There are always going to be individual variations to these but broadly speaking we can make some assumptions about what we expect to happen and when.Īnyone who has been a heavy or dependent drinker should seek medical support and advice before they quit drinking due to the potentially dangerous – even fatal – impacts of going cold turkey without the right monitoring. At first, I was hesitant about going to bars or pregames because I was sick of talking about my decision, but I quickly learned that as long as you have a cup in your hand, regardless of what is in it, people just assume you’re drinking.When you give up alcohol, having been a dependent drinker, you’ll move through various stages of recovery. On the other hand, I also noticed that not as many people even noticed I wasn’t drinking like I thought they would. They also asked me a lot of questions like, “Is there something medically wrong with you?” and “Wow, so this must be awful for you, being out right now.” None of which were true, but it was hard for people to wrap their heads around the concept that, for some people, it can just be a lifestyle choice and nothing else. While out, I noticed people didn’t get nearly as drunk as I thought they did, and the ones that did made me never want to get sloppy in public again.Īnother thing that happened a lot was people immediately began subtly defending their own drinking habits with comments like, “Yeah, I barely drink anymore, tonight is an exception…” as if I am judging them. I noticed just how many celebrities are sober, either because they have never really drank or because they had too for problems with addiction.
Sometimes I forgot people were even drinking my mind wasn’t fixated on the alcohol it was on people, conversations, the experience.Ī lot of people asked me how I was going to do things like tailgating or concerts and still have fun? Well, I have learned that if it is something I can only enjoy by getting drunk before, it probably isn’t something I should be doing anyway.ģ. People are either all for it, or uncomfortable with the idea of it. Sure, some nights I decided to go home a little earlier than everyone else, but there were very, very few times in the span of those six months that I looked at everyone all around me and felt like I was missing out. After the first month, it was like I didn’t even see the alcohol anymore. I still went to bars and parties, and had fun. I had better conversations with friends and family while I was out. But you know what events passed during this period that I had to endure– completely sober? Halloween.
Plus, a lot of my financial burdens melted away when I wasn’t spending so much money at the bar every weekend or picking up a bottle of wine on the way home from work. Feeling unhealthy.Įverything I thought I was using alcohol for, I got effortlessly while I was sober– more confidence, less anxiety, energy, motivation, etc. Money troubles, relationship turbulence, nameless anxiety creeping in unannounced for no particular reason. The thing is, any reason I used to give to justify my drinking pretty much disappeared from my life. “It’s the weekend, and I deserve it.” “Red wine is good for your heart.” “It makes me feel more comfortable in social situations.” “I’m so stressed out right now, I just need to let loose.” “I’m upset and just want to forget about my problems for the time being.” There always seems to be, especially in our twenties, a good reason to drink. 1. It wasn’t helping me like I thought it was.īy cutting alcohol out of my life I realized just how much I was drinking and, perhaps more importantly, how heavily I was relying on it for a variety of reasons.