Chasing the Buzz of an Alcohol-Free Brain

The benefits of not drinking have become much more attractive to me

Photo by Zachary Kadolph on Unsplash

Today I had a pre-Christmas catch up with a friend over a casual lunch and a glass of wine.

I’ve been thinking a lot about that glass of wine. It occurred to me that apart from a bit of festive sparkle, it didn’t really add anything to the occasion.

I don’t drink alcohol very often these days, but I can’t pinpoint the time when I started drinking less. There’s no defining moment, no pivotal event. I didn’t wake up after a bender to declare never again. I’m certainly not taking the high moral ground or claiming a heroic act of will and determination.

But at some point, I realised that I don’t need alcohol like I used to. I was a regular drinker rather than a heavy one, but now weeks can go by without it crossing my mind. As the reasons for drinking alcohol have fallen away, so has its place in my life.

Almost by accident, I discovered how much better my brain worked during stretches of time when I was alcohol-free. Life is much better when I don’t feel like I’m tunnelling my way through thick fog. Without my thoughts tripping over each other all the time, it’s easier to focus. While I will never be anxiety free, I’m closer to controlling it rather than being…