Answer Addiction

Tag: alcohol free

  • Anne Hathaway Talks Giving Up Drinking

    Anne Hathaway Talks Giving Up Drinking

    Hathaway said that she was surprised about the media attention her announcement to give up drinking has garnered.

    Anne Hathaway says that she is giving up drinking for the next 15 or so years, until her three-year-old son Jonathan is out of the house, because the hangovers she gets can affect her parenting.  

    “I didn’t put [a drink] down because my drinking was a problem; I put it down because the way I drink leads me to have hangovers and those were the problem,” Hathaway told Boston Common magazine. “My last hangover lasted for five days. When I’m at a stage in my life where there is enough space for me to have a hangover, I’ll start drinking again, but that won’t be until my kid is out of the house.”

    In January, Hathaway mentioned her sobriety, and said that she was surprised about the media attention to something that she feels is a personal decision, not a principle stance. 

    “I just want to make this clear: Most people don’t have to do such an extreme thing. I don’t think drinking is bad,” she said. “It’s just the way I do it—which I personally think is really fun and awesome—is just not the kind of fun and awesome that goes with having a child for me. But this isn’t a moralistic stance.”

    Hathaway first mentioned her sobriety on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, according to USA Today. 

    She said, ”I don’t totally love the way I (drink) and (my son is) getting to an age where he really does need me all the time in the mornings. I did one school run one day where I dropped him off at school, I wasn’t driving, but I was hungover and that was enough for me. I didn’t love that one.”

    Hathaway told Boston Common that while she doesn’t want to tell other people what to do, she does want to be public about things that are helping her live a healthier life.  

    “I’ve recently been on a streak where things are just starting to work, so I can share that with people, and they can take from it what resonates and ignore what doesn’t,” she said. “I am not some relentless self-improver, but I am trying to learn to live in the world with as little pain as possible.”

    She also mentioned the changes that are coming to Hollywood because of the #metoo movement. 

    “There are moments of seismic change, and I can’t imagine going back. The people that get it really get it,” she said. “The biggest obstacles at this point are people who claim to get it but haven’t done the work. I think it’s going to take everyone examining how much privilege they have and how it is being used and taking responsibility for creating equality. It’s going to take everyone.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Dry January's Popularity Leads More Bars To Mix Non-Alcoholic Drinks

    Dry January's Popularity Leads More Bars To Mix Non-Alcoholic Drinks

    Bars are crafting specialty drinks with flashy names to draw in alcohol-free customers during the month of January.

    The Dry January public health campaign started several years ago by a group called Alcohol Change UK, a London-based advocacy group. Now the campaign has spread to the U.S., and many New York bars are finding themselves mixing mocktails (cocktails without alcohol) for their customers.

    This is great news for those trying to abstain or reduce their alcohol consumption, making it easier to do a night on the town with friends and still participate in the festivities—without the drinking.

    New York bars such as Existing Conditions are crafting specialty drinks with flashy names to draw in alcohol-free customers, such as the “Serendipity,” a drink with a tomato and passion fruit blend.

    At $16, the drink is expensive but delicious—just refrain from calling it a mocktail. According to Channel Three News, owners Dave Arnold and Don Lee say, “It contains the word ‘mock.’ Why would I want to mock the guest who’s coming in?” Arnold and Lee want to take their customers seriously, they say—alcohol drinkers or not.

    They continue, “We put more time and effort into going from a raw ingredient to a final product, because that’s what it takes to put that much flavor into something without alcohol.”

    Not all bars are happy about Dry January.

    “We hate it!” says Johnny Swet, a bar owner in New York. “You don’t see your regulars. Where are they?” he says. “A guy comes in for four or five bourbons, four or five nights a week, and then you don’t see him. Is he out of town? His friends say, ‘He’s not drinking this month.’ Oh lord.”

    Swet says that January has gotten so slow that he is encouraging his bartenders to go on vacation. Tips are down by as much as 25%. The average person at a bar might drink two or three cocktails in one sitting, but just one or two mocktails, says Rick Camac at the Institute of Culinary Education in The Wall Street Journal.

    Mocktails also often involve complicated recipes with pricey ingredients, and fresh-squeezed juice in an alcohol-free drink can cost more than the alcohol itself. $16 is the average cost for a virgin drink, and customers aren’t always willing to pay that much.

    Though Dry January may not be good for business, the month-long public health campaign is about health and wellness. Mintel Senior Beverage Analyst Caleb Bryant told Channel Three News, “For some that means reducing alcohol consumption, or abstaining from alcohol entirely.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • John Mayer Details Giving Up Alcohol After Drake's Birthday Party

    John Mayer Details Giving Up Alcohol After Drake's Birthday Party

    “I was in my sixth day of the hangover… I went, ‘OK, John, what percentage of your potential would you like to have?’”

    Singer-songwriter John Mayer hasn’t had a drink in two years.

    “I just went deep one night, and I remember being like, ‘What happens if I keep going?’” he said in a new interview with Complex.

    The decision was simple. “It was Drake’s 30th birthday party, and I made quite a fool of myself,” he recalled. “And then I had a conversation with myself. I remember where I was. I was in my sixth day of the hangover… I went, ‘OK, John, what percentage of your potential would you like to have?’”

    There was no wrong answer, he told himself. But in the end, he wanted it all—100%.

    “The voice in my head said, ‘OK. Do you know what that means?’ I went, ‘We don’t have to talk anymore. I get it.’”

    The “Your Body Is a Wonderland” singer is hoping to show people that there are alternatives to drinking. “I want people to know that ‘that’s enough for now’ is on the menu, so to speak,” he said on social media October 2017.

    Giving up drinking—a very personal experience, he says—paved the way to new things. “The next year, I did four tours, I was in two bands, I was happy on airplanes.”

    Not drinking “feels like boredom at first,” he explained. But sticking with it will level everything out. “You’re like, ‘Oh, I”m not having these high highs.’ But if you work, you can bring the whole line up.”

    Mayer says because it is different for everyone, it’s hard to explain how he came to quit booze on his own.”It’s the most personal thing to people. If I were to tell other people how they could do it, it just is so particular to your own spirit and your own psychology that it’s almost impossible to develop one way of explaining it to someone else.”

    Mayer also recalled collaborating on a song with late rapper Mac Miller (born Malcolm McCormick). The Pittsburgh native died of a drug overdose on Sept. 7 in his home in Studio City, California.

    “I just wish it wasn’t fatal. I just wish figuring out your life didn’t take your life away from you,” Mayer says. “I don’t have an answer for how to fix that, but once you get old enough to understand how valuable life is, you look at people and go, ‘I just wish you could work this out.’”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Stone Cold Steve Austin Gives Up Trademark Beer Chugging

    Stone Cold Steve Austin Gives Up Trademark Beer Chugging

    The legendary WWE star has given up alcohol and taken up yoga. 

    Stone Cold Steve Austin announced on his podcast, The Steve Austin Show, that he is giving up beer. He announced to fans that he’s doing it for his health, it’s working, and that he hasn’t had a drink in over two weeks.

    “My eating program is going fantastic. [I’m] sticking to my exact macros. [I’ve had] zero alcohol for right at 14 days now,” he said on the podcast. “Pounds are coming off. My strength is going up. Jesus Christ, I’m getting as strong as a goddamn horse over here.”

    Quitting beer isn’t the only way the WWE legend is boosting his health, he also told listeners he’s started Diamond Dallas Page’s yoga program.

    “No alcohol, and when you hit the weights on a consistent basis and eat what you’re supposed to, it is amazing the difference that you can make or I’m making,” he raved on the show. “I’m also doing my DDP Yoga s***. Hell, I’m going to jump up here and do the splits like a goddamn cheerleader in a minute! I’m flexible as a motherf******. Dallas’ program works like a b****. I appreciate it, Dallas. I appreciate it, man. That’s a badass program. I’m sticking to it.”

    He also told listeners about another change, though one that’s less in interest of his health and more about trying something new: medical marijuana.

    “The times I had tried to smoke dope way back in the day, I didn’t like it because dope just always made me feel kind of dumb and when I’d said something, I’d think, ‘does that sound stupid or not?’” he recalled. “It just brought me down, so dope never was my thing. I was an alcohol guy. I liked whiskey, tequila, vodka, beer. I could go on and on.”

    After getting his hands on a “marijuana cigarette,” Austin recalled becoming paranoid as he approached a checkpoint.

    “I’m thinking, ‘man, here I am, retired from the wrestling business, a global icon and a national treasure, and I’m about to get busted for f***ing one joint because I wanted to try out a goddamn marijuana cigarette, so I could get away from the booze,’” Austin recounted.

    “We go through there, the dude looks at me and I look at him. We’ve been passing through there for 10, 15 years. I’ve been passing through my whole damn life and they knew who we are and we always say ‘hi’ to them. But anyway, on this occasion, since I’m carrying.”

    Despite the trouble, Austin found the marijuana underwhelming and asked his wife for a drink.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • You Made It Through Sober October, What’s Next?

    You Made It Through Sober October, What’s Next?

    Recovery is not something we wear lightly; it is a lifelong challenge to recover our ability to regulate our bodies, heal from our trauma, and lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

    Sober October is a great way to gain awareness of your drinking — whether your goal is to get sober or just take a break from alcohol. As positive as that lifestyle change might be, however, it has caused some controversy in the recovery community. For many of us, sobriety isn’t a choice; it’s a necessity if we want to stay alive. So it feels somewhat tokenizing when people are trying on recovery for size. On the other hand, what if it is a doorway to change? What if it creates sufficient awareness to help someone make a few adjustments to lead a healthier and more fulfilling life?

    The challenge — initially called Go Sober for October — originated in the UK as an alcohol awareness campaign and a fundraiser for MacMillan Cancer Support. It is now gaining traction globally as more of a lifestyle change leading up to the holidays. In a recent Forbes article, Sober October was touted as a way to help reset your body and prepare it for the damage that inevitably takes place over the indulgent holiday season. They point out that a month off alcohol combined with other wellness-supporting measures such as a healthier diet and more exercise will lead to better sleep, increased energy, and a clearer mind. With those small lifestyle improvements, people who participate in a month of sobriety will no doubt mitigate the health damage of the party season should they return to drinking. And that’s a positive outcome no matter who you are — whether you’re seeking sobriety or just want to improve your health and wellness.</p

    But for people in recovery, the problem occurs when those trying Dry January or Sober October flippantly celebrate how easy it was, or alternatively reach out to recovery advocates to ask for support during their challenge. Writer and advocate Tawny Lara describes why this is annoying in her article, Why Trying On Sobriety is Offensive: “Strangers frequently reach out to me asking for suggestions on how to get through 30ish days without drinking,” she says. “I don’t think they realize that my sobriety doesn’t have an end point. It’s fine that someone who probably doesn’t have issues with substance abuse, is ‘trying on sobriety’ for a little while, but why are you asking me, someone who does struggle with substance abuse, for advice? I can’t be your cheerleader for 30 days just so you can celebrate day 31 by posting photos of mimosas on Instagram.”

    She continues, “If you really want to experience the lifestyle of us sober folks, try on recovery … not sobriety. Almost anyone can take a break from drinking. Try doing that, paired with the emotionally exhausting work of identifying why you drink and why you’re choosing to give it up temporarily.”

    I understand Tawny’s frustration. Recovery is not something we wear lightly; it is a lifelong challenge to recover our ability to regulate our bodies, heal from our trauma, and lead a healthy and fulfilling life. And I used to find these types of challenges as offensive as she does. Now though, as I have become more of an advocate for harm reduction, I see them as a gateway to change. I support anyone in their desire to lead a less harmful and destructive life, whether they have a problematic relationship with alcohol or just want to temporarily improve their health.

    So, to those of you who tried the challenge to improve your health and are ready to return to moderate drinking: I salute you. Even though I cannot drink normally, I respect those who can. It is also my hope that you’ll be able to recall how great you felt when you were sober for a month, and how you achieved it, should your relationship with alcohol change.

    And to those of you who entered into the challenge hoping to try sobriety on for size with that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that your drinking might be a little out of control, I’m here to tell you that life only continues to improve in sustained sobriety. Truly. I am not going to tell you that it’s easy because it’s not. But it sure as heck is worth it. As a woman who has been in recovery for over six and a half years, my life is immeasurably better: there is less drama, I have fun, I don’t have to sell my belongings to get four bottles of wine on the way home. I feel great most days, and I can’t imagine a life so painful that I have to numb myself every day. Today I want to be present and I want to show up.

    If you want to extend Sober October into November and beyond (or if you think you might want to try again sometime in the future), there are many resources to help you on your journey to recovery. As Tawny suggests, we need to examine a problematic relationship with alcohol and get to the heart of why we’re using it as a coping mechanism. There are many pathways of recovery and many supportive groups to help you with the process. Here are my top five tips:

    1. Find a pathway of recovery that works for you. Whether it’s AA, SMART Recovery, or a meditation community, there is something for everyone. Don’t give up until you find one that works.
    2. Work with a great therapist to help you through the process.
    3. Build social supports. Find a local recovery community in your area, like an Alano Club. The Meetup website is a great way to find sober groups to hang out with.
    4. Find an online supportive community. Reddit and Facebook groups (She Recovers Together, Sober SHAIR Group, HOMies, Life After 12-Step Recovery) are great supportive communities.
    5. Read recovery literature.

    If you’re still unsure and want to ponder the idea of continued sobriety, why not follow Joe Rogan’s Sober October thread? Or you can continue to read recovery publications to see if this is a lifestyle you want now that you’ve had a taste of it. I can recommend staying alcohol-free indefinitely, but you have to do what is right for you when you’re ready. If Sober October opens the doorway to that challenge, then I wholeheartedly support you!

    Note: heavy drinkers should not stop drinking alcohol suddenly without medical supervision. Going “cold turkey” can cause serious and even life-threatening complications.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Sober October" Gains Traction As Way To Reset Mentally, Physically

    "Sober October" Gains Traction As Way To Reset Mentally, Physically

    Sober October is derived from a UK campaign aimed at raising awareness about alcohol consumption. 

    Going alcohol-free doesn’t have to be just for those in recovery. 

    According to Forbes, there are both mental and physical benefits to taking a month off from alcohol—and anyone can dial in on those benefits by taking part in Sober October. 

    The idea borrows from a popular campaign in the UK, where Go Sober for October acts as a way to raise awareness around alcohol consumption and is also part of a fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Support. 

    Sober October is a good opportunity for individuals to reset their bodies before the holiday season, as the holiday months often involve eating and drinking more than is recommended. The month of abstinence can also reset the body as the winter months approach, which, for some, can be draining and depressing.

    For those who drink often and heavily, the idea of Sober October may sound intimidating. But, the Evening Standard notes, it’s doable if done in a safe manner.

    Dr. Fiona Sim, former general practitioner and medical adviser to the non-profit Drinkaware, tells the Evening Standard that individuals should be aware of the dangers of quitting cold turkey. 

    “Because your body has been used to having lots of alcohol, you may experience some very nasty side effects, including trembling hands, headaches and lack of appetite,” she said. “The same can apply even if you’re a moderate drinker, although the side effects tend to more psychological, such as irritability and poor concentration. So unless you need to give up drinking quickly, you would probably find it better to cut down more slowly and steadily by having some drink-free days each week.”

    Sim recommends telling those in your social circle the truth when participating in Sober October. 

    “Tell the people closest to you, because they’ll need to know why you turn down a drink of an evening, which you might not normally do,” she said. “Some people might even join you in stopping or cutting down their own drinking once they hear your story.”

    It’s also important to remember that people who pass judgment on the decision may be facing issues of their own, Sim says.

    “Like anything else in life, it’s important always to be yourself and not be swayed by other people judging you or by thinking they are judging you… So please remember that if you think people are going to judge you harshly for drinking less, it is those people who have the problem, not you.”

    Sober October isn’t the only month designated for going alcohol-free. Also popular is Dry January, during which individuals abstain from drinking for the first month of the new year, as a way to reset and start off the year on a healthy foot.

    View the original article at thefix.com