Warrington asks things like why is alcohol so socially acceptable? How much more confident, awake, and aware are we when we are not drinking as often or as much? “When you get really honest with your answers to questions like these, it makes less and less sense to keep drinking,” she says. Whether it’s to see in the weekend or to unwind after work, a couple of drinks at the end of a hard day is the norm for many of us. Alcohol is very much part and parcel of a night out and, while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, the slippery slope where a glass or two transitions into a bottle or more can easily become a routine occurrence.
Breaking The Booze Habit, Even Briefly, Has Its Benefits
With the proportion of teetotallers aged 16 to 24 having risen from alcoholism symptoms 18.7 to 20.9 per cent since 2006 according to The Office of National Statistics, the trend’s found particular popularity among millennials. A few years later, Warrington noticed the concept of sober curiosity gaining increasing traction in popular media, and decided to write her book, Sober Curious. Friends and family didn’t object, but they had difficulty supporting what they couldn’t understand. In the spring of 2018, 42-year-old Kim Banks found herself in a lonely place. Struggles with anxiety and depression interfered with life as a wife, mother of 5-year-old twin boys, and her work in public relations. Despite self-improvements like daily exercise, healthy eating, and good sleep habits, Banks wasn’t happy.
How long do I have to be sober curious (or sober) to start feeling the difference?
During a recent family vacation, Banks said the idea of having a drink sounded tempting. She reminded herself, however, of the reality behind the “one drink,” which included, for her, likely more than one drink, a bad night’s sleep and heavy anxiety in the morning. “In the beginning it was so hard, but now I’ve had so many experiences under my belt, and I feel more confident,” she explains. Followers celebrate her victories and help her navigate rough days.
Trend vs. Lifestyle
- But Warrington suggests fully embracing those moments to prove that having a great time is by no means contingent on booze.
- “In the beginning it was so hard, but now I’ve had so many experiences under my belt, and I feel more confident,” she explains.
- She reminded herself, however, of the reality behind the “one drink,” which included, for her, likely more than one drink, a bad night’s sleep and heavy anxiety in the morning.
- “When you get really honest with your answers to questions like these, it makes less and less sense to keep drinking,” she says.
- „We came to a realization that we were drinking way too often and way too much,“ says Zaleski.
And while there is virtually no downside to taking a break from drinking alcohol — or quitting altogether — science is just beginning to study the ways abstinence might be good for you. In the far corner, about a dozen women in a group are clearly enjoying themselves too, but they are not drinking alcohol. They’re sipping handcrafted mocktails, with names like Baby’s First Bourbon and Honey Dew Collins, featuring nonalcoholic distilled spirits. The bar aims to be a place where people looking for a night out can go without feeling the social pressure to drink. “There are so many physical and emotional benefits from intentionally taking a break from alcohol,” says Banks.
No Amount Of Alcohol Is Good For Your Health, Global Study Says
- „And yet, our society doesn’t really lead us to believe that. In fact, it’s very much the norm to drink.“
- Interestingly also, the mindfulness group saw significantly bigger benefits compared to the group that were just given relaxation techniques to help them feel calmer and more in control of the situation.
- Now there’s „Dry July“ and even „Sober September.“ And the movement has spread across the U.S., with people challenging each other to see what life is like without alcohol and share in that experience.
- She researched online for information about what impact alcohol has on the body.
- He became a substance abuse counselor to help others but found that being in recovery was often really lonely.
For her, yoga, meditation, sober curious sound baths, moon circles, and cacao ceremonies (yes, those are all real things) have filled the void. But like the rest of sober curiosity, these alternatives are all deeply personal, and there is no “right” answer. Given that judgment has no place in the sober curious movement, Warrington is by no means prescriptive about what other activities (alcoholic or otherwise) you should engage in. Ruby Warrington’s 2018 book Sober Curious is something of a guidebook for this less-threatening, label-free, booze-less trend.
The Problem With Calling Sobriety A „Wellness Trend“
On a Saturday night, people are starting to pack into a popular bar called Harvard & Stone in a hip Los Angeles neighborhood. The questions are based on symptoms for alcohol use disorder in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. The DSM is the most commonly used system in the United States for diagnosing mental health disorders.
The days of pushing through moments of temptation are fewer and further between. If she needs support, she knows her Instagram followers are always nearby, along with other sober curious friends she’s made on the journey. Initially, Banks describes a curiosity around “taking a 30-day-break” from alcohol. She researched online for information about what impact alcohol has on the body. “I mainly searched for success stories from people who gave up drinking for 30 days or more,” she explains. On weekend nights out with her husband, she describes “going a little hard,” and leaving a wave of bad feelings for the next day.