Choosing An Alcohol-Free Lifestyle, Not A Label

So these very similar themes that seem to be emerging in the UK as well, around people’s kind of motivations and reasons for not drinking. Even though she’s just 27 years old, drinking often made Syd feel terrible the next day. But I stopped drinking fully in October of 2022 and it was for a variety of reasons.

1. When I was drinking, I was waking up hungover almost everyday.
2. Due to an unhealthy weight from drinking alcohol, heart health can be easily compromised as compared to non-drinkers.
3. And by changing our one thing, you know, by changing our language, that’s really important.
4. “Furthermore, consistent use of alcohol to induce sleep only increases the need to use alcohol in the future to get to sleep,” he explains.
5. Nutritionally, I’m a really big fan of alcohol free drinks.
6. And I’m really like, excited to be a part of it.

And, you know, I had one of my clients or relationships, she did realize that it was time to enter a relationship. But she now looks back and she says, My God, I can’t believe it. So amicably remained friends, no money in lawyers’ fees, because just all done, you know, in an unbelievably grown up way.

And then, you know, in the 1970s, the anti-tobacco movement happened and, you know, it took a while it didn’t just happen overnight. But you know, after a decade or so, people really recovery national institute on drug abuse nida started to stop smoking. This is where I feel like health, there’s a healthy amount of shame. Like I’m not anti-shame because I think if you do shameful things, you should be shamed.

I’m really excited to have this conversation. Because I think that your approach at 1000 hours dry, of being an alcohol-free lifestyle, rather than a label of being an addiction or recovering from addiction, welcoming all people is really exciting. It is totally understandable that sometimes it is just possible to avoid being around people who are drinking alcohol for various reasons.

Carrying around less guilt and shame, less anxiety, and less stress is a gift to every single cell in my body. The health benefits of drinking less are countless. When I was drinking, I was waking up hungover almost everyday.

Why Drinking Less Matters

This is why we tend to have to pee more after we drink, and can quickly become dehydrated. Now that I have cut out alcohol, I’m better hydrated and naturally find myself drinking more water, sparkling water, and fruit-infused water. I think we need to wait and see what happens to drinking practices, but I think from my perspective, I do get the sense that this is part of a bigger ongoing trend, as Elva touched on as well.

I didn’t realize that my love affair with drinking was making me more anxious and less able to manage my responsibilities. For me, sobriety meant a much improved relationship with work. For a long time, I was performing jobs that I was what are sober living house rules capable of doing, but I didn’t really love. Since quitting drinking, I have aligned with what is right for me. No more ‘Sunday Scaries’ when going back to work on Monday. There are several ways alcohol can affect your physical fitness.

Better Sleep, Greater Focus

So, to be part of a community where people absolutely know what you’ve been through. But even if you’re a year, two years sober three years sober, they’re cheerleading you on to the next thing you’re doing. That’s what’s really magical I think about when people like minded people are sober. It doesn’t matter what stage they’re at. They, they really cheerlead each other’s successes.

Enriched Friendships

I, you know, we’ve mentioned a few times throughout the podcast, and I realized we didn’t ever actually talk about it. You know, I mean, I remember when I told my psychiatrist that I was leaving a, because I literally I think I saw her when I was like three days sober. And it had the same psychiatrist since then, he was like, Oh, good. You know, I’ve done so much work in the past five years. Oh, yeah, I think it was something that I don’t want to say was bound to happen.

Avoiding Alcohol-Related Health Problems

Chip was inspired to pursue a substance use disorder treatment career after his experience with the recovery community. So if you or anyone you know is struggling with alcohol abuse or wants to explore a sober curious lifestyle, hopefully, this can help steer them in the right direction. But if someone needs rehabilitation, make sure to get essential tremor alcohol treatment the help from Lantana Recovery they need at the right time to save them from having long-term side effects. As already mentioned, support groups are really helpful in living an alcohol-free lifestyle. They help keep you motivated and listening and sharing the struggles of others helps remember the reason you’re trying to be alcohol-free.

You May have Better Relationships

And when they did a pop up in New York city, all the drinks were the same cost, the same regardless if there was alcohol in it or not. And, but they explained, they said, we make this nonalcoholic drink. The consumer, because this is so new, they don’t understand all the work that actually goes into making both the products and a nonalcoholic drink. And in many ways, the, there’s more labor in terms of the raw materials and the sort of behind the scenes, like what’s going on in the kitchen and then the prep kitchen. So that’s why many, there are small businesses such as Ritual whiskey, Ritual, I should say that comes out of Chicago, but there’s Heineken has as it, has a non-alcoholic beer.

And then the very first time there at some, something celebratory, the little inner toddler starts saying, Well, this is really rubbish. Because they’re all celebrating with a lovely grown up drink, and I’ve got a crap cup of tea. And so, then it all kicks off, you know, whereas if you’ve prepped in advance, and you’ve got a lovely glass of something grown up, then you’re good to go.

Over time, drink­ing alco­hol can cause you to gain weight because your body process­es the alco­hol before oth­er nutri­ents. The unused nutri­ents, such as sug­ar, are con­vert­ed to fat and stored in your body. Alco­hol can also stim­u­late your appetite, caus­ing you to eat more than you nor­mal­ly would. Reduc­ing the amount of alco­hol you con­sume can help you to make bet­ter food choic­es and elim­i­nate unnec­es­sary calo­ries and sug­ars from your diet.