 Five years sober. Whoa. The best decision I ever made. Here's a quick rundown of my old drinking style. Why I ultimately quit and the countless benefits of being sober. To start off, can you imagine me? Super high-energy Ryan Van Duzer. Super duper drunk. I was a wild man and I almost always took it too far. I wasn't the kind of guy who could just have two drinks and call it good. No, I'd have two drinks and then want ten more and then I'd want you to have ten more with me. I was an instigator. When my married friends would hang out with me, their wives would be like, uh-oh, hanging out with Ryan always spells trouble. I blacked out countless times. My brain would just turn off. Luckily, I was a lovey-dovey drunk, so I never got into trouble or fights or nonsense like that. What's up, bro? I love you so much. Do you love me? And as many of you know, I don't drive, so drunk driving was never an issue. I did, however, crash so hard on my bike once that I busted my face open. Without a doubt, the dumbest things that I ever did on this planet were when I was drunk. No question about it. After a night on the town, I'd wake up super hungover and worthless. Sometimes I wouldn't even remember how I got home. And sometimes I didn't wake up in my own home. My hangover headaches were so bad that I thought my brain was going to explode. I'd lay around all day like a worthless slob. I was definitely not getting out there. My biggest party days were from my mid-20s to my mid-30s. And I'd say that I went pretty hard two to three times a week. I never really saw it as a serious problem, though. I never got arrested. It didn't affect my work. And I'd just laugh it off with my friends. Oh man, do you remember what you did last night, standing on a table, singing songs, kissing those girls? You were so funny. Well, yeah, well, you know what? It was a problem. I was your typical binge drinker. I loved to party and I was really good at it. Everything I do in life, I do at turbo speed. Whether I'm running or biking or drinking, I go all the way. And with alcohol, that's not a good thing. My goal on this planet has always been to inspire people to do great things. And here I was, getting insanely drunk every weekend. That behavior didn't jive with my mission. Alcoholism runs in my family. My dad, my uncle, my grandpa all struggled with it. And I knew that I was pushing my luck. It was in my blood. So on August 15th, 2015, I decided to finally stop. I was serious this time. I had had enough. It wasn't serving me in any positive way. I made the decision with some help though. I'm forever grateful to my dad, who was one of the influential people who guided me in this decision. He's been sober now for over 15 years. Dana, who many of you know from my channel, also struggled with substances and has been sober for over 30 years. Those two were pivotal in my decision. And I'm very thankful for their love and wisdom. And now today, five years after quitting alcohol, I can say with all of my heart that going sober was the best decision I ever made. Everything about quitting has been positive. I feel better mentally and physically. My mind is sharper. I'm not wasting all my money on fireball shots. I have better relationships with my friends and family, and especially with women. No more mindless makeout sessions. And this may sound a little hippie-ish, but I truly feel that I now have more capacity for love. I'm so present with everything now, whether it be in nature, a conversation with a stranger, or my work here on YouTube. Everything is enhanced in a good way, and I feel more passionate and excited to wake up every day and get going. Oh, I can't tell you how nice it is to wake up without a hangover. Those suck. I get asked all the time if I'll ever drink again. No, there's no reason for it. Life is better. Way better. Sobriety is the biggest gift that I've ever given myself, and every day gets better and better. Was it hard to quit? For me, luckily no. Once I finally made the decision, once I finally took my health seriously, following through with it, was easy. And seeing immediate positive results only motivated me to stay on this path. I still have just as much fun as before. Actually, I have more fun. I go to the bars with my friends, whoop and holler, and dance like a fool, and I do it all sober. And a huge bonus is that I remember everything now. No more blackouts or hangovers. It's great. And I have more money now for bikes and burritos. Alcoholism is a real thing. Tons of people on this planet deal with it, or have a family member going through it. I shared the story here on my YouTube channel about my one year sober anniversary, and I get questions all the time about how I quit, and about how I fight the urge to drink. Well, I don't have all the answers. Like I said, quitting was easy for me. I didn't go to AA or any other support group. I just stopped cold turkey. I'm the kind of person that when I put my mind to something, I do it. And I'm very fortunate that I didn't have a chemical dependency to this addictive drug called alcohol. I was just a binge drinking, au lait singing, tequila shooting party boy. But I know that for many others, it's a huge struggle to stay sober. I wish that it could give you all the secret code to quitting. But I only know my experience with going sober. If you're watching this video and need some help, I'd seriously suggest looking to a professional. Thanks again to my dad and Dana for your wisdom five years ago. You helped me make the best decision of my life. And thanks to all of you for watching my videos and letting me spill my heart out to you. I know that my channel is a little all over the place. Sometimes it's running, biking, trekking in the Himalayas, crying about heartbreak, and now my story with alcohol. I love this community. And I only hope that sharing this vast array of stories inspires you in some way. My underlying message is always to get out there and challenge yourself. A majority of the time, that means getting outside for a physical challenge. But sometimes it's something more internal. And I hope that I've been able to motivate you in some way. Alright, if you're new to my channel, please subscribe. I have adventure videos from all over this beautiful planet that will get you psyched up to try something new. Now if you'll excuse me, it's beautiful outside and it's time to go ride bikes. Cheers.