EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — With the new year already in effect, many people are choosing to partake in healthy lifestyles including the “Dry January” trend. However, some people might find it difficult to follow through.
Emergence Health Network Director of the Texas Correctional Office on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments (TCOOMMI) and Therapist Lupita Peña says it’s always a personal choice when deciding to partake in “Dry January” and it could be a “powerful” trend to follow for those who want a new and healthier lifestyle.
“They end up feeling better physically, they end up not having as much anxiety or depressive symptoms, they’re able to be more focused, they’re able to be more physically active, they show up differently and sometimes in better ways within their relationships and reactions at work, so I think it’s something that’s really beneficial whether it’s something that a person wants to do because they’re struggling with alcohol and that’s not always the case at all. It could be just something that you’re curious about that you want to try out,” Peña said.
For those who want to commit to “Dry January” but feel like they might not be able to, Peña says that’s completely normal.
“The likelihood that any of us can set a goal and just meet that from the very beginning is very unlikely,” Peña said.
Peña says failing to meet goals the first time is part of the process and is a learning game.
“It’s called Dry January but you can essentially start whenever you want and if you didn’t meet those goals, you can start again, over and over again,” Peña said.
Peña says the holidays and the beginning of the year can be a time when people experience anxiety and stress, which could lead to self-medicating with alcohol or other substances.
“Those feelings of anxiety and getting back into it could cause some of that self-medicating,” Peña said.
For those who are struggling with an active alcohol addiction and want to participate in “Dry January” or want to stop cold turkey, it’s important to seek medical help.
“It’s always recommended that you are seeing a physician you know, with drinking specifically it could lead to a lot of different physical illnesses and even death if someone decides to just stop cold turkey and a lot of people might not be aware of that with alcohol right, we think withdrawing from other substances is a lot more dangerous but alcohol is one of the most if not the most dangerous,” Peña said.
“Dry January” is when people choose to eliminate alcohol or other substances from their lifestyle for the full month of January.
Emergence Health Network offers a variety of services for people who are self-medicating and need help. To learn more about those services or to schedule an appointment, call 915-242-0555.
To learn more about the Emergence Health Network, click here: https://emergencehealthnetwork.org/.
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