Dry January

Dry January is a month long campaign in which many people participate in, all of whom sign up to this, give up alcohol for the whole month of January. It serves as a detox month with no alcohol and maybe a time when some people try to stay sober as part of a bigger life change. Often, this is something that they have been meaning and needing to do for a long time.

If you are currently participating in dry January, remember to live one day at a time. Every day you are sober is one more day that your body is recovering.

History of dry January

It started as a fundraising ‘event’ which was created by Alcohol Change UK and Alcohol Concern. It is ideal for many reasons but also helps to raise awareness of healthy alcohol consumption, which was the main aim when this fundraiser was set up. Every year people participate in this whether they are fundraising or taking part for their own health benefits.

Health conditions associated with excessive alcohol intake

There are over 60 health conditions that are associated with excessive alcohol intake which includes liver disease, depression and some types of cancer.

Studies have shown that people who frequently drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week (the recommended amount from CMO) build up a tolerance to the obvious signs of hangover (headaches and feeling sick and dizzy).  This is referred to as a permanent hangover or a ‘hummer’, meaning you are in a constant state of hangover, signs of this include:

• Excess stress
• Sleep deprivation
• Changing relationships

Finding dry January harder than expected?

If you had every intention of going alcohol free for a month, but have found that progressing this intention into actions has been extremely difficult, your drinking may be more problematic than you first may have anticipated.

You might have got through a few days without drinking alcohol and initially thought that things were alright. However, since you have become preoccupied with the thoughts of consuming alcohol and ‘one’ drink has set off cravings and the urge to drink more. If this is the case and you find it impossible to stay stopped in January, please don’t be discourage. It’s just a sign you need more help to overcome an addiction.

New Leaf Recovery is here to help with your alcohol addiction. We tailor our innovative alcoholism treatment to address your body and mind, allowing you to achieve a sustainable alcohol recovery.