An influencer worried drinking less would make her boring at work events. She tried it and every aspect of her life improved.

• Lucy Moon, an influencer from London, wanted to drink less but worried people would think she's boring.

• She upset a loved one while drinking and decided she needed to change.

• Her health, performance at work, relationships, and mental health have greatly improved, she said.

Lucy Moon doesn't remember her first drink, but knows that she has never been able to drink "normally."

"I felt like I was trying to fool everyone into thinking I was a normal drinker, when really I would watch everyone's glasses to work out when the appropriate time would be for me to have my next drink," Moon, a 29-year-old fashion and lifestyle content creator from London, told Business Insider.

"I was thinking about alcohol a lot of the time. I was drinking every day, and I couldn't even imagine taking two days off," she said.

Three years ago, Moon decided to go sober after upsetting someone she loved while drinking. She joined the Gen Zers and millennials who are drinking less than past generations, in a trend that is improving people's health — and profits for non-alcoholic bars.

Moon said her life, in and out of work, is "much better" now she's sober.

Going sober benefited Moon's career

As an influencer, she attends a lot of press events with plentiful free alcohol, including Champagne or mimosas in the morning. She felt she needed to "be the life and soul of the party," so would never say no to a drink and was always the last person to leave.

"When I stopped drinking, I was worried I was going to be boring and awkward in work events, and thus maybe compromise my potential for making money," she said.

But she has had the opposite experience. She goes to just as many events, but knows that any worries she had about socializing were in her head and won't be fixed by alcohol. Plus, she remembers more of her interactions, which has helped her network.

Moon said she is also more reliable, particularly with her paid partnerships, and uploads content more consistently.

"My life is more predictable in a very positive way. I don't have blank spots in my memory, and I feel much more in control of my finances and my decision-making," she said.

Moon wasn't an "alcoholic," but couldn't drink "normally"

Moon prefers to describe herself as someone with an "alcohol problem" because she can't drink "normally" or safely, rather than an alcoholic, which carries stigma.

There were always "consequences" when Moon drank. She would often black out; lose her keys, wallet, and passport; spend more money than she had; or get lost and injure herself. After three or four drinks, she would forget what happened that night and wake up the next morning "filled with anxiety" that she'd upset loved ones or made a fool of herself.

"I'd come to and not know where I was," she said. "I was simply not in control. Once I had one drink, I lost the ability to be able to stop."

"Being young, there's this idea of 'Oh, well, things didn't get that bad for you.' But things got bad enough that I have enough proof that I can't drink safely. And if that were to carry on for another 20 years, it wouldn't be good," she said.

"That is ultimately why I gave up drinking when I was 26. I looked at those last five years, and I looked at how I was at 18 and I was like, 'Oh my god, I'm not growing out of this. Nothing has changed from the way I drank when I was 18.' And that's scary."

Getting sober was hard but felt like the only option

Moon knew she would struggle alone, so went to a local recovery group to find support to stop drinking.

"The first three or four months absolutely sucked. I was very low and just trying to get through day by day. It was a real struggle, but I just knew that if I got my head on the pillow sober at night, then that day was a success," she said.

By month five, things started to look up. But until then, she was motivated by her belief that it was her only option.

"My life had stagnated, and everything was really hard to deal with. I realized that drinking wasn't an option anymore if I wanted my life to improve. Drinking was causing pretty much all of the issues in my life, and I was the only person who could change that," she said.

She added: "My lips used to be chapped all the time, and I used to lose my voice — now they're both rare. I was nearly always ill, and now I get sick much less frequently.

"My relationships have developed and grown in such a beautiful way. And I don't wake up with crippling anxiety every day."

Read the original article on Business Insider