256. WOULD I EVER DRINK AGAIN? AFTER NEARLY 8 YEARS SOBER256. WOULD I EVER DRINK AGAIN? AFTER NEARLY 8 YEARS SOBER
The Alcohol ReThink Podcast
Patrick Fox reflects on nearly eight years without alcohol, questioning whether there’s any point in drinking again. He shares holiday experiences, parenting worries, and thoughts on high-profile sobriety stories to show why life now feels better sober.
23:47•17 Aug 2026
Would I Ever Drink Again? Patrick Fox on Eight Years Sober and Saying No
Episode Overview
- Question the idea of “just one drink” by asking what it would truly add and whether it’s worth reopening that door.
- Notice how often alcohol is treated as a marker of adulthood or holiday mode, and decide consciously whether that fits your values.
- Be aware that alcohol lowers judgement and awareness, making people more vulnerable even when they feel fine in the moment.
- Recognise that using alcohol to escape stress or emotions teaches your brain that drinking is a quick fix, strengthening unhelpful habits.
- Aim for a place where alcohol feels unnecessary rather than forbidden, focusing on building a life you enjoy sober.
“"The freedom of sobriety isn't knowing that I could drink again. It's the freedom of knowing that I don't want to."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? Patrick Fox talks candidly about being nearly eight years alcohol and drug free, and what happens when someone asks him, "Would I ever drink again or do anything else?" His answer is an easy, unapologetic no. Fresh back from a boozy family holiday in Spain, he reflects on “holiday mode” and how automatic drinking becomes for many people – from airport beers to wine with dinner.
Even though he’s comfortable around alcohol now, he’s very aware of how it affects energy, sleep, mood and, crucially, decision-making. A big part of the episode centres on his daughter turning 18 and the cultural message that adulthood equals drinking.
He talks about birthday cards covered in booze jokes and shares a moment in a beach club where he saw first-hand how “alcohol makes you vulnerable in some way, shape or form” as his daughter’s judgement shifted after a few drinks. Patrick also talks about the recent coverage of Brad Pitt returning to drinking after seven years sober.
He isn’t interested in criticising Pitt, but in how stories like that can quietly fuel fantasies of “maybe I could drink again” for someone who has quit. His question back is simple: why open that door? Using everything from Haribos to holidays as examples, he explains how the brain learns to seek quick rewards and how using alcohol to escape stress or difficult emotions builds powerful habits.
For him, the real freedom is that “alcohol has become unnecessary in my life” and that he doesn’t feel he’s missing out. If you’ve ever caught yourself wondering whether you could go back to “just one”, this conversation asks you to pause and ask: what would it really add, and is it worth finding out?
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