Nurse practitioner Carissa Raver suggests taking a holistic approach during January, by abstaining from alcohol and indulging in healthier behaviors. Photo provided
By Jan Engoren
Dry January is an import from the United Kingdom. It began in 2012 as a public health initiative from Alcohol Change UK, a British charity. Over the past decade, the idea has caught on and now millions take part in this yearly health challenge on both sides of the Atlantic, including here in southeastern Palm Beach County.
Overconsumption of alcohol can lead to heart and liver damage, a higher cancer risk, a weakened immune system and memory and mood issues, not to mention its impact on the brain. The World Health Organization estimates that worldwide, 3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol.
According to Harvard Health, regular drinkers who abstained from alcohol for 30 days slept better, had more energy and lost weight. Additionally, they lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol levels and reduced cancer-related proteins in their blood.
“We know alcohol is a neurotoxin which can affect every organ in your body,” says Adam Scioli, an addiction psychiatrist and head of psychiatry at Caron Treatment Centers. Caron treats families and individuals with substance abuse disorders and has a center in Delray Beach.
“Cessation of alcohol, reduction or stopping completely will all have health benefits,” he says. “If nothing else, it provides an opportunity to examine your relationship with alcohol and to see how small or large a role it plays in your life. If you can leave it, leave it. If you can’t, that’s worth further exploration.”
Ryan, 39, a divorced father of two, manages a halfway house in Delray Beach. At 17 he was pulled over by law enforcement for drinking and driving, an experience that started him on a road to becoming substance-free and self-aware, and to helping others overcome their substance abuse.
He spent almost five months in 2020 at the Caron Center in Pennsylvania and learned to navigate and attenuate his feelings better.
“Alcohol was a coping mechanism,” he says. “It helped me suppress strong negative emotions.”
Ryan, who asked that his last name not be used, says he displayed destructive behavior as a teen, compounded by substance abuse, but is now 16 years sober. He encourages his clients to try a dry January.
“Life can be lived without a drink,” he says.
Time freed up by not drinking can open a window to other possibilities, he says. “It’s scary to change, but so rewarding.”
He says it’s important to realize that you don’t have go it alone: “There is a community out there to support you.”
Tips to accomplishing a dry January include finding a substitute non-alcoholic drink, avoiding temptations and situations where people are drinking, creating a support group, using the Try Dry app, and being persistent.
It’s also time to reflect on your relationship with alcohol and to consider what happens on Feb. 1. Don’t let the pendulum swing the other way, experts say. Make sustainable changes and reduce consumption all around.
Scioli cautions about replacing alcohol with other substances such as cannabis.
Carissa Raver, 28, a family nurse practitioner in functional medicine at Pur-Form Health, a regenerative and anti-aging wellness facility in Boca Raton, takes a holistic approach to a dry January.
“We look at what creates imbalance in the body and try to remedy it,” she says.
“Dry January can help an individual improve their sleep, increase energy levels, help emotional well-being and increase immune function,” Raver says.
“In January, give your body a reprieve,” she says. “In February, come to the table with a fresh perspective on your relationship to alcohol.”
For both Ryan and Raver, January resolutions include more self-care, spending more time exercising, meditating and being outdoors in nature.
Scioli, who does not drink alcohol, resolves to be more kind, empathic and loving in 2024, spending more time with family. He planned to be home and fast asleep on New Year’s Eve long before the ball dropped in Times Square.
Visit caron.org and purformhealth.com for more information.
Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.
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