09 Jan How to Change Your Relationship With Alcohol, Without Giving up or Doing Dry January
How to Change Your Relationship With Alcohol, Without Giving up or Doing Dry January
Dry January is widely promoted as a reset, but for many people it doesn’t address the real issue – your relationship with alcohol, not the alcohol itself.
If you’re a successful, self-aware adult who enjoys drinking but doesn’t always feel in control of it, abstinence-only messaging can feel irrelevant, extreme, or quietly shaming, and can lead to binge drinking, after abstinence.
You’re right to question it. In my opinion it’s not a helpful strategy for a healthy relationship with alcohol.
Why Dry January Doesn’t Work for Many People
Dry January tends to appeal most to binge-drinking patterns or all-or-nothing thinking. But many of the people I work with:
- don’t drink every day
- don’t see themselves as having a “problem”
- are functioning well in life and business
- yet feel alcohol has more influence than they’d like
The issue isn’t willpower.
It’s emotional association, habit loops, and nervous system regulation.
A month off doesn’t change those patterns – it just pauses them.
If you’re wondering ‘can I moderate my drinking without giving up alcohol?’ The answer is yes! You don’t need to give up alcohol to feel in control of your drinking.
If you want to change your relationship with alcohol, long-term success comes from understanding why you reach for it and what it’s doing for you emotionally.
For many high-functioning people, alcohol is used to:
- switch off a busy mind
- down-regulate stress
- soften emotional overload
- create permission to relax
Until those needs are met in healthier ways, removing alcohol alone won’t create lasting change.
A Client-Led Approach to Lasting Change
In my work, I don’t impose rules or goals around quitting.
Instead, I help clients feel calm, in control, and choice-led around alcohol using practical, evidence-informed approaches such as:
- Hypnotherapy – Self Hypnosis
To gently interrupt unconscious patterns and reduce emotional pull – without forcing behaviour change. - EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
To regulate stress, cravings, and emotional triggers that drive habitual drinking. - Nervous system regulation
So alcohol is no longer the primary way to unwind or cope.
This work is always client-led. You remain fully aware, in control, and involved at every stage. There is no loss of autonomy, and no pressure to stop drinking unless you want and choose to. You may or may not choose a period of abstinence, it’s about what is going to work for you.
I am a qualified hypnotherapist and coach based in Nottingham and available for both in person and virtual sessions worldwide.
What Happens When You Change Your Relationship With Alcohol
Clients often notice:
- reduced urge to drink “out of habit”
- more conscious, enjoyable choices around alcohol
- less guilt or mental negotiation
- increased emotional resilience
- a sense of control that doesn’t rely on restriction
This is about freedom, not rules.
If Dry January Doesn’t Resonate, That Doesn’t Equal Failure
If you’ve tried Dry January and it felt unsustainable, performative, or irrelevant, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.
It means you’re ready for a more intelligent, compassionate approach – one that fits your life, values, and nervous system.
My Journey Letting go of Binge Drinking & Changing My Relationship With Alcohol
Yes, I’ve done it! I was a binge drinker for years and could have never envisaged a weekend without alcohol, let alone the 2 years I eventually naturally chose to do. Because of the reframing work I did internally around alcohol, I don’t say this to be flippant however it was easy.
Russell Brand’s book, along with a couple of poignant experiences post my daughter – a negative one around alcohol (with my daughter as a baby) and a positive one (being introduced to alcohol free conscious festivals) got me to a point I knew I wanted to stop, for a significant time. As someone who is neurodivergent (ADHD & ASD) I am susceptible to addictive behaviours however I’ve managed to navigate this.
I now consider myself a conscious drinker. This means that I choose to mindfully drink a few, every now and then, however the pull it once had, has gone, and it no longer leads to binge drinking. I have found a freedom and liberation around changing my relationship, and if I can do it after 30 years of it being a big part of my life, then so can you.
How I Can Help You Change Your Relationship with Alcohol
I support professionals, entrepreneurs, and high-functioning individuals who want to feel calm, in control, and confident around alcohol – with or without giving it up entirely.
If you’re curious about changing your relationship with alcohol in a way that feels respectful, effective, and sustainable:
👉 Explore my work in hypnotherapy, EFT, and emotional regulation at https://www.rebeccadakin.com
👉 Or get in touch to discuss private, bespoke support tailored to you https://rebeccadakin.com/contact-me/
Real change isn’t about abstinence, it’s about agency.
More January posts here: https://rebeccadakin.com/low-energy-and-withdrawal-in-winter-why-january-makes-you-want-to-disappear/