Sober October – A Month of Reflection and Renewal

If the events of this year have felt overwhelming, you’re certainly not alone. Many of us may have faced unprecedented challenges, from the shift to remote work to the inability to connect with friends and family. In such times of stress, we see that alcohol bottle glistening in our kitchen cabinet… and we go BOOM!… ‘It is just one drink; nothing is going to happen…’ While enjoying a drink now and then is perfectly fine, consistently exceeding the recommended limits – one drink per day for women and two for men – can negatively impact both mental and physical well-being.

As we seek healthier ways to cope and reflect on our habits, the Sober October challenge presents a compelling opportunity. Originating in 2014 as a fundraising initiative for Macmillan Cancer Support in the UK, Sober October has grown into a global movement encouraging individuals to abstain from alcohol for the month.

In this blog, let’s explore Sober October and the health benefits it offers.

The Roots of this Movement

Sober October was initiated in 2014 as a fundraising effort for Macmillan Cancer Support (MCS). MCS is a UK-based charity that provides practical, emotional, and financial support to people affected by cancer. One innovative way by which they have, and continue to raise sizeable funds is by introducing this ‘Sober October’ movement.

This is an initiative which encourages social drinkers to modify their habits for a month, and adopt healthier lifestyle choices. While this seems like an excellent opportunity to take charge of one’s health, what exactly does it entail?

Details of Sober October

If you have ever participated in Dry January, you’ll find that Sober October follows a similar concept: it is a month dedicated to abstaining from alcohol consumption. You can join the official fundraising campaign here. Once you join, you will have the option to go without alcohol for 14, 21 or even the full 31 days! The longer you abstain, the more pennies you collect… and what is most exciting is that every penny you raise goes to helping MCS fund critical services to cancer patients and their caregivers!

Whether or not you decide to engage in the fundraising aspect, the core essence of Sober October lies in self-examination. It’s an opportunity to evaluate how dependent you are on alcohol. You may be thinking: “Why bother with all this in the first place?… It is not like I am going to be able to continue this pattern of abstinence long term.” This may be the first thought clouding your head if you are considering joining the movement as a bystander rather than an active participant. But… fear not! Recovery doesn’t always mean going cold turkey. In fact, according to Cyndi Turner, a licensed therapist and co-founder of Insight Into Action Therapy, “Alcohol use exists on a spectrum.”

So, do not let the challenge scare you. Sober October is NOT ABOUT making you feel bad about yourself (in case you may relapse), but about gaining insight into how deeply tangled you are in the web of alcohol dependency, so that you can foster healthier choices moving forward. Taking baby steps, such as by quitting for 14 days and progressively increasing the length of sobriety or replacing alcohol with surrogate non-alcoholic counterparts (one good option is TOST) will help you stave off a potential cascade of health problems. To understand just how amazing cutting back alcohol can be for your health, let’s look into the consequences of heavy alcohol use.

Consequences of Heavy Alcohol Consumption

Unfortunately, heavy alcohol drinking can lead to a variety of serious consequences, both short term and long term. Here are some key effects:

Short-term Consequences:

Intoxication: Impaired judgment, coordination, and reaction times.
Accidents: Increased risk of accidents, injuries, or fatalities due to impaired motor skills.
Alcohol poisoning: Can lead to severe health issues, including unconsciousness, respiratory failure, or death.
Risky behaviors: Increased likelihood of engaging in dangerous activities, such as unprotected sex or driving under the influence.

Long-term Consequences:

Addiction: Development of alcohol use disorder (AUD), which is a medical condition characterized by an inability to control or stop drinking despite negative consequences. Unfortunately, if AUD develops, it can lead to physical and psychological dependence.
Liver damage: Conditions such as fatty liver, hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), cirrhosis (replacement of healthy liver tissue with scar and damaged tissue), and liver cancer.
Cardiovascular issues: Increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Mental health problems: Higher rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.
Cognitive impairment: Long-term memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and other cognitive deficits.
Gastrointestinal problems: Issues like gastritis, ulcers, and pancreatitis.
Increased cancer risk: Higher susceptibility to various cancers, including mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, breast, and colon cancer.

Social and Economic Consequences:

Relationship issues: Strain on family and social relationships.
Job performance: Decreased productivity, absenteeism, and job loss.
Legal problems: Potential for arrests related to drunk driving or other alcohol-related offenses.

Given the plethora of consequences tied to chronic alcohol use, it is extremely important that one takes charge against them. By joining the Sober October movement, you can cut back while taking baby steps in the right direction.

And more importantly, you are not only fighting for a better version of yourself, but also curating tons of pennies to help those with cancer. So cheers! (with a non-alcohol drink, of course).