Today I talk to William Porter, author of Alcohol Explained 1&2. William shares his personal story, the dark days and nights filled with loneliness and despair that he could no longer accept.

William explains how drinking nearly lost him everything, and how understanding the scientific impact alcohol has on human beings in detail has supported him to ten years of sobriety, becoming healthy in mind and body, and a successful author of 5 books.

Listen with me and celebrate the sober superstar that is William Porter.

Hi, everybody.

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I'm.

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I'm Victoria and I don't drink.

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Welcome to Sabre alcohol free stories.

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Today, I'm going to

talk to William Porter.

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We're going to talk.

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About the realities of drinking and how

his darkest moments where the catalyst.

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Two is 10 years of stable living

and becoming successful author.

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Five books, including

alcohol explained one and T

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hi, William.

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A very warm welcome for me tonight.

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. I've been really looking

forward to this today.

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I'm really appreciative that you've

come onto my podcast because obviously.

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You're very well known in sobriety,

because you've written books

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that have completely transformed.

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People's.

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People's died.

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So a big thank you for that.

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And I'm very variable.

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Welcome.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: I know

that all the people that I communicate

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with, on your Facebook group, and I have a

sober group, a WhatsApp group with ladies

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who I met on Sober Easters, they all

talk about your book and you hear people

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quoting bits of it to help other people.

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So really inspiring,

brilliant to have you with me.

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And I can't tell you how delighted

I was when you said you'd come on.

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I didn't actually think

I was reading it right.

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So thank you.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: no.

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Thank you for inviting me.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

And I need to show you a picture.

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So this is for my Soberistas

ladies, because we met you at The

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Sober Easter's 10th birthday party.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yes, I

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

a picture.

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I don't know if you can see it.

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There you

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Go.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: I can.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: So

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: shirt.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

that's it.

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And we've all got our little name tags on.

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So that was me and Jane and I, and

my, my friend Sally took the photo.

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So I said to them, I'll , show you

the picture of us all together when

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I get you, get you on my podcast.

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So,

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

to them all.

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Yeah.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: I will.

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So yeah, so the podcast is

about people's stories.

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And really what I'm interested in

is where you were when you started

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thinking about the fact that alcohol

wasn't really working for you anymore.

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And perhaps some of the whys around

that and just what led you to make.

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The decisions you've made, how

you did it, all of those things.

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So really there's a lot of you talking

and probably not a lot of me talking,

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which makes my job nice and easy.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

But that's what I want to do

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because there could be somebody who's

feeling the way you were feeling.

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And that's the person that

I want this to talk to today.

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Really over to you, so if you could tell

us a little bit about who was William

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Porter before the alcohol was stopped

and what took you to that decision,

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

It was, so obviously, so I stopped

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drinking in February 10 years ago now.

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and to put it into context, I'm 48 now.

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So I was 38

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: right?

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

I stopped drinking.

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And I started when I was 14

and I was always a bit tipsy.

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binge drinker.

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Went on holiday or I had an

extended period away from

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work, I would drink every day.

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But I found it was incredibly difficult

to do my job when I was drinking

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I don't know if you know this,

but I'm a solicitor by trade.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: So

it's brain work and turning up hung over.

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I just couldn't do the job.

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So I never really got into

the habit of drinking daily.

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but I was also in the reserve

battalion, the parachute regiment.

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So At one point I was mobilized

and sent out to a tour of Iraq.

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So that was six months.

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I was out of work for virtually

a year because you do two months

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build up training and then you

have two months decompression leave

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Of that extended period I was

drinking like all day every day.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Right.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: So

it was really heavy drinking and I think

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where I got to in 2013, early 2014 was

I would drink Until I fell unconscious

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and then I would wake up in the night

and drink more to get back to sleep

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Up again in the morning.

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So when I say I was a binge

drinker, literally the weekend would

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come and I would drink non stop.

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I had two young children, so they would

have been about say, months and two years

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or so, there's about 18 months between

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yep.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

So it was incredibly, Difficult

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with young children anyway.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: So hard.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

it is, yeah, really hard.

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And we were living in quite a small house.

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Didn't seem to have enough money.

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I didn't particularly like my job.

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So it was all getting a bit on top of me.

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And obviously when you're

conditioned to drink,

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When you're stressed or unhappy, if

you're stressed or unhappy all the

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time, you tend to just drink and drink.

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But I think what really prompted me Was

almost the despair and loneliness, when

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you wake up at three or four in the

morning and you're just completely alone

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and your thoughts are just ramped up

and just feeling dreadful and wondering

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what on earth you're doing to yourself

and that was just getting too much.

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And I think when I stopped in February

14, can't even remember properly the

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sequence of events, but I think there'd

been a business lunch on the Tuesday or

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Wednesday, so I'd had a few drinks then,

home and carried on drinking, and then

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I don't really have much memory of it.

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in sick, just stayed at home

drinking all day every day.

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And that lasted about five days.

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And so when I came to my wife and kids had

gone, she'd gone to stay with her mums.

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and obviously, so I literally didn't

have a clue what was going on.

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I was in a complete mess.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Gosh.

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I didn't know any of that.

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I I've obviously you've, I read,

I've read your book, I've listened

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to lots of things, podcasting,

I didn't realize any of that.

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It's such a horrible experience

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

yeah it's such, it's almost like that

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anxiety and despair that you feel when

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Up and it's just horrible.

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Yeah, cause it's interesting

cause the book's not really

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autobiographical, it's not

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: No.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: So

I don't often, quite often on podcasts

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I'm talking about the contents of the

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

my own story or else it's a very

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quick sort of fill in bit at the

beginning just to introduce myself.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

But no, there were some

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really dark times then.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

On some level, if you're someone

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that should probably not be

drinking you have that regularly.

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And I know that I had anxiety.

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Which I hadn't actually

attributed to drinking at all.

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I didn't think it was

anything to do with it.

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But when I stopped drinking, it

went away and it was very strange.

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Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: yeah.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

You don't, because it happens

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in reverse, doesn't it?

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You get the anxiety when

you wake up having not drunk

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yes.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

of drinks and it goes away.

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And I think that's where it becomes

so because when you feel that level of

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just despair and anxiety and depression,

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

get rid of it and to feel

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normal again for a few minutes.

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And that's where you get into that

cycle of almost constant drinking,

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wake up at four in the afternoon, four

in the morning, whenever it was just

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absolutely riddled with depression

and anxiety and just having to have a

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drink just to get rid of that feeling

for a short space of time, regardless

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of what the consequences were.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

So you came around and everyone

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was gone and what did you do?

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What happened?

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

So I, I was crawling out of it.

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So interestingly enough, this was like

a Saturday afternoon or so, and I'd

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sobered, I'd almost got to the point

where I physically couldn't drink anymore.

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I was just throwing it all up.

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So we're

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Up a bit.

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and I think I went round to see

my wife at her mother in law's,

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but I was in an absolute state

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: No.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

That night and I think that was

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one of the worst nights of my life,

because obviously when you're in that.

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stay.

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Your brain's wired up.

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You're massively anxious.

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I went to bed that night and

literally just lay there for the

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entire night, waiting for the

night to end, it was horrible.

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but really my mindset at that point

was I just, I can't keep doing this.

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I can't keep putting myself through this.

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It's just not.

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Something I can keep doing

it's going to kill me.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

You probably would have,

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wouldn't that, in the end, if

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Yeah, I think so.

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It's because I look at

myself now compared to it.

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So this is 10 years as well.

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And when I look at how I was in my late

30s compared to now in my late 40s.

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I was in quite a bad way.

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My hair was gray.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Really?

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

It yeah, it was quite heavily gray.

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It's more gray than, there's a little bit

of gray in it now, but it was quite gray.

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And I had like sores all over

my mouth and on my tongue.

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And that's just what you

can see on the outside.

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What's going on in the

inside, God knows what.

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And if you think of adding maybe 10 years

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Of doing that.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

level of drinking on top of it.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

I, Most certainly have, if I was

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still going, I'd probably have some

pretty serious health consequences

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by this point, I would think.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: It

is systematic poisoning, isn't it?

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So I suppose,

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: it is.

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Yeah, and of course, such a basic point,

but when you sleep your body regenerates

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itself and alcohol stops you sleeping,

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: yeah,

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Alcohol induced

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unconsciousness is not sleep.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: no,

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

just falling unconscious.

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You're not actually sleeping.

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So your body's not repairing itself,

which is one of the reasons why alcohol

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is linked with so many different types

of cancer your body's just not got that

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ability to repair and recuperate itself.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: yeah.

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That's something that I'm really

interested in and don't know an

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awful lot about, but I have heard

you talk about that before, this

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carcinogenic side of alcohol, because.

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I was someone who smoked.

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So

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

I smoked for years.

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It started at probably 16 or something

and just on and off throughout the years.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

drank, so probably for the same

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time frame, smoking, drinking.

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And and I worried constantly about getting

cancer from smoking, literally constantly.

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It never stopped.

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Ever crossed my mind that drinking

wine regularly w could do that.

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I just didn't know, and I find it

really shocking that I didn't know.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

It's interesting, isn't it?

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So the World Health Organization, it's

medical branch, I forget the name of it,

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but it classifies substances according to

how carcinogenic they are to human beings.

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And alcohol is in class one along with

cigarette smoking, radiation and asbestos.

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But what's fascinating, what I find

really interesting, it was classed

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as a class one carcinogen in 1985.

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So it's not a recent thing,

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: no, I

was only 10 then they could have told me.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Yeah, I know yeah, I was born in 76,

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was, yeah but it's amazing because

people just don't, and I didn't for years

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either, like you, I associated smoking

with cancer, but just not drinking.

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It just seems to be the

information's there.

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But I suppose because there's been so

many, campaigns about smoking and health,

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but there just hasn't been anything

similar with drinking and health.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: no.

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And I wonder if there ever will be,

I did a charity walk a few years

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ago, but at the end they were

offering glasses of Prosecco and I

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had at this point stopped drinking.

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And I was on my high horse about that

because I thought hold on a minute.

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Like you're a, charity that's

supposed to be supporting

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health in one way or another.

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And there you are offering these

prosecco's at the end of this walk.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: get

my head around it, but I felt like

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a bit of a Karen, moaning about it.

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It makes you feel like you're

being like a bit, I don't know, of

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a miserable old cow about it, but

it's really dangerous, isn't it?

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: It's

a, it's an interesting one, isn't it?

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Because on the one hand you feel

like you need to say something,

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but on the other hand, is pointless

if people are just going to think,

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Oh God, what's she going on about

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Anyway.

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So it's a, yeah, it's right.

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It's just a bit of a fine line about when

to speak up and when not to speak up,

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

yeah, absolutely.

274

Even with your friends.

275

I think talking about this particular

subject with friends would just

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probably annoy them because nobody

wants to know that, do they?

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Nobody really wants to know that.

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Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: So I

forget what the percentage is, but it's

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80 90 percent of the population drink.

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And they're not interested

in hearing the negatives.

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They want to keep doing

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

decided they like it and they need it

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to enjoy social occasions or whatever.

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And they really don't want to

hear the negative side of it.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: No.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

on Facebook once.

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And you know these ridiculous, just.

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Yeah.

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Memes where it's oh, a glass of

red wine is good for you, and

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

this thing popped up, and it had

294

been, I don't know, like 10, 000

likes, and 5, 000 shares or something.

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And I went back to the page

that actually published it.

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And the previous post was about

someone who'd quit drinking and

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was enjoying life, not drinking.

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And it had 40 likes and two shares.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Oh, yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

that's the problem.

301

The information's out there, but we

live in an age where the more people.

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Something and share it

the more people see it

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: when

you've got something in the region of

305

90 percent of the population Drinking

306

having a vested interest in

portraying the fun benign side of

307

alcohol That's what's being forced

into people's feeds all the time

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

and also you find what you want

309

to find as well, don't you?

310

When you search.

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william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: yeah.

312

Yeah.

313

It's like when you've got a

pain or something wrong with

314

you, you can virtually have

315

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

316

Anything.

317

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

can't you, by googling it?

318

Yeah.

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vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

I know that.

320

I certainly would have looked for

the, it's okay to be drinking.

321

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Yeah, absolutely.

322

Yeah,

323

Sometimes I do get accused of

being a bit judgmental of drinkers.

324

But for me, successfully stopping

drinking, you have to shift your

325

perspective about Alcohol and drinking

and it's inevitable that you're going

326

to see drinkers in a slightly different

light Because if I was still looking at

327

drinkers and envying them and thinking all

that looks really nice I'd be struggling

328

whereas now when I look at drinkers I

think about They're going to be waking

329

up at 3 4 in the morning unable to get

back to sleep and they're going to wake

330

up tired And a bit washed out even if

they're just having one or two it's It,

331

there is a kind of, I think there is a

crossover between judging people, but

332

shifting your own perspective for your

own protection, if that makes sense.

333

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: it is.

334

And that's really important.

335

I actually, I was speaking

to someone else about this,

336

about the cognitive dissonance.

337

Isn't that, is that what it's called?

338

Where you,

339

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Yeah, two

340

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

it has to be the truth to you

341

that you don't want to drink.

342

And to do that, you have to have all

the knowledge that you can to make sure

343

that you can see it for what it is.

344

And that playing the tape forward

for me is one of my main tools.

345

If ever I get a little bit of that

envy, it's the main thing for me

346

to go, no, because my reality in

that situation is not the glamorous

347

thing that I'm imagining right now.

348

Yeah.

349

Yeah.

350

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

was something I didn't even

351

realize I was using it as a tool.

352

But when I stopped drinking and I'd look

at, , someone having a beer or something,

353

I think, Oh, that looks so good.

354

And I'd think to myself Just think

of the reality is that in the, three,

355

four hours, you're going to be waking

up in the middle of the night in

356

that very dark place again, really

tired, but unable to sleep and your

357

anxiety levels up and all the rest of

358

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

And you're not going to

359

have one beer, are you?

360

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

No, realistically, no, anyway,

361

but I almost reconditioned myself.

362

So whenever I look at alcohol now, it

almost repulses me at the thought of

363

having to go through all that again.

364

So I've almost Like I say, almost

like Pavlov's Bell or whatever

365

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

366

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Reconditioned myself with it.

367

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

368

It's wise.

369

You have to, you've got to find a

way if you want to stop doing it.

370

And that's a really good way.

371

It's what I've done as well.

372

And I've re reinvented my whole image,

which was very much the party girl.

373

That was my thing.

374

And now I don't drink is

my tagline on everything.

375

And I'm proud of it.

376

I am actually proud of it.

377

And it's not the easiest thing to do in

this world where Everybody hangs a hat

378

on drinking and, can be quite judgmental

about people who don't drink actually

379

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah,

380

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: so

381

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: but I

382

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: that was,

383

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: a

larger and larger number of people who,

384

when you say you don't drink, they sidle

up to you halfway through the evening and

385

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: oh yeah,

386

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

it out a bit.

387

So I think there's more and more people

getting interested because when I

388

wrote Alcohol Explained, it was eight

or nine years ago, I suppose now.

389

And the attitude was very

much, am I alcoholic?

390

If the answer is yes, then

I have to quit forever.

391

If the answer is no, then I

just need to be a bit more

392

sensible and drink a bit less.

393

But nowadays it's completely different.

394

People are just saying, forget

how much I'm drinking or

395

whether I'm dependent on it.

396

Is it worth it?

397

Am I getting more out than I'm putting in?

398

And that's a very different

way of looking at it, I think.

399

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah, I

really liked from your book something,

400

I can't remember how you, worded it, but

in my head, I pictured it like a jigsaw.

401

So you were talking about when,, when

people say were you an alcoholic?

402

That's the question people

love to ask, isn't it?

403

It's easier just to say yes, like

even if you don't think you were,

404

because that just shuts everyone up.

405

But anyway, for the answer to

that question, I'd always thought

406

of it as this kind of scale.

407

And I was on the scale somewhere, but

what I listened to in your book was

408

around, let's say that your life is this

jigsaw, because this is how I picture

409

it, and there's all the different

things that you do in your life.

410

How many of those things Can you

only do if you're having a drink

411

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: drink

412

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

and then what does that do?

413

So that made me think of, the

Christmas or birthdays or going out

414

for dinner or some people getting

up in the morning or whatever the

415

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Mhm.

416

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: picture

is, and I picture it as, color each of

417

those things in red, and how much is red?

418

And then that's how much of an

alcoholic you are, I don't know.

419

And if you said that to people

who consider themselves to be

420

normal drinkers, I wonder how much

of their picture would be red.

421

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

It's an interesting one, isn't it?

422

Because I quite often say this, but

if I say to a room of people, up who

423

thinks a night out with friends is

more fun if you've had a few drinks?

424

Everyone sticks their hands

425

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yes.

426

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

But if you say to the same room of

427

people, up who is psychologically if

not physically dependent on a drug to

428

such an extent you can no longer enjoy

life or cope with life without it?

429

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

430

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

puts their hand up.

431

But it's the same question.

432

It's exactly the same.

433

If you need it to enjoy

a night out with friends

434

As enjoyable without it, you're

relying on that substance.

435

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

436

It's a connection that people

just don't make, isn't it?

437

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

So normalized.

438

It just doesn't dawn on people and

it's, it's fascinating when you think

439

of it as well and like people at work.

440

Oh, I've got a day off tomorrow.

441

What are you doing?

442

Oh, nothing, but I'm going

out on a big night tonight.

443

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

444

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

It's so normalised, but stop and

445

think about that for a minute.

446

You need a drug that's going to wipe you

out for the next day, make you so ill

447

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

448

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

to have a day off work, but you

449

have to have it in order to enjoy

450

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

451

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: out.

452

It's,

453

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: I

would plan my weekends and I would

454

think I can't do that on that day

because I'm out the night before.

455

So I knew that was going to happen.

456

I knew that I was going to feel

rubbish, but I still did it.

457

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Yeah, still did it.

458

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

It's very weird, isn't it?

459

It's such a weird thing that we all do.

460

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Yeah it's interesting when you

461

get that different perspective and

you start looking at it slightly

462

differently, because for me,

it's, I know I keep talking about

463

perspective, but I do genuinely

think we've got the correct view of

464

it's not just a clever way of looking

at it to make you not want to drink,

465

because when you actually strip it

away quite coldly and scientifically.

466

It's a worrying trend that people can

no longer enjoy a night out with their

467

friends fully unless they're drinking.

468

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Yeah, it really is.

469

It's actually quite sad, isn't it?

470

There was a lady, it might have been

on your Facebook group just this week

471

and someone had said that they were

struggling because they weren't gonna

472

be able to enjoy those kind of cozy

autumn evenings And just the association

473

that for that, for them and many people

that involves a glass of wine when

474

actually there's so much more about

those lovely evenings that you can enjoy.

475

And I love going to things

like the fireworks, or I love

476

Christmas sober, actually, I've

now had two sober Christmases.

477

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

isn't it?

478

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Really nice.

479

I used to feel awful on Christmas

day because I had this rule in

480

my head that it was Christmas.

481

So you started in the morning,

then you try and make a dinner

482

that never worked very well.

483

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: No.

484

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

it's so lovely.

485

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

mid afternoon.

486

Yeah.

487

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

488

Having had an argument.

489

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Oh God.

490

Yeah.

491

Dear me.

492

Yeah.

493

It's always that idea of it.

494

It's always the idea, not

the reality, isn't it?

495

That drinking that you think so nice.

496

You think about, oh yeah, that glass

of champagne on Christmas morning.

497

Forget about the entire rest of the day,

feeling awful and tired and just washed

498

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Yeah crappy.

499

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah

500

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

so you stopped drinking,

501

obviously, and you've written two

books, if not, is it three now?

502

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

So I've got two alcohol, two

503

nicotine, and a diet, so it's five

504

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

it's five now.

505

Good grief.

506

Okay.

507

So obviously it's it's been a

benefit to you, stopping drinking.

508

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

509

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

You've gone on and become

510

a very successful author.

511

Did you, what was your biggest challenge

with it when you were trying to stop?

512

What was the thing you found hardest?

513

Yes.

514

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

awful, and although I knew it would pass,

515

even 20 minutes feeling like that is an

awfully long time, it was stringing those

516

first few days together, and actually

it wasn't so much of a challenge, But

517

my mindset when I stopped was, can't

keep going through these cycles, I just

518

can't keep doing it, I have to stop.

519

now I'm never going to enjoy

Christmas again, or going on holiday

520

again, or seeing friends again.

521

There's this massive part of my life

that I used to enjoy because I was

522

allowed to drink when I was doing it.

523

That I will no longer enjoy.

524

And that was my mindset.

525

So I just didn't want to go out

and didn't want to do anything.

526

But of course there's some occasions

where you have to go for whatever reason.

527

So I thought, Oh yeah I'll just

turn up and literally stand there

528

and wait for the evening to end.

529

And that was, I think, the biggest

thing, just that adjustment.

530

But actually, it turned out, of

course, that's not the case at all.

531

You go out and no matter how miserable

or awkward you feel, eventually

532

you'll start talking to someone and

lose yourself in the conversation.

533

And suddenly 40 minutes has gone by and

you're actually quite enjoying yourself.

534

And it's that kind of eye opener.

535

And then you think I suppose that

makes sense because occasionally, you

536

go out in the morning for coffee with

someone and enjoy chatting to them.

537

So you don't need alcohol.

538

And of course when you're a

child you socialise, you go out

539

to parties and have a whale of a

time and you don't need to drink.

540

It's only when you start doing it that you

lose the ability to enjoy yourself without

541

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

yeah, it's funny.

542

I, yeah, completely relate to that

because I used to, even when I

543

was a drinker, I loved going for a

coffee or a lunch with a friend, it

544

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

545

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

like a relief to do that because I

546

think I was always worried about the

consequences of the actual night out,

547

despite the fact that I wanted to do it.

548

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

as well, wasn't it?

549

Because if you're meeting

someone at three or four, you

550

know you're on it for the entire

551

It's not like you can say I'll go

and meet you for a couple of hours,

552

have a few drinks and then I'll

go and do something afterwards.

553

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: True.

554

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

committed for the night

555

right up to unconsciousness,

556

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

557

And then the hideous day the next

day as well, you've committed to.

558

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

559

Absolutely.

560

God.

561

Yeah,

562

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

more of those for us.

563

That's a good thing.

564

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Oh God.

565

Yeah.

566

Thank God.

567

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Look,

our time is really zooming by and I

568

haven't asked you much about your book.

569

I do want to ask a little bit about

a couple of things because they

570

were light bulb moments for me.

571

So if anyone hasn't read it, it's

Alcohol Explained one and two.

572

Both brilliant.

573

Very clear on what's going on when

you're thinking, I'll just have

574

one and then don't, or I'm going

to take away the anxiety and end

575

up with more, all of those things.

576

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: yeah.

577

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: drink

a pint of water before I go to bed

578

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Okay.

579

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

because that will fix everything.

580

And weirdly it didn't.

581

So

582

Wondered if you could just share

a little bit about why that is.

583

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

584

So it's one of those things

where you when you think about

585

it, it makes perfect sense.

586

, so alcohol is a diuretic, which

means it makes you go to the toilet.

587

So everybody has a sort of a supply

of water in them and you use it for,

588

obviously when you breathe out moisture.

589

And if you get hot, you need to sweat.

590

So you've got like this

water supply on you.

591

But it's not constant because if it's

freezing cold, you're less likely to

592

need water internal water, for example,

for sweating, is why when it suddenly

593

gets cold, you might find you need to

go to the toilet because you're okay,

594

but then it gets cold and your body

says I'm not going to need to sweat so

595

we can get rid of jettison some water.

596

So I imagine it like a petrol

gauge in a car showing you.

597

where the tank is, how full it is.

598

When you drink alcohol, it

basically, it messes with that gauge.

599

So your body thinks it's got

a lot more water than it has.

600

So it starts jettisoning it all.

601

So if you drink alcohol and you're in

that dehydrated stage, it doesn't matter

602

how much water you drink because your

body thinks it's got too much anyway.

603

So it's just getting rid of it.

604

So the only way you can rehydrate when

you've been drinking is to wait for

605

the effect of the alcohol to wear off.

606

And then drink and actually you cause

yourself massive additional issues

607

because when you're drinking, you're

washing salt through your system.

608

So if you're having like a pint and

then another pint of water before

609

you go to bed, all you're doing

is washing additional salt through

610

you, which does a number of things.

611

It makes you feel dizzy and nauseous.

612

So it's adding to the actual hangover,

also it causes salt cravings, which

613

is why we often wake up hungry,

because we want salty food, like

614

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yes.

615

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

so foods that are high in

616

salt are like kebabs, pizzas,

cheese, crisps, all that kind of

617

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

618

All of those, all of the above guilty.

619

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

620

So it doesn't do you any good

trying to rehydrate until that

621

chemical effect has worn off.

622

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

623

I just found that fascinating.

624

It made me laugh because I'm

not joking for 20 odd years.

625

I'll have a pint of water before bed.

626

Everything will be fine.

627

It wasn't.

628

So we've spoken about that.

629

What was your thing?

630

Oh, I heard you mention on

something the other day, club soda,

631

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: Okay,

632

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

is something is that something to

633

do with yourself or is it something

that friends of yours have set up?

634

I've never been, and I'm really

interested to know a little

635

bit more about that as well.

636

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: So

Club Soda is set up by Laura Willoughby,

637

and an organization that sort of, it

promotes and encourages low and no

638

alcohol drinks and their availability,

there's now an alcohol free off license

639

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Okay.

640

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

Covent Garden, Drury Lane,

641

so it's a really nice place.

642

It's quite a small, Literally alcohol

free off license, but there's a couple

643

of tables in there, two or three or four

tables And they've got a couple of things

644

on tap and they serve drinks as well

645

so it's really nice to just pop in

and have a yeah Pop in there and

646

grab an alcohol free cocktail or

an alcohol free beer or something.

647

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Nice.

648

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

It's yeah, it's really nice

649

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: I

thought I'd ask you about it because

650

I'd heard you speaking about it

and I thought, I can Google it, but

651

I'm going to be speaking to you.

652

So I'm going to ask you instead.

653

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

no, if you're in London and near there,

654

it's definitely worth popping into.

655

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547: Yeah.

656

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

nice space to, to go and just

657

sample some alcohol free drinks.

658

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

there we go.

659

That can be the nice, warm, cozy

Christmas feeling for me this year.

660

Go and have a night

661

At club soda.

662

Sounds good.

663

I think that was all I was going

to talk to you about today.

664

I'm honestly so grateful that you've

come on and spoken to me and I'm

665

glad to have heard your story.

666

And for anyone who hasn't the Alcohol

Explained books are brilliant.

667

And there's also a Facebook page, which I

think everyone is extremely supportive on.

668

So I'd encourage people to get on there.

669

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

actually, isn't it?

670

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

It's really nice.

671

So thank you for all of that because

you definitely helped me, a massive

672

part of me being where I am today.

673

And I'm a lot more successful today

than I was when I started this

674

journey in all aspects of my life

and my happiness, most of all.

675

So thank you for that.

676

It's

677

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547: done.

678

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

helped me.

679

william-porter_1_10-16-2024_193547:

No, thank you for inviting me.

680

vic-host174_1_10-16-2024_193547:

No problem.

681

Thanks, William.

682

Bye.

683

squadcaster-bg06_9_09-21-2024_084137:

Thank you for listening to our

684

Sober Alcohol Free Stories.

685

If you felt that it helped you, make

sure that you like, share and follow.

686

And leave a review on podchaser.

687

com.

688

And remember, make your

catchphrase, I don't drink