‘Alcohol heightened my anxiety and depression – now I’m so much happier’
While some of us indulged in at-home drinking to get through lockdown last spring, Suzanne Shaw, 39, was already a few months into her commitment to quit booze after she realised it was taking its toll on her mind and body.
She says, “I had a really unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I was always drinking more than I wanted to. I’d have a glass, and then another, and before you know it, I’d got through a bottle. I was afraid to tot up how many units a week I was drinking.
“I turn 40 soon, and the older I got, the worse the hangovers were getting. My mental health was taking a real beating from alcohol as well. Because I struggle with anxiety and depression anyway, a hangover just heightened it. I didn’t realise that alcohol was so detrimental until I stopped.”
Mum to six-year-old son, Raffy – who she shares with her fiancé Sam – and 16-year-old son Corey, whose father is her ex-partner Darren Day, Suzanne came to the stark conclusion that drinking was making her “unreliable.”
MASSIVE CHANGE
She says, “I found it dominated my life in a lot of ways – even my family life was affected. I was rushing through a bedtime story to get to ‘wine o’clock’. Having alcohol in my life made me unreliable to myself – I never stuck to my own word. You have this low from a hangover and lose all your mojo and momentum.
“Since quitting, I’m a much better mum and partner. Giving up booze has made me feel like I’ve finally got to know myself again. My life has just massively changed for the better. I’m so much happier – and richer too because I’m not spending as much on nights out!”
Following her booze ban, Suzanne threw herself into wellness and nutrition and became a keen runner, going from the “biggest I’d ever been without being pregnant” to a trim size 8 in the process.
She says, “My sleep has massively improved and my way to de-stress now is to go for a run or meditate. Going out running with a podcast is like my version of going to a beer garden!
“You instantly look better after a couple of weeks of not drinking
– my eyes looked brighter and my face stopped looking puffy. I’ve also noticed my skin and hair have improved.
DARK DAYS
“But the biggest thing for me is the change in my mental health – I don’t have the dark days and constant fog I would get after a bad hangover. There was a point where I needed that prop of alcohol. I was caught in a vicious circle of highs and lows, so I needed to start making better choices for my health and my mental wellbeing.”
Suzanne still enjoys nights out with friends, but whereas she would have drunk wine or gin, she now chooses alcoholfree options so that she can wake up hangover-free.
She says, “Sober-living is a real lifestyle change. One of the hardest parts was my friends and family accepting the ‘new me’ that wasn’t drinking. I’ll go for non-alcoholic versions for special occasions, like beer or wine, because it makes other people feel like you’re still celebrating with them. I still do cocktail nights at ours too, with alcohol-free options.
“I don’t see myself ever drinking alcohol again because I’m really happy without it.”
With Suzanne’s 40th approaching in September, she’s swapping a boozy vacation for an alcohol-free retreat.
She says, “I always thought I’d be going to Vegas for my 40th with my friends and having a massive mash-up! But I’ve booked a vegan bootcamp in Majorca to celebrate with my partner, Sam. I can’t wait.
“If you’d asked me a year ago, I would have been petrified about having a party without drinking. Now I’m really excited about turning 40 and celebrating in a completely different way.”
● Sign up to Suzanne’s online wellness community at thehappyhealthclub.com. The first Sober October challenge starts on 1 October