Reply to Why do non-alcoholics find “dry January” difficult?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Struggling with dry January doesn’t necessarily mean someone is an alcoholic. It could mean they have anxiety or are super shy and find it hard to socialize without a drink - even if they rarely have more than one. It could mean their work culture or social circle is alcohol focused and it’s awkward to not go along with the group - again, even if the person rarely has more than 1-2 drinks in an evening. Having been pregnant twice and abstaining during a long year of fertility treatments prior to that, living completely without alcohol is an adjustment. It’s more like taking on a keto diet than just trying to eat more whole grains and veggies. Or to use a money analogy, it’s more like giving up using credit and debit cards than reducing your spending on frivolous things. Even if you don’t have an alcohol addiction, it’s an adjustment that is not convenient.

What I would find concerning is if someone could not talk to their spouse without drinking at dinner or in the evening - or if someone had trouble abstaining from alcohol at home when not hosting / entertaining. [/quote]

We can speculate but not speak for others. What is it like for you? —OP[/quote]

For me it’s easy. I don’t do Dry January because I often go 2-3 weeks without a sip of alcohol without thinking about it at all. We have beer, wine, and spirits with mixers in the house at all times but we rarely drink unless we have guests. When we go out to dinner or a baseball game as a family, we don’t drink alcohol, but we do usually have 1-2 drinks when we’re out without our kids. We hosted 3 parties in the past 6 weeks - two with adults and children and one that was just adults. At two parties I had some wine. At the 3rd party I opened a Christmas Ale beer and then got busy hosting and found it when I was cleaning up, still half full. I go out with couples or my friends as well as to fundraisers, awards galas, and happy hours. Sometimes I have a drink, sometimes I don’t. It’s not something I think about much, so it surprises me when people talk about dry January like it’s hard or a big sacrifice. Of all the months of the year, I socialize the least in January so I’m sure I’ve accidentally had a dry January without even trying. [/quote]

You’re not doing dry January because you’re not a functioning alcoholic.  [/quote]

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