Not a problem, until it is.

Happy New year!

That time again for resolutions and reflection. I’ll try and stay positive and focus on a personal change. Don’t have time or head-space for a full run down on the rolling omni-crisis.

I spent 2023 alcohol free. Nae drams or pints, tasty malbec or pan-galactic gargleblasters. This is the longest period of my life without drink since I was 14. (Yes, I know, but that was perfectly normal in my part of Glasgow then.) There were other times I didn’t drink much. Travelling in India, the early 90’s years of raves and free parties both jump out, but there was a lot else going on then and they were never completely bevvy free.

I don’t think I was/am an alcoholic. Many have said I didn’t even have a problem. Others would disagree. But everyone agrees I was a classic west of Scotland binge drinker. Nothing at all during the week and a bucket on Friday or Saturday night, rinse and repeat until death.

The year’s been refreshing. I’ve lost a wee bit of weight, and I probably look better than I did at the start. It’s certainly improved my mental health. The oddest change is in my sleep pattern. I now regularly fall asleep on the couch about half eight, but this is balanced by waking early, full of energy.

Socially it hasn’t been a problem, despite the fear that it would be. Not only awkwardness from me, but other folk feeling judged or not understanding. I’ve really had nothing to worry about. Nobody has done the, “go on, have a drink!” thing. However, there were slight generational differences in attitude.

Younger folk don’t even bat an eyelid. Research shows generally declining rates of drinking among the yoof. 16 – 24 year olds drinking less than at any time since records began. Perhaps because of that, I felt no pressure at all from them. Or maybe the rise in discussion of the importance of consent has changed attitudes in some of the young team? Like, the idea that someone may not want to do a thing is sacrosanct, and unlikely to face questions or cajolery?

My older friends were consistently encouraging. Many of them have also dropped alcohol, or never really drank much of it in the first place. One friend memorably described alcohol as a, “slave drug.”

I felt more need to explain myself to folk my age. Maybe this says more about how they know me, and what they have seen of my past behaviour. Completely reasonable. I did worry about them feeling I was somehow judging them, and losing their friendship that way. Not that my relationship with anyone is based on bevvying any more, those guys are long gone. But a lot of people, quite reasonably given that omni-crisis, spend their week living for the weekend and a night out. An escape from the drudgery or sense of impending doom.

I needn’t have worried. As soon as it became clear I’m not going to be all evangelical about this, folk got on with booking me tickets to the next gig.

The thing that’s come into stark relief in 2023 is just how marinated in alcohol our society is. Every social occasion is doused in it, every significant life event and turning point has it’s drinks. And it’s everywhere. Bars and clubs, supermarkets and off-licenses masquerading as corner shops. (I think I’ve stolen that phrase from someone, but I can’t remember who?) I’m not arguing that this should change, it’s just something the past year has let me see in a different way.

Alcohol is a drug. A very powerful depressant that’s central to our society. I’m not a prohibitionist, far from it, I just wonder if we should be as acquiescent as we are to this ubiquity. Alcohol use is so normal we don’t even consider it a problem, until it is. There is far too much mindless mind-altering, especially in my gen X cohort.

Alcohol stays dominant when so many other, far more gentle, mind altering substances come and go. We have a huge cultural hangover around which substances we’ve deemed socially acceptable. Our rules around this need to change as much as our society-wide acceptance of alcohol on tap. People have altered their consciousness throughout human history, that isn’t going to stop, but we need to have a conversation about how and why we do it.

Then there’s the social lubricant thing. If we’re saying we need alcohol to smooth social situations, if there’s the fear I felt about some social events, maybe the problem is how alienated we are from each other? Maybe the issue is how atomised our social world really is? Perhaps using a strong depressant to counter feelings of alienation and separation might not be a great idea. Perhaps we need to work on building real community beyond bevvy.

2024 will probably see me have another alcoholic drink here or there, but I don’t think I’ll ever return to using alcohol as I did before. I will be much more conscious about whether I actually want that pan-galactic gargleblaster or not. I will not slip back to patterns of every-weekend-excess. Even on Hogmanay, I had the bottle of Talisker laid out ready for the bells. It’s still there, unopened. Turns out I didn’t really want drink to be the marker of a new year.

If you’re doing Dry January, if any of this strikes a chord, or if you just want a chat, do get in touch.

Aw’ the best to you all.

PS. If you, or someone you care about, are struggling and in Aberdeen reach out to Alcohol and Drugs Action here.

Or Scotland wide and beyond you could try here.