scotland. For twenty odd years I was largely a social drinker, mostly at weekends, sometimes overdoing it.

When kids arrived, suddenly I was not going out as much, and started drinking at home instead. Quite soon, a couple of bottles of beer or a glass or two of wine became habitual, most nights. My tolerances built until I was drinking most of a bottle of wine nearly every evening, sometimes the whole bottle. This was becoming alcohol dependency, the social aspect had almost disappeared.

Once I acknowledged there was a problem, affecting my health, I started cutting down. This was a technique I'd used successfully to give up smoking twelve years ago: gradually reducing the amount I was taking. Once I reached the stage where a bottle of wine was lasting more than a week, it was relatively easy to stop completely. Which is what I've done.

Others can manage light to moderate intake of alcohol on a regular basis. My history tends to demonstrate that I cannot. For me, complete abstinence, barring a mild tipple at major festivities, is the way to go.

So my dry January will extend well into February, with a possible exception for Valentine's day, and on into March...

nightrider · « **Reply #24 on:** 31 December, 2012, 02:37:03 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 31 December, 2012, 12:07:49 pm

I'm no expert on problem drinking.
AIUI Taking and overcoming excess drinking one step/day/week/month at a time can help some people.
Even if if may not be a cure, it's an encouraging step in the right direction.
Encouragement and motivation are important.
Isolation can be demoralising.
Drinkers need to know they are not alone.

Thanks for that post HM.I can't cope with permanent abstinence ATM but one month is about doable .For me it's an attack of gout that's made me question my booze intake.If I am successful I will re-address my drinking.I do like my real ale and red wine though.

Author Topic: Dry January (Read 12264 times)

Chris S

Euan Uzami

LindaG