I Quit Drinking for Six Weeks — Then This Happened A tale of hope . . . and caution

December 1, 2025

Andy Spears, Ph.D, Author

Tom O'Connor, Publisher

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration  (SAMHSA), after six weeks of abstaining from alcohol, your body undergoes significant improvements, including reduced liver fat and normalized liver enzymes, better hydration leading to healthier skin and fewer headaches, and improved brain function and memory.

You are likely to have more energy, sleep better, and may experience weight loss due to decreased calorie intake. Mental health can also be enhanced, with less anxiety and a more stable mood as brain chemistry balances out.

Author Andy Spears has a Ph.D., is a writer on substance use disorder recovery, and is a public policy advocate living in Nashville, TN.  

According to Andy Spears

I remember the confrontation. Standing in front of my closet and looking in and seeing a stack of bottles that had been moved from — well, everywhere. All of those had been just hiding in my closet? There were more than 20 empty bottles. This didn't count the few that were in the attic or the bag of bottles under the house. Empty, of course. Once full of bourbon and escape.

The discovery helped explain why I hadn't been doing much client recruiting in my policy consulting business. I had, at that time, one steady client who paid regularly. And a lot of free time that I ostensibly spent searching for the next "big client."

That search mainly consisted of sending out a few emails in the morning, pouring a drink, and watching Netflix. I'd turn the TV off at lunch and do some more "networking" or emailing.

I sometimes found a project — short-term work that paid ok money. Nothing consistent. No long-term contracts. Just one client who required about 10 hours a week of work.

Confrontation and Triumph

This confrontation happened in December 2019. About six months earlier, I'd started to wonder if my drinking was a problem. Now, I made a promise to myself — I'd give up drinking for a short period. And, I'd get to work finding honest work. It was a decision that filled me with a sense of empowerment and determination, a feeling that I hope can inspire others in their own recovery journey.

On New Year's Eve, I consumed the contents of my last bottle of whiskey — probably the equivalent of about two drinks. On January 2, I started reaching out to people in my network. Almost immediately, I learned of an opportunity and scored a first-round interview.

Over three weeks, that first interview turned into a finalist spot and an offer. It was a moment of triumph, a testament to the power of sobriety and determination. No drinking? Check. Job offer? Check. This experience filled me with hope and optimism for the future, and I hope it can do the same for you.

Running about two weeks behind this opportunity was another one, similar work. I moved through the rounds. Nailed the final interview. To celebrate that successful interview (I didn't have an offer, mind you), I bought a bottle of gin and drank more than I should have.

Celebration Party

The next day's hangover kept me in bed or on my chair all day. But on Monday, I had a call. And another offer. That contract would be signed over Old Fashioneds at a trendy new bar.

I'd given up alcohol for six weeks, experienced a bit of clarity, dug in, and now had two jobs — two clients. Two groups are willing to pay for my services. That, plus the carry-over smaller client, put me in a great position.

So, I continued to celebrate. I returned to old patterns. I poured two shots of bourbon at 7:30 to go with my black coffee. I made cocktails at lunch. I took calls and showed up at events, and kept everything going. Until. I didn't because I couldn't.

The After Party Crash

And I crashed. And lost one job, then the other, and eventually, the small client, too. I quit drinking for six weeks — clawed my way back to stability, and burned it all down in just a few months.

If you like this article, you may also enjoy Recovery Isn't a Marathon, It's a Decathlon!

My Two Takeaways:

1. Stopping drinking was good for me. Just by not drinking, I gained mental clarity, I felt better, and things went well.

2. Stopping drinking was not enough. I had to develop new habits, new patterns, a new way of living. I had to build a life I didn't want to escape from. This realization was a turning point in my recovery journey, and I hope it serves as a guiding light for others, encouraging them to remain determined and focused on their recovery.

My Journey of Recovery

I'm now several years into a journey of recovery—a life without alcohol. This life is filled with meaningful work, strong relationships, and a sense of purpose. I've built a life I enjoy. I teach. I write. I do work that has meaning for me.

I don't consider those jobs and losing them a loss — I consider them a lesson. I learned that I could stop drinking. And I knew that I needed to do more to stay stopped.

So, I live an alcohol-free life now. I open my days with prayer and meditation. I attend recovery group meetings. I talk with others who have struggled with addiction. I have a steady job and a good relationship with my now college-attending daughter. And I have days when I have the most vivid recall of things that happened during my active alcohol abuse. And, on those days, I cry. Hard.

I thought I'd cried a lot while I was drinking—but I didn't really feel that pain, just the anxiety from being "in trouble" again and the knowledge that another drink would take it away. I thought I'd cried even more in early recovery and in therapy sessions. But my recall wasn't as sharp as it is now.

I actually like having feelings—and really feeling them. But during these moments— these weekly episodes—I hurt. Deep and hard. And I cry out and say these things could not have happened, and I didn't do them, and how did I get here, and when will the pain stop?

What I don't do is drink. I feel the feelings. But I don't live there the rest of the day. In a way, I think this level of pain is a good reminder of where I don't want to be. An encouragement that I'm a long way away from the life of an active alcoholic.

And a reminder that alcohol has no place in my life. That a simple after-work drink or a cocktail to begin a weekend could very well lead me back to a way of life I never wanted. After one of these episodes—which last between 5 and 15 minutes—I tell myself: "I'm not living that life anymore, that's not me today."

And I go on. I wasn't prepared for this level of clarity. For this level of feeling. But I don't run from pain—or joy—anymore. Asking for help, accepting it, and staying on the path laid out by others who traveled this journey before me—that has made all the difference.

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A version of this article appeared on Medium, where Andy writes about substance use disorder and recovery.

Andy Spears can be reached at aspears35@gmail.com.