Thomas - 704 days

“I just had to give up drinking. Turning 30 was around the corner and I knew deep down that I could never move forward in life with alcohol in it. For over a decade, it had caused so much chaos in my life. Not only that, but I suffered from a real black dog of depression which clouded my thinking throughout that whole period.

I had tried and failed to quit so many times. The last 2 years of that was trying to cut it down, which made me feel like I was only living life for that one day, making every day in between seem like a constant countdown where I felt like I was starving myself of having fun until I had a drink.

The thing is, though. Since I created a new life which alcohol is no longer a part of, I’ve realised it was actually I who was starving myself of life for so long. There had always been that person inside me seeking an adventure, seeking a purpose. Giving up alcohol has allowed me to pursue that life.

The butterfly effect of getting sober allows you to pick up such good healthy habits and new hobbies, which have such a positive impact on your everyday life, energy levels and general wellbeing. I have a new found passion for fitness, the outdoors cycling and cold water swimming, where I have found myself investing so much time into this. I also love live music and football and that’s something I thought I would have struggled with. Because I had seen alcohol as going hand in hand with these events for over a decade

With sobriety, over time you learn to discover a lot about yourself, and I’ve discovered, even more so, how important my music and football are to me. I love being able to attend these events purely in the moment. Most importantly, though. I’ve never felt happier. There really have been some pinch me moments where the deeply depressed version of me before could never quite imagined the person who I am now. I always like the saying ‘a zest for life’, because that’s what I have gained through this journey.

If you're someone who questions your relationship with drinking, and you feel like it’s holding you back in life, then I would always recommend taking that step towards sobriety, because it’s changed my life so much. Growing up in environments where alcohol is so ingrained into our culture where it is just the done thing, it can be difficult for us to picture or experience what a life would be like completely sober. I just honestly never knew that this sort of life was out there to be taken. Without a doubt the best decision I made in my adult life was removing alcohol. And I’m so grateful for that.”