January has become the annual time to quit or cut down on alcohol for at least a month. The Sober January challenge has undergone several name changes over the years. It is presently referred to as being sober curious, which means either embracing a healthier relationship with alcohol or giving it up entirely. Over the past ten years, this trend has helped inspire and popularize mocktails and a spread of social events that emphasize non-alcoholic drink options.  

Whatever the personal motivation to give it a go, the challenge to step back from drinking for a bit brings some promising benefits. Every goal is worth a few helpful tips and tricks for success, and this one comes with plentiful information and help, much of it free. For those who have embarked on the challenge, a little inspiration to keep it going may be in order. For those who have not, it is never too late to join in. It is important to check the source of information and lean on help that comes from medical and educational resources.  Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association and their Drink Less – Live More campaign provides free resources and reliable information about reducing or eliminating alcohol https://www.alaskahha.org/drinkless-livemore.

Some immediate health benefits experienced among those who cut down or quit include weight loss, better sleep, improved energy levels, and clearer thinking. These outcomes are explained by the fact that alcohol ramps up appetite and delivers high-calorie but low nutritional value. While alcohol contributes to drowsiness, it is counterproductive to restful sleep. Alcohol disrupts the REM stage of sleep, the stage that provides deep and essential rest. In addition to depriving the body of rest, alcohol, even with light drinking, changes brain neural circuitry in very complex ways and impacts memory, perception, mood, and behavior (particularly inhibition). With heavy or frequent drinking, memory and perception issues lend to increased anxiety, guilt, defensiveness, and loneliness. The benefits of quitting and cutting down on mood are eye-opening for those who may not have taken note of the changes in their overall disposition.

Habits and patterns are challenging to break - mainly because a payoff or reward is involved, which makes eliminating the behavior feel like a loss or punishment. Successful change takes repetition, a break from the behavior, and a reward replacement. For example, if Friday evening includes the routine of grabbing a bottle of wine after grocery shopping and relaxing with wine, snacks, and Netflix at the end of the day – break down each part of the routine, including the behavior and reward. Shop a different day and replace the Friday relaxation habit with something new, such as a movie out or a craft lesson with friends. The behaviors are the who, what, when, and where of drinking, and the reward is the why. During the sober January break, replace each part of the equation, and the habit becomes more solidly changed.  

Some consider sober January as hitting a reset button. The reset disrupts drinking habits that may be building strength and speed on a track to dependency on alcohol. Stepping back gives a realistic view of patterns that may have developed. The pause creates perspective to reflect on changes in the amount, frequency, and motivation relative to drinking over time. This is an important pause because alcohol has the potential to overtake attempts to keep to moderate intake.  Alcohol tolerance (needing more to feel the desired effect) and cravings (subconscious cues to imbibe) inevitably increase with habitual drinking. Disrupting these habits throws a spotlight on problems that may be hidden in defensiveness or anxiety over a growing loss of control. Some typical problems that develop include missing work or other obligations, cutting the corner on precautions such as driving after drinking, drinking more than planned, fighting or argumentative behavior, slipping up, lack of attention, blackouts, regrets for behaviors, falls or injuries, feeling ill, and unsuccessful attempts to cut back or quit.

As more time is spent drinking, friends and family may express concern or avoid being around. Brene Brown, researcher, and storyteller of courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, says it plainly: “If you’re asking yourself if your drinking is problematic, then, at the very least, drinking is probably not serving you.” Dry January is meant to disrupt the path of habits that lend to dependency. Where dependency is apparent, there is no “reset” to a default setting that then leads to drinking as one did before addiction.   

What is heavy drinking? First, standardize what “one drink” means in the calculation. Beer (12oz), Malt Liquor (8oz), Wine (5 oz), and distilled liquor (1.5 oz) are equivalent to one drink. A cocktail with several shots of distilled liquor becomes multiple drinks. The proliferation of canned cocktails and spiked seltzers makes understanding the alcohol volume of each beverage a math challenge, and the addition of caffeine complicates things as well. Read the label for percentages and note they can vary from as low as 4% to as high as 25%. The distinction between men and women in drinking level definitions is attributed to the physiological differences that cause women to reach 0.08 percent with fewer drinks per hour than men. Alcohol is water soluble, and the differences in water and blood volume add up to faster intoxication for women. Excessive drinking is defined by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) as:

Binge drinking – bringing the blood alcohol level (BAC) to 0.08 percent or higher.  This happens at about five drinks for men and 4 for women in 2 hours.  For youth and small adults, as few as three drinks in a short period can reach 0.08 percent. This BAC level is associated with impairment. Drinking in this manner at least one day in the past month is considered binge drinking, and drinking in this manner on five or more days in the past month is defined as heavy drinking.

Heavy drinking – consuming five or more drinks on any day or 15 or more per week (for men) and four or more on any day or eight or more drinks per week (for women).  

There are cautions where quitting significantly changes the usual drinking frequency or amounts. Those who drink often or heavily may initially experience various levels of withdrawal: cold sweats, racing pulse, upset stomach, shakiness, and anxiety. Because there is a risk of seizures and because medications can ease these discomforts, it is best to consult a medical provider under these conditions. Additionally, reaching out to others who have become sober is also recommended. Friends, online support groups, and counseling centers offer support and encouragement.  If cutting down or quitting is a struggle, treat yourself kindly and reach out. Support from others helps sort through the physical and emotional changes in rewarding ways and guides the way to better health.