‘Never been here before’ – NEW HSM Blogger (Mathew Raine)

My name is Matt.  I am one of Chris’s older brothers and am taking part in a 3 month Hello Sunday Morning stint.   It’s now been over four weeks of non-drinking and so far I have found it quite challenging.  Mainly it’s the temptations that seem to pull on my strings.  For example the other day I went camping with a bunch of mates.  As people sat around the camp fire after a long day of driving, swimming and walking, cold beers were cheered.  I found myself really craving a cold beer. Again today, after sailing on a yacht with bunch of people on a sunny Cairns afternoon, everyone retired to the pub to share stories.  I would have liked nothing more than to wear a foam moustache on my lips. There have been many moments like this each week when I have missed the booze and, I guess, that light headedness it affords.  I wonder whether I am shaking off an addiction and the cravings are just a way my body is screaming for a fix. Either way I am interested to see if this changes as the three months roll on.

I am 28 years old.  Most of my 11 years of legal drinking have been spent in Brisbane apart from the occasional travel stint or rural placement as part of my studies. At the start of this year I moved to Cairns to start work as a junior medical doctor. As far as booze is concerned I consider myself an alcohol enjoyer. Usually I consume a couple of beers or glasses of wine about three out of seven nights a week. On festive occasions I tend to drink much more than that, and I tend to get festive most weekends at least once. So with this less than healthy addiction in tow I am committed to divorcing this relationship for the full three months.

What have been the benefits for me? I feel continuously healthier, both in body and mind.  I say continuously because I don’t have those alcohol intoxication and recovery moments that tend to put my mind on hold.  This means fewer chances to avoid any decisions or emotions that I am making or feeling about my life.  Whilst my body feels sprightlier on those Saturday and Sunday mornings it hasn’t changed shape too much.  I was hoping that my gut would melt away as I no longer took on the beer calories.  It has not been so, but I still have two months to go.

In summary, it has been difficult as I miss the day-to-day couple of beers or glass of wine with my friends and partner.  However, it has also been an interesting experience that I am happy to be part of.