Dry January & temporary abstinence: is it worth it? With Prof. Matt Field

The Alcohol 'Problem' Podcast

In this episode we talk to Prof. Matt Field about the evidence behind Dry January and temporary abstinence. We discuss what is known about the possible health and other benefits for drinkers from temporarily abstaining from alcohol. This includes who temporary abstinence may or may not be suitable for and implications for understanding drinking and alcohol addiction or dependence.
Professor Matt Field is a Professor of Psychology specialising in addiction at the University of Sheffield. He has published extensively on a range of addiction related topics including evaluations of Dry January, and is involved in ongoing research on the subject.

Support the Show.

For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/
Follow us at @alcoholpodcast on X and Instagram

Chapters

1. Dry January & temporary abstinence: is it worth it? With Prof. Matt Field (00:00:00)

2. Prof Matt Field (00:00:47)

3. Why take a month off? (00:01:29)

4. Spotting liver damage (00:03:26)

5. Lasting health effects of a month off? (00:05:21)

6. What happens to drinking after? (00:08:34)

7. Who takes part and why? (00:10:12)

8. Different temporary abstinence campaigns (00:12:10)

9. Behaviour change (00:14:17)

10. Self-efficacy (00:16:16)

11. What about dependence? (00:18:37)

12. Moderation goals (00:24:14)

13. Learning from a month off? (00:26:59)