How it feels to go sober - amid huge rise in women drinking themselves to death

19 January 2024 , 15:37

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I used to get terrible 'hangxiety' - that increase in anxiety that comes with a hangover,' Sam explains

Plonking herself down on the sofa after work, Sam Kennedy Christian grabbed a cold beer for her and her husband before settling down to discuss their day and moving on to a bottle of red. Not so long ago this was a typical evening for the 38-year-old career and life coach but then in November 2022 she started to take a closer look at how much she was drinking and began cutting back before deciding to quit alcohol for good.

"My last alcoholic drink was February 25th 2023,” the busy mum of two tells The Mirror. "The biggest difference is I now feel fresh in the morning, despite the lack of sleep two small children allow me.” Sam found social occasions difficult to start with and came up with excuses like she was driving, breastfeeding or not feeling well as a reason why she wasn’t drinking.

How it feels to go sober - amid huge rise in women drinking themselves to death eiqrtiqhxidtdinv

Social situations can be tough at first for people who have stopped drinking (Birmingham Post and Mail)

Now, she simply says 'No thank you’ and doesn’t feel the need to explain any further. "I used to get terrible 'hangxiety' - that increase in anxiety that comes with a hangover,” Sam explains. “But now I feel really good - particularly having been through a dry Christmas, I've noticed that I simply don't want to drink. And cutting wine from our grocery bills has saved us an absolute fortune.”

Shocking new statistics show the number of women who drank themselves to death in the UK surged from 2,399 to 3,293 during the five years of 2016 and 2021 - the highest level since records began. While more men than women still die from alcohol-related diseases, the figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of deaths is rising substantially faster in women than in men.

How it feels to go sober - amid huge rise in women drinking themselves to death

'I feel really good since I gave up drinking' says Collette

Despite this, some women are choosing to ditch the drink altogether, particularly as they get older. Colette gave up drinking on December 11 2022 but reveals it took five attempts over a year for her to stick to it. The 41-year-old from Loughborough, Leicestershire said to begin with social events were difficult but temptation also crept in when she was bored or when life became difficult, like it so often does. That said, she’s now realised alcohol only made her more anxious and depressed.

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"I drank way too much at times and was stuck in a vicious cycle,” she recalls. "I didn't realise alcohol was making me feel worse. Hangovers became worse the older I got and I was experiencing brain fog and being irritable and snappy. But I feel really good since I gave up drinking - I don't reach for the bottle at the first sign of trouble and becoming sober has enabled me to become a holistic therapist and a better mum and friend.”

New research from Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind Dry January, reveals 30 per cent of men and 26 per cent of women would like to reduce the amount of alcohol they drink in 2024. Some will be thinking of extending Dry January into February and beyond.

Danielle hasn't had an alcoholic drink for two and a half years

Danielle Cooper, who is 40 and lives in Buckinghamshire gave up alcohol two and a half years ago and says she now has more energy and time and has since qualified as a health coach. She’d had stints of not drinking before so this time she knew what did and didn’t work when it came to quitting drinking. "What didn’t work was doing the same things as when I was a drinker, going to the pub, or restaurants I associated with wine lists as I would feel like I was missing out,” she explains.

"But I didn’t want to stay in so I joined communities with like-minded people and started to enjoy retreats, dance classes and city breaks.” Like many people, Danielle had to find a way to de-stress and deal with uncomfortable feelings that didn't involve alcohol. "It’s been a learning curve, but I replaced wine with meditation, breathwork or a good old vent to a friend instead!

"I have never woken up after a social event and thought 'I wish I’d drank last night’. You get back: energy, time, more happiness, a sense of achievement and a new lease for life. Waking up feeling fresh and ready for the day every day never gets boring.”