The Benefits of Heavy Drinking

Why are alcoholics so reluctant to get sober?

Photo by Fred Moon on Unsplash

In last week’s newsletter, I wrote about some of the first ways that getting sober changed my life. Within the first year of quitting drinking, I had already lost weight, saved money, and discovered new hobbies. In the years since then, sobriety has continued to help me improve my life in more ways than I ever imagined.

But, what about the flip side? Has sobriety done any harm? Were there benefits to my drinking habit that I now have to live without?

To put it another way, why was I so reluctant to quit drinking in the first place? It was incredibly hard for me to get sober. Even though my drinking habit was an overwhelmingly destructive force in my life, there was still a part of me that enjoyed it.

In this week’s newsletter, I’d like to examine exactly what it was that I enjoyed (or thought I enjoyed) about my drinking habit, explain how I’ve reassessed these supposed “benefits” of heavy drinking, and suggest how you can do the same.