Doctor reveals biggest realisation he had when he stopped drinking alcohol as Dry January comes to an end

Give yourself a pat on the back if you've got this far into Dry January, as you've almost managed an entire month off of the booze.

By this point, you are likely to have been enjoying all the benefits which sobriety brings and now probably look at alcohol a lot differently than you did in December.

A lot of people will be looking forward to raising a glass to the arrival of a new month on Saturday (1 February), after completing the annual challenge.

But dually, others will want to implement this lifestyle change on a more permanent basis.

Whatever you decide, getting Dry January done and dusted is a great achievement - and it's probably taught you a lot of lessons, like it did for this doctor.

Dr Alex George, 33, has been sober since December 2022 so he's done a lot longer than just a month, however, a lot of people have been relating to the 'biggest realisation' it caused him to have.

The mental health ambassador, who spoke to LADbible earlier this month about his relationship with alcohol, shared a TikTok explaining what he noticed after he stopped drinking.

In the post, Dr Alex pointed out that whether people want to celebrate or commiserate, alcohol is always involved.

He said: "No matter what the situation - whether you're happy or your sad, whether it's a funeral or a birthday, whether the football's on, whether you're off to the pub with your mates, whether you've graduated, whether you've failed exams - there is no situation that booze isn't the 'answer'.

"Isn't it crazy that alcohol is associated with every single social event, every event in our lives? If someone passes away, we drink. If you achieve something in your life, we drink.

"And it's only when I stepped away and stopped drinking, I realised like, 'What the hell?' Like it's so crazy to me."

Dr Alex suggested that we need to 'find new marks to mark occasions', adding: "It doesn't have to all be about the booze."

Which is a fair point, as I'm sure a lot of people on the 'abstaining from alcohol kick' can vouch for the fact that it can be very hard to avoid.

A lot of social media users were in agreement with Dr Alex, with many saying that they had similar epiphanies when they went sober.

One wrote: "Actually, that really makes utter sense."

Another said: "The penny dropped when I went to my first wedding sober and had a great time. It's the occasion and the people - not the drink!"

A third added: "Fascinating that when going sober, so many replace booze with alcohol alternatives. Always thought that perpetuates the drinking habit and association."

While a fourth chimed in: "Absolutely spot on mate...I'm onto my second year now, changed my life for the best."

Others said that although they appreciated the Dr Alex's words of wisdom, they didn't see any harm in painting the town red every now and again.

"Everything in moderation," one said.

A second commented: "I'm a bartender and I understand but we need to learn to view drinks differently. I enjoy having a drink because it tastes nice. I don't get drunk, it's about how you view alcohol rather than abusing it."

A third added: "You could get hit by a bus tomorrow. Drink if you want. Eat pizza if you want. Life is too short."