Dry January

[King Nuts]

I'm not much of a one for all these various food and drink fads that come along from time to time. But I had a minor health issue immediately after Christmas and was given some advice by my doctor to lay off the booze for a while. So that's what I've been doing.

It's been 3+ weeks now, and not only do I actually feel a whole lot better but it's been a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.

The doc said that the 21 units per week was there for a reason, and because I'd never really looked at the small print on the label of a bottle of wine, I didn't know that the average bottle of plonk has between 9 and 10 units. I was probably getting through 4 or 5 bottles a week, so that's at least double the recommended intake.

As regards the ease or difficulty of stopping drinking, I find the only tricky moment to be most days around 6pm. That's when I either nip into the pub with some colleagues, or open a bottle at home when cooking dinner. Punch through that, and by 8pm, I'm OK again.

I might just stick with it. Seriously, my sleep is a lot better, and snoring almost completely cut out. And in cash terms, I'm probably 250 quid up already this month. Maybe more.

Anyone else giving it, or have given it a go?

[scutty brown]

I wondered why your posts were gaining a degree of rationality.
Maybe you should stay dry permanently?

[King Nuts]

I wondered why your posts were gaining a degree of rationality.
Maybe you should stay dry permanently?

V. kind of you to say so.

Jury's out as to whether this is permanent or not.

[lamboman]

Anyone else giving it, or have given it a go?

I do it every year except if go out with friends as that would be dull.
It's easy for me as I've got good will power,I do feel a bit brighter in the mornings compared to if I had a skinful but that's about it.

[Squire Haggard]

My drinking is related to what I eat. Curry, lager essential. Pizza, would miss not having wine or lager with it. Lasagne, red wine essential. Fish n chips, no drink necessary. Curry is a sort of addiction with me, and probably others, so a lager intake is essential. I dont drink 2 nights in a row and only about 2 nights per week, and only moderately. I looked at units recently, and was surprised to find that I was often over the weekly limit, so I try to keep it to 2 night a week, and not 3.

[King Nuts]

I do it every year except if go out with friends as that would be dull.
It's easy for me as I've got good will power,I do feel a bit brighter in the mornings compared to if I had a skinful but that's about it.

That's good. I've got more willpower than I thought I had. I suppose that just shows that alcohol consumption becomes a habit that you think you can't get out of, but most of us can get out of it, if we want to.

The late, great AA Gill said something to the effect that you're not an alcoholic unless you've got to the situation where it's 3.30 in the afternoon, you're at home with the curtains drawn, you've pissed yourself and are crying unconsolably because you've run out of booze and have no money left at all.

[lamboman]

That's good. I've got more willpower than I thought I had. I suppose that just shows that alcohol consumption becomes a habit that you think you can't get out of, but most of us can get out of it, if we want to.

The late, great AA Gill said something to the effect that you're not an alcoholic unless you've got to the situation where it's 3.30 in the afternoon, you're at home with the curtains drawn, you've pissed yourself and are crying unconsolably because you've run out of booze and have no money left at all.

I miss AA Gill.

[King Nuts]

I miss AA Gill.

Me too. Top man. Had lots of great quips and one-liners. One of my faves was when he said he'd popped into Daylesford Organic in Westbourne Grove, hoping to buy some cheese, but he only had 95 quid on him.

[chrishornx]

Dry January in my household - dry white wine, dry martini, dry cider

all in moderation

[Doc Holliday]

The doc said that the 21 units per week was there for a reason,

He/she needs to update their advice. Since around 2016 it has been 14 units.

There is no safe level of alcohol, but it is not realistic to 'preach' total abstinence, but instead set a low risk consumption level to reduce the risk as much as possible. If you can abstain completely then so much the better.

It's been 3+ weeks now, and not only do I actually feel a whole lot better but it's been a lot easier than I thought it was going to be.

It sounds like you have done well so far and I wish you well. You will feel a whole lot better. For some it is obviously very difficult though.

I stopped consuming alcohol completely in my mid thirties and I have never looked back. I am told that the alcohol free beers (not sure about wines)? which in my day were dreadful, have improved beyond all measure in taste so that may be another option to consider?

[Marmalade]

If I drink every night for a week I’ve found I miss a drink for a couple of days. But if I only drink (moderately) for a couple days I don’t seem to. A glass of wine with a meal is hardly noticeable (and most reds will stay drinkable for three days with any left over going in the cooking). If you really like drinking you could say just drink at the weekend, not weekdays. There are only a few, but a few nonetheless, low alcohol beers and wines that are quite drinkable. Handy if you need to work afterwards.

[King Nuts]

alcohol free beers (not sure about wines)? which in my day were dreadful, have improved beyond all measure in taste so that may be another option to consider?

True. I'd say they're 90 per cent as good as the 'real thing'.

[Rick2468]

So far I have been doing Dry January. I'm desperate to get my 5km time below 25 minutes. Been running 3 times a week and increasing my speed has been slow progress so I think any boozing will set me back at least of week which is a real motivator not to drink. I've been running and working out for about 2 months now. I had two boozing sessions over Christmas and on both occasions I drank way too much, ended up spewing up after one of them. It was because I knew each one would be my only drinking session for a while so I made the most of it.

[lamboman]

Me too. Top man. Had lots of great quips and one-liners. One of my faves was when he said he'd popped into Daylesford Organic in Westbourne Grove, hoping to buy some cheese, but he only had 95 quid on him.

He wasn't far wrong it's hilariously over priced in there.

[ulstersubbie]

I love my beer, always have so going dry would not be an option for me. Depends how much you drink I suppose, me personally every weekend and occasionally during the week.

Good luck with staying off the booze OP.

[lillythesavage]

Why this far into the month , not had a drink since Xmas day, not even thought about Dry January, but 1/4 the way through a bottle of JD this evening, and now i regret opening it

[stevedave]

January is depressing enough without giving up booze for the entirity of it, fuck that.

Choose another arbitrary 31 days 

[mr.bluesky]

He/she needs to update their advice. Since around 2016 it has been 14 units.

There is no safe level of alcohol, but it is not realistic to 'preach' total abstinence, but instead set a low risk consumption level to reduce the risk as much as possible. If you can abstain completely then so much the better.


It sounds like you have done well so far and I wish you well. You will feel a whole lot better. For some it is obviously very difficult though.

I stopped consuming alcohol completely in my mid thirties and I have never looked back. I am told that the alcohol free beers (not sure about wines)? which in my day were dreadful, have improved beyond all measure in taste so that may be another option to consider?

Alcohol free beers of today still tastes bloody awful but alcohol free cider tastes fine.

[shed]

Gave up the booze 10 years ago now and every day thank him upstairs that I had the will power to do so. Never touched a drop since. Feel fitter, healthier and no hangovers. Have to admit it wasn't easy but for me I had the motivation in that my consumption was ever increasing and I always had very sympathetic and strong family support. Very proud to always say I am a teetotaler.

[Squire Haggard]

January is depressing enough without giving up booze for the entirity of it, fuck that.

Choose another arbitrary 31 days 

I'll drink to that.

[scutty brown]

Alcohol free beers of today still tastes bloody awful but alcohol free cider tastes fine.

I'm amused by these zero alcohol "gins" being advertised at the moment
Sainsburys are selling 70cl bottles of 0% Gordons t £14.50, more or less the same price as real gin - which carries excise duty.
Bloody expensive flavoured water!

[willie loman]

when planning to have a visit to a wg, always drink red wine the night before, find it helps my hard on, the dry january types are usually "the too little too late merchants" in my experience.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Christ i seem to have forgotton what a pub is!, only one or two pints a month!

Must get out more!!!

[King Nuts]

Alcohol free beers of today still tastes bloody awful but alcohol free cider tastes fine.

They've got a lot better. A LOT better. The Heineken 0% is very drinkable. Only 69 calories a bottle too. The Peroni 0% is pretty good too.

[King Nuts]

January is depressing enough without giving up booze for the entirity of it, fuck that.

Choose another arbitrary 31 days 

I'd normally agree with you. But like I said, there was a bit of a medical issue that prompted it. I wasn't planning a dry January at all. The very thought of it would have hitherto had me running to the nearest Oddbins.

[King Nuts]

I do it every year except if go out with friends as that would be dull.
It's easy for me as I've got good will power,I do feel a bit brighter in the mornings compared to if I had a skinful but that's about it.

I've got a mate whose wife doesn't drink (she's in AA) and so he doesn't drink at home, our of respect to her. He only has a drink when he goes out in the evenings, and that's probably no more than once or twice a week. Seems to be a pretty good arrangement.

Maybe I'll do the same. Don't keep any booze in the house, and just enjoy it in a pub or when having a meal out. Moderation has never really been my thing before. (If it ain't too much, it's not enough, as the saying goes.) Maybe I need to learn it now.

The great James Thurber said: 'one Martini is alright. Two's too many, and three's not enough'. So true.

[mr.bluesky]

I'm amused by these zero alcohol "gins" being advertised at the moment
Sainsburys are selling 70cl bottles of 0% Gordons t £14.50, more or less the same price as real gin - which carries excise duty.
Bloody expensive flavoured water!

Didn't know that, madness. At least alcohol free cider is cheaper than the alcohol version and it tastes exactly the same imo.

[stampjones]

I gave up a couple of years ago. To me I never saw the point of moderate drinking so I could never cut back. If I drank I drank. Never thought I could stop but went with allen carr’s book how to control alcohol. After following along with that I found it easy to quit and believe me I was a total pisshead. No will power involved. I can honestly say I dont miss it at all. If anyone is seriously thinking about quitting or getting back in control I’d thoroughly recommend that book. It saved my life.

[jaydefo24]

Tried. Lasted 4 days. Quite pathetic really

[stampjones]

Tried. Lasted 4 days. Quite pathetic really

Its not pathetic though. Its really hard to stop using will power. At least it was for me - I could never do it. But if you do want to stop there are other methods that dont need will power (see the book I mentioned above).

[King Nuts]

I gave up a couple of years ago. To me I never saw the point of moderate drinking so I could never cut back. If I drank I drank. Never thought I could stop but went with allen carr’s book how to control alcohol. After following along with that I found it easy to quit and believe me I was a total pisshead. No will power involved. I can honestly say I dont miss it at all. If anyone is seriously thinking about quitting or getting back in control I’d thoroughly recommend that book. It saved my life.

Interesting. I didn't know he wrote a book about the bottle. I read his How to Stop Smoking book 20+ years ago and quit smoking very easily after reading it. Never looked back and haven't had a cigarette since.

I've applied that same way of thinking to my attitude to alcohol. Basically, for anyone who's not familiar with his books, he promotes the gain, and ignores the loss. He says you're not 'giving up' anything by stopping smoking. You're gaining - a better life, better health, and freeing yourself of a dependency that only ever drags you down.

I guess you can take the same view with booze. Am feeling much better for being 'dry' these last few weeks, and might remain so from now on. We'll see.

[Strawberry]

Interesting. I didn't know he wrote a book about the bottle. I read his How to Stop Smoking book 20+ years ago and quit smoking very easily after reading it. Never looked back and haven't had a cigarette since.

I've applied that same way of thinking to my attitude to alcohol. Basically, for anyone who's not familiar with his books, he promotes the gain, and ignores the loss. He says you're not 'giving up' anything by stopping smoking. You're gaining - a better life, better health, and freeing yourself of a dependency that only ever drags you down.

I guess you can take the same view with booze. Am feeling much better for being 'dry' these last few weeks, and might remain so from now on. We'll see.

Alan Carr's book about alcohol I found very useful, provides an alternative perspective. This wasn't however enough to stop my drinking, but I carry much of his book in my mind 8+ years teetotal.

I tried alcohol free wine and beer, it's not the same and to be honest years down the line if I think about the taste I feel nauseous. Alan Carr does argue alcohol is an acquired taste.

I also dislike Schloer, j2O etc and unless truly thirsty, I just don't need a drink in my hand if socialising.

Docs post about units is true based on my reading, I don't think the government could bear losing the brewing industry.

[Rick2468]

Alan Carr's book about alcohol I found very useful, provides an alternative perspective. This wasn't however enough to stop my drinking, but I carry much of his book in my mind 8+ years teetotal.

I tried alcohol free wine and beer, it's not the same and to be honest years down the line if I think about the taste I feel nauseous. Alan Carr does argue alcohol is an acquired taste.

I also dislike Schloer, j2O etc and unless truly thirsty, I just don't need a drink in my hand if socialising.

Docs post about units is true based on my reading, I don't think the government could bear losing the brewing industry.

A book I read whilst I went on a 6 month sober streak is Alcohol Explained by William Porter. I thought it was really helpful and explains why you don't need alcohol to have a good time and how you only remember an exaggerated memory of the good times you have whilst being drunk. The first few chapters are on his website if anyone wanted to sample it before deciding to buy. I'm on mobile so cant easily post link but a Google search should find it.

I read one of Allan Carr's books on giving up sugar which I think uses the same techniques. It was quite useful.

I am hoping my current sober streak continues for a long time even if it is forever. A good chunk of my social life pre COVID was centred around boozing but hoping to reshape it in the future. I joined a running club that meets 8am every Sunday which feels like a great start. The thing I'm dreading most about soberity is industry award ceremonies I have to go too every couple of months for work. They go on for fucking 6 hours and in the past the only way I have been able to tolerate them is to get sloshed. Bit of a strange thing to think about and suppose it shows I see booze as a coping mechanism. I am going to see if I can pass the awards ceremony attending role to someone else at the company.

[Strawberry]

A book I read whilst I went on a 6 month sober streak is Alcohol Explained by William Porter. I thought it was really helpful and explains why you don't need alcohol to have a good time and how you only remember an exaggerated memory of the good times you have whilst being drunk. The first few chapters are on his website if anyone wanted to sample it before deciding to buy. I'm on mobile so cant easily post link but a Google search should find it.

I read one of Allan Carr's books on giving up sugar which I think uses the same techniques. It was quite useful.

I am hoping my current sober streak continues for a long time even if it is forever. A good chunk of my social life pre COVID was centred around boozing but hoping to reshape it in the future. I joined a running club that meets 8am every Sunday which feels like a great start. The thing I'm dreading most about soberity is industry award ceremonies I have to go too every couple of months for work. They go on for fucking 6 hours and in the past the only way I have been able to tolerate them is to get sloshed. Bit of a strange thing to think about and suppose it shows I see booze as a coping mechanism. I am going to see if I can pass the awards ceremony attending role to someone else at the company.

I find it takes longer to relax, then I watch as other get sozzled. Bonus is zero hangover.

[Rick2468]

I find it takes longer to relax, then I watch as other get sozzled. Bonus is zero hangover.

The fresh mornings are such a great thing. I went through a phase of going on early Sunday morning walks around nature trails they would really lift my spirits. When I ended that sober spell I would get sloshed on a Saturday night and wake up feeling shit on Sundays. To rub it in my phone has a feature where it would flash up a photo I took a year ago that week and it would be of some beautiful view I had taken a photo of.

I've definitely had my fun with booze but I think sober is the way to go. I find that I sleep so much better and consistently throughout the week. Feel I have more energy. I'm going to aim to stay sober for 2022 at the very least. A good chance I'll fall back into boozing but will try at least.

[King Nuts]

The fresh mornings are such a great thing. I went through a phase of going on early Sunday morning walks around nature trails they would really lift my spirits. When I ended that sober spell I would get sloshed on a Saturday night and wake up feeling shit on Sundays. To rub it in my phone has a feature where it would flash up a photo I took a year ago that week and it would be of some beautiful view I had taken a photo of.

I've definitely had my fun with booze but I think sober is the way to go. I find that I sleep so much better and consistently throughout the week. Feel I have more energy. I'm going to aim to stay sober for 2022 at the very least. A good chance I'll fall back into boozing but will try at least.

Seems to me that you've got the right attitude. Those of us who drink tend to have a complicated relationship with alcohol, and managing it or even just acknowledging it, is a good start. Guess that's how the 12 steps thing starts off too.

And I suspect like you, I've never been very good at one drink. But maybe, once I've got to the end of this current dry spell, I'll give it a go. Or at least, stop at two.

Either that, or start going to AA.



 

[Rick2468]

Seems to me that you've got the right attitude. Those of us who drink tend to have a complicated relationship with alcohol, and managing it or even just acknowledging it, is a good start. Guess that's how the 12 steps thing starts off too.

And I suspect like you, I've never been very good at one drink. But maybe, once I've got to the end of this current dry spell, I'll give it a go. Or at least, stop at two.

Either that, or start going to AA.

Booze has been a firm part of my social life since I was 15 years old. I got drunk heavily 90% of Fridays and Saturdays and would usually go to the pub on Wednesdays to watch Champions League with my mates. When I first moved out I would have a beer with my dinner even when eating alone at home as I thought that was the done thing that all adults did but I stopped doing that after a couple of years. It was usually just a can of Stella as well and not a nice drink. With my career, there isn't a big drinking culture in general so that is good, I mentioned getting sloshed at awards nights but those were only 5 nights a year. I would class myself as an alcoholic and always will do even if I end up staying sober for years as when I drink I struggle to take it slow.

I am finding at the moment targeting a health goal of doing a 5km run in less than 25 minutes is really helping. I am running every other day before 7am and it is gruelling and I am only shaving about 10 seconds off my time each week at the moment. I went to a gathering on Friday which had booze but I stayed sober because I kept thinking if I had one beer I would lose one week of progress. I'm thinking ahead about what I might aim for if I do hit my health target. I want to join a local running club so might do that and see if I can get friendly with some of them and scope for ideas.

Nice one for starting this thread it's sparked a good conversation and even though everyone is at different scales on the boozing scale it's good to chat. The fact UKP is anonymous as well makes it a good forum for this IMO as people more likely to be honest about where they are at.

[NIK]

I wondered why your posts were gaining a degree of rationality.
Maybe you should stay dry permanently?

I see things don't change around here.  Arseholes still rule the roost.   

[Marmalade]

I see things don't change around here.  Arseholes still rule the roost.   

I see you still like to pop in occasionally to sample the aroma. 

How are you, anyway?

[Ali Katt]

Alcohol free beers of today still tastes bloody awful but alcohol free cider tastes fine.

Beavertown do one called Lazer Crush which tastes like proper beer 0.4% so classed as alcohol free, but not zero. Erdinger alcohol free is also decent, but 0.05%.

[Marmalade]

Becks blue label is the one that tastes most like real alcohol beer I reckon.