No more grumpy Dad in the mornings – Eduardo Blanco

Switching to AF gave me the chance to prove we can celebrate without alcohol

Originally, I’m from Venezuela, where drinking is woven into almost every situation and celebration. I grew up watching my dad drink large quantities of alcohol and be completely socially accepted for it. The message was clear: alcohol isn’t a problem — not paying the rent is.

Back home, the volume of alcohol people consumed was staggering. I became “alcohol-fit” – my body could tolerate large amounts without blackouts or obvious consequences (which in hindsight was more stupid than lucky).

When I moved to Australia, my drinking eased off a bit, but it was still very much part of my life.

When drinking became a problem

My usual pattern was to drink towards the end of the week – starting on Thursdays, sometimes Fridays, and always Saturdays.

Then 2020 hit, and like many people, I had a rough year. Family issues and a few hits at work pushed me to drink more often. At my peak, I was drinking up to six days a week. It wasn’t so much the quantity that scared me – it was the frequency. That was my red flag.

By September 2020, I was clearly struggling with my mental health, and alcohol was making everything worse, not better. I didn’t feel “bad enough” in the traditional sense to go to AA, but I also couldn’t imagine just stopping by myself. I knew I was at a turning point: if I didn’t address this, my life could easily derail.

Starting my OYNB challenge

OYNB appeared at exactly the right time.

I chose the 90-day challenge because I wanted to be honest with myself:

• 28 days didn’t feel long enough to uncover what was really going on

• I knew alcohol was a symptom of deeper issues, and I wanted to find the root

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At first, I was worried: Can I actually finish this?

Support at home was mixed:

• My wife thought I was bluffing

• My teenage daughter barely reacted

• Only my 10-year-old son really engaged – he wrote me a note listing all the reasons I should stop drinking (I still keep that note)

It took time, but as the weeks passed and I kept going, my family realised this wasn’t a phase. This was real.

Becoming the example I wanted to be

A big part of my motivation was my kids – especially my daughter, who was 17 when I started. She was approaching 18, already thinking about what she’d drink when she reached legal age.

For years, I’d unconsciously been a good example of why not to drink. Switching to alcohol-free gave me the chance to become a different kind of example:

To show my children that you can celebrate, connect and enjoy life without alcohol.

That shift mattered more to me than I can say.

What going AF taught me

The biggest lesson? Admitting you have a problem and asking for help is not weakness – it’s strength.

There’s a heavy stigma, especially for men:

• Men shouldn’t struggle

• Men shouldn’t talk openly about their problems

• Men should “fix it themselves”

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But men and women alike face situations that can trigger mental health issues. Pretending we can handle it all alone just pushes us deeper into denial and unhealthy coping.

Facing this head-on and seeking support changed everything for me.

The outcomes that changed my life

Since going alcohol-free, the benefits have stacked up:

• Sleep – I no longer wake up in the middle of the night; I sleep like a baby for at least 7 uninterrupted hours.

• Energy – I have enough energy to hit the gym at 5:30 a.m.

• Productivity – I’m sharper and more focused in all areas of life. Adding meditation to my morning routine helps me stay centred throughout the day.

• Mental peace – This is the big one. The constant noise, worry and internal chaos have eased. I live much more in the present instead of being consumed by anxiety about the future.

• Family atmosphere – No more grumpy Dad in the mornings. My kids still test my patience sometimes (of course!), but their father is calmer and more emotionally available.

How OYNB supported my journey

The daily videos were structured to walk me through the different stages of change:

• In the early days, you feel lost – like something is missing now that you’re not using alcohol to numb things

• The content helped me understand why I drank and gave me tools to deal with cravings, emotions and stress in healthier ways

Over time, my whole approach to problems shifted. I learned to:

• Accept what I cannot change

• Let go of constant “future anxiety”

• Focus on living in the present

The Facebook community was another huge pillar of support. It’s a global group of people all focused on personal growth, sharing real stories, wins and setbacks. You feel less alone and more understood.

Life now – and my message to others

Today, I have:

• Better sleep

• More energy

• Stronger focus

• Deeper mental peace

• A clearer sense of who I am without alcohol

Most importantly, I’ve shown my children that you don’t need alcohol to celebrate, to belong, or to cope.

OYNB isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution – nothing is. But for me, it became a foundation for improving my life and changing my relationship with alcohol.

If you feel alcohol is starting to take more than it gives, and you’re not sure you “qualify” for traditional support, I’d still say this:

Don’t be afraid to admit something isn’t working. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Switching to AF might just become the turning point you didn’t know you needed.