Why going sober was one of the best things I’ve ever done
Share:
As a sober curious social drinker, Harry Bullmore found ditching alcohol to be monumental for his mood and confidence. I started drinking at 16, and it was fun. As a painfully shy teen who had just moved to a new town, it made me the person I wanted to be; confident and outgoing. At parties, alcohol helped me fit in and find friends while making some lasting (and some not-so-lasting) memories.
![[Not drinking alcohol in unfamiliar company was one of the biggest challenges]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/10/04/16/sober-curious-harry-bullmore-The-Independent.jpg)
I continued to use booze as a social lubricant into my twenties. But as the years went on, the magic wore off. I found happiness harder to come by in the days after a heavier session, the hangovers became unbearable and my post-night-out anxiety skyrocketed. So I decided to quit drinking for a month, curious to see what a dry spell could do for me.
![[I made swaps to alcohol alternatives and drinks like lime and soda and zero per cent beer]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/10/04/16/harry-bullmore-sober-curious.jpg)
My one-month stint turned into two after I noticed a slew of positive changes. My productivity boomed, my mood was consistently higher and my confidence took an unexpected turn for the better. I also developed a Lionel Richie level of appreciation for Sunday mornings (some of which were previously spent recovering). Before I knew it, I’d gone six months without a drop, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done.
During sixth form and my time at university, the amount you could drink was worn as a badge of honour. As a competitive person, I never wanted to be left behind, so binge drinking once or twice per week was the norm. This was further fuelled by the fact that I felt many people, particularly those I didn’t know so well, preferred me when I’d had a few drinks – I was more relaxed, extroverted even, and had the confidence to entertain a crowd. For this reason, I tended to lean on alcohol as a way of making myself seem more appealing during certain social settings.
