One Year No Beer!

Or wine, or gin, or prosecco, or Baileys or Amaretti or anything alcoholic whatsoever!

It seems almost impossible to believe that I have reached a whole year of not drinking alcohol. I think the longest I had ever gone before was about 58 days when a Dry January somehow extended into February. Other than one other Dry January, I reckon it was two weeks whilst on an Army Recruitment training fortnight.

If you take these few times out of the equation then I had barely gone a day without alcohol for over thirty years and I can guarantee on those days I was pretty miserable. So with this in mind I have been reflecting back over those drinking years and how I feel about them now.

Thinking back to the first alcoholic drinks I had, they would be an Advocaat and Lemonade at my nan's house when I was about 12 and a Malibu and Pineapple on holiday with my parents when I was about 13. I do wonder now why my family felt it was appropriate to give me alcohol at that age. Some people suggest the reason the French don't have an issue with alcohol in the same way the British do, is because they start drinking when they are young and it takes away the 'taboo' edge. Well, it certainly didn't do that for me.

Although I have to admit that I didn't particularly like drinking much when I was a teenager. I remember my first 'proper' drink at a house party when I was 15 years old. I was 'advised' to drink Vodka and Orange as it didn't really taste like alcohol. It was still pretty grim but I drank it nonetheless and felt pretty ill. I don't remember enjoying the party much.

But still, it didn't stop me and it wasn't many years on from that when I had glandular fever and my doctor said my liver was under stress so I should watch my drinking a bit. I didn't.

The big acceleration in my drinking 'career' was my discovery of wine! My taste buds must have matured since the holiday in Greece when my friends got totally wasted but I was ok because during a drinking game, I had only been drinking lager. I never really liked alcohol.

But I got there eventually.

I wonder just how many bottles of wine I have drank over the years? My recycling bins have left me with a sense of shame on occasion (ie: most weeks). This leads me to wonder.....

How many times I was sick?

How many times I fell over?

How many times I drove the next day still over the limit?

How many times I went home or on to parties with strangers?

How many times I put my safety at risk?

How many times I behaved inappropriately?

How many times I upset people without realising?

How many times I embarrassed myself?

How many times I didn't do a proper day's work because I was hungover?

How many times have I felt shame and dread the next day (even if there was no need to)?

Most of all, I wonder why none of these times made me think I should stop drinking.

But I got there eventually.

And I am so glad I did. This year has been an eye-opener. It has gone much quicker than I expected. It has made me reflect on my past and look forward to my future. It has removed chaos and emotional instability. It has brought me calm and consistency. I look forward to many more alcohol-free, clear, content years ahead.