7 min READ

part1 of a 3 part series

My first love was vodka then she eventually betrayed me. She helped me inhibit myself, she gave me courage until she dropped me for a much younger model or should I say liver.

So, I turned to my second love, rum, she is a distant cousin from the Caribbean. She always made me feel warm and fuzzy inside and gave me courage. She just like tequila stood by my side until the day came that I decided to quit them all including my other loves red wine and champagne.

This year marks almost three years that my extended break from drinking alcohol continues. I am going to share with you in this part 1 of a 3 series on my journey giving up alcohol. Beginning with the physical journey, part 2 the emotional journey then part 3 will be the spiritual one. All of the journeys involve personal growth and development and I hope they will inspire you if you have ever thought of giving it up as well.

LET’S Take a break

If you would have told me five years ago that I would be writing this, I would have told you to get outta here. I loved drinking whether it was socially and antisocially.

Like many people during the pandemic, I gave up drinking. which made it easier as there was no societal pressures or questions like are you pregnant. But this journey began long before the pandemic. One evening while scrolling aimlessly through my Facebook feed, I stumbled upon a friend's post who gleefully gloated about being one year alcohol free. Now by no means was she an excessive drinker (nor was I) however for as much as I scoffed at the idea of giving up drinking, deep down inside I was intrigued.

I never thought in a million years that I would ever give up drinking, but it all started in 2021 when I had my last glass of white wine. The world opened back up during a brief respite from the pandemic and I went for a lake side drink with colleagues. As per usual I ordered a glass of wine, had a few sips and felt awful which led me to committing to one of those infamous dry months. However, this particular dry month went on for a few more months which cascaded into a year. Then the break never ended.

why WE broke up

You see, I loved drinking and I wore my alcohol consumption like a badge of honor. Because of this, I was able to overcome my introversion and become the life of the party. However, in my late twenties, I realized that my body had lost its taste for Vodka as I mentioned earlier one of my first loves. I started getting physically ill, so I decided to simply stop having it. Worse yet, as time went on, the same discomfort began manifesting itself with other spirits which I ignored. My body was politely or impolitely telling me that it had had enough.

The effects of alcohol on the body differ not just with how much is ingested, but also with an individual's tolerance level and how long they've been drinking. Facts that I was unaware of at the time.

To be honest I was sick of feeling sick in the name of being “more interesting”. Was it really doing the trick? After a while it simply was not. Late nights and hangovers were becoming increasingly insufferable. It was affecting my productivity, my mood and my overall health. I wanted to show up for myself as my most optimal version and alcohol was not part of that equation. I had decided that enough was enough, that I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. Once this clicked, continuing the dry months became easier as the next year rolled around.

WHAT I’VE NOTICED

After about six months I noticed that the quality of my sleep vastly improved! My circadian rhythm, that’s the natural, internal process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours, was thankful at last. I also started getting more compliments on my skin which started to appear brighter and more refreshed. My weight stabilized and my focus became much sharper, probably due in part due to the better sleep I was getting. And one of the other major improvements was my immune system. Even after the pandemic I noticed that in conjunction with my vitamin supplements and clean eating (as best that I can) my immune system was at its peak performance!

Once I started seeing and feeling the benefits to my physical health, going back to alcohol was not an option. I am now obsessed with this new feeling and I don’t want to go back. In other words, the pros are stacking up!

Those are just some of the benefits that I have noticed and there is probably so much more that I don’t even realize is happing within me. I would be remis if I didn’t say that this is my experience, and that alcohol affects each person differently. Some people may be more sensitive to its effects than others. So, rule of thumb is drink in moderation or not at all.

Stay tuned for part 2 where I go into the emotional side of my journey. How I started to understand my relationship to alcohol and how I managed the societal pressures associated with abstinence.

Did you give up alcohol or are thinking about it?

Join the conversation, tell us about your experience in the comments!

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