Getting sober didn’t solve my problems.

It allowed me to deal with them.

When the new calendar arrived every January, I’d circle July 5th as the worst day of the year. In the dead of winter, I could look forward and know on I’d have a splitting headache, get sick to my stomach, have to do manual labor, be dehydrated, hate my life, and do it all on little sleep.

How did I know?

Because I loved the 4th of July, which meant I’d eating like shit, guzzle beer, down a bunch of shots, and stay awake until the wee hours. For freedom.

Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash

The ill effects didn’t seem like a consequence. They felt like a cover charge for a good time, and one I gladly paid for nearly two decades. I wouldn’t just pay it on July 5th, either. By the time I retired from drinking, I’d pay it more days than I didn’t. The beginning was different, and it’s what gets people. Good feelings with few consequences.

We’ve entered the golden age of getting sober. The trend’s brought new (and better) replacements to the market, and people are taking advantage. Dry January has grown to more than a novel personal challenge for your social media timeline of choice. In 2023, the Non-Alcoholic retail sales market hit $510 Million and has grown every year since 2019. In fact, in the same Nielsen report, Dry January isn’t even the biggest time of year for NA sales. It’s 4th of July and the holidays at year’s end.