8 Months Alcohol Free: Why I Stopped Drinking

Back in June I made the decision to stop drinking alcohol. On the whole, it has been much easier than I thought it would be, but I still get asked a lot about my reasons for giving it up, and I seem to struggle to articulate it very well. I recently had a great conversation with one of my close friends (who has also chosen to stop drinking) and I think this helped me get some clarity in my own mind about it all.

Hangovers and Anxiety

My main reason for stopping drinking was the way it makes me feel. It effects me so much, both physically and mentally. No matter the amount I drink, big or small, I end up getting a two or three day hangover. For me, this includes headaches, binge eating and a whole lot of anxiety.

Even when my unit intake in an evening isn’t high, I will still feel low for days after. I struggle to find motivation to do anything, my anxiety is up and I find that my thoughts go into a really negative spiral. It sounds pretty dramatic, but this would happen pretty much every time I drank and when it did, I would always question why I’d done it again. Everyone’s experiences with alcohol are different, and sometimes it feels like it effects me more than other people when it comes to the mental after effects.

I have talked quite a lot in the past about my social anxiety, and how it’s usually at its worst in big group situations. One of the ways I dealt with this in the past, was through drinking. It quickly took away those fears and gave me confidence, but at what cost? This was never really a way of ‘dealing’ with my anxiety, just a temporary cover up, which led to more anxieties in the long run. I will now happily go out and still be the first on the dance floor and it’s kind of empowering to know that I don’t need alcohol to get there. There have been a few situations where I was a little apprehensive about not drinking, mostly on holidays. I spoke a bit about this back in my Portugal blog, but I also found it when I was in Antarctica. Drinks were included with dinner, so it instantly took away the money side of things. On the first night, I panic ordered a glass of wine, and when it arrived I just stared at it and realised I just didn’t want it. This was definitely a moment of realisation for me around how I no longer have any desire to drink.

I’m not doing to lie, in the past I definitely made my fair share of bad decisions when under the influence of alcohol. I was particularly bad when at uni, though unfortunately this seemed to just be normal at the time, with teenagers gaining the kind of freedom they’ve never had before and having surplus cash. I have often found in the past that I am a massive oversharer when I’ve had a few drinks, which has led to some serious beer fear on the mornings after a big night out. Though I am still a pretty open book without a drink, it’s nice to be able to remember exactly what I’ve said to who, and not be sharing things just because I’m intoxicated. Since I stopped drinking, I have had some of my best, most in depth conversations with my friends and for me, this is so much more enjoyable and meaningful.

Saving Money

Anyone who knows me well, knows frugal is my middle name. I have saved quite a bit of money since I stopped drinking. I’ll still happily go and meet my friends in a pub, but the price of a soda water and lime or two, compared to a glass or two of wine, is pretty ridiculous. Paying to ultimately feel like crap, seems a pretty odd way for me to spend my money. I’ve also saved money from being able to drive after being out, rather than having to rely on taxis. This also reduces my anxiety around how I’m going to get back from somewhere or planning timings around public transport. I’ve also found that I’ve just opted for other activities more often, without really realising. Whether it’s evening walks, board game nights or just dinner at a friends. I guess in general now I much prefer situations where you can sit and have proper conversation, rather than just shouting over loud music – but maybe I’m just getting old.

One of the things I’ve really enjoyed is discovering new ‘treaty’ soft drinks. I’d never really looked at all of the different types before, so it’s nice to have such a big variety of things to try. Currently though, appletiser is a firm favourite. I haven’t been tempted to try ‘alcohol free’ versions of drinks, though I did have some no-secco for the first time over christmas which was actually quite nice. Most places do also now seem to have a great selection of mocktails too. When I was down in Newquay, I’d been out with some friends who had ordered a round of shots. The bartender, who knew I wasn’t drinking, brought over a shot of alcohol free Disaronno for me so I could ‘join in’. Looking back, I’m not too sure how I feel about this situation. It was nice of him to consider me, but at the same time it feels kind of odd that I still had to have a shot of something, to fit in.

Is social drinking on the decline?

One of the things that has surprised me the most since I stopped drinking, is how many other people have made the same choice. I’m not sure if this is because in some way I’ve been subconsciously drawn to people who are in a similar place to me and on the same wavelength about this kind of thing, or if it is just that the number of people choosing to not drink is increasing.

I reached out on instagram to get a general idea of how many people drank, and out of the 300+ people who responded, over 1/3 said they don’t drink alcohol. I also asked people to share their main reason why they don’t and there was such a variety of responses.

The majority of people said that, similar to me, they really struggled with the anxiety and come down that they get the next day. As most people know, alcohol is a depressant and the chemical changes that occur can lead to negative feelings including anger, depression and anxiety. On top of this, it also slows down how your brain processes information making it more difficult to work out what you’re really feeling and the potential consequences of your actions. You can read more about the mental impacts of alcohol on the Mental Health Foundation website.

There were quite a few responses referencing wasting money. According to the Office of National Statistics, the average Uk household spends £17.60 a week on alcohol, but obviously the more you drink, the more you spend – or could save. With the current cost of living crisis in the Uk, these figures are likely to have increased significantly since this 2020 report.

A few people mentioned that they just didn’t like the taste, and others had more personal reasons, such as previously having their drinks spiked, personal or family member links to alcoholism and several people with illnesses who have found drinking can make things worse, such as ME and lupus.

Thank you so much to anyone who answered the poll, or shared their personal reasons for stopping drinking. It was so interesting reading through the replies and also quite comforting that I’m not alone in the way it makes me feel. In the past, it always seemed like the people around me weren’t affected in quite the same way, or quite as badly as me, but opening up this discussion around it has made me realise it’s much more common than I thought. I have also felt quite alone in some past situations where I have been the only one not drinking and it’s always seemed like the ‘odd’ thing not to drink.

Interestingly, I did also get a few responses from people as to why they do drink. The majority of these were that they just enjoy the social side of it. One of the great things that I’ve found over the past few months is that not drinking doesn’t mean having to miss out on social situations.

Choosing not to drink, has easily been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. My emotions have been more under control, it’s healthier, I’ve saved money and my head has just been so much clearer. But the best thing – waking up feeling fresh and ready for a long hike or a cold dip.

I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below and reasons why you do, or don’t drink.

Happy adventuring x