Why I Don’t Drink Alcohol Anymore
Yes, even one drinks counts.
“Shots! Shots! Shots!” was my mantra for the most part of my early twenties. I’d wash away hours of slogging at a terribly boring job, hours of commute by treating myself to a glass (or 4) of wine every other day. My idea of enjoyment was always circled around drinking. If I was going out, or seeing a friend, or practically doing anything, I had to have a drink.
But hey, I didn’t have a drinking problem. I wasn’t an alcoholic. I didn’t want a drink every second/third day.
So, technically, I wasn’t harming myself in any way. If anything, I was just a light drinker.
Ironically, I had never really liked the taste of alcohol, but I did love its effect. After a couple of drinks, I felt smarter, funnier, sassier. Everything was exciting and sparkly. Fast forward to the morning after, and all of my insecurities were predictably back and louder than ever. They were cranky from a night of being silenced, and now they were accompanied by anxiety and sometimes, a migraine.
Ultimately, giving up alcohol was the best decision I ever made; it feels like waking up on clean sheets every day. I had been scared that my life would end when I stopped drinking, but my alcohol-free life has given me more than I could have ever imagined.
It gives you the power to feel everything
I don’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing, but you can’t blame your behavior on alcohol anymore.
You being drunk, is no longer an excuse to you being a typical asshole to the people in your life. You have to own up for your actions.
Since I was loud and definitely out of control after drinking, I’d be ultra mean to the people in my life. I’ve had numerous fights with my sister and my ex-boyfriend, simply because I was too drunk.
That is not an excuse. It scarred some relationships of my life irreparably.
Now that I don’t drink anymore, I feel I’m in control of my emotions. I live in the moment, I do whatever I have to, and I’m usually guilt-free.
You save so much time
Since your lunches & brunches are no longer drunches and dinners are more about meaningful conversations with certain people, you save on a lot of time that could’ve been wasted by actually getting wasted.
Before you jump on that trip about how to enjoy yourself socially, leaving alcohol does teach you who your real friends are. Your actual friends, are people who enjoy spending time with you and not just because you are drinking. Since your circle narrows down, you actually just spend time with a select few who truly value you in their lives. Remember, your actual friends will never force you to do something against your will.
Non-alcoholic outings are equally fun. I’ve started enjoying Japanese cuisine a lot, and eat a lot of sushi, pretty frequently. I have also started trying different cuisines and am genuinely more inclined towards eating food that I enjoy, mindfully instead of nibbling on unhealthy snacks along with my alcohol.
I also run. I go out for long walks, I workout, I hike, I watch movies. Remember, quitting alcohol doesn’t make you anti-social.
Your body heals
Now, there’s a reason as to why alcohol consumption is injurious to health. It has adverse effects on your body, and you tend to slip away into a very unhealthy lifestyle.
My mother is diabetic and has had a couple of heart attacks early on in her life. I know that my gene pool isn’t solid. So I have to ensure that I don’t harm myself in any way.
Not consuming alcohol helps with:
Liver Relief,
Decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease,
Reducing the risk of cancer,
Aiding Weight Loss,
Boosting brain power.
I definitely have become very particular about how my health is and I genuinely don’t want to drink to hamper my health.
You realize most people don’t really like each other
Have you heard of people telling crazy drunk stories of their “so-called friends”? Hey, she was so drunk, she couldn’t handle herself, etcetera etcetera.
And no, I don’t mean it in a mean way. Most people really just hang out. They don’t like each other at all.
They just drink together.
And when you’re the sober one in a group, you sense that most people who drink together are laughing at each other’s expense, saying some very hurtful things. These are things that people would never tell each other when they’re sober.
Everything just improves
It feels awesome. The morning after a night of heavy drinking always came with a tremendous recovery time. However, now I never waste time recovering from a hangover. This way, I can always bust my ass in the gym, studying, or writing.
It’s a fantastic feeling, to not shove shots down your throat, and not be drunk.
While cravings may flare briefly at the edge of my consciousness from time to time, my alcohol habit is dead and gone; I can sit comfortably with friends watching them drink wine or champagne as I nurse a kombucha or sparkling water or even cold brew.
If I ever drink again, it will only be after a great deal of careful soul-searching and reflection about whether it is a smart decision, coupled with a lengthy list of pros and cons: What kind of life do I want?
Today, I’m 26, and probably the fittest I’ve ever been.
