Dryuary 2025 Day 12: Special from OAR Health and Jonathan’s Story-Taking Back Control Over Alcohol
By Jonathan Hunt-Glassman – Oar Health
Binges. Blackouts. Bad decisions. Anxiety. Regret. Shame. Resolving to quit drinking entirely. Making “rules” to limit drinking. Trying and failing again and again.
I knew that my relationship with alcohol needed a reset for most of my adult life. I tried the options I knew about: willpower, twelve steps, and therapy.
But nothing really worked until January, 2018. Seizing the new year as an opportunity for a fresh start, I tried again.
I connected with a primary care physician who treated me with expertise and empathy, not judgment or impatience. Unlike doctors I had seen in the past, he suggested prescription medication as a tool to help me break my addiction to alcohol.
Armed with a daily pill that could help me drink less or quit, I formed a plan to take back control over alcohol — taking my medication, but also setting clear goals, developing strategies to achieve them, and asking for support from the people around me. At first, it was hard work, requiring intense focus and commitment to say no to alcohol. But over time, it became more natural.
I put behind me risky nights and the crushing anxiety of waking up without a clear memory. Even more meaningfully, I found more time and energy for the people and things that mattered most to me. I got married. I surprised myself by becoming a regular yoga class attendee! And I finally had the time and dedication to adopt a puppy. (She’s now a thriving 65 pound goldendoodle.)
As you reset your relationship with alcohol this Dryuary, I encourage you to learn a few lessons from my experience:
- Remember that recovery is possible. I am one of 22 million people in the United States who have overcome an alcohol or drug problem.
- Familiarize yourself with the full spectrum of evidence-based options that are available to support you. They are more numerous and more varied than you may expect. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
- Even as you say “no” to alcohol, look for opportunities to say “yes” to healthy sources of reward and pleasure. Start a family game night, reconnect with an old friend or hobby, join a group in your community, or — like me — adopt a pet in need.
Congratulations on taking a meaningful step toward a better relationship with alcohol (or none at all) through your participation in Dryuary! Informed by my own experience and millions of others’, I have great confidence in your ability to create change in your life — driven by your inherent strengths and supported by the resources you rally to your side.
You’re already on your way just by visiting this site!
Jonathan Hunt-Glassman
CEO & Co-Founder, Oar Health
OAR Health
Use the Code DRYUARY30 for a 30% Discount Off the Initial Clinician Consultation
“With naltrexone, I am free from the daily thinking of alcohol and my life is 100% better than before.”
“I am 9 days out of 13 alcohol free, with 4 days of mindful and responsible alcohol consumption. I feel I have support in Oar, and I feel safe taking naltrexone under their guidance and care. “
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