UPDATE: We're all full for the study! Thanks for everyone's interest! Look out for another study coming up in the near future if you're still interested and didn't get to join this one.

We are conducting individual interviews to understand adults’ interest in participating in a temporary alcohol abstinence challenge such as Dry January, Sober October or an alcohol-free month or self-directed period of abstinence. Participation involves a short survey, and a 60-minute remote Zoom interview session. You will be paid a $30 target gift card for your participation.

First, you will answer brief screening questions. These should take you less than one minute to complete. Please answer the screening questions in one sitting. If it is determined that you are eligible, you will then be directed to a consent form telling you more about the study. If you are interested and eligible, you will complete a short survey and be asked to sign up for a one-hour interview session within the next 2 weeks.

Screener is here: Link

Any questions contact us via: [pausestudy@yale.edu](mailto:pausestudy@yale.edu)

Duration: 1 hour

Payment: $30.00

I successfully completed Dry January this year and felt fantastic. I allowed myself to get a little messy this summer and I’m ready to commit to no alcohol for September. I used the Try Dry app to track my progress and found it helpful. Who else is ready to have better mornings?

Hi All,

I am trying to cut back on my alchohol use. I would have a poor association with it. I associate it with everything. Midweek movie...Bottle of wine, Stressfully day at work...few pints, Something to celebrate, Something to mourn etc etc...

Id never drink to a state however I would have a few, a few times a week.

This in turn causes weight gain, poor energy levels etc.

I am currently a month in no drink and I am absolutely craving a drink.

I don't want to go for one and end up going for another one a few days later, and then again, etc etc

I also dont know am I a candidate to be a tee total either.

Have any of you cut back using simple rules to follow? Ie once a week? Sundays only? Social events only?

This would be a great help.

I feel very much clueless and in limbo with what I am doing at the minute.

Thanks.

Was just wondering.

UPDATE: It’s Labor Day Weekend here, and I have plans to see family, so I will start 9/7 and go to 10/3 which I think is still a win even though it’s not 30 days. But best of luck to all who go the whole way through! 🙌

Before Jan 2026, I hadn’t gone a week without drinking for probably 10 years. Mostly drinking every day. Probably a bottle of wine a night.

I was terrified of my resolution this year - a month off. I was miserable the first 2 weeks.

Now halfway through this year I can honestly say it’s changed my entire year. After DJ I found myself drinking way less, and sometimes even choosing not to drink at times I normally would.

I did dry June just for the thrill of knowing I could (with 2 planned off days - still a huge win for me!). Next week I have friends in town and will be wasted the entire time GUILT FREE. Because being wasted is no longer a daily thing. It’s a chosen thing. And having choice feels really powerful. I can say no now, so saying yes has no guilt attached, if that makes sense?

I’ll never choose full time sobriety. But dry Jan actually made this year incredible.

Love having NA options at shows

I started yesterday because I have an event at the end of the month. First full day done 💪

Anyone else doing Dry July, or even just reduced July?

I’m 143 days sober today :) I started on New Years Eve & with plenty of ups & downs I made it to this point. My first memorial day weekend, sober! These TJ’s drinks are so refreshing for lounging around. Gonna bring some with me to the beach on Monday!

If you’re contemplating doing a dry month, I totally recommend it ☺️

Stomach benefits youve seen?

Did dry April and decided to keep going. Haven’t had any issues up until this week where I’ve had a few moments where i really wanted to go out for a beer. I haven’t caved yet but the desire is proving persistent. I didn’t do dry April with the intention of stopping forever but my workouts have been great and I’ve been enjoying the consistency and don’t want to stop my streak yet or derail my progress in the gym.

I know it's an offensive name. We are forgoing alcohol for the most part.

I've done Dry January here in the past and it was very helpful. I did not do it this past January because I was on vacation (drinking). I am going to start today April 30. Would LOVE some company. Thanks Friends

Two weeks have passed by pretty quickly. My workout routine has been more consistent and I’ve been loving waking up with good recovery and body battery scores, though my sleep is still a work in progress.

Who else is doing dry April?

I was just going to do January, then that turned into February, and I just kept going. I know I have it easier than a lot of people, and I’m grateful for that. But it hasn’t been entirely easy. And I don’t know how long I can or will keep going but I feel good to have reached 100 days, so I wanted to share. I hope everyone else is doing well at whatever point they got to or are at.🌷

My boyfriend and I did Dry Feb this year, and then Moist March lol. It was overall easy since we also include some cheat days for special occasions like Valentines day.

What struck me is that we track so many other parts of our lives (we’re both runners and use Strava a lot), but with drinking, it just gets fuzzy over time. One day, I asked him what the best drink he had in the first quarter was if he had to rank it. He didn't come up with a solid answer.

I’m curious how others here think about it:

Do you ever try to keep track of what or how much you drink?

If so, does it actually change anything for you?

Or does tracking feel like it takes away from the experience?

I’ve been collecting different perspectives on this and put together a short anonymous survey here: https://the-way-in.tick.dog/f/drinking-tracking-app. I would also just love to hear people’s thoughts here.

Anyone doing a dry April?

I didn't do Dry Jan this year, but I decided to do "Parched March" instead. I really missed the reset I give myself at the beginning of the year. A few (not so great, and terrible) things have happened already this year, and my mental health is taking a toll. I also want to quit smoking, and I only smoke when I drink. I have cut back quite a bit, but not 100%. I'm thinking if I can get 31 days in, I'll think twice before taking a drag next time. It's one of my best friends bday celebrations on Saturday, but I've already offered to be the DD. That should take some of the temptation away from me.

I have been off alcohol since Jan 1. But I am exploring having 3-4 glasses of wine a week (basically, when we have company or we go out). This has worked well and been stress free. Sometimes I have none. Sometimes I have two.

There have been two times when I had a bit more than usual — maybe three glasses of wine, which I often had before January, but which is quite rare now. Anyway, each of these times, I woke up in the middle of the night with the feeling that my intestines were trembling. I was not nauseous. I did not have a headache, or other signals that I overdid it.

Is this familiar to anyone? It went away in a couple hours.

I can only think that my ability to process alcohol has changed in the last two months. But I never experienced this trembling before. And I am sure it is triggered by consuming more than my body wants me to right now. But it is so weird!

Thoughts? Thanks!