GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Many people are choosing to observe Dry January, where one commits to being sober for the entire month.
"It's kind of a time to reset after a busy holiday season where we're maybe overindulging in the great food and celebrations that come with the holidays," said Daniel Wicklund, nurse educator for addiction medicine at Corewell Health.
Wicklund said Dry January can allow time for individuals to reflect on their relationship with alcohol and how it impacts their daily life.
He said committing to sobriety can bring about several changes one might notice fairly quickly.
"For decreasing our alcohol use, we'll see things like improved mental clarity and improved sleep patterns, so those are the biggest things that people will notice right away," Wicklund said. "Over the month of January, if you choose to not drink, you may see you're losing some weight and saving a couple dollars."
An industry focusing on non-alcoholic (NA) beer and bottles has also been gaining traction.
More or Less is a Grand Rapids NA bottles and beer shop selling non-alcoholic beer, wines and spirits. They said they regularly see a large influx of customers in January, with many customers saying they look to extend their sobriety later into the year.
"We've seen a lot of new faces, so a lot of people probably trying Dry January for the first time," said co-owner Chad Clark.
Clark said many people come into their store looking for drinks to have for special events or social settings and for beverages mimicking their favorite alcoholic drinks.
Speaking from his journey to sobriety, Clark said he's experienced many benefits in choosing to remain sober.
"I don't think that you necessarily have to quit alcohol. Some people do, you know, I did, but I think some people are going to realize they feel a lot better when they don't drink alcohol even for a month, even for a week," Clark said.
Wicklund however, warned that abruptly quitting alcohol can bring risk for someone who has a dependency on it.
"I never recommend that someone goes cold turkey with alcohol use, especially if they have a long-term use of alcohol and high volumes, or they're a heavy drinker," Wicklund said.
He said when someone who's dependent on alcohol stops drinking so abruptly, their brain can go into hyperdrive, causing anxiety and racing thoughts, or even complications such as hallucinations and seizures.
"If someone is going to stop drinking alcohol, I highly recommend that they do so with the guidance of a medical professional," Wicklund said.
For those who are casual drinkers looking to pause drinking, Wicklund said Dry January can promote healthier habits for the rest of the year, even if one does resume drinking.
"Even if you do return to drinking, you're more mindful about those behaviors, you're more aware of how much you're in taking in each week, or how frequently we are intaking, and really what we see is kind of that awareness leading to improved health outcomes," Wicklund said.
If you are experiencing difficulty with substance abuse, the SAMHSA's National Helpline is 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Online resources can be found here.
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