The benefits of going alcohol free for a month

Cutting out alcohol can be tough. But having a break or ditching booze altogether, even for a short time, can be worth it for your health and wellbeing.

On average, Australians aged 15 and over drink around 10 litres of pure alcohol per person every year.¹

While the occasional glass of beer or wine may not be considered harmful for most healthy adults, regular drinking and drinking large volumes, even on single occasions, can be more hazardous than you realise. And because alcohol affects everyone differently, you are never truly free of risk.²

Consuming alcohol can affect your body. These effects differ from person to person depending on a range of things, including:

• the amount you drink
• how quickly you drink
• your body size
• your sex
• your overall health
• your use of medication and other drugs.

Alcohol disrupts your central nervous system (which is responsible for sending messages between your brain and the rest of your body) by slowing down these messages. While in the short term this can help you feel relaxed, alcohol consumption may also:

• slow your reaction times
• reduce your inhibition and judgement
• increase your likelihood of acting impulsively
• affect your memory
• slur your speech and blur your vision
• leave you hungover.

As alcohol has a toxic effect on your body, over time excessive drinking can affect everything from your stomach lining to your heart, immune system, hormones and even sexual function. It can also lead to brain injury (known as ‘alcohol-related brain impairment’) or long-term irreversible kidney damage.

Adding to this, the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism notes that drinking excessively can increase your risk of things like:

• alcoholic hepatitis
• stroke
• irregular heartbeat
• cancer
• high blood pressure
• cirrhosis of the liver.³

Consuming too much alcohol can also lead to:

• headaches
• nausea
• diarrhea
• sleeping problems
• anxiety and depression.⁴

The upside of drinking less alcohol, even for just one month, is significant.

One UK study, which surveyed over 800 people who ditched alcohol for a month of ‘Dry January’, reported higher energy levels and healthier body weight among participants. Participants also reported things like better skin, improved concentration, generally improved health and feeling less of a need to drink even several months on.⁵

The most striking finding, though, was that taking part in this challenge made participants think more deeply about their relationship with alcohol, allowing them to feel more in control of their drinking.⁵

While alcohol might not always lead to sensible behaviour, there are sensible guidelines for responsible drinking in Australia developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).⁶

Looking at the level of risk of harm (disease or injury) based on how much people drink either over a lifetime or on a single occasion, the guidelines provide general limits for healthy adults to help reduce their risk of harm from alcohol.

According to the guidelines:

• to reduce the risk of alcohol-related harm over a lifetime, healthy adults should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day. But the less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol will be
• not drinking alcohol is the safest option for children and young people under 18
• for people who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, not drinking is the safest option.

If you have concerns, it’s best to discuss what safe drinking means for you with your GP.

Binge drinking means different things to different people, but generally involves consuming a risky volume of alcohol in one session, often with the intention to get drunk.

9 out of 10 Australian drinkers consider themselves ‘responsible drinkers’, yet nearly half of the people who drink alcohol in Australia do it to get drunk, a number that has steadily climbed since 2011 from 35% to 47%.⁷

Giving alcohol the flick for a month can have huge positive effects on your health and wellbeing.

In fact, research shows that even a brief period away from booze for moderate to heavy⁸ drinkers can produce immediate benefits.⁹ Here are just some of them:

Alcohol consumption can cause inflammation and damage to the liver, which can impact its ability to function properly. So not drinking alcohol for a month can give your liver a chance to recover.

Going alcohol-free is also shown to decrease growth factors related to cancer, insulin resistance and blood pressure.¹⁰

Alcohol can disrupt your sleep patterns and make it difficult to get a good night's rest.¹¹ By cutting out alcohol, you may find that you sleep better (and snore less) and feel more rested in the morning. Plus, you won’t wake up with a nasty hangover.

Many alcoholic beverages contain high amounts of kilojoules. On top of that, alcohol is said to be one of the biggest drivers of overeating.¹²

So, by abstaining from alcohol for a month, you could see a reduction in your overall kilojoule intake, leading to weight loss.¹³ You may also find yourself reaching for healthier and more filling foods (rather than the late-night high sugar, salt and fat variety).

Although alcohol can initially make you feel relaxed and happy, it can also have the opposite effect, contributing to anxiety and depression. So, going alcohol-free for a month could help improve your mood and reduce feelings of anxiety.

However, it’s important to note that immediately cutting out alcohol for heavy drinkers (and the associated withdrawal symptoms) might have the opposite effect on your mood.¹⁴ You may need to talk to your doctor before going alcohol-free.

Alcohol isn’t great for people who procrastinate, as it can have a negative impact on their productivity and ability to focus.¹⁵ By giving up booze, you may find that you have more energy and are able to get more done during the day.

While drinking alcohol is part of Australian culture, there’s no reason why you can’t go against the grain. Even if it’s just for one month.

If you’re looking for some motivation, charitable programs like Dry July and Febfast may give you the boost you need (with the bonus of helping a good cause).

It’s important to remember that changing your behaviour takes time. One month is a good period to kickstart a new lifestyle, but before you do it may be important that you:

• talk to your doctor. If you’re a regular drinker or you drink large amounts, it’s possible that you could experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms
• plan to not binge afterwards. There’s no real benefit in not drinking for a month only to binge drink afterwards. So, it’s a good idea to plan for what your relationship with alcohol will look like after the month off
• talk to your friends or loved ones. Embarking on any lifestyle challenge can be a lot easier with support from those who care about you. You might even enlist someone to share in the journey!

If the amount of alcohol you’re consuming is worrying you, or if you think you might need some help. Talk to your doctor or contact the Alcohol and Drug Information Service for confidential counselling.

The Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) has a national hotline 1800 250 015 which offers 24/7 confidential telephone counselling.