End of Alcohol

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Most days we live on autopilot, programmed by habits defined by us or others. Drinking alcoholic drinks is a habit that most people acquire at a young age. It may be deeply ingrained over decades, forming a part of our identity. It takes awareness to stop reacting and question/interrogate this part. I argue it's worth it since it blocks us from our ideal life.

A sound mind in a healthy body

My definition of an ideal life includes a sound mind in a healthy body. A sound mind means no brain fog, no sluggishness, less self-deception but clarity and awareness. In my view, it's the foundation for making optimal decisions and to experience life to the fullest. Shifting the view to a healthy body: there is a staggering amount of research findings that discuss alcohol significantly impacting physical health, we get into that.

I started my journey in August 2023 as a self-experiment, and after a few setbacks, I am proud to have been abstinent for more than a year. The pride faded, and I adopted a new normal. This text serves as self-reflection and aims to inspire others to re-evaluate/challenge their long-held beliefs.

Consistent small wins

While a transition to an ideal life is a long one, it starts with small consistent compounding changes and "small wins" to practice every day. To stop drinking for a week, a month, or for the entire next month to then revise if one wants to keep to it. With enough momentum and lessons learned, it can be easier to overcome setbacks and quit drinking alcohol completely. Before I outline the ugly effects on health, I'd like to start with the commonly believed "benefits" of drinking alcohol and dismantle them by perspective shift. And finally, if you're convinced I hope my takeaways at the end will support you in your journey.

Social default, relaxation and coping

The reason most of us started drinking alcohol is social interaction. The reason we stick to it is mostly social default (cultural norms, norms of a group or institutional influence) or as a coping mechanism.

Let's start with social default. The need for belonging is hard-wired in humans. It is said that the shared consumption of alcoholic beverages brings people together ("social glue") and loosens their tongues ("truth potion", “in vino veritas”). It is said that people become more bold, fearless, have more style, and can better enjoy themselves. Decades of aggressive marketing has reinforced it.

From a sober person's perspective, a drunk person is often said to speak their mind, but they also tend to have loose lips, bad manners, bad smell, and make poor decisions that can lead to regrettable actions, malicious behavior, cheating, and even accidental harm to others - in fact, alcohol is a factor in 40% of violent crimes. The morning after, the hangover and its accompanying mood swings can put an extra strain on relationships with friends, partners, or family.

I'm not saying it's easy to say ‘no’ in social settings. Years after stopping, my parents still ask me if I’d like to have a drink. In a poll in 2019, 97% of respondents said they felt social pressure to drink, and 85% felt that pressure at work too. I'm saying let's make drinking optional. It is a social default but it doesn't have to be. If your group doesn't tolerate your new behavior it's probably a good idea to re-evaluate the group's shared values or find a new one.

Let's briefly touch on alcohol as a coping mechanism. In a 2023 poll in the UK, “to relax”, and “to treat myself” have been cited by 60% and 50% of consumers. Red wine is said to make you forget. Alcohol among other drugs is the easy way out to cope with anxiety, stress, depression and loss. Many of us have learned this behavior when growing up. It's a short-term fix but not a real solution. The worst part: whenever you're faced with one or a combination of the above you don't learn/grow to deal with it (through healthy means such as running and meditation) and/or process it. Furthermore, a vicious self reinforcing cycle can develop in which coping with alcohol can increase stress and anxiety in the long run. Now, if you aren’t convinced yet, let’s look into the real ugly side of alcohol.

Alcohol destroys the Body and the Brain

The hangover the morning after is just the tip of the iceberg. Alcohol increases blood pressure and dehydrates the body (bad skin). It decreases gray and white matter in the brain, weakens your immune system and prevents healing. It has negative effects on digestion and gut microbiomes leading to gastritis and leaky gut syndrome. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause nerve damage and irreversible forms of dementia. Alcohol raises heart disease risk even for young adults.

Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to permanent and irreversible scarring in your liver. Moreover, alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it is proven to cause cancer. In fact, any amount of alcohol consumption increases your risk of developing six types of cancer: head and neck cancer, esophagus cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and colon and rectum cancer. Fortunately, the World Health Organization is pushing to have warning labels on alcoholic beverages to alert consumers to these cancer risks. A more complete in-depth summary is provided by Andrew Huberman’s episode “What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health”.

Aha Moments

My most important learning is to commit to stop entirely, because exceptions can become a rule with enough social pressure or life circumstances. What helps is to commit to a certain period such as 90 days to get into a new mindset, identify with a person who doesn't drink alcohol. And make it a rule not an opinion. I can't put it better than Shane Parrish from Clear Thinking: "In a quirk of psychology, people typically don't argue with your personal rules. They just accept them as features of who you are. People question decisions, but they respect rules.". A good book on habit formation is James Clear’s Atomic Habits. For the first 3 months, I employed a habit tracker, Strides, to keep track of good and bad days. This helped to have an overview of progress and for keeping myself accountable.

Shifting the focus on health, I barely have brain fog or headaches, much better sleep and with it more clarity, energy and less mood swings. I have much better skin (less dehydration and inflammation). While I don’t have personal before/after data from my tracking devices, the Oura ring data shows a community trend of +8% impact of "No Alcohol" on Heart Rate Variability (HRV, higher is better) among users.

It became easier for me to approach people without alcohol. I have more deeper, authentic, honest and intellectually challenging conversations than I would have under the influence of alcohol. I can dance, sing and do whatever I do with alcohol but without it. Some situations remain challenging, I recall a wedding celebration of a friend, getting forcefully dragged onto the dance floor. Water is usually not served in wine glasses being the odd one out not clinking glasses. Every sober discomfort is a re-learning to approach situations anew.

Let's talk supply. Once I stepped outside the matrix, I was astonished how much alcohol is sold in supermarkets. Germany's alcohol-free beers are decent, but note that alcohol percentages vary from 0.5% to 0%. Alcohol-free white wine (Prosecco) is similar in taste, red wine not so much. Apart from alcohol-free versions the world has plenty of non-alcoholic beverages to explore. A healthy alternative that I’ve learned to love is Kombucha. It’s fermented tea with a complex tangy flavor that is also a great probiotic to support gut health.

Getting Started

You might have cut back on alcohol, stopped drinking or succeeded only for a period to then return to your status quo. It’s important to acknowledge our struggles without judgment. Instead of fighting our inner demons, such as being too strict to ourselves, we can learn to understand and befriend them by understanding where the desire is coming from. In the beginning of this text, I outlined my why: a sound mind in a healthy body. Maybe we share this one - or maybe you have more concrete reasons and stories to remind you and to give you a refreshed conviction to stay on this path - until there’s no path but a new normal. I want to conclude this text with Confucius’ words: “You can overcome bad habits only today, not tomorrow”.

Resources

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