In her bestseller "Considered sober it was not so intoxicating drunk" describes author Susanne Kaloff, how it felt for her to touch a drop of alcohol. We read the almost 250 extremely entertaining sites in a record-breaking pace and simply asked how others reacted to their self-experiment, whether they missed the intoxication and whether they might be drinking again by now.

Barbara.de: How much did you drink before your self-experiment?

Susanne Kaloff: Strangely, everybody asks. I did not drink much, sometimes even for weeks. But it's not about the crowd, it's about the fact that every time you drink that little bit more, it can tip the mood. After that, I always felt bad. My concern is that you change yourself, even if you only drink two or three glasses of food.

What do you mean by change?

That I no longer feel like myself. That alienation takes place.

There are studies that say that the true self manifests when drunk ...

I do not think so. Maybe then one recognizes rather longings and needs, which one would have to take care of soberly instead of pouring Prosecco on it.

Did you announce that you do not want to drink anymore?

No not at all. Many did not notice it at first, because in the past I have never drunk any detox. But then the others have already noticed and there were reactions to it. It was often said aloud about how good the alcohol tastes, how great it tingles, what a good quality you're drinking right now. But I was rarely asked directly why I did not drink. I find it hard that people inevitably think that you are pregnant or alcoholic if you refuse alcohol. Anyone who voluntarily stops drinking is not an alcoholic, but clever.

How did your decision come about?

That has built up over years. I already did things after a gin and tonic, which I found stupid the next morning. SMS written to any ex-friends in the middle of the night for example. Once I lost a very expensive bag while drunk. And a few months before I left, I fell over in a club in the middle of the dance floor so stupid and fell down that I had a blue cheek. I never drank a bottle of wine at home or a vodka for breakfast, nor was I drunk regularly, but these negative events eventually summed up. That's why I decided on a normal evening just not to continue drinking wine. It was totally unspectacular. Out of the awareness that I'm not doing anything good with alcohol.

"With coke, nobody would come up with the idea why he does not even want a nose"

Did you find the resignation difficult?

Yes, because it was a real self-experiment. It was not a short phase, it had to be at least nine months. For example, at Christmas it was really hard for me not to drink champagne. Or New Year's Eve or my birthday. I never thought that would be so difficult for me. It was not about physical dependence, but the emotional dependence is not to be underestimated. You can only get over them if you do not even drink for a while.

How have you changed?

It was as if I did not react to everything immediately. I was not so impulsive anymore. My fuse was shorter before, without alcohol I'm much calmer. There are studies that influence impulse control through abstinence. Alcohol is a neurotoxin, you can imagine how that affects.

That's what every drug does ...

In fact, alcohol is the only drug that needs to be justified if you do not consume it. With coke, nobody would come up with the idea to explain why he does not even want to have a nose on a round birthday. Alcohol is simply the number one folk drug. It does a great things, if you live longer without him.

What for example?

More peace, more self-confidence. You come home from every celebration just as you went there. If you look after yourself so well, it gives you a lot of strength. But you can not take excellent care of yourself if you have two Prosecco too much in it.

"Soberly it was drunk not so intoxicating a trip to freedom" by Susanne Kaloff has appeared in the Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag and costs 14.99 euros

© S. Fischer publishers

Very superficial: Did you notice any external improvements?

I was also fit before the experiment, have been doing yoga for 20 years and have always been eating healthily. That's why the differences were not that big. My sleep is deeper, but it was good before too.It's not the solution to everything, I'm not better or prettier, it's not so striking. That would be too much to ask. It's more about being closer to myself. Even if everyone else is drinking.

Do you sometimes miss the intoxication?

Not at all. I never thought from the beginning that I would like to be drunk. That's why I took that apart exactly what I miss at all. The only thing I miss is the concept behind it. The idea of ​​having a glass of red wine in your hand. By now I have no interest in leaving the moment. It's not about the crowd, it's about why you drink. People do not just drink because it's comfortable or tastes good. They drink to turn off feelings and numb them. And when you numb the negative, you also numb the positive, your self-love, your creativity, your zest for life. But of course, everyone has to experience for themselves, my book should not be a guide. However, those who live soberly say the same thing. Meanwhile, it is a real trend in the US.

Does alcohol actually taste different after a while?

Yes, like cough syrup. He also smells strange.

Did you replace the alcohol?

In the beginning I ate a lot of sugar. Then I also paused with it, I did not drink coffee for a while, but that became too ascetic for me. I also compensated by constantly looking for vintage dresses on the internet. You have so much time all at once? and the evenings are so long. I was very much for myself at once.

"Why is not it just okay to be as we are?"

 

To what extent has the renunciation of your social life affected you?

The typical go out for a drink was of course gone. I also found it sometime? especially at the beginning? exhausting to say that I do not drink. Most of the time I was very happy and happy with my decision. For that I was often strangely eyed. Once even an acquaintance asked if I would otherwise enjoy all sensual pleasures. This connection was made more frequently.

Speaking of sensual pleasures: is sober sex better?

Sex without alcohol is much better. Because it's such a real intimacy. The bonding among drunks is fake, this is not real, but artificially accelerated. I also find it very rude to be extremely drunk. The presence is missing then. Someone recently told me he had to drink to talk to women, because otherwise he would be too shy. Sober he is still shy, so he sells a sham. Why is not it just okay to be as we are?

Do you find others annoying when they are drunk?

I'll just go then. I am certainly not the one who is up to 3 clock in the morning. We will not fit together anymore. The others are then so funny and stupid and it is as if the bad conscience, the sober mirror sits at the table. The others do not want that, they want you to drink. I understand that very well, I used to be the same.

Are you drinking again?

In the meantime, at least I have allowed myself to drink again if I wish. But interestingly, I do not want anymore.

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