NEW ORLEANS — People who treat alcohol use disorders call this Hurricane Season because from Halloween through Mardi Gras, there are non-stop holiday celebrations.
Dry January can be especially hard to follow during Carnival season, but two programs can help.
For nearly 30 years, Donna Doolen overused alcohol.
“Grew up in New Orleans. I started drinking when I was 13. I looked forward to every Friday when I got to college. Drinking was just so acceptable. It made me feel like I was 10 feet tall, and I was bulletproof. Brought me out of fear of not being good enough,” said Donna Doolen, a licensed professional counselor and Clinical Director of Avenues Recovery in Metairie.
In her 40s, right before Hurricane Katrina, she realized she needed medical help.
“I kept changing relationships, and jobs, and things that were going on in my life to accommodate drinking. I lost friends. I lost contact with family,” Doolen remembers.
“Addiction is a disease. People don't ask to be born with it. It's genetic, 40 percent genetic, 60 percent environmental,” explained Dr. Susan Julius, an addiction and family medicine physician who is the Regional Medical Director of Avenues Recovery Louisiana.
Dr. Julius says rolling Dry January into Lent could change your health.
Twenty percent of people can actually stop drinking on their own. They don't need to seek professional help. Taking a Dry January might be all the impetus you that need,” said Dr. Julius.
Overuse Disorder Signs:
- Ruining life
- Missing work, Family events
- Weekends longer for using alcohol
- Morning drinking
Donna is now helping others at Avenues Recovery in Metairie.
“I don't have to think about what I did yesterday. I don't have to look at my phone in fear of the text that I sent out. My relationships are better. I chose better. My impulse control is down. My self-confidence is up,” Doolen said.
Now, over at Ochsner, registered dietician Molly Kimball started a Lent program called the Alcohol Free for 40 challenge. It's for anyone who wants to get healthy.
“We'll have people tell us, ‘My family likes me better. I'm handling stress so much better.’ One girl said, ‘We have less stupid fights,’” Kimball recounted.
Physical Benefits of Not Drinking Alcohol
- Liver enzymes
- Triglycerides
- Body fat
- Blood pressure
- Inflammation
- Sleep
- Stress
The list of physical benefits the doctors measure are numerous. Studies even show a drop in the risk for breast cancer, and there are emotional changes too.
“Anxiety is one of the biggest areas of improvement that people (see), it's so unexpected,” said Kimball.
The program comes with recipes for zero-proof cocktails without high-sugar ingredients. Across Louisiana, 700 people joined what Molly calls the most rewarding of Ochsner's Eat Fit program.
Around middle age, your body stops making an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol. So, drinking deteriorates the body much faster. Doctors say quitting cold turkey can be life-threatening for heavy drinkers.
For the Ochsner Lent alcohol-free challenge, click here. The deadline to sign up is Bacchus Sunday.
For the alcohol-free recipe book “Craft,” click here.
For more information about the Avenues Recovery Center at Louisiana click here.
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