"Being sober opened my eyes to how people rely on alcohol"

Wednesday 02 January 2019

A 29-year-old woman who challenged herself to not drink alcohol for a whole year to raise money for local charities has said the experience has opened her eyes to how much people rely on drinking while socialising.

Hannah Medder decided to go sober for a year while celebrating the New Year in India with a group of people - some of whom she had never met before.

"One of the guys said he had done it and it planted the seed in my head," Hannah said. "I first wanted to do it for a couple of months but in February, I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease [a type of inflammatory bowel disease, ed.] and I decided to go for the whole year."

Pictured: Hannah was inspired to go sober for a year while traveling in India last year.

While Hannah doesn't usually drink often, she says she does like to party. "When I go out, I go hard or go home," she confessed. When she announced she was going to 'go dry' for a year, her friends doubted her ability to see the challenge through, assuming that she wouldn't be going out anymore.

However, Hannah says the year went by quite quickly and that she did go out as much as she wanted, sticking to soft drinks or water, without ever really craving an alcoholic drink. "It was funny because if I only had soft drinks or even water people automatically assumed there was alcohol in it!"

Hannah said that that whole experience was a learning curve for her: "It opened my eyes to how people rely on alcohol in social situations. I found it a big challenge to be with people I had never met without having a drink. I am quite shy, so it was hard not to have the extra confidence. It was a test - there were times I've had to come out of my shell and talk to people."

Pictured: Hannah said that being sober in Vegas proved to be a particular challenge.

The hardest time Hannah went through during her sober year was when she went to Las Vegas in November. "It was a big test," she recalled. "There is quite a big drinking culture in Vegas. Everyone is drinking as they play on the tables, or when they go out. I didn't have a choice not to have a few, it was completely different having no drink at all, rather than having a couple."

One thing that Hannah didn't miss was hangovers. "I tend to get really bad hangovers. I still went out this year, and I felt fresh the day after. I have gained more in not drinking, I can remember the whole night, I don't spend as much money and then I can make the most of my weekend.

"I realised the hangover not only affected me physically, but also mentally. While not drinking, I would go into the week with so much energy. It has been a really big learning curve. There is such a big drinking culture, it doesn't seem to ever end. I was still involved, but I took a back foot in it."

Pictured: Being sober meant Hannah spent the year hangover-free, which allowed her to be more active at weekends.

Keeping sober also helped Hannah as she started weightlifting training with nine other women as part of a bid to become Jersey's first ever team of Olympic female weightlifters. The team was formed in April 2018, but already have their sights set on the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The experience has not just benefitted Hannah, however. Following a suggestion from her father, she decided to raise funds for two local charities, the Stroke Asssociation and Mind Jersey. "I wanted to raise awareness of the charities and raise money for them," she explained. "The Stroke Association was because of direct family member suffered from stroke and the support they gave them really made a difference. A stroke is not only shocking for the person but also for the family involved.

"Mind Jersey was because my partner at the time suffered badly from Mental Health issues and it opened my eyes to how bad it can get. Sometimes one day to the next it can be hard getting to the next day. More needs to be done for mental health."

Pictured: Hannah would recommend that others try the sober life for a while.

With her sober year having come to an end on New Year's Eve, Hannah said she would only stick to a couple of ciders - her drink of choice. "That will be my famous last words!" she joked.

Hannah is now recommending that others try the same challenge to rediscover life beyond drinking.

"It really had a positive impact. I recommend to do it to other people so they can realise you have to find other things to do rather than just drink. There are lots of things that are based round alcohol, not so much for people who are not drinking.

"I had to try and find other things to do. Going for a walk on the cliff paths and then stopping for a cup of tea, for example. You realise who your true friends are!"