For some, Dry January leads to full-time sobriety
For Scott Page, Dry January goes year-round.
At the beginning of his sobriety journey, he avoided even being in bars where other people were drinking alcohol.
“I was worried it could be triggering,” the South Side resident said. “For me, one drink is too many and 100 is not enough. I needed help from rehab professionals to stay sober because I do Dry January every day of the year.”
More than 10% of consumers who are likely to take part in Dry January said they’re motivated by a better range of non-alcoholic options available than in previous years, according to CGA, a research agency for the food and beverage industry. To embrace and leverage Dry January, drink brands, suppliers and bars and restaurants must creatively cater to a growing base of consumers committed to alcohol abstinence, the CGA website said.
While non-alcoholic drinks are well intended, they could trigger those in recovery.
“It is important to recognize that, for people in recovery from AUD (alcohol use disorder), products that look and even taste similar to alcohol-containing beverages could be enough to trigger craving and even a return to drinking,” Dr. George F. Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said via email. “Someone with years of recovery and a solid support system might be able to drink mocktails without feeling a craving. It is also important to remember that non-alcohol- containing beers can still contain small amounts of alcohol, which can add to the risk of craving and relapse. “
Ron Cambest of Cecil, Washington County, who has been a therapist for nearly two decades at Greenbrier Treatment Center in Washington, Pa., agreed with that assessment. He runs the Brentwood Gateway and Greenbrier rehabilitation outpatient site (Greenbrier was purchased by Gateway a few years ago).
“It can definitely be triggering for people in recovery,” said Cambest, who has been sober since 1998. “It’s emotional, and addiction is based on a memory and reward system. Social situations where everyone is drinking can definitely have an effect on someone in recovery.”
Hailey Phillips, who started her journey to sobriety during Dry January in 2019, is now comfortable being in a bar again. There was a time when she would meet friends and co-workers for a drink after work — but that one drink became many drinks, and she realized alcohol was taking over her life.
“I was never just a one-drink person,” Phillips said. “I would be hungover at work the next day but that would not stop me from drinking the next night. There was a specific moment I realized I had to do something.”
That moment was during an argument with her partner at the time, which was fueled by a night of drinking, she said.
“I thought, I can not do this anymore,” said Phillips, 32, of East Liberty. “This is not how I want to be spending my life. I had just gotten a new job and after losing several other jobs because of my drinking, I didn’t want to lose this new one. I had my own intervention. My drinking was problematic.”
For Phillips, starting fresh on that first day of the year was the first step in her path to reaching 100 days, then six months, she said, which was a good benchmark. She said she realized it wasn’t just a Dry January she needed, but she had to stop drinking alcohol altogether.
She also had to learn how to be in a situation with other people drinking. One way she’s found to help her is through her job at The Open Road, a retail shop filled with hundreds of adult non-alcoholic beverages such as beer, spirits, pre-made drinks and wine.
Phillips said she is more comfortable being around alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks and can help others who aren’t drinking for whatever reason when they come to the shop. The store is temporarily located inside Lawrenceville Hemp Co., until its permanent space in Garfield is able to open.
Carter Utz, owner of Lawrenceville Hemp, said she doesn’t drink because she is diabetic.
“With beverages from The Open Road, I can look like I am an adult having a drink,” Utz said.
Dry January has helped create even more demand for non-alcoholic beverages, according to Mel Babitz, owner of The Open Road. Babitz doesn’t drink because it doesn’t agree with her system but said she still likes the taste of a beer, wine or cocktail.
She said the non-alcoholic market follows trends such as creating old-time cocktails, which are having a resurgence at the moment.
“Some people are comfortable with a drink with a similar taste to alcohol while others aren’t,” said Babitz of Bellevue. “For some, it might depend on where they are in their recovery.”
That was true for Page, who avoided non-alcoholic drinks for three years and didn’t go out much because of that. But that made him feel isolated. He co-founded Teetotal Initiative with friend Jackie Slaugenhaupt, which offers sober-focused free programming that addresses some of the most common causes of relapse — isolation, boredom and loneliness.
“Teetotal Initiative inspires a stigma-free and celebratory social atmosphere, promoting meaningful sobriety and community opportunities for all, regardless of their journey to recovery,” said Page, 40.
Each journey is unique with alcohol, said Cambest, who is also a minister and performs weddings. He said he rarely attends the reception and cocktail hour because it can be uncomfortable.
Drinking a non-alcoholic beverage can also be challenging because some beers can have a trace of alcohol in them, Cambest said. He added that for those with an alcohol addiction, attempting Dry January without professional guidance can be dangerous — it can lead to other physical problems, including seizures and even death.
“(Alcohol abuse) is a disease and you can die from it,” Cambest said. “You have to be honest with yourself and make good choices in life. It’s like having a hammer. You can use it to build a house or you can hit someone over the head with it.”
Liz De Witt, taproom manager at Two Frays Brewery in Garfield said the brewery’s owners, Mike and Jen Onosray, wanted to create a space for everyone, so the couple invested resources into offering sober services.
They found a special yeast that doesn’t ferment a lot and produces a very low alcohol content — most of the brews are 0.5% or lower.
The brewery offers non- alcoholic drinks and is hosting Mod Mondays throughout January, serving only alcohol-free beverages each Monday this month. All of the alcohol is physically removed from the tap room on those days.
“We see people crying because they are happy and feel comfortable,” De Witt said. “They get emotional because they may not have been in a bar or brewery in a long time. Some people don’t want to be around other people drinking alcohol.”
Moon resident Maggie Sukel, who was shopping at The Open Road in December, said she was drinking three times a week and more before she stopped drinking altogether.
“It does not trigger me to be in a bar with other people drinking,” said Sukel, 28, who has been sober for nearly two years and likes Heineken 0.0. “I know it can be triggering for people, but I have been lucky. I think not drinking is becoming a cool thing. I also have had a good community around me to help me make good choices.”
Having a support system is good but even more beneficial is medically supervised rehabilitation, said Walter Martin, a treatment advocate for Recovery Centers of America in Monroeville. He said people who go to rehab tend to stay sober because they have the guidance and at times during the process receive the medication they need to detox safely.
Martin said if someone who abuses alcohol tries Dry January and finds themselves struggling or feeling uneasy, they should ask for help.
“We need to reduce the stigma, and oftentimes the embarrassment about other people finding out you were in rehab,” Martin said. “Often family members will wonder why someone keeps relapsing. I use the example of what happens when a diabetic does not manage their blood sugar. They need some guidance to work on themselves and identify why they drink and address those concerns.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at [email protected].
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