Annual check in… I researched the shit out of alcohol and better understand how it fucks with brain chemistry short term and destroys the brain long term. And not breaking news here, but alcohol is a group 1 carcinogen, same as tobacco, asbestos, and mustard gas which also gets my attention. I was sober for 5 months from end of June to end of November that I started after a mental break down. Family issues (outside my household) caused me to break my 5 month sobriety and I am exploring how to avoid that being an issue in the future. I feel like I have personally beat the social anxiety of not drinking and also overcome the routine which is my 2024 break through. I have gone from the guy that plans to bring the cooler to being the guy that people-close-to-me know they don’t need to offer a beer to. I am going to keep working on it. I am never going to be completely sober. We love to go to Hawaii and Maui Brewing has a beer that is part of my experience like a great meal. I don’t want to give that up, for lack of better terms, as a moderation treat but I want to definitively beat alcohol as a coping mechanism.
This is where I’m at. I know alcohol is bad for me and I fight internally a lot about that, but I enjoy it too much to completely abstain. My 2025 goal is moderation (with more than just booze). A buddy of mine told me he has 3 rules that I think would be good for moderating my consumption: 1) Never liquor 2) Never alone 3) Never at home In that order too - no spirits at all, no booze even if I’m out and about by myself, no alcohol at home. That leaves the consumption for actual events instead of just something to do. My biggest challenge post Covid is working from home, a young family, being bored as shit, the beer and bourbon markets/access exploding…recipe for gaining 50 pounds and increasingly bad annual physicals. With that being said, I’m in for DJ and hopefully more.
3 years since my last night of booze, coke and debauchery. Also the last time I ruined a potential relationship
Breaking News: Alcohol is a leading cause of cancer and drinks should carry a warning label as cigarettes do, the U.S. surgeon general said. https://bsky.app/profile/nytimes.com/post/3letlyb4yzs2c
I’m going dry until the first Chiefs home playoff game on MLK weekend, then trying to accomplish the same thing I ended up doing last year—don’t drink more than once a week and never back to back days until the first weekend of March Madness. It helped me lose a few pounds last year and am in a position where I’d like to do the same this year after the holidays.
I was going to start after the national championship game, but ended up starting last week. Already feel better. We had a pretty shitty year and a particularly tough Christmas, and I was drinking more than usual the last few weeks. It is good to get back on the wagon and reset a bit.
I’m crushing this shit. Already lost 8 pounds. I’m considering extending beyond January because I feel great. I was definitely drinking too much and wasn’t managing my intake.
Don’t have any good answers for if you’re at work. Just realize after a week or so without the booze your anxiety levels will (should at least) be quite a bit better. For at home go back to elementary school, find activities that occupy your brian and hands (coloring books, puzzles, legos).
Wife and I started on 1/2. Much needed. Already feel better. Planning on holding strong until a President’s Day weekend trip to the Homestead with one of my best buddies from growing up and his family. That also happens to be Valentine’s Day and my wife’s birthday weekend, so yeah, will be hard not to partake. hoping to stay strong through then.
Anything that gets me out of my head. I have a number of things I do so I don’t feel stuck in any routine. Some examples: painting, legos, taking care of my plants, going for a drive, hiking is good but I can’t do any serious hikes anymore. Fuck around with various shit until you find things that work for you. You don’t even need to be good at it. I’m the worst artist ever, but it works for me.
I was gonna do DJ but being snowed in for a few additional days after the kids 2-week holiday vacation has punted that plan down the road. MJ/D9 is a godsend when going dry - not ideal to still have a crutch, but I am a much more functional adult when not hungover, and I generally have a better mood when stoned (vs. can get cranky/obnoxious when drunk) so it's definitely an improvement. Still gotta get over the social aspect of it though.
Starting as of today for the 2nd straight year. Was out of town on vacation till this morning so always planned on getting a late start, will probably go until the 2nd weekend in February to complete the full month still. If you had told me when I was between the ages of 17-30 that I would willingly give up drinking for a month straight I never would have believed it. Not looking forward to sobriety but hoping like last January it’s not too bad after the first weekend.
sunday scaries/end of winter break was tough to navigate yesterday but we made it through. students return tomorrow so tomorrow night will be the next test
Pretty smooth so far. Only time I really had a desire to drink was at a friend's birthday at a Mexican restaurant where everyone was having Margs.
Y'all got this. We can do anything for a couple weeks. As others said, idle times were the worst for me so find something you like. A new series, a book, scrolling the main board dot com, whatever
need to cut way back so just gonna go dry during the week and once a weekend or so for january. just got back from traveling so had one last hurrah last night. the worst part of drinking for me is how it spirals into poor dietary choices. have a plan for the rest of the week so i am not just saying fuck it and grabbing fast food or making something heavy and unhealthy here. enjoyed a turkey breast and baked potato and feel ready for bed
I didn't drink for the first 5 months of last year. Started drinking again, but never really heavy. Never drank more than a few drinks, but still felt the effects of eating shitty, being tired, working out less, etc. Think I'm going to test out all year this year and see how it goes. Abstained at a big NYD party, going to continue to rock on.
Even if it’s just one less day of drinking a week that’s an improvement. Always look at the positive instead of the negative with this stuff.
This being the third year of doing Dry January and I can honestly say it has positively affected my relationship with alcohol. 2024 was probably the least amount of days I drank since 2008. Just realizing how much better I feel at night and in the morning when I don't drink was eye opening. I am inspired by many of you guys that have sworn it off mostly for good. I think I will always have special occasions but getting rid of the weekly Saturday 2-3 drink binge is probably the right move for me. Biggest change I hope to make this year is on vacations. I am generally a grump on long family trips and I think a big reason is because of the booze. Keeping an eye on that going forward. Dry January is a great reset for me and I look forward to using what I learned this month and applying it more to my life year around.
Busy/crazy past 2 days at work + snowfall in the south is testing me. Really craving a giant glass of bourbon.
You can do it man. If you really want to commit to making it to the end of the month just don't drink today and then worry about tomorrow tomorrow.
For sure and thank you. I’ll make it, just bitching a little bit. Can’t have Mrs. McKigney lording over me that she did it and I didn’t.
I’m trying to make it as long as possible. I don’t think have a drinking problem but the last couple times I drank the hangover/ stomach thing was pretty fucked up. These past few days with the wildfires have really tested my resolve. If I can make it past the NCG on the 20th I should be good for a while. I tend to drink once a week or once every other week so a little over two weeks sober doesn’t really seem different to me. I wonder if I’ll ever start feeling the benefits of not drinking.
for whatever reason I stand no chance at any austerity/self control challenge like this if I have a big binge beforehand. I’m better off if I just decide “I need to give up X immediately for an indefinite period of time”. Started a period of sobriety years ago that was meant to be a week and ended up being 4-5 months. Just did so with nicotine pouches (became so dependent on them that I could hardly be productive without one in). Joining my gf in Dry Jan solidarity tho. Between the nicotine urges and the bouts of boredom from no booze, it’s opened my eyes to how much I rely on cheap, quick, compulsive dopamine. My phone has been a constant draw as well as a wicked sweet tooth
I try and get fun size bars and that has been working. I also notice if I can deal with the 3-4 day cold turkey “withdrawal” I am good for a few weeks. It’s when I get that sweet relief of a full size candy bar or a whole Suzy Q that the monkey jumps on my back and doesn’t let go.
Normally I drink or take some sort of sleep aid (melatonin) etc every night Been skipping both- holy hell I had the wildest dreams last night
the good thing about coming down with covid shortly after Christmas is not having any urges at all to booze, the bad news is I haven't exactly been able to enjoy the benefits of sobriety yet, getting there though
Man, I wish I had the sleeping success of you guys. Was up till 4:30 Friday night and 5:30 last night.
Oh I take a ton of melatonin, diphenhydramine, and a gummy or two every night. I had Ambien for a couple months but then one night I walked to a food truck and ordered some nachos while “asleep” (I slept walked a ton as a kid) so I haven’t used it in about a decade.
Never did. I usually went to bed around 9/10 and the wife wouldn’t get home till after midnight. I got super pissed the next morning because there was a take out box with untouched nachos in it. I assumed she got drunk after work and picked them up and forgot about them. I didn’t want to wake her so I sent an angry message. When she woke up she let me know they were there when she got home. We both freaked thinking “did someone break into the apartment and leave nachos!? What kind of freak would do that?” She went down to the building office and told them there was a break in. The lady down there pulled up last nights security tape and there’s me, walking completely normal out the lobby around 11. Was wearing my work dress shoes, pajama pants, and a tshirt. Then 15 minutes later there I am walking back in with nachos in hand. Don’t remember it at all.
Took it a step further this year and started a medium 75 on Jan 1. Rules are zero booze, workout 4+ times a week, read 20 mins a day, and some other small self improvements. Feel great where I'm at with substances and hope this can build on that and develop other healthy habits.
Going to Hawaii in March and was my fattest I’ve ever been in December so going hard as fuck on exercise and diet because who wants to look like a slob. That involves avoiding drinking so been severely limiting alcohol and it’s good. Shared a bottle of wine with the wife whilst cooking last night because that’s a type of therapy for me but otherwise haven’t drank since around New Years. Down 11 lbs. Good stuff.
well done. i have found it much easier to be disciplined with eating and working out if there is no booze involved.
100%. I'm weird in that I have no issue eating only for health/sustenance. Will eat plain eggs, chicken, sweet potatoes, etc.. Love good food but as a broke college kid trying to eat healthy I learned to eat purely for sustenance (when I wasn't hammered/stoned getting fast food or hungry howies).
What do I do to celebrate/blow off steam? I had a super busy week at work and I crushed it so now my mind is telling me to celebrate by drinking