I'm in. Did a few dry periods, including a dry month last year after a long vacation where I drank every day. Felt so much better when I did that. Didn't moderate this holiday season, so my body is telling me to take another break.
May take a few edibles here and there. But will stay dry.
Ex L wrote:
How can people have a dry month when the NFL playoffs are about the start?
February has the Super Bowl, there’s March Madness then the NBA and NHL playoffs run April through June.
Why not hold off and have a dry July?
That has a better ring to it, too.
Ever heard of Fourth of July you Redcoat!!
Mike Hock wrote:
Thought I'd start a thread for those who are going to struggle with this, (ie me).
Anyone else doing it? Any tips?
I'm on day one as was so ruined yesterday I had to do hair of the dog and keep topped up.
Good luck to you and others. It will only get better, hour after hour, day after day. Small steps. You dont quit the race when you are tired, you stick with it - focus going to the next lamppost, the next bend etc because you know it is do much better to cross the finish line than quitting. Just stick with it, nothing more.
Part of the answer is not to make it a random goal, but a goal that supports higher level goals. It helps to articulate and remind yourself of those higher level goals, which will vary from person to person but are often some combination of being fitter, being healthier, losing weight, saving money...
When I saw the thread title I thought “dry” meant giving up visiting this forum. That’s a great idea since so much drivel is posted here.
I’m not going to give it up altogether but will probably only visit this forum about 1-2x per week. When I do visit, I’ll be sure to check “only show running threads” in the upper left-hand corner.
For a while this place seemed to be getting better but it’s pretty much the same crap with the same suspects.
jamin wrote:
Dude is the wrong guy for advice on how to overcome alcoholism. He just switched to benzodiazapines. Then he went to Russia to get an experimental detox treatment. Now he does interviews and cries. He is smart but he knows nothing about recovery.
hsuwywgwusu wrote:
Dry January sounds good but it is like someone that eats garbage all year and then does a juice cleanse a few times. There is no real health advantage to alcohol they are finding. The few historic positives have been found to be achievable without including alcohol at all.
Except that's not how it usually works out. People who take extended break from drinking typically drink less after the dry period is over: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/12/27/dry-january-health-benefits/.
If any of you awoke January 1st with alcohol in your body, you are not doing Dry January. You may decide not to pour yourself a drink January 2nd through January 31st but if you were drunk January 1st, No Dry January. Might as well drink, stop drinking December 30th and try again.
Mike Hock wrote:
Thought I'd start a thread for those who are going to struggle with this, (ie me).
Anyone else doing it? Any tips?
I'm on day one as was so ruined yesterday I had to do hair of the dog and keep topped up.
For several years, I have abstained completely for Lent (approx. 40 days before Easter). It's fairly easy if you have a set time period and let anyone who cares know. I find that everyone in my circle understands and respects that commitment. It's great to be the designated driver every time and have no pressure to drink at all.
48hrs since last drink and god dammit that was worse than expected!
First night, racing heart, hot, night sweats, increased irritability. Insomnia (maybe 2 hours sleep), racing thoughts, crazy lucid dreams, shredded nerves...
And that's only off a 2 week training block of committed drinking. Rookie level alcoholism. Cold turkey for Christmas!
Hopefully the cravings will go in a few days and I will be left with the boredom and the fact for the next month I'm a social pariah.
Ran today and everything was good with the world.
Day 2 done.
I decided to do DJ as well. Alcohol Change UK has a pretty good website and app dedicated to it. I believe it will help me more clearly focus on hard runs. The only difficulty I foresee is that my birthday is in January.
Any thoughts on alcohol free "spirits" or brews? One one hand, I do like the taste of a hoppy IPA or an old fashioned. But on the other hand, that seems like a gateway for falling back to the real thing.
Mike Hock wrote:
Thought I'd start a thread for those who are going to struggle with this, (ie me).
Anyone else doing it? Any tips?
I'm on day one as was so ruined yesterday I had to do hair of the dog and keep topped up.
So you are an alcoholic white middle-class remoaner who idolizes convicted dopers?
Mike Hock wrote:
Thought I'd start a thread for those who are going to struggle with this, (ie me).
Anyone else doing it? Any tips?
I'm on day one as was so ruined yesterday I had to do hair of the dog and keep topped up.
Just know that the longer you're away from alcohol, the less you'll miss it. However, there will be times intense cravings come back. They are brief. Don't quit quitting.
Well, I can say this. It's a lot harder to do a dry January if you aren't ready to do a dry January. AND...a dry January is arbitrary. Why not a dry 37 days. Or, perhaps, a dry 3-day weekend once a month? In all honesty, you'll likely need 6 months off if you want to do your Liver a favor.
That said, you only get one life to enjoy. Why would you want to give that life to uncontrolled alcohol consumption?? It's like watching TV. Why do we give our lives to watching television and making someone else's life meaningful while we have no meaningful thing to show for ours. And we don't even know those "someones".
Engage your life!! Live something amazing for yourself. Do you the idea of gold mining? Buy a damn Gold Mining Pan and go find a creek and do something you enjoy doing with your time. Alcohol will bite like a snake. In the end, you will despair over a wasted life. Alcohol is a crappy hobby.
If you find you cannot control when or how often or how much you consume, then frankly, you need to quit drinking for good. Just do it! Live a life you will be proud of. Live a life that will provide joy for you in the mornings. I could say more, but I'm certain you get the gist.
Best,
Sopping wet no longer wrote:
I decided to do DJ as well. Alcohol Change UK has a pretty good website and app dedicated to it. I believe it will help me more clearly focus on hard runs. The only difficulty I foresee is that my birthday is in January.
Any thoughts on alcohol free "spirits" or brews? One one hand, I do like the taste of a hoppy IPA or an old fashioned. But on the other hand, that seems like a gateway for falling back to the real thing.
They mostly suck. There's a Lagunitas "Hoppy Refresher" that's the only good one I've tried. Athletic brewing is the best of the rest, but still not there yet. And the NA wines are horrid without exception.
I would of joined your group but our state has been getting non-stop for the past month now and more expected throughout January.
No more dry January.
I've also just cut out the drink, and I feel better already. I plan on a bit more than a dry January. We shall see. I usually stay off the drink as long as my running is going well. This gives me 3 months or so before some overuse injury forces me to stop running for a few days. Then I think "ah well, no harm in having a few. I'll be less tempted to run then" Yeah. That works out just f-ing great.
day 4 - cruising. had a great track workout. felt strong.
another dry january hack: the money you would have spend on a bar tab, 6 pack, or bottle of liquor, throw it into your savings/investment account each day.
I started a spreadsheet where I track weight, alcohol intake, and activity. It's fun adding that "0" in the alcohol column. Stay strong everyone!
Mike Hock, stay strong and I can almost guarantee you will feel better than your drinking self by the end of the month. You will no longer need booze to enjoy life and not feel bored. Meanwhile be productive and dial in your diet with healthy nourishing foods.
