Lewis’s story: “Stopping drinking is the best decision I’ve ever made”

Lewis Vines never thought he had a problem with alcohol. The 33-year-old from Whitley Bay wasn’t drinking every day, but whenever he did drink, it almost always ended the same way. Now almost two years alcohol free, Lewis says giving up alcohol has transformed his mental health, his relationships and most importantly the time he spends with his son.  

“I started drinking when I was about 14 or 15. I grew up in Cornwall and every summer we’d be on the beach camping with mates and drinking cans.  

“When I moved to Newcastle at 19 for work, my drinking became more frequent. I’d gone from a small town to a city so I was never far from a pub or a club. I was earning a good salary, and a lot of my friends were students, so alcohol became a good way to fit in. 

“It gave me confidence. It helped suppress my anxiety and it felt like a good front. It helped me to socialise.” 

For around five years, Lewis was going out three to five times a week.  

“I was buying bottles of spirits, trying to look cool. I felt it was normal to go out with the intention of getting drunk. 

“By my mid-twenties I might have only gone out once a month, but I’d drink until I couldn’t walk or I’d black out completely. I never thought I had a problem because it wasn’t every weekend.” 

Looking back, Lewis says alcohol had become his way of dealing with emotions he didn’t know how to face. 

“I struggled with my mental health. I’d experienced suicidal thoughts and I’d also struggled with gambling. I eventually got therapy, but alcohol became my crutch. 

“I’d drop my son off at his mums on a Saturday afternoon and go straight to the pub. That’s when I realised I wasn’t proud of the person I was becoming and I wasn’t the dad I wanted to be. 

“The biggest reason I stopped drinking was for my son. He’s four now and children learn from everything you do. I wanted to be present. I want to be someone he could look up to.” 

The difference, he says, has been life changing. 

“I’ve got so much time back. My hangovers used to last two or three days. When you think about that over a year, you’re losing around 100 days to alcohol. 

“Now my weekends are spent with my son, going to the gym, playing football or working on my business and podcast. I’ve got the energy to actually enjoy my life. 

“I still play football and I still go to the pub after work sometimes. There’s definitely pressure to drink alcohol, especially through football and work. I travel a lot and people often want to have meetings over a drink because that’s just part of the culture. 

“At first I’d have a 0% beer because it helped avoid the questions. Now I’m confident enough just to order a soft drink. I don’t feel like I have to justify it anymore.” 

His confidence no longer comes from alcohol. 

“I thought drinking made me more confident, but it’s actually the opposite. Alcohol just gives you false confidence. I’m much more comfortable in myself now than I ever was when I was drinking. 

“We don’t talk enough about the damage it does to your physical health, your mental health, your finances or your relationships. It’s just seen as normal. 

“The difficult thing is that when you talk about not drinking, people think you’re boring or that you’re trying to lecture them. That’s never my intention.” 

Today, Lewis says giving up alcohol has been the best decision of his life. 

“I’ve had some amazing memories over the last 20 years – school, moving to Newcastle, lads’ holidays and everything else that comes with growing up, but stopping drinking is the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve genuinely never been happier. 

“Life actually gets bigger without alcohol. You get your time back, your health back, and you become much more present for the people who matter most.”