Alcohol can be hard to quit — here are ways to set yourself up to succeed
By ABC Everyday / By Johanna Khan on
Have you ever considered cutting down on the amount of alcohol you drink, or even stopping completely?
It's not that you have a big problem with alcohol but there are some things about your relationship with booze that you want to change.
You might be reflecting on your indulgent holiday period and want to take a step back, or perhaps you've noticed your drinking is stopping you from doing other things.
So how do you get started? While a break from booze will look different for each one of us, there are certain strategies that can really help if you want to stop drinking (even if it's just for a while).
Create a support network
Personal support networks and connections can keep people going with quitting alcohol, says addiction...
What Happens To Your Body When You Give Up Alcohol For One Month
By Chloe Mcleod on
We all love to indulge in alcohol every now and then, but a night out with friends brings social pressures in regards to frequent drinking. It can feel impossible to dodge having a drink when you want to be part of the group vibe - and before you know it, you’re waking up with a dry mouth and a nasty hangover again.
Dry July is a great way to reassess your relationship with alcohol consumption and see the health benefits of taking a month off. If you’re signing up to raise money, you’ll also be helping people with cancer.
Here are a few ways the human body can benefit from abstaining from alcohol for a whole month.
#1 Improvements to mental health
Alcohol may seem like a mood elevator when you’re dancing and having a great time...
Pomegranate Fizz
By The Mindful Mocktail on
Ingredients
- 60 mls pomegranate juice
- Half a lime cut in wedges
- 6-8 mint leaves
- 250 mls diet ginger ale
Method
- Place lime wedges and pomegranate juice in a tall glass. Muddle until all the juice has been pressed out of the lime. If you don’t have a muddler, use the back end of a wooden spoon or similar.
- Clap mint leaves together in your hands a few times to release the scent and add to the glass. Give the mint a gentle press a couple of times with the muddler.
- Add plenty of ice to the glass and top with ginger ale. Stir well.
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds, mint and lime.
For more recipes like this, follow @themindfulmocktail on Instagram
Having fun and socialising without drinking alcohol
By ABC Everyday / By Patrick Wright on
Jahin Tanvir doesn't drink.
It doesn't stop him from having a good time with his friends, but there comes a certain point in the night where he's forced to explain himself.
At his first university party, the 20-year-old student says he had "like five beer bottles" shoved in his face.
"I went outside because I couldn't handle it," he says.
"[My friend] spoke to me and I was able to open up and tell her that I don't drink. She was empathetic, and told everyone, and it became more welcoming."
There are plenty of reasons why people might not drink alcohol. Jahin is Muslim, and drinking is against his faith.
Other people might choose to avoid alcohol for health reasons, or simply because they don't like the taste or effects.
It's becoming...
Why do our friends want us to drink?
By Simon Lenton on
Anyone who has ever tried to give up drinking, or goes somewhere and says they’re not drinking, knows people encourage us to drink and are unhappy when we don’t. Why is this? Is it uniquely Australian? What can we do about it?
The phenomenon of people experiencing pressure to drink in social situations has been identified in many countries around the world, not just in Australia.
Research on negative reactions to non-drinking and non-drinkers has been reported in countries including the USA, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Japan, African countries, and Finland. Within countries, drinking norms also often vary from one social or cultural group to another..
Doing what our mates do
In some groups, heavy drinking might be normal. In these...
Preparing for your Dry July
By Dry July Foundation on
You’re doing something amazing – improving your own health, and helping to change the lives of people affected by cancer. We're with you every step of the way for your Dry July, so don't be daunted by taking some time off the booze!
Plus, remember the funds you raise will improve the comfort and wellbeing of people affected by cancer.
Here are our top tips to help you prepare and stay dry this July:
In preparation:
- In June try to slow down your alcohol intake to half of what you would normally consume.
- Plan your social calendar. Offer to be the Designated Dryver on a night out, or if you have an event that you really want to drink at, ask someone to buy you a Golden Ticket. It will give you a night off the wagon, while also raising...
Beer before wine and you’ll feel fine? No you won’t says new study
By Kai Hensel on
Plenty of us have been there: waking up after a night out with a thumping headache, feeling sick and swearing never to touch alcohol again. If only there were a way to prevent these terrible hangovers.
It isn’t uncommon for us to mix our drinks, maybe a beer in the pub before moving on to wine. Folk wisdom has something to say about this: “Beer before wine and you’ll feel fine; wine before beer and you’ll feel queer.” This idea is very prevalent and versions of it occur in many languages. In my native country, Germany, for example, we say: “Wein auf Bier, das rat’ ich Dir—Bier auf Wein, das lass’ sein.” This translates as: “Wine on beer, I’ll advise you to drink beer on wine.”
But it turns out that there is no truth to these...
All The Good Stuff That Happens To Your Body When You Take A Break From Alcohol
By Alana Wulff on
There’s nothing quite like going out with your mates for a big night or two (or three), but there’s also nothing as satisfying as realising you’ve managed to sidestep another time-wasting, hangry hangover.
Making the decision to hit the reset button and take a break from booze isn’t just liberating, it’s a sure-fire way to save your cash and get your mental and physical health back on track. So, with Dry July just around the corner, here are just some of the best reasons to contemplate hitting snooze on the booze.
Your Sleep Improves
Is there anything more annoying than waking up at 3am because those delicious yet devious wines and beers have messed with your sleep patterns? Drinking, especially if you’re indulging on a regular basis, can...
Why alcohol makes you feel warm – and other strange effects it has on the brain
By Claire Roston on
Alcohol: why do we drink it? People have been consuming alcohol for at least 10,000 years. And when drinking water was rather risky, alcohol seemed a much safer bet. Amaldus of Villanova, a 14th-century monk, even wrote that alcohol “prolongs life, clears away ill humors, revives the heart and maintains youth”.
Today people will give you many reasons for their decision to drink and most of these reflect the effects it has on mind and brain. But before you get too sozzled, one thing is for sure: it is certainly not a safer, healthier bet than water.
1. It tastes nice
It depends on what you are drinking (some drinks like alcopops contain more sugar) and people obviously have different taste preferences. The fact that ethanol is...