I quit drinking alcohol for two years. Here's what I learned.

I quit drinking alcohol in my early 40s. It was one of the best things I have ever done.

In this video, I share my reasons why I stopped drinking and what happened when I had my first alcoholic drink in over two years. Let's just say, it won't happen again...

I hope you find this video useful.

Time stamps:

00.00 - The story of my first alcoholic drink in two years
03.13 - Life as a non-drinker
05.03 - 'The Super Habit'
06.05 - Abstinence vs Moderation
07.38 - Living in the moment

Who am I? I am a filmmaker based in Edinburgh, Scotland. I explore different ways of living to see if it will make me happier and I share these experiences on my channel. I always aim to share my experiences and experiments with the aim of positively impacting other people.

Thank you for watching!

[stevennovakovich]

Quit cold turkey about 4 or 5 months ago. Zero withdrawal symptoms. Never going back.

[theorgelmeisterakathesoapm]

I made that mistake several years ago: 6 months sober, I thought I could have a glass of wine at the beach. After the second glass and a mild buzz, I was off to the liquor store. Two plus years sober and there's no looking back. Sobriety is great.

[the_cafe_racer_project]

Great stuff. I turned 50 last December and in September I decided that I would do a year without alcohol. I’m now 5 months in and loving it - no massive life changing experience, just feeling better, sleeping better, saving money and being an all round better dad and husband. Thanks for the inspiration. Now to work on my running!!!

[damian-]

I gave up for months at a time. I drank again recently and it was frankly hideous because of the fall out. It messes up my mind and makes me feel terrible. Blood pressure goes up, feel more angry and resentful for no reason. It sucks, and I am NEVER going back now.

[Bobby_Hustle]

Great video. I have two years and five months without a drink. I use to drink a 5th of vodka every night. I'll never even try one drink of anything because I don't trust myself or rather I know myself so well I will be back to bottle a night in no time. Half a life drunk is plenty. I'm 47 now and love having a clear head every morning.

[MYZTICTRAVLER]

Great follow up. Thanks for doing both videos. I know they have helped a lot of people. My experience is a tale of two extremes. I went from being a Vietnam era vet (Mounted light infantry leader) with over 20 years in. To going cold turkey now with 15 years of being Alcohol Free. Best of luck to everyone. "Head on a swivel!"

[niall]

The reality for me is that now in my late 30s I simply can't handle the hangovers a tenth as well as I could when at University. The pain caused afterwards far exceeds any pleasure. At Uni I could go out and drink four great nights a week and I'd have a great time 95% of the time. The hangover would be gone mid afternoon the next day, little to no anxiety, and a spot of exercise would perk me up no end. But in my mid 30s hangovers don't just last less than a day, they can last anywhere up to 2 weeks...possibly more. I started to become aware that even a couple of drinks takes me a few days to return to optimal mental clarity. I makes personal growth and learning so stop start.
Ultimately when the good effects are far outnumbered by the negative effects then it's time to stop. Once this wasn't the case, but today it is. Drinking now is almost like trying to live in the past, which is possibly why in recent years I spend an increasing amount of my drunk time talking with others only about the old days and past experiences. But at Uni we were going out and making experiences. Time to move on. Conditions have changed and the game is different.
It has to be a seriously good reason today to even just have a few drinks and be worth the potential effects for a few days.

[Martin_Edmondson]

Thanks for the video!
Congrats on changing your life for the better, I am sure it will inspire many people to do the same.
I think there is always a feeling of 'maybe I should start again, just the one can't hurt...', but in the end it is better not to.
Tastes very nice but is just not worth the damage to your health. Like smoking once was, it is amazing to me how deeply ingrained it is in so many aspects of life. (Celebrate the birth of your child with a cigar!)
Social pressure be damned.. I would rather go for a run!
Good luck to anyone thinking of quitting.. you can do it.

[AprilPvd]

This video really resonated with me in so many ways. I had my last drink two months ago tomorrow and it was the best decision I could have made. The problem with trying to cut down is twofold, you don't see it as the poison it is and once you have a drink, the ability to make responsible decisions, such as limiting the amount you will drink, goes out the window. The big point you mentioned is something that has helped me make good choices is that I owe it to the future me not to screw things up. I also gave up Diet Sprite, which I loved, but I feel better without. Lastly about decision burn outs, I simplified my clothing, not only so I don't have to choose every day, but also for laundry purposes. All of my socks are the exact same so I don't have to match them up or worry if one is lost. Thank you for making this video and good luck in your future.

[DavidWheaterScotland]

Brilliantly done as always Richard and a really important topic. I’m not teetotal, but I don’t drink much and I have found this very difficult socially over the years. You can feel a bit excluded at times and feel as though you’re spoiling the party. I think it’s something we need to be talking about more and you deserve enormous credit for not just a superb film, but for your honesty in sharing your own personal experience, which I know will be really helpful to others 😀 I always love the way your films make me think & question things, and this makes them really important.

[tgrant]

Thanks for making this content! It's important to have some type of representation for not drinking alcohol. "Sacrifice the life you want to live now for the life you want to live later" are words to live by!

[x-hwhodarswins]

I didn't get the notice you went live 👀🤷‍♂️ but enjoyed the content👌4 years abstinent 😎

[leowilliamcullen]

Having these reactions to being poisoned is how a healthy mind and body reacts.

[hungariancottageadventure]

It's an interesting video slightly different approach, when I was around 6 months AF I felt like everything had changed but nothing had changed, meaning on the outside my work, life relationship etc were the same but my perceptions had done a 180, it's an extraordinary feeling, I'm now 17 months AF and even though this has become my normal I still marvel at the freedom I've gained from leaving alcohol behind🎉

[nonenonnenopenonenomorefor]

I've been quit 2 years and 2 months I don't think I can have any I have crossed bridges and feel better.

[willmackay]

As a 22 year old who never had a problem with alcohol found myself with racing thoughts and heart rate all of a sudden when drinking. Now every time I drink, I get the exact same symptoms which always result in a panic attack and now also I have quit drinking. It’s amazing the difference just in mental health when you cut out alcohol !

[ASHK-uz]

Great info in the video, the key difference for me was zero withdrawal symptoms, physical or mental, not even within the first thirty days, after Steffon Barkload and what he suggested it's been 9 months now it's like it never was a problem, reading that last version goolging what he put up. Was a super relief I didn't need AA or meds either.

[juanjaramillo]

Man, I'm reaching my 2 years of sobriety in 30 days (right at 2024 end) and I was just wondering if Its worth it to drink again from that point... now that I've seen your experience, I've changed my mand, besides, I will feel like im letting myself down after all this progress. Thanks for your video.

[jenniferklopman]

"Life begins at 40. The rest is just practice " -Carl Jung

[nonenonnenopenonenomorefor]

One was to many 24 not enough quit 23 months ago going for 2 years