A dry 2023...

If you actually want to do it you'll do it. If you don't really want to do it you'll 'fail' at some point.

I had 3 months or so off the booze recently and didn't find it difficult to not drink, it was health induced though so that helped. I also went vegetarian at the same time, for the same health reasons and this started to make things a bit boring. I decided I was missing too much and needed to add either meat or beer back into my life!!....I know that sounds rediculous but mentally something needed to give.

After a walking up Helvellyn a few weeks ago with the wife and kids, I really felt like having a pint was the right thing to do. So decided meat was staying out and beer was coming back. I'm still keeping the volume down but will allow myself to have a couple of beers at the week end if we're out somewhere.

Not sure what I'm trying to say but, I think it's just what are the reasons for giving up? do you actually want to give up drinking for a year for health reasons or is it something to tell people you're doing? I don't mean that nastily, just to think about your reasons and lock them down. Then I'm sure you'll get through it.

If you plan to start drinking again in in 2024 I can't see the point of having a dry year. Just gradually reduce your intake and add more zero alcohol drink into the mix. I often do this - one proper bottle of ale, one zero alcohol. I find it avoids the aftertaste effect of zero alcohol stuff.

Another thing I do is mix half and half on the lager. A 330ml bottle of zero Peroni in a pint glass then top up with proper stuff. You feel like you are drinking but the alcohol intake is halved.

I'm not sure my plan would be to start again in 2024, just like the idea of having a target to work to in the early days. Main motivation is improved health and better quality weekends, too many missed bike sessions where I wake up with a weekend hazy head and think...Meeehh another time!.. My weekends tend to start on Thursday night and end on late Sunday night, so that's 4 nights a week of drinking more than I should... not falling around drunk but definitely merry. I find at 45yr it's taking it's toll now.

There are some really decent alcohol free beers around these days. (see previous threads). My current favourite is Clear Head.

I have been mostly booze free for a while now, due to Long COVID. I think the hardest part is early on, tbh. It's surprising how, once you get into it, many of those regular drinks can be replaced by an alcohol free beer with no detriment. Something that's cold and fizzy and tastes beery, perhaps in a pub, is the main thing - you often don't actually need the alcohol. Once that becomes normal, you're surprised at how easy it is to skip the booze (most of the time!)

My weekends tend to start on Thursday night and end on late Sunday night, so that’s 4 nights a week of drinking more than I should… not falling around drunk but definitely merry. I find at 45yr it’s taking it’s toll now.

I'd start by knocking a day off first. Is there a reason you start on a Thursday (social gathering), or is it home drinking?

I've really cut down this year. New baby in the house means high quality sleep is hard to come by, plus long Covid, plus getting older etc. Beer just kicks my ass these days. I've got a work party tomorrow night then I'll be knocking it on the head for the foreseeable future. I feel so much better without it.

I'm in same boat, gave up regular drinking due to long covid, never really miss it as can have a zero beer, occasionally have alcohol for a wedding or stag do, but only takes a few to get the feeling, then stop again. But i was never particularly fussed about chasing the feeling of alcohol, was mostly for socialising, also gave up regular caffeine, find the day much better without it

or is it home drinking?

Mainly home drinking in winter and with pub prices currently.

... no flippin' chance!!

Mainly home drinking in winter and with pub prices currently.

I think only you can decide how much of a problem it is.

For me, I like a drink and won't give up. It's a Fri/Sat and maybe one or two on a Sunday thing for me. Mon-Thu is Vimto!

As for giving up caffeine - sod that. 6 mugs of coffee a day minimum! 🙂

Do you want to quit drinking altogether, or cut down?

When I had a year or two without drinking in my early 20s, it was partly to avoid being sucked into the Friday and Saturday night binge drinking with mates, and I pretty much had to give up going out with them - I wasn't mature enough to resist them trying to get me to have a drink, they weren't mature enough to give it a rest.

When I started drinking again, my capacity for alcohol had gone, and I struggle to cope with two pints/glasses of wine even now, and usually just have one.

Being the designated driver, having something you need to be up early for the next morning, a glass jar filling up with money you've saved, all helped me give it up.

If you want to do it, you will.
I gave up booze for a year a couple of years ago and found it quite easy. I just decided I'd give it a go and stuck to it. The hardest part is when you are socialising and people offer to buy you a drink but I found that once I explained to people why I would like a soft drink most of them accepted it.
I started drinking alcohol again after the year but not nearly as much as I used to as I realised I was mainly drinking because it was 'expected' and not because I want or need alcohol.

This Jan I decided I need to stop or at least reduce massively.

I've probably been proper drunk 4 or 5 times this year - social commitments, where just thought ahhh fk it!

But I'm loving been clear and sober 99.9% of the time, and will be sticking with it through 2023.

Quite a few of my mates have also adopted it too, during the week at least. There's so many decent 0% beers now. Those Guinness Zeros are amazing.

I just read/listened to the Adrian Chiles book about drinking in moderation...it's helped me cut down.

Adrian Chiles book about drinking in moderation…it’s helped me cut down.

Someone else at work mentioned this (unrelated), they said that book was quite an eye opener.

But I’m loving been clear and sober 99.9% of the time, and will be sticking with it through 2023.

I'm going to give it a go too.. where is "nobeerinthefridge" these days? He always had good advice.

I did it for about a year and a half?

Went from always having a bottle of Red open to go with dinners and "drinking" being a key part of the weekend. To only having a pint if I feel like it afterwards.

I didn't put a time limit on it though, I just went t-total with no defined end goal. New year might be a good time to start though as if you say "a year", then it'll be January 2024 and no one else will be drinking when you've "finished" anyway.

On the subject of "going out", I didn't for that period, because it was purely going out with the intention of getting drunk and going to a club. There wasn't any sober appeal to it. Maybe I'm just older and less self conscious but I will now quite happily stay out till 4am on the dancefloor, stone cold sober (apart for the odd full fat cola to keep me going). Infact I'd rather do a night out like that, it's way more fun having all the energy and wits about you.
Equally I have other friends who went sober from more harmful substances and absolutely will not go on a night out as it's just bad memories and temptation to them, each to their own.

It is about getting into a routine, I think...so if the routine is no alcohol, it should be achievable if stuck to, but the first few weeks might be a challenge.

If you really want to do it then you will.

Thanks for the advice, some good suggestions. I might try a few AF beers later into the year.

This is pretty much me currently (swap red for beer/cider/whisky/gin):

always having a bottle of Red open to go with dinners and “drinking” being a key part of the weekend.

I used to drink far too much at home. Basically every night. Then I started to discipline myself and would only allow limited amounts at weekends. Even then though, I could not imagine life without alcohol and I'd always be waiting for those weekends. I have quite an addictive personality and there was always a craving for it. I genuinely thought that no matter what I did, that urge would always be there.

Then I did dry January and stopped caring. It just didn't enter my mind any more.

The few times I've drank at home since then have just felt weird, and I've questioned why anybody actually wants to spend money to feel a bit woozy and fuzzy headed.

I like to drink socially occasionally, but outside of a handful of times, I've not drank at home for a couple of years and don't miss it at all.

It's made me realise how addictive it actually is, and how little control I had over that, even when consuming relatively small amounts on a regular basis. And by regular, I mean once a week.