Alcohol consumption is high in Alabama and across the nation. People are reevaluating their relationship with alcohol and are starting to participate in trends such as Dry January, which challenges folks to abstain from alcohol for an entire month.
The current use of alcohol from Alabamians stands at just over 40%, according to a report from the Alabama Department of Mental Health. The soaring rates of alcohol consumption in Alabama and nationwide have sparked a notable shift in people’s attitudes toward drinking habits.
Annie Grace is a sobriety advocate and a bestselling author of The Alcohol Experiment. Before she developed her current mindset about alcohol, Grace said her career had driven her to a period of drinking.
“I did not drink a lot in college, and then I moved to New York City where I was basically told that alcohol was important for my career,” said Grace. “Over time, I went from not drinking at all to not even realizing how or when it happened to drinking two bottles of wine pretty much every single night.”
Grace said her unique approach to cutting alcohol is a change of mindset. She said she believes that taking a step back and evaluating one’s purpose for drinking can be a step in the right direction.
“I think people are really starting to question their relationship with alcohol in a new way. We've had so much alcohol just handed to us and media, from families from society. We're at this kind of crossroads in society where we're looking at our own lives and saying, is this serving me,” said Grace.
To help people cut out alcohol, Grace has started The Alcohol Experiment, a free program that offers encouragement and tips straight to participant’s inboxes.
For those thinking about quitting alcohol this New Year, Grace said she believes that success can start with a new mindset.
“I think one of the most important things as you're going into Dry January is to try to find inside yourself a little bit of the reasons that you've been drinking in the first place. Before we even get started, recognize that there's nothing wrong with you just because you're drinking more than you wanted to.”
Of those who participated nationally in Dry January in 2018, 71% had improved sleep, 58% lost weight, 54% saw an improvement in their skin and 67% had more energy, according to a University of Sussex study. Regular drinkers who abstained from alcohol even for 30 days saw an improvement in sleep and energy.
