In the End

Like all good stories, Dry January had a beginning and an end. I have catalogued my 31 days of abstinence from alcohol in this series of posts. For someone who set out not to drink, I have devoted more than 23,000 words to the topic and spent over a hundred hours researching and crafting these posts. We have looked at the history of alcohol and drinking, how wine, beer and spirits are made; what strange things are added to our tipples (including some guidance on

how to avoid having your drinks spiked); the challenges posed when we want to make changes (an exploration of the Stages of Change model and relapse prevention); we have viewed alcohol from both philosophical and poetic perspectives; and there has been a psychology undergraduate course on perception, motivation, learning theory, cognitive functioning and cognitive dissonance. Not to mention 87 alcohol-related questions in my daily trivia quiz.

I have found the whole experience very fulfilling. I thought I was a bit of an expert on alcohol at the start, so it was humbling to find out there is much I still do not know. The positive feedback I have received has been lovely – just enough to give that little dopamine hit I wrote about in the post on our pleasure circuitry. It was good to get into a structured routine and this was a great help in distracting me when I would usually have a drink. After the first few days, when January seemed to stretch out before me like a long track in the snow (because we did have snow in the beginning – note the photo!), I found that the days passed quickly. There were only a handful of times when I felt it would be nice to have a drink. These feelings were far from cravings, just little twinges of loss.

I wrote about relationships with alcohol in one of my posts, how to give it up is like breaking up with a partner or friend. Last night I renewed the relationship. I had a can of beer and a couple of glasses of red wine. It really was like meeting up with an old friend, but not necessarily one I would want to see every day. The relationship will be on my terms, no being led (however willingly) astray into a life of debauchery. I have learnt that I do not need to drink every day, even though I may want to. I also do not have to drink just because I can. There is some gentle rearranging of my cognitive furniture, which was one of the initial aims of Dry January. I am reinstating my resolution to have at least 2 alcohol-free days a week for the rest of the year. I lost this focus and resolve in 2024.

Why the change? The month of abstinence did not lead to any significant weight loss (for that, I will need to make changes in my overall diet and increase my activity levels) and I am not sure I have had more energy or motivation to do stuff (maybe that’s just me or the time of year). It is possible that the benefits are more to do with unseen aspects of my general health. I think the quality of my sleep has improved – last night it seemed to be a bit more disturbed because of the alcohol. On balance, the new relationship will be good for me. A friend I can appreciate and trust, who understands that there will be times when I don’t want to meet up, and others when I really do.

Another positive from writing this blog is that it has re-engaged me with creative writing and provided an outlet for some of my quirky humour. Hopefully I have provided information that is helpful for people struggling with change themselves or supporting someone with drug or alcohol problems. I will try to revamp some of the content in a more digestible form that will be easier to find – probably as static pages under the C2H6OH heading in the main navigation bar. I will also change the way posts are shown in the Blog section to make them easier to find without having to scroll through all the posts.1.

Yesterday and Friday I was without an internet connection, so sadly there was a little disruption in the flow of the blog. I have included below the answers to the quiz questions that were asked on Day 30. As this project draws to an end, thank you to everyone who liked or commented on the posts. Sometimes it feels like it is all just disappearing into the ether, so good to know that people are finding it helpful. Whatever your struggles, your achievements, your setbacks, here’s to the rest of the year – keep strong, keep safe and keep well.

Alcohol Trivia Quiz Answers for Day 30
1. It is beer turned bad by exposure to light.
2. F. Scott Fitzgerald.
3. Hangover.