12/27/2021
“If you can quit for a day, you can quit for a lifetime.” – Benjamin Alire Sáenz
This month is Sober September, which is a 30-day challenge to take a month-long hiatus from drinking, where alcoholic beverages of the summer are replaced with sparkling water and other non-alcoholic beverages.
Sober September offers a chance to get back on track with health at a time of new beginnings. September marks the start of the school year and a return to routines and schedules after the lazy days of summer.
Although most people who participate in efforts like Dry January or Sober September return to drinking, up to 8 percent stay dry six months later, according to Public Health England and the British Medical Journal.
And those who go back to drinking drink less. A 2015 study conducted in the United Kingdom and published in the journal Health Psychology found that people who participated in Dry January drank less often, had fewer drinks when they did drink and were drunk less often six months after Dry January was completed.
If you feel that alcohol is a problem in your life, but aren't sure what your life will be like without it. Try the Sober September challenge and keep a journal to document your experience. You may be surprised how many times you longed to grab a drink.
