Honestly, the main reason I quit drinking was that I was willing to do whatever it took to feel better.
Why I quit
I’ve struggled with digestive issues all my life and after moving to Canada they seriously worsened. I was doing everything: procedures, prescriptions, eating as healthy as I could, exercising, supplements… I desperately wanted to restore my gut health. One random night while researching what else I could do, I came across an article entitled “Damage to the gut & microbiome via alcohol.” In a nutshell, the article talked about how alcohol damages the mucous cells of the stomach, leading to inflammation and lesions which present themselves in the form of slow digestion of food, poor nutrient absorption, and abdominal discomfort. It was at that precise moment that I made the decision to stop drinking—at least for a while. I wanted to find out what effects it would have on my body. While I was only looking to improve my gut health, today, months later, I know that quitting alcohol brought a myriad of perks I was unaware that it would.
The beginning of the journey
On a personal level, I have to admit that it was easy. I never had the desire to drink alcohol. Little by little, I realized that I didn’t even enjoy having a drink; I didn’t like the taste of it or how it made me feel. I much preferred matcha or a cup of tea, so then why had I been drinking for so long? Well… everyone around me did, and it was weird for a college girl not to do it on a night out, wasn’t it? For a long time, I let myself get carried away by my surroundings, attracted by what young people are “supposed” to do and by the instant dopamine hit that alcohol brought.
The judgement
When I quit drinking, I realized that the hardest part (at least for me) was not the actual quitting drinking per se, but everything it represented. Alcohol plays an important role in our culture and goes hand in hand with socialization. I felt very judged by my environment when I stopped drinking—some people were very insistent and even encouraged me to drink as if quitting was bad or harmful to me. I always stood my ground and my only weapon in the face of these judgements were boundaries or simple excuses: “I don’t want to drink, let’s drop the subject please,” “I don’t have any money,” “I don’t want to have a hangover tomorrow,” etc. Eventually, my social circle got used to it and this ceased to be an issue.
What I discovered
The million-dollar question: Did my gut health improve? Yes, but it wasn’t just because I gave up alcohol—this was just one of the factors.
I discovered many other benefits that I didn’t expect. The biggest by far was knowing myself and respecting my desires. I didn’t really enjoy drinking alcohol and it wasn’t worth it to me, but I kept doing it because of social pressure. When I stopped, I felt aligned and at peace with my true self and the life I wanted to have. I also started hanging out with my friends in other settings: coffee shops, outdoor activities, hikes, restaurants, etc. It was comforting and enriching for my social life, and you know what else? I saved a lot of money—more than you can imagine. I watched my friends pay $100 bills for food and drinks, while I paid $30 for a decent meal.
In the end, I realized that quitting alcohol improved my overall health. It seemed to stop affecting my digestive system, spiking my glucose levels, making my body work twice as hard to get rid of the toxins, and I might definitely feel the change!