Anonymous
Post 02/02/2026 09:16     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
I did dry January — it always feels like a good reset after the holidays, and it helps me notice when I tend to want a drink and why.

I’m not a huge drinker, so I don’t think it makes a tremendous difference, but I have noticed that I sleep better when I don’t drink. These days even a glass of wine can affect my sleep — if I have two glasses, I definitely wake up intermittently.
Anonymous
Post 02/02/2026 08:33     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
Anonymous wrote:I am three weeks sober after twenty years of “functional” alcoholism - half my life. This thread is inspiring. Thank you for posting.


Today is 21 for me too. It has been .. harder than I thought it would be. I don't miss the booze - just my brain shutting off at night. One day at a time.
Anonymous
Post 02/02/2026 08:10     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
October 2024 I was diagnosed w non Huggins lymphoma. Recent pet/ct scan revealed inflammation in lower esophagus. I quit drinking in May. Trying to give my body a fighting chance. We all have reasons for quitting and they’re all valid.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 22:23     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
I am three weeks sober after twenty years of “functional” alcoholism - half my life. This thread is inspiring. Thank you for posting.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 22:00     Subject: Re:Surprising effects of stopping drinking
Not drinking reduces the chances of cancer.

That’s my main reason for ending drinking alcohol in addition to the inflammation aspect.



Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 21:55     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I’m confused. It’s almost like people are saying alcohol isn’t good for you.


No one in the history of time said that alcohol is good for you. People drink because it's fun.


That's not true at all. As recently as the 1990s, red wine was "good" for you.

People have been drinking alcohol for thousands of years, rarely with serious effects. It's the overindulgence that has become a problem.


No shit! And also, what a way to ruin a positive thread.


What are you talking about? PP made the absurd statement that "no one in the history of time said that alcohol is good for you." That is not correct. Sorry you're so touchy about this topic.


Sure at one point some likely French study said a small glass of red wine is good for your heart (still true BTW) but no one claimed that "drinking" was good. EVER.


Mr. Ed McMahon?
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 19:48     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
TL\DR but you are correct OP. Alcohol does increase joint stiffness and pain through inflammation and dehydration. Google it. https://behavioralhealth.banyantreatmentcenter.com/addiction-blog/alcohol-and-arthritis/#:~:text=How%20Does%20Alcohol%20Affect%20Arthritis,alcohol%20does%20make%20arthritis%20worse.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 19:19     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Anyone who does a dry January gets a side eye from me for probably having a drinking problem. I think needing to make not drinking for a whole month your personality is a red flag.


What a stupid comment. I went to an event last week and almost everyone there was doing dry January. I guess lots of people have a drinking problem.

The pressure to consume alcohol at every turn is a big societal problem. Yay to anyone who wants to resist. You should try it.


I think dry January is so popular bc people want to drink less/abstain but don’t want to be seen as a killjoy. So Dry Jan is a way to decline but say “see! I’m still fun! Just doing DJ!”
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 18:47     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
I quit 15 years ago because the hangovers put me down for two days. Wasn’t worth it. Haven’t had a sip since stopping and never felt better in my life.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 17:26     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
Anonymous wrote:I'm convinced Dry January is a psy op to bankrupt restaurants. I'd bet tons of restaurants have to call their local banker for a bigger line of credit after such a large % of eaters don't drink.


What an odd take. Are you suggesting that drinking alcohol is by default normal and should be practiced by all adults over 21? And that abstaining from alcohol is somehow a strange decision/deficiency?
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 17:23     Subject: Re:Surprising effects of stopping drinking
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I've recently stopped drinking as well. Not because of Dry January, but because I am almost 50 and have noticed that my body just cannot handle alcohol well. At all. Even one beer will cause me to wake up with a headache. So its just not worth it to me. I haven't had a drink since mid-December and I don't miss it all. I was never a big drinker in the past--I would maybe have one drink with dinner twice a week. When I have gone out, I've gotten a mocktail or a soda or a non-alcoholic beer and it's fine.

I will say, I haven't noticed much of a positive benefit though. I haven't lost weight, I sleep worse than I did before, I don't necessarily have more energy. I think that's perimenopause setting in though. But it's cheaper, so there's that!



I'm confused why you would think going from 2 drinks a week to zero would have any impact on your life ?

You mention not losing weight, sleeping worse, not having more energy. What?!

Removing 2 drinks a week literally would have no impact on these things. At all. It's just a big nothing relative to what you eat/drink over the course of 7 days.


People are being duped by the engagement bait and clean living, looks-maxxing babble they see on social media. All of the pretty middle aged influencers are lying and hopped up on exotic "supplements" and going under the knife. It's not simply giving up a few glasses of wine a week and drinking a kale smoothie in the morning.


Keep guzzling that booze. That'll show 'em.


I don't drink. I just think it's harmful to lie to people and act like quitting drinking is going to dramatically change their life, their appearance, their health, and their sleep. It's frankly unlikely to do any of those things.


Harmful how exactly?


Don’t feed the trolls. The alcohol lobby found the thread.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 17:17     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
I'm convinced Dry January is a psy op to bankrupt restaurants. I'd bet tons of restaurants have to call their local banker for a bigger line of credit after such a large % of eaters don't drink.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 17:15     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
I feel literally no different.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 15:52     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
Anonymous wrote:Hey, we made it! Not a single drop of alcohol I’m January and…

I feel zero difference.

<shrug>


+1. And it wasn’t difficult to be perfectly honest. I also noticed my husband and I crave dessert more. So sure, we weren’t drinking the empty calories via booze, but half the time we probably just substituted them for sweets. In any case, don’t feel any different. January was boring. Might try to keep it going this month and quit sweets too, to see if that makes us feel any difference. Probably not… but hey, nothing wrong with flexing some self discipline.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 14:27     Subject: Surprising effects of stopping drinking
Anonymous wrote:OP, I feel you. I get some hip pain amd night cramps when I drink. I have syopped for a few weeks and it has gome away.

However, my better aleep btings dreams and nightmares. I don't really like dreaming. Last night, it was a good dream that turned into a crazy rescue. I jumped in after a car that went off a dock into a lake and pulled a girl out alive. I had to rewrite that dream when I woke up yo an ending where we never yook the turn onto the dock.


That sounds amazing. What's wrong with having vivid dreams like that?