The Problem With “Normal” Drinking – with William Porter

The Problem With “Normal” Drinking – with William Porter

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This episode of Sober Awkward zooms in on the idea of “normal” drinking and asks whether it’s really as harmless as everyone pretends. Host Victoria Vanstone chats with writer William Porter, author of *Alcohol Explained*, about how booze quietly becomes the main event in life long before anyone would call themselves an alcoholic.

William shares stark moments from his own story, like drinking a can of Red Stripe on a commuter train at 7.30am after a close friend’s death, and later losing his family and job security during a five‑day bender.

He explains how alcohol affects brain chemistry, why hangovers feel unbearable when you’re already low, and how reaching for a drink becomes the “obvious” solution: “If you feel awful and you've got an easy way to feel good for a few minutes, you will naturally reach for that simple solution.” Vic brings her trademark embarrassing honesty and humour, from bingeing sushi to bingeing shots, to show how she ignored red flags like regular vomiting, 3am anxiety and writing off workdays.

William describes how he trained his brain to “play the tape forward”, picturing the 3am anxiety instead of the first ten minutes of buzz, and how cravings are fuelled less by alcohol itself and more by the thought, “I really want this and I can’t have it.” This chat is a great fit for anyone wondering if their ‘social drinking’ feels a bit too central, or feeling stuck in the cycle of shame, anxiety and “never again”… until the next round.

Together they unpack normalisation – planning nights around booze, choosing restaurants for the wine list, and laughing off hangovers – and question why depending on a drug for fun is seen as standard adult behaviour. They also talk about cravings in a really practical way. Could changing your idea of “normal” be the thing that finally sets you free?