Ever tried "Dry January"? Join Ms. OM & me for a 30 day liver vacation!

by Open mind 26 Replies latest jw friends

  • LisaRose
    LisaRose
    I don't remember ever hearing about that as a JW, but I was thinking of not drinking this month just to see if I could do it. 
  • cultBgone
    cultBgone

    I remember when the article came out.  My (now ex-) husband who was the lush of the land, a secret daytime drinker, nighttime pornography viewer, and one who made it a point to have beer at dinner on the way to the hall while the rest of us always decined, decided he would stop for 30 days but didn't tell me about "the challenge".  When his month was up, he pointed out to his elder buddies that I continued to have some beers of an evening and made it sound like I had NOT been able to stop like he did.  What a jerk.  So glad he's gone, better that he remarried and got (briefly - daddy an elder) disfellowshipped for adultery/not being "scripturally free".  He's a shining example of jwdumb.

    Not suggesting that anyone on this site would do this, but please be careful about using these types of admonishments as barometers of anyone else's behavior.  Jdubs love to treat suggestions like this as rules, and that stuff can stay with ya.

  • Londo111
    Londo111
    Rutherford must be spinning in his grave! He'd call Dry January a Satanic snare.
  • smiddy
    smiddy

    I might give it a try  AFTER  armageddon comes & go`s .

    Or I might give it a try just around the corner , the trouble is where I grew up their was a pub just around every corner..

    Its the only vice I can enjoy at my age , so why give it up to prove some pointless point..

    Kidneys & liver are OK , the rest of me might be slackening off but so what .

    Do what makes you happy , so long as you dont encroach on other peoples happiness.

    smiddy

  • eyeuse2badub
    eyeuse2badub

    I occasionally go to a meeting on Sunday with my, still-in, wife in order to help her fend off the inevitable, "Tell Steve we missed him" from the friends at the hall. However, since learning ttatt several years ago, I have (need) a few shots of Vodka to help me zone out at the meeting. I mean, the crap that will be discussed at any meeting on Sunday is the same crap I've been hearing for 58+ years. I get a bit nauseated during the WT study, not from the Vodka but from hearing those friggin' parroted 'comments' from otherwise fairly intelligent people. Vodka is my choice as a "pre-meeting" drink only because it has a very non detectable alcohol smell. (I don't really want to  offend the friends, just get through the ordeal) I also have a box of those curiously strong Altoid breath mints. lol 

    Unfortunately, the last 6 months or so, I have found it most helpful to take one of those small, air plane size, bottles of Vodka with me to "down" between the 'talk' and WT. Those tiny bottles fit nicely in the briefcase. So about 3-4 shots over a 3 hour period really helps. 

    Maybe I'll not got to the Sunday meeting for a month so I can 'dry out'.

    Just saying!

    eyeuse2badub

  • eyeuse2badub
    eyeuse2badub

    Any Vodka will do, but I like Grey Goose as my "pre-meeting and mid meeting" drink of choice. The edge is off and you can really zone out!

    just saying!

    eyeuse2badub

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    A different variant is to take a 30 day no smoking challenge.  Those who smoke can do this--those who don't would be best advised to keep it that way.  Now, put the money you save by not buying packs of cancer sticks into a separate pile.  At the end of that 30 day period, you have several options with that money--including buying something fun, buying something you need to be prepared for coming hardships, buying gold and silver, or even paying down a debt.

    In addition, take note of your health changes at the end of that period.  Do you have more endurance in physical activity?  Perhaps you don't cough as much, or you notice you didn't get your annual cold or flu.  Or, your blood pressure is below average just from not smoking.  This will probably be significant.

    As for how much money you waste, if you live in New York, you probably see smokes at nearly 10 toilet papers a pack.  Depending on brand, they are between 8 and 10.  New York City is even worse.  Dump the damn things for a month, you are going to accumulate around 240 to 330 toilet papers, depending on brand and location.  That is enough to have some fun with, or if you are willing to defer the gratification until the dollar becomes toilet paper, you are in for quite a hefty windfall.  All from one month's not smoking.

  • coalize
    coalize
     I have (need) a few shots of Vodka to help me zone out at the meeting. 

    It's exactly how i became alcoholic. I needed few shots, at the end I needed the whole bottle...  and now I need a whole dry year...

  • Open mind
    Open mind

    Thanks for all the replies everyone!


    Hope the drinkers here realize we're not standing in judgement AT ALL.  For us it's about checking our will power and also gauging the strength of this particular habit.  At 2 1/2 days in, we're doing fine, but I have to admit the habit is very powerful.  One thing that helps us is to have some substitutes available rather than just plain old tap water.  For dinner we'll have chilled, sparkling water, perhaps with a bit of lime.  In the evening, a cup of Good Earth non-caffeinated tea helps me continue the habit of sipping on something while reading or watching a movie.


    Also, in the interests of complete transparency, we fully plan on boozing it up one Saturday night during January.  It's the night one of our employers has an annual employee dinner and the gourmet food and world-class wines that are poured that night are just too much for us to pass up. So, we're not technically going 30 days straight.  It's 30 out of 31 days. 


    To life!!


    om

  • JakeM2012
    JakeM2012
    Well done Yoda, I've decided to not to have any iced tea (especially with sugar or lemon) for 30 days in January. Previously in one of the congregations there were ones that felt they were addicted to tea.

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