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Drinking alcohol is something that’s almost expected of adults, but Anne Hathaway opened up about why she’s staying ‘sober’.
There’s nothing wrong with a glass of pinot on the evening, but sometimes that glass becomes a bottle.
Now, drinking problems aren’t just hardcore addiction, and there can be early signs that the way you drink just isn’t beneficial in the long run.
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For Anne, that’s now she felt too.
Speaking to the New York Times, she spoke about how she has now gone five years without a drop of alcohol, and the reason for it is heart warming.
The Devil Wears Prada star said: "I don't normally talk about it, but I am over five years sober.”
Now, she didn’t do it because she believes she has a drinking problem, it’s more to do with those around her.
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There was a turning point in her life where she realised that it just wasn’t worth it anymore.
It all began when she had a five-day hangover.
That’s a very long hangover to have to push through, that’s for sure.
But for Anne, this meant that she wasn’t fully present when she felt she should have been.
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She explained, as reported by People: "I didn’t put it down because my drinking was a problem; I put it down because the way I drink leads me to have hangovers and those were the problem.
“My last hangover lasted for five days. When I’m at a stage in my life where there is enough space for me to have a hangover, I’ll start drinking again, but that won’t be until my kid is out of the house.”
She also told Vanity Fair in March 2024 that she just ‘knew deep down that drinking wasn't for me.’
She said: "It just felt so extreme to have to say, ‘But none?’ But none.
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"If you’re allergic to something or have an anaphylactic reaction to something, you don’t argue with it. So I stopped arguing with it.
“It’s a path everybody has to walk for themselves,” she continued.
“My personal experience with it is that everything is better. For me, it was wallowing fuel. And I don’t like to wallow. The thing that I have faith in is that everybody else is going to have one or two drinks, and by the time everybody gets to two drinks, you’ll feel like you’ve had two drinks — but without the hangover.”
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Even though she’s going T-total for her son, and not because of an addiction, New Leaf Recovery Project, a treatment facility explains that there’s a range of benefits to cutting out booze.
The website explained: “Sobriety can help you rediscover forgotten passions and hidden talents, by channelling that newfound energy into creative pursuits or hobbies you once put aside.”
It also can help you to become more connected to your friends and family, as well as giving you ‘clear thinking, improved memory, and increased focus’.
However, it can be challenging to stop.
That’s why ‘building a supportive network and developing healthy coping mechanisms’ can help you to navigate social situations better.
Distracting yourself from wanting booze is also a good way to stop yourself from taking a sip.
Whether it’s because you think you drink too much or you just don’t like that lifestyle anymore, going sober is good option.
Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support
Britt Jones