Member-only story
The Teetotalers Are Back at It Again
The “Sober Curious” movement has begun demonizing those who drink alcohol
For over a decade, I’ve embraced the ritual of “Dry January” — a month-long challenge to ditch alcohol, reset habits, boost health, or, for some, take a hard look at their relationship with drinking. When I first started, a recurring question I was asked was, “But why?” Suddenly, I understood how people who didn’t imbibe or who’d gone through 12-Step felt — you were weird if you didn’t drink. This type of response only emboldened me to continue the practice.
Unlike everyone else, however, I hadn’t given up alcohol for the typical reasons associated with Dry January. In fact, few things bring me more joy than going to a brewery with friends for a pint. I pursued Dry January for spiritual reasons, participating in a fast. Fasting involves removing food, temptations, or things you enjoy for a period to gain clarity or direction in your spiritual life. Over the years, I’ve given up coffee (caffeine headaches are brutal), cheese, social media, wheat, legumes, and nearly everything else you can imagine, but alcohol has always been on the list. Given that alcohol can become highly addictive for some people, I wanted to ensure it didn’t hold sway over me.
