Surviving Dry January

I have decided to get through January without alcohol and it seems I am not the only one, in fact this phenomenon is so popular it is referred to as a dry January. The thing is I don't drink much any more so its that much of a sacrifice, its actually a bit like giving up a chocolate bar you're not that fond of for lent.

Now it probably says more about how I have been socialising of late that I haven't missed it one bit but I haven't been out since New Years eve and I am not likely to be out partying much for the rest of the month, as much as you can party with mineral water as an accompaniment so it wont exactly be a strain.

I think living with someone who is ten years younger than me (even if I have only been living with her for a few days now)and opening a cupboard I supposed she'd put food in just to find half empty bottles of wine, has made me think back to my own student days and I don't have ruminate too long before telling you this health kick would not have lasted this long back then. My housemate has a press full of wine whereas I have one full of herbal teas ( I do love a nice mug of herbal tea) and I  wonder is this it, the sign that I have finally grown up? or just gotten old.

Throughout my twenties I went out most weekends and spent Sundays nursing woeful hangovers, mostly while in work, barely able to cope and certainly not able to eat. Nothing like getting through half your day on water and cans of coke. Then I went to college as a supposed mature student and had the lovely juggling act of work, college and socialising. For the most part I didn't get myself into an awful state, I didn't wake up with one shoe or vomit down my clothes but I do have nights where bits are quite cloudy and snapshots would come back to haunt you for most of the next day. I am pretty sure I gave my liver a run for its money so its probably just as well that drinking until the small hours has lost most of its appeal for me. 

To accompany my lovely month of not drinking, I am reading a book called Drink: the relationship between women and alcohol by Ann Dowsett Johnston, who is a recovering alcoholic. Its really the kind of thing that would be uncomfortable reading if you were sitting down with a glass of wine in your hand. But for someone taking a break from hangovers and with a desire to learn more about pretty much everything, its making for some interesting reading. She dips in and out of her own struggle with alcohol while keeping the reader informed of different studies that have been done around alcohol and interviews other ex alcoholics and experts in this area. In a way its scary reading because while her writing largely relates to studies done on American and Canadian women, there is a lot that can be drawn from the typical Irish women's experience of alcohol. 

Speaking as someone who largely used alcohol as a social crutch to combat crippling shyness and then just continued because she enjoyed the buzz and the confidence and the laugh you have when out. I ignored all the warning signs my body sent me that perhaps it wasn't my friend because if nothing else I am an expert at ignoring things I don't want to think about. So even though I am a lot smarter about my drinking these days and I don't drink shots to stop my shoes hurting or drink double vodka red bulls and then wonder why I can't sleep for days, I will say I am enjoying the clear head and not waking up to the fear, so as going on the dry goes, I think I have been pretty successful.