Piers is a weird mix of likeable and reasonable and agreeable but also very disagreeable at the same time. A fairly tough cookie to speak to, not necessarily an easy conversation. Because in a way he always wants to 'get' the interviewee. So, well done man, you handled this sublimely. @chrisWillx
For 99% of drinkers this is true, but what about people like Ernest Hemmingway, FItzgerald, Jack Nicholson, any of your favorite musicians, Beethoven? I would think Beethoven is bloody interesting and he drank daily.
When I was 11 my father quit drinking. It was like someone turned off the abusive assh*le button and he turned into a different man. He started drinking again a few years later but it was very enlightening as a young one to witness the immense difference in behaviour and gave me great insight into the damage alcoholism can do and how it can destroy a family. The social acceptance and encouragement of 'drinking' is wrong in my eyes.... it's a dangerous drug.
...so is medicine. And it gets abused more on the hidden side. Alcohol is great in numbing body pains...but who overdoes it will get cranky because this person got her body used to a certain intake.
My Father is an alcoholic too and it has a pretty firm grip on him at this point. He was abusive in my youth but has mellowed out somewhat as he's gotten older, but our relationship is pretty stunted considering i'm 35 and he's 70. He's had a difficult life and he uses alcohol as means to cope with that; if trauma is a person being frozen in a place psychologically then alcohol is definitely part of the glue that keeps you stuck there. I can tell he doesn't really want to drink like he does (and he even went off it for a while, replacing the habit with 0% wine) but he never actually challenged the behaviour or any of his demons so he slipped right back into it eventually. He drinks now out of decades of habit as it's the only way he knows how to live and to deal with my Mother who is a toxic, anxious/depressive narcissist. I keep trying to inform him of how fit he could be if he exercised (he turns 70 this year and has superb mesomorphic genes for bodybuilding) and he seems interested but never does anything with it. Never will do anything with it. With alcoholism, it's just like that... They're called spirits and that's exactly what they take from you. As you said, alcohol is a dangerous drug, in far more ways than one...
@andreantares70 I like your analogy on alcohol being a glue that keeps you stuck. And accepting your parent as they are and understanding their demons are their own is powerful. I never did gain the ability to have an open and honest conversation with my dad before he passed away in 2000.... my brain has always seen a bigger picture and his brain didn't appreciate my far seeing vision so I learned at an early age to just listen and not talk much lol. He died when he was 72 but was incapable of getting around for years and was a miserable soul 🫤 He was so angry when he was dying from cancer that one day he even wished me and my older brother got it so that we would know what he was going through.... it was sad. At another point, just a few hours before he died when my 5 siblings and I were gathered around his bed, he said that if he could do it all over again that he wouldn't have had any of us... that it would have just been him and my mom. It was like light went off and everything made sense and I just thought 'you silly old man, you got it all wrong' and I vowed then and there that I would deal with my demons to save my children any harsh truths that I may dare to utter at them on my death bed in such a narcissistic woe is me manner. I loved my father regardless and wanted to remember him in a kindly way .. he did his best but was a product of his upbringing and nothing I could have ever said or done would have changed the path he was the most comfortable to travel on. We pick our parents to learn the lessons we need to learn and it is not our fault if they choose to not see and deny the gift/lesson that we bring to them 🥰 We're all just humans trying to find our humanity, some folks just try harder than others me thinks.
I don't know him but having gone through the experience it might be that it wasn't alcohol that made him that way but his circumstances that led to his over alcohol usage that made him that way. On top of that, alcohol lowers your inhibitions so you show more of what you are going through than normal. I've done that. That's why it makes me wonder. Since you say he started drinking later and it doesn't sound like he became an asshole again.
I remember few years back after my wife died, I was left alone with 3 kids. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Got addicted to alcohol. Not until a friend recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment changed my life for better. I can proudly say i'm totally clean for 6 years and still counting. Always look to nature for solution to tough problems, Shrooms are phenomenal.
I love hearing great life changing stories like this. I want to become a mycologist because honestly mushrooms are the best form of medicine (most especially the psychedelic ones) There are so many people today used magic mushrooms to ween off of SSRI medication- its amazing! Years back i wrote an entire essay about psychedelics. they saved you from death buddy, lets be honest here.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Australia don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
YES sure of mycologist Pedroshrooms. Mushrooms literally got me off my feet and turned my whole life around. I am currently a housing manager for a recovery program. I wouldn't have been able to do that shit without psilocybin.
I’ve been sober since January 2023. Just lost my dad to alcohol related liver disease and I cannot look at it the same as I once did. Really don’t miss it.
25 years, alcohol-free. I stopped drinking at 27. I’m now 53. As a professional club DJ, who’s always around alcohol, it’s by far the best decision I’ve ever made. If you’re looking to stop drinking, just do it. Don’t talk about it. Don’t count the days, weeks or months. Just do it. I only keep track of the years, because I stopped on my 27th birthday. Sending strength and discipline to anyone reading this.
Your comment feels life changing to me. You mentioned "Don’t count the days, weeks or months'..I've quit for months, then days, counted the days/weeks. Got excited to be a month sober, then drank, then was depressed at only 3 days sober, because i have this sober counter app on my phone that tracks my days. Perhaps I should delete the app, and enjoy my sobriety. I am 3 days sober today.
It can be done. I just realized that it’s been 26 years for me, instead of 25, as I wrote in my comment. Today I celebrated my 54th birthday, which means it’s now 27 years for me. I’ve endured a lot of heartbreak in the past 27 years. I’m glad I never amplified my sadness by adding alcohol to the mix. I ended the cycle, and I pray you do as well. I wish you the best, Matt. You got this.
That's probably a smart move as someone working in the nightlife/entertainment business. If I'd had a bar or something like that, I'd most certainly be drinking every day. Or none at all. Moderation doesn't work in that field if you have a taste for something in my opinion.
@@nickreiffer2575Keep it up. I'm 3 months in and I can say without hesitation that I'll NEVER put alcohol in my body ever again because the benefits of not drinking mentally, emotionally and physically far out weigh a temporary high if you will. I'm 41 drank casually / socially since I was 16. No damaged caused but I got lucky.
@@stefanangelovski4037 video isn't a drug tho,it's just like tv or browsing the web,or reading a story book,it's a hobby and should be a reward after you finish your task,that also would depends if you actually like video game or use them as an escape when i was younger i liked video game,but then that's all i did to escape my shit childhood/parent/situation now i only ever play if i have everything in my life straight,i need to have peace of mind and physic to be able to enjoy video game,because i actually do like video game and unless all my task are done i cannot focus while playing
My 20th birthday is just around the corner and I’ve been completely sober for 10 months. When I cut alcohol and weed out of my life I was blown away by how little I related to the people I considered to be my friends. We didn’t share any of the same hobbies or goals and now that I’ve grown and matured, I’ve realized we never shared the same values. The only thing that bound us together was our rampant drug consumption. The saying “misery loves company” has never rung so true. I’ve severed all connections to my friends and don’t have any desire to put myself back in that environment now that I’ve finally started to work on developing myself and becoming the best person I can be.
@@TDzle - you can have stories without consumption. go buy a beat up camper and go venturing across the country. hit the backcountry for a few days. go hang out with a local family in vietnam or something. theres so much life to be had beyond the walls of a pub.
Keep up the good work my man. Better to realise this now than later in life. I had a similar experience however went back and forward with those type of “friends”. They are in general just drinking, smoking, whatever acquaintances. There is a couple I shared similar interests with and hook up to go hiking etc. However ninety five percent of people met in those circles I have nothing in common with. The only thing that tied us together like you say is rampant consumption, addiction or friending over substances or alcohol. Go have a meal for your birthday spend it with loved ones or close friends who don’t need you to be consuming what they are to establish or maintain a connection. You can tell when you meet someone and you tell them you are clean. If they are happy for you and suggest hooking up to do another activity fair play. However the majority will look at you like you have lost the plot.
@@TDzle I made my stories in my late teens. Festivals, breaking into buildings, psychedelics, the whole shabang. It would be hard for me to count all of the stupid stuff that I’ve done over the past few years that could very well have ended up with me arrested or worse. I was reliant on drugs to have a good time and “make memories”, and in my opinion if a drug’s needed to make something memorable, odds are it really wasn’t that special. Not to say I don’t have some fond memories of my past, they’re just few and far between relative to all of the stupid shit I’ve managed to do over past 3-4 years.
My wife drinks 5/7 nights. We're on the verge of splitting, our lives have gone separate ways, she refuses to do anything unless there's a drink at the end of it. I actually think this is really common amongst married men.
Get professional help now, and be prepared to leave the house if you need to. She will die if this continues. I am in a position to know. AA can also be very helpful.
Unfortunately, you can't really make the decision for someone else to cut down or quit. That's a door that people have to walk through for themselves. I wish you the best of luck with your current situation.
I go to a AA meeting everyday and let me tell you my life has changed for the better take your wife to meetings 3-4 times a week, she will start seeing the futility in drinking
I’m in a very similar boat. It can be pretty depressing watch someone you love refuse to accept the truth. I was amazed when she managed to stop the drink for January, even if she was on a bottle of alcohol free wine a night in the last week. She was right back on it in feb and is back to 5/7 again. Mid January she was the happiest she had been in ages and said so, antidepressants finally allowed to work and all was good. And she went straight back the self destructive behaviour. I hope you have more luck and you both make it through to somewhere better
Same: my partner drinks all the time while I’ve been sober for decades. Relationship is at an end as I’m sure she’ll pick booze over me. It controls her.
4 years sober here, and it's been the best decision I ever made. I wish I'd done it sooner. Chris brings up some excellent points, and I resonate with the conversation about not necessarily having a "problem" but knowing something needs to change. My body, mental clarity, and relationships have all flourished. Huge props to everyone on their sobriety journey, and to anyone considering it, I encourage you to take that step and experience the world anew. While my personal journey didn't involve a specific issue with substance use, if you're concerned about your own, please seek professional guidance.
There is a big difference between someone who is fun while doing something boring (most drinkers), and someone who is actually willing to do something fun.
Yep. That was a bit me in my teens.. when my mates were drunk my guard was up cause they would go through emotions that weren't genuine and could wind up sad or angry but when sober I was more inclined to be outgoing, have a laugh, play a prank etc
Yeah exactly, spot on. You wouldn’t sit at a bar in a pub for 6hrs if there was no alcohol involved. I used to drink alone in my shed a lot but now that I’m sober I don’t just go and sit out there for hours lol.
@@w1ldthin9 And those are the events where you drink in excess because they usually consist of just placing a bunch of people and alcohol together for 6+ hours.
I have 7 years, the big thing is life isn’t about fun. It’s about finding yourself and loving who you really are, cheers celebrate living in truth. Just toast with water 😂 fancy cup
Agree with Chris, you don't have friends you have "drinking buddies." I never had an an authentically "good" time with alcohol in the mix. I am sober almost 20 years and the real fun I have had since makes my drinking days look like a stupid waste of time. Get sober and LIVE. God bless~
Full agree. Good to see someone mention authenticity here. Drinking friendships are an illusion. Getting sober was the best thing I ever done. Stopped existing and started living.
I don't hardly drink at all anymore, though only out of habit, and I never _especially_ enjoyed drinking, but I can say without doubt that when I was younger, in college and so on, I had so many good times with good friends that were absolutely enhanced by alcohol. I'm sorry your experience with drinking tended to limit your enjoyment of life, even to the point of calling it a "stupid waste of time." In that sense I suppose you were unlucky that you weren't able to understand a different side of alcohol use. But you're certainly fortunate now to be able to look back on a big part of your life with a sense of fondness.
@@hughmac13 When you are sober you are able to connect and embrace life on a much deeper and more real level. Add spending time with other people like that i.e. friends and you can't compare the two experiences. The fun I have had...the true laughter...memories...imagination...connection and growth...I only wish I had learned to live this way sooner:+) Booze only shut off my brain and made me "feel" good on a base level...let alone the toxicity of alcohol and damage it did to my body. God bless~
If you cut out processed sugar for 3 to 4 days and cut carbs a little while still eating a good amount of calories you can start to hop off the blood sugar rollercoaster of craving. For me I find it hard, but it literally changes what I want to eat within a week and makes me less moody and impulsive when eating
I know the feeling. I can’t seem to give up sugar. I’ve managed to completely cut out some things that are bad for me, such as video gaming. But I just cannot find the willpower to give up sugar
I never really had a problem with drinking, but one day I noticed that I hadn't drank in a few months, so I just kept it going. It's been almost 4 years now. It's funny when people act like I'm "sober"
Stopped drinking for the past year and had my first drink recently. The experience of it has completely changed--I realized that most of the initial rush "when it hits your lips" was placebo. Taking a year off removed the expectation/priming/excitement associated with drinking. The actual effect of a few drinks without the psychological priming just isn't that special. I'm sure I'll have a drink or two on special occasions but sobriety is muuuuuch better.
I thought I had a lot of good friends until I stopped drinking. Then I realized we had nothing in common. They had no reason to call me if I wasn't coming out for a drink. So they stopped. Now I have no friends. I have plenty of interests and hobbies. I just never made friends who shared them. I wish I'd made more effort to discover my interests and my people when I was younger but I feel like drinking stops your development. I put everything into work and all my leisure time was in bars. It was fun at the time but felt very empty. And unhealthy.
Being sober has been one of the most positive changes in my life. I'm the fittest I've been and happiest. Alcohol is an illusion. That being said I was very shy as a teen/early adult. I used it as a social crutch as I was super introverted. It can help you open up but ultimately alcohol is poison it kills us all slowly. Starting sobriety can be hard but it is worth it
Chris, I've been voluntarily sober for 5+ years. It's one of the best moves I've made. I do occasionally have that annoying subconscious voice that tells me to drink--but observing this phenomenon has merely made my will to stay sober stronger. Keep it up, you're better for it!
Im 30 next month. Born and raised in Ireland. A country commonly and comedically associated with alcohol. My modern culture is steeped in it. Almost every activity for a young man to engage in is through the lense of alcohol. Dating, social, post work, etc etc. In my opinion, it's probably the most boring drug there is in any case. I gave up alcohol in 2022 for 7 months. Drank 8 times in 2023. And for 2024, I will have given it up for good. I wont miss it.
I stopped drinking in 1992, not because of any addiction problems just because of a very bad hangover/poisoning. I have never mised it and had many issues with others dealing with it. Found many friends who had zero issue with my non drinking. Loads of fun but no down side. It was all on me and my decision.
I’ve been sober since the 7th of January and really enjoying it. Definitely staying alcohol free the first 3 months of the year every year from now on.
Been going since last May and probably won’t have another drink until my kids are old enough for their first beer in 18 years. Even then, I’m sure weed will be legal and a lot more acceptable so I probably won’t drink again.
Snap. I haven’t drunk since the 7th of Jan. The clarity I have is different level. I’ve had 2 social situations so far. Both were relatively easy. What I did notice was the people drinking thought I was doing something crazy. I also got the impression that they felt like I was judging them and a few of them felt the need to justify why they drink. I just told them I’m doing it to see how long I can last. My aim is a year and to see how I feel after achieving my goal.
@@BillyHayes79Music yea the hardest part though are the really nice days where you’re hanging out grilling or you have family over. It’s pretty easy to refrain from drinking at bars and shit because people are wild haha.
It blows my mind how people will say how great being sober is and then put such a short time limit on it. If you feel so great, stay away from alcohol you goof
@@Jay-og4yb very difficult with a wedding, Stag Weekend and the Euros in Germany coming up. Definitely reducing the intake over the next 12 months from the previous 12 months though.
Before I quit drinking, I was a loser and let my vices lead my every step. I had no significant accomplishments while I was drinking, smoking and drugging. I quit them all around the same time, at 25-26 years old. Although I realize that it was a phase that I had to go through, at 52 now, I wonder how much more successful I would have been if I had not sabotaged myself for so long. The thing about drinking and drugging is that your life just passes you by. Each day blurs into the next and it is easy for a decade to pass you by and always say that you will get your act together tomorrow. Unless you break the habit, tomorrow will be the same as today. It takes years of consistent effort to accomplish anything meaningful in life. If you find that you are getting nowhere, drop the bad habits. And, yes, you will have to get a new set of friends or go it alone if you have to. Unless your friends want to change with you, you won't have much in common with them anymore.
I have recently decided to stop drinking (as much as I used too) and it is unbelievable how many of my 'Friends and Family' think there must be something wrong with me. I don't even get asked to attend certain gatherings now as they think must think I will bring the mood down. I live in the North of England which has a very known known drinking culture, but I feel like I am doing someting wrong for trying to better myself as a person....Strange!
Seems like a rather amicable conversation. Considering that piers didn’t interrupt him too much says a lot I think. He actually listened. I joke of course. Piers has a style for a reason. People tune in expecting an argument. It’s all entertainment at the end of the day.
@squibbelsmcjohnsonThe title says "debate" which they did. You're probably so seduced by drama these days that a civilized conversation doesn't seem like a debate anymore.
Drinking wine in the evenings started for me as a little comfort after a day's work, how quickly that comfort turns into a necessity to relieve the pain or boredom or loneliness we can all experience in life. It's the most advertised overused socially acceptable drug out there.
Im sure nobody starts out thinking "boy i cant wait to be completely dependant on this substance to live my life", but thats the way it goes with every addiction. People think they have the self control to moderate their usage but that actually takes an incredible amount of discipline
Well done stay strong, I went to my first dry rave last year, I don't have a problem with alcohol, I can take or leave it but being part of a recovery community and seeing how big it was really opened my eyes and everyone had a blast without a drop of alcohol in sight. I was the same as you started on pain meds but soon moved to stronger opiates, I've been in recovery going on five years and abstinent for a year now.
My main issue with alcohol is that you cannot turn it off once you are done drinking. After you are done having your fun, you are inebriated to the point where you are a liability to yourself and others in terms of not being able to operate a motor vehicle or be available to perform difficult tasks because of impairment.
I feel lucky to have never had that relationship with alcohol. I'm done drinking when my beer is empty because I basically never have more than one. If I'm out all evening maybe I'll have 3 over a 6 hour period.
Can we stop this childish discussion about who is more 'boring' drinkers or non-drinkers, there are boring people everywhere alcohol involved or not, it's just a way of people trying to feel morally superior over their decisions in life.
@@mrbritisher9748 I’ve been called boring for being an introvert and not drinking alcohol. The people that called me boring don’t really know me or try to get to know me but I’m boring for not behaving in the same way that they do. I think going to the same pubs drinking every weekend is boring so yeah it’s definitely all subjective
I once asked a police officer what he would pick if he had one wish that would make his life easier. His answer was: "Remove alcohol." Most problems started with somebody making a bad decision while drunk, and the problems compounded afterwards. Alcohol was often the difference between a simple lack of judgement and a criminal offense. I know prohibition failed because it is essentially unenforceable, but at the same time we are not honest about the cost that alcohol inflicts on society.
I had my last drink when I was 23. I'm 64 now. For some of us life is difficult enough without pouring petrol on the fire. No regrets whatsoever. It's a bit like being totally in love with somone you think is your 'soul mate', but years after you have parted you've got over it.
@@ConfusedCatto thanks dude. We're living in a time where people are too scared or stupid (or both) to be able to comprehend meeting somewhere in the middle. People are scared of everything now. It's actually funny.
@@PeteQuad I know mate. Especially the younger generation, it seems. I love getting off my face - once in a while. I work hard, I exercise hard, I love my food and when I (very) occasionally party, I do that hard too. Why wouldn't I?
I drank a fifth of straight whiskey for 20 years. Stopped cold turkey 9 years ago, haven’t missed it since. Sobriety has made me a better, healthier, happier man by every measure.
Comment section is always full of ex alcoholics and their recovery stories (which are amazing), but for a lot of people the reality of alcohol is not so sinister, and you can live a perfectly happy, healthy life with drinking as long as it's moderated.
This is the truth. The vast majority of people have no trouble having a great night out with friends or loved ones and then not getting together again for a week, a month or the next holiday. The alcoholics project the effect of alcohol on them to everyone else. I have gone up to a year without a drink because I just wasn't invited to something or was busy but I can still have a great time once in a while. I also have a an ounce of bourbon a couple times a month and get great enjoyment from that also. Being afraid to have an experience is not an admirable character trait imo. Also drinking doesn't mean pounding a dozen beers; if you can't moderate yourself then yes, you should not drink.
My mother drinks a lot most days of the week if I’m being honest. I’ve tried talking to her about it. Telling her how bad it is for her and how it doesn’t reduce stress and increase happiness in the long run. Nothing seems to get through to her. Sadly after 30 years of drinking it is an addiction. Doesn’t help that my whole family all drink too. It’s so normalised in society despite it causing so much pain. So sad 😢
Having a drink in moderation is a wonderful thing. The problem arises when a drink costs more than the price. This is when we need to address the tough questions.
Ultimates are rare, almost everything is multiedged. I recommend finding the good and honing within that, and if you can find the relation between goods, work on pathways.
I’ve been off alcohol for close to 2 years, I choose to drink for big occasions, one thing I’ve noticed is the “fun” people as opposed to the “boring” ones piers talks about are just messy, obnoxious and not interested in anything other than themselves on these nights out. My life got better when I stopped drinking.
This is brilliant! From 2016 to 2019 I quit booze and it was one of the best things I ever did . It taught me I didn’t have a good relationship with alcohol and now I do . I rarely get drunk these days and when I drink it’s a few drinks out at dinner and I enjoy it so much .
Haven't touched alcohol for a year plus (I'm 25), never liked the taste of it (unless cooked into something), I did some nightclubbing in the past kind of over it now feel like its a mask for an unfulfilled life. I'm not friends with drinkers anymore, one day I just stopped and I found it so easy, without the friend group and the 'waiting-for-the-weekend' mentality, I found it very easy to stop, and go out my way to avoid it. i am completely fulfilled in my life and i couldn't think of anything worse than waking up on a Sunday feeling ill all day. Anyone else?
"Alcohol is the only drug for which people assume you must have a problem if you don't partake in it" "That assume that people who drink ARE interesting" Few good bangers, Chris, thanks!
You were incredible Chris. I understand what you were saying and agree. I chose to be sober and enjoy who I’m and who I’m becoming. I’m free and true to myself.
Never have drank in my life. A friend told me "try a beer you might like it" I responded " thats what I am afraid off" wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging... Proverbs 20:6
I really appreciate this advice on drinking. I grew up in a house where my parents would drink sometimes, but they weren't alcoholics & there was one occasion where 2 of my dad's friends lost their welcome because they got too drunk and took it too far. For the average person, this is a more sound way of looking at drinkers than through the black-and-white lens of 12-Step programs.
I agree. 12 steps black/white approach is for more serious career drinkers. I started drinking 15 years ago aged 40. Last 10 years it’s been every day. Not loads just regular. Stopped 3 weeks ago and intend to keep it that way. Maybe in a year or so I’ll be able to have the occasional drink but I’m not going back to routine 3/4 glasses of wine a night.
I say the same thing to the younger men I know about 420. 420 is the modern corner pub. They're all chemically altered and and almost never genuinely present. It's no wonder they're lonely. They're walking around in a permanent haze, and so are most of the guys around them.
100% Agree, its a dream killer. They point at the exceptions in the world and say you can still be successful and 420. Like Rogan or Snoop Dogg and ignore the million loser stoners living at their parents house at 35 with no girlfriend.
@@gregoryporch8395 Yep. How could you know anything about yourself and the other person, when the foundation of your "relationship" with them is being stoned? Neither you nor they have ever spent time together.
@dangerous8333 thats your experience of the world not mine. Alcoholism is an addiction, smoking weed constantly is an addiction, both the same thing if they make your life unmanageable. Smoking weed daily drinking daily will seriously reduce your likelihood of success. I Assume unfounded again and make no apology for it that the successful people you know who smoke weed. Are success inspite of weed addiction not because of it. If they arent addicts then there is no problem. smoking weed occasionally is fine like drinking occasionally is.
I come from Germany and here the majority of the Bundestag has voted for the legalization of cannabis. It will now go to the Bundesrat and if it agrees, the following will apply: A person may keep three cannabis plants at home for personal use without punishment. Dealing remains a criminal act. It must also be ensured that no minors or children are in the vicinity of the plants. Adults are allowed to possess up to 50 grams of dried cannabis at home for their own use. Outdoors, 25 grams are permitted. The Minister of Health warns of health consequences, especially for people up to around 21 or 22 years of age, and is pushing ahead with legalization. Times for public consumption are planned, and cannabis clubs are to start in the summer. The madness continues.
I decided to abstain from alcohol this year (started January 2nd). I am 58 years old and haven't been this long without alcohol since my teens. I am a fan of red wine, but not a fan of the disrupted sleep.
A good quick conversation about alcohol. It really is a double-edged sword. Swords are great when used properly, on the occasions that they're called for, but you certainly shouldn't be carrying one around all the time, some people should never pick one up because they just can't handle it (and with alcohol you can have an idea if that might be you by looking at your family history), and there are periods in your life where you can get much better things done just leaving the swords alone and picking up something else.
I gave up in 2014 after one too many insane evenings. I think I was just over-sensitive to alcohol. My friends seemed to drink more than me and their behavior hardly changed. Even if they didn’t have a problem like me, they have now spent 30+ years slowly damaging their health. So in some ways I’m glad I was different.
People quitting alcohol are beginning to sound like vegans. It's like a new identity for them. Just because you had a problem doesn't mean that everyone else should stop drinking completely.
Agree, and the comment section of any of these videos are just filled with people talking about their sobriety rather than commenting on the actual videos.
Thats not what its saying though. Its not chastising you personally. Its people sharing their stories about how an unhealthy substance was holding them back and how dropping it made a positive impact in their lives. Nobody is telling you that you cant drink, but to deny the negative impact it CAN (keyword there) have on your life is pure ignorance.
Me and my partner have one dry week a month. It's super manageable...equates to 3 months a year and doesn't lead to bingeing when you're back on the sauce.
2 years off the drink now. I never had a drink problem I just got fed up of it. No other reason than that. Still go out now and again and just drink Diet Coke. But I have to admit I feel much better in myself as a person.
Agree with Chris. I think if you cannot remember the last time you went more than 1 or 2 weeks without having a drink, you have a problem. Cutting back on it will have profound effects on your health, that you didn’t even realise was possible, give it 3/4 month sober and you’ll be amazed how well you feel!
Big shout and congrats to you all keeping off the liquor no matter the amount of time ! Super proud of you all ! Keep at people ! It gets easier by the month 🙏
6 weeks sober and clean today: my mental health is better than it ever has been; my relationship with my family are improving; I have job interviews lined up; my physical health is amazing (I took up cycling); my mental acuity is extremely sharp and I'm firing on all cylinders. Piers asks: "do you end up with a more boring friendship group when you go sober?", to which I would answer: I have real friends now and people want to talk to me. Sobriety is the gift that keeps on giving and I will never go back to the drink etc. All alcohol and the rest have done is slow me down and hold me up. Consistency and discipline are super important on achieving your goals: do not rely on willpower alone.
Piers saying that you can't have interesting friends if you don't drink, Chris throws that back at him, then Piers immediately says that he has two sons with different lifestyles who have really good friends. Classy 😉😉
The bar I went to for 4 years straight just closed down. They definitely wasn't my friends just drinking buddy's. I'll never spend our waist that much time being unproductive again.
What Chris is talking about is stopping binge drinking. I fully support that and it’s very rare post-college I do, only at things like a wedding or a bachelor party might I over indulge. But I really like a nice beer, or a wine, here and there. Sharing a bottle of wine with my wife is something we cherish; people have been cherishing drinks like this for as long as we’ve had civilizations. Of course everyone is different, but I see both sides.
I didn;t experience the drinking buddies vs. friends things. I have good friends, and we would go out together and drink. I gave up drinking (2.5 years sober) for myself. And since doing so, I am no longer anxious, rarely tired and am able to be consistent with good habits at a level I could have never imagined.
As someone who only on occasion drinks (like once maybe twice a month), I think it has one truly amazing use. I had terrible social issues growing up. I had issues with confidence and especially around new people. Alcohol lowered my inhibitions and allowed me to finally find that social extroverted side of myself that many loved and accepted. The beautiful thing was I learned how to bring that side out of me sober to where alcohol was not needed for that. But it was the catalyst that allowed me to unlock it. Today, I usually will drink once a month. Maybe twice but that’s rare honestly. And when I do, it’s always the night before a rest day and day off work, I have electrolytes afterwards for rehydration. I make sure to get 9-10 hours of sleep. I eat absolutely amazing Whole Foods the next day and I recover very well. My progress in the gym is never affected because of when I decide to drink and the immediate steps I take afterwards. Plus I have no desire to get stupid drunk. Just decently tipsy where I feel good, am socially lubricated, but can still walk perfectly and have my senses. Never feel sick afterwards or the next day.
I quit drinking 3 years ago and my friendship group immediately became 10 x better - to paraphrase what you said "boring people compensate by drinking."
I’m surprised that they didn’t touch on the fact the alcohol or drinking is very much a coping mechanism for a lot of people. It’s a way to suppress whatever issues they’re running away from.
I distinguish between abstinence and absence. The abstinence from alcohol could be a struggle for many, an effort to pull away from something one doesn't need, in order to reset the brain and one's personal priorities. Absence of alcohol is the absence of desire. It's a Buddhist thing. The fewer "desires" or cravings you have for something, the better.
Drink and enjoy in moderation, people. We will only live one life, but will remain dead for hundreds and thousands of years after it's all over. A glass or two of good French Pinot Noir red wine with dinner is one of the best pleasures of life. In short, *drink for enjoyment, not recreation!*
I think one of the reasons alcohol is treated so differently, is also because it's the substance we have the most experience with, the most data collected about, and the most societal understanding of. And that makes people more inclined to feel safe around it. Smoking used to be similar, until the effects were more closely studied and experience started truly working against it to a point where there are no benefits to it at all, and you don't have a more enjoyable time either. In fact it often detracts from having a good time because you may feel the need to interrupt a good time due to longing for a cig. When people are critical of creatine or other products, I think it simply comes down to lack of experience and general public data and understanding of what it is and what it does to your body, and a lack of understanding leads to fear and skepticism. People don't fear alcohol, because it has been a socially relevant substance for 1000s of years.
Alcohol is a vice, like fastfood (tastes good), beer (tastes good), drugs (feel good) but they are all harmful things... So you need to manage your consumption or it will consume you
Hello you savages. Watch the full interview here - ua-cam.com/video/xYwwUSAZmwg/v-deo.html
Piers is a weird mix of likeable and reasonable and agreeable but also very disagreeable at the same time. A fairly tough cookie to speak to, not necessarily an easy conversation. Because in a way he always wants to 'get' the interviewee. So, well done man, you handled this sublimely. @chrisWillx
"Savage" "Queen" "King" Words like these used to have a different meaning.
@@DennisWerthMusic I like what Stephen Fry said about him `The definition of countryside was the murder of Piers Morgan`.
I have not been drunk for 13 years, but I still drink sometimes,
“That assumes that people who drink a lot are interesting” love it - you handled yourself brilliantly on this
For 99% of drinkers this is true, but what about people like Ernest Hemmingway, FItzgerald, Jack Nicholson, any of your favorite musicians, Beethoven? I would think Beethoven is bloody interesting and he drank daily.
Most people aren't interesting sober what's your point.
@@jr5993 What is YOUR point? what does this have to do with anything I said?
@@andresizurieta7391 learn how replies work, wasn't addressing you bro
@@jr5993 why are drinkers perceived as interesting.
When I was 11 my father quit drinking. It was like someone turned off the abusive assh*le button and he turned into a different man. He started drinking again a few years later but it was very enlightening as a young one to witness the immense difference in behaviour and gave me great insight into the damage alcoholism can do and how it can destroy a family. The social acceptance and encouragement of 'drinking' is wrong in my eyes.... it's a dangerous drug.
...so is medicine. And it gets abused more on the hidden side. Alcohol is great in numbing body pains...but who overdoes it will get cranky because this person got her body used to a certain intake.
My Father is an alcoholic too and it has a pretty firm grip on him at this point. He was abusive in my youth but has mellowed out somewhat as he's gotten older, but our relationship is pretty stunted considering i'm 35 and he's 70. He's had a difficult life and he uses alcohol as means to cope with that; if trauma is a person being frozen in a place psychologically then alcohol is definitely part of the glue that keeps you stuck there.
I can tell he doesn't really want to drink like he does (and he even went off it for a while, replacing the habit with 0% wine) but he never actually challenged the behaviour or any of his demons so he slipped right back into it eventually. He drinks now out of decades of habit as it's the only way he knows how to live and to deal with my Mother who is a toxic, anxious/depressive narcissist. I keep trying to inform him of how fit he could be if he exercised (he turns 70 this year and has superb mesomorphic genes for bodybuilding) and he seems interested but never does anything with it. Never will do anything with it. With alcoholism, it's just like that... They're called spirits and that's exactly what they take from you.
As you said, alcohol is a dangerous drug, in far more ways than one...
@andreantares70 I like your analogy on alcohol being a glue that keeps you stuck. And accepting your parent as they are and understanding their demons are their own is powerful. I never did gain the ability to have an open and honest conversation with my dad before he passed away in 2000.... my brain has always seen a bigger picture and his brain didn't appreciate my far seeing vision so I learned at an early age to just listen and not talk much lol.
He died when he was 72 but was incapable of getting around for years and was a miserable soul 🫤 He was so angry when he was dying from cancer that one day he even wished me and my older brother got it so that we would know what he was going through.... it was sad. At another point, just a few hours before he died when my 5 siblings and I were gathered around his bed, he said that if he could do it all over again that he wouldn't have had any of us... that it would have just been him and my mom. It was like light went off and everything made sense and I just thought 'you silly old man, you got it all wrong' and I vowed then and there that I would deal with my demons to save my children any harsh truths that I may dare to utter at them on my death bed in such a narcissistic woe is me manner. I loved my father regardless and wanted to remember him in a kindly way .. he did his best but was a product of his upbringing and nothing I could have ever said or done would have changed the path he was the most comfortable to travel on. We pick our parents to learn the lessons we need to learn and it is not our fault if they choose to not see and deny the gift/lesson that we bring to them 🥰 We're all just humans trying to find our humanity, some folks just try harder than others me thinks.
It's low grade poison. Been a part of society for so long that people don't understand how bad it is for you.
I don't know him but having gone through the experience it might be that it wasn't alcohol that made him that way but his circumstances that led to his over alcohol usage that made him that way.
On top of that, alcohol lowers your inhibitions so you show more of what you are going through than normal. I've done that. That's why it makes me wonder.
Since you say he started drinking later and it doesn't sound like he became an asshole again.
I remember few years back after my wife died, I was left alone with 3 kids. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Got addicted to alcohol. Not until a friend recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment changed my life for better. I can proudly say i'm totally clean for 6 years and still counting. Always look to nature for solution to tough problems, Shrooms are phenomenal.
I love hearing great life changing stories like this. I want to become a mycologist because honestly mushrooms are the best form of medicine (most especially the psychedelic ones) There are so many people today used magic mushrooms to ween off of SSRI medication- its amazing! Years back i wrote an entire essay about psychedelics. they saved you from death buddy, lets be honest here.
Hey mates! Can you help with the source? I suffer severe anxiety, panic and depression and I usually take prescription medicine, but they don't always help. Where can I find those psilocybin mushrooms? I'm really interested in treating my mental health without Rxs. I live in Australia don't know much about these. I'm so glad they helped you. I can't wait to get them too. Really need a reliable source 🙏
YES sure of mycologist Pedroshrooms. Mushrooms literally got me off my feet and turned my whole life around. I am currently a housing manager for a recovery program. I wouldn't have been able to do that shit without psilocybin.
Can I reach this dude through Google?
Yes he's Pedroshrooms
I’ve been sober since January 2023. Just lost my dad to alcohol related liver disease and I cannot look at it the same as I once did. Really don’t miss it.
Similar boat here friend, good effort!
Sept 2022 over here. Same lost my mom in 2021.
Wow, big respect. Your discipline is admirable
Good for you Shane!
Well done mate
25 years, alcohol-free. I stopped drinking at 27. I’m now 53. As a professional club DJ, who’s always around alcohol, it’s by far the best decision I’ve ever made. If you’re looking to stop drinking, just do it. Don’t talk about it. Don’t count the days, weeks or months. Just do it. I only keep track of the years, because I stopped on my 27th birthday. Sending strength and discipline to anyone reading this.
Your comment feels life changing to me. You mentioned "Don’t count the days, weeks or months'..I've quit for months, then days, counted the days/weeks. Got excited to be a month sober, then drank, then was depressed at only 3 days sober, because i have this sober counter app on my phone that tracks my days. Perhaps I should delete the app, and enjoy my sobriety. I am 3 days sober today.
It can be done. I just realized that it’s been 26 years for me, instead of 25, as I wrote in my comment. Today I celebrated my 54th birthday, which means it’s now 27 years for me. I’ve endured a lot of heartbreak in the past 27 years. I’m glad I never amplified my sadness by adding alcohol to the mix. I ended the cycle, and I pray you do as well. I wish you the best, Matt. You got this.
That's probably a smart move as someone working in the nightlife/entertainment business. If I'd had a bar or something like that, I'd most certainly be drinking every day. Or none at all. Moderation doesn't work in that field if you have a taste for something in my opinion.
I agree! Counting the days can be good for some people though. At least at the start
Yes, constantly counting down the days can set you up to fail
I quit drinking when I was 38. 15 years later I think it was one of the best choices I've ever made.
What caused you to quit?
I quit 4 months ago and I just turned 38. I’m a better dad and husband sober, I hope to stay sober like you
That's awesome. Good on ya.
@@nickreiffer2575Keep it up. I'm 3 months in and I can say without hesitation that I'll NEVER put alcohol in my body ever again because the benefits of not drinking mentally, emotionally and physically far out weigh a temporary high if you will. I'm 41 drank casually / socially since I was 16. No damaged caused but I got lucky.
Same
4 years clean alcohol and cocaine, so thankful for taking my life back
What about video games?
@stefanangelovski4037 what makes you ask that?
@@stefanangelovski4037 what a lunatic 😂😂
@@stefanangelovski4037 video isn't a drug tho,it's just like tv or browsing the web,or reading a story book,it's a hobby and should be a reward after you finish your task,that also would depends if you actually like video game or use them as an escape
when i was younger i liked video game,but then that's all i did to escape my shit childhood/parent/situation
now i only ever play if i have everything in my life straight,i need to have peace of mind and physic to be able to enjoy video game,because i actually do like video game and unless all my task are done i cannot focus while playing
What about junk food ?
My 20th birthday is just around the corner and I’ve been completely sober for 10 months. When I cut alcohol and weed out of my life I was blown away by how little I related to the people I considered to be my friends. We didn’t share any of the same hobbies or goals and now that I’ve grown and matured, I’ve realized we never shared the same values. The only thing that bound us together was our rampant drug consumption. The saying “misery loves company” has never rung so true. I’ve severed all connections to my friends and don’t have any desire to put myself back in that environment now that I’ve finally started to work on developing myself and becoming the best person I can be.
Ok you are actually boring , make some stories in your early 20s dude
LEGEND.
@@TDzle - you can have stories without consumption. go buy a beat up camper and go venturing across the country. hit the backcountry for a few days. go hang out with a local family in vietnam or something. theres so much life to be had beyond the walls of a pub.
Keep up the good work my man. Better to realise this now than later in life.
I had a similar experience however went back and forward with those type of “friends”.
They are in general just drinking, smoking, whatever acquaintances. There is a couple I shared similar interests with and hook up to go hiking etc. However ninety five percent of people met in those circles I have nothing in common with.
The only thing that tied us together like you say is rampant consumption, addiction or friending over substances or alcohol.
Go have a meal for your birthday spend it with loved ones or close friends who don’t need you to be consuming what they are to establish or maintain a connection.
You can tell when you meet someone and you tell them you are clean. If they are happy for you and suggest hooking up to do another activity fair play. However the majority will look at you like you have lost the plot.
@@TDzle I made my stories in my late teens. Festivals, breaking into buildings, psychedelics, the whole shabang. It would be hard for me to count all of the stupid stuff that I’ve done over the past few years that could very well have ended up with me arrested or worse. I was reliant on drugs to have a good time and “make memories”, and in my opinion if a drug’s needed to make something memorable, odds are it really wasn’t that special. Not to say I don’t have some fond memories of my past, they’re just few and far between relative to all of the stupid shit I’ve managed to do over past 3-4 years.
My wife drinks 5/7 nights.
We're on the verge of splitting, our lives have gone separate ways, she refuses to do anything unless there's a drink at the end of it.
I actually think this is really common amongst married men.
Get professional help now, and be prepared to leave the house if you need to. She will die if this continues. I am in a position to know. AA can also be very helpful.
Unfortunately, you can't really make the decision for someone else to cut down or quit. That's a door that people have to walk through for themselves. I wish you the best of luck with your current situation.
I go to a AA meeting everyday and let me tell you my life has changed for the better take your wife to meetings 3-4 times a week, she will start seeing the futility in drinking
I’m in a very similar boat. It can be pretty depressing watch someone you love refuse to accept the truth. I was amazed when she managed to stop the drink for January, even if she was on a bottle of alcohol free wine a night in the last week. She was right back on it in feb and is back to 5/7 again. Mid January she was the happiest she had been in ages and said so, antidepressants finally allowed to work and all was good. And she went straight back the self destructive behaviour. I hope you have more luck and you both make it through to somewhere better
Same: my partner drinks all the time while I’ve been sober for decades. Relationship is at an end as I’m sure she’ll pick booze over me. It controls her.
4 years sober here, and it's been the best decision I ever made. I wish I'd done it sooner. Chris brings up some excellent points, and I resonate with the conversation about not necessarily having a "problem" but knowing something needs to change. My body, mental clarity, and relationships have all flourished.
Huge props to everyone on their sobriety journey, and to anyone considering it, I encourage you to take that step and experience the world anew. While my personal journey didn't involve a specific issue with substance use, if you're concerned about your own, please seek professional guidance.
Said very well
Well said mate!
There is a big difference between someone who is fun while doing something boring (most drinkers), and someone who is actually willing to do something fun.
Yep.
That was a bit me in my teens.. when my mates were drunk my guard was up cause they would go through emotions that weren't genuine and could wind up sad or angry but when sober I was more inclined to be outgoing, have a laugh, play a prank etc
i love this point. most of these events need alcohol because theyre boring and non stimulating, most of the people too.
Yeah exactly, spot on. You wouldn’t sit at a bar in a pub for 6hrs if there was no alcohol involved. I used to drink alone in my shed a lot but now that I’m sober I don’t just go and sit out there for hours lol.
@@w1ldthin9 preach man!
Very true
@@w1ldthin9 And those are the events where you drink in excess because they usually consist of just placing a bunch of people and alcohol together for 6+ hours.
I stopped drinking five months ago, feel bloody brilliant. You're a great role model for not drinking Chris.
❤
good job
Congrats! I'm 6 months sober. Keep up the good fight!
1 month feel fantastic no depression from hangovers 😊😊
I have 7 years, the big thing is life isn’t about fun. It’s about finding yourself and loving who you really are, cheers celebrate living in truth. Just toast with water 😂 fancy cup
Agree with Chris, you don't have friends you have "drinking buddies." I never had an an authentically "good" time with alcohol in the mix. I am sober almost 20 years and the real fun I have had since makes my drinking days look like a stupid waste of time. Get sober and LIVE. God bless~
Full agree. Good to see someone mention authenticity here. Drinking friendships are an illusion. Getting sober was the best thing I ever done. Stopped existing and started living.
feel bad for you
I don't hardly drink at all anymore, though only out of habit, and I never _especially_ enjoyed drinking, but I can say without doubt that when I was younger, in college and so on, I had so many good times with good friends that were absolutely enhanced by alcohol.
I'm sorry your experience with drinking tended to limit your enjoyment of life, even to the point of calling it a "stupid waste of time." In that sense I suppose you were unlucky that you weren't able to understand a different side of alcohol use. But you're certainly fortunate now to be able to look back on a big part of your life with a sense of fondness.
@@hughmac13 When you are sober you are able to connect and embrace life on a much deeper and more real level. Add spending time with other people like that i.e. friends and you can't compare the two experiences. The fun I have had...the true laughter...memories...imagination...connection and growth...I only wish I had learned to live this way sooner:+) Booze only shut off my brain and made me "feel" good on a base level...let alone the toxicity of alcohol and damage it did to my body. God bless~
Many of my best memories from my twenties had alcohol involved.... Many of my worst did as well.
1:10 "People aren't asskingyou why you're not on cocaine".
Piers: *starts sweating*
😂
😂😂❄️
😂
Stopped drinking 6 years ago. After my body reset, I have never had a desire to drink again. Now, if I could only give up cookies...........
you and me both man, I'm three oreo's away from being a landwhale.
If you cut out processed sugar for 3 to 4 days and cut carbs a little while still eating a good amount of calories you can start to hop off the blood sugar rollercoaster of craving. For me I find it hard, but it literally changes what I want to eat within a week and makes me less moody and impulsive when eating
I know the feeling. I can’t seem to give up sugar. I’ve managed to completely cut out some things that are bad for me, such as video gaming. But I just cannot find the willpower to give up sugar
@@ReeceL94how is video gaming bad for you?
Meat only one meal a day carnivore diet. Two fatty steaks I guarantee you wont feel hungry for 24 hours.
I never really had a problem with drinking, but one day I noticed that I hadn't drank in a few months, so I just kept it going. It's been almost 4 years now. It's funny when people act like I'm "sober"
Stopped drinking for the past year and had my first drink recently. The experience of it has completely changed--I realized that most of the initial rush "when it hits your lips" was placebo. Taking a year off removed the expectation/priming/excitement associated with drinking.
The actual effect of a few drinks without the psychological priming just isn't that special. I'm sure I'll have a drink or two on special occasions but sobriety is muuuuuch better.
I thought I had a lot of good friends until I stopped drinking. Then I realized we had nothing in common. They had no reason to call me if I wasn't coming out for a drink. So they stopped.
Now I have no friends. I have plenty of interests and hobbies. I just never made friends who shared them.
I wish I'd made more effort to discover my interests and my people when I was younger but I feel like drinking stops your development.
I put everything into work and all my leisure time was in bars. It was fun at the time but felt very empty. And unhealthy.
Don't blame alcohol for you being friendless lol.
@@yonchrrok D . OOO ch BAG
@@yonchrr Actually it makes sense to do it. Did you not understand the first 4 sentences?
This sounds more like an advertisement for drinking than a con.
" life is push and pull " love that quote!!
Being sober has been one of the most positive changes in my life. I'm the fittest I've been and happiest. Alcohol is an illusion. That being said I was very shy as a teen/early adult. I used it as a social crutch as I was super introverted. It can help you open up but ultimately alcohol is poison it kills us all slowly.
Starting sobriety can be hard but it is worth it
Perfectly said.
Alcohol, the destroyer of the soul.
Spiritus Contraspiritum
Learning how to have fun without alcohol has been the best thing I've done.
I haven't had a drink for 3 months. I'm hitting the gym, Karate club, yoga class, and feeling great.
Good on you
Chris, I've been voluntarily sober for 5+ years. It's one of the best moves I've made. I do occasionally have that annoying subconscious voice that tells me to drink--but observing this phenomenon has merely made my will to stay sober stronger. Keep it up, you're better for it!
I drank pretty heavily for 25 years. 8 years ago I went to the Amazon for Ayahuasca and it forced me to confront my demons. 7 years sober now.
And people needn't go to the Amazon, just find some mushrooms and they can have the same experience. But good on you
yawn
18 years old, stopped drinking completely a year ago and I feel amazing!
blud why tf were you underrage drinking in the first place
@@CSorginipretty much everyone in Europe starts drinking in their mid teens lol
Im 30 next month. Born and raised in Ireland. A country commonly and comedically associated with alcohol. My modern culture is steeped in it. Almost every activity for a young man to engage in is through the lense of alcohol. Dating, social, post work, etc etc. In my opinion, it's probably the most boring drug there is in any case. I gave up alcohol in 2022 for 7 months. Drank 8 times in 2023. And for 2024, I will have given it up for good. I wont miss it.
Bless ya 🙏🏻 💚💚💚
I stopped drinking in 1992, not because of any addiction problems just because of a very bad hangover/poisoning. I have never mised it and had many issues with others dealing with it. Found many friends who had zero issue with my non drinking. Loads of fun but no down side. It was all on me and my decision.
14 months sober, after 20 + years of drinking..best decision I’ve made, life is so much better and far less boring now than ever before 🎉
I’ve been sober since the 7th of January and really enjoying it. Definitely staying alcohol
free the first 3 months of the year every year from now on.
Been going since last May and probably won’t have another drink until my kids are old enough for their first beer in 18 years. Even then, I’m sure weed will be legal and a lot more acceptable so I probably won’t drink again.
Snap. I haven’t drunk since the 7th of Jan. The clarity I have is different level. I’ve had 2 social situations so far. Both were relatively easy. What I did notice was the people drinking thought I was doing something crazy. I also got the impression that they felt like I was judging them and a few of them felt the need to justify why they drink. I just told them I’m doing it to see how long I can last. My aim is a year and to see how I feel after achieving my goal.
@@BillyHayes79Music yea the hardest part though are the really nice days where you’re hanging out grilling or you have family over. It’s pretty easy to refrain from drinking at bars and shit because people are wild haha.
It blows my mind how people will say how great being sober is and then put such a short time limit on it. If you feel so great, stay away from alcohol you goof
@@Jay-og4yb very difficult with a wedding, Stag Weekend and the Euros in Germany coming up. Definitely reducing the intake over the next 12 months from the previous 12 months though.
Before I quit drinking, I was a loser and let my vices lead my every step. I had no significant accomplishments while I was drinking, smoking and drugging. I quit them all around the same time, at 25-26 years old. Although I realize that it was a phase that I had to go through, at 52 now, I wonder how much more successful I would have been if I had not sabotaged myself for so long. The thing about drinking and drugging is that your life just passes you by. Each day blurs into the next and it is easy for a decade to pass you by and always say that you will get your act together tomorrow. Unless you break the habit, tomorrow will be the same as today. It takes years of consistent effort to accomplish anything meaningful in life. If you find that you are getting nowhere, drop the bad habits. And, yes, you will have to get a new set of friends or go it alone if you have to. Unless your friends want to change with you, you won't have much in common with them anymore.
💯
Very true
I have recently decided to stop drinking (as much as I used too) and it is unbelievable how many of my 'Friends and Family' think there must be something wrong with me. I don't even get asked to attend certain gatherings now as they think must think I will bring the mood down. I live in the North of England which has a very known known drinking culture, but I feel like I am doing someting wrong for trying to better myself as a person....Strange!
Seems like a rather amicable conversation. Considering that piers didn’t interrupt him too much says a lot I think. He actually listened. I joke of course. Piers has a style for a reason. People tune in expecting an argument. It’s all entertainment at the end of the day.
I, myself, couldn't detect the "clash."
Piers was almost neighborly to Chris in this interview. I think his style has aged well with time.
@squibbelsmcjohnsonThe title says "debate" which they did. You're probably so seduced by drama these days that a civilized conversation doesn't seem like a debate anymore.
he tends to only interupt a lot when he disagrees with the guest. If they are in agreement nothing happens haha which defeats the purpose of a debate
Drinking wine in the evenings started for me as a little comfort after a day's work, how quickly that comfort turns into a necessity to relieve the pain or boredom or loneliness we can all experience in life. It's the most advertised overused socially acceptable drug out there.
Im sure nobody starts out thinking "boy i cant wait to be completely dependant on this substance to live my life", but thats the way it goes with every addiction. People think they have the self control to moderate their usage but that actually takes an incredible amount of discipline
Got addicted to pain meds when I was 15, been sober since I was 17 (31 now). Keep on keepin' on people 🙌
So?
@@GorgeouslyStupidThing L reply. W OP
Keep it going Amelia. That’s great news!
I used to love pain meds.
Well done stay strong, I went to my first dry rave last year, I don't have a problem with alcohol, I can take or leave it but being part of a recovery community and seeing how big it was really opened my eyes and everyone had a blast without a drop of alcohol in sight. I was the same as you started on pain meds but soon moved to stronger opiates, I've been in recovery going on five years and abstinent for a year now.
I love being boring and my boring life.
Is that sarcasm? So you need alcohol to be excited? That’s what I call boring
@@Jn.curry10I'm pretty sure he's saying the exact opposite but yes, with sarcasm.
I joke to my doctor that I am the most boring male in the United States. She often replies, “boring is good!” 😊
People confuse peace and consistency with boredom and chaos with excitement.
@@Luke_MoonWalkerneeded to be said. Thank you.
My main issue with alcohol is that you cannot turn it off once you are done drinking. After you are done having your fun, you are inebriated to the point where you are a liability to yourself and others in terms of not being able to operate a motor vehicle or be available to perform difficult tasks because of impairment.
I feel lucky to have never had that relationship with alcohol.
I'm done drinking when my beer is empty because I basically never have more than one. If I'm out all evening maybe I'll have 3 over a 6 hour period.
Your best days are ahead of you. The movie starts when the guy gets sober and puts his life back together; it doesn't end there.
Does make me laugh when people go on about people who don't drink being boring. We just don't need alcohol to exhibit a personality
Can we stop this childish discussion about who is more 'boring' drinkers or non-drinkers, there are boring people everywhere alcohol involved or not, it's just a way of people trying to feel morally superior over their decisions in life.
Thanks! So true.
What makes someone boring?
@@ZenMeah exactly, it's all subjective & a way of putting people down for their choices.
@@mrbritisher9748 I’ve been called boring for being an introvert and not drinking alcohol. The people that called me boring don’t really know me or try to get to know me but I’m boring for not behaving in the same way that they do. I think going to the same pubs drinking every weekend is boring so yeah it’s definitely all subjective
Alcohol sucks without cocaine though, being super drunk is not fun
As a religious person who seldom drinks, this is a fascinating interview. I appreciate both perspectives.
I once asked a police officer what he would pick if he had one wish that would make his life easier. His answer was: "Remove alcohol." Most problems started with somebody making a bad decision while drunk, and the problems compounded afterwards. Alcohol was often the difference between a simple lack of judgement and a criminal offense. I know prohibition failed because it is essentially unenforceable, but at the same time we are not honest about the cost that alcohol inflicts on society.
1:20 - "It's ingrained in my culture".... Hey, are you from Wisconsin too? LMAO
I had my last drink when I was 23. I'm 64 now. For some of us life is difficult enough without pouring petrol on the fire. No regrets whatsoever. It's a bit like being totally in love with somone you think is your 'soul mate', but years after you have parted you've got over it.
Getting drunk and having a little night of buzzing is great - when done sparingly and surrounded by sobriety and healthy routine.
Protect this man at all costs lol, people forget about balance
!
@@ConfusedCatto thanks dude. We're living in a time where people are too scared or stupid (or both) to be able to comprehend meeting somewhere in the middle.
People are scared of everything now. It's actually funny.
@@jaserogers997 It is crazy how fearful people have gotten
@@PeteQuad I know mate. Especially the younger generation, it seems. I love getting off my face - once in a while. I work hard, I exercise hard, I love my food and when I (very) occasionally party, I do that hard too. Why wouldn't I?
I drank a fifth of straight whiskey for 20 years. Stopped cold turkey 9 years ago, haven’t missed it since. Sobriety has made me a better, healthier, happier man by every measure.
Nailed it, Chris. Keep doing what you're doing.
Comment section is always full of ex alcoholics and their recovery stories (which are amazing), but for a lot of people the reality of alcohol is not so sinister, and you can live a perfectly happy, healthy life with drinking as long as it's moderated.
whatever you need to tell yourself to cope
@OmarBC420 Oh shhh calm down just cuz u can’t handle your booze doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t
This is the truth. The vast majority of people have no trouble having a great night out with friends or loved ones and then not getting together again for a week, a month or the next holiday. The alcoholics project the effect of alcohol on them to everyone else. I have gone up to a year without a drink because I just wasn't invited to something or was busy but I can still have a great time once in a while. I also have a an ounce of bourbon a couple times a month and get great enjoyment from that also. Being afraid to have an experience is not an admirable character trait imo. Also drinking doesn't mean pounding a dozen beers; if you can't moderate yourself then yes, you should not drink.
I enjoy the taste of beer and whiskey in moderation.
My mother drinks a lot most days of the week if I’m being honest. I’ve tried talking to her about it. Telling her how bad it is for her and how it doesn’t reduce stress and increase happiness in the long run. Nothing seems to get through to her. Sadly after 30 years of drinking it is an addiction. Doesn’t help that my whole family all drink too. It’s so normalised in society despite it causing so much pain. So sad 😢
Is it causing her pain or does it just bother you for some reason? I have seen it both ways and sometimes one can be mistaken for the other.
@@PeteQuad for some reason? She’s quite literally poisoning herself. She’s relying on something that is not good for her
Having a drink in moderation is a wonderful thing. The problem arises when a drink costs more than the price. This is when we need to address the tough questions.
LOVE the brow raise Chris does when Piers starts talking about his nutritionist….lol
Ultimates are rare, almost everything is multiedged. I recommend finding the good and honing within that, and if you can find the relation between goods, work on pathways.
I’ve been off alcohol for close to 2 years, I choose to drink for big occasions, one thing I’ve noticed is the “fun” people as opposed to the “boring” ones piers talks about are just messy, obnoxious and not interested in anything other than themselves on these nights out. My life got better when I stopped drinking.
Couldn’t agree more 💯💯
Unless you actually have a drink problem, life is too short to not have something you enjoy
2 guys on the internet disagreeing and not crying and screaming….well done
they didnt disagree
This is brilliant! From 2016 to 2019 I quit booze and it was one of the best things I ever did . It taught me I didn’t have a good relationship with alcohol and now I do . I rarely get drunk these days and when I drink it’s a few drinks out at dinner and I enjoy it so much .
Haven't touched alcohol for a year plus (I'm 25), never liked the taste of it (unless cooked into something), I did some nightclubbing in the past kind of over it now feel like its a mask for an unfulfilled life. I'm not friends with drinkers anymore, one day I just stopped and I found it so easy, without the friend group and the 'waiting-for-the-weekend' mentality, I found it very easy to stop, and go out my way to avoid it. i am completely fulfilled in my life and i couldn't think of anything worse than waking up on a Sunday feeling ill all day.
Anyone else?
I’m 23 and totally agree 💯
Alcohol killed my grandfather and my father. I will not let it do the same for me. PLEASE DON'T LET THIS SHIT KILL YOU GUYS.
"Alcohol is the only drug for which people assume you must have a problem if you don't partake in it"
"That assume that people who drink ARE interesting"
Few good bangers, Chris, thanks!
"So many people don't have friends, they have drinking partners.", That is a great quote
You were incredible Chris. I understand what you were saying and agree. I chose to be sober and enjoy who I’m and who I’m becoming. I’m free and true to myself.
Never have drank in my life. A friend told me "try a beer you might like it" I responded " thats what I am afraid off" wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging... Proverbs 20:6
I really appreciate this advice on drinking. I grew up in a house where my parents would drink sometimes, but they weren't alcoholics & there was one occasion where 2 of my dad's friends lost their welcome because they got too drunk and took it too far. For the average person, this is a more sound way of looking at drinkers than through the black-and-white lens of 12-Step programs.
I agree.
12 steps black/white approach is for more serious career drinkers.
I started drinking 15 years ago aged 40. Last 10 years it’s been every day.
Not loads just regular.
Stopped 3 weeks ago and intend to keep it that way.
Maybe in a year or so I’ll be able to have the occasional drink but I’m not going back to routine 3/4 glasses of wine a night.
The most basic way to wore it is the bad that comes from alcohol is not worth the good.
I say the same thing to the younger men I know about 420. 420 is the modern corner pub. They're all chemically altered and and almost never genuinely present. It's no wonder they're lonely. They're walking around in a permanent haze, and so are most of the guys around them.
And once the weed is gone there's a silent understanding that you don't really like each other all that much.
100% Agree, its a dream killer. They point at the exceptions in the world and say you can still be successful and 420. Like Rogan or Snoop Dogg and ignore the million loser stoners living at their parents house at 35 with no girlfriend.
@@gregoryporch8395 Yep. How could you know anything about yourself and the other person, when the foundation of your "relationship" with them is being stoned? Neither you nor they have ever spent time together.
@dangerous8333 thats your experience of the world not mine. Alcoholism is an addiction, smoking weed constantly is an addiction, both the same thing if they make your life unmanageable. Smoking weed daily drinking daily will seriously reduce your likelihood of success. I Assume unfounded again and make no apology for it that the successful people you know who smoke weed. Are success inspite of weed addiction not because of it. If they arent addicts then there is no problem. smoking weed occasionally is fine like drinking occasionally is.
I come from Germany and here the majority of the Bundestag has voted for the legalization of cannabis. It will now go to the Bundesrat and if it agrees, the following will apply:
A person may keep three cannabis plants at home for personal use without punishment. Dealing remains a criminal act. It must also be ensured that no minors or children are in the vicinity of the plants.
Adults are allowed to possess up to 50 grams of dried cannabis at home for their own use. Outdoors, 25 grams are permitted.
The Minister of Health warns of health consequences, especially for people up to around 21 or 22 years of age, and is pushing ahead with legalization. Times for public consumption are planned, and cannabis clubs are to start in the summer.
The madness continues.
I decided to abstain from alcohol this year (started January 2nd). I am 58 years old and haven't been this long without alcohol since my teens. I am a fan of red wine, but not a fan of the disrupted sleep.
A good quick conversation about alcohol. It really is a double-edged sword. Swords are great when used properly, on the occasions that they're called for, but you certainly shouldn't be carrying one around all the time, some people should never pick one up because they just can't handle it (and with alcohol you can have an idea if that might be you by looking at your family history), and there are periods in your life where you can get much better things done just leaving the swords alone and picking up something else.
There are zero upsides to alcohol
@@Jay-og4yb Absolutes are only for people without understanding.
Youre a great role model. No ones perfect of course I am not putting pressure on, but you are doing the world a great service.
Where was the clash? He broadly agreed with everything!
Not all debates need to be a clash. You can have a civilised debate and still agree in some areas whilst respectfully disagree on other areas.
I gave up in 2014 after one too many insane evenings. I think I was just over-sensitive to alcohol. My friends seemed to drink more than me and their behavior hardly changed. Even if they didn’t have a problem like me, they have now spent 30+ years slowly damaging their health. So in some ways I’m glad I was different.
People quitting alcohol are beginning to sound like vegans. It's like a new identity for them.
Just because you had a problem doesn't mean that everyone else should stop drinking completely.
Agree, and the comment section of any of these videos are just filled with people talking about their sobriety rather than commenting on the actual videos.
@@PGHEngineervery, it’s mind boggling, they sound like left wing purists
Thats not what its saying though. Its not chastising you personally. Its people sharing their stories about how an unhealthy substance was holding them back and how dropping it made a positive impact in their lives. Nobody is telling you that you cant drink, but to deny the negative impact it CAN (keyword there) have on your life is pure ignorance.
If there’s ever anything I want to give up, finding out that Morgan likes it gives me the push I need to cut it out.
45 years of drinking.
Sober today.
Looking back I never enjoyed alcohol been teetotal 6 months now crushing my running and have better gut health and just happier in general.
Me and my partner have one dry week a month. It's super manageable...equates to 3 months a year and doesn't lead to bingeing when you're back on the sauce.
How many days to you drink a month not including the dry week?
@@SonnyK248 Two at the most. I'm a social drinker. I never drink alone, save for an occasional beer while watching a game.
@@jeffgachihi8225 two drinking days a month. But only one dry week? How does that work?
@@SonnyK248 No I meant I usually only drink weekends on the "non sober weeks".
2 years off the drink now. I never had a drink problem I just got fed up of it. No other reason than that. Still go out now and again and just drink Diet Coke.
But I have to admit I feel much better in myself as a person.
19 years without alcohol..... Life is good....
Keep it up. 🔥
Agree with Chris. I think if you cannot remember the last time you went more than 1 or 2 weeks without having a drink, you have a problem.
Cutting back on it will have profound effects on your health, that you didn’t even realise was possible, give it 3/4 month sober and you’ll be amazed how well you feel!
Big shout and congrats to you all keeping off the liquor no matter the amount of time ! Super proud of you all ! Keep at people ! It gets easier by the month 🙏
6 weeks sober and clean today: my mental health is better than it ever has been; my relationship with my family are improving; I have job interviews lined up; my physical health is amazing (I took up cycling); my mental acuity is extremely sharp and I'm firing on all cylinders. Piers asks: "do you end up with a more boring friendship group when you go sober?", to which I would answer: I have real friends now and people want to talk to me.
Sobriety is the gift that keeps on giving and I will never go back to the drink etc. All alcohol and the rest have done is slow me down and hold me up.
Consistency and discipline are super important on achieving your goals: do not rely on willpower alone.
Piers saying that you can't have interesting friends if you don't drink, Chris throws that back at him, then Piers immediately says that he has two sons with different lifestyles who have really good friends.
Classy 😉😉
I clocked that. Piers is incapable of discussing a topic without taking it personally.
The bar I went to for 4 years straight just closed down. They definitely wasn't my friends just drinking buddy's. I'll never spend our waist that much time being unproductive again.
People who justify drinking are exactly like the people who justify smoking weed.
You didn't have to bro😂
What Chris is talking about is stopping binge drinking. I fully support that and it’s very rare post-college I do, only at things like a wedding or a bachelor party might I over indulge.
But I really like a nice beer, or a wine, here and there. Sharing a bottle of wine with my wife is something we cherish; people have been cherishing drinks like this for as long as we’ve had civilizations.
Of course everyone is different, but I see both sides.
Giving up alcohol made me see who my true friends were. The others were mainly my “drinking buddies”
It's crazy that it's part of the culture
I didn;t experience the drinking buddies vs. friends things. I have good friends, and we would go out together and drink. I gave up drinking (2.5 years sober) for myself. And since doing so, I am no longer anxious, rarely tired and am able to be consistent with good habits at a level I could have never imagined.
Finally someone who can be a role model for young men instead of Andrew tate
Piers Morgan has been around for ages
Chris you were absolutely bang on. “Too many people gave drinking partners, not friends.”
As someone who only on occasion drinks (like once maybe twice a month), I think it has one truly amazing use.
I had terrible social issues growing up. I had issues with confidence and especially around new people. Alcohol lowered my inhibitions and allowed me to finally find that social extroverted side of myself that many loved and accepted.
The beautiful thing was I learned how to bring that side out of me sober to where alcohol was not needed for that. But it was the catalyst that allowed me to unlock it.
Today, I usually will drink once a month. Maybe twice but that’s rare honestly. And when I do, it’s always the night before a rest day and day off work, I have electrolytes afterwards for rehydration. I make sure to get 9-10 hours of sleep. I eat absolutely amazing Whole Foods the next day and I recover very well. My progress in the gym is never affected because of when I decide to drink and the immediate steps I take afterwards.
Plus I have no desire to get stupid drunk. Just decently tipsy where I feel good, am socially lubricated, but can still walk perfectly and have my senses. Never feel sick afterwards or the next day.
'a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine' - Christopher Hitchens
Who looked unhealthy way before his terminal illness. How much sunshine did he feel upon waking up in the morning after a bottle or two
The occasional beer or wine or tot of whiskey is fine.When you drink yourself into oblivion is not.The pub crawl in the UK is not about fun.
I quit drinking 3 years ago and my friendship group immediately became 10 x better - to paraphrase what you said "boring people compensate by drinking."
I’m surprised that they didn’t touch on the fact the alcohol or drinking is very much a coping mechanism for a lot of people. It’s a way to suppress whatever issues they’re running away from.
I distinguish between abstinence and absence. The abstinence from alcohol could be a struggle for many, an effort to pull away from something one doesn't need, in order to reset the brain and one's personal priorities. Absence of alcohol is the absence of desire. It's a Buddhist thing. The fewer "desires" or cravings you have for something, the better.
Drink and enjoy in moderation, people.
We will only live one life, but will remain dead for hundreds and thousands of years after it's all over.
A glass or two of good French Pinot Noir red wine with dinner is one of the best pleasures of life.
In short, *drink for enjoyment, not recreation!*
A lot of accidents are because of alcohol especially during the festive season. It is a huge cause of violence too in general.
I think one of the reasons alcohol is treated so differently, is also because it's the substance we have the most experience with, the most data collected about, and the most societal understanding of. And that makes people more inclined to feel safe around it.
Smoking used to be similar, until the effects were more closely studied and experience started truly working against it to a point where there are no benefits to it at all, and you don't have a more enjoyable time either. In fact it often detracts from having a good time because you may feel the need to interrupt a good time due to longing for a cig.
When people are critical of creatine or other products, I think it simply comes down to lack of experience and general public data and understanding of what it is and what it does to your body, and a lack of understanding leads to fear and skepticism. People don't fear alcohol, because it has been a socially relevant substance for 1000s of years.
Alcohol is a vice, like fastfood (tastes good), beer (tastes good), drugs (feel good) but they are all harmful things... So you need to manage your consumption or it will consume you