When Sober Curious Strikes Past Dry January

In the beginning of 2025, the previous US Surgeon Basic issued an advisory on the hyperlink between alcohol consumption and cancer risk. Whereas it is a sobering name to motion, there is no such thing as a denying that sober curiosity has elevated just lately. 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 inspecting their relationship with alcohol.

Final 12 months 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. As we speak we’re persevering with this dialog with Krysty. Dry January has handed however definitely not the questions on what we are able to do if we’re desirous about a sober (utterly alcohol free), or damp (a discount in alcohol consumption), life. 

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

Krysty: I believe it’s a really private resolution, however for those who’re any form of an everyday drinker (which means three or 4 nights every week “simply to unwind”) then alcohol is impacting the best way you’re feeling – mentally, emotionally, and bodily – your physique simply doesn’t know there’s one other approach. For those who’re not consuming in the course of the week, however then consuming a few bottles of wine over the weekend, you by no means actually get the possibility to see how your physique and thoughts reacts to no alcohol. Anna Lembke, in her e book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, talks about how “abstaining from our drug of selection for at the least 4 weeks offers clarifying behaviors. Perception that merely shouldn’t be doable whereas we proceed to make use of.” In different phrases, you haven’t any thought how shitty you actually really feel once you’re utilizing a substance that’s making you’re feeling shitty. It often takes just a few weeks to your physique to regulate to the truth that you’re not consuming a poisonous substance.

Tam: Are there issues/greatest 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 depends upon what your motivation was for Dry January. Was the plan to simply see for those who might 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. For those who spend plenty of time bargaining with your self every time alcohol is concerned, which ends up in plenty of “guidelines” round your consuming, you may wish to take a step again.

You may not even concentrate on these guidelines. They’ve simply turn out to be a part of your interior chatter. That chatter may sound like this:
I’m not going to drink on my own.
No consuming earlier than 5:00 p.m.
No exhausting alcohol in the course of the week
I’m solely going to drink white wine (or beer, or vodka, and many others.)
I can’t have greater than two drinks on every week evening.
I can’t drink greater than two nights in a row. 

The top days of my consuming had been full of elaborate and arcane guidelines that had been consistently shifting as I broke one after one other. I used to be letting myself down every day, and that form of self-disappointment was like a relentless 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 may simply determine that it’s not price it.

Tam: If somebody is studying this pondering “I shouldn’t have an issue with my alcohol consumption however wish to take a extra conscious method to what I eat/drink,” what questions ought to be explored when desirous about alcohol consumption? 

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

A way more helpful, and lifelike, mannequin to make use of in relation to speaking about alcohol is the concept of consuming occurring on a spectrum. That’s the place the concept 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 simply don’t have to hit any type 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.

For those who’re able to get trustworthy with the position 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 assume. That is about you and the one life that you’ve, 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 particular person I’m now?
What would “future you” inform “current you” on this state of affairs?

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

Krysty: You may want to seek out new buddies – haha. However, severely, if your pals really respect and help you within the selections you make in your life, then it shouldn’t be an issue. However, in the event that they’re regularly attempting to push you to start out consuming once more, whining that you simply’re not enjoyable anymore, or that one shot of tequila gained’t do any hurt, you then may have to rethink who you’re spending time with. You should work out for your self what you wish to do with the time that you’ve, and the individuals you spend it with. 

Moreover, in case your buddy group is closely immersed in consuming tradition – which means most social actions revolve round alcohol – you then may 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 fundamental sober particular person 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 fireplace! There are such a lot of merchandise in the marketplace – assume flavored seltzers, glowing teas, alcohol-free beers, wines, and spirits, kombuchas – I actually might go on and on. I’m regularly 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 retailers 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. For those who’re downing a bottle of alcohol-free wine most nights of the week, it’s form of like ripping off one bandage and placing on one other, and also you may wish to discover why you’re caught in the identical behaviors. 

Did you do Dry January this 12 months and preserve a dry or damp February? What’s your sober curious hack? ~ Tam