It’s like, when people are in that place of being afraid this is a really serious thing, they don’t even want to engage with the think-feel-act cycle because then they’re afraid of what they might find. But there’s nothing take a break from drinking fearful, there’s nothing to be afraid of, you’re not going to find any boogieman. I looked away or I looked at my drinking out of the corner of my eye. It was like, I didn’t really want to come out from under the covers.
Will I experience withdrawal symptoms if I stop drinking?
She just didn’t even realize that she had this layer of seriousness on top of everything and that pouring a drink had become a kind of this is my way out of it. And you know what, if after this episode you want to go back to taking things seriously, you can. But I just want to give you the opportunity to play with this concept and play with the idea that being serious is actually fueling your drinking. It’s actually working against habit change, it’s working against the goal of changing your relationship with alcohol, and frankly, working against all of your goals.
Can cutting out alcohol bring about health benefits?
- Regular drinking raises estrogen levels and reduces testosterone.
- For instance, Dasgupta cited research he conducted on the relationship between genetics and alcohol misuse.
- There’s almost no quicker, easier (legal and socially-acceptable) fix to change how you feel.
- Alcohol is also linked to poor sleep quality, so you might feel more energized after a week without alcohol, she added.
But alcohol can contain a lot of unexpected calories—some drinks more than others. For instance, a beer can have about 150 calories, a glass of pinot noir would have about 120 calories, and a frozen pina colada can have about 245 calories. So, depending on how much you typically drink on a daily basis, cutting that out might simply mean you’re taking in fewer calories. There is a wide range of options — from residential “detox” programs to cognitive behavioral therapy, to medications such as naltrexone which can help people drink less, or acamprosate, which can help people stay dry. One thing that many listeners who’ve tried a dry January — or any break from alcohol — told us is that their friends didn’t really “get it.” “Why, why, why,” people told us they were asked. Listeners told us they feel compelled to make up excuses.
Taking a Break from Alcohol Can be Good for Your Health
To begin the process, consider starting a journal. Rachel Kazez, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist with All Along, says to begin with some basic questions to get a little perspective. According to Larson, severe alcoholic https://ecosoberhouse.com/ hepatitis could be fatal in 30 days in half of the patients who develop this condition. She said that patients who survive and make an effort to avoid alcohol can still improve liver function, even though the healing could take months.
- If going out for drinks feels more like a mandatory event and less like a fun occasion, you might be considering taking a break from alcohol—at least for a little while.
- First, it’s something that requires a lot of thought or work.
- But many bars and home bartenders don’t measure drinks this way.
You know your nightly habit isn’t great for your health or waistline, but it’s so hard to say no.Sound familiar? She knows what it’s like to be fed up with your drinking, worried about judgment from others, and turned off by approaches that focus on a higher power instead of brain science. Learn the exact steps she used to change her relationship with alcohol. The irony of alcohol is that we often drink to feel relaxed, to tamp down anxiety. But over time, White says, this can lead to escalating levels of anxiety. “You might drink at night to reduce your anxiety. And then, as a result, the next evening, you feel more anxiety, which then motivates you to drink again,” White says.
Thinking about taking a break from alcohol? Here’s how to cut back or quit
Over the past 12 years, Marshall has seen a lot of changes in the way people view sobriety. Back when he was getting sober, you either drank — or you didn’t, he says. Chris Marshall is a certified substance abuse counselor and the founder of Sans Bar, a venue for “the nightlife experience” without the alcohol, in Austin, Texas.
- But it’s important to know if something more serious is going on.
- It’s what makes human so efficient, right, but the brain does not distinguish between good and bad habits.
- Research shows that drinking large amounts of alcohol before bedtime leads to decreased sleep onset and disrupted, poor quality sleep later in the night.
- Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
The first few days:
In this episode, I invite you to ditch the seriousness you bring to your habit and instead get curious about why you’re approaching it this way. To explore whether your drinking patterns are low-risk or potentially problematic, take this 11-question quiz. You’ll get your results immediately after you click Submit.
- Sometimes, being there is just about wanting to be social and fit in.
- While this depends on the amount of alcohol you have had over the years, your liver can see partial healing within two to three weeks, but this will depend on your health history.
- For that reason, “some people might lose weight when they stop drinking,” James J. Galligan, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacology and toxicology and director of the neuroscience program at Michigan State University, tells SELF.
- It’s true that taking a break from alcohol for any amount of time will be beneficial overall, with some research showing that liver function begins to improve in as little as two to three weeks.
- So, we are either running towards emotions that we want to feel.
Tips to start reducing alcohol in your life
Here are six ways to make that happen — and, holidays or not, you don’t need to drink to celebrate. It’s common to want to take a break from booze in the new year. The best way to support your loved ones who don’t want to drink alcohol is to make sure drinking feels like a choice — not an obligation. Alcohol culture is pervasive, especially in social spaces. The way alcohol is glamorized in advertising also contributes to our collective hook.
Short-term benefits of Dry January
So this is something that I mean I think is so fascinating, right, that you are drinking can change over time and under different circumstances. I will have a lot of people that I work with will say, Rachel, “I just don’t get it, I wasn’t a big drinker in college.” This is not my experience, but many people have this experience. Like that was so mindbending to me because I couldn’t understand.