Why do non-alcoholics find “dry January” difficult?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe people still drink regularly given the all the science linking it to cancer and other poor health outcomes.

If you find it challenging to skip the booze for a month, then you have a problem.

The science is all over the place. Most studies link a glass of wine a day to good health outcomes in terms of heart disease. Fifty percent of Americans will die from heart disease, so a a drink a day is probably more beneficial than abstaining for most people.

NO, the science IS NOT all over the place! You are either a liar or you don't bother actually following scientific advances. There is not a single responsible medical professional - except maybe one who has alcohol use disorder - who would tell you it's okay to drink habitually.

Even one drink a day is bad for your body - any of the old science linking alcohol use to health benefits is entirely outweighed by recent studies establishing beyond doubt that alcohol is very unhealthy for the human body. Period.

People who defend regular alcohol use in the face of the known science have alcohol problems, or loved ones with alcohol problems, and are living in total denial.

https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/well/mind/alcohol-health-effects.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/03/31/moderate-drinking-alcohol-wine-risks/

https://time.com/6248439/no-safe-amount-of-alcohol/

Drinkers are just like smokers - excuses excuses, tackle your addiction or at least STFU about it and stop recruiting new users.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do dry months at various times in the year just to break habits. I find drinking can easily creep up. I start to get into a habit of a drink after work or a bottle on a weekend with friends and it turns into maybe 7-10 drinks a week. I enjoy the taste and also the relaxation. But it does tend to make me a little bloated and puffy and so if I realize it has creeped up then I just stop drinking for a few weeks. I don’t find it difficult at all to not drink. Then I reset back to maybe 1-2 drinks a week and then when it creeps up again, I take a break again.

This is the path worn by two people I know who eventually became fall down drunk alcoholics, which is why it can be so scary. It’s like a switch finally went off. One started having black outs that she laughed off as being just part of being a “little hungover” until one day she blacked out in a cab with colleagues /drinking buddies. The friends were gone by the time driver dropped her off at the ER.

On Christmas I learned my cousin’s wife had a similar situation except she has a kid she kept forgetting about. She seemed fine until she wasn’t. Ditto for another relative’s path to opioid addiction. Drugs prescribed to deal with a back injury became an issue for him.

If you are self medicating with alcohol, drugs, food, smoking etc to deal with social anxiety, depression, or other issues, you need to be cautious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe people still drink regularly given the all the science linking it to cancer and other poor health outcomes.

If you find it challenging to skip the booze for a month, then you have a problem.

The science is all over the place. Most studies link a glass of wine a day to good health outcomes in terms of heart disease. Fifty percent of Americans will die from heart disease, so a a drink a day is probably more beneficial than abstaining for most people.

NO, the science IS NOT all over the place! You are either a liar or you don't bother actually following scientific advances. There is not a single responsible medical professional - except maybe one who has alcohol use disorder - who would tell you it's okay to drink habitually.

Even one drink a day is bad for your body - any of the old science linking alcohol use to health benefits is entirely outweighed by recent studies establishing beyond doubt that alcohol is very unhealthy for the human body. Period.

People who defend regular alcohol use in the face of the known science have alcohol problems, or loved ones with alcohol problems, and are living in total denial.

https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/well/mind/alcohol-health-effects.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/03/31/moderate-drinking-alcohol-wine-risks/

https://time.com/6248439/no-safe-amount-of-alcohol/

Drinkers are just like smokers - excuses excuses, tackle your addiction or at least STFU about it and stop recruiting new users.

The studies actually are all over the place. The ones you posted are based on a recent large scale study. That study started with the premise that light to moderate alcohol drinkers have better heart outcomes than those who abstain entirely. But its conclusion was that their better outcomes were not from drinking alcohol, but because of their other lifestyle choices. That was just one study, but it still found that light to moderate alcohol drinkers are healthier than abstainers.

Here is what the American College of Cardiology has to say on the matter:

https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2021/05/05/19/14/alcohol-in-moderation-may-help-the-heart-by-calming-stress-signals-in-the-brain

So yes, the studies are all over the place, with the vast majority saying that light to moderate alcohol consumption is healthier than abstaining. Even the recent study that your articles and the WHO used to say that no amount of alcohol is good for you conceded that light to moderate drinkers have better heart health than those who abstain.

While alcoholism is a serious problem for some, many people get great health benefits from drinking light amounts. Don’t conflate the two very different experiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do dry months at various times in the year just to break habits. I find drinking can easily creep up. I start to get into a habit of a drink after work or a bottle on a weekend with friends and it turns into maybe 7-10 drinks a week. I enjoy the taste and also the relaxation. But it does tend to make me a little bloated and puffy and so if I realize it has creeped up then I just stop drinking for a few weeks. I don’t find it difficult at all to not drink. Then I reset back to maybe 1-2 drinks a week and then when it creeps up again, I take a break again.

This is the path worn by two people I know who eventually became fall down drunk alcoholics, which is why it can be so scary. It’s like a switch finally went off. One started having black outs that she laughed off as being just part of being a “little hungover” until one day she blacked out in a cab with colleagues /drinking buddies. The friends were gone by the time driver dropped her off at the ER.

On Christmas I learned my cousin’s wife had a similar situation except she has a kid she kept forgetting about. She seemed fine until she wasn’t. Ditto for another relative’s path to opioid addiction. Drugs prescribed to deal with a back injury became an issue for him.

If you are self medicating with alcohol, drugs, food, smoking etc to deal with social anxiety, depression, or other issues, you need to be cautious.

Very few people make it into their 40s or 50s without frequent drinking turning into a big problem. In your 20s it’s fun, starts to cause problems in your 30s and then life tends to hit people hard in their 40s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe people still drink regularly given the all the science linking it to cancer and other poor health outcomes.

If you find it challenging to skip the booze for a month, then you have a problem.

The science is all over the place. Most studies link a glass of wine a day to good health outcomes in terms of heart disease. Fifty percent of Americans will die from heart disease, so a a drink a day is probably more beneficial than abstaining for most people.

NO, the science IS NOT all over the place! You are either a liar or you don't bother actually following scientific advances. There is not a single responsible medical professional - except maybe one who has alcohol use disorder - who would tell you it's okay to drink habitually.

Even one drink a day is bad for your body - any of the old science linking alcohol use to health benefits is entirely outweighed by recent studies establishing beyond doubt that alcohol is very unhealthy for the human body. Period.

People who defend regular alcohol use in the face of the known science have alcohol problems, or loved ones with alcohol problems, and are living in total denial.

https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/well/mind/alcohol-health-effects.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/03/31/moderate-drinking-alcohol-wine-risks/

https://time.com/6248439/no-safe-amount-of-alcohol/

Drinkers are just like smokers - excuses excuses, tackle your addiction or at least STFU about it and stop recruiting new users.

The studies actually are all over the place. The ones you posted are based on a recent large scale study. That study started with the premise that light to moderate alcohol drinkers have better heart outcomes than those who abstain entirely. But its conclusion was that their better outcomes were not from drinking alcohol, but because of their other lifestyle choices. That was just one study, but it still found that light to moderate alcohol drinkers are healthier than abstainers.

Here is what the American College of Cardiology has to say on the matter:

https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2021/05/05/19/14/alcohol-in-moderation-may-help-the-heart-by-calming-stress-signals-in-the-brain

So yes, the studies are all over the place, with the vast majority saying that light to moderate alcohol consumption is healthier than abstaining. Even the recent study that your articles and the WHO used to say that no amount of alcohol is good for you conceded that light to moderate drinkers have better heart health than those who abstain.

While alcoholism is a serious problem for some, many people get great health benefits from drinking light amounts. Don’t conflate the two very different experiences.

You can probably find many studies to support alcohol not being a problem. But anyone who isn’t an alcoholic knows it’s a toxin and no drinking is better than any amount of drinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe people still drink regularly given the all the science linking it to cancer and other poor health outcomes.

If you find it challenging to skip the booze for a month, then you have a problem.

The science is all over the place. Most studies link a glass of wine a day to good health outcomes in terms of heart disease. Fifty percent of Americans will die from heart disease, so a a drink a day is probably more beneficial than abstaining for most people.

NO, the science IS NOT all over the place! You are either a liar or you don't bother actually following scientific advances. There is not a single responsible medical professional - except maybe one who has alcohol use disorder - who would tell you it's okay to drink habitually.

Even one drink a day is bad for your body - any of the old science linking alcohol use to health benefits is entirely outweighed by recent studies establishing beyond doubt that alcohol is very unhealthy for the human body. Period.

People who defend regular alcohol use in the face of the known science have alcohol problems, or loved ones with alcohol problems, and are living in total denial.

https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/well/mind/alcohol-health-effects.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/03/31/moderate-drinking-alcohol-wine-risks/

https://time.com/6248439/no-safe-amount-of-alcohol/

Drinkers are just like smokers - excuses excuses, tackle your addiction or at least STFU about it and stop recruiting new users.

The studies actually are all over the place. The ones you posted are based on a recent large scale study. That study started with the premise that light to moderate alcohol drinkers have better heart outcomes than those who abstain entirely. But its conclusion was that their better outcomes were not from drinking alcohol, but because of their other lifestyle choices. That was just one study, but it still found that light to moderate alcohol drinkers are healthier than abstainers.

Here is what the American College of Cardiology has to say on the matter:

https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2021/05/05/19/14/alcohol-in-moderation-may-help-the-heart-by-calming-stress-signals-in-the-brain

So yes, the studies are all over the place, with the vast majority saying that light to moderate alcohol consumption is healthier than abstaining. Even the recent study that your articles and the WHO used to say that no amount of alcohol is good for you conceded that light to moderate drinkers have better heart health than those who abstain.

While alcoholism is a serious problem for some, many people get great health benefits from drinking light amounts. Don’t conflate the two very different experiences.

We know you can read and write, so you must just be a liar. Maybe an addict liar?

Moreover, there are no studies that would demonstrate that the potential beneficial effects of light and moderate drinking on cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes outweigh the cancer risk associated with these same levels of alcohol consumption for individual consumers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe people still drink regularly given the all the science linking it to cancer and other poor health outcomes.

If you find it challenging to skip the booze for a month, then you have a problem.

The science is all over the place. Most studies link a glass of wine a day to good health outcomes in terms of heart disease. Fifty percent of Americans will die from heart disease, so a a drink a day is probably more beneficial than abstaining for most people.

NO, the science IS NOT all over the place! You are either a liar or you don't bother actually following scientific advances. There is not a single responsible medical professional - except maybe one who has alcohol use disorder - who would tell you it's okay to drink habitually.

Even one drink a day is bad for your body - any of the old science linking alcohol use to health benefits is entirely outweighed by recent studies establishing beyond doubt that alcohol is very unhealthy for the human body. Period.

People who defend regular alcohol use in the face of the known science have alcohol problems, or loved ones with alcohol problems, and are living in total denial.

https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/well/mind/alcohol-health-effects.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/03/31/moderate-drinking-alcohol-wine-risks/

https://time.com/6248439/no-safe-amount-of-alcohol/

Drinkers are just like smokers - excuses excuses, tackle your addiction or at least STFU about it and stop recruiting new users.

The studies actually are all over the place. The ones you posted are based on a recent large scale study. That study started with the premise that light to moderate alcohol drinkers have better heart outcomes than those who abstain entirely. But its conclusion was that their better outcomes were not from drinking alcohol, but because of their other lifestyle choices. That was just one study, but it still found that light to moderate alcohol drinkers are healthier than abstainers.

Here is what the American College of Cardiology has to say on the matter:

https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2021/05/05/19/14/alcohol-in-moderation-may-help-the-heart-by-calming-stress-signals-in-the-brain

So yes, the studies are all over the place, with the vast majority saying that light to moderate alcohol consumption is healthier than abstaining. Even the recent study that your articles and the WHO used to say that no amount of alcohol is good for you conceded that light to moderate drinkers have better heart health than those who abstain.

While alcoholism is a serious problem for some, many people get great health benefits from drinking light amounts. Don’t conflate the two very different experiences.

You can probably find many studies to support alcohol not being a problem. But anyone who isn’t an alcoholic knows it’s a toxin and no drinking is better than any amount of drinking.

It’s people like you who drive me to drink. Totally black and white thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe people still drink regularly given the all the science linking it to cancer and other poor health outcomes.

If you find it challenging to skip the booze for a month, then you have a problem.

The science is all over the place. Most studies link a glass of wine a day to good health outcomes in terms of heart disease. Fifty percent of Americans will die from heart disease, so a a drink a day is probably more beneficial than abstaining for most people.

NO, the science IS NOT all over the place! You are either a liar or you don't bother actually following scientific advances. There is not a single responsible medical professional - except maybe one who has alcohol use disorder - who would tell you it's okay to drink habitually.

Even one drink a day is bad for your body - any of the old science linking alcohol use to health benefits is entirely outweighed by recent studies establishing beyond doubt that alcohol is very unhealthy for the human body. Period.

People who defend regular alcohol use in the face of the known science have alcohol problems, or loved ones with alcohol problems, and are living in total denial.

https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/well/mind/alcohol-health-effects.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/03/31/moderate-drinking-alcohol-wine-risks/

https://time.com/6248439/no-safe-amount-of-alcohol/

Drinkers are just like smokers - excuses excuses, tackle your addiction or at least STFU about it and stop recruiting new users.

The studies actually are all over the place. The ones you posted are based on a recent large scale study. That study started with the premise that light to moderate alcohol drinkers have better heart outcomes than those who abstain entirely. But its conclusion was that their better outcomes were not from drinking alcohol, but because of their other lifestyle choices. That was just one study, but it still found that light to moderate alcohol drinkers are healthier than abstainers.

Here is what the American College of Cardiology has to say on the matter:

https://www.acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2021/05/05/19/14/alcohol-in-moderation-may-help-the-heart-by-calming-stress-signals-in-the-brain

So yes, the studies are all over the place, with the vast majority saying that light to moderate alcohol consumption is healthier than abstaining. Even the recent study that your articles and the WHO used to say that no amount of alcohol is good for you conceded that light to moderate drinkers have better heart health than those who abstain.

While alcoholism is a serious problem for some, many people get great health benefits from drinking light amounts. Don’t conflate the two very different experiences.

You can probably find many studies to support alcohol not being a problem. But anyone who isn’t an alcoholic knows it’s a toxin and no drinking is better than any amount of drinking.

It’s people like you who drive me to drink. Totally black and white thinking.

Lol true.

I think all these people are children of alcoholics and have so much trauma around alcohol they can’t see it in any light except it’s “toxic “.

It’s sad actually

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sister never drank much and never smoked or dig any other drugs. She was a successful attorney, married with three children. She started drinking more as she got older and by the time she was on her 50s, she had gotten a DUI and went to rehab. She became a full-blown alcoholic, her husband divorced her over it and she is in terrible health.

The point of telling this story is to say that your drinking habits can change over a lifetime and it can become a problem at any age. People should be cautious around alcohol and honestly assess their drinking every so often. So if a dry January makes someone consider what it's like to go without, that's probably a positive thing.

Also, I know many people who quit without calling themselves alcoholics for health or other reasons, so you can do without without having to "hit bottom."

Well she was a lawyer so… high probability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d find it a little hard to give up cheese, chocolate, music, tv, or being outdoors for a month. That doesn’t mean I have an out of control relationship with them. Look at lint - people give up something they enjoy for a month specifically for the struggle. Again doesn’t mean that typically they are out of control with that thing

+1.

[Anonymous]

For me the only reason for a dry January is to help lose weight. I have two drinks a night which I know is one too many but it helps me to unwind and relax while I chat with my wife and watch the news before dinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d find it a little hard to give up cheese, chocolate, music, tv, or being outdoors for a month. That doesn’t mean I have an out of control relationship with them. Look at lint - people give up something they enjoy for a month specifically for the struggle. Again doesn’t mean that typically they are out of control with that thing

+1.

This

Every major religion has a time to “give something up”.

I gave up coffee for a year, I gave up hitting snooze during Lent, I gave up soda one year, I gave up chocolate one Lent,

It’s healthy to challenge yourself.

[Anonymous]

I like doing dry Jan. I find the holidays sooo easy to overindulge. Parties, seeing friends for dinner, having more elaborate (and unhealthy) meals, getting to sleep in etc are all really easy excuses to have more than I should. I like using January as a reset. Have fun during Dec but get back on track for the new year.

I definitely find it hard, but it’s certainly a mix of going back to reality (work), in shtty weather, and refocusing on taking care of myself.

I bought whiskey tasting tix for dh and I as a present and that’s at the end of Feb. so we may do dry Jan+feb until then, see how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like doing dry Jan. I find the holidays sooo easy to overindulge. Parties, seeing friends for dinner, having more elaborate (and unhealthy) meals, getting to sleep in etc are all really easy excuses to have more than I should. I like using January as a reset. Have fun during Dec but get back on track for the new year.

I definitely find it hard, but it’s certainly a mix of going back to reality (work), in shtty weather, and refocusing on taking care of myself.

I bought whiskey tasting tix for dh and I as a present and that’s at the end of Feb. so we may do dry Jan+feb until then, see how it goes.

I’m doing dry Jan/Feb too with 2 cheat weddings.

I added the extra month because of the weddings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like doing dry Jan. I find the holidays sooo easy to overindulge. Parties, seeing friends for dinner, having more elaborate (and unhealthy) meals, getting to sleep in etc are all really easy excuses to have more than I should. I like using January as a reset. Have fun during Dec but get back on track for the new year.

I definitely find it hard, but it’s certainly a mix of going back to reality (work), in shtty weather, and refocusing on taking care of myself.

I bought whiskey tasting tix for dh and I as a present and that’s at the end of Feb. so we may do dry Jan+feb until then, see how it goes.

I’m doing dry Jan/Feb too with 2 cheat weddings.

I added the extra month because of the weddings.

Hah I like that.
I’ve been seeing lots of ads for dry Feb lately. I’m guessing ‘they’ are thinking the shortest month is easier to give up 😂