Stress, But Less: How to Reduc Stress and How to Be Happy without Drinking in a Non-Gaussian Environment (CNN/UK)

CNN has a newsletter called Stress, But Less. Our guide will help you to reduce stress and learn how to deal with it.

Parties, weddings, back-on-again concerts and overdue catch-ups: The social calendar is back in full swing after nearly three years of pandemic-related lockdowns and restrictions.

The founder of the Sober Girl Society said that the toughest part about not drinking is other people’s perception of it. She gave up drinking over four years ago. I said you’re going to be boring now. I still don’t get it right away.

Gooch is part of a growing moderation movement. Her group, based in the United Kingdom, aims to support young women who want to stay sober or drink less with practical advice about how to socialize, date and have fun without a cocktail in hand. It holds booze-free brunches and other meetups.

Rethinking Your Relationship with Alcoholism – A Tale of Three Stories from Nineteen Years of Living in a Single, Low-Energy World

A study out in July states that there is no amount of alcohol that is healthy if you are under the age of 40. CNN talked to Gooch, who shared her tips for how to rethink your relationship with alcohol.

I was 27 years old and six months sober. I couldn’t find any support around the issue that resonated with me. I was sure that AA would be filled with 50-year-old men. I felt like a lot of the books on the topic were aimed obviously at people in their 40s or they were about real, rock-bottom alcoholism but not about the in-between stages. They talk about how they got sober but no one tells you what to do after that. I really couldn’t find anything that was practical. How do you go on a date while sober? How are you going to a wedding?

The main things that I wrote about in the book were those. It’s got a little bit of my story but also some self-help and resources. It’s about how you actually go out and live as a person in a world where alcohol is so normalized and you don’t drink it.

When I drank, I was always getting myself into really dangerous and vulnerable situations. I woke up with a fear of being in those places I didn’t want to be and wondering what I said and did the next day.

I was not a daily drinker. I was going out every couple of weeks, perhaps the odd weeknight. The reason that I stopped drinking was primarily for my mental health. I would be very nervous.

When I stopped drinking I didn’t have any idea what to do with my emotions. I used to think that if I was stressed or sad I would go out and get drunk. I had all these feelings at that point. It was very overwhelming. I went to see a therapist to understand why I was drinking.

When you use alcohol, it gives you a synthetic confidence that dissipates the next day — you don’t really have it. I’ve had to push myself out of my comfort zone, to let go and meet people. I used that to build up my confidence in the first place.

There are lots of resources out there. You can break up your feed and follow sober accounts to not have a constant stream of booze and nights out.

When it comes to not wanting to get a massive round of drinks in, just say, “Actually, do you mind if I skip out the round tonight? I would like to have a few drinks. I am looking at my relationship with alcohol.

Stand in the mirror and practice and get comfortable saying these things before you go out if you need to, even texting people beforehand. I used to get in the WhatsApp group and say, “Just so you know girls, I’m not drinking tonight.” Because then they kind of have time to get over it.

Gooch: Make sure you pump yourself up. A selection is always good. Make sure that you get rid of nervous energy by running before you leave.

Always meet in a place that you think is comfortable for you — maybe check if they have any good nonalcoholic drinks. I like to be able to order a mocktail that feels sophisticated rather than be like, “I’ll have a … Diet Coke, please.”

Sometimes there will be a judgement on it. I found that if I just told people about my intentions before a date, it gave them time to decide whether to go out with me. It is best to get it out there. It is not the sort of person you would want to be with if people are funny about it.

How important is drinking during a dry January? Dr. Sarah Wakeman, director of the MAD Initiative, says it’s better to be honest with yourself

Experts say there is an additional piece that is important to successful doing of a dry January. If you or a loved one are showing any negative symptoms from cutting back or removing alcohol, it’s worth paying attention to. It could be a sign that you need professional help to reach your goal.

“Or it may be someone who truly is starting to wonder or question their relationship with alcohol, and this is an opportunity to really explore that,” said Dr. Sarah Wakeman, medical director of the Substance Use Disorders Initiative at Massachusetts General Hospital.

She said that the research shows that goals are more likely to be achieved if they are relevant to the person.

“Drinking less over time can have really measurable benefits in your health in terms of your blood pressure, your risk of cancer, your risk of liver disease and other conditions, Wakeman said.

“Over the course of a month, you may notice some short term benefits like better sleep, a better complexion due to improvements in your skin, feeling more clear headed and having more energy,” she added.

Measurable: How many drinks will you cut – and what are the drink sizes? A beer is 12 ounces, a glass of wine is 5 ounces, and a serving of spirits is 1.5 ounces.

“If you set a bar too high, you may fail, so it’s better to set smaller goals to achieve it,” Hafeez said. An honest conversation with yourself is all it takes to start.

Informing a few friends or family members of your goal can help you reach it, experts say. It may be possible for some people to announce their plan on social media by inviting others to join in and report on their progress.

“That’s where I think ‘dry January’ has kind of caught on,” Wakeman said. “If you publicly state you’re going to do something, you’re more likely to stick with it than if you keep it to yourself.”

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/05/health/dry-january-tips-wellness/index.html

Analyzing alcohol use disorder: a case study in the aging of a healthy non-alcoholic drink and how to cut it out

Some people like to drink just sparkling water, while other people like to drink a non-alcoholic drink that feels fun and celebratory.

There is an entire industry devoted to making non-alcoholic drinks that taste (at least a bit) like the real thing. Some people claim to have added ingredients that are healthy.

“I’m skeptical of anything that claims to relax you or have amazing health benefits that comes in a glass regardless of what it is,” Wakeman said. “But if it’s an alternative that allows you to feel like you’re not missing out on a social situation, and helps you make the changes that you want to your alcohol consumption, I don’t think there’s any downside to that.”

Wakeman said that it can be useful to track your emotions and know yourtrigger in order to cut out alcohol.

“Even if someone’s not yet ready to make changes, just keeping a diary of when you’re drinking, what situations you’re drinking more and how you’re feeling at those times, can really help you identify sort of trigger situations where you may be more likely to drink,” Wakeman added.

A person with a true alcohol use disorder, who has gotten used to having a certain level of alcohol in their body every single day, can go into withdrawal and experience severe physical symptoms like shakiness, sweating, rapid heart rate and seizures.

“That would be a real indication that you need to talk to a medical professional about getting medical treatment for withdrawal and not stopping on your own,” Wakeman said.