The Real Reason People Relapse After Quitting Alcohol

[00:00:00]Boredom when you quit drinking. That's the number one comment in all of my content. People say, um, boredom.

[00:00:09]Uh, and I I've put in the videos, the the one my outlier, uh, that's got over 750,000 views now.

[00:00:18]I say about boredom in that. And in the early days, yeah, it is weapon grade [ __ ] boredom.

[00:00:25]But you're learning to live with it, um, and doing things that overcome the boredom.

[00:00:31]So, when I quit drinking, um, anyone can quit drinking. 4 days, you're as sober as you'll ever be.

[00:00:39]That's a [ __ ] fact. No [ __ ] You are physiologically sober. Um, and that's the last time I use the term sober. Um, I'm just Ian, the bloke who don't [ __ ] drink.

[00:00:52]Um, and people call me boring because of that.

[00:00:56]But, I give zero [ __ ] about what other people think.

[00:01:00]And And that's the one of the things that people say is that what do they do when they stop drinking? And that's the biggest part of it. Anyone can quit drinking. It's what you do afterwards.

[00:01:15]And And finding things that can beat the boredom.

[00:01:21]Whatever it is, um, to me, it's about finding your inner child. What did you enjoy doing as a child?

[00:01:29]Mine was this, water.

[00:01:33]Now it's called cold water. This is not cold, though. Um, I mean, the air temperature tonight today when I was coming down was 31°.

[00:01:41]Um, the river is not cold. The Up in the waterfalls on the weekend uh last week, that was still probably you know, under the 15°, which classifies as cold water.

[00:01:55]So, it's about finding the thing that creates the life that you do not need to numb. Finding the thing that means you're not bored. I haven't got time to be bored. I'm too busy doing other things. Be that water, be that my art that I've started doing again. A photography, um, you know.

[00:02:20]And I find that quite cathartic in editing photos, videos, etc. So, I'll do the photos, do the videos, and then spend time editing those in the time that I would have spent drinking.

[00:02:34]Um, cooking.

[00:02:36]That's a massive one for me, and I believe that food and nutrition are one of the keystones, the cornerstones of, um, a successful um, sobriety journey. [ __ ] quit drinking, whatever you want to call it.

[00:02:55]I don't count days or anything like that.

[00:02:58]So, the gut and the brain are linked.

[00:03:03]Alcohol is a depressant. Alcohol wrecks serotonin.

[00:03:07]So, when you take it away, a lot of people default then to junk food, sugar, um, and in the early days, if eating the family bar of chocolate, the whole packet of bourbon biscuits, which I have been known to do.

[00:03:25]Um, if that means you don't pick up a drink, so be it. That's That's the goal The goal is to not drink. So, and it's doing the work when you quit.

[00:03:37]So, finding something to do that doesn't mean you numb your life.

[00:03:45]Now, I got a van. I go out in the van at the waterfalls, Brecon Beacons, um, just had a a fix on it yesterday. Had a new alternator put on.

[00:03:55]I got a few bits and pieces to do and then I'm just going to point the van and go.

[00:04:00]And I'll I'll be up in the either Elan Valley across then towards Aberystwyth both and then up towards the Slean Peninsula for a trip.

[00:04:10]Um or just head west.

[00:04:14]Down towards um Ceredigion down towards New Quay and Llangrannog and places like that.

[00:04:20]So people say to me "What do you do to beat the boredom?

[00:04:27]What do you do for the anhedonia?

[00:04:30]The gray, flat, miserable [ __ ] thing."

[00:04:34]That's you. That's down to you. So, like I say, find the inner child. What did you enjoy as as a child? When you were a kid as as kids, we were never in. We were always out camping, [ __ ] in the river, all sorts. Not [ __ ] in the river because we were kids.

[00:04:50]Um but >> [laughter] >> you'll get what I mean. So I'm getting back all of those things. Um do I still have [ __ ] shitty days? Yeah, [ __ ] right I do. Do I have days where I think "What's the [ __ ] point?

[00:05:07]Let's go to the shop get a case of [ __ ] beer and get [ __ ] wankered." Yeah, of course I [ __ ] do. I'm a human. I'm not a [ __ ] monk.

[00:05:16]So like I say to people, it's about eat, sleep, move, and mind.

[00:05:21]So you put the drink down.

[00:05:25]That's [ __ ] a massive. It's brilliant.

[00:05:28]But it's what you do afterwards. So, eat.

[00:05:31]Get rid of the [ __ ] junk food. Get rid of the seed oils, the ultra-processed foods, the sugars, all of that. 262 names the sugar board the sugar industry use for one [ __ ] ingredient. Your brain doesn't know the difference between dextrose, high-fructose corn syrup, [ __ ] agave gum, whatever. It doesn't [ __ ] care. All it sees is glucose.

[00:05:54]And that's what it does. And you can live with Your body needs zero added sugar to live.

[00:06:02]Zero.

[00:06:04]It can convert proteins and fats into glycogen, which your body needs to function.

[00:06:12]Move. Um I'm not a gym bunny.

[00:06:15]Um I've got prolapsed discs from my time in the army.

[00:06:19]So this is my movement. I walk.

[00:06:23]Um there are days where I can't even do that. There are days where getting out of bed means [ __ ] off, eat.

[00:06:30]Have a codeine. Stop being stupid.

[00:06:33]Uh I have those days.

[00:06:35]Um So movement is that.

[00:06:39]Movement. Not [ __ ] gym bunny [ __ ] Quentin in his [ __ ] orange Lycra.

[00:06:44]Smash it. Come on. Harder. Anyone can do it. [ __ ] smash those weights. No, I'm not smashing any [ __ ] weights. I've got prolapsed discs, you [ __ ] Move. So eat, sleep. Sleep is a non-negotiable. 8 hours a night I can't do.

[00:07:02]And that's that.

[00:07:05]And then mind.

[00:07:07]This one. And that's where the boredom comes into it. That's your inner voice saying Oh, come on. This is [ __ ] [ __ ] Tuesday night. Have a [ __ ] beer. Everyone does it.

[00:07:19]It's acknowledging that voice and saying to it, "Actually, I'm going to uh I'm going to do a crossword. I'm going to do a jigsaw. I'm going to do a painting. Whatever. Anything at all.

[00:07:32]Create the life you do not need to numb.

[00:07:36]Take care. Look after yourselves. Pick up the wrench.

[00:07:46]>> Grow up. It's not happening.