“How I avoid booze around my mates”

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Avoiding the booze. This certainly hasn't always been the case. I grew up as a 'Clubbie'; as part of the Australian Surf Life Saving movement and as a surfer.

We surfed all day and partied all night. Drank booze, chased girls. We were total rat-bags.

If we had a bender, we'd be up at dawn looking for waves, no matter how drunk we were the night before. I remember times where we would often wake up, down a Coca-Cola, drive to the beach, get changed into our wetsuits, throw-up and then surf for two or three hours. Back then we were young and invincible. I did this routine solidly until I was about 30 years of age.

I drank like there was no tomorrow. It was beer, wine, champs, spirits or whatever else I could get my hands on. It was also at the time when I worked out that I was allergic to yeast. Yes, yeast! Which is found in pretty much everything I mentioned above. So no wonder my hangovers were worse than everyone else's. In my enlightened state, I switched to just vodka when I drank. Wow, that was smart. So instead of getting just hangovers, I also got black-outs when I drank, too. Around this time, drugs made their way into my life as well. I jumped from girlfriend to girlfriend and wound-up mixing with the wrong crowd. This phase of my life was crazy. At the time, I thought it was crazy-good. My new friends owned nightclubs and drug dealers were calling me up on a Thursday and asking me what I'd like for the weekend.

There was one night that really changed my life. It was the night where a very good friend of mine took it too far and started shooting-up his drugs with a syringe. I walked away from my friend that night and never saw him again. That's the night I changed my life.

I was sick and very tired of having no weekends and very low working weeks. I mean, you can’t be productive when you’re burning the candle at both ends. But, at the end of the day, I had to get serious about my life and the people I hung-out with. This routine that I'd created for myself no longer served what I wanted for my life. I decided that I needed new friends, so I set about discovering a new social network and discovering a 'cleaner life.'

Straying from the heard is scary. Alcohol and drugs became a big part of my life. It was part of my identity. Imagining life without them would just be weird. But something had to change. I began to ask myself, “Am I an alcoholic?" and "Am I drug addict?" The huge challenge for me was going to parties and not engaging in the same shenanigans that I was known and loved for. It really started to shake-up my social circle. Not to mention, my own identity.

The switch avoiding the booze and the drugs was bloody hard. I literally disassociated from entire groups of friends. I deleted people from my phone and if they called, there was always the "damn, sorry man, double-booked, next time maybe." There was just avoidance of that social circle until they didn't bother anymore. To be honest, it was heart breaking. These were some close friends. But it had to be done.

Mountain biking and then road cycling then became a huge part of my life. Most morning cycling groups leave at either 6 or 6.30am on Saturdays and Sundays. Believe me, you don't want to be trying to weave around traffic, go up and down hills at crazy speeds when you're hung-over. Drinking and cycling do not mix. Cycling or any group exercise activity can provide terrific accountability. My new circle of influence formed from these groups, too. Cycling is healthy…check! Cycling is social... check!

I'm now a professional personal development speaker and life coach. This has been my transitional journey. It's one that I look back at fondly, not with shame. And, because I now help people breakthrough their limiting beliefs and coach people to step into and own the new identity that they may want for themselves, I figure I better be doing the same. Integrity and practicing what I preach are very important character traits in my book. Therefore, I am consciously congruent to my messages of change and it's gratifying to be able to share this message to others.

What do you think? Have you broken up with the booze? Or are you trying to? Let us know by joining the conversation on Y7 Lifestyle Facebook page.

Travis Bell, also known as 'The Bucket List Guy', is an international speaker, a globe-trotting adventurer and he has designed his life around his Bucket List and he now helps others to do the same. He is also part of the new Eat Fit Food Health Kit events.

HELPING HAND

Think you may have a problem with alcohol (or are concerned about a friend, partner or family member’s drinking)?

The following sites offer information, help and support:
Health in Site
Salvos
Drinking Nightmare
Counselling Online
Reachout