I’ve not drunk alcohol in over seven years now.
I’ve a long and not entirely brilliant relationship with alcohol, but I’m incredibly glad I broke it off before it became actively harmful. I still have mild pangs, wishes to taste a really good hoppy beer, or a rich red wine, but no, it’s not something I want to return to.
Why?
Hmm….
The short answer is that some eight or nine years ago, my job became more and more stressful, and I found a glass of wine of an evening was a good way to unwind. This is actually not abnormal (so say I). What worried me as one year drew to a close was that I was feeling I needed to have that glass of wine, and, basically, I was worried about my drinking behaviour. One day I decided I would soon stop drinking for a period, and I thought New Year’s Eve (Day, I suppose) would be a good occasion to begin. I took my last drink as a glass of Asti on NYE, and after my initial year (or was it a month I set myself at first? No, a year) thought I may as well keep going.
I do still cook with wine, although I try to reduce the fluid to near-nothing to make sure the alcohol’s mostly gone. I’ve reservations about beer/wine casseroles, but I’ve not noticed anything untoward.
So yes, seven years and a few months. I do bmiss it a little, and I’m glad a lot.