After 30 years of enthusiastic drinking, I quit a month ago for health reasons. It’s daunting leaving an old friend, albeit at times an abusive one!
One of my favourite things in the world was settling down to some tunes with a few beers or a nice bottle of red. I wondered if there are any others on here who’ve made the same change, and how it affected your listening enjoyment. I haven’t had a chance to do much listening over the last month, so I don’t have much experience of my own to offer just yet.
I never really associated music and alcohol but lots do. I wasn’t averse to a couple of pints or even sharing a bottle of wine over a few albums with Mrs.H., neighbours or friends but I would more often listen stone cold sober.
Forced to give up after a fairly hidden liver infection and some medication did a fair bit of damage and there’s some low level NAFLD to contend with too.
Whilst in many senses nothing has changed, bar my discovery of some lovely non-alcoholic beers, I’ve noticed a general reduction in my tinnitus (similar to when you reduce dairy input) and I’ve also discovered that my ears prefer coherence to detail. Detail is brilliant and I still want lots of it but my ears now seem to want to hear the sound of a band interacting (if that is how they recorded).
I rarely drink any alcohol these days, but I never really had a habit of drinking and listening to music.
Alcohol does not enhance any of our senses, so I find listening sober is preferable, as it will be a better experience. Alcohol may help relax one, but I find the music will do that for me anyway.
Hi mate I quit 13 years ago, not for health reasons but because i’d had enough of drinking, the first month was probably the worst,then things started to get better, sleep, energy, stress levels, but music was the one consistent it never got better or worse, but maybe my concentration became better towards listening or maybe because I quit the money saved got me some better equipment anyhoo I hope all goes well for you in the future good luck
Sober or with a glass of wine or a bottle of beer, I enjoy music equally. I am a sporadic drinker, going for months without one, then drinking moderately for a few months. The only thing I have noticed is that I always seem to stop drinking just after stocking up on wine and or beer. Fortunately, it doesn’t go off quickly.
I’ve never taken Cannabis, though was passed many a joint in pubs I frequented in late teens, nor smoked anything. (BTW, why do vapes have to result in a cloud of exhaled smoke-like smelly fug?). Cffee never for a kick, just occasionally asa pleasant drink. Meanwhile alcohol is available on so many delightful varieties, pleasant to drink but not get drunk (last time I got drunk, or had any form of hangover, was at least 25 years ago - I sad never again and meant it!)
As for vaping I am not interested by clouds. I like vaping some very fine tobacco e liquid, different kinds from Italia, with some aroma like whiskey, caramel….aged in oak barrels.
Congratulations.
Very well done you for getting sober.
I gave up smoking a few years ago and found it surprisingly easier than I imagined. I should have tried it earlier… although I had a recent major life reappraisal getting rid of other habits and routines must have helped.
I feel with alcohol too many neuro pathways have been burned in and too many burned out to realistically consider going totally sober.
I’m within contemporary safe morbidities but find I can become too emotional when listening and drinking.
I only have sight in one eye. While at university smoked a joint and the sight in my “good eye”, vanished for 5 minutes. Scared me. Never smoked another joint since. I smoked a pipe or cigars and every winter like clockwork I would get pneumonia. Gave up smoking at 28. Congratulations to those who are sober. Second hand smoke bothers our eyes. I do like the occasional drink.
Apart from social gatherings I never feel the need to drink whilst listening to music, probably because my wife is usually out of the house and I am not a solitary drinker. Will definitely be abstaining from the booze after Christmas for a few months as I do every year.
I was pretty much a daily drinker, and when I started tracking the amount of units I was getting through in a week it was pretty scary. All the time being a busy Dad and running my own business. But as I’ve got older, I could definitely notice how drinking was draining my energy levels. I just couldn’t cope with it as well as I did when I was younger, and hangovers after a more enthusiastic session were taking days to shake, when they used to take hours. The final straw was some bloodwork which showed markers had been creeping in the wrong direction for some years, and were getting very close to the red zone.
There are some things I’ve just stopped doing, like going to boozy events and nights out. And I don’t miss them. For me, listening to music and having a few drinks just went hand-in-hand. Hoping to get my system set up again soon so I can (hopefully) enjoy some alcohol free listening sessions.
My take on this is different: I don’t drink after 2000 hrs. It helps me sleep better.
Most of my music listening is done on secondary systems, but when the system is on after 2000hrs there is a residual effect from the odd glass of alcohol, but it’s not like the mellowness of days gone by.
Hi mate just to add to the other day, one of the biggest hurdles in giving up is you have to want to, if you do it will be easier than if you must, going to parties should be seen as socialising and not a piss up, really it’s just about adjusting your mind to think in a different way. Also get that Hifi set up and get into your music again all will be good because all is good.Alcohol is just a mindset
