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you don't have to totally stop drinking to benefit from dry january
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“any reduction of alcohol is really important," dr. akhil anand, a psychiatrist with cleveland clinic’s drug and recovery center. getty
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the new year brings with it the promise of a clean slate — a refresh, a new perspective on our old habits. it also caps off an often-indulgent holiday period, which, for many people, involves imbibing a fair amount of alcohol, making january the logical time for change. in this case, dry january: a full, 31-day month with no alcohol.
the idea began in 2013 as a public health campaign by alcohol change uk, a charity that aims to make people more mindful about their drinking. “it’s about you taking a break, living better, feeling better,” the group states on its website. “starting your new year, the right way.” it’s since taken off in a major way: fortune reported that close 35 per cent of american adults participated last year, a major boost from the 21 per cent that did in 2019.
the truth is, alcohol can be fun, but it isn’t great for our health. in 2018, the last year for which there are available stats, there were 237 alcohol-related hospitalizations in canada every day. and nearly six million canadians over the age of 12 report drinking heavily at least once a month. heavy drinking can increase the risk of many serious health problems, including heart muscle damage, stroke, high blood pressure, liver disease, and cancers of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus and liver.
and there are actually lasting health benefits to taking part in dry january: studies have shown that people who participate report better sleep, and while most go back to drinking when the month is up, they often end up drinking less in general.
“it becomes a reinforcing message instead of a punishing message,” richard de visser, a psychologist at brighton and sussex medical school in england who has authored some of these studies, told the washington post. “instead of public health people wagging their fingers and saying, ‘don’t drink, it’s bad for you,’ people do it and say, ‘i didn’t realize how good i would feel.’ they often don’t realize how much stopping drinking will improve their sleep, or their concentration, or even just their levels of energy in the morning.”
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for people who drink regularly, the month can also offer a helpful way to examine their behaviour.
“lots of time when people are drinking, there’s some reason behind it,” registered psychologist aimee reimer told global news. “sometimes it might be that we’re trying to numb ourselves from some feelings. sometimes it might be that it’s a way to wind down or relax after work. sometimes it can be a social thing: ‘well, all my friends are doing it. this is just how we connect.’” she suggests asking yourself what it is alcohol represents for you.
the rise of the ‘sober curious’ and ‘damp january’
this year, dry january comes at a time when more and more people identify as “sober curious” — not necessarily ready to cut alcohol completely, but interested in the health benefits of drinking less. there are more non-alcoholic beers, spirits and cocktails than ever to quench the thirst of people who don’t want to consume alcohol, but do want to drink something more interesting than water.
that interest in cutting back without going full cold turkey has led to what some people are calling “damp january”: a limited amount of alcohol, with specific boundaries people can set for themselves based on their own relationship with the substance. you don’t have to quit drinking for a full month to consciously cut back, and to think about the place booze has in your life.
“any reduction of alcohol is really important,” dr. akhil anand, a psychiatrist with cleveland clinic’s drug and recovery center, told fortune. “it can become a very reflective moment.”
it also relates to the new year’s resolution idea of setting small, attainable goals: many people aim to drastically change their habits in the new year, which can result in shame and disappointment when an astronomical goal, predictably, is too hard to reach. gradually making your habits healthier in a small, more moderate way may not immediately seem transformative, but it’s a much more successful way to make real change.
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“empowering,” is how vedant pradeep, the ceo and co-founder of the alcohol reduction app reframe, described dry january to fortune.
“you’re making a choice to cut back and to kind of prioritize your health,” he said. “that is a really good step in the right direction.
don’t beat yourself up if you ‘fail’
as with any other wellness trend, dry or even damp january may not be for everyone. people with severe alcohol dependencies may find a cold turkey approach too severe: according to harvard health, symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include shaky hands, nausea, vomiting, sweating and insomnia. anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical help, the outlet says.
writing in the cut, ana marie cox — who has been sober for 11 years — suggests that for people who have significant problems with their alcohol consumption may also struggle with attaching too much importance to the beginning of the year, specifically.
“a symbolic date just ups the pressure and heightens the anxiety that comes from knowing every drink you take is one closer to your last,” she writes. “among those of us who sit in rooms and talk about our sobriety on the regular, there appears to be an inverse proportion between the level of importance assigned to a date and the likelihood of that particular date being a lasting recovery anniversary.”
readers interested in the health benefits of sobriety can find out more from the group that started dry january, alcohol change uk, as well as the centre for addiction and mental health and the canadian centre on substance abuse and addiction. readers looking for help for alcohol dependence can find many different resources via health canada.
maija kappler is a reporter and editor at healthing.
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