We’re coming up to that time of year again… no, not Christmas preparations, or even necessarily ‘Dry January’, but a phenomenon that – at least if you’re doing things ‘by the calendar’ – you can get involved in right now.

Yes, we are, of course, referring to ‘Sober October’. As recently reported by The Independent, Sober October isn’t new as such – having been established by Macmillan Cancer Support in 2014, and gone on to help raise more than £33 million for the charity. 

And according to the online newspaper, over 10,000 people have committed to participating in this year’s Sober October challenge. But what should you know about Sober October if it’s something you fancy partaking in yourself, and could it be the right move for you? 

There can be some real benefits to going without booze for a month… 

You might not expect a business like ours that specialises in making available beer kegs for the use of a home or office bar, to have many positive things to say about the notion of cutting out the consumption of alcohol for an entire month. 

But there have been various potential benefits observed of following a Sober October or Dry January regimen. Taking a break from alcohol for a month could bring you such advantages as improved sleep patterns, heightened energy levels, a better-functioning immune system, and even a healthier appearance. 

The latter, for example, can come about due to the diuretic effect that alcohol has on the body; drinking alcohol can lead to dehydration, and dry and dull-looking skin and eyes. 

Plus, observing Sober October or Dry January could even have benefits for you long after your month away from the booze is over. Past research has indicated that six months after people take on Dry January, 70% of them are still drinking more healthily. 

…but there are also some possible drawbacks to bear in mind 

No one likes to hear a “but” when it comes to something they are eager to try, but it is important to acknowledge that trying to embrace Sober October – or Dry January – might be far from a risk-free path for everyone. 

Regular moderate to heavy drinkers should be particularly wary, given that they might have developed a certain degree of alcohol dependency presenting the risk of negative consequences for health if they do try to stop drinking suddenly. 

Symptoms that such drinkers may experience when attempting to go without alcohol for a month – constituting ‘withdrawal symptoms’ – range from restlessness, hallucinations, and nausea to sweating, anxiety and depression. 

In the event that you experience any of these symptoms, we would always advise you to seek help from your doctor, who may suggest that suddenly trying to go completely ‘dry’ – whether during October or January – might not be the best course of action for you. 

That’s before you also consider the potential effects on your health if you plan to return to drinking alcohol once your ‘dry’ month is over. In that situation, the positive consequences for your health that you enjoyed as a result of not drinking alcohol could soon be reversed. A gradual decrease in your alcohol intake, rather than an attempted ‘month off’ from drinking, may be better for you in terms of driving down your longer-term alcohol consumption. 

What role can Love Beer play in your Sober October challenge? 

In case you haven’t noticed already from browsing our online store, we stock a broad assortment of alcoholic, low-alcohol, and no-alcohol options here at Love Beer. 

Whether you are looking to purchase a barrel of 0% lager or any of the wine, IPA, pale ale, or other kegs that we have available right now, we have the ideal beverages for you to pick from for your home or office bar – whatever your intended drinking habits may be this autumn and winter.