Get rid of the beard!! I send all my female peeps to RR. I showed them the earlier Roll with the shoulder length hair and clean shaven?? Va va voom whos the hottie they say. Then the today Roll. It would kind to say they saw the elder statesman but its more like.. whos the old grandad? Love and respect to you Rich. Either way your our hero.
Thanks for doing this follow up. I am struggling to quit and stumbled across these. The last chap saying it's possible to drink occasionally really threw me. This episode was what I needed.
My dearest sister died a month ago. It was not alcohol related. It was an aneurysm in her brain that just knocked her flat in an instant. I watched myself and my family grieving and I am still deeply grieving. There was a lot of alcohol and it really felt like it was helping me and I could rationalize it completely. I woke up this morning with the loud voice in my head that said, “it is just stupid to die of something that I can control.“ I am also blind, which again I rationalize drinking because it helped take the edge off of the fear that blindness produces in me. It does not make sense for a blind person to drink. It is just not smart. I am a very smart person and I have decided to stop drinking. This is the first day and this podcast has helped me tremendously. I will be listening to a lot of them to help me with my perspective and motivation. Thank you so much!
@eyes-freefitness2501, Grief is so painful. The deepest grief is a sign of the deepest love, a heart that cares. It hurts! We do what we can to avoid pain, but it just IS. It's there, and we can't get away though we try all kinds of ways, like alcohol. It's very brave of you to strip away your perceived protection, your comfort from the pain of grief. I, too, need to do this. This podcast is the impetus needed for me to face my family's deep pain which is beyond my control, and just allow it to be, instead of putting myself into a relaxed numbness most nights with a couple of wines. I'm thinking willpower is not enough, I need to find positive ways of getting some relief, some "letting go" of the pain. Changing from the drinking routine. Mindfulness practices have helped, but I'm not diligent and regular. Finding something I like to do helps - like hand stitching, a good book to escape into, a movie, a cup of tea, writing my thoughts and feelings into my journal. Thanks Rich Roll for this podcast, and many others that help us to grow and learn and improve our lives. ❤
I’m 29 and so jealous. I wanna be vegan and enjoy exercise so bad, but it’s just not me. I hate vegan food and hate exercise idk how to make myself like it. And I can’t imagine running a marathon
Our sister in Christ your biological sister is with Our Lord Jesus, Our Creator, for all of eternity. I am so sorry for you. The suffering and grieving is awful, just awful in my life anyway. It is like you lost apart of your own body. And the loneliness of the sorrow. You will see everything of earth once you join her, no longer blind to all the beauties of this world. She is rooting for you with all the Communion of Saints. I have a very ugly deformity that does a real number on me. It makes me feel like a freakshow, and it really affects my mental health. And the whole sad, and evil in the world, affects my mental health. Drinking has and still rears it’s ugly head. It is life sucking.
@@marcallain I really enjoyed my evening glass of whiskey. Which would always end up being a bottle. Now? I sleep better, I wake up early, I workout, I have way more patience (for everyone) and my diet has cleaned up since I'm not hungover craving greasy fast food and sugar. Only thing beer is good for is a beer belly and I (and my wife) much prefer my six pack abs. :)
@@MoonlitMongrel awesome! Crazy how much better I sleep! You'll notice other things changing like your skin, your energy levels, your motivation, mood...I wish i stopped drinking years ago. But better late than never! Cheers and keep going!
I went 10 months last year & drank again for my bday which slowly led to me drinking 2-3x a week again. Now I’m 1 month into not drinking again and planning on not going back. Caving wasn’t worth it last time.
@LouveniaMusic I wasn't a big drinker by any means but I did go 10months also like you and trained hard for a photo shoot and the enegry I had was evan better no down tine recovering. I enjoyed 6 or 7 pints after the photo shoot but felt I left myslf down so close to a year no alcohol and in the best shape of my life at 41. So I've started back heading for a year no alcohol and looking back them 10months saying no on different occasions was the best thing ever built up my confidence that I don't have to do same as everyone else. So keep up the good work 😊
I stop alcohol on December 29,1999, because I had just realized that I drank just as much as my then boyfriend and his friends who were never sober,, we were every evening after work in the bar until it closed, with bottles and bottles. I was sure I was on my way to be a heavy alcoholic at 25 year old. Stopping was absolutely not hard for me, but the pressure of others, was extremely difficult, :”oh come on just one drink”, it won’t hurt you”… I stayed strong, I knew one drink would hurt me . I Changed my environment, but Every time I went out no matter where or with who, I was considered : “being lame.” And asked if I ever have fun. People never understood that I could have fun without a drop of alcohol or drugs of any kind and they kept asking over and over.. it’s Only since maybe 2018 that when I say :no alcohol for me please it is accepted without a question. Time are thankfully changing. I am so grateful that I have a strong personality that stayed to my no.
when you get to be 70 you will be healthier than all those others, that said "you're no fun". in my experience. that's what recently happen to me. they are all falling apart..... sad to watch
As someone who drank as a teenager like a "normal" teenager and into my 20s I always suffered terrible hangovers and realised it wasn't for me. So many days wasted in bed however nearly 20 years later I am still told I am boring or I need to "let my hair down"! At work I often got left out bcoz I wasn't a drinker. The peer pressure never ends! However now aged 40 I am beginning to learn no ones else's opinion matters, I know I'm not boring and I prefer my life without drinking 😊 I hope my kids don't get negatively judged for saying no!
That’s horrible. No one ever comments on my sobriety or encourages me to drink. If they offer me a drink I just say no thanks and keep it pushing, no one ever pries into my reasons. If you’re a woman, they were prob men trying to date rape you and that’s scary af. “Come onnnnn, drink with us!!” It’s like a lion cozying up to a gazelle
20 days sober, massively productivity boost and lifestyle happiness. I've had the temptations but something is different this time, I feel stronger each time I get through them. There's a deep love in the process and I feel a deeper faith in it even around others drinking, there's a mental letting go that feels very subconscious. The more you want it, the more you attempt, the more you step outside the feelings of temptation - the better. You do get stronger with the efforts and changes. Work on personal structure everyday, live a stimulating life sober... exercise as much as you can, the brain will have a massive benefit in living more deliberately beyond subconscious habits with exercise and healthier sleep. I felt like just a middle-lane drinker, yet I was drinking 20+ beers a week spread out - astonishing. So much drinking and so much exhaustion with life because of it. Turning to alcohol just to feel normal ... the feel good and balanced chemicals are already inside us... when in doubt, move about - motion over mind for that natural momentum that brings clarity and freedom to the subconscious habits.
917 days sober and alcohol free. As a raging alcoholic i cannot afford the liberty of NA beer. Its too close to the real thing, a slope that i can’t tread upon.
Wasn’t an alcoholic and found NA beer’s really helped me in the beginning and I occasionally still have them, but not nearly as much as in the start. It’s a personal choice and yes it’s best to know ourselves and what works and what doesn’t. All the best on your sobriety!
I never was a big drinker, but would binge from time to time. I have been alcohol free for 3.5 years and I don’t even have a desire for it! Love waking up early and having energy for exercise ❤
Sometimes you need just a sign. I read "Finding Ultra" and it changed my life - quit alcohol and listened to your podcast with Jon Joseph. Recently I crushed it within my business and started a RUclips channel on top of it for my german audience. 23K subs within 6 month and I am so full of energy. Thank you very much for inspiring me to change my life, Rich!
I just read “the easy way to quit drinking” by Allen Carr & did the hypnotherapy at the end and I really do think it turned off my desire to drink at all.
Day 2 and feeling good. I truly believe long term sobriety is within my grasp. I keep getting a week, 2 weeks, 20 days and a month. Although I do fall, its only matter of time before this miracle sticks. Keep quiting it will happen for you as well. If I can do this so can you all!
This incredible. I'm 7 years clean, my wife is 6 years clean. I've been held hostage, lost my son to the ministry, lost the cars, the house, the money, the business, my wife left to a life on the street where she spent 18 months escaping extreme domestic and gang violence. She ended up pregnant and clawed her way out, she had to escape for two now. we spent 5 years apart healing in recovery. we've been back together for 2 years now and after losing all, today, we closed on a home. I run this podcast in a beautiful studio, full time thanks to a bunch of great organizations in my community. I have a life I never saw coming. its possible. It's an epic adventure. We can recover.
@domiemuigai9772 You know how she got pregnant. She went to a life on the streets, so you should know what that means. She got with the people on the streets who are men and women living that crazy street life.
A year ago I watched an episode on the pernicious hidden effects that alcohol has on our body and brain, that episode was put out by Andrew Huberman, and I went cold turkey , quit alcohol for good. My life has changed in ways unimaginable to the mind. I am never drinking again and will forever be grateful for Andrew Huberman !
I agree, he did a lot for opening peoples eyes to the effects of alcohol. Also the Joe Rogan podcast with Nikki Glaser. I think that got 2 million views. I’m sure it helped a lot of people.
Yes!! I’m a mild drinker and do it socially but have had this tug to drop it completely. I recently watched his video and talk about a HUGE eye opener. I had no idea it disrupted so much of the body like it does.
5 years alcohol free in mid July of this year! My husband also quit 2 years ago. Never thought we would be nondrinkers. I’m grateful to live my life without the effects of drinking on both my physical and mental health as well as my relationships.
i'm honestly amazed that drinking is still so common amongst regular people. i wont even have a glass of wine with family because i want to be at peak performance every day possible
it's so systemic, you're the odd man out if you haven't downed at least 6 beers at the family barbeque in my world. It took me a few decades to realize that this was toxic behavior
@@BrianLovesBeans yup. on the bright side, it makes it fairly easy to perform better than your peers when your peers are always drinking, hung over, losing sleep, inflammed, etc. thats the competition in this market and man does the prevalence of these bad habits make it easier to win
I’m another Middle Laner who Andy helped push over the edge. I’m only nearly 6 weeks into this, but loving it! Every time I feel like life would be a little more embellished with a drink, I turn my thoughts to how much extra energy I’ll have to work on my art, instead. Andy helped tremendously to quell my worries of how social situations will play out, around people who expect me to drink with them. So far, I’ve only had congratulatory responses, and no problems socializing without an alcoholic drink in my hand. Thanks Andy, and to Rich, too, whose podcast was the 2nd place I heard Andy (the first being on Rangan Chatterjee’s podcast).
385 Days Alcohol Free. Rich and this podcast was one of my top three biggest reasons I changed my life. I just ran my first half marathon to celebrate 1 year alcohol free. 7:28 Go Brewing is my local NA brewery and I love that Prophets is inspired by Rich!
I found the enthusiasm totally infectious. I am 76, have been dry for over 2 years, and am now training as a peer mentor. I'm sure this podcast will give more power to my elbow. Many thanks, guys.
Now well into my 30s, I’ve continuously mindfully noticed how detrimental alcohol was being to my overall wellbeing. It hasn’t been like I was even abusing it all that much (except periodically in my 20s). I’d say I’ve had a below average consumption but even that much would wreck havoc on my wellbeing for days later. The original podcast with these two nudged me into becoming sober curious and now I’ve fully adopted the lifestyle. It’s just not worth the few hours of pleasure for days of depression afterwards. Rinse and repeat. I wonder how many people delude themselves into thinking alcohol isn’t affecting them, but that’s their journey to walk. All I can say is it is worth it on so many levels. Happy to see this conversation getting a round 2.
I’ve been alcohol-free for entire my life of 50 years because my body just can’t take alcohol. I don’t know how being drunk feels like. I never had “good time” with friends while drinking. I’m happy to hear more people are going alcohol free now because I don’t feel alone anymore :) By the way, my body and brain feel amazing at this age. I’ve handled many obstacles through out my life with mental clarity and fantastic health. I love it. I want everybody to experience this.
I did 80 days at the beginning of the year, went to a gig and had a night on the Guiness. Then I’ve had the odd night on the drink since. Last weekend after a 12 mile hike I had a few pints and I’ve made the vow to go again. I know how I feel when I drink and I now know how I feel when I don’t. I without question prefer the latter. The hard bit is navigating social gatherings. I might need new friends while I wait for them to catch up
I have to say I prefer andys take than the other guy who was on. I dont think advertising moderation as an option is good and like rich says its mentally exhausting. Either drink or dont think but putting the idea that alcohol on "special occasions is ok" plays into the belief that you are giving something up when in fact you aren't. Rich and Andy are the example. Moderation just leads to confusion. I wouldn't think I'll inject myself with heroin just on special occasions. What's the difference. Both are drugs. The latter is just one you have to justify not taking.
I dont have an alcohol problem but im 8 months free. After i completed the 100 day challenge, i lost all desire for alcohol; pretty cool to see the brain adapt
so I just got back 5 days ago from ireland, and was amazed at all the NA options there. It was a wonderful thing to see. All pubs had two or three NA options and some even run out if you didn’t order early enough. i’m now back in the UE and 3 days sober, again… and happy to see how far the movement has come.
Keep at it ... the alcohol need is an illusion as it makes life worse. If we have had trauma then we may need help with that ... I used to drink to rid myself of childhood trauma memories for many years then that stopped working! I am 12 years FREE ... I see it as freedom.
Day 6... I haven't touched a drip of alcohol - I'm still getting anxiety round 4pm-5pm knowing the evening will not include alcohol but watching these videos certainly help keep the goal in the forefront of my mind. I want to be free completely of the hold alcohol has had on me the past few years! 🙏🏾
I would have called myself a middle lane drinker. I stopped drinking 8 months ago and the benefits are great. I actually do the things I wanted to do. I have motivation and best of all, no anxiety. Admittedly, I’m not a sociable as I once was, but I’m working on myself. So my next plan is to get back out there!
Andy's journey and advocacy for the alcohol-free lifestyle are truly inspiring! His dedication to reshaping the narrative around sober living and community is commendable. I agree that the cultural shift he envisions regarding alcohol's perception is not only necessary but also inevitable. 🌟
These concepts are a game changer. Over a year ago, my mum drank herself to death, no food, no water, just spirits, locked in her house too anxious to leave, with the weight of depression and loneliness. Only 67. Growing up with functioning alcoholics with a toxic relationship, always arguing, making drinking 'normalized'. This should make me want to quit. It's a no brainer. But binge drinking since age 15, being praised by my older brother, then into my 20s, early 30s. Then kids stopped it until the daily drinking started in 2021. 2024 I realise its becoming harder to stop. Secret drinking (my husband rarely drinks). I want to stop generational pass down. I really appreciate your terminology 'the middle road' because for close to 2 years definitely more this last year, I've been worrying about my relationship with alcohol and I realise I am heading in the wrong direction, same as my mother, the slow creep until full addiction. Now at a crossroads . This podcast totally helped to make it easier to put it into clarity. I have to sit with the emotional aspect and change the belief! I want to try and commit. For my children, husband and overall reduce depression and anxiety to feels healthy and livelier.
@craigdonohoe1567 From reading so many stories, know you're not alone....no matter the boat we're in, we're on the same river. It's hard having observed a parent allow alcohol to destroy them, and yet we could never help them or talk to them because they refused to and were in complete denial. At least we are changing our course by acknowledging oir challenge, and then being so brave to talk about it! Because it means we are willing to be vulnerable and create change. It's taken me 2 years to talk about it (ignore the previous 20 years not acknowledging it thinking the levels of alcohol I binge drank was normal 🫣😮💨) Today is day 6 alcohol free.
34 years and 4 days sober and it was the best decision of my life. I wasn’t an alcoholic but on my way there and at the age of 24 and with a two year old son I knew it was time for a change I had an upcoming wedding to attend and set that as my last day of drinking. Friends said to me I wouldn’t do it but here I am 58 , exercise daily, played 11a side football until I was 49 and still play an hour a week. Take it from me it’s well worth doing and you’ll never regret it
Day 4. I give it up for 46 days every year for Lent, and love it, but always go back to my habit. I found this podcast 2 days ago and I’m grateful! This is support I haven’t had in the past. I’m feeling really positive and think it might be different now.
Absolutely brilliant gentleman.. For me, it’s all about beliefs ! Once I challenged them, really shined a light on them my life changed around using alcohol .. life is amazingly blissful once I understood change is messy , challenging and wonderfully rewarding all in one.
This video is a real eye-opener. I used to be a heavy drinker too, and it just wrecked my life. I'm so glad I stopped cold and never looked back. These days, I don't even have a glass of wine with family - I want to be at peak performance every single day. Rich and Andy are really doing important work here. I'd love to see them bring on Jarry Sargent, the healer, to talk more about living an alcohol-free life. That would be super insightful.
I reduced my alcohol intake to once a month, I want to completely stop. I still reach out for it during social gatherings, and I don’t like the person I become, the things I say when I am imbibing. I still am dependent on it sometimes in intense social settings. Working on it by doing meditation and talk therapy. Hoping to completely quit alcohol one day.
I started reducing my alcohol intake significantly in the past several years and avoided triggering people settings if drinking. I eventually stopped recently and am now on day 71. It can be so challenging depending on your support, environment, how a person deals with stress/issues in their life. Find what works for you. My sleep and relationships have improved. I'm less emotional and triggered if someone (members of my family) say something ignorant. Game changer. Feeling soooo much better.
Just about to hit 4 weeks after telling myself that I will do 100 days. However, after delving in to podcasts like this and various sources of information, I'm asking myself whether I want to revisit the lost time, the lost energy, a lesser version of me. These past few weeks I feel like I've gone strength to strength in various aspects of my life and I'm feeling 100% most of the time. What started off as a personal challenge, seems to be taking the form of a real lifestyle change.....
It's very inspiring to watch someone speak about the alcohol-free life in such a positive and enthusiastic way. Thank you, Andy, for sharing your experience.
I have been sober for ~13 years. I have noted over this past decade of talking to so many other alcohol-free people that so many of us (certainly not all, but a significant number) used alcohol to manage anxiety. I have a severe anxiety disorder. It absolutely controls my life it always has. It is a belief system and a set of behaviors that I learned in childhood. I choose to do or not do things, I like or don't like things, based on whether they make my anxiety better or worse. I will go to great lengths to avoid anything that makes my anxiety worse. This behavior is so strong that I do have to push through it and force myself out there for all those anxiety-producing things that are good for me in the long run. Anyone who has anxiety already knows all this, we all do it. But, what WAS an epiphany for me is that the old trope that is drilled in our heads by the 12-step program people is not true. You are not broken. You are not an alcoholic for life. It is not something that you are going to have this massive battle with for life. I can say this with confidence because at some point, I hit a point in sobriety where alcohol and drinking flipped over into the category of "things that make me anxious" because it was so hard to quit, and because I have been sober for so long. I attempted to have a drink with an old friend about a year ago. I had been sober for so long and I was out of state on vacation for a week so I rationalized that I could keep it compartmentalized. I was actually excited about it because I have missed the taste of a White Russian (my drink of choice) and that is not something you can really get in a non-alcoholic version. So, I excitedly ordered a White Russian and discovered that letting one get warm will kill your desire for that taste real fast because while the first couple sips were delicious, the entire idea of drinking spiked my anxiety through the roof. So, I nursed that one White Russian for about 6 hours before just ordering a Mt. Dew. I can safely say I am not an alcoholic anymore. I now associate it with causing anxiety not eliminating, and for those of us with anxiety once you move something into that "causes anxiety" category you are done with it for good.
I've only been off the booze for a few months, and I might never drink again, but I definitely haven't seen any of the benefits people who quit speak of. Haven't lost weight, more depressed than I was when I was drinking, no improved output in terms of work. I'll check my life at day 365. Hope it's worth it.
Hang in there. Things do eventually shift. Sometimes a little bit of therapy can help figure out why we feel depressed. Often alcohol is used to self-medicate because people are hurting inside and need some relief.
Diet is huge too. Go to your primary care doctor and ask for blood work. I did and it turns out I had a huge vitamin deficiency. Cleaning up my diet and quitting alcohol changed my body and a lot of my problems resolved themselves. I also take several vitamins a day. Ask your doctor! You might have a condition like this
Great interview. Drinking Alcohol opens the door to; negativity, health issues, self-esteem issues, regret, and forgetfulness. I've been on the journey to close this door so that I have the opportunity for new pathways to clear. Thank you for the words I had fun listening to this
Now knowing that sitting with the thought of changing for 2 years was normal was a relief and also so pertinent to me. Watching you drinking, watching the results...I'm mostly non drinking and the the energy charges, the reduction in dissatisfaction with work, and importantly moving towards bigger goals...it's exciting. Thanks to both of you
I couldnt speak to people since as long as I remember. I dont know why. But I developed selective mutism around the time I started school. I became known as 'the girl who doesnt talk'. There was alot of shame and confusion at not understanding what was 'wrong' with me. Then at thirteen, I discovered alcohol. It was a revelation. Suddenly my anxiety faded and I was able to talk to people. Finally, I felt 'normal'. I felt as though I imagined others felt ALL THE TIME. I had discovered my talk elixir! I continued to depend on alcohol from that point. Through my teens, into adulthood, even through motherhood. But it wasnt without consequences. Two DUIs, two failed marriages, inability to hopd down a job and at my lowest, almost loosing my children. Then at 45 I discovered selective mutism and everything made sense. But while it helps to know WHY I still have no idea HOW. I never developed the skills to socialize without alcohol. I live with the dilemma that if Im socializing, Im causing harm because alcohol is involved. So I tend to isolate to avoid harming myself and others. But it is very lonely. .
I was that same child, not much to say with new people. Alcohol was a way to let down those guards. I wish now I had never started. It's way better to be that silent one that observes. All the best to you❤️
Me to alcohol and then it was exctasy only time I'm not so introverted and quiet it was like Everytime I done it I was wide open so I definitely can relate and I'm socially awkward
💯! I’m 6 years alcohol free, 54, and in the best shape of my life! Quality of life quadrupled. Emotional fitness improved tremendously! I now help others change bad habits for healthy ones as a Lifestyle Coach. Longevity is now a passion of mine. Let keep the movement going! Alcohol is an old script! Tomorrow is a blank sheet of paper(in theory). Write a new story! #longevity #bluezones #neuroreconditioning #healthyhabits
I am thrilled to see people talking about it bring okay not to drink. We live in a culture that makes people feel "not normal" if you don't drink any alcohol. I hope our children can learn from this information.
RICH!!! How do you DO it??? It’s like you are in my HEAD I am 3 weeks in wine free, & up pops this episode!!! YESTERDAY! Love it. First TANYA & now Andy?!? You are the greatest. From 1 vegan to another, I SUPER appreciate you & all you do.
Alcohol free for almost a decade now. Both of my parents lives were consumed by alcohol - both tragic stories of well meaning people who completely lost control. Alcohol caused them to rot from the inside out, brought out the absolute worst in them, and created a quiet suffering and isolation for them that the rest of us were powerless to. I hate how normalized the drug is, how our culture promotes drunkenness as a means of letting loose, having fun, being fun. I’m looking forward to this episode, thank you for sharing.
My goal is to reach the other side of the island, and meet Andy Ramage to show how I can contribute to this movement. This is so under appreciated and viewed. Love his approach and personality towards it!
12 months alcohol free! Sobriety is the best life to live. Might not be for everyone, but definitely is whats best for me. I used to be a weekend binge drinker EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND! Literally would not miss a weekend. I have zero desire or even thoughts of drinking. It is definitely a different lifestyle!
My issue for the past 5-10 years. I don't drink during the week, but drink pretty heavily while out and about socializing on the weekends. What are some fun things to do on the weekend without alcohol?
All your amazing PodCasts have inspired me. The combination of knowing how harmful alcohol is, poor sleep and side effects, and curiosity to try to stop. Two years ago I started the process. It is a process that takes time to rearrange one's life in a society where all socializing involves alcohol. I am SO grateful for your words that inspire me and make me want to live without alcohol. 7 weeks out and I sense this time it's serious. Why would I take a mouthful of alcohol though? I can't find a single reason! Such! It took me two years to feel that conviction. Thank you! Greetings Charlotte /Denmark
My experience parting ways with alcohol was starkly different than this man’s. I find people in the self help world sometimes romanticize quitting bad habits. “After a few months not drinking everything got better,” slogan is a great way to sell a lifestyle, but for most people, quitting drinking is going to be a long road. Maybe two to three years later you’ll start to see greener pastures. My experience of quitting alcohol led to encountering a seven year emotional and spiritual healing journey. And not until I made it through that storm did I discover some benefits of quitting. But to this day there are still serious cons. The social barriers. Etc.
I learned a lot from every slip up I had once I realised it was a learning experience instead of the shame of it I owned it and moved on ..2 years ten days sober today ..
Hello everyone on October 17th 2024 it’ll be 5 years alcohol free for me! My life has changed totally without alcohol! Best decision I’ve ever made in my life! So whoever out there is battling with this always remember you have my support! It’s a very hard thing to give up but it definitely can be done so hang in there and be strong!
The more he exudes positivity and bangs on about how great he now is......the faster and faster he talks😮.....some of his mumbling I found incomprehensible and had to re-wind before I even knew what he had said🙃
16 months without alcohol or meat (but I still eat fish on occasion). I’m 29 and I really wish I had done this at 15. It was actually really easy for me to quit alcohol. I didn’t even do AA or therapy, just quit cold turkey. I miss it sometimes but it’s not worth ruining my streak. However, I still smoke weed daily and I would love to stop. I wanna quit dairy too. Much love to anyone reading this that wants to quit, we got this! ❤
As someone who never drank, I get questioned all the time when I say no thank you or I don’t drink. I hope society is changing. I grew up with drug addict and alcoholic parents and at 6 started to go to AA and NA with my mom. My dad is a terrible drunk. With addiction in my genes (40% increase genetic chance) I do not drink. I also do not crave it. I’ll take calories in ice cream or other sweets. I am so happy to see all the sober comments in here, keep up all the hard work. While it’s easy for me I realize it’s not for everyone ❤
Governments in many cases are the long arm of industrial branches trying to sell their products. No official person would ever admit that. Combine this with the myths of meat eating (being strong and healthy), smoking something (being relaxed) and - generally speaking- feeling better in the comfort zone of coziness you have everything to prevent people from being aware what they might be. Very good interview, Thanks to Andy and Rich.
When you are disciplined in one area of your life such as abstaining from alcohol which is a challenge for most it aids in being disciplined in many other areas of your life as well! It’s rewarding to decline alcohol in circumstances you normally wouldn’t!
I am one of those middle-grounders and have been thinking about this subject for a while. Thank you for inspiring me to just stop! Easier said than done, but I've never seen anyone speak on this until today. Thank you!
Meat, dairy, alcohol, processed foods, cane sugar, gluten, high drama, free😀🙏🏻 happiest time. It’s been over 5 years. Run an alcohol free listening room for original music. It’s about the music and being present appreciating the people around not escaping it.
Very few discussions on alcohol touch on the “middle lane”. It’s usually full blown intervention level talks. Amazing interview. I AM the middle laner but have decided to fully pull off that highway. No good comes of it anymore.
I drank for many many years, very socially I may add. Even still, I stopped drinking several years ago because nothing, is better than having a good night sleep and feeling good in the morning.
Thank you for this topic! In March of 2020 I decided to lose ten lbs for an upcoming vacation and started on Optavia. The plan has a strict no alcohol rule which as someone who drank moderately seemed tough but I was determined. Within a few weeks I felt like a new person!! I felt energetic, clear headed and my Sunday mornings weren’t spent nursing a hangover. In the summer of 2022 I decided to drink some champagne at a wedding and I felt utterly poisoned! I had a blinding headache for 8 hours afterwards and that was it. It made me realize alcohol is a DRUG and needs to be acknowledged as such. Why on earth would I do that to myself again?! I’m 55 now and I’ve never felt better. I hope the trend of going alcohol free for health continues.
I gave up drinking many years ago because it was hurting my body - digestion, sleeping, fitness, etc. It's been nothing but positive for me. Disclaimer - I do have a handful of glasses of wine per year in social situations but much prefer to not drink any alcohol at all.
Three months sober and counting - it’s been tough, and I’ll admit, I miss the social aspect of drinking. Where I come from, social events almost always include alcohol, and since I stopped, my weekends feel pretty bleak. To be honest, it’s been hard seeing any major health benefits or weight loss so far. If you’re thinking about giving up alcohol completely, I commend you. Just be prepared for a journey that can sometimes feel very challenging and lonely.
I would have loved to hear an insight about people who drink really rarely but are not 100% alcohol free. I drink about two beers per month if at all. It's not affecting my mental and physical health, performance, consistency etc. I can easily do without the two drinks but somehow the why is elusive.
I have 225 dry days this year after being a daily drinker. I am at a point now or even that one beer on a Saturday affects my mental health for the next few days. When you’re used to going clean, it’s definitely noticeable but some people like myself can have just one beer, maybe two and that’s it. Others can’t do the one or two without going apeshit and getting blasted. It all depends.
One week sober after heavy drinking from 19-28 (I turn 29 Aug 14th) I reduced my intake to 6 light beers a night before going cold turkey... It was hell, felt like my heart was gonna pop out of my chest and I couldn't breathe.. I'm almost 6 months sober from coke and 5 months sober from Xanax.. I might be able to do this.. 🙏
I am one week sober. I went 5 months last year, and started back thinking I could handle it, I was wrong and back where I was. I hate that I didn't stick with it, but glad that I have the experience going into this round of sobriety. I enjoy NA beers like Heineken Zero, Blue Moon NA, and Sam Adams Just the Haze IPA. Great alternative, and I don't have as many as I would normal beer.
5 years sober this month. Went from coach potato to 16 cycling marathons, four of which were ultra marathons. I'm the dad, brother, uncle and son that I was always supposed to be. I like myself for the first time.
Regarding completely dry vs tactically dry vs mostly dry, For me and I'd imagine others, the circle you guys describe is very important. The whole thing is a journey, committing to fully dry right away might be daunting which is why the 28/90/beyond scenario was/is awesome. It lets people try the mode on. The mostly dry person at age 30 with enough mindful trips round the circle may well arrive at fully dry but any movement in that direction is positive, but of they started at deciding whether the fully give it up for ever or not would likely have never got there, especially for the middle lane folks. Awesome Conversation and followup to the first which was truly inspiring for me personally.
I took the AF course through Andy and the "FlynnTwins" a couple of years back, 28 day challenge which continued on for a little over a year, then one day.... :( Now with all of the new research coming out about the relationship between Alcohol and Cancer, let alone brain damage, and Dementia, and being 71, I think it's time for another change. Thanks so much Rich for bringing Andy on again, the both of you are so inspirational. Peace...Plants.☺☺
I just realized that it’s taken around 2 years for me to “close the door”. Never had a problem and with a recovering daughter, what’s the point? Plus I’m happy and I. Damn good shape! Great show!
I have been generally alcohol free for a few years now. Now that's not to say I haven't had a few sessions scattered here and there across the years, but in an average month I probably don't have any alcohol. The last time a had 5 beers with friends, I ended up thinking "well what was the point of that then?!!". So now I am the 0% Alcohol guy whenever we go out. I love it. And I love that 0% alcohol drinks are so much more readily available now, and so much more socially acceptable! I'm looking forward to 0% alcohol taking over from alcoholic drinks....what a better world that would be ❤
gave it up for a year. and when my mom get sick I had a Guinness after seeing her at the hospital everyday. very thankful for the pub and the people and a good Guinness. I would've lost my mind otherwise.
This is the second time I've listened to this episode (first on Spotify, then this time on RUclips) and this time I'm going to do it and quit drinking altogether.
5 days sober. First 4 days was hell !! Cold sweats in the morning, sheets drenched, throwing up stomach bile, diarrhea, cramping in my toes , legs and back, low energy an no appetite. I’m not going back. I’m 32 years old. I was going to hard since 19
I was never a heavy drinker by any means, just a social sipper. The headaches post indulging took me to a point where I said "I've had enough". It's a been a year-and-a-half since I drank; everyone should at least try it. Healthier mentally (more than anything) and physically dialed. So many aspects of societies irresponsibiltiy of dealing with alcohol that will never go away until people stop buying it!
Exactly. I’m same boat as you, 16 months without alcohol so far. Society normalizing binge drinking really messed me up. I’m 29 now and rly wish I had gotten sober at 15. I think of all the people I’ve hurt, relationships I’ve ruined. Being sober really hurts sometimes, but not as much as drinking
Wow thank you so much for this discussion, I stopped drinking 2 years ago knowing it would be a crazy solo chalenge, but you have no idea how solo it is if no one around you or on the internet talks about it. It is either you are an alcoholic or just or not. And thank you again for these words because I’ve had no idea up until now that there was a whole mouvement around the this, I noticed that there were a lot more alcohol free options in stores but didn’t know about the community around it. So thank you thank you because this podcast validated a lot of thoughts I’ve had over the past decade and really helped me be ok with what I’m doing ♥️
a good friend of mine was found dead in his home at age 55 a few weeks ago. cause of death was gastrointestinal hemorrhage casued by alcohol. he bled to death. scariest thing is that he wasn’t really known to be that big a drinker, he wasn’t someone that you’d think had a drinking problem compared to some people.
Been alcohol free for two almost two years due to aldh2 and after year one I have not got head colds at all and pretty much everything about my health and life has gotten better and I was not even a heavy drinker just causal. STOP drinking immediately!!!
Fantastic presentation, thank you, and so important to include Motivational Interviewing and NLP! With all due respect to AA and Twelve Step, it is not the only path for people with significant alcohol addiction.
![Twenty One Pilots - The Line (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XCz7WUotXs8/mqdefault.jpg)
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Trim your beard 🤣
Get rid of the beard!! I send all my female peeps to RR. I showed them the earlier Roll with the shoulder length hair and clean shaven?? Va va voom whos the hottie they say. Then the today Roll. It would kind to say they saw the elder statesman but its more like.. whos the old grandad? Love and respect to you Rich. Either way your our hero.
Thanks for doing this follow up. I am struggling to quit and stumbled across these. The last chap saying it's possible to drink occasionally really threw me. This episode was what I needed.
My dearest sister died a month ago. It was not alcohol related. It was an aneurysm in her brain that just knocked her flat in an instant. I watched myself and my family grieving and I am still deeply grieving. There was a lot of alcohol and it really felt like it was helping me and I could rationalize it completely. I woke up this morning with the loud voice in my head that said, “it is just stupid to die of something that I can control.“ I am also blind, which again I rationalize drinking because it helped take the edge off of the fear that blindness produces in me. It does not make sense for a blind person to drink. It is just not smart. I am a very smart person and I have decided to stop drinking. This is the first day and this podcast has helped me tremendously. I will be listening to a lot of them to help me with my perspective and motivation. Thank you so much!
Keep it up GOD BLESS YOU!! ,, #STAY FOCUSED ❤💪🫡
Congrats! How is it going for you?
If you are so smart you would know not to drink when blind. You are not that bright man
@eyes-freefitness2501,
Grief is so painful. The deepest grief is a sign of the deepest love, a heart that cares. It hurts!
We do what we can to avoid pain, but it just IS. It's there, and we can't get away though we try all kinds of ways, like alcohol. It's very brave of you to strip away your perceived protection, your comfort from the pain of grief. I, too, need to do this. This podcast is the impetus needed for me to face my family's deep pain which is beyond my control, and just allow it to be, instead of putting myself into a relaxed numbness most nights with a couple of wines.
I'm thinking willpower is not enough, I need to find positive ways of getting some relief, some "letting go" of the pain. Changing from the drinking routine.
Mindfulness practices have helped, but I'm not diligent and regular. Finding something I like to do helps - like hand stitching, a good book to escape into, a movie, a cup of tea, writing my thoughts and feelings into my journal.
Thanks Rich Roll for this podcast, and many others that help us to grow and learn and improve our lives. ❤
@@andrewcruz3837dikhed
10 and a half years of being sober. Almost 3 years of being Vegan. I am preparing to my first marathon. I am 57 and NEVER felt better. Life is great.
I’m 29 and so jealous. I wanna be vegan and enjoy exercise so bad, but it’s just not me. I hate vegan food and hate exercise idk how to make myself like it. And I can’t imagine running a marathon
@@WhateverLibra No one says you have to be vegan. A lot of data says being vegan is more unhealthy than good.
Vegan's trash don't be proud of being vegan
What should the first change be for health?
Ostro
2 Days sober here
You can do it.
Our sister in Christ your biological sister is with Our Lord Jesus, Our Creator, for all of eternity. I am so sorry for you. The suffering and grieving is awful, just awful in my life anyway. It is like you lost apart of your own body. And the loneliness of the sorrow. You will see everything of earth once you join her, no longer blind to all the beauties of this world. She is rooting for you with all the Communion of Saints. I have a very ugly deformity that does a real number on me. It makes me feel like a freakshow, and it really affects my mental health. And the whole sad, and evil in the world, affects my mental health. Drinking has and still rears it’s ugly head. It is life sucking.
I think I replied to the comment that had nothing to do with the dear person whose sister dropped dead from a brain clot????
@@eslom1489you got this! 5 days sober. We're all in this together
Drug and alcohol free 10 years!
Thank you both for your service!!
Nice must feel good
@@elcarlitosj8304 Yes sir!!
This week marks my second year of being alcohol free. I can't begin to tell you how much my life has changed for the better.
what if you really enjoy your beer and you look forward to your two evening beers?
Been Alcohol free 6 months and loving it. I sleep so well and wake up rested.
@@marcallain I really enjoyed my evening glass of whiskey. Which would always end up being a bottle. Now? I sleep better, I wake up early, I workout, I have way more patience (for everyone) and my diet has cleaned up since I'm not hungover craving greasy fast food and sugar. Only thing beer is good for is a beer belly and I (and my wife) much prefer my six pack abs. :)
@@MoonlitMongrel awesome! Crazy how much better I sleep! You'll notice other things changing like your skin, your energy levels, your motivation, mood...I wish i stopped drinking years ago. But better late than never! Cheers and keep going!
@@marcallain alcohol free beer!
Today is day 150 ALCOHOL-FREE for me! Feeling great and it seems I'm on the path to long term abstinence.
❤❤❤❤❤
I went 10 months last year & drank again for my bday which slowly led to me drinking 2-3x a week again. Now I’m 1 month into not drinking again and planning on not going back. Caving wasn’t worth it last time.
Keep it up, it's totally worth it, for you and everyone around you.
415 days for me alcohol free and around 500 for many other substances.
@LouveniaMusic I wasn't a big drinker by any means but I did go 10months also like you and trained hard for a photo shoot and the enegry I had was evan better no down tine recovering. I enjoyed 6 or 7 pints after the photo shoot but felt I left myslf down so close to a year no alcohol and in the best shape of my life at 41. So I've started back heading for a year no alcohol and looking back them 10months saying no on different occasions was the best thing ever built up my confidence that I don't have to do same as everyone else. So keep up the good work 😊
Why?
I stop alcohol on December 29,1999, because I had just realized that I drank just as much as my then boyfriend and his friends who were never sober,, we were every evening after work in the bar until it closed, with bottles and bottles. I was sure I was on my way to be a heavy alcoholic at 25 year old. Stopping was absolutely not hard for me, but the pressure of others, was extremely difficult, :”oh come on just one drink”, it won’t hurt you”… I stayed strong, I knew one drink would hurt me . I Changed my environment, but Every time I went out no matter where or with who, I was considered : “being lame.” And asked if I ever have fun. People never understood that I could have fun without a drop of alcohol or drugs of any kind and they kept asking over and over.. it’s Only since maybe 2018 that when I say :no alcohol for me please it is accepted without a question. Time are thankfully changing. I am so grateful that I have a strong personality that stayed to my no.
when you get to be 70 you will be healthier than all those others, that said "you're no fun". in my experience. that's what recently happen to me. they are all falling apart..... sad to watch
As someone who drank as a teenager like a "normal" teenager and into my 20s I always suffered terrible hangovers and realised it wasn't for me. So many days wasted in bed however nearly 20 years later I am still told I am boring or I need to "let my hair down"! At work I often got left out bcoz I wasn't a drinker. The peer pressure never ends! However now aged 40 I am beginning to learn no ones else's opinion matters, I know I'm not boring and I prefer my life without drinking 😊
I hope my kids don't get negatively judged for saying no!
Even my mum says I’m no fun and she’s not much of a drinker herself. It’s so ingrained into society.
That’s horrible. No one ever comments on my sobriety or encourages me to drink. If they offer me a drink I just say no thanks and keep it pushing, no one ever pries into my reasons. If you’re a woman, they were prob men trying to date rape you and that’s scary af. “Come onnnnn, drink with us!!” It’s like a lion cozying up to a gazelle
@@joanolmstead1219 I second that, 70 here & sober from booze since 1988
20 days sober, massively productivity boost and lifestyle happiness. I've had the temptations but something is different this time, I feel stronger each time I get through them. There's a deep love in the process and I feel a deeper faith in it even around others drinking, there's a mental letting go that feels very subconscious. The more you want it, the more you attempt, the more you step outside the feelings of temptation - the better. You do get stronger with the efforts and changes. Work on personal structure everyday, live a stimulating life sober... exercise as much as you can, the brain will have a massive benefit in living more deliberately beyond subconscious habits with exercise and healthier sleep. I felt like just a middle-lane drinker, yet I was drinking 20+ beers a week spread out - astonishing. So much drinking and so much exhaustion with life because of it. Turning to alcohol just to feel normal ... the feel good and balanced chemicals are already inside us... when in doubt, move about - motion over mind for that natural momentum that brings clarity and freedom to the subconscious habits.
That’s beautiful 😊
Don't look back, remember though our sobriety journey is a helix, you may lapse, but I never did since 1988... I send my strength to you!
I love this. Thank you for sharing.
917 days sober and alcohol free. As a raging alcoholic i cannot afford the liberty of NA beer. Its too close to the real thing, a slope that i can’t tread upon.
Good and job and great self awareness. Keep it up!
Wasn’t an alcoholic and found NA beer’s really helped me in the beginning and I occasionally still have them, but not nearly as much as in the start. It’s a personal choice and yes it’s best to know ourselves and what works and what doesn’t. All the best on your sobriety!
Oddly enough after alcohol, I fell in love with carbonated drinks. I’d much prefer a LaCroix over a NA beer. To each their own.
good on you mate! Even better to know your limits and set boundaries to keep you on the path you want
❤❤❤❤❤
I never was a big drinker, but would binge from time to time. I have been alcohol free for 3.5 years and I don’t even have a desire for it! Love waking up early and having energy for exercise ❤
Sometimes you need just a sign. I read "Finding Ultra" and it changed my life - quit alcohol and listened to your podcast with Jon Joseph. Recently I crushed it within my business and started a RUclips channel on top of it for my german audience. 23K subs within 6 month and I am so full of energy. Thank you very much for inspiring me to change my life, Rich!
Herzlichen Glückwunsch und weiter so!
Danke Dir!
Not cringe at all! Congrats!
I just read “the easy way to quit drinking” by Allen Carr & did the hypnotherapy at the end and I really do think it turned off my desire to drink at all.
This comment helped inspire Me. Thank you.
Day 2 and feeling good. I truly believe long term sobriety is within my grasp. I keep getting a week, 2 weeks, 20 days and a month. Although I do fall, its only matter of time before this miracle sticks. Keep quiting it will happen for you as well. If I can do this so can you all!
This incredible. I'm 7 years clean, my wife is 6 years clean. I've been held hostage, lost my son to the ministry, lost the cars, the house, the money, the business, my wife left to a life on the street where she spent 18 months escaping extreme domestic and gang violence. She ended up pregnant and clawed her way out, she had to escape for two now. we spent 5 years apart healing in recovery. we've been back together for 2 years now and after losing all, today, we closed on a home. I run this podcast in a beautiful studio, full time thanks to a bunch of great organizations in my community. I have a life I never saw coming. its possible. It's an epic adventure. We can recover.
God Bless
How is your wife getting pregnancy in the streets a win G?
@domiemuigai9772 You know how she got pregnant. She went to a life on the streets, so you should know what that means. She got with the people on the streets who are men and women living that crazy street life.
A year ago I watched an episode on the pernicious hidden effects that alcohol has on our body and brain, that episode was put out by Andrew Huberman, and I went cold turkey , quit alcohol for good. My life has changed in ways unimaginable to the mind. I am never drinking again and will forever be grateful for Andrew Huberman !
I agree, he did a lot for opening peoples eyes to the effects of alcohol. Also the Joe Rogan podcast with Nikki Glaser. I think that got 2 million views. I’m sure it helped a lot of people.
Yes!! I’m a mild drinker and do it socially but have had this tug to drop it completely. I recently watched his video and talk about a HUGE eye opener. I had no idea it disrupted so much of the body like it does.
You just needed a change
5 years alcohol free in mid July of this year! My husband also quit 2 years ago. Never thought we would be nondrinkers. I’m grateful to live my life without the effects of drinking on both my physical and mental health as well as my relationships.
i'm honestly amazed that drinking is still so common amongst regular people. i wont even have a glass of wine with family because i want to be at peak performance every day possible
100000% agree.
it's so systemic, you're the odd man out if you haven't downed at least 6 beers at the family barbeque in my world. It took me a few decades to realize that this was toxic behavior
@@BrianLovesBeans yup. on the bright side, it makes it fairly easy to perform better than your peers when your peers are always drinking, hung over, losing sleep, inflammed, etc. thats the competition in this market and man does the prevalence of these bad habits make it easier to win
It surprises me too. My family doesn't drink, I don't drink, my husband doesn't drink. There's no big reason for it, it just doesn't appeal to us.
Well said!
I’m another Middle Laner who Andy helped push over the edge. I’m only nearly 6 weeks into this, but loving it! Every time I feel like life would be a little more embellished with a drink, I turn my thoughts to how much extra energy I’ll have to work on my art, instead. Andy helped tremendously to quell my worries of how social situations will play out, around people who expect me to drink with them. So far, I’ve only had congratulatory responses, and no problems socializing without an alcoholic drink in my hand. Thanks Andy, and to Rich, too, whose podcast was the 2nd place I heard Andy (the first being on Rangan Chatterjee’s podcast).
385 Days Alcohol Free. Rich and this podcast was one of my top three biggest reasons I changed my life. I just ran my first half marathon to celebrate 1 year alcohol free. 7:28 Go Brewing is my local NA brewery and I love that Prophets is inspired by Rich!
I found the enthusiasm totally infectious. I am 76, have been dry for over 2 years, and am now training as a peer mentor. I'm sure this podcast will give more power to my elbow. Many thanks, guys.
Now well into my 30s, I’ve continuously mindfully noticed how detrimental alcohol was being to my overall wellbeing. It hasn’t been like I was even abusing it all that much (except periodically in my 20s). I’d say I’ve had a below average consumption but even that much would wreck havoc on my wellbeing for days later. The original podcast with these two nudged me into becoming sober curious and now I’ve fully adopted the lifestyle. It’s just not worth the few hours of pleasure for days of depression afterwards. Rinse and repeat. I wonder how many people delude themselves into thinking alcohol isn’t affecting them, but that’s their journey to walk. All I can say is it is worth it on so many levels. Happy to see this conversation getting a round 2.
I’ve been alcohol-free for entire my life of 50 years because my body just can’t take alcohol. I don’t know how being drunk feels like. I never had “good time” with friends while drinking.
I’m happy to hear more people are going alcohol free now because I don’t feel alone anymore :)
By the way, my body and brain feel amazing at this age. I’ve handled many obstacles through out my life with mental clarity and fantastic health. I love it.
I want everybody to experience this.
I did 80 days at the beginning of the year, went to a gig and had a night on the Guiness. Then I’ve had the odd night on the drink since. Last weekend after a 12 mile hike I had a few pints and I’ve made the vow to go again. I know how I feel when I drink and I now know how I feel when I don’t. I without question prefer the latter. The hard bit is navigating social gatherings. I might need new friends while I wait for them to catch up
I have to say I prefer andys take than the other guy who was on. I dont think advertising moderation as an option is good and like rich says its mentally exhausting. Either drink or dont think but putting the idea that alcohol on "special occasions is ok" plays into the belief that you are giving something up when in fact you aren't. Rich and Andy are the example. Moderation just leads to confusion. I wouldn't think I'll inject myself with heroin just on special occasions. What's the difference. Both are drugs. The latter is just one you have to justify not taking.
This guy is absolutely AMAZING!!! Glad you had him back on your show Rich.
So many of my family members were/are addicted to alcohol, the hold it has on people is insane.
I drink lightly about 2-3 times a month but lately I’m feeling that it’s time for alcohol to be totally gone out of my life….
I dont have an alcohol problem but im 8 months free. After i completed the 100 day challenge, i lost all desire for alcohol; pretty cool to see the brain adapt
so I just got back 5 days ago from ireland, and was amazed at all the NA options there. It was a wonderful thing to see. All pubs had two or three NA options and some even run out if you didn’t order early enough. i’m now back in the UE and 3 days sober, again… and happy to see how far the movement has come.
Stopped drinking at 20, moreso as a positive lifestyle health direction and have been alcohol free for 40 yrs now. Best thing I've ever done.
Excited to hear this one. Trying hard to continue sober living. It’s a constant struggle. Much love!
Yup, I’m drinking as I’m listening 🤷🏽♀️.
502 days and never thought I'd quit but sure glad I did.
Keep at it ... the alcohol need is an illusion as it makes life worse. If we have had trauma then we may need help with that ... I used to drink to rid myself of childhood trauma memories for many years then that stopped working! I am 12 years FREE ... I see it as freedom.
Read “this naked mind” if you haven’t.
Day 6... I haven't touched a drip of alcohol - I'm still getting anxiety round 4pm-5pm knowing the evening will not include alcohol but watching these videos certainly help keep the goal in the forefront of my mind. I want to be free completely of the hold alcohol has had on me the past few years! 🙏🏾
I would have called myself a middle lane drinker. I stopped drinking 8 months ago and the benefits are great. I actually do the things I wanted to do. I have motivation and best of all, no anxiety. Admittedly, I’m not a sociable as I once was, but I’m working on myself. So my next plan is to get back out there!
Thank you. "It's a new day, it's a new life, and I'm feel'in good!"
Wow, when I put this song in the lens of my sobriety it hits different
Andy's journey and advocacy for the alcohol-free lifestyle are truly inspiring! His dedication to reshaping the narrative around sober living and community is commendable. I agree that the cultural shift he envisions regarding alcohol's perception is not only necessary but also inevitable. 🌟
These concepts are a game changer. Over a year ago, my mum drank herself to death, no food, no water, just spirits, locked in her house too anxious to leave, with the weight of depression and loneliness. Only 67. Growing up with functioning alcoholics with a toxic relationship, always arguing, making drinking 'normalized'. This should make me want to quit. It's a no brainer. But binge drinking since age 15, being praised by my older brother, then into my 20s, early 30s. Then kids stopped it until the daily drinking started in 2021. 2024 I realise its becoming harder to stop. Secret drinking (my husband rarely drinks). I want to stop generational pass down.
I really appreciate your terminology 'the middle road' because for close to 2 years definitely more this last year, I've been worrying about my relationship with alcohol and I realise I am heading in the wrong direction, same as my mother, the slow creep until full addiction.
Now at a crossroads . This podcast totally helped to make it easier to put it into clarity.
I have to sit with the emotional aspect and change the belief!
I want to try and commit. For my children, husband and overall reduce depression and anxiety to feels healthy and livelier.
Thank you for sharing this. Sounds very similar to my situation. It helps to hear I’m not alone in this.
@craigdonohoe1567 From reading so many stories, know you're not alone....no matter the boat we're in, we're on the same river. It's hard having observed a parent allow alcohol to destroy them, and yet we could never help them or talk to them because they refused to and were in complete denial. At least we are changing our course by acknowledging oir challenge, and then being so brave to talk about it! Because it means we are willing to be vulnerable and create change. It's taken me 2 years to talk about it (ignore the previous 20 years not acknowledging it thinking the levels of alcohol I binge drank was normal 🫣😮💨) Today is day 6 alcohol free.
34 years and 4 days sober and it was the best decision of my life. I wasn’t an alcoholic but on my way there and at the age of 24 and with a two year old son I knew it was time for a change
I had an upcoming wedding to attend and set that as my last day of drinking.
Friends said to me I wouldn’t do it but here I am 58 , exercise daily, played 11a side football until I was 49 and still play an hour a week. Take it from me it’s well worth doing and you’ll never regret it
Day 4. I give it up for 46 days every year for Lent, and love it, but always go back to my habit. I found this podcast 2 days ago and I’m grateful! This is support I haven’t had in the past. I’m feeling really positive and think it might be different now.
Absolutely brilliant gentleman.. For me, it’s all about beliefs ! Once I challenged them, really shined a light on them my life changed around using alcohol .. life is amazingly blissful once I understood change is messy , challenging and wonderfully rewarding all in one.
This video is a real eye-opener. I used to be a heavy drinker too, and it just wrecked my life. I'm so glad I stopped cold and never looked back. These days, I don't even have a glass of wine with family - I want to be at peak performance every single day. Rich and Andy are really doing important work here. I'd love to see them bring on Jarry Sargent, the healer, to talk more about living an alcohol-free life. That would be super insightful.
I reduced my alcohol intake to once a month, I want to completely stop. I still reach out for it during social gatherings, and I don’t like the person I become, the things I say when I am imbibing. I still am dependent on it sometimes in intense social settings. Working on it by doing meditation and talk therapy. Hoping to completely quit alcohol one day.
I started reducing my alcohol intake significantly in the past several years and avoided triggering people settings if drinking. I eventually stopped recently and am now on day 71. It can be so challenging depending on your support, environment, how a person deals with stress/issues in their life. Find what works for you. My sleep and relationships have improved. I'm less emotional and triggered if someone (members of my family) say something ignorant. Game changer. Feeling soooo much better.
My husband and I did 60 days alcohol free, last year it was amazing. We need to stop. 😢
It’s marijuana maintenance for me. Whatever you gotta do!! Good luck ❤
Just about to hit 4 weeks after telling myself that I will do 100 days. However, after delving in to podcasts like this and various sources of information, I'm asking myself whether I want to revisit the lost time, the lost energy, a lesser version of me. These past few weeks I feel like I've gone strength to strength in various aspects of my life and I'm feeling 100% most of the time. What started off as a personal challenge, seems to be taking the form of a real lifestyle change.....
It's very inspiring to watch someone speak about the alcohol-free life in such a positive and enthusiastic way. Thank you, Andy, for sharing your experience.
I have been sober for ~13 years. I have noted over this past decade of talking to so many other alcohol-free people that so many of us (certainly not all, but a significant number) used alcohol to manage anxiety. I have a severe anxiety disorder. It absolutely controls my life it always has. It is a belief system and a set of behaviors that I learned in childhood. I choose to do or not do things, I like or don't like things, based on whether they make my anxiety better or worse. I will go to great lengths to avoid anything that makes my anxiety worse. This behavior is so strong that I do have to push through it and force myself out there for all those anxiety-producing things that are good for me in the long run. Anyone who has anxiety already knows all this, we all do it. But, what WAS an epiphany for me is that the old trope that is drilled in our heads by the 12-step program people is not true. You are not broken. You are not an alcoholic for life. It is not something that you are going to have this massive battle with for life. I can say this with confidence because at some point, I hit a point in sobriety where alcohol and drinking flipped over into the category of "things that make me anxious" because it was so hard to quit, and because I have been sober for so long. I attempted to have a drink with an old friend about a year ago. I had been sober for so long and I was out of state on vacation for a week so I rationalized that I could keep it compartmentalized. I was actually excited about it because I have missed the taste of a White Russian (my drink of choice) and that is not something you can really get in a non-alcoholic version. So, I excitedly ordered a White Russian and discovered that letting one get warm will kill your desire for that taste real fast because while the first couple sips were delicious, the entire idea of drinking spiked my anxiety through the roof. So, I nursed that one White Russian for about 6 hours before just ordering a Mt. Dew. I can safely say I am not an alcoholic anymore. I now associate it with causing anxiety not eliminating, and for those of us with anxiety once you move something into that "causes anxiety" category you are done with it for good.
I've only been off the booze for a few months, and I might never drink again, but I definitely haven't seen any of the benefits people who quit speak of. Haven't lost weight, more depressed than I was when I was drinking, no improved output in terms of work. I'll check my life at day 365. Hope it's worth it.
Hang in there. Things do eventually shift. Sometimes a little bit of therapy can help figure out why we feel depressed. Often alcohol is used to self-medicate because people are hurting inside and need some relief.
Diet is huge too. Go to your primary care doctor and ask for blood work. I did and it turns out I had a huge vitamin deficiency. Cleaning up my diet and quitting alcohol changed my body and a lot of my problems resolved themselves. I also take several vitamins a day. Ask your doctor! You might have a condition like this
Great interview. Drinking Alcohol opens the door to; negativity, health issues, self-esteem issues, regret, and forgetfulness. I've been on the journey to close this door so that I have the opportunity for new pathways to clear. Thank you for the words I had fun listening to this
Now knowing that sitting with the thought of changing for 2 years was normal was a relief and also so pertinent to me. Watching you drinking, watching the results...I'm mostly non drinking and the the energy charges, the reduction in dissatisfaction with work, and importantly moving towards bigger goals...it's exciting. Thanks to both of you
I couldnt speak to people since as long as I remember. I dont know why. But I developed selective mutism around the time I started school. I became known as 'the girl who doesnt talk'. There was alot of shame and confusion at not understanding what was 'wrong' with me. Then at thirteen, I discovered alcohol. It was a revelation. Suddenly my anxiety faded and I was able to talk to people. Finally, I felt 'normal'. I felt as though I imagined others felt ALL THE TIME. I had discovered my talk elixir! I continued to depend on alcohol from that point. Through my teens, into adulthood, even through motherhood. But it wasnt without consequences. Two DUIs, two failed marriages, inability to hopd down a job and at my lowest, almost loosing my children. Then at 45 I discovered selective mutism and everything made sense. But while it helps to know WHY I still have no idea HOW. I never developed the skills to socialize without alcohol. I live with the dilemma that if Im socializing, Im causing harm because alcohol is involved. So I tend to isolate to avoid harming myself and others. But it is very lonely. .
I was that same child, not much to say with new people. Alcohol was a way to let down those guards. I wish now I had never started.
It's way better to be that silent one that observes.
All the best to you❤️
@@dianabridgman9641 agree! Forever the observer!
This was me. It's okay to be a little quiet and there are people who we are more comfortable with and can communicate easier without substance.
Me to alcohol and then it was exctasy only time I'm not so introverted and quiet it was like Everytime I done it I was wide open so I definitely can relate and I'm socially awkward
💯! I’m 6 years alcohol free, 54, and in the best shape of my life! Quality of life quadrupled. Emotional fitness improved tremendously!
I now help others change bad habits for healthy ones as a Lifestyle Coach. Longevity is now a passion of mine. Let keep the movement going! Alcohol is an old script! Tomorrow is a blank sheet of paper(in theory). Write a new story!
#longevity #bluezones #neuroreconditioning #healthyhabits
I am thrilled to see people talking about it bring okay not to drink. We live in a culture that makes people feel "not normal" if you don't drink any alcohol. I hope our children can learn from this information.
RICH!!! How do you DO it??? It’s like you are in my HEAD I am 3 weeks in wine free, & up pops this episode!!! YESTERDAY! Love it. First TANYA & now Andy?!? You are the greatest. From 1 vegan to another, I SUPER appreciate you & all you do.
Alcohol free for almost a decade now. Both of my parents lives were consumed by alcohol - both tragic stories of well meaning people who completely lost control. Alcohol caused them to rot from the inside out, brought out the absolute worst in them, and created a quiet suffering and isolation for them that the rest of us were powerless to. I hate how normalized the drug is, how our culture promotes drunkenness as a means of letting loose, having fun, being fun. I’m looking forward to this episode, thank you for sharing.
My goal is to reach the other side of the island, and meet Andy Ramage to show how I can contribute to this movement. This is so under appreciated and viewed. Love his approach and personality towards it!
12 months alcohol free! Sobriety is the best life to live. Might not be for everyone, but definitely is whats best for me. I used to be a weekend binge drinker EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND! Literally would not miss a weekend. I have zero desire or even thoughts of drinking. It is definitely a different lifestyle!
My issue for the past 5-10 years. I don't drink during the week, but drink pretty heavily while out and about socializing on the weekends. What are some fun things to do on the weekend without alcohol?
Day 12 today. I'm loving the freedom from slushy mornings. I get up earlier and start my day with energy and without stress.
All your amazing PodCasts have inspired me. The combination of knowing how harmful alcohol is, poor sleep and side effects, and curiosity to try to stop. Two years ago I started the process. It is a process that takes time to rearrange one's life in a society where all socializing involves alcohol.
I am SO grateful for your words that inspire me and make me want to live without alcohol. 7 weeks out and I sense this time it's serious. Why would I take a mouthful of alcohol though? I can't find a single reason!
Such! It took me two years to feel that conviction.
Thank you!
Greetings Charlotte /Denmark
My experience parting ways with alcohol was starkly different than this man’s. I find people in the self help world sometimes romanticize quitting bad habits. “After a few months not drinking everything got better,” slogan is a great way to sell a lifestyle, but for most people, quitting drinking is going to be a long road. Maybe two to three years later you’ll start to see greener pastures.
My experience of quitting alcohol led to encountering a seven year emotional and spiritual healing journey. And not until I made it through that storm did I discover some benefits of quitting. But to this day there are still serious cons. The social barriers. Etc.
Was seven years around the same time that you drank more heavily?
@@Denidrakes69 No, after I quit I never drank heavy again. After seven years sober is when I started to discover greener pastures.
I learned a lot from every slip up I had once I realised it was a learning experience instead of the shame of it I owned it and moved on ..2 years ten days sober today ..
Hello everyone on October 17th 2024 it’ll be 5 years alcohol free for me! My life has changed totally without alcohol! Best decision I’ve ever made in my life! So whoever out there is battling with this always remember you have my support! It’s a very hard thing to give up but it definitely can be done so hang in there and be strong!
The more he exudes positivity and bangs on about how great he now is......the faster and faster he talks😮.....some of his mumbling I found incomprehensible and had to re-wind before I even knew what he had said🙃
And ffs don't listen to this lecture if you like cheeseburgers
Almost 27 years sober. I was not in the middle lane. This is a positive trend.
Really appreciate your constant efforts @richroll to help us all elevate to that level and make our lives better.❤
16 months without alcohol or meat (but I still eat fish on occasion). I’m 29 and I really wish I had done this at 15. It was actually really easy for me to quit alcohol. I didn’t even do AA or therapy, just quit cold turkey. I miss it sometimes but it’s not worth ruining my streak. However, I still smoke weed daily and I would love to stop. I wanna quit dairy too. Much love to anyone reading this that wants to quit, we got this! ❤
As someone who never drank, I get questioned all the time when I say no thank you or I don’t drink. I hope society is changing. I grew up with drug addict and alcoholic parents and at 6 started to go to AA and NA with my mom. My dad is a terrible drunk. With addiction in my genes (40% increase genetic chance) I do not drink. I also do not crave it. I’ll take calories in ice cream or other sweets. I am so happy to see all the sober comments in here, keep up all the hard work. While it’s easy for me I realize it’s not for everyone ❤
Governments in many cases are the long arm of industrial branches trying to sell their products. No official person would ever admit that. Combine this with the myths of meat eating (being strong and healthy), smoking something (being relaxed) and - generally speaking- feeling better in the comfort zone of coziness you have everything to prevent people from being aware what they might be. Very good interview, Thanks to Andy and Rich.
When you are disciplined in one area of your life such as abstaining from alcohol which is a challenge for most it aids in being disciplined in many other areas of your life as well! It’s rewarding to decline alcohol in circumstances you normally wouldn’t!
Thank you for this! The cool kids are in the sober/alcohol-free club!
The energy between you two was incredible. Like past lives brothers? As per usual, fabulous podcast. ps... I joined Dryy!
I am one of those middle-grounders and have been thinking about this subject for a while. Thank you for inspiring me to just stop! Easier said than done, but I've never seen anyone speak on this until today. Thank you!
I never had a alcohol issue but so glad I listened to this so many golden nuggets from this ❤️
Meat, dairy, alcohol, processed foods, cane sugar, gluten, high drama, free😀🙏🏻 happiest time. It’s been over 5 years. Run an alcohol free listening room for original music. It’s about the music and being present appreciating the people around not escaping it.
I stopped drinking 2+ years ago. I will never do it again. Feel much better without it, both physically and mentally.
Very few discussions on alcohol touch on the “middle lane”. It’s usually full blown intervention level talks. Amazing interview. I AM the middle laner but have decided to fully pull off that highway. No good comes of it anymore.
I drank for many many years, very socially I may add. Even still, I stopped drinking several years ago because nothing, is better than having a good night sleep and feeling good in the morning.
Thank you for this topic! In March of 2020 I decided to lose ten lbs for an upcoming vacation and started on Optavia. The plan has a strict no alcohol rule which as someone who drank moderately seemed tough but I was determined. Within a few weeks I felt like a new person!! I felt energetic, clear headed and my Sunday mornings weren’t spent nursing a hangover. In the summer of 2022 I decided to drink some champagne at a wedding and I felt utterly poisoned! I had a blinding headache for 8 hours afterwards and that was it. It made me realize alcohol is a DRUG and needs to be acknowledged as such. Why on earth would I do that to myself again?! I’m 55 now and I’ve never felt better. I hope the trend of going alcohol free for health continues.
I gave up drinking many years ago because it was hurting my body - digestion, sleeping, fitness, etc. It's been nothing but positive for me. Disclaimer - I do have a handful of glasses of wine per year in social situations but much prefer to not drink any alcohol at all.
Three months sober and counting - it’s been tough, and I’ll admit, I miss the social aspect of drinking. Where I come from, social events almost always include alcohol, and since I stopped, my weekends feel pretty bleak. To be honest, it’s been hard seeing any major health benefits or weight loss so far. If you’re thinking about giving up alcohol completely, I commend you. Just be prepared for a journey that can sometimes feel very challenging and lonely.
If you're strong enough, why not still join in on the drinking events, but don't drink yourself. Then you'll have more of a social life again
I would have loved to hear an insight about people who drink really rarely but are not 100% alcohol free. I drink about two beers per month if at all. It's not affecting my mental and physical health, performance, consistency etc. I can easily do without the two drinks but somehow the why is elusive.
I have 225 dry days this year after being a daily drinker. I am at a point now or even that one beer on a Saturday affects my mental health for the next few days. When you’re used to going clean, it’s definitely noticeable but some people like myself can have just one beer, maybe two and that’s it. Others can’t do the one or two without going apeshit and getting blasted. It all depends.
One week sober after heavy drinking from 19-28 (I turn 29 Aug 14th) I reduced my intake to 6 light beers a night before going cold turkey... It was hell, felt like my heart was gonna pop out of my chest and I couldn't breathe.. I'm almost 6 months sober from coke and 5 months sober from Xanax.. I might be able to do this.. 🙏
Still no booze guys 🙏
@@TheXandemichow are you holding up brother?
@@angel1010gomez haven't drank since, the only time I have cravings is when I'm having panic attacks. It's been rough but I'm seeing it through
@@TheXandemic you're about to hit a month huh?
I am one week sober. I went 5 months last year, and started back thinking I could handle it, I was wrong and back where I was. I hate that I didn't stick with it, but glad that I have the experience going into this round of sobriety. I enjoy NA beers like Heineken Zero, Blue Moon NA, and Sam Adams Just the Haze IPA. Great alternative, and I don't have as many as I would normal beer.
5 years sober this month. Went from coach potato to 16 cycling marathons, four of which were ultra marathons.
I'm the dad, brother, uncle and son that I was always supposed to be. I like myself for the first time.
Relapse. No balls.
Cheers! Thanks for sharing our story!
Almost 8 months free now and I was tempted recently when life got a bit rough. But things are back on the up and I'm glad I didnt't give in ❤
I love, love, love his energy and passion. Andy, you rock! I want some of that.
Regarding completely dry vs tactically dry vs mostly dry, For me and I'd imagine others, the circle you guys describe is very important. The whole thing is a journey, committing to fully dry right away might be daunting which is why the 28/90/beyond scenario was/is awesome. It lets people try the mode on. The mostly dry person at age 30 with enough mindful trips round the circle may well arrive at fully dry but any movement in that direction is positive, but of they started at deciding whether the fully give it up for ever or not would likely have never got there, especially for the middle lane folks. Awesome Conversation and followup to the first which was truly inspiring for me personally.
I took the AF course through Andy and the "FlynnTwins" a couple of years back, 28 day challenge which continued on for a little over a year, then one day.... :( Now with all of the new research coming out about the relationship between Alcohol and Cancer, let alone brain damage, and Dementia, and being 71, I think it's time for another change. Thanks so much Rich for bringing Andy on again, the both of you are so inspirational. Peace...Plants.☺☺
I just realized that it’s taken around 2 years for me to “close the door”. Never had a problem and with a recovering daughter, what’s the point? Plus I’m happy and I. Damn good shape! Great show!
Thank you Rich Roll!
This show really gave me a lot to think about and feel stronger, like I totally received tool.
Thank you🎉❤
I have been generally alcohol free for a few years now. Now that's not to say I haven't had a few sessions scattered here and there across the years, but in an average month I probably don't have any alcohol. The last time a had 5 beers with friends, I ended up thinking "well what was the point of that then?!!". So now I am the 0% Alcohol guy whenever we go out. I love it. And I love that 0% alcohol drinks are so much more readily available now, and so much more socially acceptable! I'm looking forward to 0% alcohol taking over from alcoholic drinks....what a better world that would be ❤
gave it up for a year. and when my mom get sick I had a Guinness after seeing her at the hospital everyday. very thankful for the pub and the people and a good Guinness. I would've lost my mind otherwise.
This is the second time I've listened to this episode (first on Spotify, then this time on RUclips) and this time I'm going to do it and quit drinking altogether.
7 months sober. 4 months on carnivore. I feel so much better.
Thanks for this. Exactly what I needed to hear today.
5 days sober. First 4 days was hell !! Cold sweats in the morning, sheets drenched, throwing up stomach bile, diarrhea, cramping in my toes , legs and back, low energy an no appetite. I’m not going back. I’m 32 years old. I was going to hard since 19
I gave up smoking 1.5 years ago and yet no progress in my emotional health
I was never a heavy drinker by any means, just a social sipper. The headaches post indulging took me to a point where I said "I've had enough". It's a been a year-and-a-half since I drank; everyone should at least try it. Healthier mentally (more than anything) and physically dialed. So many aspects of societies irresponsibiltiy of dealing with alcohol that will never go away until people stop buying it!
Exactly. I’m same boat as you, 16 months without alcohol so far. Society normalizing binge drinking really messed me up. I’m 29 now and rly wish I had gotten sober at 15. I think of all the people I’ve hurt, relationships I’ve ruined. Being sober really hurts sometimes, but not as much as drinking
Wow thank you so much for this discussion, I stopped drinking 2 years ago knowing it would be a crazy solo chalenge, but you have no idea how solo it is if no one around you or on the internet talks about it. It is either you are an alcoholic or just or not. And thank you again for these words because I’ve had no idea up until now that there was a whole mouvement around the this, I noticed that there were a lot more alcohol free options in stores but didn’t know about the community around it. So thank you thank you because this podcast validated a lot of thoughts I’ve had over the past decade and really helped me be ok with what I’m doing ♥️
a good friend of mine was found dead in his home at age 55 a few weeks ago. cause of death was gastrointestinal hemorrhage casued by alcohol. he bled to death. scariest thing is that he wasn’t really known to be that big a drinker, he wasn’t someone that you’d think had a drinking problem compared to some people.
Been alcohol free for two almost two years due to aldh2 and after year one I have not got head colds at all and pretty much everything about my health and life has gotten better and I was not even a heavy drinker just causal. STOP drinking immediately!!!
Fantastic presentation, thank you, and so important to include Motivational Interviewing and NLP! With all due respect to AA and Twelve Step, it is not the only path for people with significant alcohol addiction.