Swimming Against the Tide (In a Sea of Alcohol)
- Aislinn Dunne
- May 3
- 4 min read
by Aislinn Dunne
Every society in history has had some form of alcohol that has been used to mark rituals and special events. So long as alcohol has been produced, be it neolithic fermented beverages or modern alcopops, we've been drinking it. We are surrounded by encouragement to drink in the form of advertising and firmly rooted societal norms.
Creatures of habit
There are always reasons, or should I say, excuses, to drink alcohol, whether you're celebrating or commiserating, winning or losing. Trying to imagine a world where alcohol doesn't exist in its current form and enormity is almost impossible. How would we mark any meaningful event? How would we party? Can you even (comfortably) dance without alcohol? All valid questions given how ubiquitous it is in our everyday and no wonder then that it's hard to avoid.
And yet, some of us, having dipped a toe into the soothing waters of sobriety or reduced alcohol intake, can imagine that world. If you're reading this magazine, you, too, may be on a journey of reducing your alcohol intake, so congratulations. It is an isolating, upward struggle, yet incrementally rewarding the higher you climb. This act of self-care and creating awareness around alcohol use and what it means for your life will probably turn out to be one of the most significant decisions you've ever made.
Social circles
In a perfect reversal of the negative impact that drinking alcohol has on your life, sobriety or reducing alcohol will have the same outward (mainly positive) ripple effect.
No relationship will be unchanged in your life. I say 'mainly positive' because, as the sober mentor Gary Mairs (from the excellent Instagram account @sobernsound) says, sobriety is a "friend filtration system".
It may happen instantly, or there could be a progressive change in who you spend your time with, but make no mistake, cutting down on alcohol will impact your friendships and relationships. Letting go of friendships that were only booze related and upgrading your social life to include activities that don't involve alcohol is all part of the process. The beauty of questioning your relationship with alcohol is that it shines a light on everything and everyone around you.
Thank goodness for the blossoming alcohol-free market; it is helping those who enjoy pub time and need a social life to not be isolated and be able to stand in a bar with a delicious drink in hand.
Personally, in my relatively fresh two years of abstinence from alcohol, I can testify that all things are possible, although staying out late and dancing still requires some additional effort. And yes, my inability to linger after 9pm has impacted friendships and my social life. I'm OK with that though; good sleep and early starts with clarity are my preference now.
For me, giving up alcohol has been like ditching a toxic partner who has shaped my past. Undoing its damage has been my focus, and I don't know whether it's nearing my mid-40s or that I've removed alcohol from my life (or both), but I've learned that the most important relationship I have is the one I have with myself. There's no escaping it; without self-care, i.e., looking after body and mind, there's not much hope for a long, well-lived life.
Knowledge is power
It may feel like you are bucking a trend and choosing the path less travelled, but if you are seeing the rewards in your health, bank balance and relationships, then surely it is evidence enough to keep moving forward.
Thankfully, there are experts here to help us, and I have great gratitude and respect for the British Neuropsychopharmacologist Professor David Nutt for his valuable work around alcohol consumption.
In the face of hostility (being sacked as the UK Government's Drugs Tsar for correctly stating alcohol is the most dangerous drug due to its widespread effects), he continued to promote sound science and evidence on the problems with alcohol consumption as a matter of public interest. He knows alcohol is the best drug for socialising, and so, with his years of work on alcohol and the brain, he created the functional drink Sentia*. It gives the buzz and feeling of connection associated with the first 1-2 alcoholic drinks (by targeting your GABA neurotransmitters) but without the ill effects of alcohol.
With products like this and knowledge of the downsides of alcohol, conscious consumers can make informed decisions and remain within the sphere of sociability.
To me, it is the mature way to question our alcohol use and how it is affecting all our relationships, including the one we have with ourselves.
One should not forget the importance of social interaction; it is innate in us to seek it out, and we should work to retain friendships that can evolve with us, even without alcohol.
Thanks to people like Professor Nutt and his colleagues, who resigned in solidarity, they stood up in the face of criticism and isolation and produced evidence that will continue to transform lives.
If we have the tools to change our relationship with alcohol and reduce or replace it in our lives, then we are making a great leap towards healthier and happier futures.
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