I quit alcohol nearly seven years ago and at the time I thought it would be a nightmare having to work in the London market and stay sober – it wasn’t.
Before that I was like many of my peers who joined the market in the 1980’s when drinking seemed to be the norm and was almost expected of you. Many of the colleagues I worked with are no longer with us including my elder brother who died from liver failure and I was well down the same path to oblivion before I decided the only escape was to quit forever.
I still work in the market, and I still have business lunches and drinks after work with colleagues, but all alcohol free. If anything, I have far more fun now than I ever did when I was drinking, and I remember everything. No more missed meetings or forgotten content. No more hangovers, illness or being late to the office. No more stress. No more finding scraps of someone’s chewed-up business card in my shirt top pocket after it has been washed and wondering who the hell I met and what we discussed. No more missed opportunities because of drink.
There is still a massive drinking culture in the market however, and a ban won't make that go away. It will just push people to work outside of the market. It will however be very very stressful for those addicted to alcohol who have to go into Lloyd's in the afternoon.
I have offered to do some free talks at Lloyd’s for those who might want to learn how I managed to quit. I also have two books which will and do help many thousands quit alcohol. If you know someone who might be interested here is my website www.Idontdrink.net but in case you think this is an advert all proceeds from my books go to the homeless. I just want to help others get out of the alcohol trap like I did. I have lost enough friends and family thank you.