Tell me the benefits of not drinking alcohol

[bucksfizz23]

Another Sunday hungover and I'm really considering giving up drinking altogether. I just feel so tired and mentally flat. I have loads to be getting on with but just can't find the energy or motivation. Woke up with beer fear. Slept terribly as I kept waking up thirsty. It's just a waste of time.

I seem to have fallen into a routine of not drinking on my working days but as soon as I finish for the week which is on a Thursday I drink consistently each night until Monday again. I have to admit I really relish and look forward to sitting down when the dc are in bed and having a drink in front of the telly. It relaxes me and gives me a nice buzz. But my eating and sleeping habits are definitely impacted by it. Last night was our Christmas work party and I definitely over did it more than I would at home.

So if you have given up alcohol together what benefits have you seen mentally and physically? Do the miss having a drink at social occasions or to relax in the evening?

Rare find as this one is lovely! I know the AF wines can be very hit and miss, however this one is the best by far.

Randomly will pop up in Tesco, so it’s bought in bulk..!

Sorry about the photo quality..!

x

I get more from not drinking than I ever got from drinking.
No beer fear. Saves money. Lost weight. Skin improved. Mental health better. More present. Have more time back, no more wasted days to hangovers. Wish I'd stopped years before I did.

You don't have to give up necessarily. Just moderate. No drinking during the week. Max 14 units a week. Use the drink aware app to help you track it. You find yourself really enjoying the drinks you do have once you've broken the 'drinking out of habit' habit.

Also feels like less of a mountain to climb when you're not giving it up for good.

On the days Indo drink I normally won't drink until 9pm. Most of the time by 9pm it's sort of gone out of my mind so I don't bother anyway.

No more hangovers.
Clear head.
Save money.
Get stuff done the day after.

I still like a drink. G and T my tipple. However if I overdo it more than a double wow I feel ill. Low mood and energy in the morning being the worst of it plus my bowels play up. I have discovered knitting again. Keeps my hands busy and thus I drink less. I sleep better too. I still pour a drink then start knitting and an hour passes and I'm a third way in. It's a habit but the busy hands have helped.

• No waking up with ‘the fear’
• Better sleep
• Better skin
• Fitter (as I can go the gym the next day)
• Lighter - as I’m not eating shit after I’ve had a drink

Sobriety is one of the wisest and most precious gifts that you can bestow upon yourself.

Like @SisterAgatha, I grew up in a lonely and emotionally cold house with an alcoholic mother - the embarrassment of having friends visit, as a child, will live with me forever. The drunken word vomit and verbal diarrhoea, stupid comments, agressive behaviour and, most of all, the constant wet patch across the front of her trousers where she had wet herself...
Consequently I have a huge wariness and distrust of alcohol, and those for whom it forms a large or important part of their lives, and may not be the most unbiased advocate for abstention!

But, it is:
Highly toxic.
Highly addictive.
Mind and behaviour altering.
Causes antisocial, risk taking and promiscuous behaviour.
Poisons most of the internal organs..
Causes short and long term memory loss and irreversible damage to the brain.
Causes puffiness of the skin, weight gain and bloating.
Is expensive.
Is a significant cause of domestic abuse and violence.
Makes people unpredictable and unreliable.

Each one of those is, on its own, sufficient reason to avoid it.

In short, there is absolutely nothing positive about it, and yet it is glamourised, promoted as a positive, fun thing to put into your body, a relatively cheap, mind bending pyschotic drug which, if it were invented today, would probably never be granted legal status.

What resonated with me is ‘Drinking borrows happiness from tomorrow’.

There are no benefits for me other than about the 20 minutes initial buzz.

It’s just not worth the sleep interruption, the puffiness, the tiredness & low mood.

Well done 👏. That's really encouraging to hear. I'm glad it's working out for you

I hardly ever drink now, the last time I got drunk was years ago. I started getting hangovers so awful I'd feel bad all weekend. So feeling not ill in the morning is one benefit! It's also cheaper to not drink alcohol. You can drive when going out so also save money on taxis. Also you'll be healthier, beer is full of calories!

No beer fear
More motivation
I feel like I can face anything that's thrown at me

Always prepared if an emergency arises

Save money

Healthier skin, weight loss, healthier hair

Being fully present in your children's lives

Specific to me (I'm an alcoholic though) - Not worrying about saying something stupid, or causing arguments and experiencing paranoid thoughts. No black outs, no risky situations.

I have never really drunk ever. Maybe a glass of wine at a meal if it is served but I hate the way it makes me feel.

I guess it saves me money? People think I look really young, I am often told I look like I am in my 30s. (past 45) I am overweight though but maybe I would be more overweight if i drank.

I’m a recovering alcoholic. My friends don’t know this about me. I used to be terribly ill and was not a good parent. I’m now much better. I would be dead now if I didn’t stop. I’m pretty sure of it. My best friend/ drinking friend died of it years ago.

@ellie09

What do the tripp drinks do? Are they drugs, legal obviously? Does it actually relax you?

Drinking is fucking marvellous and your life is not improved by never having alcohol

IMO

There's always one.

@OneTC

I'd echo what a lot of others have said...Better skin, saving money, healthier guts, no hangover to ruin the following day, easier weight management, for just a few!

@itsanewday23, there is, indeed, always one - either in denial or just being a goady twat!

I'm sober. I got sober as I had become alcohol dependent and a chronic alcoholic. My life had gone to rock bottom and I had no agency over myself and was suicidally depressed.

I don't call it 'drinking' I call it 'boozing' or 'drinking alcohol' because drinking water and lovely fruit juices is nourishing to the body and soul.

Anyway what happened when I quit - instant weight loss, no longer suicidal, able to make plans and stick to them, clear skin, bright eyes, shiny hair, started making new friends and going new places, got into a new relationship (long since over but you know, a thing), was able to take action on some difficulties, moved house, changed my life. In fact I'm described as 'unrecognisable'.

Also, think of the money money money wasted - literally pissed down the loo whilst you processed a toxic poison (ethanol with sugar) inside your precious body and put all your organs and cells at risk and became pre-diabetic.

I switched out booze with nice drinks - at first sugar free fizzy drinks as I missed the sensation of booze - ginger beer, elderflower drink, lemonade, etc. Now I don't drink fizzy drinks because not healthy, am more a fan of cups of tea or coffee, herbal teas, coconut water, freshly squeezed juices .

Can I recommend FB group / online forum 'Club Soda' and also the giving up alcohol thread here on MN.

The mornings! Mornings are so good when you're not hungover!

I was saying the other day to DH that my anxiety has been so much better for a couple of years - I've decided that it must be because pregnancy and breastfeeding have meant that I've given up caffeine and alcohol (on the whole). I would Never have managed this before pregnancy, especially the caffeine. But I might even go so far as to say that I don't even have an anxiety problem any more! And that is a HUGE, HUGE blessing.

I had half a glass of wine a week or so ago and that evening I noticed that I started to feel low level anxiety creeping in - and had a bit of a eureka moment. No wine tastes as good as anxiety-free feels.

I drink occasionally (maybe 3 or 4 times a year and only one or two drinks a time) but I'm so much happier without it and after long periods of abstinence. I can't remember which book it was (I've read most of the "quit lit") but the author talked about the joy that little children experience at events such as bonfire night, parties, Christmas day, holidays, theatre. And yet at some point as adults we have come to associate these as things that are enhanced by alcohol or worse- that can only be enjoyed with a drink or are unthinkable to enjoy without. In fact I've come to realise the opposite is true and what a revelation. If I look back at my decades where I was drinking with aplomb, I can probably count on one hand the number of drinks that I feel genuinely enhanced or added to an experience instead of merely taking the edge off or dulling it. So many drinks borne out of boredom or obligation or habit. Now when I'm not drinking I experience frequent bursts of rare childlike joy at things that would have completely passed me by a decade ago. It's like regaining your youthful innocence and zest for life. It's hard not to reach for it in times of stress and grief, but the growth you get from working through your feelings unmedicated is very empowering. I wish I'd given up a long time ago and my only regret is not doing so. When I think of how much better those early years with the DC could have been!! But I can only look forward and be grateful now.

Came into work this morning after our team Christmas lunch on Friday. Everyone has beer fear, lots of whispered chats about who said something inappropriate while drunk, who was too flirty etc. I have the clear, contented head of a person who doesn’t have to worry about any of that because I didn’t drink and left sober having had a lovely, fun time.

Drinking alcohol increases risk of cancer so not drinking will bring risks down to a normal level.

Save money. Save your health. Save yourself from embarrassing situations and bad drunken decisions. Avoiding the calories. Find other ways to use your leisure time and get more out of life.

I'm teetotal and I'm very happy I took that decision

not drinking frees up time to eat more cookies. you don't need any other reason. also you should probably quit your job. invest proper time in eating cookies. I did, and I couldn't be happier.