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. It’s always wise to check with your doctor — she should be able to help you decide whether it is best for you to cut back or to abstain.
Resist peer pressure!
Some people might discover their alcohol use was irritating their stomach, disrupting their sleep, causing weight gain, contributing to conflicts, or that they relied more on alcohol for stress relief than they thought. Waking up without the fatigue, malaise and other common symptoms of hangovers could greatly improve one’s quality of life. In addition, potential improvements in health and wellbeing could have positive effects on relationships.
Take some time to explore your relationship with alcohol
Sometimes, being there is just about wanting to be social and fit in. “Oh my gosh. Well, one thing that was noticeable to pretty much everybody was my overall health and, like, my skin, my eyes. how to take a break from drinking … I lost weight,” says Stephanie Forte, who works in sales in the beauty industry. These withdrawal symptoms occur because of overactivity of the central and autonomic nervous systems.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Dr. Robin Berzin is the Founder and CEO of Parsley Health, America’s leading holistic medical practice designed to help women overcome chronic conditions. She founded Parsley to address the rising tide of chronic disease in America through personalized holistic medicine that puts food, lifestyle, and proactive diagnostic testing on the prescription pad next to medications. The new year in January holds the potential to shed old baggage and cultivate new habits. And often that includes new ways to take agency over our health. For example, the concept of having a dry month (abstaining from alcohol during Dry January) has become more prevalent. In more than 30 years of sobriety, it’s the only time I’ve had an alcoholic drink in my hand, bringing it toward my lips.
Talk to a medical pro, even (and especially!) if you’re nervous about being honest with them about alcohol.
Alcohol is metabolized by the liver and an enzyme called dehydrogenase. However, when you drink in excess, the enzyme gets saturated and is metabolized by a different enzyme. Cirrhosis of the liver (severe scarring of the liver) can occur over time in those who drink excessively. Social media can also https://ecosoberhouse.com/ be a great place to start making sober friends by following hashtags such as #soberlife, #soberissexy, and #sobercurious. You can begin setting boundaries by creating a little distance from big drinkers in the initial phases of sobriety and also find others who are in the same boat as you, says Mehta.
- “Again, depends on what the baseline alcohol consumption is,” she said.
- There’s no miracle diet by any means, but the Mediterranean diet, for example, can help fill some of the nutritional gaps you may have due to alcohol use.
- If a friend isn’t supportive, it may be time to assess that friendship.
- “If you find that you are trying to stop repeatedly without success, getting professional help from a therapist or outpatient program may give you the best chance of wide-reaching recovery,” adds Mehta.
- If you look at the impact alcohol is having on your life and decide that there are still some benefits even among the consequences, that’s an important step in recognizing how your relationship with alcohol is working overall.
- Excess alcohol consumption may cause weight gain, which means that cutting out alcohol could lead to weight loss for some people.
- She says she feels calmer since she became sober, and she has lost 30 pounds.
- According to Larson, severe alcoholic hepatitis could be fatal in 30 days in half of the patients who develop this condition.
- Generally, I feel more secure and happier without alcohol — largely because I recall that my times with alcohol weren’t always merry, and I feel my health has improved without it.
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