When Sober Curious Strikes Past Dry January

Originally of 2025, the previous US Surgeon Normal issued an advisory on the hyperlink between alcohol consumption and cancer risk. Whereas it is a sobering name to motion, there isn’t any denying that sober curiosity has elevated 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 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. Immediately we’re persevering with this dialog with Krysty. Dry January has handed however actually not the questions on what we are able to do if we’re fascinated by a sober (fully 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 resolution, however if you happen to’re any type 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 approach. In the event you’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 prospect 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 no less than 4 weeks provides clarifying behaviors. Perception that merely isn’t attainable whereas we proceed to make use of.” In different phrases, you haven’t any concept how shitty you actually really feel once you’re utilizing a substance that’s making you are feeling shitty. It often takes a couple of weeks on 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 will depend on what your motivation was for Dry January. Was the plan to only see if you happen to might make it with out consuming for 30 days? Or have 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 absolutely what Damp February is all about, doesn’t work for lots of people. In the event you spend numerous time bargaining with your self each time alcohol is concerned, which results in numerous “guidelines” round your consuming, you would possibly wish to take a step again.

You won’t even concentrate on these guidelines. They’ve simply turn out 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 onerous 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 per week night time.
I can’t drink greater than two nights in a row. 

The tip days of my consuming have been crammed with elaborate and arcane guidelines that have been consistently shifting as I broke one after one other. I used to be letting myself down each day, and that type 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 resolve that it’s not value it.

Tam: If somebody is studying this pondering “I don’t have an issue with my alcohol consumption however wish to take a extra conscious strategy to what I eat/drink,” what questions ought to be explored when fascinated 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 “drawback drinkers” after which everybody else. This results in disgrace, stigma, and judgement.

A way more helpful, and reasonable, 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 fantastic thing about this mannequin is that you just don’t have to hit any form of a all-time low earlier than you’ll be able to discover your relationship with alcohol, you get to resolve at any level on the spectrum what’s best for you.

In the event you’re able to get trustworthy with the position alcohol performs in your life, I might 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 got, and whether or not or not you need a poisonous substance to play a job 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 mates have gone again to consuming after Dry January, however we are attempting to proceed. Do you will have ideas/suggestions for easy methods to make this a part of my life-style with my consuming mates? 

Krysty: You would possibly want to search out new mates – haha. However, critically, if your pals really respect and assist you within the choices 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 begin consuming once more, whining that you just’re not enjoyable anymore, or that one shot of tequila gained’t do any hurt, you then would possibly have to rethink who you’re spending time with. You’ll want to work out for your self what you wish to do with the time that you’ve got, 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 would possibly want to search out some new peeps that love to do various things.

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

Krysty: I’m probably the most fundamental 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 totally 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 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, Complete 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. In the event you’re downing a bottle of alcohol-free wine most nights of the week, it’s type of like ripping off one bandage and placing on one other, and also you would possibly wish to discover why you’re caught in the identical behaviors. 

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