A Durham woman who first started drinking aged 12 decided to finally give up booze four years ago. Now she does ultramarathons instead.
Durham mum Sarah – who ditched drinking alcohol and does ultra-marathons instead(Image: Handout)
A Durham mum has now been off the booze for four years and is encouraging others to do the same. Sarah, 36, who has chosen to only give her first name, said she had instead focused on fitness, and now has even completed her first ultramarathon.
She told ChronicleLive: “I stopped three years ago. I had just been drinking far too much. In Covid I had been drinking massively – ridiculous amounts – and that just continued.
“The trigger for me was that I got a new job. I had been promoted. I was embarrassing myself on staff nights out – that was all I was doing.”
Sarah is telling her story at the same time as the latest figures show alcohol-related deaths in the North East fell last year for the first time in eight years. Despite this, the region still has the worst death rate in the country.
Sarah said that drink had been a habit for decades – going back to the age of 12. She added: “It was what we did. We would save up our dinner money for it. I would say I probably went further than a lot of people though.”
She explained that she thought her drinking came from a desire to “escape”, adding: “I never drank because I liked the taste – I drank to get drunk and escape my reality. I started suffering really badly with very low mental health after drinking. I didn’t have any energy, I always felt groggy and I was worried I had the potential to turn into my dad who is an alcoholic.
““Every time I was drinking, I was getting blackout drunk – I couldn’t just have one or two. This happened on a work night out when I’d just started a new job. The shame, embarrassment and anxiety I felt the next day was horrible. I realised I was going to have to stop or I could jeopardise everything.
“I cut-out alcohol on New Years Day 2022 – it’s been tough, but everything has changed for the better now. I’d encourage anyone to use the New Year to cut down or take a break from alcohol!”
Since then, Sarah has found groups such as Sober Socials – founded, as reported on ChronicleLive, by Gosforth’s Viki Angel – invaluable, and said that non-alcoholic drinks becoming more prominent had helped, too. She said: “I have found sober social media really helpful. And I know for some people non-alcoholic drinks are triggering but they have been one of the things that’s really got me through.”
But she has re-directed much of the energy she previously devoted to alcohol towards fitness, recently completing her first ultra-marathon at the Durham event. She has plans to add to this.
Sarah said: “It was hard! I came eighth. It’s made me want to do more. Running and marathons, it’s helpful – it makes you focus on something.”
She added: “It’s amazing to have the energy and drive to take part in a big event. I’ve also joined Sober Socials which is a Facebook group in the North East where you can meet-up and socialise without alcohol. We do lots of activities from sea dips to hiking and it’s really helped me to see that you can enjoy yourself and socialise without alcohol.
“I’d urge anyone who thinks that alcohol is having a negative impact on their life to cut it out – if I can do it then you can too.”
With the New Year upon us, campaign group Balance is reminding the North East public of the dangers of alcohol. The regional body has recently completed a survey that found how a third of North East drinkers had tried to cut down on booze over the past year.
This includes people motivated by preventing health risks, feeling healthier, losing weight, saving cash, or even just because – in almost a quarter of cases, because they “don’t like the way alcohol makes them feel”.
The campaign group has highlighted how alcohol is connected to a range of cancers – along with liver, heart disease and strokes. It can contribute to poor mental health and sleeplessness, too.
Susan Taylor, head of alcohol policy for Balance, said: “Reducing alcohol consumption is always near the top of many people’s New Year resolutions. It can be hard to break drinking habits but reducing your drinking not only reduces your risks but also brings so many life-changing positives for you and your family.
“Taking a month off alcohol is a great way to kick off benefits that can last all year around. Reducing your drinking can help you lose weight, bring you better mood and more energy. You can also say goodbye to that tired sluggish feeling the day after drinking. Better still, all of this can actually save you money.”
The key health advice is to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week – six glasses of wine or pints of lager – and to take at least three days a week off from drinking, to give your body a break.