I have not drunk alcohol in 10 months. I am not an alcoholic. I don’t have any moral problem with drinking. I am also not saying I will never drink again. I will say one thing that has surprised me, however: I have not missed drinking alcohol.

Youthful Drinking

When I was in college I drank a lot of alcohol. Realistically, I would say that I was a binge drinker. I did not drink every day, but when I did it was not uncommon to drink at least a six-pack of beer. I used alcohol as many people use it: as a social lubricant. I have some social anxiety and drinking made me more assertive in social situations. I liked who I was when I was drinking. I was the life of the party. Unfortunately, I was also often the fool. I had some blackout situations and some behavior I later regretted. I even lost a friendship because of the way I had acted when I was drunk. I wanted to blame the alcohol but, of course, I chose to drink that much in the first place. Unfortunately, I am not unusual. Excessive drinking is a hallmark of college.

My drinking habits changed in my mid 20’s. There was no intervention and no conscious acknowledgment of a problem. I just started to gradually drink less. By the time I was 30, I was still drinking socially (and definitely still had some drunken nights) but much less overall. By the time I reached 40, it was not uncommon for me to go weeks without drinking alcohol. When I did drink, it was only a few drinks at most. Luckily, alcohol did not become a life-long problem for me.

Living Alcohol-Free

I never intended to stop drinking alcohol. At first, it just happened. I noticed I had not drunk in a while. After that first month, I wanted to see if I could go the rest of the year without drinking. A few months later I had met that goal. I did not set another goal but it was something that I wanted to continue to do. I liked not drinking. There were many benefits: I saved money. My head was never cloudy. I did not gain empty calories. I also never ate too much junk food as a result of drinking. Although I am no expert on physiology, I’m sure it was overall better for my physical health. My liver hasn’t been this happy since high school.

Escape From Reality

Maybe most importantly, I had to confront life without alcohol. It was not there to help me in social situations. It would not assist me in escaping from my difficulties. I think most people start drinking as a form of self-help, although they are not aware of it. They feel they get something from alcohol. Further, it may indeed seem to help in the moment, but it often comes with negative consequences. When you use alcohol to cope with a situation, it prevents you from learning how to deal with it yourself. If you don’t develop those coping skills you become to rely on alcohol. That can be the start of an addictive cycle.

Alcohol Questions

I am not here to preach about alcohol. I have always enjoyed a beer or two and I am sure I will drink alcohol in the future. However, it is worth examining why you drink. How do you feel alcohol is helping you and, on the flip side, how might it be hurting? Ask yourself the big questions: why do I drink? What would life be like without beer, wine and liquor?

Experiment With Sobriety

I think it is always informative to conduct an experiment on yourself. Try to go for a month without alcohol. Can you do it? If not, that may be indicative of a problem. If you succeed, how do you feel about not drinking? Was it a positive experience? What did you learn about your sober self?

It is always interesting to explore our behavior. There are things we do without really thinking about them. You probably started drinking alcohol to be social and fit in with your friends. But why did you continue? Are you still insecure about being accepted? Whatever your reason, it can’t hurt to examine your actions a little closer, to gain insight about yourself. Take it from a life long drinker: it may be an eye-opening experience.