Whether we like it or not, drinking alcohol is a big part of many cultures around the world – especially here in the UK.

But that means that those who abstain often find themselves explaining exactly why they’ve given up drinking.

Even years after abstaining, teetotallers can find themselves rationalizing their decision. And Dr Alex George is no different.

The physician, who rose to nationwide fame after appearing on Love Island in 2018, now been sober for two years and has opened up about the experience on his YouTube channel.

In particular, he highlighted something that took him by surprise when he stopped drinking.

There were things that he knew to expect, such as fielding questions on why he wasn’t partaking in booze anymore. But one thing took him by surprise.

Despite assumptions to the contrary, his sleep actually got worse in the first few weeks of sobriety.

He explained: “It’s because, although alcohol leaves your system very quickly, the effects on your body takes many many months to change and reverse.

“One of the things that does take time is the effect on your brain. Alcohol causes cellular death in the brain. It kills brain matter.

Dr Alex George has been sober for two years (Instagram/@dralexgeorge)

“If we drink over a long period of time, it causes all sorts of issues. When you stop drinking […] it takes time for your brain to adapt to a non-alcohol state.”

It turns out that developing synapses and pathways in the brain takes time. And this period often leaves the person’s sleep pattern up in the air.

All in all, George found the period to last for eight weeks. After that, he got to the ‘sober sleep’ stage.

He said: “All of sudden, falling to sleep is easier. You enter deeper sleep and wake up feeling rejuvenated, it’s an absolute game changer.”

And that’s not the only thing about being alcohol free that took him by surprise – he also found that not as many people were bothered by him abstaining.

“You realize that nobody cares. You might get somebody asking ‘You want a drink?'”, he explained. “As soon as you’ve answered a couple of questions, nobody cares. And even if they do care, they forget because they’re probably drinking.

“You really ask yourself ‘Do I actually enjoy this in this pub?'”

George said he still goes to the pub, but will tend to show up earlier in the evening before anybody is drunk. He also makes a habit of leaving earlier.

On the whole, it’s freed up more time in his life for other activities and interests.

Speaking to those looking to quit drinking, he said: “If you feel like you can go and not drink, it’s really useful. You can go and enjoy it, and realize you didn’t need a drink to enjoy it.”