When Sober Curious Strikes Past Dry January

Initially of 2025, the previous US Surgeon Common issued an advisory on the hyperlink between alcohol consumption and most cancers danger. Whereas this can be a sobering name to motion, there isn’t a denying that sober curiosity has elevated not too long ago. From Dry January to extra manufacturers creating alcohol-free drinks to the rise of mainstream mocktails, now greater than ever even informal drinkers have gotten sober curious and analyzing their relationship with alcohol.

Final yr in Episode 146 of the FBG Podcast, Sobriety Coach, and Founding father of Sober Wild, Krysty Krywko, Ed.D, joined our EIC Alison for an interview on sobriety. At this time we’re persevering with this dialog with Krysty. Dry January has handed however actually not the questions on what we will do if we’re interested by a sober (utterly alcohol free), or damp (a discount in alcohol consumption), life. 

Tam: Ought to we strategy consuming as all or nothing, particularly if we’re sober curious?

Krysty: I feel it’s a really private determination, however in case you’re any sort of an everyday drinker (which means three or 4 nights per week “simply to unwind”) then alcohol is impacting the best way you are feeling – mentally, emotionally, and bodily – your physique simply doesn’t know there’s one other means. When you’re not consuming throughout the week, however then consuming a few bottles of wine over the weekend, you by no means actually get the prospect to see how your physique and thoughts reacts to no alcohol. Anna Lembke, in her ebook, Dopamine Nation: Discovering Steadiness within the Age of Indulgence, talks about how “abstaining from our drug of alternative for at the very least 4 weeks provides clarifying behaviors. Perception that merely shouldn’t be potential whereas we proceed to make use of.” In different phrases, you haven’t any thought how shitty you actually really feel while you’re utilizing a substance that’s making you are feeling shitty. It often takes a number of weeks in your physique to regulate to the truth that you’re not consuming a poisonous substance.

 

Tam: Are there issues/finest practices to go from Dry January to extra of a Damp February and past? 

Krysty: So, I don’t actually know the reply to that query, it actually is determined by what your motivation was for Dry January. Was the plan to simply see in case you may make it with out consuming for 30 days? Or had been you searching for actual well being advantages? Or did you notice that your consuming has elevated over the previous few years and you already know you wanted to take a break?

Moderation, which is de facto what Damp February is all about, doesn’t work for lots of people. When you spend lots of time bargaining with your self at any time when alcohol is concerned, which results in lots of “guidelines” round your consuming, you would possibly need to take a step again.

You won’t even pay attention to these guidelines. They’ve simply grow to be a part of your internal chatter. That chatter would possibly sound like this:
I’m not going to drink on my own.
No consuming earlier than 5:00 p.m.
No exhausting alcohol throughout the week
I’m solely going to drink white wine (or beer, or vodka, and so on.)
I can’t have greater than two drinks on per week evening.
I can’t drink greater than two nights in a row. 

The tip days of my consuming had been full of elaborate and arcane guidelines that had been continuously shifting as I broke one after one other. I used to be letting myself down every day, and that sort of self-disappointment was like a continuing stream of micro-cuts to my soul.

Take a second and take into consideration why you’re placing so many guidelines round your consuming. You would possibly simply determine that it’s not value it.

 

Tam: If somebody is studying this pondering “I don’t have an issue with my alcohol consumption however need to take a extra conscious strategy to what I eat/drink,” what questions needs to be explored when interested by alcohol consumption? 

Krysty: One of many first issues we have to do is transfer away from the language round consuming and the assumption that there are “downside drinkers” after which everybody else. This results in disgrace, stigma, and judgement.

A way more helpful, and practical, mannequin to make use of with regards to speaking about alcohol is the thought of consuming occurring on a spectrum. That’s the place the thought of “grey space drinker” emerged from, which encompasses everybody from the every-now-and-then drinker to those that are bodily hooked on alcohol. The great thing about this mannequin is that you just don’t have to hit any kind of a all-time low earlier than you possibly can discover your relationship with alcohol, you get to determine at any level on the spectrum what’s best for you.

When you’re able to get trustworthy with the function alcohol performs in your life, I’d recommend sitting down with a pen and paper and answering the next questions. Get inquisitive about your self, and take the time to reply actually. Don’t cloud your responses with disgrace, or judgement, or what your bestie goes to suppose. That is about you and the one life that you’ve got, and whether or not or not you need a poisonous substance to play a task within the creation of that life. 

Is alcohol nonetheless working for me?
How is alcohol making me really feel?
What areas of my life has alcohol taken over?
Does consuming align with the individual I’m now?
What would “future you” inform “current you” on this state of affairs?

 

Tam: What if our pals have gone again to consuming after Dry January, however we try to proceed. Do you have got strategies/suggestions for make this a part of my life-style with my consuming pals? 

Krysty: You would possibly want to seek out new pals – haha. However, critically, if your folks actually respect and assist you within the selections you make in your life, then it shouldn’t be an issue. However, in the event that they’re frequently making an attempt to push you to begin consuming once more, whining that you just’re not enjoyable anymore, or that one shot of tequila received’t do any hurt, then you definately would possibly have to rethink who you’re spending time with. It’s worthwhile to work out for your self what you need to do with the time that you’ve got, and the folks you spend it with. 

Moreover, in case your buddy group is closely immersed in consuming tradition – which means most social actions revolve round alcohol – then you definately would possibly want to seek out some new peeps that love to do various things.

 

Tam: Any favourite “drink” hacks to switch that Friday evening cocktail? 

Krysty: I’m essentially the most primary sober individual round – and I’m proud of consuming a seltzer on my sofa to unwind after a busy week. However, I do know that individuals have completely different wants, and I get that within the early days of going alcohol-free you may want one thing a bit of extra thrilling. Fortunately, the alcohol-free market is on hearth! There are such a lot of merchandise available on the market – suppose flavored seltzers, glowing teas, alcohol-free beers, wines, and spirits, kombuchas – I actually may go on and on. I’m frequently impressed on the locations the place I discover alcohol-free drinks – Goal, Dealer Joe’s, Entire Meals, common grocery shops, and native alcohol-free bottle outlets are beginning to supply such all kinds. My solely warning is be intentional when utilizing alcohol-free merchandise, particularly issues like alcohol-free wine or beer. When you’re downing a bottle of alcohol-free wine most nights of the week, it’s sort of like ripping off one bandage and placing on one other, and also you would possibly need to discover why you’re caught in the identical behaviors. 

Did you do Dry January this yr and preserve a dry or damp February? What’s your sober curious hack? ~ Tam