Dry January is a popular tradition among some drinkers, and its health benefits are numerous and unsurprising. Few drinkers are unaware that alcohol is “bad for you”. It’s widely publicized that the substance interferes with sleep, causes weight gain, has carcinogenic properties, and carries a risk of dependency for some who partake. Enter Dry January: a self-imposed challenge to not partake in alcohol for the first month of the new year. People do this for many reasons. Some want to “catch up” on sleep, save money, kickstart a resolution to get in shape, or prove to themselves that they don’t “need” alcohol by abstaining completely for an entire month. The benefits of this period can extend beyond the month, too. It may change one’s relationship with alcohol, allowing some to see that they may not need to partake in order to have a good time or relax, leading to longer-term reductions in alcohol use.
Beyond its physical health benefits, and beyond the disorder that is addiction, cutting out alcohol can have other psychological benefits that may surprise you. In the world of medicine, alcohol is what’s known as a “depressant.” Somewhat counterintuitively, this does not mean that alcohol causes you to feel sad or gloomy (though overuse often will), depressants are simply the opposite of stimulants like caffeine or nicotine. Depressants may actually be used to treat depression, but they are more often used to treat anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, insomnia, and certain medical issues like seizures or chronic pain. With alcohol helping to ease the mind of worry, it’s no wonder that it is a popular way to “unwind,” and it may be one of the first substances to come to mind when one hears the term “self-medicating.”
Indeed, some alcohol users may encounter unexpected difficulties when suddenly abstaining, feeling restless or anxious on evenings that they would have otherwise been drinking. With the brain’s activity firing uninhibited, certain worries about one’s life may manifest. While this might sound a bit frightening, this process might ultimately be a good thing for several reasons. First, the benefits to one’s mental health that abstinence or reduction might create usually outweigh the discomfort of the increases in anxiety. Alcohol may temporarily reduce anxiety, but it tends to return full-force the next morning or day. A more effective, longer-term method of reducing anxiety is improving the quality and quantity of one’s sleep, which, as previously discussed, is a benefit of abstaining from alcohol. On top of that, you also receive the other previously mentioned benefits. For casual drinkers and those without serious mental health conditions, it’s likely that the benefits outweigh the negative effects. There is also a non-zero chance that some might discover an anxiety disorder that they were unwittingly self-medicating for. While this too may be painful, becoming aware of a disorder is the first step in receiving proper treatment in therapy or through medication. Though depressants are used to treat anxiety, not all depressants are equal. Those prescribed by a psychologist in the correct dose will have greater benefits and fewer risks than alcohol misuse. Please note: If you suspect you have a serious mental health condition or substance use disorder, you should immediately speak with your physician, or with a mental health professional.
As a substance that tends to reduce brain activity, you’ll see few serious chess players having a few beers before an important competition, and while college students may occasionally take exams while hungover, it would be far rarer to find college students taking exams after intentionally becoming drunk. Beyond these scenarios that call for maximum brain power, the ability to make connections, identify patterns, and solve problems does have a place in our day-to-day lives and our mental health, and the use or misuse of alcohol may cause an unnecessary handicap in processing our emotions. For those who misuse alcohol, their brains might never really get the chance to run at full capacity, and taking time off from drinking may give them a chance to examine their lives and relationships with greater clarity and purpose. Even those who partake in a healthier, more common way (drinking moderate amounts, mainly on weekends), may be compromising a rare opportunity to slow down and process their weeks. Those with 9-5 jobs may find that they are too tired or burnt out from their daily responsibilities to process their lives on weeknights, so it might not serve them to unwind in this way during their precious weekends away from work.
Taking a break from alcohol might give us an advantage in developing a habit of intentionally giving ourselves time and space to process our lives. It may be worthwhile to examine other outlets that we use to unwind, and to ask ourselves if those methods of relaxation may have reached a point where they are holding us back. There is a time and place for shutting our brains off, enjoying some television, video games, or a good book. One way to ensure that we are taking this vital time to process our emotions not to cut these things out, but to introduce habits like journaling, taking walks or jogging without listening to music or podcasts, and regularly meeting with your therapist. Dry January can be beneficial for our physical and mental health whether or not we intend to use it as a tool to examine our mental health.
If you haven’t started Dry January yet, keep in mind that you can take 30 (or more) days off of alcohol or any habit at any time, and that even 7 days is better than none. If you have started, good luck! Take care of yourself, and keep up the good work.