Mark's story: "I like the clarity of being sober."

After another bank holiday session, I promised myself that I would never do that again. It's hard to describe the feeling I had but I just knew that this time I was going to find the willpower to stop drinking once and for all.

Lockdown was a tough time for many people and I was no different. My usual weekend drinking had gone from a three-day binge to pretty much every day. We had the glorious sunshine and, while home alone, I revelled in being outside in the garden, sat in a chair drinking all day.

I had never really suffered from poor mental health before but lockdown was a terrible time for me. Sadly, many people are still feeling the effects today. As the lockdowns began to ease and we made a return back to work, I was getting the urge for mid-week drinking, something I had always been able to control. Pubs were still not quite back to normal and I’d gotten used to drinking into oblivion at home for a fraction of the cost and being accountable to nobody. As time went on, I managed to kick the habit of mid-week drinking but it's so easy to see how it could spiral out of control.

Football has always been my biggest hobby in life. For me, drinking and football go hand in hand. And the day tended to be more about the drink than the game, often with me having no recollection of the game I had spent money to watch.

In the past, my personal relationships were often short-lived as I would prioritise getting drunk at any opportunity over anything else. But my current partner gave me great support when I decided to stop drinking, and it's something that I'll be forever grateful for. We are now engaged and looking forward to the future. I've never been in a better place mentally.

I like the clarity of being sober. The first improvement I noticed was my sleep. I also have so much more time on my hands, rather than spending it in a pub. That said, I do still enjoy the social aspect of the pub, and alcohol-free beer is now sold pretty much everywhere. I love to try different ones when I get the chance.

I posted on social media that I had recently turned a year sober and was really humbled by the reaction and messages of support I received. It's not something for blokes to be shy about anymore. Attitudes are changing, and younger people are more into keeping fit nowadays than boozing. More people are becoming aware of the negative impact alcohol has. Just as my generation was warned about the negative impacts of smoking, I feel we are starting to see more awareness with alcohol with today's generation.