It’s been two years and three months since I ditched the booze.
During the height of my drinking, I never drove under the influence or missed a day off work. I also never had hangovers due to a high tolerance of alcohol.
I was what’s called a high-bottom alcoholic. It essentially means I was high-functioning and had no visible issues to the outside onlooker.
Except I had terrible anxiety and I would wake up every day at 3am berating myself for drinking too much. By 6pm, I always managed to persuade myself to reach for that nice chilled sauvignon.
As a mum of four – working as a presenter and author – I saw alcohol as my treat and reward at the end of a busy day.
I would have a glass or two of wine before dinner, then another couple to accompany my meal. Before long, I was convincing myself to just finish the bottle.
Deep down, I knew I needed to quit but I couldn’t see a way out of the trap. I didn’t fit the classic picture of someone needing rehab and I had no idea anyone else felt the same.
Sometimes I asked a therapist or GP if I was drinking too much. They would often respond by suggesting having alcohol-free days, drinking water in between alcohol or only having a couple of drinks on a night out.
Alcohol is so deeply ingrained into our culture. It’s the social glue that sticks everything together – parties, weddings, Fresher’s weeks, graduations and funerals.
We’ve been brainwashed into thinking there are two types of drinkers, those at rock bottom – alcohol dependent – and everyone else.
The reality is that it’s a spectrum.
It was functional nutritionist Jolene Park who first coined the term Grey Area Drinker in her TEDx talk to describe people who are drinking more than they want to or people who don’t have an off switch when it comes to drinking alcohol. Jolene stopped drinking in 2014 after realising it was impacting her anxiety and general wellbeing.
The majority of people who drink regularly fit the category of Grey Area Drinkers.
When I gave my own TEDx talk, I went even further and said there are at least 50 shades of grey… and none of them are sexy.
If only someone had told me before how freaking fantastic life without alcohol is
In 2018, I tried Dry January but I was nervous because I hadn’t gone a day without drinking in 13 years since my last pregnancy. I was nervous about losing the ‘fun Janey’.
I got through the month and I never looked back. It was as if the sun had come out from behind a cloud and a whole world opened up to me.
I immersed myself in knowledge and positivity and I came to realise it had all been an illusion – our culture is entirely fuelled by alcohol.
But it wasn’t just that I had only learnt that alcohol was bad for me now. It was that I caught sight of a life that was so much better without alcohol. I discovered, to quote the most perfect book title by author Catherine Gray, The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober.
Then came an unusual feeling where I was scared about people judging me for being sober.
If you stop smoking, everyone congratulates you but if you stop drinking, people look concerned and ask if you ‘have a problem’.
As the old saying goes: Alcohol is the only drug you have to justify not taking.
The benefits of ditching booze are plentiful: regulated weight, better digestion, sex, sleep, cognitive function and a reduction in anxiety. Personally, I found my eyesight improved, I got shiny locks and I felt younger. I am also notably happier and ready to take on challenges.
If only someone had told me before how freaking fantastic life without alcohol is.
That’s not to say it wasn’t difficult to ditch the booze.
I had to work hard to change my routine because I was in the habit of hitting the local wine bar every evening. So I booked myself into yoga classes or arranged to meet friends in coffee shops instead.
I also used alcohol-free drinks to get me through that period.
There was one occasion when I was speaking at a natural health event, at the eve function there were zero alcohol free choices (ironic right!). Beer, red and white wine and fizz – that’s it, not even the obligatory warm orange juice! I complained, then persisted and stuck to drinking water.
We are starting to call time on drinking. We know that the opposite of addiction is connection, and we have the rise of the ‘sober curious’ – Grey Area Drinkers ditching the booze and trying to drink ‘mindfully’ – either looking to moderate or to ditch the booze altogether.
It’s more than a wellbeing trend – it’s a sober revolution.
Many millennials are choosing not to drink at all, which means there’s a rise in popularity of alcohol-free drinks. There are now alternatives to beers, spirits and botanicals, not to mention kombucha and fabulous artisan tonic waters.
Alcohol-free bars, clubs and party nights are popping up across the UK and in London, we have three Redemption Bars and Morning Gloryville – a daytime rave.
There are now also huge online communities, where I found my support and why I founded The Sober Club. It’s for people who want to focus on what comes after a life of alcohol and live their best life sans the booze. I also host the podcast Alcohol Free Life.
I’d challenge everyone to look again at their relationship with alcohol and instead of asking ‘Am I drinking too much?’ ask yourself ‘Would my life be better physically and emotionally without alcohol?’
If the answer is yes, challenge yourself to 30, 60, 90 days without the booze and reap the benefits.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/22/dont-hit-rock-bottom-realise-drinking-problem-12325638/?ITO=squid
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