In recent years, the sober life has seemingly become more and more tempting for former party-animals, particularly those in their 20s and 30s.
In fact, according to the UK’s largest recent study of drinking behaviours, the Gen-Z generation were discovered to be the most tee-total generation of all, with a colossal 26%.
So, for Alcohol Awareness Week, which kicked off this week (1 July) and is set to continue on until Sunday (7 July), we’ve rounded up a bunch of answers from people who quit drinking who all gave the same answer when asked why they stopped in the first place.
It’s Alcohol Awareness Week in the UK right now. (P A Thompson / Getty Images)
According to the NHS, over seven and a half million people in the UK show signs of alcohol dependence, with alcohol being the third leading preventable cause of death in the UK after smoking and obesity-related diseases.
The NHS also recommends those who want to consume alcohol to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more – that’s around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or 6 pints of 4% beer.
Some people, however, have decided to go teetotal altogether with many taking to Reddit to explain exactly why.
One Reddit user explained: “Saves a lot of money and feels much healthier/happier.”
“It started giving me mad anxiety the next day,” revealed a second. “Seemingly out of nowhere – it just started happening one day. One night of fun wasn’t worth 3 days of anxiety so I stopped.”
A third chimed in: “Because of the morning after. When you feel like a hollow and anxiety-ridden puddle of a human.”
“I’m sad when I drink,” admitted a fourth, while a fifth penned: “I realised I couldn’t have just one drink and be content. I also realised that I was the most drunk in social settings where there was alcohol. I also couldn’t handle the increasingly worse hangovers.”
A sixth explained: “I started having very upsetting experiences of 1-2 glasses of wine making me very sick. If it’s not even fun anymore, why do it?
“Also, have you seen how healthy sober people look? It’s amazing.”
A seventh pointed out: “The lows of hangovers started to outweigh the highs of being drunk.
“Anxiety, headache, nausea from just a couple of drinks. I now occasionally have one, but I won’t ever get drunk again and I think it was my body rather than my mind that forced me into it!”
“It’s horrible in every way for your body. I feel horrible for three days,” added an eighth.
Another quipped: “I feel better without it and my skin looks better. That’s reason enough for me.”
And a final Reddit user added: “Panic attacks/high anxiety pretty much the whole day after drinking.”
If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support
If you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They’re open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you’re not comfortable talking on the phone.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
