Quitting Alcohol for Fun and Profit

I quit alcohol by mistake in June of 2022. My doctor said something about not mixing my new ADHD medication with alcohol. By the time I realized it wasn't that serious, I had already been off the muggle juice for two months and was feeling something strange—I felt 20 years younger. It was like I'd been injected with some magic potion, and that potion turned out to be testosterone. Quitting alcohol doubled my testosterone levels over four months, and then doubled them again the next year. Declining testosterone is a marker of aging for men, so alcohol was literally an inverted fountain of youth.

Year One: The Physical Time Machine

In the first year without alcohol, I physically felt twenty years younger. My body fat dropped from 12% to 6.5%, and my strength increased. My knees, which had been crackling and hurting for at least a decade following a career in basketball and wakeboarding, felt perfect again. Even my gut felt like it was living its best life. Turns out that what I thought to be an insignificant drinking habit had a significant effect on my testosterone—while it may be a one-subject study, alcohol was a potent poison for this one subject.

I initially worried about missing out on a lot of fun, but the opposite happened. I had more energy to party, I could dance until morning without gassing out, and I felt more attractive—because, honestly, I was. Alcohol dulls everything: looks, energy, and emotions.

Year Two: Increased Processing Power

By year two, the benefits went to my head. In a good way. My thoughts felt sharper, more dynamic, and more precise. I didn't feel any of these effects the first year, so I can only guess that the brain needed some time to repair from years of being poisoned.

Year Three: Ecstasy Without the Pill

There is also something going on with how I experience emotions. You could say they feel more vivid. Did I unlock some extra serotonin reserves or something? During a Monolink concert in Stockholm I could feel the hair on my arms stand on end. Granted it was a perfect storm of a concert i every way, but there was some kind of high going on here that was kicked off by the perfect night, the music, and the vibe alone. I can remember feeling similar waves of emotion in my teens, but perhaps it was not age numbing my emotions later in life, but what I was drinking.

Dating Without Alcohol

I had recently separated when I gave up the booze, so dating had just returned to my life. How would that work without alcohol? It turns out it was more fun than ever. There was no poor judgment, no regrets, and infinitely better conversations. I also attracted a different kind of people. When you are more awake, attractive, and intelligent, you attract people who are, you guessed it, more awake, attractive, and intelligent.

Driving Without Alcohol

With alcohol off the table, driving was suddenly back on. As going to zero was never a financial decision for me, I figured I could redirect the booze budget to some new wheels instead. I bought a Tesla Model X Plaid to celebrate this new chapter–a 6-seat party bus doing 0-60 in under 3 seconds. Much more fun! Driving to parties added a new dimension of freedom. No taxis, no waiting—just spontaneity, music blasting, and a comfortable "green room" whenever I needed a break, a costume change, or a powernap.

Healthier, Happier, Better

Quitting alcohol wasn't planned, but the benefits were undeniable. The health perks are obvious—increased testosterone, more strength, better knees, and a happy gut. But beyond that, life just got better. There was no sacrifice; only gains—more energy, more fun, more authenticity.

I also felt I'd been lied to throughout my life about the effects of alcohol. It isn't at all as harmless as we'd like to think. A big study published in The Lancet ranked alcohol as the most harmful drug when societal impact is factored in. Remove societal harm and alcohol drops to fourth place, after crack, meth, and heroin(!). When we look at the bigger picture, it's clear that alcohol's cultural standing is way out of sync with the reality of its toxicity.

It Zero for You?

For anyone considering a change, life without alcohol isn't just possible; it's amazing. It's not a trade-off between health and fun. It's a boost to both. No regrets, just a clearer mind, a stronger body, and more colorful experiences. The price I thought I'd pay for sobriety—less fun—turned out to be exactly the opposite. I've never had more fun, and I've never felt more alive.