2 minute read
SOBERING THOUGHT
A SOBERING THOUGHT
Staggering home drunk after a night out has become distinctly out of vogue with younger people. Celebrities like Zac Efron and Jennifer Hudson have made it cool to abstain. There’s even a society for sober girls. MC magazine reporter Sophie Brown (right) asks can sober and sociable work?
Zac Efron We’ve all been there. Waking up with a hangover from hell and an inability to do much other than binge watching telly and eat stodge. It’s pretty much the norm right? We get on with it.
I’ve grown up with what I now know to be a misconception – that you can’t go out for a catch up with friends, or indeed make it through a Friday night – without alcohol. Do we do it to fit in socially? To forget our problems? Or is it just a habit?
I chose to cut back on my own intake after realising ‘Hangxiety’ was more real than I thought.
It seems I’m not alone. A report by British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), revealed almost a quarter of 16 to 18 year olds never drink alcohol. The rest didn’t drink much.
Women’s Health writer Morgan Fargo, in her ‘Mindful Drinking’ article, recalls how ‘a glass of wine with supper on Wednesday, a catch up drink on Thursday and a ‘thank god that week’s over’ fizz on Friday, had my nervous system shot’.
She reflects on the impact of a 30 day alcohol detox. ‘My anxiety attacks had calmed down and I felt in control of how I interacted with the world’. The benefits are endless. Brighter mood, deeper sleep, more energy, better concentration, clearer skin, and better long term health all make a good case for cutting down or going tee total.
You’d also be in the company of film star Zac Efron and singer Jennifer Hudson, both of whom found abstinence better suited them.
Leading the movement for women is Sober Girl Society, a community for sober/sober curious women.
Back in 2018, with her mental health suffering from partying and resulting hangovers, 26 year old Millie Gooch (pictured above right), gave up alcohol. She started the society to bring together like minded women.
Millie Gooch
With more than 155,000 Instagram followers, Sober Girl Society encourages sobriety with motivational quotes and ideas, opening the floor for women to share personal stories. Events such as the ‘Virtual Wake Up Club’ attract a global audience.
There’s even a Sober Girl Society Handbook a self help guide with a simple message at its core –you can be happier and more fulfilled when you ditch the drink and take back control of your life.
Whether you choose to follow their Instagram @sobergirlsociety, dive into the handbook, join events, or sport a sober sisters badge, there’s a strong sense of being part of a network of support. For all those choosing the alcohol free path – I raise my glass (of slimline tonic) to you!
• If you need professional addiction support, Mersey
Care’s addiction services are here to help.
merseycare.nhs.uk
• Find national resources and helplines at
NHS UK: nhs.uk
NEED SUPPORT?
Help yourself – our self help guide ‘Alcohol and You’ can be read online, downloaded or watched as a video.
