Dry January
Dry January is a campaign that encourages individuals to give up alcohol for the month of January. Started in 2011, Dry January has grown into a massive challenge that just about 1/6 people in Britain attempt.
The aim is to attempt to reduce the harm that alcohol does. Alcohol can seriously damage the body as well as the mind. Although, alcohol causes many issues, giving up alcohol can be beneficial in other ways.
Mental Health
Many of us that drink, think that some of the many effects of drinking is that it reduces stress or even makes us less anxious. However, drinking can actual worsen the effects of mental health problems. This is due to that fact that heavy drinking can affect the neurotransmitters in our brains that is necessary for good mental health.
Depression can also be alcohol related. Regular drinking lowers the level of serotonin, a chemical that helps to regulate your mood, in the brain. In the UK, people who have suffer from anxiety or depression are 2 times as likely to be heavy drinkers.
Some of the long-term damage of alcohol is that it can damage your memory. Alcohol can make the brain stop recording memories, which is why after a night out of drinking some individuals may develop a black out where they cannot remember anything happening. Although, this does not mean that you have damaged your memory, regular and heavy drinking sessions can leave permanent damage to your brain.
Liver Disease
Liver disease is a common term used to describe damage that has occurred to the liver. Alcohol in large amounts can cause what is called, “alcoholic liver disease”.
Unfortunately Alcohol-related liver disease does not show any symptoms until it is in its late stages when the liver is extremely damaged. Long term heavy drinking can led the liver to no longer regenerate and result in serious damages.
If you would to find out more please visit our Liver Function test page.
Opportunity
Dry January is an opportunity not only to help your health by stopping drinking but also by taking up a healthy exercise. So we at LDC would like to encourage you not just take to drop alcohol but also to run a marathon, cycle or even swim. It is never too late to give up drinking and never too early to start training for your new hobby.