How to give up alcohol
Are you sober curious? Author Ruby Warrington asks you to consider how different your life would be if you stopped drinking on autopilot, or stopped drinking altogether?
By 
Psychologies
2 minute read
Why is alcohol everywhere? Why are the only people who don’t drink those who choose not to because of religious or health reasons? ‘I call this questioning getting sober curious,’ says Ruby Warrington, co-founder of Club SÖDA NYC, a community for people to discuss sobriety.
1. Be curious about why you drink
Ask: Is my life so bereft of joy that the hangover is worth the high? How will drinking really make me feel? What am I drinking not to feel? What else makes me feel alive? How can I have fun without booze? How can I relax without it? How can I connect with others while sober?
2. Get emotionally conscious
Awareness helps us make choices that support our highest self. ‘Listening to your feelings helps you discover what’s wrong; what you need; what you can do about it. Feelings don’t like being ignored, especially if they have information about our wellbeing. Drinking numbs unmet emotional needs. The only way to hear what our feelings are trying to tell us is to sit with them when we’re sober,’ she says.
3. Consider moderation
‘This is relevant if you still believe your happiness is linked to alcohol: it’s how you relax; connect; find joy. Being ‘sober curious’ is learning to trust the truth for you over the messages about booze. What do you need alcohol for, even in moderation?’
‘Sober Curious’ by Ruby Warrington (HarperCollins, £20) is out now
Image: Getty
