‘REACHING OUT HELPED ME STOP DRINKING’
JAY OZA, 34
In college, I drank at parties. When I graduated into adult life, I didn’t stop drinking, and it crept into the week. I was groggy and less efficient at work. My father had travelled a similar path, dying of complications of cirrhosis. I was also overweight, so I started intermittent fasting and saw results. I wondered how much better I could do by cutting calories from alcohol.
After a couple of months of trying to stop drinking, I realised that I’d need some sort of help. I got a referral to a men’s recovery group and joined the StopDrinking subreddit. I got support from my wife, who was also quitting. It helps a lot to know you’re not the only one out there trying to quit.
To manage cravings, I’d drink seltzer, and I discovered that little things such as chewing gum, sunflower seeds and decaf coffee would go a long way. Breathing exercises worked if I was out and about. Sometimes, I’d consciously remind myself of all the progress I’d made. I’ve been sober for three years, which has allowed me to eat a proper diet, and once I stopped drinking, I pledged to work out every day. Breaking any bad habit is hard; it helped that I didn’t have to do it alone.