The benefits of being alcohol free

Oh, you lucky, lucky thing. I am almost envious of what you are about to discover. Because it was an epiphany when I discovered the truth about alcohol. I had literally no idea when I was still drinking - none!

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First of all, your health improves. 

"Obviousssss!" you may cry, but if you know this, then why are you hanging on to your wine or beer?

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When I say improves, I am talking about things you have, for decades, blamed on other things, such as aging, the menopause, playing football too much, work, [insert any excuse except alcohol]... Those niggly pains, the palpitations, the irritating cough, the heartburn, the slight queasiness you feel in the morning, the headaches, the aching joints, sharp shooting pains in your chest, bloodshot eyes, yellowing teeth, bleeding gums, fingernails breaking easily, creaky knees, broken blood vessels, varicose veins, dry patches of skin, dehydrated skin, hot flashes, painful periods, dark circles around your eyes, lank greasy hair, tiredness, anxiety, depression, lack of motivation, tiredness at 3pm, cravings for bad food, and yes - even the pounds you were piling on start to fall off. Everything - read that again - Everything in your body, from head to toe, brain to heart, begins to heal. 

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Your body is no longer fighting the effects of the poisonous alcohol, and instead it flips to doing what it should be doing - taking care of itself. And, boy, does it do a great job of this when it's allowed. You may have been drinking for decades, or just a few pints a week for a while, but either way, your body will thank you for the elongated relief it gets from your abstinence. And as it does, ask yourself this: 

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"Why don't alcohol marketers have to mention all the bad effects of alcohol in their adverts?"

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Hmmm. 

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Next, your sleep improves, and you can take real pleasure in going to bed with a book you know you'll remember. As the drink-induced anxiety lowers, your relationships get better with your spouse, your kids, your work colleagues and friends. You start to see better results at job interviews and pay reviews, and you start spreading the joy around you as well. As you do, people begin to react differently around you. They appreciate being around the non-hungover you. The more positive outlook person you have become attracts more and more people. Soon people mention you have a glow about you. That you are shining brightly. Have you done your hair? Lost weight? Had your teeth whitened maybe? Probably all of the above, but no, that's not it. They look at you with puzzlement. What has changed about you?

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Internally, mentally, that voice inside your head, the one that was so critical every morning you woke up hungover, is so much kinder now. As you look in the bathroom mirror you see bright eyes staring back at you, and - hey! You are looking pretty good! You could even say you look younger! Grinning to yourself you give yourself a mental pat on the back for doing such a great job with the booze. You still recall that critical voice in your head admonishing yourself for making such a twerp out of yourself at the party the last time you got hammered, or for blacking out and leaving yourself so vulnerable that night, and you are eternally grateful you do not have to think about these things anymore. In fact, you never have to think that way about yourself ever again, if you so wish... 

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Bounding down the stairs you grab your phone and check your bank balance. It is deliciously, perfectly in the black, you pay your bills so much more easily now, and you rarely run into the overdraft. A pop up message appears on your phone... "Congratulations! You have spent 98% less on "Entertainment" this month!" it says. A slight inward cringe at that one, you've been out a couple of times and had an absolute whale of a time, but you didn't spend hundreds of pounds on buying round after round of sickly sugary shots that made your hand sticky, flat beer and watered down rum with flat cola in a glass smeared with someone else's lipstick. And no more sixty quid taxi fares trying to get home after midnight. You can drive everywhere now. Sheer, money-saving bliss. 

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And the last thing. The weirdest thing of all. When you stop beating yourself up, and filling your body full of poison, all the silly worrisome stuff that held you back, is gone. 

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Seriously, it's gone. All the niggly stressful worries you had. They just disappear! And when that happens, something else moves in. I have no idea what you call it, but somehow everything in your life just sort of gets brighter. Outdoors is brighter. You want to go out more and keep yourself fit more, so perhaps you take more walks. Instead of thinking "that's not for me", you take up the opportunities as they present themselves. You actively search for more stimulation. You start that business. You write that book. You visit that gym. You buy the dog you always wanted. Or the car. Or the tech. You paint the walls, you fit the new windows, you get the mortgage and buy the house. It is like the universe opens up to you. It's huge!

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So, my friend, keep going, or take the alcohol break if you have not started yet. Stop giving those few drops of ethanol the power over you. And then, do two things for me....

1. Smile at people who look at you with sympathy when you tell them you are taking a break.

2. Come back to me after three months, and tell me I was right. 

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Good luck!

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Amanda x