Drinking Alcohol in Midlife

Midlife sobriety 

So todays post is all about 1 major changes I’ve made to my diet and lifestyle. In the last year, I decided to give up alcohol. Main reason is the physical effects it has on my body. More so now but this has always been the case.

You’d think after 47 years, I would instinctively know what my body can and cannot tolerate. Although to some extent this is true, the difference now is that I’m actually more inclined to listen to my body and do something about it, rather than ignore it.

Effects of alcohol in midlife

I’ve known from the very start of drinking anything alcoholic in my late teens, that my body was very sensitive to it. Not just in regards to getting drunk ridiculously quick but the wider, physiological changes that occur as a result. 

For example, terrible tummy upset, palpitations, redness, flushing, dehydration, fatigue, irritable dry skin – Im not talking hangover stuff here and all of these symptoms had become exacerbated and more intense as I started to transition into perimenopause!! In recent years, I would develop these strange little blood spots all across my torso, after drinking alcohol!! Let me clear something up immediately….I have never been able to consume a lot of alcohol and my usual intake was 2-3 units a week (although in my younger years theres no denying that a night on the town would have been excessive – buts that’s way in the past)!! The illness I felt from alcohol, was just not worth the continued onslaught on my body.

Emotional impact of alcohol

So, aside from the physical issues I had with alcohol, the emotional aspects were equally better left in the past. Alcohol used to make me so emotional and behave in ways that was not true to my nature. 

I’ve been inherently shy since a child and I discovered that alcohol would ‘bring me out of my shell’. All of a sudden, I would turn into this crazy extrovert and be completely embarrassing, saying and doing things that I would never dream of. I would always wake up the next day with that feeling of ‘dread’…I know we’ve all been there but this was a regular feeling for me. 

As I got older and more confident as a person and comfortable with who I was generally, alcohol still triggered a different extroverted side of me but tapped into a happier me. This was ‘fun Ange’ and people enjoyed my company in this state. However, I still struggled with the physiological issues.

Social belonging and alcohol

Alcohol is so tied up with social relationships and social events that I always felt an internal pressure to continue drinking even though, I knew it was no good for me. When I eventually set my mind to stop drinking alcohol, people around me were worried that I would become a ‘bore’ and no fun to be around!!! As mentioned previously, I’m less worried about what other people think now that I’m in my middling years and this was not going to impact on my decision.

There’s no better time than now to consider stopping/reducing if that’s something you want to do yourself (like I had wanted to do, for many years). All the alcohol free beers and sparkling wine substitutes available are endless. I’ve even been to bars where they’ve had alcohol free beer on tap….how cool is that. Plus it tastes good. My main worry was that I didn’t want to look or feel like a child when out socialising or going to events by drinking pop or juice. However, the alcohol free ranges is so widely available now that this is not a concern at all.

Alcohol affects menopause symptoms

Life after alcohol in midlife

I have no regrets at all about the decision I made and still have lots of fun with out the embarrassing antics or feeling physically unwell. I regularly have nights out going to gigs, restsuarants and catching up with friends and actually feel much better not drinking alcohol and enjoy myself more. 

I must admit to the fact that there have been the very rare occasions where I have caved and had a small glass of prosecco at a wedding and white wine and soda on holiday. Neither of these times have made me want to lapse and start drinking again but I also feel comfortable with allowing myself the one off drink when it feels appropriate and I won't have such a horrid time!

In terms of alcohol free items I have enjoyed, these include: @Luckysaintbeer, Brewdog Nanny State, @Birramoretti, @paulaner. Im yet to find anything in the way of a decent alcohol free white wine, everything I’ve tried is way too sweet and nothing like wine at all!!