The concept is simple – cut out alcohol for the month of January, helping the “Dry January” idea gain traction as we head into 2023, NBC 5’s Lauren Petty reports.
The concept is simple – cut out alcohol for the month of January, helping the “Dry January” idea gain traction as we head into 2023.
“People are really starting to take a look at their drinking,” said Kelley Kitley, a licensed clinical social worker, who owns Serendipitous Psychotherapy in Chicago.
Kitley supports the idea behind the month-long sobriety challenge, especially as we come of the pandemic where alcohol use grew. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, death rates linked to alcohol use spiked 265 percent between 2019 and 2020.
“One of the best benefits of this is to pause and to try to implement a better healthier coping mechanism than alcohol,” Kitley said.
Gateway Foundation sees it firsthand at its 16 drug and alcohol treatment centers in Illinois.
“Alcohol consumption has increased, along with problems with alcohol,” said Marc Turner, the Interim CEO at Gateway Foundation.
Turner also supports the “Dry January” concept, saying it helps raise awareness and could raise red flags.
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“I think it challenges people to give a consideration, “Do I need to change my relationship with alcohol?” said Turner.
Turner says if you are considering participating in Dry January, it’s essential to be honest with yourself about the experience.
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“I think particularly people who try it with perhaps a group of friends and find that they're not keeping it, but they're lying to their friends about what they're doing,” Turner said that could be a sign of a bigger problem that may need professional help.
Other tips for a successful Dry January include:
-Find a new non-alcoholic drink you like
-Suggest alternative outings, like a walk or yoga, instead of drinks with friends
-Frack how much money you save by not buying booze
“You will be able to track your progress and you'll be more motivated to stay on track,” Kitley said.
Kitley would know. She’s also a mother of four who gave up drinking 10 years ago.
“I find that I am just calmer and more at ease and more confident. And I don't have regrets,” Kitley said.
She wrote an autobiography and produced a short film about her experience, called “Gray Area.” There will be a special “Dry January” screening on January 12, 2023 at Go Brewing, an alcohol free venue in Naperville. For more information, click here à https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gray-area-screening-with-kelley-kitley-and-ditched-the-drink-tickets-479412384347
Kitley’s advice if you decide to go dry: “Keep in mind that it's one day at a time, and often people will quit if they slip. And so the important thing to do remember is try again the next day, it doesn't have to be all or nothing.”
