Goodbye Dry July, hello new relationship with alcohol: what Telisia has learnt this month
As July comes to a close, you may be finishing up Dry July – when people give up the booze for a month to raise funds for people affected by cancer.
If you’ve completed this challenge – congratulations! Hopefully it’s been a positive experience and has inspired you to think about what a healthy and sustainable relationship with alcohol looks like for you.
Even if you didn’t do Dry July, we encourage you to understand the health implications of drinking and consider how you might change your drinking habits for the better.
This doesn’t mean you have to stop drinking altogether or you can never have a big night out. Rather, it’s a chance to take stock of why, when and how much you drink, and see if you can find a balance that works for you. This might be consuming fewer drinks each time, having some alcohol-free nights or only drinking on special occasions.
Fourth-year Bachelor of Science (Honours) student Telisia Smith has just finished Dry July – here’s what she discovered about her drinking habits.
What’s your relationship with alcohol like and has COVID affected your drinking habits at all?
I’m a social drinker; I really enjoy getting together with friends on a weekend and playing drinking games at a house party or going out for the night. I’d say I drink about once a month, sometimes more, sometimes less! Although I like having fun with mates and the occasional wild night, I don’t overly love alcohol as a substance. Besides it being unhealthy, and feeling awful the day after, it produces such a blurry lack of control when consumed excessively that is no fun at all. COVID certainly reduced my drinking, with social gatherings limited and bars closed.
Why did you decide to do Dry July – where did you hear about it, or have you done it before?
I’m not sure when I first encountered Dry July – it would have been many years ago, but I have participated three times before this year. It gives a great reason, and therefore motivation, to abstain from alcohol. It can remind us there are other ways to have fun, and that you can go out without drinking. I feel it brings awareness to unmonitored alcohol consumption that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Has the month been easier or harder than you expected, and what kinds of things have you done instead of drinking?
Instead of drinking, I usually volunteer as designated driver. I feel appreciated, not pressured to drink, and still have heaps of fun. I pretend it’s a night like any other but without having to split an Uber. I still participate in drinking games, but I swap liquor with something non-alcoholic or play for someone else.
Have you noticed any changes or improvements in how you feel, either physically or mentally?
As I don’t drink very frequently to begin with, I haven’t noticed much difference in the month. But I certainly notice it on the next day when I usually would be sleeping for many hours or nursing a hangover. I feel so much more energetic, productive, happy and healthy in comparison.
How would you like your relationship with alcohol to look in the future? Are there any lessons or tools you’ve discovered that will help you achieve this?
I would like to limit any binge drinking in the future. The ways that have aided me are:
- keeping count of my drinks
- drinking a glass of water in between beverages
- calculating my personal blood alcohol content per standard beforehand, so I know my limits.
Get started or keep going: tools to help you change your habits
You may find it easier to change your relationship with alcohol by using these handy online tools, which are designed to support, inform and motivate you:
- See if your current drinking levels are putting your health at risk.
- Understand what a healthy relationship with alcohol looks like.
- Review the national drinking guidelines, including what a standard drink is.
- Reset your drinking habits with Daybreak, an app designed to help people cut back or quit alcohol.
- Keep tabs on your consumption, including caloric intake, total cost and other tolls incurred from your drinking with DrinkCoach.
- Help organise what does and doesn’t work each time you experience an unwanted urge for alcohol with Saying When.
Professional support is available
If you’d like to improve your health and wellbeing but need some expert advice, there’s a range of services you can access:
- Make a free and confidential appointment with one of our doctors at a Deakin Medical Centre, chat to a Deakin counsellor or visit our Ask Counselling blog.
- Visit the Australian Department of Health or Hello Sunday Morning for helpful information and resources on changing your relationship with alcohol.
- Contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 for free and confidential advice.