What I DON'T miss about drinking
3 years sober - how I thrive without alcohol
Hello, I’m Molly, a full time creator based in the Scottish Highlands. Subscribers can enjoy weekly posts around the themes of slow living, thriving in a creative career, books & nature. Members get access to ALL my content, including video tea times, slow scrolls of all my favourites and seasonal book reviews.
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It was the morning of my 18th birthday when I noticed a slip of paper poking from under my bedroom door. Intrigued, I wriggled it out, careful not to tear the corners.
It was an invitation. Typed up in swirly letters that I knew happened to be one of my mother’s favourite fonts.
As I was in my Classic book era, my mother had taken inspiration from my beloved Austen novels and designed the ultimate romantic itinerary.
It was a day of tea parties, book shopping, Skype calls with my best friend, and dressing up with my family. It was perfect. And there wasn’t a drop of alcohol in sight.
You see, I’d never had any interest in drinking. I seemed to by-pass the troubled teen era entirely, choosing to cling to my childhood as long as I could. No doubt influenced by the fact that I was home-educated for most of my teens…
Besides, from the few sips I’d tried, I’d come to the firm conclusion that alcohol tasted yukky. Why would I bother if I could have a herbal tea instead?
As you can probably imagine, things changed when I left for university, when I realised that I could mask the taste of alcohol with mixers. Before long, I was like all my fellow students, out 2-3 times a week, where it would feel scandalous not to drink.
It was lock down that changed things. As I was only ever a social drinker, never having alcohol at home, my consumption dropped drastically. And I didn’t miss it. Not even slightly.
As restrictions eased, this didn’t change.
I never went back to drinking and firmly believe I never will.
Studies show that around 20% of the UK population don’t drink and 16-25 year olds were the most likely to be tee-total.
There has been a significant increase in the ‘sober-curious’ movement within GenZ’s. Although this is influenced by multiple factors, one of the primary reasons is the increasing awareness of the health risks that come with drinking.
For me, these words from Emma Gannon’s recent post said it best -
If I can’t do it sober, then I clearly don’t want to do it.
Giving up alcohol meant I was turning away from the lifestyle I no longer wanted and embracing the person I was now.
What I don’t miss about drinking
Spending money that could have been spent on books
Dingy bars with sticky floors
Hangovers
The sickening surge of anxiety the day after
Late nights
Ruining a new outfit
Missing my treasured morning routine
Feeling lonely in a room full of people
High heels
The panic of losing control
Waiting in taxi lines
Cracked phone screens
Being around other drunk people
Pressure to have ‘just one more’
This post is not intended to come across as ‘anti-drinking’, rather a description of my own experience. And, with the festive season approaching, it may just be the validation some reader’s need to say no, as we should never feel the pressure to drink from other’s.
You do you.
Until next time,
Molly xx
Amen to that! And while we’re on it, I think it’s worth reminding people that “No thanks” is a complete sentence. No one owes anyone an explanation for why they’re not drinking. I am essentially teetotal not for any moral reasons or any issues with alcohol but because I don’t like how it makes me feel. But every time I go on a work night out, people ask why I’m not drinking. I have no qualms in saying I just don’t like it (the hangxiety is absolutely not worth it) but there are so many people for whom it’s an incredibly awkward conversation. The contents of our glasses are no one’s business but our own. 💚
Good on you. I'm 77 and have drunk very little alcohol though not Teatotal. I can't remeber the last time I had a drink probably last Christmas, then only because someone bought me one. The advantages of been a Yorkshireman with long pockets. When I was working alongside the Police I was invited to attend a WET CENTRE where down and out homeless drunks go during the day to drink themselves into oblivion. I was researching the reasons why so many end up like this. When I spoke to thirty five year olds who I thought looked like a sixty year old, I was told it was due to the drink. So Molly you'll stay looking young if you keep off the bottle. Mind you being a virtual non drinker has not done a lot for my looks but it's what you are inside that matters. KEEP WRITING.