Does Dry January Actually Change People’s Drinking Habits? What the Research Says (E308)
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A lot of people do Dry January hoping it will reset their relationship with alcohol, and then feel confused or discouraged when it doesn’t. Dry January works, just not in the way most people think it does. If you’ve ever taken a 30, 90, or even year-long break from drinking, felt better, and then slowly slid back into the same patterns, this episode will explain why. We’ll talk about why willpower works during the challenge but fails afterward, why the brain treats breaks as an exception instead of a turning point, and what actually has to change for sobriety to stick. Once you understand the difference between a pause and a rewire, a lot of self-blame starts to fall away.
E296-300 drinking motives and how problem drinking develops/escalates
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Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice.
Listen here. The episode will automatically load in your preferred podcast listening app.
Cite:
Gillian Tietz. Does Dry January Actually Change People’s Drinking Habits? What the Research Says (E308). Sober Powered. 2026
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