In Indiana, Marion, Vanderburgh, Madison and Lake counties had the highest number of residents who listed alcohol as their primary substance upon admission to a facility for treatment. Adobe Stock photo provided by INNS.

By Terri Dee
Indiana News Service

FORT WAYNE — One popular New Year’s resolution is to quit alcohol consumption.

Although easier said than done, one recovery center said there are modifications to try if previous attempts are not working. A good start is taking a hard look at what has worked and what has not.

Marissa Sauer, a licensed clinical addiction counselor at Avenues Recovery, a Fort Wayne recovery center, pointed out if there was a simple answer, everybody would use it. She added other influences are linked to alcohol and substance abuse.

“There’s genetics. Were my parents and my grandparents struggling with substances? Does someone have maybe adverse childhood experiences that have led to substances being a coping mechanism of some kind?” Sauer explained. “Maybe there are these mental health diagnoses.”

Sauer mentioned people, places, or things which could inhibit or enable someone to abuse drugs or alcohol, making it complicated to simply walk away. Medication, therapy or conversations with people who have beaten their addictions are all effective measures for recovery.

The US Surgeon General’s 2025 Advisory Report indicates alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer after tobacco and obesity and the public is taking notice.

There is a growing momentum of the “sober curious” movement, avoiding happy hours at bars, ordering a low or no-alcohol drinks known as mocktails, or completely abstaining from alcohol for 30 days for “dry January.” Sauer said longtime substance abusers fear change and she wants them to know there is hope.

“Whether you’re 21 or whether you’re 51, that ability to heal is there,” Sauer emphasized. “The best gift that you could give yourself for a healthy 2025 is to give your loved ones the absolute best version of yourself.”

An Indiana State Epidemiological report from 2021-2022 revealed almost 24% of residents aged 12 and older have participated in binge drinking, with the highest rate among young adults aged 18 to 25.