Dry January

Dry January started in 2013 and challenges people to abstain from alcohol for the entire month. 175,000 people took part in 2023, but why choose to go alcohol-free, even for a month?

Abstaining from alcohol, even temporarily, offers numerous health benefits:

Better health

Reducing alcohol intake can lead to improved cardiovascular health and clearer - brighter skin.

Financial savings

Alcohol can be a significant expense; abstaining can help save money.

Enhanced sleep quality

Alcohol affects sleep patterns; abstaining can lead to more restful nights.

Better overall mental health and wellbeing.

More than just physical/mental health benefits, participating in Dry January can help people reassess their relationship with alcohol and potentially lead to reduced consumption in the long term.

How can you get involved?

Alcohol Change UK have multiple resources to help you with Dry January including their free app, Try Dry. This will help you to monitor how much alcohol you drink. You can also find more tools on their website, through their blog and their podcast.

Support at Essex

You can access multiple resources which can help you through understand your relationship with alcohol through the University of Essex:

• Open Road is a charity that works in partnership with us here at Essex. The charity provides an experienced specialist substance misuse worker on our Colchester Campus to support students with their drug/alcohol use. Students can attend the drop-in service (Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm) in the Silberrad Student Centre to be referred to Open Road or you can complete a self-referral on the Open Road website.
• SilverCloud is an online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) resource which offers a range of programmes for mental health, wellbeing, and long-term conditions. One of the programmes available is ‘Space From Alcohol’ which aims to help you understand and manage your drinking.
• Alcoholics Anonymous is a peer-led fellowship that helps with the recovery and continued sobriety of alcoholics.

If you have concerns about your drug and/or alcohol use, it’s a good idea to seek support and have a chat. There is plenty of support available here.