Know why you want to go dry before taking on alcohol abstinence challenge, health unit says

The holiday season can cause people to overindulge in a number of things — everything from food to alcohol.

And trends are popping up to encourage people to start a new year on a a healthier note, including abstaining from alcohol.

A trend called "Dry January" encourages people to give up drinking for the month. According to a study by the University of Sussex, abstaining from alcohol for a month "sees people regaining control of their drinking, having more energy, better skin and losing weight."

A public health nurse in Sudbury says it's important to know why you take up such a challenge before going all in.

"Over the holidays, people drink more," Karrie-Ann Jones with Public Health Sudbury & Districts said.

"Is this something that happened over the holidays or is this something that they're looking over the past year they've noticed their drinking has increased."

Jones says going cold turkey when it comes to alcohol could have risks, especially for people who have an alcohol disorder.

"If there's someone that's a heavy drinker to begin with, going cold turkey, there could be health effects," she said.

"They could go through withdrawals and so we would want people to be safe."

Jones says withdrawal symptoms can vary from person to person, as it can depend on the person's overall health and how long they've been drinking.

"You can experience severe vomiting, loss of consciousness, fever, extreme agitation, hallucinations, seizures or convulsions," she said.

"That's why we would always want people to contact their health care provider before entering a challenge."

She says to rethink your relationship with alcohol, you may need a bit of help.

"Whether it be family or friends, whether it's your health care provider, maybe you feel more comfortable talking to people through your employee assistance program," she said.

"It's really important to start that conversation."