Dry January: Cheers to No Beers!

Blame it on the A-a-a-a-a-alcohol!

I love Jamie Foxx, and he was definitely onto something with this banger. Alcohol is, and always has been, the cause of a lot of commotion.

Interestingly, since 2020, overall alcohol consumption has skyrocketed. Thanks, COVID…

But quarantine ended. We’ve gone back to business as usual in most of the world, besides the newfound concept of personal space (thank God). You’d think that alcohol consumption would have decreased by now, right?

Wrong.

In fact, the Rand Research Corporation found that Americans drank 14 percent more in 2020 — the rate for women rose by 41 percent. In 2022, the increases remained.

Social gatherings revolve around alcohol consumption. Football games, tailgates, UFC fights, barbecues, holiday parties, fishing, lake days, vacations, everything is now an excuse to drink. And I bought into the mentality that since everyone was doing it, it was fine for me to join in. I didn’t want to miss out on any of the fun. So, I went along with it. Until earlier this year.

Before I tell you where alcohol took me, let me tell you where it all started.

Alcohol has negatively affected every member of my family. My dad always drank, and sometimes he made really dumb decisions. Luckily, no one was ever hurt, but it did make for some close calls. (And for some crazy stories, but those are for another time).

My husband’s dad also drank a lot. But it was different. I was never afraid of my dad when he drank. I didn't have to be, he was never that kind of drunk, at least not around me. My husband wasn't as lucky.

Fast forward, and my husband and I are navigating our own social lives. So, in an attempt to “fit in,” we both drank at social events. Then, it became having a couple on the weekends, then having a glass of wine in the evening. Then, much to my surprise, I found myself having some really uncomfortable thoughts.

I remember it vividly. It was summertime, and I was driving home from work. I knew I needed to stop at the store, which meant getting out in the heat and dealing with the Walmart crowd. I sighed, and then I found myself thinking:

“Dang, I really need a glass of wine. I can’t wait until I get home so I can have a drink and finally relax.”

It took me all of 5 seconds to do a mental double take. I’m sorry, girl what did you say?

That was the first time I thought I might have a problem with alcohol. But everyone I knew drank, and I didn’t want to be the odd woman out. I had always been able to control myself. I wasn’t going to let alcohol affect me like it affected other people.

Boy was I wrong.

Luckily, I got pregnant shortly after this mental crisis, and I didn’t have to worry about my drinking habits. Then, I stopped breastfeeding and I could suddenly drink as much as I wanted to again. So, I went right back to my old patterns.

It didn’t take long. Pretty soon, nearly every opportunity I had to drink turned into an opportunity I took to get absolutely trashed. Then, the next day was hell on Earth, physically and mentally.

Eventually, it got to the point where I realized that the person I was when I was drunk and the person I am in real life are NOT the same people. So, after one too many embarrassing moments that I can never take back, I decided that I had a problem. I didn’t like the things that I would think and do when I was in that state of mind. I had massive amounts of anxiety and regret immediately after drinking. I was allowing alcohol to control me, and enough was enough.

As soon as I realized what alcohol was doing to me, I started taking stock of how drinking, even in moderation, made me feel. I noticed how tired I was afterwards, how sick I felt. The headaches I would get. How my whole body shook because of the dehydration. The raging anxiety I always had the next day. And then I started doing some research into what alcohol does to us, short and long-term.

It isn’t a pretty list:

·      Many more people now die from alcohol and drug overdoses each year than are killed in automobile accidents.

·      More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking, and more than 7 million children live in a household where at least one parent is dependent on or has abused alcohol.

·      Up to 40 percent of all U.S. hospital beds (except for those being used by maternity and intensive care patients) are being used to treat health conditions that are related to alcohol consumption.

·      Drinking alcohol can worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety.

·      Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver, and breast.

·      Research has shown an important association between alcohol consumption and breast cancer—even one drink per day can increase a woman's risk for breast cancer by 5% to 15% compared to women who do not drink at all.

·      Even if drinking comparable amounts, women’s bodies generally absorb more alcohol and take longer to break it down.

·      Women who drink are more vulnerable to brain and heart damage than men, according to scientific studies. Their risk of cirrhosis and other alcohol-related liver diseases is higher than for men. And women are at higher risk of developing an addiction to alcohol than men.

I could go on and on. But my takeaway is that drinking alcohol is risky business, and just because I'm a woman, there's an even bigger chance that alcohol could rob me of my life. So, I’ve limited my consumption. Now, I only drink wine, 1 to 2 glasses in social settings. My only exception is if it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Like if I'm in Italy, I might have more than 2 glasses.

But if I’m being honest, I’ve felt a gentle tug from the Holy Spirit towards total sobriety since the first day I started having thoughts about my alcohol cravings. I didn't listen back then.

But now?

I understand myself better. I know my limitations, my weaknesses, and my shortcomings. And instead of rationalizing my behaviors, I’ve started to take ownership of my life and what it looks like. I’ve realized that if I really care about myself, then I need to treat my body like a temple. That’s the greatest act of self-love I can commit to.

Hence, “Dry January!”

Dry January is a health challenge where participants abstain from drinking any alcohol for all 31 days of January. I’ve been thinking about completing a sobriety challenge for a while now, but I’ve never had the guts to tell all my friends that I was “trying out sober living.”

I know my friends won't think any differently of me, I just don’t like to stick out in a crowd. Dry January gives me the perfect opportunity to kickstart a sober lifestyle. It’ll help me be intentional about telling people that I’m not drinking and make me more aware of the benefits that will come from an alcohol-free existence.

Research shows even a brief break from alcohol for moderate to heavy drinkers can produce immediate health benefits, like:

• Weight loss

• Better sleep

• Improved mood and energy levels

• Increased physical activity due to more energy

• Better diet due to better dietary restraint and fewer empty calorie intake

• Decreased growth factors related to cancer, insulin resistance, and blood pressure

• A reduction in liver fat and blood sugar

Sounds good, right? Sign me up!

I say that now, but I know myself. I’ll be at a party, everyone will be drinking, and I'll feel like I’m missing out on all the “fun.” When that happens, I'll have to fall back on my identity. I can’t allow what I want in the moment to interfere with the blueprints I have for my life. And in this case, what I want in those moments is a lie.

Alcohol doesn’t make me fun, I am fun. Alcohol doesn’t make me happy, I am happy. Alcohol doesn’t set me free, it puts me in chains.

If you’ve thought of making a change, I want to encourage you and invite you to join me for Dry January. Even if you just want to start the year off as a healthier version of yourself. Even if you plan to have a margarita on February 1st. Girl, I get it. Maybe Dry January just helps you reconnect with your body and renew your mind. Maybe it helps you rekindle your relationship with God.

Alcohol consumption and “social drinking” is one of the most popular activities today, and I don't think it's an accident. The sicker we are, the more substance dependent, the easier we are to control. If you want me to get spiritual about it, I think it’s one of the easiest ways the enemy influences us to satisfy our worldly desires, and then immediately shames us for doing so.

But you have the power to be different. You have the ability to determine what your life gets to look like. And if you choose, you can be the best, most care-free version of yourself, completely sober.

Besides, I’m willing to bet that in the coming years, the increase in alcohol consumption we are seeing today will be linked to a bunch of new health problems. All of the sudden, drinking will be looked down on, and sober living will be the coolest thing you can do.

So, cheers, friend! Here’s to being sober before it’s cool.