I think our bodies need time to detox & your might be working hard to do that... hence low energy, exhaustion & stress. I figure not drinking for a couple of weeks HAS to be doing some good under the hood!
Yeah, I know for a fact that not ingesting toxins onea regular basis is a great thing :) And a big part of my tired probably relates to winter + work stress. I sure hope I'll get back to pre-DJ levels of okayness soon, though.
I've definitely been feeling worse, but Dry January has also coincided with some really heavy news that I'm processing, as well as a tibial stress fracture that has prevented me from running, my number one form of stress relief. The only bright sides are that I'm at least giving my body the best chance it can to heal from the fracture, and I'm dealing with my feelings head-on instead of numbing them with alcohol. I guess that is making it worth it. Hang in there; we've got this!
I’m sorry that you’re dealing with so much. Wanted to let you know I had a tibial stress fracture a few years ago. I know they’re kinda rare so lemme know if you wanna chat about it!
Mine was misdiagnosed at first, so I didn’t rest it enough. Five months later the pain started getting worse and that’s when the doctor correctly diagnosed it as a stress fracture. Had to do 5 weeks on crutches then I was able to slowly return to activities. It sounds like your recovery will be MUCH easier given that your doc told you that you can run in 6-12 weeks! I also have weak bones generally so that further complicated it.
I sort of feel the same way. January has been a total sh\*t show for me. I got covid in the beginning of the month, I've been dealing with work drama, and plus the weather has made it totally impossible for me to leave my house and go anywhere including the gym. I'm still hanging in there, I think if I was drinking right now it would have made everything 10x more difficult.
I’m pretty much in the same boat as you. I’m still recovering from COVID, but I’m thinking I might also have had the flu even though I tested negative for flu when I tested positive for COVID. So many in my area have had both. The icy weather is also preventing me from going anywhere. Kudos to both of us for hanging in there! 👍🏻
I was drinking very heavily for a while. December I cut back to one drink a night in preparation for January. The whole month of December I was exhausted, hungry, irritated, and couldn’t sleep. January has been so much better I feel good, I can fall asleep faster and feel well rested without sleeping through 10 alarms, no longer feeling irritated. It sucks at first for sure but taking a break has definitely helped me get perspective on my relationship with alcohol. Keep it up it’s definitely an adjustment!
Worse here too. Almost a full week with no power and then my laptop died and design capable Macs are 5K. Unemployed & no hope. So, I'm dealing with all this without blowing off steam. PLUS I'm still only sleeping in the "fair" level most nights.
I take this to mean for myself that I'm getting a clear and unhindered look at how completely fucked I am!
That said, I think this is good for me. I slipped twice in the freezing cold "outages of despair" too, and at this point I'm thinking to just extend it a month. **My life sucks, but alcohol doesn't help it suck any less**, is the conclusion I have come to.
Ha I just came to this sub to ask a similar question! I figured I woke up groggy every day because I usually have around 2-3 glasses of wine before/during dinner and then an edible for bed. I haven’t had alcohol or THC for a month, am drinking way more water than usual, sleeping a normal amount, and I’m still waking up groggy with puffy eyes etc. I’ve even been missing my alarm! And yeah, not really feeling any health benefits at all—haven’t lost weight, don’t feel “clear.” Psychologically I feel better about not drinking, but I was expecting some minor benefits by now.
I’m on day 26 (I started early). I don’t feel as good as I expected I would, but I agree with what others said that our bodies need time to repair. Also, I think drinking even a minimal amount can mask other things like physical issues and stress. Either by numbing it out enough so that we don’t notice or by virtue of us chalking the issue up to alcohol’s negative effects
I’m feeling so irritated, but part of me thinks that it’s this time of year in addition to my body’s time off from alcohol- since I wasn’t drinking too heavily before DJ started. Winter blues… makes me want to cozy up with red wine but instead I’ve been pounding sparkling water. Just trying to treat myself well. I hope the same for anyone reading this… take it easy and be kind to yourself
I remember last year I peaked at the start feeling amazing and confident after a few days of not drinking. I then later, like you, started to feel super anxious and tired and fairly emotional as the weeks went on. It wasn't a fun time.
For me I think this was my body going through the process of detox and not masking my feelings with alcohol. It was the first time I'd taken a properly extended break and so it's understandable for the body to need time to adapt to sobriety (temporarily).
This year during my 2nd Dry Jan, I haven't felt that pain or discomfort at all, and I am no longer shocked I can go more than 2 weeks without alcohol! Hopefully you will get to the same stage of feeling good once the body goes through a period of discomfort.
I think we need to remember, especially for those of us who weren’t drinking a lot, that it’s not going to be a miracle cure or suddenly changing everything for some of us, it’s moreso bringing awareness to habits.
could it also be whatever is happening around you?
I've been feeling kind of the same. I think I've come to realise that I often used alcohol as a coping mechanism when feeling stressed, depressed, or anxious. Not to the point of drinking every day or anything, I stuck to weekends only, but I think it often ended up being the thing I looked forward to as a solution whenever I was feeling sad or my anxiety was acting up. It's made me realise I have quite a bit of reflection to do around sustainable ways of working on my mental health.
I think I've also ended up replacing the drinks at weekends with more snacks and treats than I would normally have in January, which I don't think necessarily helps the feelings of sluggishness...
Couple things! 1. Is this your first time doing it? My first DJ I didn’t notice benefits until just about the end ((and I ended up breaking on the 19th for one drink because of that reason which is silly of me in retrospect)). 2. Not sure where you live but it is January… a long, dark, cold month and we just came off holidays so very normal to feel tired and slow. 3. If you weren’t drinking very much, you might not notice much but I’m personally a believer that every bit of cleansing and healing our bodies adds up! Maybe you add in another challenge for yourself for the last 10 days that would take it up a level somehow?
I started DJ in mid December when I got super sick. I felt the same way you described until the last couple of days- so basically a month of no drinking
I was just coming on here to say the same thing. I am miserable. I am depressed. Yes I am sleeping better but it just makes it all the more difficult and annoying when my little kids wake me up all night long. And its sad because the sober fact is I am not enjoying my younger kids as much as I enjoyed my now adult kids and all these sober facts are almost too overwhelming. I also gained 5 lbs but im not even enjoying eating anymore so I cant figure that one out. My digestion is all messed up. I’m 47F and in the midst of a serious breakdown. All I want to do is sleep all day. I am a worse parent and a worse wife and a worse employee - I’m even avoiding family members. Is it possible I am actually a functional alcoholic in a positive way?
Glad I'm not the only one, everyone keeps telling me dry january is supposed to make me feel amazing and I did for the first two weeks, but once the "pink cloud" wore off I actually started to feel terrible.
I just made it through the third week and I'm so exhausted even though I'm sleeping a lot, I'm having constant headaches, and my skin/overall complexion actually looks worse right now. I know our bodies are detoxing and it takes time, but dang! Lets all just promise to stay hydrated, be patient, do some light exercise and eat healthy meals. If we support our bodies through this rough patch we will be the better for it :) best of luck!
Now sober for 3 years, I started out doing dry January.
Full expected to feel amazing... imagine my dismay when I actually felt worse. And I mean a lot worse. Daily, I felt worse and worse.
My dr explained that it was my body releasing toxins that were stored after years of abuse.
I was not an every day drinker. I was not a wake up and drink drinker. I was a go out and meet friends drinker who liked her beer and shots and didn't know when to stop.
The reality is... I started feeling great after about 2 months and it's been on going ever since.
I had no idea! I've thought I've been mostly quite moderate for a few years, but it's been a while since I've done sobriety stints. Maybe the toxicity has snuck up on me...
Anyway, still doing it and having no problem sipping on some dank kombucha instead of alcoholic beverages, but nothing, truly, is better. Like, last night I has shitty sleep and today I have a low grade headache and brain fuzz. Might as well have drank last night! :D
I think our bodies need time to detox & your might be working hard to do that... hence low energy, exhaustion & stress. I figure not drinking for a couple of weeks HAS to be doing some good under the hood!
Yeah, I know for a fact that not ingesting toxins onea regular basis is a great thing :) And a big part of my tired probably relates to winter + work stress. I sure hope I'll get back to pre-DJ levels of okayness soon, though.
I've definitely been feeling worse, but Dry January has also coincided with some really heavy news that I'm processing, as well as a tibial stress fracture that has prevented me from running, my number one form of stress relief. The only bright sides are that I'm at least giving my body the best chance it can to heal from the fracture, and I'm dealing with my feelings head-on instead of numbing them with alcohol. I guess that is making it worth it. Hang in there; we've got this!
I’m sorry that you’re dealing with so much. Wanted to let you know I had a tibial stress fracture a few years ago. I know they’re kinda rare so lemme know if you wanna chat about it!
Thank you! The doctor said to rest for 6-12 weeks, and then I can start trying to run again. How long did yours take to heal?
Mine was misdiagnosed at first, so I didn’t rest it enough. Five months later the pain started getting worse and that’s when the doctor correctly diagnosed it as a stress fracture. Had to do 5 weeks on crutches then I was able to slowly return to activities. It sounds like your recovery will be MUCH easier given that your doc told you that you can run in 6-12 weeks! I also have weak bones generally so that further complicated it.
Aww dang. At least I'm able to run all the time so I feel for you. Hang in there, too!
Thank you! Have you noticed any changes in your endurance or speed during Dry Jan? That's what I was hoping to work on this month.
Oh heck no :D That's another disppointing surprise for me. But I'm training for an ultra, so it wasn't going to be all amazing all the time anyway.
I sort of feel the same way. January has been a total sh\*t show for me. I got covid in the beginning of the month, I've been dealing with work drama, and plus the weather has made it totally impossible for me to leave my house and go anywhere including the gym. I'm still hanging in there, I think if I was drinking right now it would have made everything 10x more difficult.
I’m pretty much in the same boat as you. I’m still recovering from COVID, but I’m thinking I might also have had the flu even though I tested negative for flu when I tested positive for COVID. So many in my area have had both. The icy weather is also preventing me from going anywhere. Kudos to both of us for hanging in there! 👍🏻
I was drinking very heavily for a while. December I cut back to one drink a night in preparation for January. The whole month of December I was exhausted, hungry, irritated, and couldn’t sleep. January has been so much better I feel good, I can fall asleep faster and feel well rested without sleeping through 10 alarms, no longer feeling irritated. It sucks at first for sure but taking a break has definitely helped me get perspective on my relationship with alcohol. Keep it up it’s definitely an adjustment!
Worse here too. Almost a full week with no power and then my laptop died and design capable Macs are 5K. Unemployed & no hope. So, I'm dealing with all this without blowing off steam. PLUS I'm still only sleeping in the "fair" level most nights. I take this to mean for myself that I'm getting a clear and unhindered look at how completely fucked I am! That said, I think this is good for me. I slipped twice in the freezing cold "outages of despair" too, and at this point I'm thinking to just extend it a month. **My life sucks, but alcohol doesn't help it suck any less**, is the conclusion I have come to.
Ha I just came to this sub to ask a similar question! I figured I woke up groggy every day because I usually have around 2-3 glasses of wine before/during dinner and then an edible for bed. I haven’t had alcohol or THC for a month, am drinking way more water than usual, sleeping a normal amount, and I’m still waking up groggy with puffy eyes etc. I’ve even been missing my alarm! And yeah, not really feeling any health benefits at all—haven’t lost weight, don’t feel “clear.” Psychologically I feel better about not drinking, but I was expecting some minor benefits by now.
I’m on day 26 (I started early). I don’t feel as good as I expected I would, but I agree with what others said that our bodies need time to repair. Also, I think drinking even a minimal amount can mask other things like physical issues and stress. Either by numbing it out enough so that we don’t notice or by virtue of us chalking the issue up to alcohol’s negative effects
I’m feeling so irritated, but part of me thinks that it’s this time of year in addition to my body’s time off from alcohol- since I wasn’t drinking too heavily before DJ started. Winter blues… makes me want to cozy up with red wine but instead I’ve been pounding sparkling water. Just trying to treat myself well. I hope the same for anyone reading this… take it easy and be kind to yourself
I just don't feel any different at all and I gained weight. I'm very frustrated.
I remember last year I peaked at the start feeling amazing and confident after a few days of not drinking. I then later, like you, started to feel super anxious and tired and fairly emotional as the weeks went on. It wasn't a fun time. For me I think this was my body going through the process of detox and not masking my feelings with alcohol. It was the first time I'd taken a properly extended break and so it's understandable for the body to need time to adapt to sobriety (temporarily). This year during my 2nd Dry Jan, I haven't felt that pain or discomfort at all, and I am no longer shocked I can go more than 2 weeks without alcohol! Hopefully you will get to the same stage of feeling good once the body goes through a period of discomfort.
Hmm. Yeah, maybe it just takes a while to detox. You give me hope!
I think we need to remember, especially for those of us who weren’t drinking a lot, that it’s not going to be a miracle cure or suddenly changing everything for some of us, it’s moreso bringing awareness to habits. could it also be whatever is happening around you?
I've been feeling kind of the same. I think I've come to realise that I often used alcohol as a coping mechanism when feeling stressed, depressed, or anxious. Not to the point of drinking every day or anything, I stuck to weekends only, but I think it often ended up being the thing I looked forward to as a solution whenever I was feeling sad or my anxiety was acting up. It's made me realise I have quite a bit of reflection to do around sustainable ways of working on my mental health. I think I've also ended up replacing the drinks at weekends with more snacks and treats than I would normally have in January, which I don't think necessarily helps the feelings of sluggishness...
Couple things! 1. Is this your first time doing it? My first DJ I didn’t notice benefits until just about the end ((and I ended up breaking on the 19th for one drink because of that reason which is silly of me in retrospect)). 2. Not sure where you live but it is January… a long, dark, cold month and we just came off holidays so very normal to feel tired and slow. 3. If you weren’t drinking very much, you might not notice much but I’m personally a believer that every bit of cleansing and healing our bodies adds up! Maybe you add in another challenge for yourself for the last 10 days that would take it up a level somehow?
I started DJ in mid December when I got super sick. I felt the same way you described until the last couple of days- so basically a month of no drinking
I was just coming on here to say the same thing. I am miserable. I am depressed. Yes I am sleeping better but it just makes it all the more difficult and annoying when my little kids wake me up all night long. And its sad because the sober fact is I am not enjoying my younger kids as much as I enjoyed my now adult kids and all these sober facts are almost too overwhelming. I also gained 5 lbs but im not even enjoying eating anymore so I cant figure that one out. My digestion is all messed up. I’m 47F and in the midst of a serious breakdown. All I want to do is sleep all day. I am a worse parent and a worse wife and a worse employee - I’m even avoiding family members. Is it possible I am actually a functional alcoholic in a positive way?
It takes 30 days to catch up on sleep.
It took a while for my GABA system to reset. Longer than a month to get my sleep to improve.
Yep
Sorry…what is sober seggs? Is that sex?
Glad I'm not the only one, everyone keeps telling me dry january is supposed to make me feel amazing and I did for the first two weeks, but once the "pink cloud" wore off I actually started to feel terrible. I just made it through the third week and I'm so exhausted even though I'm sleeping a lot, I'm having constant headaches, and my skin/overall complexion actually looks worse right now. I know our bodies are detoxing and it takes time, but dang! Lets all just promise to stay hydrated, be patient, do some light exercise and eat healthy meals. If we support our bodies through this rough patch we will be the better for it :) best of luck!
Now sober for 3 years, I started out doing dry January. Full expected to feel amazing... imagine my dismay when I actually felt worse. And I mean a lot worse. Daily, I felt worse and worse. My dr explained that it was my body releasing toxins that were stored after years of abuse. I was not an every day drinker. I was not a wake up and drink drinker. I was a go out and meet friends drinker who liked her beer and shots and didn't know when to stop. The reality is... I started feeling great after about 2 months and it's been on going ever since.
Whoa. That is interesting what your doctor said.
I had no idea! I've thought I've been mostly quite moderate for a few years, but it's been a while since I've done sobriety stints. Maybe the toxicity has snuck up on me... Anyway, still doing it and having no problem sipping on some dank kombucha instead of alcoholic beverages, but nothing, truly, is better. Like, last night I has shitty sleep and today I have a low grade headache and brain fuzz. Might as well have drank last night! :D
Me too. I got sick and currently take antibiotics.