I'm always a bit disappointed when I look at the effects of staying sober.

All these people writing about how they turned their life around, sleeping better, thinking clearer, getting more healthy, etc.

I stopped drinking 3 or 4 years ago and I don't feel any better for it.

However, I only drank like one or two nights a month, when going on a party, so most of my life I was sober anyway.

The only thing I noticed is that I'm now more awkward in social situations. I mean, sure, I might be healthier than before, but I don't have any numbers for that. It's just a thing I assume to be true.

I scored a 1-2 for AUD (12 beers a week), so extremely mild - and the only thing that has improved is having a deeper well to draw from emotionally, when things get tough. It does feel like it was a net positive too.

But there are also things like potentially living longer, which don't have a feel.