To drink or not to drink? How has quitting alcohol become a new trend?

When a close friend of mine decided to quit drinking, our mutual friends just laughed at the decision. I’ll explain: we’re all under 25 and go to parties every weekend, where to be honest, being sober is a little weird and inappropriate. I won’t say that some of us have problems with alcohol, but I can admit that most of my friends can’t have fun without alcohol.

It’s been more than two years since the only sober person at the party appeared, and during that time one in three people I know decided they didn’t want to drink anymore. The reasons are completely different: starting with the state of health and ending with esoteric hobbies, energy rituals and other things like that. “Alcohol is no longer fashionable,” said an acquaintance I’ve never seen sober. And he seems to be right.

A few weeks ago, the Guardian published a major study that Gen Z is starting to abandon alcoholic cocktails in favor of natural juices and smoothies. By the way, this is also shown by statistics – between 2002 and 2019, the proportion of young Brits aged 16 to 24 reporting monthly alcohol consumption fell from 67% to 41%. And this is just the beginning.

Five years ago a new trend emerged in the restaurant industry – non-alcoholic bars. Similar establishments have opened in the main bar capitals – London and New York. Provided a wide variety of soft drinks and cocktails. As visitors say, even the classic “Margarita” was exactly the same as tequila. It’s just so much tastier.

The trend towards such bars never reached Russia, but on the other hand, it became possible to order non-alcoholic sparkling wine in all fashionable establishments and even ask the bartender to make Bellini not on prosecco, but on tonic. By the way, during the treatment period, when alcohol was strictly prohibited, non-alcoholic cocktails became the main salvation of the author of this test. Pleasant – the complete absence of headaches in the morning and a very affordable price. The average cost of alcoholic cocktails in Moscow is 800 rubles, while non-alcoholic ones are 400 rubles.

In general, the soft drink fashion gradually reaches not only generation Z, but also millennials. And this is confirmed by the heroes of our material, which refuses alcohol. We’ve compiled the stories of five people who have been abstinent for several years, and here’s what they had to say.

what are people saying

Cristina, 30 years old

The decision to quit alcohol completely came after a short break while taking the pills. Not that I drank a lot before that, but I always had a glass or two a few evenings a week. During the two months of my treatment and the complete absence of alcohol in my life, my condition became noticeably better, primarily psychological. Still, when you’re constantly driving, there’s always a slight excitement when you run into the traffic cop the next morning after the party. Even if you are sure that everything has been worn out for a long time.

Now everything in my life suits me: from the figure that no longer swells, from the condition of the skin and the results of the tests to the emotional state. Everyone is familiar with this “emotional abyss” the day after the party, where the fun is directly tied to the amount of alcohol consumed.

I’ve been drinking absolutely nothing for over a year. So I had the first sober New Year in my life and my own birthday. In general, absolutely nothing has changed in my life – I also go to parties and calmly spend time with friends who do not particularly share my position.

Svetlana, 37 years old

I quit alcohol three years ago when I immersed myself in energy practices. To be honest, it was crazy hard at first – I’m a person who loves cocktails and, in principle, alcoholic drinks. In the first months, I had to change my environment because my friends did not share this decision. But that didn’t upset me at all because I realized that people I couldn’t trust were out of my life.

The urge to stop drinking, even on big holidays, arose after I started examining my own body and pumping energy. I want to attract only good things to me, so I try to live with high vibrations – think positive, keep order in my thoughts, eat plant foods and do not drink alcohol as it transfers to the lower astral layers, dirt and emotional waste of collective consciousness accumulates.

Nikolai, 27 years old

Fortunately, I did not have a tragic story. During the growing period, a desire to stop drinking alcohol appeared. As youth began to fade into the sunset, it was clear that living as a student was no longer appropriate. And to be honest, my health no longer allows. Still, a hangover after 27 years is a special kind of torture. At first I was determined and resisted for six months with no urge to drink. Then the holidays began and I wanted to have a glass of champagne for the New Year, but I managed to suppress my desire.

As I have already understood from my own experience, when you really want to drink in a company, it is not because you dream of tasting alcohol or getting drunk, no. It’s hard to just stay on water or juice when everyone around is drinking. To keep up with this process at the company, I started buying non-alcoholic beer and wine (which, by the way, tasted the same, but unfortunately not for the price). As a result – time spent with friends in the morning without any consequences.

Oksana, 25 years old

When I started preparing for pregnancy about three years ago, I stopped drinking alcohol. It’s not that I’ve somehow allowed myself too much before, but not a single sane party has ever happened to me. At the same time, I completely hit the healthy lifestyle story – I started getting lost in training and eating right. Overall the focus has shifted in favor of yourself and a healthy pregnancy in particular. After the birth of the child, I did not drink a drop. I just don’t feel like it, that’s all.

Ekaterina, 29 years old

Two years ago, I was sentenced to life austerity for alcohol. This is a voluntary restriction that helps achieve what is desired. This decision was easy for me, thanks to the environment in which I share common values. And even if my wish is not destined to come true, I will not be upset at all, because without bad habits my life has become much more interesting and rich.

what psychologists say

Why do you want to drink alcohol?

Antonina Plaksienko, psychoanalytic psychotherapist at Zigmund. online

It is known that approximately 95% of people consume alcohol in their lifetime. Studies conducted in our country have shown that 99.94% of men and 97.9% of women use or use alcohol. These data belong to 2008.

Why is alcohol so appealing to people? What is its feature? This is the most accessible medicine that can calm down, distract, create the illusion of amusement and carelessness. Alcohol acts on the central nervous system as an anesthetic. But the consequences of such use are harmful. Many people die each year from an unintentional overdose of alcohol.

Particularly difficult is the use of alcohol during the holidays. Easy, when considered safe, is generally accepted. “More is better!” But what will happen next? The soundness of reasoning is lost, there is a risk of antisocial behavior, casual sexual relations, violence. Commonly cited symptoms include acute stomach pains and other physiological problems.

Why do people quit alcohol en masse?

Sofia Shapotailo is a cognitive behavioral psychologist, emotionally focused couples therapist, and Zigmund psychotherapy service specialist. online

The tendency to quit alcohol is partly linked to the change of socially active generations. My great-grandmother had a saying: drunk and smart – there are two lands in it. Drinking and not getting drunk is no longer a reason for pride. The culture of life is gradually changing, the sense of self-respect, the value of himself as a person is spreading. And self-care values ​​- bodily, mental, spiritual.

The change of trends is likely uneven, and various factors can affect its speed. Place of residence, level of education, vital interests of a person. Including who the reference group is, whose opinion a person trusts, who they want to be like.

What changed?

The modern adult takes responsibility for himself and his choices in life. Alcohol is not necessary as a protest against the lack of freedom. The relevance of personal development and the ample opportunities for it, including online ones, are bearing fruit. And alcohol, as the main means of leisure, loses its appeal.

Will the trend towards an alcohol-free culture take root in Russia?

Ekaterina Maslova, clinical psychologist, candidate of psychological sciences, associate professor and specialist in the Zigmund psychotherapy service. online

The topic of a healthy lifestyle has a future in our country, but the reasons are not so bright.

The main function of alcohol is to enter an altered state of consciousness, relieve emotional stress and escape from reality. Computer games, social networks, instant messengers, bots and other forms of communication in virtual reality do a good job of this task in the modern world.

My psychotherapeutic experience as a clinical psychologist speaks to changing the real-life form of alcohol withdrawal to internet addiction.

what is Doctor saying

Georgy Kaevitser, therapist at the DocMed Evidence-Based Medicine Clinic, explains

What are the most obvious negative effects of alcohol?

Not the most obvious – violations of social life, immune problems, blood clots, mental health problems. Not to mention the problems with the gastrointestinal tract, heart and blood vessels, they are all well known.

I only drink small amounts during the holidays. Does it have any effect for the body?

It is worth remembering that there are no safe doses of alcohol, but acceptable doses – the damage to the body is quickly compensated without consequences.

Based on medical statistics and medical experience, which people are more likely to have alcohol-related problems?

If you do not take into account the male predominance in the structure of those who suffer from the consequences of alcohol use and the economic factors, then anyone who drinks above the legal limit will have problems because of this. Another point is that the nature of these problems varies from person to person.

What the author of the article says

Although the author of this text does not want to carry the title of Captain Obvious, it is worth saying that in a time of general instability, the best thing that can happen to humanity is a tendency towards an alcohol-free culture. To drink or not to drink is still an open question, but each person must find the answer for himself. And in this article, we said that just quitting alcohol doesn’t force you to lock yourself up at home and completely change your life.