Since I gave up drink, I fear Fun Susanna’s gone into hibernation
From red carpet to real life... Reid all about it
PIeRS MoRgaN’S Christmas bash is coming up — the annual reminder of how much fun I ought to be having. It’s always held at a gorgeous venue, where the beer, wine and cocktails flow as fast as the gossip.
last year, Holly Willoughby sipped her bubbles while wearing a jumper emblazoned with the words ‘I can get you on the Naughty list’.
But, sadly, I’m disqualified from any such fun — the Christmas grinch in the corner with a glass of sparkling water firmly clasped in hand.
Piers knocks back the guinness in the company of glittering guests such as amanda Holden, Bruno Tonioli and singer James Blunt — who frankly admits that alcohol is the main way he relaxes and once said his biggest fear is running out of beer.
I used to feel that way myself, though I’ve never been much of a beer drinker — a crisp glass of white was more my style.
Drinking is a social lubricant, and I have to confess I find it hard to work up the buzz to go to a party now that I can’t enjoy the fizz.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no regrets about giving up booze a little over a year ago. I did it for my health, and I’m glad I’ve made the sacrifice. But I’m not one of those teetotal people who is going to preach about the joys of a dry December. In all honesty, while those around me fall out of nightclubs and crawl into cabs, I am left with serious FoMo (fear of missing out).
While others down cava, I have to remind myself in a stern voice to have fun.
I’ve been (mostly) booze-free for 476 days, according to an app on my phone, which counts every dull, dry day. It marks the point when I gave up alcohol for good — at 9.15 pm one evening in late summer 2018.
My doctor had advised me to lose some pounds in order to treat a skin condition. He also told me that the dry white wine I favoured is known as ‘liquid cake’ since it’s so packed with sugar. a weekly intake of six glasses delivers almost 1,000 calories.
So I quit and, sure enough, the weight fell off and my skin grew clearer. For the first year, it was fantastic. I felt positively pious: slimmer, as well as sober.
Hangxiety — the anxiety you feel after a big night, which used to plague me — became a distant memory. Yet I’m afraid I have to come clean: the appeal has started to wear thin. last week was my birthday, and the cake baked lovingly by my mum was delicious and dinner with my family was delightful. But how I long for my former alcohol-soaked nights at the groucho Club in london, when no celebration was complete without a tray of shots at the end of the evening.
FoR
the second year running, one of my exasperated best friends texted me: ‘We must celebrate with bubbles
soon.’ She’s in denial about my abstinence and, to be honest, I don’t blame her. I worry that ‘Fun Susanna’ has gone into hibernation, and my friend is not the only one who thinks I might tempt her out by popping open a bottle of something special.
Do other reformed partiers feel this way? original party girl Kate Moss is sober these days. Is she still having as much fun — or, like me, does she sometimes long for the bad old days?
even Boris Johnson pledged to give up drinking until Brexit is done — although I noticed he couldn’t resist a glass of wine and a curry cooked by his girlfriend Carrie Symonds on Friday night after his election win.
as for the quarter of 16 to 24year-olds who class themselves as non- drinkers, including one in five university students, well, I wonder if they worry about missing out?
Being sensible, I know that thinking you need to drink to enjoy yourself is part of the problem. So I keep telling myself it’s more entertaining to stay upright and never to feel queasy in the morning.
The truth is I’ve started to take the benefits of a booze-free life for granted, and I need to remind myself the hangover was never worth it. I’ve swapped alcoholic drinks for teetotal ones; now, I have to swap my mindset, too.
So, this Christmas, I’ll be trying to feel grateful for what I’ve gained, not grumpy about what I’ve given up. I’ll still be raising a glass to Santa — it’ll even still be sparkling, though it’s just fizzy water and lime. and while I might have a little less good cheer than in Christmases past, at least I’ll have a clear head in the morning.