As Sober October gets into full swing, thousands of people are going low – or no – alcohol to improve their health and wellbeing – and help a good cause while they’re doing it.
While the awareness month encourages people to go alcohol-free in October to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, it can also be used as an opportunity to take a step back and assess drinking habits.
To support residents who want to make changes the ‘Lower My Drinking’ app can help people work out why they drink and offers expert advice and tools to reduce drinking to the recommended 14 units a week or less.
The app can help with:
- Setting realistic drinking goals and tracking progress
- Regularly reviewing drinking habits
- Comparing drinking levels every week with a ‘score’
- Using motivational techniques to help on the journey to healthier drinking
- Set alerts to help stay on top of your drinking levels
Designed by clinical psychologists and behavioural scientists, the app helps people gain greater understanding of the role alcohol plays in their life, anticipate situations where they may be tempted to drink too much and to replace drinking with positive activities in their daily routine.
Cllr Janette Williamson, Chair of Wirral’s Adult Social Care and Public Health committee, said, “Regulating your drinking can improve health and help you to avoid serious illness, but it can also improve your relationships, your happiness and your overall wellbeing.
“The Lower My Drinking app allows residents to track how much they drink, see their progress and focus on their motivations for reducing drinking.
“And if you can support a great cause like Macmillan while you’re doing it, I would encourage anybody who drinks alcohol regularly to give it a try today, it might just change your life.”
To download the app or find out more, please visit https://lowermydrinking-nhs.org.uk/ 
To get involved in Sober October and learn more, visit: https://www.gosober.org.uk/
Image: NHS
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