Sobriety at Christmas: 'It feels less lonely, not to be the only one'

It’s Christmas party season — and with it comes the pressure to drink. Thankfully, writes Noelle McCarthy, our relationship with alcohol is changing

Pic: iStock

When I first stopped drinking, losing my best friend was the thing that scared me.

I remember her sitting on the grey sofa in the new place I’d had to find after being evicted from the old one, saying, “Is that it so, forever? I’m sad we won’t have another bottle of wine together.”