Clinical psychologist explains the positive effects of dry January, forming healthy habits

SALISBURY, Md. – Every day, 385 people die as a result of excessive alcohol use. Clinical psychologist, Dr. Micheal Finegan, said that number should make you consider partaking in dry January.

“Dry January is a great idea. Even if one doesn’t have a problem with alcohol consumption, taking a break from consumption of anything that we do sometimes too much is valuable,” Dr. Finegan said.

It’s a campaign that’s been around for 11 years, celebrating sobriety for one month by asking people to swap alcoholic drinks for virgin beverages instead.

Dr. Finegan said taking the initiative can create a ripple effect of good habits that you can carry with you throughout the year.

“Often times, one healthy behavior facilitates another healthy behavior, so exercise, a lot of people start exercising because they want to get healthy,” Dr. Finegan said. “A great way to get healthy is to change your diet and change the amount you’re consuming in terms of alcohol.”

And after dry January, Dr. Finegan said easing into the rest of the year can help you better manage your relationship with alcohol.

“Dry January can be a reset, but if we go back to the excessive drinking in February and March, then we need to take a more serious look how alcohol is perhaps taking control of our life,” Dr. Finegan said.